John Joseph Umhoefer

UMHOEFER GRODE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 11/10/2010 at 23:51:13

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

John Joseph Umhoefer
By Leone Bernard

John Joseph Umhoefer, known only as Joseph, was born near Woodville, Calumet County, Wisconsin, February 12, 1859. His father, Joseph, September 7, 1830, died February 18, 1906, was born in Saal, Bavaria, and came to the U S in 1848. His mother, Anna Marie ‘Mary’ Grode, March 17, 1832, died June 14, 1906, was born in Hesse-Darmstadt. They married in 1955, children: Andrew, Gregory, Joseph, John, Frank and Appollonia ‘Abbie’. Kate and Mary died young. About 1869 they returned to land near Milwaukee. In 1873, they moved to the Maryhill district west of Cherokee, Iowa, later moving to Alton in 1884 to a lumber business.

Joseph Umhoefer and Mary Ann ‘Minnie’ Liffring, August 24, 1964 to September 4, 1936, were married December 10, 1984, at Storm Lake, Iowa. Her parents, Dominick and Hannah Liffring, came to Cherokee County from New Holstein, Calument County, Wisconsin, her birthplace, in 1876. Dominick was born in Hartsiz, Belgium, February 14, 1840, French speaking when he came to the U S in 1845. Hannah Shufflebotham Liffring was born at Ashbury Church, Cheshire County, England, May 30, 1845. They married November 2, 1862. Eight children were born in Wisconsin: Mary Ann ‘Minnie’ Thomas, William, Louis, John, James, Josephine, Ed. Eugene, Fred and Emma were born at Cherokee, Iowa. Ambitious and with a zest for learning, they educated themselves – all for the professions of medicine, law, engineering, and teaching, except Tom, the farmer, and Minnie. Like many a pioneer boy of the prairie, their first step was a year of teaching at local school – the Liffering school. To Minnie’s great joy, her oldest granddaughter taught her first year at that school, not too many years before it would be engulfed in the tides of reorganization.

Joseph and Minnie farmed near Cherokee until 1890. Childern born there: Josephine, October 6, 1885; Mary Joanna ‘Mayme’, March 13, 1887; Appollonia, December 6, 1889, who died in infancy. In 1890 they moved to Alvord, Lyon County, Iowa, wehre they joined their brother, Gregory Umhoefer, in operating a general store. Children born in Alvord: Frank, born July 24, 1893, died February 8, 1931; Clarence, born January 2, 1898; Irwin, born August 24, 1901, died March 22, 1955; Roy, born June 14, 1903, died May 24, 1971; Joseph Albert, born April 12, 1906, died January 19, 1969. In 1907 they moved to LeMars and operated a shoe store. In 1910 in January, Joseph with Josie, Mayme and Frank came to Anthon, Woodbury County, to set up a variety and shoe store.

They stayed at the Anthon Hotel until they found a home. On March 5, 1910, on the 10:00 a.m. train. Minnie and her boys came to town having embarked at Cherokee where they visited her brother, Tom, for two weeks. Here she was to spend the rest of her life – twenty-six years. Here she would rear her boys, and love and shape the lives of her grandchildren.

Umhoefer’s variety store and shoe stores supplied many practical necessities of the growing town of Anthon of those days. No longer available anywhere, but delightfully living in the memories of the children of so long again, where toys and trinkets loved and treasured for years. This was where ‘Santa Claus came to Town’, years – decades – before we sang about him or shook his hand on every corner. Joseph served his customers faithfully and he enjoyed them. They came for a can of tobacco and to swap stories, often in an English with a German undertone that was good to the ear of one of his parentage and youth in German settlements. Many of those stories were brought home to the supper table and told –oft between puffs on his pipe, carefully savouring every detail.

Their sons finished their grade school and high school at St Joseph’s school in Anthon. Daughter, Josie, married James Bernard in1912 as told n the story of Joseph N Bernard. Mayme worked many years as a stenographer in a law office and in the bank. She left many beautifully painted dishes and articles of stitchery to the nieces she guided through the years.

Frank, a lifetime railroad employee, married Lily Mae Walton in McGehee, Arkansas, in 1919. Frank died in a accidental shooting. Working the night shift some distance from his home in the country, where there had been a number of holdups, he was carrying a gun. Awkwardly handled, it discharged and though he eventually reached home, he died alter in the hospital. His one son, Frank Walton Umhoefer, November 20, 1920, was an Air Force pilot during World War II and continued to work as a pilot after the war. He married Evelyn Cox. He has been lost to Iowa relatives for years.

Clarence, age 86, a retired mail carrier, spent his early years in the family store and shoe repair shop. He later operated a radio repair shop. In the 30s and 40s as a volunteer baseball coach for Junior Legion baseball team, he and his boys were top contenders in state competition. He still resides in Anthon in his own home and remains an avid fisherman.

Irwin, a telegrapher for railroad and bank accountant, joined the Society of Jesus )Jesuits) in 1932. Ordained in 1940, some of his assignments were at St Louis; Denver, Kansas City, Missouri; Mankato, Minnesota; and Oshkosh. Tragically, his great work as a priest was ended in 1955, at age 54, when he died in a snow storm when his car stalled near Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Roy, a lifetime employee of Illinois Central railroad, worked at Cherokee, and Sioux City. He retired and lived in Anthon with Clarence until death.

Joe was an electrical engineering graduate in 1927 of Iowa State, editor of Eta Kappa Nu national magazine. Associate Editor of Collier Magazine, Lt Commander in the Navy, civilian worker in the Pentagon after the ward. He died in 1969 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery