Walter

Patterson DAVIS COUNTY, IOWA

As shared by Harold Patterson

My 2^nd Great Grandfather Henry Kerr was born in County Clare, Ireland in 1820. In 1848 he came to America to escape the Irish Potato famine. He settled in Wayne County, Ohio and in 1853 married Sarah Margaret Bell. Henry and Sarah had 4 children: John born 1855, Mary Ann (Mollie) born 1857, Sarah born 1859 and Charley born 1862. In 1859 Henry was granted his US Citizenship. In February 1864 Henry enlisted in the 114^th Regiment of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In March 1865 Henry was discharged on surgeons certificate of disability. He returned to Ohio and spent most of his remaining life in the Veterans Hospital in Dayton, Ohio where he died in January 1877 and is buried there in the National Cemetery. His wife Sarah had died in December 1876 leaving daughter Mollie to care for herself and younger brother Charles.

My Great Grandfather John Owen Wood was born in Fayette County, Ohio in 1842 and in 1850 the family relocated to Appanoose County, Iowa. In August of 1861 he enlisted in the Kansas Calvary and was assigned to Company B, 6^th Kansas Calvary. During the war this unit was engaged in activity in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. In July 1864 they were again stationed at Ft. Smith, Arkansas. The Calvary unit was pasturing their horses in an area known locally as Massard Prairie south of the city and the Fort. On July 29, 1864, they were attacked by a far superior force of Confederates in a surprise daybreak attack where 15 men were killed and 120 taken prisoner. Those taken prisoner were marched to Tyler, Texas and imprisoned at Camp Ford. John survived prison camp and was released on April 8^th, 1865. He returned to Appanoose County, Iowa and in September 1865 married a local farm girl Esther Hollingsworth. In July of 1866 they had daughter Anna Lydia had in August 1868 they had daughter Minnie Flyn. In 1874 wife Esther died leaving John with 2 young daughters.

Our next record of Great Grandfather John O. Wood is in December 1877 when he marries Mollie Ann Kerr in Oskaloosa, Kansas. (* See note at end of report). John and Mollie move from Kansas and settle in Sherman, Texas and become parents of Mabel born 1879, Elnora (Nona) born 1880, Charles born 1882, Ella Belle born 1885, Emma born 1888, John Robert born 1891, and Edna born 1894.

My Great Grandfather Francisco C. Martin was a prominent farmer in Davis County, Iowa. In 1878 he married Minnie Bandel and they had 3 sons Eddie born 1878. Caleb born 1882 and Ota Wray in 1889. He had multiple farms north of Bloomfield with his largest one a section of land just north of town.

My Grandfather, Caleb Martin married Nona Wood in April 1909 in Wall Lake, Iowa. (* See note at end of report). They returned to Davis County where they lived in Belknap and Bloomfield until Caleb died in 1946. They were parents of two children Frank born in 1910 and Marjorie born in 1915.

My Mother, Marjorie Martin married Walter Patterson and they had four children; Teddy born 1937, Harold born 1941, Margaret born 1942 and James born 1945. Thus Nona Wood Martin was my Grandmother.

Edna Wood Gregory was a sister to my Grandmother Nona and therefore a Great Aunt to me. Without detailing all of her descendants in order I will just identify them as they are shown in the attached picture. Sue Gregory Mallinson, Martha Gregory Torres, Claudia Gregory Perryman Michel and myself, Harold Patterson.