John Thomas Ramsey was born in 1877, youngest of six children Alexander and Sarah Jane had come with their families by boats and wagons from Tennessee to Drakesville, Iowa, in 1850. In 1851 Alex's family and relatives came on to Richland Township in Decatur County where they became the first permanent settlers in an area called "Tennessee", 6 1/2 miles northeast of Grand River. Others followed. Alex and Jane were married in 1863. They were of Scotch, Irish and Welch descent.

Lefa Brammer was born in 1878, only child of Albert and Mary (Acton) Brammer. Albert was second of six children of Francis and Nancy A. (Briner) Brammer, who had come to Iowa from Indiana in 1855. They lived 3 1/2 miles northeast of Grand River in Richland Township. Lefa and John were married in 1906 and lived most of their life in Lefa's childhood farm home with the exception of a time on Joe Brown's place and two years in Colorado.

They had five daughters;......

Both Lefa and John were conservative and resourceful. He took pride in his big, dapple-gray work horses. When tractors came into use he was heard to remark, "When they make a tractor that will eat hay, I'll buy one." However, many changes came to the farm, including electrification. John died in 1949, and a year later the farm was sold. Lefa moved to Van Wert where she died in 1954. Both are buried at Grand River.

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