Mills County, Iowa
The Silver City Community History
Biographies 1879-1979
Silver City Community History Book Committee

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GALT, REUBEN P.
     Reuben P. Galt was born March 17, 1880 in Fremont County, Iowa, was educated at Shenandoah, and was cashier in a Colorado bank before coming to Silver City in 1917 as cashier of Farmers State Bank. He continued in this capacity until 1935 when the Farmers State and Silver City State Banks consolidated under the name of Silver City State Bank. He then became cashier of this bank and served in that capacity until 1953 when he retired. He married Blanche Weston on May 4, 1904, and they have two children, Eleanor and Harold.
     Reuben Galt passed away May 30, 1955 at the age of 75. He was an income tax expert and insurance representative. He was a former Councilman, Mayor and School Board President, a kindly, trusted and highly respected man, a devout worker in the Methodist Church and a member of the Masons and Eastern Star.
     Mrs. Galt moved to Florida to live with her widowed sister, Marie Flenner, at Zephyr Hills. She lived there until 1969 when she returned to Iowa to be near her daughter, Eleanor and family. Mrs. Galt was a resident at Nishna Cottage in Malvern at the time of her death at the age of 89 on March 4, 1971.
    Eleanor Galt graduated from Silver City High School and Nebraska Wesleyan College. She married Virgil Frazier and they had one son, Keith. She later married Donald Schultz, see Schultz.
    Harold Galt graduated from Silver City High School, Maryville College and Boyles Business School. He married Clara Lyons and they have two children, Sally Sue and Billy. They made their home in Clermont, Florida. Harold was fatally injured and died in Louisiana in 1967 at the age of 54. His memorial service was held at the Christian Church in Clermont, and he was buried with his parents in the family lot at the Silver City Cemetery. His family still lives in Florida.
 

GLEBE, R.E.

      R. E. “Rudy”, son of Edward and Emma Glebe was b. 10-18-1899. He and his family moved to a farm near Silver City when he was a young boy. In later years he and his brother Gus ran a cafe here in town. On 4-26- 1924, he married Edith Decker, daughter of Frank and Addie Decker. They made their home for a short time here in Silver City. They later moved to a farm near Council Bluffs, where they farmed until he retired. They had two children, Betty and Vivian.
      Betty m. Kenneth Robinson (deceased). They had three children, Nancy, Carole, Tim. Nancy m. Gene Mohr and had five children, Jeff, Michelle, Jennifer, Katrina and Kristine. Carole m. Jim Hansen and had 4 children, Janie, Cory, Kim and Tom. Tim m. Becky Fritz and had one child, Sheilah. Betty is presently married to Harold VanWinkle.
      Vivian m. Lowell Hartje and had 3 children, Jim, Tom and Ronald. Jim m. Linda and had two children, Dana and Shawn. Tom m. Hazel Harvey. Ronald m. Marion Mayfield and had one child, Rachel.
 

GODFREY, DONALD
     Donald W. Godfrey, son of Walter F. and Elsie Baugh Godfrey, was born 2-7-25, northeast of Silver City. He attended Silver Creek No. 5 (Valley) in Pottawattamie County, grades 1-8 and then attended Treynor High School where he graduated in 1942.
    Don was married 6-2-1946 to Ruby Smith (parents — Marion J. and Nora McGee Smith), Henderson, Iowa. Ruby taught school at Valley, 2 years before their marriage. Ruby graduated from Henderson High School.
     In 1949, they moved to the June Fickel farm southwest of Henderson. They bought the Fickel farm in 1963, where they still reside.
     Don and Ruby are parents of 2 sons. Richard W. was born 8-5-48 and Darrell D. was born 3-5-54. Both boys graduated from Nishna Valley High School and Iowa State University in Ames. Richard has been a Loan Officer at Federal Land Bank in Red Oak, for 4 years. He married Rita Patterson of LuVerne, Iowa, 4-17-71. Rita is a graduate of Iowa State University. They live in Red Oak. Darrell is employed at Farmland Industries in Kansas City, Mo., as a Manager of Conference and Area Programs, Member Services Division. He was married to Nelda Schwinke, Morrision Mo., 10-29-77. Ne1da is a graduate of the University of Missouri at Columbia, Mo. She is employed at Bethany Hospital in Kansas City as a registered nurse. Darrell and Nelda
live an Liberty, Mo.
     Don and Ruby are active in the Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church and are past 4-H and Teen Club leaders.
 

GODFREY, WALTER F.
      Walter F. Godfrey was born in Countess Weir, Devon County, England, in 1892. His love of fine animals was stirred by an American “Buffalo Bill” Show he saw there as a teenager. In 1909, at age 17, he came to America and found a home with the George T. Rew family, working at farming and raising purebred livestock. It was at the Rew home that he met Elsie Baugh. daughter of Bert and Nellie Baugh. She returned to Silver City from her family’s new farm home in Clifton Hill, Missouri, to make her home with the Rews until Mrs. Rew’s death in 1915.
      Walter and Elsie were married at her parent’s home in Salisbury, Missouri in April 4, 1916. They took up farming northeast of Silver City in the Lone Star Community. They had three children; Robert, who died at the age of 10 in 1927; Nellie, who married Clarence Burgoin (see C. Burgoin); Donald, who married Ruby Smith (see Donald Godfrey).
      Walter raised a large herd of Hereford cattle on the farm. He and Elsie were very involved in all church and community activities, first at Lone Star Methodist Church, and later at the Silver City Methodist Church.
      Elsie passed away in March 1953. Nellie and Donald and their families settled nearby, and Walter remained on the farm raising crops and, always, his fine cattle. He was an active and faithful member of the Silver City Methodist Church, as well as a respected livestock man in the county up to the time of his death in 1976.
 

GOOS, ADOLPH
     Adolph Frederick was born May 4, 1838, in Stubb, near Eckernfoerde, Schleswig, Holstein, Germany. He joined the Danish Regiment and served 4 years. In 1868 he emigrated to Davenport, Iowa and later moved to Silver City. He was a member of I.O.O.F. and Encampment and was a successful farmer. He was married June 27, 1871 to Lena Greebe. They had 3 children; 2 died young and Agnes married John Trede. Lena Goos died in 1875 and Adolph married Laura Holst on May 14, 1878. They had 8 children; five died young, Carl, Katie E. and Grover. Adolph died on November 16, 1911 and Laura died on August 9, 1919.
     Carl, now deceased, farmed and lived in the Silver City area his entire life.
     Katie E., now deceased, graduated from Silver City High School, attended Cornell college, taught for several years and married Gail Moore. They had a son, Robert.
    Grover L., born November 4, 1892, graduated from Silver City High School and Omaha Business College and was overseas in W.W.1. He was married February 12, 1920 to Grace Kehoe, a member of another pioneer family. Grace died on September 1959. They had 3 children; a son died young, Marvin and Catherine. Catherine graduated from Silver City High School and is active in Eastern Star. Grover was a successful farmer, member of the Methodist Church, Masonic and Scottish Rite Lodges and American Legion. Grover passed away on February 1, 1980.
     Marvin was born on April 23, 1922 and graduated from Silver City High School. He served in W.W. II as a 2nd Lieut. in the Air Force, a graduate of Cadet Pilot School. He was married on June 5, 1943 to Geraldine Rommel and had three sons; Neil, born September 23, 1944, James M., born December 26, 1945 and Jeffrey, born September 9, 1958. Geraldine died on December 12, 1966. Marvin lives on the Swarts place and is now married to Bettie Wallace of Council Bluffs.
     Neil graduated from Malvern High School in 1962; followed by 2 years of schooling at University of Nebraska at Lincoln. In 1965, Neil joined the Iowa Army National Guard where he served 6 years. In 1966 he married Linda Jean Keith of Glenwood. In 1970, a son, Craig Keith was born. In 1976, a daughter, Jennifer Geraldine was born. Neil has been employed since 1964 at Glenwood Hospital School and is currently a Program Director for Vocational Training Program. He is a member of the American Legion, Glenwood Optimist Club, helps with Jr. Wrestling Club and is a member of the First Christian Church of Glenwood. Linda graduated from Glenwood High School in 1966 and is currently employed at Glenwood State School as a secretary.
     Jim, a 1964 graduate of Glenwood Community High School, served in the Air Force from 1968 to 1972, with overseas duty in Southeast Asia 1969-70. He graduated from Northwest Missouri University with a B.S. in Agri-Business. On February 1, 1969 he was married to Judith Asmussen. Judith, born November 25, 1946, is a 1964 graduate of Glenwood Community High School and a 1973 graduate of Northwest Missouri University with a B.S. in Secondary Education. She is presently enrolled in the Masters Program at U.N.O. for counseling and guidance. They have two children, Rhonda Gerry, born December 22, 1971 and Darrin James, born July 30, 1975. They recently purchased the grocery store in Silver City. Jim is a member of the American Legion, Masons, and Community Organization for Planned Entertainment. They are both members of the Methodist Church.
     Jeff is a 1976 graduate of Glenwood Community High School and is presently enrolled at Iowa Western Community College, while living at home and helping with Marvin’s farming operation.
 

GOOS, NICHOLAS  FAMILY
      Nicholas Goos was born at Schleswig Holstein, Germany on September 26, 1833. He came to America and Mills County in 1868 with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Goos. On January 10, 1872 he was married to Johanna Greene, who also came from Germany. He was a successful and respected farmer and neighbor. At the time of his death on January 23, 1914, he was a charter member of St. John’s Lutheran Church, Mineola, Iowa. Mrs. Goos lived on the home farm until her death on February 16, 1923. They had six children: Tillie Fahrenkrog, Emma Oldrog, Louie Goos, Fred (who died at the age of 17), twins — Amelia Schoening and Emil Goos.
     Emil married Mary Bruning of Treynor and they had two sons: Donald A. and Vinson (who is now deceased). Although the boys were young when their father died, they helped their mother to manage the farm, where Mary continued to reside until her death on March 27, 1975, at the age of 92.
     Donald married Jean Burgoin June 3, 1944. They have three children.
1. Lynn Arthur married Janet Keithley of Underwood; their children are Eugene Arthur and Michelle Lynn.
2. Carol Jean married Greg Forristall and they live on their farm at Macedonia.
3. Margaret Anne married Dennis Hem of Glen wood, where they reside. They have one daughter Jennifer Rae.
     Three generations of the family are still living on a portion of the original farm.

GOUGH, CARL EUGENE
      Betty “Menschel” Gough was born on April 12, 1937 at a farm home in Hastings, Iowa. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Menschel of Silver City. Betty has one brother Dwayne Menschel of West Fargo. North Dakota and two sisters, Bonnie Decker of Silver City and Kathryn Hatcher of Council Bluffs, Iowa. The Menschels moved to Silver City in 1944. Betty went to school for about 2 years at Benton school near Hastings, Iowa and the rest was at the Silver City Public School from where she graduated in 1954.
     Betty was married to Carl Eugene Gough (Gene as he is better known as) on October 3, 1959 by Rev. Merle Burres in the old Methodist parsonage in Silver City. They shared a double wedding ceremony with Bonnie and Delmar Decker. Most of their married life has been spent around Silver City except for a few years in Glenwood.
     Gene was born in Nebraska City, Nebraska on July 7, 1938 to David Gough and the late Helen Gough. He has 3 other brothers, Duane of Grand Forks, North Dakota; Donald of Perry, Iowa and Allan of Bouton, Iowa. Gene first worked for Wailer Transfer in Silver City and is presently working as a truck driver for Thomas Brothers Trucking, Inc. out of Minneola, Iowa.
    Gene and Betty are the parents of an only daughter, Cheryl Ann, born April 6, 1960 at Mercy Hospital in Council Bluffs. She had most of her schooling at Glenwood, Iowa except for 3 years at Silver City Public School. She graduated from Glenwood Community High School May 14, 1978. Through their 20 years of marriage, Betty has been a housewife, enjoying taking care of her family and enjoying living in a small, quiet and friendly town like Silver City.

GREENWOOD, HON. CHARLES G.
     Charles G. Greenwood was born May 24, 1836 at Guilford, Piscataquis Co., Maine. He was educated in the public school of Maine and in an academy there and later at the Wisconsin State University. He went to Illinois where he taught school for several years and was married there on January 17, 1861 to Apphia Trask also a native of Maine. In 1880 they came to Silver City where he engaged in lumber and grain business. In 1883 he was one of the incorporators of the Silver City State Bank and was its President for many years. He was also President of the Greenwood Lumber Company until he retired from active life. Mr. Greenwood served as a member of the 32nd General Assembly of Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Greenwood had 5 children; Grace married George Hawley and had a son and a daughter. Sarepta married Maurice Kehoe. Cora married G. D. Spelbring. Ada married Dr. Lenard Conger, she graduated from Silver City High School and Tabor College and was an accomplished musician. C. Davis married Elizabeth Pullman and was associated with his father in the lumber business, being manager of the Emerson, Iowa lumber yard. They had three sons, Charles, Horace and Rosco.
     Mrs. C. G. Greenwood died in 1919 and Mr. Greenwood died April 17, 1929.

Transcribed and contributed by Roseanna Zehner and Darlene Jacoby, 2010