CARL BARR FAMILY

Carl Martin Barr, was born Aug. 22, 1883, the son of  William H. and Jane E. Martin Barr, at the Barr home 2 1/4 miles east of the Pilot Grove Church.  He was the youngest of six children. He lived on this farm with his family, attending school 1/4 mile west of his home. As he became a teenager he helped his father make ready and show Poland China hogs at various swine shows.  Later, he met Laura Given, daughter of Conley and Clara Given of near Grant, Iowa. She was born Sept. 21, 1887. She attended elementary school and graduated from Grant High School in 1905.  Laura and Carl were united in marriage at Elliott, Iowa in March 1909. After his marriage he wanted no more cleaning and polishing of hogs for show, but did enjoy farming and raising livestock, so they moved to a farm one mile east of Grant for one year, then moved to the farm one mile east and 1/2 mile south of Pilot Grove which they later purchased from the Glen Johnson estate in 1917.

   They were the parents of six children. Neil was born in 1909, while they lived east of Grant, and the others on the farm which they purchased. Clyde, 1911; Floyd, 1914; Roy, 1915; Helen, 1918; and Bernice in 1923. The children attended country school at Pilot Grove Center, then Elliott High School, except Bernice who attended Red Oak High School.

    Neil was married to Mattie England from near Red Oak, Iowa in 1933. They had one daughter, Ilene (Mardesen) who lives with her husband and two sons on a farm at the east edge of Elliott. Neil spent his entire life farming until his death in 1970. Clyde married Helen Bashaw from Mortons Mill, Iowa in 1934. He attended barber school. They have three sons and he now lives at Scranton, Iowa where he still works as a barber. Floyd was married in 1940 to a neighbor’s daughter, Marie Thompson. They have five children and now live one mile north of Grant, Iowa. Roy, who married Phyllis Embree from Grant, Iowa; in 1940, has spent his entire life on a farm. They have two sons. Helen was married to Wayne Taylor, also from Grant, in 1940. They made their home in Omaha, Nebr. and had three sons. Helen passed away in 1958, when her youngest son was four years old. Bernice taught in several country schools near her home after graduating from high school then later got her B. S. from Maryville, Mo., and has been teaching in the Villisca, Iowa Junior High School for 20 years. She was married to Elwin Guffey in 1945. They have one son. They live at Nodaway, Iowa.

   Laura Barr passed away Dec. 31, 1949 at their farm home. Carl died at the Red Oak Hospital, April 27, 1968.  They are buried beside his parents in the Villisca, Iowa Cemetery. They spent their entire life farming, except for three years when they lived in Red Oak while their second son Clyde, lived on their farm.