JOHN FRANKLIN DEWITT

     John Franklin DeWitt was born Oct. 10, 1857 at Colesburg, Iowa, the son of Dr. George S. DeWitt, M. D., and Sarah E. Stanclift.

    John (Frank) married Louisa Anne Dille, daughter of Cyrus and Mary (Wilcoxson) of Lewis Co., Missouri; at the Methodist Parsonage, Elliott, on March 23, 1887.

    Frank and Lyda (as she was known) farmed east of Elliott on the Taylor farm, east of the Jessie Smith farm. They moved from there to Cumberland, Iowa. In 1891 they moved from Cumberland by covered wagon to the farm south of the Plowman Schoolhouse, Pilot Grove Twp., and now owned by Lester Hill.

    The DeWitt’s were parents of six children:

    Grace Elizabeth born April 12, 1888 (died Aug. 17, 1966). Grace married George B. Marsh and they were the parents of Ben (deceased), Roy, Max, Lois E. (Mrs. Russell Lloyd). The three sons all served in World War II.

    George Dille was born Jan. 19, 1890 (died July 1, 1975). (see next history).

    Hope was born July 6, 1892; married Evan H. Johnson and they had three children: Darwin (deceased), Faye (Mrs. Gary Jones), twin daughters; Joan (Mrs. Thayer), Joyce (Mrs. Stafford).

    Lois A. born July 16, 1894 (died Sept. 6, 1963), married Clyde Botts and they had four daughters. (see Clyde Botts).

    Vernon R. born April 16, 1897 (died June 8, 1977), married Ruth K. Greaves and had two daughters. Mary E. (Mrs. Crary), Eleanor R. (Mrs. Ed Gassman).

    Ross R. born Nov. 18, 1904 (died Aug. 9, 1978), married Dixie Doyle and had two sons. John F. who was a Marine and killed in the Korean War, Rex T. was killed accidentally at the age of two. Ross later married Ione Fetter and they had a son Don, and daughter Linda (Mrs. Jerry Thomas).

    The DeWitts moved from the farm to Elliott in 1920 due to the illness of Mrs. DeWitt. She died May, 1922 due to complications from an auto accident. John F. died April 12, 1944 at the Red Oak Hospital. Both were members of Pilot Grove Methodist Church and were buried at Hillside Cemetery, Elliott.

    John F. after the death of his wife lived most of his time with daughter Lois and a time with Mrs. Hope (Howard) Sandquist.

    Lyda will always be remembered as a sweet, quiet person, with a very understanding disposition, always ready to help wherever needed.

    Frank was a man of very positive statements, a good farmer and very community minded.

    His niece Dorothy Wilkinson recalls him saying about the automotive age, that it would be the undoing of farming. They would sell their horses and hook engines to plows, and do away with crop rotation and barn fertilizer. His question was, where will the gasoline come from? Little did he know that is the big question of the day, and his old-fashioned prophecy was right.

                                                                                                                       ~ Annis Milner