MUSCATINE COUNTY IOWA

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Dr. Ahrens

        Dr. Ahrens and family lived in Atalissa during the Flu Epidemic around 1918. He was said to be a very good doctor. During the epidemic he only lost two patients and that was because they didn’t follow his instructions. He and his wife would go to every house, every day to take a bottle of Whiskey, for medicinal use, until all were well. Dr. Ahrens was also interested in anyone who wanted to become a doctor. He would help them by teaching and when he felt they had learned enough he would give them a shingle to hang over their door.

Otis and Erma VanHorn Arnold

Picture: Otis and Erma Arnold on their wedding day taken July 2, 1912.

        They were married in Muscatine, Iowa July 2, 1912. They farmed many years in the area and had three children, Stewart of West Liberty, Iowa, Jessie Stewart of Atalissa, Iowa and Verlee Williams of Grandview, Iowa. In 1977 there were 11 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren and 1 great great-grandchild.

        Otis used to test cream for Brotchie who had a Grocery Store here in Atalissa.

Picture: Otis and Erma Arnold on their 65th wedding anniversary in 1977.

Ralph and Bonnie Streat Arnold

        Ralph is the son of Delbert and Edith Bjork Arnold. He lived on the West End of town on the South side of Highway 6. His parents were farmers and owned the Community Oil Company. His mother was of Swedish decent. In later years Ralph also ran and owned the Oil Company after his father’s death and until he retired. He married Bonnie Streat May 26, 1956. There are no children. They sold the property to the Government, because it was in a flood plain, and moved to Muscatine, Iowa.

Picture: Ralph and Bonnie Arnold

Stewart Arnold
807 N. Miller Street, West Liberty, Iowa

        They lived in the house next to Mary VanDusen for awhile and spent fifty-nine years total in and around this area.

Picture: Stewart and Ruby Arnold family Front row seated on left Joshua Kobes, Ingrid DeClercq, seated on right Cory and Kerry Sharar, second row David Kobes, Alyce DeClercq, Ruby Arnold holding Kyle Beinke, Stewart Arnold and Judy Sahrar. Top row Debbie Kobes Elshoff, Susan Kobes, Gary Kobes, Ruth DeClercq, Charles DeClercq, Erma Arnold, Richard Beinke, Betty Beinke, Rick Shimon, Denise Shimon, Dennis Beinke and Linda Beinke.

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        Stewart was born September 2, 1912 the son of Otis and Erma VanHorn Arnold. He was born just North of Atalissa. Ruby was born July 13, 1917 the daughter of Erick and Signa Jensen Erickson. Stewart went to school in Atalissa and graduated in 1930. Ruby went to school in Wilton, Iowa and graduated in 1936. They were married in Muscatine, Iowa and have been married sixty-one years. They belong to the Atalissa Church of Christ. They have spent their lives farming and Ruby works at the Concessions and Activity Center at the Muscatine County Fairgrounds. He likes to fix things up and she likes sewing, knitting and crocheting. They have four children Susan Kobes of Iowa City, Iowa, Bettey Beinke of Atalissa, Iowa, Judith Sharar of Plainfield, Illinois and Ruth DeClercq of Palmer, Alaska. There are nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Stewart and Ruby were both active on the Penn Avenue School Board.

Jeff and Julie Atkins
123 4th Street

Picture: Home of Jeff and Julie Atkins

        Jeff was born August 10, 1966 the son of Elmer and Lavira Atkins who are both now deceased. Jeff went to Wilton High School and graduated in 1984. Julie was born November 29, 1966 the daughter of Gary and Sandy Fortney. Julie went to school in Muscatine, Iowa and graduated in 1985, Muscatine Community College graduating in 1992, and Cornell College graduating in 1995. They were married at her parents’ house on April 29, 1995 and have lived in the area seven and a half years. They go to the First Christian Church. There are no children. He is a Foreman and she is a Laboratory Analyst.

August and Marian Oepping Aye

        August and Marian Aye lived at 110 First Street. August delivered ice in Atalissa. August also kept bees and was in the hauling business. According to Francis Carlisle he was one of the first truckers in Atalissa. August had seven children by his first wife Erma Velet. The childrens names were Florence, Glen, Mearl, Leo, Kenneth, Grace and Pearl. After Erma’s death he married Marian Oepping. Marion’s children were Ray, Adeline, Nellie, Gladys and Mildred.

Bert Baker

        Bert and Ida Baker were married and had one daughter. Bert was born in 1880 and died in 1969. He was a day laborer and also helped care for the Overman cemetery. Ida was born in 1883 and died in 1958. Bert and Ida are buried in the Overman Cemetery.

Picture: Bert Baker taken in 1966.

Elizabeth Barkhurst

Picture: Ed and Elizabeth Barkhurst in about 1957.

        Elizabeth was born May 15, 1912 the daughter of Frank and Ethel Churchill Moffit. She married Walter B. Barkhurst in Cambridge, Illinois. They had two sons Richard of Florrisant, Missourt, and Robert of Madison, Wisconsin. She was a graduate of Iowa State Teachers College and taught for many years. They farmed North of Atalissa until Walter’s death. She moved to West Liberty, Iowa where she worked at the Coffee Town Restaurant until her health began to falter. She was a member of the Clarence, Iowa O. E. S. Elizabeth passed away June 12, 1979.

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Elmer and Else Barkalow

        The Barkalow’s lived outside Atalissa on a farm for many years. We haven’t much information about them except for a newspaper article. After Elmer “Buzz” died the neighboring farmers came to the farm and got the crops in for Elsie. There were 35 men with 14 teams who did the corn husking and 9 women did the cooking for the men. It was a full days work but there was a full crib of corn at the end of the day.

        This was taken from an article that had appeared in the Newspaper.

Lawrence “Buck” and Nellie Beaver

        Lawrence and Nellie were married in 1936 and started farming on Atalissa road, where Craig McKillip now lives. In 1939 they moved north and west of the Atalissa area and continued farming until they died a few years ago.

Picture: Nellie and Lawrence taken August 4, 1935.

Hugh and Matilda Beggs
214 Third Street

Picture: Hugh and Matilda Beggs and family Back row standing left to right Floyd Staley, Charles Staley, Reefa Meeks, Archie Staley, Daisy Swain and baby Gladys Gran Flater, Ben Meeks, Fred Swain and Emma Flater. Seated left to right Sadie Staley, Grandpa Hugh Beggs, Grandma Matilda Beggs and Mary Meeks. Front row standing Leota Staley seated Teressa Staley, Matilda Meeks, Herschel and Russell Flater standing. Taken in 1912 at 120 Third Street.

        Hugh and Matilda lived in Atalissa for several years.

Robert and Elma Oepping Binggeli

Picture: Elma and Robert Binggeli taken on their anniversary.

        Robert was born May 27, 1920 the son of Fred and Anna Binggeli and lived in Muscatine. Robert went to school in Muscatine. He is a retired draftsman from Procter and Gamble and a farmer. Elma was born June 26, 1918 the daughter of Fred and Eva DeVore Oepping and lived at 1414 Penn Avenue. Elma went to the Penn Avenue School and at Atalissa School graduating in 1935. After graduating she went on to Capitol City Commercial College in Des Moines, Iowa. She was an Accountant and owned her own business in Iowa City, Iowa for many years.

        They were married May 27, 1944 in the First Presbyterian Church in Davenport. There are four children Donna Williams of Atalissa, Linda Manary of Solon, Al Binggeli of Iowa City and Fred Binggeli also of Iowa City. There are seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

        Both enjoyed camping and enjoyed taking trips in their camper.

        Elma passed away July 20, 1999 and was laid to rest at the Overman Cemetery next to her parents.

Bill Brotchie

        Bill had the grocery store before Bill Hohnke. He and his family lived at 111 Cherry Street.

Dick and Gert Cale

        In 1951 Dick and Gert lived in an apartment on the ground floor of the back half of the Bank building. It was on the corner of Third and Cherry Street. They had a Grocery Store in the front part of the Bank building in 1951. In 1952 they bought a Café on Highway 6 and lived in the back quarters until 1957. The Café was named . . .

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. . . Dick’s Cate.

        Dick was Justice of the Peace also. Gert and her daughter Beverly worked as Telephone Operators and everyone helped run the café. There were three children Dick Jr., Beverly (Mrs Larry Witmer) and Jackie.

Picture:
Dick and Gert Cale with daughter Jackie at Dick’s Café.
Jackie, Dick and Bev Cale taken in 1953.

Cecil Carlisle

Picture: Cecil Carlisle’s house on Fifth Street.

        Cecil was born August 13, 1910 the son of Alexander and Ruth Carlisle. He was born in the old house where, Norma Dickey lives now. He died May 18, 1994 and is buried in Overman cemetery.

        Cecil lived on the home place, which his family acquired around 1918. He worked out for Jess Gregg and Robert Morrison until he started farming on his own around 1936. He was a crop farmer and also raised hogs and cattle. He farmed eighty acres out by the old stone quarry. His big delight was running people away from the quarry. He especially enjoyed catching underage kids partying and taking their beer away and sending them home. He rented one hundred-twenty Acres from Chet Crees. He and his mother moved there and Cecil farmed there for thirty-five years before retiring.

        After his mothed died he moved back into town to the old home place. He was quite a collector if anyone needed anything he would probably have it. The only time he was ever away from Atalissa was a few family reunions in Nebraska.

Picture: Ruth Carlisle and family back row left to right Cecile, Francis and Thomas, front row left to right Mabel Whyte and Ruth.

George Carlisle

        George lived on the corner of Fourth and Oak Street. He was Francis’s grandfather. He used to be a great walker. Sort of like the power walkers today. Francis said it was like he floated instead of walked. On a trip to Chicago to race someone gave him poisoned water so that he would lose.

Ruth Savacoal Carlisle

Picture: Ruth Carlisle on her 90th Birthday.

        Ruth was born April 21, 1890 in Denver, Colorado. She married Alexander Carlisle in August 1909. She had four children Cecil, . . .

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. . .Francis, Thomas and Mabel Whyte. There are six grandchildren living and one grandson deceased and several great grandchildren. Francis “Perky” remembered that while living on the home place it was all swamp and pasture on the south of Fifth Street on the Westend. The street was still a dirt road and Gus Thompson got his horse and wagon mired so bad he was there four hours. Ruth helped him get out. Ruth died March 15, 1985.

George and Norma Chambliss

Picture: Gerald and Norma Chambliss.

        George and Norma were married August 5, 1936 at the Broadway Presbyterian Church in Rock Island, Illinois. There are five children Shirley Grunder of Wilton, Robert of Muscatine, Ronald of Tipton, Richard of Tipton and Pat Woode of Marion, Iowa. There are fifteen grandchildren. They were in the area two and half years. George was with Minneapolis-Moline Implement Co. here and was a truck driver and mechanic. In 1986 they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the Broken Spoke in Wilton.

George and Elitha Pearl Fry Chapman

        George was born December 14, 1888 in Eldon, Iowa the son of Frank and Olie Brookhart Chapman. He died November 6, 1964 and is buried in the Overman Cemetary in Atalissa.

        Elitha Pearl Fry was born in 1889 and died in 1984 and is also buried in the Overman Cemetary.

        George and Pearl were married March 29, 1911. They both grew up around Letts and Cranston, Iowa. George’s parents died when he was very young and the Brookhart’s raised him.

        The early years of their marriage was spent in Cranston where George farmed. Then they moved to Winnipeg, Canada where he farmed for two years. After leaving Canada they moved to Nichols, Iowa where he continued to farm. After leaving Nichols they moved to Atalissa and rented the Lundy House on the hill, they then moved into the red blockhouse on Fourth Street where they stayed for about fifteen years. While living there George was employed for the County High Maintenance Department at Atalissa.

        They moved to Rock Island, Illinois where George worked for John Deere Manufacturing in Moline, Illinois for ten years. After he retired they moved back to Atalissa where he purchased the house at 210 Cherry Street. Then they lived in a mobile home just south of the house on Cherry Street.

        There were four children Betty Chapman Watters (husband Robert Watters), Dorothy Chapman Carlisle (husband Francis Carlisle), Gladys Chapman Sterner (husband Orville Sterner), George Chapman (wife Genevieve Crow).

Picture: George and Edith Fry Chapman.

Samuel and Theresa Hindee Chesebrough

        Samuel was a doctor and also owned and operated a drug store in Atalissa. He married Theresa Hindee on January 8, 1890.

        Theresa was the daughter of Robert and Margaret Hindee. Theresa was born March 22, 1861 on the family farm near West Liberty and was a lifelong resident of the area. She went to school in West Liberty.

Picture: Theresa Chesebrough

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        Theresa was a member of the Eastern Star and the Christian Church in West Liberty. She died June 3, 1941 at her home in Muscatine.

        There were three children Robert, Herbert and Mrs. Raymond Tipton.

        This information was taken from Theresa’s Obituary.

Harry Collison

Picture: Harry and Mary Collison’s children left to right Alma, Wendell, Loretta and Myrtle sitting.

        Harry was born in 1899 and married Millie O’Ella LaRue in 1919. They had four children Loretta Alma, Wendell and Myrtle. They divorced and later he married Mary, who raised his family. Harry was Custodian at the school for many years. They sold the family home in 1954 and moved to Muscatine. Harry died in 1972 and Mary in 1987 and are buried in the Overman Cemetery.

John and Helen Conner
12 Cherry Street

        John and Helen lived behind the Mini Mart. The gas station that was there was a Standard then a Mobile Oil. John went to West Liberty High School. He sold feed for Kent Feeds for eleven years and also worked at the elevator. They were married in 1955. John and Helen lived in Atalissa from June 1956-1990.

Picture:John and Helen Connor

George and Minnie Corriell
1543 Kelly Avenue

        George and Minnie had five children: Gladys, Vada, Merle, Inez, Thelma and Lester.

Picture:
George and Minnie Corriell with children, built by George in 1913
Lester Corriell with son Wayne
Original home built by Wayne’s grandfather George in 1913 picture taken in 1975.

Lester Corriell
1543 Kelly Avenue

        Lester was born August 25, 1912 the son of George E. and Minnie Daugherty Corriell in rural Atalissa. He attended Cedarville School and Muscatine High School graduating in 1929. Lester received a two-year degree in farm operations from Iowa State University where he was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity at Iowa State.

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       He married Marcella Sprode August 30, 1934 in Morrison, Illinois. She died in 1985 they had been married 51 years. His second marriage was to Doris Mitchell on February 27 1988 in Muscatine, Iowa. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Muscatine County Farm Bureau. He was the past Goshen Town Clerk and a past member of the Muscatine County Mutual Insurance Board. He farmed in the area all his life. He and Minnie had two children Nancy Foutch of Woodbine, Illinois and Wayne C. of Atalissa. There are five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

       Lester and Marcella were married nine and a half years until his death November 11, 1997. Lester lived in the original Corriel house until he built his new one 37 years ago.

Picture: Floyd and Iola Coss taken in 1986

Floyd and Iola Coss
119 Third Street

        Floyd “Red” was born in 1908 the son of Elmer and Ida Stauffer Coss in Atalissa. He was born at home in the 100 block of Depot behind Ron Gatzke’s house. He attended school in Atalissa. Floyd worked for Bill Honhke in the grocery store, drove the school bus for five years, worked at the post office for thirty years and was post master for two years. He was also school janitor for two and a half years. He married Iola Stauffer in 1937 in Illinois.

        Iola was born in 1917 in Nichols, Iowa. She worked at Louis Rich seven and a half years and was a housewife. Iola also cleaned houses for many people. Floyd and Iola both liked to fish.

        They belonged to the First Christian Church.

        There are three children Janice Roberts of Marion, Iowa, Jerry Coss of Wilton, and Donald Coss of Muscatine. There are eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. They were members of the Community Club, Chaperoned the girls basketball team and Floyd drove the school bus to the out of town games.

        When they lived in Atalissa they were at 119 Third Street for nine years, then farmed at 2161 102nd Street Richard Stutzman lives at this address now.

Picture: Iola Coss taken in 1997

Perry Coyner

        Perry moved to Atalissa after retiring and lived at 122 Railroad Street. He had two cows and kept them in the old section house. The section house burned and killed one of the cows so the city took up a collection and bought him another cow He could be seen walking his cow every day to give her excerise. He was really happy that he had such good friends in town. This is more of Francis Carlisle’s memories of Atalissa.

Floyd and Jeanetta Dallege
1971 Atalissa Road Parkview Place

        Floyd was born October 2, 1920 three miles east of Rochester Park. He married Dorothy Westphal in 1940 they had six children Carolann, William, Doris Marie, Deloris May (twins), Joan and Rick. He married Jeanetta Brouwers in 1981.

        He lived at this home for forty-seven years. Dorothy died in 1980 and is buried in Bethel Cemetery. Her marker was dug out of the pasture on their farm. It was her wish to have it so Floyd made sure she got her last wish.

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        Floyd died in April 1997. Before his passing he shared the following stories with us.

        Floyd bought his farm from Harry Hunter, who lived on the next farm to the north where Deanne-Owen O’Quinn lived. He originally bought one hundred sixty acres for twelve thousand dollars and in 1971 he bought another one hundred twenty acres for another twelve thousand dollars.

        In 1957 there was a lot of interest in the community for a boat dock. Floyd sold a portion of his riverside land to the Cedar County Conservation Coop. It is now known as the Rochester Park and boat ramp. Several of the Maple trees in the park were dug from Floyd’s hillside pasture.

        Life was much different back then, he remembered when farming was the major livelihood and neighbors truly helped each other through thick and thin. Very thin was the year he only got twenty-five bushel of corn per acre. Also in the early 1960’s when the Cedar River was four feet across Atalissa road at Haycock Hollow. The winter of 1978-1979 was not easy for man or beast either.

        He recalled his 1949 Ford truck making many trips to Oak Hill School and to the Methodist church in Rochester, Iowa.

        Jimmy Stucker delivered the mail from Atalissa. The Post office was located in the building that is now the Corner Tap at 119 Cherry Street. The Post office was in the back and the grocery store was in the front of the building.

        There used to be a lumberyard where the Atalissa fire Station is now, it was operated by Wayne Beinke and financed by Ott Wendling of Wendling Quarries. Bill Rock bought the building and tore it down.

        The grain elevator and fertilizer plant was across Cherry Street and was operated by Chuck Evans in the late 1950’s.

        The Rock Island Line had a railroad Depot located on the same street. Floyd remembered a big hook on a pole along side of the tracks and as the train went through someone would reach out the window and hang the bag of incoming mail on it. The train service was a small heartbeat of the Atalissa Community. It was the main source of import and export. The Allis Chalmer’s dealer-ship received their machinery by the railroad. It was located in the brick building on the Westside of Cherry Street and Highway six. After they moved to Muscatine, the Minneapolis Moline Equipment dealership occupied the building. Tommy Carlisle owned the dealership at that time.

        The building to the west, 215 Highway 6, recently known as Stoney’s Bar and Grill, was also a tavern in the 1950’s, it was operated by several people Harry and Mary Thiesen, Red Bishop, Jack Tobis, John and Ann Peeters and Sam Fuller. Many locals remember the basement being called “The Blue Room” (Owned and operated by Guy E. and Sammy R. Fuller during the early 1960’s). The Blue Room had a bar and a dance floor so all could “dance the night away’. Next to the Steak House was a bulk station of Deisel fuel and gas. The Arnold family owned it and they had homes across the Highway.

        He remembered his first telephone was a wooden box with a crank on the side and hung on the wall. Everyone was on the same line so you all had different rings to tell you the call was yours. The office was in Rochester, Iowa and Mrs. Finefield and Ethel Yerington were the switchboard operators. Then when Albert Daufeldt came home from the Army he brought the service to Atalissa. He installed the switchboard in his home. Albert had learned a lot about telephones while in the Army so decided that was what he wanted to with his life after he came home. He updated the service and everyone got a black phone that was small enough to hold in your hand but still had to be cranked.

        As we sat there talking to Floyd, he would tell these stories with a giggle and a bit of sadness in his eyes as if he wouldn’t mind at all going back to the time of the two bottom plow or his one surge milking machine. Not even to the twenty-five cent gas (per gallon) or the 16 cent diesel fuel, the 20 cent loaf of bread or even the old outhouse.

        Charlotte Hill interviewed Floyd and she was so impressed by his wonderful stories and how helpful he was with all the history. He was so thrilled with us writing this book and we are so sorry he wasn’t able to be here to read it. Thank you so much for the wonderful insight into the past we all miss you very much.

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Picture:
Floyd and Jeanetta Dallege in 1981
Floyd at home taken in 1996

Albert Daufeldt

Picture:
Albert Daufeldt’s house at 119 Third Street which was also the first telephone office.
Albert Daufeldt in the early 1930’s

        Albert was born in 1911 the son of Charles and Alvena Daufeldt. He attended school at Oak Hill Country School through eighth grade and went to Muscatine Community College for one year. Albert was in the Army from 1942-1945 where he learned about communication. He had to leave the Army to raise his brothers and sisters because his mother had died. He was very active in many community affairs. He was owner and operator of the Atalissa Telephone Company. He belonged to the Presbyterian Church in Atalissa.

Charles and Alvena Daufeldt

Picture: Charles and Alvina Daufeldt’s wedding picture February 23, 1910

        Charles and Alvena were married February 23, 1910 and had eight children Albert John, Walter Wesley, Charles Louis, Arthur Theodore, Clarence Edward “Buz”, Mamie Etta Lovell and Harold Gordon “Sam”, and Myrt. They lived on the farm on Oakville School road from 1918-1939.

Demean Family
849 320th Street

Picture: DeMean family Fred Schneider, Minnie Schneider DeMean, Anna DeMean Osborne, Hazel DeMean Grothwohl, Bill DeMean, Harry DeMean, Clara DeMean Maher, William DeMean and Agnes Schneider.

Dewey and Beryl Arnold Devore

        Dewey and Beryl were married September 17, 1919 at the Methodist parsonage in Wilton. They lived in Atalissa for many years and had five children Donald, Carroll, Duane, Herbert and Frances.

Picture: Dewey and Beryl DeVore on their Golden Anniversary in 1969.

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Picture: Four generations left Don DeVore, middle Martha Tice DeVore, reight Dewey DeVore and baby Linda.

Harry and Hazel Devore

        Harry “Peck”, the son of Hiram and Martha Devore, lived on a farm East-Southeast of Atalissa. In 1912 he married Hazel Coss and they had eight children Lester, Raymond, Jess, Mable, Earl, Evelyn (who died at ten years of age from bad water), Carl and Betty Gatske.

Claude and Hazel Hiatt Dickey

        Claude and Hazel lived on 111th Street on the Weiss farm. Later on they moved to Highway 6 across from the Alvin Hinrich’s farm. Francis Carlisle told us a story about Claude that was quite funny. He told us Claude spent too much time in town one Saturday night, and when he came home Hazel sicked the bulldog on him and he spent the night on top of the corncrib. Can you image how much teasing he received from his friends after that?

Robert and Karen Edwards
222 Fourth Street. It is the Zion Lutheran Church Parsonage

        Karen was the pastor of the Zion Lutheran Church . They were in Atalissa just a few years coming from Concrete, Washington in the spring of 1994. They have three children Loran Anne-Marie, Jon Michael Richard and Jennifer Lisa Kae. Along with her duties as pastor she was also a member of the Atalissa Betterment Committee for awhile, helping whenever she was needed.

Waldo and Ruth Arlene Derby Elder

        Waldo and Ruth Arlene Derby Elder lived at 151 First St. and Lundy St., Waldo built the house and the Billie Goodale family live there now.

Picture:Waldo and Ruth Elder

        Waldo and Ruth were married June 8, 1940 in Anita, Iowa and had four children Christa, Jack, Judy and Barbara. Darlene Essex Adams has many fond memories of the Elder family as she was their sitter and lived with them. Waldo owned and operated the Lumberyard in Atalissa for many years.

Herman Erick

        Herman lived at 119 Depot Street and was retired. Francis Carlisle remembered how he used to brag that no one could tip over his outhouse on Halloween. Well the boys got a real long rope tied it around the outhouse and then tied it to a pickup down the street and over it went.

Mike Esmoil
326 W. Fifth Street

Picture: Mike Esmoil with sons Matt and Mark.

        Mike was born December 8, 1946 the son of Lyall and Lenore Esmoil. Mike attended Muscatine High School graduating in 1965. Mike has been in the area all his life, growing up on a farm between Atalissa and Muscatine. He has three children Mark D., Michelle K., and Matthew S. Mike was in Viet-Nam from 1966-1968. After his wife’s death Mike and the children moved into Atalissa. He was a single father and did a wonderful job with his children. Mike is employed as. . .

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. . . a Maintenance Supervisor for Kent Feed in Muscatine. In July of 1997 he married Charlotte Johnson-Reifert in Muscatine. Charlotte was born February 14, 1947 the daughter of Glen and Emily Johnson. She went to school in Muscatine and graduated in 1965. Charlotte has two children Amy Eichelberger Emily Reifert. She is employed at Muscatine General Hospital. Both enjoy gardening and fishing. After their marriage they moved to Muscatine.

Clyde and Margaret Ola Arnold Essex
South side of Highway Six across from Mini Mart

Picture: Clyde and Margaret Essex in 1980

        Clyde was born April 8, 1906 the son of James E. and Edna Armstrong Essex and died in April 1984. He attended school in Atalissa. He was an Auto Mechanic most of his life and in his later years he owned Essex Greenhouse in West Liberty. He worked for Mutt Markham and managed the Mobile Station, where the Mini Mart is now.

        He married Margaret Arnold on July 23, 1933. Margaret was born August 31, 1915 the daughter of William and Margaret Slosser Arnold. She attended school in Atalissa and graduated in 1932. She lived here nearly all her life and was a clerk at the Spurgeons Store in Muscatine for many years.

        Clyde and Margaret had five children Darlene Adams of Muscatine, Deanna Templeman (deceased), Duane of W. Des Moines, Iowa, Wendell of Bettendorf, Iowa and William of Muscatine. The children went to church at the Presbyterian. There are fifteen grandchildren.

        Their hobby was gardening, their daughter Darlene remembers they tried to out do each to see who would have the best garden each year.

Darlene Essex

        Darlene was born August 29, 1935 at home in Atalissa the daughter of Clyde and Margaret Essex. She attended school in Atalissa and graduated in 1953. She attended the Presbyterian Church.

        On July 23, 1954 she was married to Mr. Adams in Kahoka, Missouri. They had five children Randy A. of Muscatine, Cindy Skipton of Muscatine, Lynda Cully of Palm Springs, California, Lynette LaScala of Fruitland, Iowa and Bryan of Palm Springs, California (died in 1987).

        Darlene has been a Physicians assistant for many years, she enjoys gardening and reading.

Picture: Darlene Essex

William “Bill” and Lill Eusler

        They lived 127 First Street. Lill was a paperhanger. After Bill died she married Art Cole and lived at 126 Railroad Street.

        Bill had a sister Mrs. Laura Blair and a brother Ray who lived with Laura from time to time. Bill was well known for playing the bones.

Vernon and Sarah Eusler

        Vernon and Sarah lived on the South corner of Linn and Fifth Street. He was a carpenter. They had three children Lenora, Orpha, Alva.

Ray and Dorthea Fiagle

        Raymond Fiagle was born June 8, 1902 the son of Lewis and Theresa Cornelia Fiagle in Downey, Iowa. He worked for the Rock Island Railroad for 40 years as a section hand until he retired. Most of the forty years he lived in Atalissa. He was a member of the Atalissa Masonic Lodge and the Moose Lodge in Muscatine.

        He married Dorothea Markham in 1960. She had been widowed in 1955 and had a son Ray Oepping.

        Dorothea went to Iowa State Teachers. . .

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. . .College and Muscatine Junior College. She taught School at Goshen No. 3 for a couple years, a one-room school near Atalissa and in Wilton. In 1927 she was Louis Fiderlein’s first grade teacher. She roomed at the Bert and Clella Cline farm. She didn’t teach for several years returning in the 1950’s. First in a one-room school near Muscatine and then at Wilton Junior High.

        In the 1930’s Ray Fiagle saved Ray Oeppings’ life, he was in the Cedar River. Later on he became his stepfather.

Picture:
Raymond Fiagle
Dorothea Fiagle

Ralph and Daphne England Fuhrmeister

        Ralph was born June 28, 1920 in Iowa City and went to school there also. He was in World War II and enlisted in Iowa City. His hobbies are traveling and spending time with family. He married Daphne England November 2, 1974.

        Daphne was born October 6, 1931 in Des Moines, Iowa and was raised by her grandparents, George and Sadie Walters. Her grandmother died October 6, 1944 so Daphne came to live with her mother and stepfather Edna and George Cooney. When Daphne came to Atalissa her step-father was off to war. She went to school in Illinois and Atalissa graduating in 1949. She attended the University of Iowa but did not complete her degree until 1971. In the summer you will find her in her Art Studio or flower garden. In winter she does cross-stitch and makes her own Christmas cards, she also loves to travel. Since she and Ralph are both retired they have a lot more time for it.

Picture: Ralph and Daphne Fuhrmeister

        There are eight children Yvonne Kurtz of Fairfield, Iowa, David and Douglas Yansky of Iowa City, Becky Huard of Danbury, Connecticut, Dustin Yansky of San Antonio, Texas, nineteen grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

        At the age of fifty-six her stepfather adopted her. Promptly after the final decree Daphne asked the Judge if that meant George could now spank her.

John and Lillie Sutton Garvin

        John and Lillie lived on a farm at 2382 Atalissa Road. John was a farmer and Lillie was a homemaker plus helping with the farm. They attended Saint Josephs Church in West Liberty. They had six children Charles, Velma, James, Lillian, John F. and Edward.

Louis and Lota Gerdts
123 Fifth Street

Picture: Louis and Lois Gerdts house at 123 Fifth Street

        Louis was born July 25, 1910 the son of William and Mary Gerdts in Woonsocket, South Dakota. He died October 21, 1990. He went to school in South Dakota finishing eighth grade. Louis worked for Elder Lumber and Kent Feeds. He was a member of the City Council, a Volunteer Fireman, enjoyed bowling, coin collecting and gardening.

        Louis married Lota Hathaway in 1937 in Atalissa. Lota was born June 13, 1909 the daughter of William and Clara Hathway in Clearwater, Minnesota. She went to school in Muscatine graduating in 1926. Lota died October 2, 1994. There were four children Elaine Pagel (deceased), James (deceased), Theresa Hanson of Muscatine and Judith Passmore of Atalissa.

        Lota enjoyed quilting and gardening. She worked at Louis Rich in West Liberty and wrote. . .

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. . . the Atalissa News Column in the Index for many years. They were members of the Zion Lutheran Church.