Pike Township Family Stories
CHARLES ELDER FAMILY
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, pages 200-201
Written by Frances Elder, submitted by Betty BiereiCharles Wesley Elder was born 24 June 1891 on the Elder farm south of Nichols, the son of John E. Elder and Clara Ellen Shellabarger Elder.
Charles Elder attended school at Nichols and college at Cedar Falls, Iowa. On 9 October 1917 he married Clara Frances Kirchner in Muscatine.
Clara Frances Kirchner, he daughter of Bernard A. Kirchner and Nannie Elizabeth Black Kirchner, was born 25 April 1899 at Nichols.
The following is quoted from reminiscences made by Frances Elder: “After my mother’s death in 1901 my father and I lived with my Grandmother and Grandfather Black. In the fall of 1911, I attended the Immaculate Conception academy for two years, then attended Saint Katherine’s school in Davenport, Iowa, for four years.
“In 1917 I married Charles W. Elder at the First Methodist parsonage in Muscatine. Our attendants were Mary Elder and Walter Elder. After a wedding trip to Denver, Colorado, we bought the home of Mrs. Ida Nash which was south of the Catholic church. This home was previously owned by my parents and was where I was born. Kathryn Claribel and Jeanne Anne were also born there.
“After a few years Grandpa and Grandma Elder retired from the farm and bought the home in Nichols where Floyd Kirchner and Edna Kirchner lived, and we moved to the Elder farm and farmed several years. In the fall of 1926 we moved to Letts, Iowa, and farmed the 188 acres that Charles’ father, John Elder, had bought previously.
“Dr. Frank F. Carl from Nichols, my uncle, had bought 160 acres of Grandpa Black’s land. He wanted to sell it to us, as it was family land. This land is located on the west side of the road north of Nichols.
“We bought this 160 acres for $24,000. We wanted to move our livestock and machinery, but the farm was still leased to a renter. We had a farm sale and sold all our stock and machinery and bought Grandma Black’s home in Nichols. John Elder, Charles’ father, bought the 80 acres on the east side of the Black land, north of Nichols, where Charles, Jr. lived. In 1935 we moved from Nichols to the farm. We retired in 1943 to Muscatine. Charles passed away at our vacation home at Battle Lake, Minnesota, on 30 July 1967.”
Charles started the Elder Implement company at Nichols, which is still [1994] in operation. He was a member of the Nichols Methodist church, Elks, Davenport Kaaba Consistory, El Bey Grotto and the Shrine club at Davenport, Iowa.
Frances is living in Muscatine [1994].
Charles and Frances were parents of five children: Kathryn Claribel Elder, Jeanne Anne Elder, Charles Robert Elder, Betty Irene Elder and Alice Mary Elder.
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