HISTORY:

My great great great grandfather, Frederick George "Fred" Hancer was born 21 Apr 1849, at Rumsburgh, Suffolk County, England, the youngest child of George and Hannah Reynolds (Pipe) Hancer.  Fred passed away at his home in Merrill, Plymouth Twp., Iowa on 13 Jan 1931 and is buried at Merrill Hillside Cemetery, Merrill, Iowa. Fred married Emma Catherine House on 21 Nov 1871, Iowa City, Johnson County, Iowa.  Emma was born 23 Jul 1852, Cumberland, Allegeny County, Maryland to Henry Harrison House and Eda Ann Boyd.  When Emma was a few months old her family moved to Iowa City.  Emma died 13 Sep 1917, Merrill, Iowa, of cancer after a year of experimental treatments from the Rochester, MN Mayo Clinic. The Hancer's moved in 1876 to a farm located in Washington Twp., Plymouth County, Iowa where Fred farmed and Emma served as a midwife in the Merrill community for over 30 years.  In 1902, they semi-retired to Merrill, however, keeping up both residence until 1912. Fred along with his family members were responsible for the building of the Merrill infrastructure---homes, barns, buildings and bridges.  Emma was extremely involved in the Methodist Church, serving as Sunday School teacher for decades. The Hancers had the following children (info from their family bible record) (1) Estella May (16 Oct 1872 Tiffin, Iowa - 28 Oct 1956 Sioux City, IA) the wife of Dietrich Philip Winter [owners of the Winter's Store in Hinton, Iowa...now located in the Plymouth County Fair Pioneer Village]; (2) Franklin Calvin Hancer (24 Nov 1874 Oxford, IA - 16 Sep 1883 Merrill, IA); (3) Harry George Hancer (8 Jun 1877 Merrill, Iowa - 27 Apr 1952 Merrill, IA) husband of Gertrude Annie Winter ; (4) Edith Henrietta Hancer (14 Sep 1880 Merrill, IA - 20 Apr 1904 Hinton, Iowa) wife of John Daniel Snyder (of the Schneider family in the area); (5) Parley Fred Hancer (29 Jan 1885 Merrill, IA - 2 Mar 1887 Merrill, Iowa), and (6) Hazel Clara Hancer (21 Mar 1890 Merrill, Iowa - 27 Jan 1985 Logan, Utah) wife of Joseph Nielson .

Sons of Fred and Emma (House) Hancer who died young. (1) "Frankie" Hancer taken at age 8 in 1883 at Dabb's Studio (the advertisement on the back of the photo indicates J. V. Dabbs just recently opened his business). (2) Parley Fred Hancer taken sometime in ca 1885 by Gosting Studio of LeMars, Iowa.