I, Marie HOFFMAN WOOSLEY, was born on a farm four miles west and two miles north of Shannon City on September 25, 1903. My grandfather, Eleazor and Mary (MARTINDALE) HOFFMAN, came here to the state of Iowa from Illinois. When my father Frank was seven-years-old, my mother, Rosa SWICK came to Iowa from Delaware, Ohio. When she was 17-years-old, they were married in Gordon, Nebraska as her parents had moved to western Nebraska after living here a short time, about two years. Frank was an only child, as a 2-year-old brother died. To this union of Frank and Rosa HOFFMAN was born Gladys HOFFMAN PITKIN, Don HOFFMAN, Ross HOFFMAN, Fred HOFFMAN, Marie WOOSLEY and LaVada PROBASCO of Creston.

I, Marie HOFFMAN, and Emmett (Boxer) WOOSLEY were married in 1922. To this union was born Freda TINKER of Fort Dodge, Iowa, Jeraldine SCHERER of Shannon City, Iowa, Melba AKRES of Creston, Iowa, Joan GOODALE of Diagonal, Iowa, Shirley IDE of Shannon City, Iowa. Emmett (Boxer) passed away in 1969. Since then I have lived alone on the farm where we lived for 50 years. It is 1/2 mile south of Shannon City on the west side of the road.

William Emmett WOOSLEY, or Boxer as he was known, was born to George and Nancy WOOSLEY, March 31, 1901, and was one of the twenty-three children born to George WOOSLEY.

On May 5, 1923 Boxer married Marie Viola HOFFMAN, and in 1924 they moved to rural Shannon City. In 1930, they bought the property 1/2 mile south of Shannon City where they raised their five daughters: Freda, Jeraldine, Melba, Joan, and Shirley.

Boxer was a farmer and loved working with horses. He liked to take horses to the horse-pulling contests. He raised ponies and broke them to ride and to drive. He has taken many children around Shannon City riding in his pony cart.

He was a hard worker, but always found time to enjoy living. He died August 27th, 1969 [and was interred at Oakland Cemetery located south of Shannon City, Iowa.]

I am Freda WOOSLEY TINKER, the oldest of five daughters born to Emmett and Marie, my sisters are Jeraldine (SCHERER), Melba (AKERS), Joan (GOODALE), and Shirley (IDE). I was born south of Creston, and when I was six months old we moved to a farm two miles south and half mile west of Shannon City (called the PETTINGER Place). There two of my sisters were born. In 1929, Emmett (Boxer) and Marie sold out and bought a new 1929 Chev., put their belongings and we three girls in the car and headed west. My third sister was born in Leed, South Dakota. We returned to Shannon City in the late 1930's, and they purchased the 160 acres half mile south of Shannon. There the youngest girl was born. In 1943, Emmett and Marie purchased the farm across the road from them, making a total of 300 acres. Emmett farmed this till his death in 1969. Marie still lives on the farm and raises cattle.

My mother was the daughter of Frank and Rosa HOFFMAN, Frank and Rosa farmed four miles west and two and half miles north of Shannon City. They had six children: Gladys (PITKIN), Don, Ross, Fred Hoffman, Marie (WOOSLEY) and LaVada (PROBASCO). Frank (my grandfather) was accidentally shot and killed while going hunting in a sleigh with some neighbor men. His shotgun accidentally went off going up through his head. After his death, Rosa remained on the farm and with the help of her children, continued to farm. Frank was killed in 1912. After all the children were grown, Rosa and her youngest, LaVada, moved into Shannon City. They lived first in a house located about the fourth house up the hill to the west from Dr. LOOMIS. It burned down while they lived there. At one time during the twenties, she and LaVada ran the telephone office in Shannon [City]. It was located acoss the street from the Methodist Church on main street. Rosa passed away in 1931. My mother and her sisters and brothers all went to the Harmony School, which is located just north about a half mile from their home on the farm.

My great-grandparents were Eleazor and Mary Elizabeth HOFFMAN (Poynie and Monie). Their farm was located four miles west and two and half miles north of Shannon City, just down the hill from Frank and Rosa, or first house south of the Harmony Cemetery. They had two sons, Frank and John (John died as a child) and they raised a boy as their son (his name was Sam HOFFMAN). Marie and Poynie started out in a covered wagon from up around the Spoon River in Illinois, going west. They got into Nebraska and Frank became so upset and wanted to go back, so they finally turned around heading back for Illinois, getting as far as the farm north of Shannon City where they settled. When they retired they moved into Shannon City in a big white house on the county line road, located two and half blocks west of the railroad tracks.

My father Emmett WOOSLEY was a farm boy. He was from a large family that farmed near the Harmony School area when he was young, then moving up near Creston as he was older. His parents were George and Nancy WOOSLEY.

George William WOOSLEY, son of Thomas WOOSLEY (1820-1893), was born in Estill, Kentucky, September 19, 1845. George married 1st on July 2, 1865, Kentucky, to Lu Ann GRAVITT, the daughter of John S. and Frankie (BARNETT) GRAVITT. Lu Ann was born December 14, 1847, Kentucky, and died December 18, 1888, McLean County, Illinois, at the age of 41 years. George and Lu Ann were the parents of 13 children.

1. Arthur Gilbert WOOSLEY, b. Dec 1867, Clark Co. KY; d. 20 Apr 1951, aged 83y

2. Willard Thedes WOOSLEY, b. 25 Dec 1869, Clark Co. KY

3. Otis Oral WOOSLEY, b. 26 Dec 1872, KY; d. 05 Oct 1941, McLean Co. IL, aged 68y

4. Agatha M. WOOSLEY, b. 02 Sep 1873, Woodford Co. IL; d. 09 Dec 1947, aged 74y

5. Lena Bell (WOOSLEY) DURST
    b. 11 Apr 1875, Woodford Co. IL; d. 13 Sep 1958, Woodford Co. IL, aged 83y

6. Elwood WOOSLEY, b. 18 Sep 1877, Woodford Co. IL; 27 Aug 1948, aged 70y

7. Elmer WOOSLEY, b. 18 Sep 1878, Woodford Co. IL; d. 21 Nov 1943, CA, aged 65y

8. Clifton WOOSLEY, b. 39 Feb 1880, McLean Co. IL; d. 29 Mar 1931, aged 51y

9. Albert WOOSLEY, b. 1881, McLean Co. IL

10. Ethel Mae WOOSLEY, b. 02 Sep 1882, McLean Co. IL; d. 06 Jul 1951, aged 68y

11. Levey Frances WOOSLEY, b. 27 Feb 1883, McLean Co. IL

12. Chester Merrill WOOSLEY, b. 19 Dec 1886, McLean Co. IL; 09 Sep 1949, aged 62y

13. Christopher Columbus WOOSLEY, b. 28 Jul 1888, McLean Co. IL; d. Mar 1925, aged 36y

George William WOOSLEY married 2nd in circa 1890, McLean County, Illinois, to Nancy V. GRAVITT. Nancy was born April 14, 1866, Estill, Kentucky, the daughter of Ellis D. GRAVITT (1823-1877) and Martha "Patsy" GRAVITT (1827-1876). George and Nancy were the parents of 9 children.

1. Orie George WOOSLEY, b. 15 Nov 1891, McLean Co. IL; d. 06 Jun 1964, aged 72y

2. Ivan Oscar WOOSLEY, b. 15 Jan 1893, McLean Co. IL; d. 21 Dec 1958, aged 65y

3. Ernest Sheridan WOOSLEY, 26 Feb 1895, Union Co. IA; d. 31 Oct 1904, aged 9y

4. Ira Earl WOOSLEY, b. 26 Feb 1897, Union Co. IA

5. Manilla Mae WOOSLEY
    b. 23 Mar 1899, Union Co. IA; d. 10 Jun 1974, Mason City IA, aged 75y

6. William Emmett "Boxer" WOOSLEY
    b. 31 Mar 1901, Union Co. IA; d. 27 Aug 1969, Shannon City IA, aged 68y
    married 05 May 1923 Marie Viola HOFFMAN

7. Theodore Roosevelt WOOSLEY, b. 10 Mar 1903, Union Co. IA; d. 19 Aug 1978, Conrad IA, aged 75y

8. Vera Martha WOOSLEY, b. 18 Sep 1905, Union Co. IA; d. 05 Aug 1926, aged 20y

9. Jessie Rolena WOOSLEY, b. 01 May 1908, Union Co. IA; d. 20 Jan 1975, aged 66y

  George William WOOSLEY died at the age of 71 years on May 26, 1917, Creston, Union County, Iowa. Nancy V. (GRAVITT) WOOSLEY died at the age of 64 years on July 4, 1930, Creston, Iowa.

Frank Marion HOFFMAN was born in Fulton County, Illinois, September 30, 1871. He married Rosa Viola SWICK, born in Delaware County, Ohio, on May 5, 1871. Frank Marion HOFFMAN died as a result of a hunting accident at the age of 40 years January 19, 1912, near Shannon City, Iowa. Their daughter Marie Viola HOFFMAN was born September 25, 1903, Shannon City, Iowa, and died at the age of 96 years on July 28, 2000, Shannon City, Iowa. Marie married William Emmett "Boxer" WOOSLEY on May 5, 1923.

Emmett and Marie were interred at Oakland Cemetery south of Shannon City, Iowa.

Freda M. (WOOSLEY) TINKER, the daugher of William Emmett "Boxer" and Marie Viola (HOFFMAN) WOOSLEY, was June 8, 1924, and died August 1, 1989. She was interred beside her husband, LeRoy W. TINKER (1919-1989) at Graceland Cemetery, Creston, Union County, Iowa.

SOURCE: The History of Shannon City: 1887 - 1987 Pp. 91, 95, 119. 1897.

Transciption by Sharon R. Becker, February of 2010