My life has been rather an uneventful one and will be only of interest to my family. My father, William Monroe CALFEE and my mother Mary Hopkins STRONG were married in Indianapolis, Indiana in about 1850, lived there for a few years and decided to come west. My father was a pioneer Methodist minister and felt the urge to go west and carry the Gospel Message. In those days the Methodist pastorate was of short duration and during that time were born to them Mercy Strong CALFEE (1861), William John CALFEE (1864), Minnie May CALFEE (1866) and Mary Monroe CALFEE (1867), who was born two weeks after our father's death. The children who had been born to them in Indiana were Silas Wright, Willie McClure (1856) and Sarah Frances (1858). Charles and Ana, also born in that time, both died in infancy.

My father was a member of the Iowa legislature, in 1866, I believe, when there was a special session. His last pastorate was at Mount Ayr, Iowa and he made his large circuit on horseback, riding his horse Sam. There was a hectic time after the Civil War and he was a fine speaker. He had been off on one of his circuits, coming back to Mount Ayr where a meeting had been planned on reconstruction. He was not well and mother tried to persuade him not to go into the poorly ventilated place of meeting but he felt he must go and was taken with an illness and suddenly passed away two weeks before baby Mary Monroe was born.

It was a tragedy for my mother but with her courage and indomitable will and help of good friends and neighbors, she carried on. I was only 2 years old so have no recollection of the tragedy. When I look around today and see all the modern helps and conveniences I wonder how she managed it. She became very deaf early in her life but no word of complaint ever passed her lips and was ever so brave, loyal and true.

She moved out on a little farm with her brood and with the help and encouragement of such good neighbors as Capt. Andy JOHNSON (sic, should be JOHNSTON), Bud FENDERS, Mr. and Mrs. DICKENS, Eli LANDREATH, George and Bony NOBLE, Jacob BRUBAKER, and a host of others, she carried on. Her deafness was a great handicap but she taught us children that we must be ears for her. I remember so well how the neighbors would come and haul, saw and split wood to help us; the women coming with provisions and what a happy time we had, always plenty to eat for all.

Mother's great interest was schooling for the young people and what fine teachers we had. Two of them were Anna [illegible] and Mrs. HATHAWAY [page cut off]. . . studying music. I think of that school house literally packed with young folks. I never forget the times we went to Andy (Capt.) JOHNSON (sic) home when we wanted materials for debates, information, etc. and they always gave us apples and were they a treat! And our High Point Church, what a ceneter of help, with musical courses ending in concerts where even we little folk had a part. And one Christmas a real evergreen tree coming from (I am sure) Capt. JOHNSTON's place. Oh those were pioneer times with many hardships but the compensations were great. The musicals that were held day and night with fine leaders, ending in the concerts, were laying a foundation for many for musical enjoyment.

My mothers was always ready to do what she could to help, knowing what it meant to her children as well as the others and some of our young people went far. And the ministers we had at Old High Point Church -- Rev. NIXON, Rev. W. THOMPSON and others coming long distances on horseback or with their teams. Oh yes, we didn't have cars, rubber tired buggies or steam heated carryalls but we had a world of enjoyment. While we would not watnt to go back to those times, yet we gained much from those pioneer women and men and they gave much to the community. The evergreen trees on Capt. JOHNSTON's place, the fine pastures and blooded cattle, the library in the home where the young people of the community went for help in debates, essays, etc. My mother and family were always treated royally and the library gave information that no one could have given us.

Mother instilled into our minds that we must make the most of our schooling so we girls could teach and all four of us did. I began teaching at 16 years of age, at the Boggs school, as it was then called, in the community. I walked 1 3/4 miles across the bleak prairie from the BOGGS, Sr. home. The school house, of course, was as cold as could be, coal and kindling piled in one corner of the room. It all looked dreary to me for though we had no modern conveniences in our home or in fact any of the homes, I had never been responsible for the welfare of the school children with whom I had studied and played. Responsibilities settled down on my shoulders like a burden and through all my years of teaching afterwards, I was to know and carry a load of care. I very well remember that morning a Mr. HAGGERTY coming with Mike, 14, Annie, 12, Johnny, 10, and Mary, 8, and his admonitions to his children in hearing of the others I am sure helped me to make any degrees of success in the school. I roomed and boarded with Mr. and Mrs. BOGGS, Sr. They were very kind to me and the violin in his hands always carried me into another world.

I remember a happening during the school year that surely gave me a feeling of insecurity. It was during the afternoon recess with the children out playing when the little ones came running to me crying, and saying that Mike and Brent, the big boys, were fighting. I went around the house and there they were in a regular fisticuff. I commanded them to "Stop!", which they immediately did -- perhaps they had already tired of it and were glad of an excuse to quit but I gave my command with fear and trembling. It has since seemed to me that the HAGGERTY children were unusually obedient and tractable.

-continued in the January issue, unavailable at this time

NOTE: Rev. William Monroe CALFEE, Methodist Episcopal minister, was born April 16, 1825, Brookville, Indiana; died at the age of 42 years on January 7, 1868, and was interred at Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr, Iowa. Mary Hopkins (STRONG) CALFEE was born September 12, 1829, Marion County, Indiana, and died in October 14, 1909, Mitchell, South Dakota.

Minnie May CALFEE, born in 1866, married Frank C. HUSS in 1900, Beadle County, South Dakota.

SOURCE: Ringgold Roots Vol. IV. Pp. 1-2. Mount Ayr, Iowa. Oct. 1982.

Submission by Gene Dolson, February of 2010

Note by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2010

Addison N. BOGGS biography

Captain Andrew JOHNSON biography