George and Eleanora CAVENDER moved to a farm north of Maloy in 1942. They built a home and reared two daughters, Barbara Ann and Doralee Elva.

The girls attended school in Benton and Mount Ayr, but the family were active members of the Immaculate Conception Church in Maloy.

In a community predominately of German and Irish descent, George and Eleanora broke the pattern. George's parents came England and lived in North Carolina and Indiana before pushing further west to Fremont, Nebraska, where George was born in 1898. They then moved on to the sand hills of northwest Nebraska.

As a young man, George went back east to Chicago, where he met and married Eleanora Grace GRUZALISKI. She was the daughter of Charlotte HAGANSEE and Bartley Karl GRUSALSKI, natives of Warsaw, Poland. George delivered bread for the Ward Baking Company, then worked at the Schulze Baking Compny for the last days of his bread-delivery years. The couple lived in Chicago for several years before moving to the Iowa farm.

In 1942, George and Eleanora moved to a farm near Maloy, where they built a home and raised two daughters. Their first child, a son, was born prematurely and lived only twelve hours. Their daughters, Barbara Ann and Dorlee Elva, attended school in Mount Ayr. After graduation, both girls moved to Des Moines, where they found work.

Doralee was married in the Immaculate Conception Church in Maloy. She has two daughters and one granddaughter.

Barbara is now Mrs. Paul ORTIZ, and she has four children. Her daughter, DeAnna Lynn DAVIS, is the wife of Cole DAVIS, and they live in Cabot, Arkansas. Her son, Ken CULVER, lives in Carlyle. Her son, Ron CULVER, lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Her daughter, Deberra Sue CULVER, lives in Des Moines.

Dorlee CAVENDER has two daughters, Sheri Lea NEAS of Grimes and Lori Janelle NEAS of Omaha; and a granddaughter, Kera, of Grimes, Iowa.

The CAVENDERS lived on the farm for many years. After retiring, they moved to Benton where George passed away [in 1967 with interment at Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr].

Eleanora has been involved in work at the Catholic Church at Maloy. She was a chairman of the Church Council for eight years. When that tenure was up, she was appointed trustee of the church. The Head Start program kept her occupied for eight years. She was a member of the Benton town council for several years, and was a volunteer worker at the Area Agency XIV congregate meal site at Mount Ayr. When her eyesight failed, the DOT revoked her drivers license, this event caused her to sell her home and leave all she loved behind her. She is living in a retirement condo, McCauley Terrace Apartments, in Johnston, Iowa, where she continues to be active.

SOURCE: 1887 - Benton, Iowa Centennial - 1987. Pp. 182-83. Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library, Mount Ayr IA

Transcriptions and notes by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2012

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