Owen Lee SCHLAPIA was born in Ringgold County to Charles W. and Attie GLEASON SCHLAPIA on January 20, 1885, and was married to Ruth Madge BEEN on January 30, 1907.

OWen was the oldest son of Charles SCHLAPIA. He had two sisters and four brothers. They all made their homes in Ringgold County until about 1916, when Arthur moved to Wiabowx, Montana. He had married Mary MILLER. Emery, who married Gladys LUCAS, moved to Idaho in 1936.

Owen and Madge made their first home in the stucco house just west of the Silver Point School, To them on March 18, 1908, was born their first child, a daughter who they named Ruth Madge. Later, they moved to Benton and operated a general store. Owen's sister, Oma, helped in this store. In Benton on November 10, 1910, their son, Owen LeRoy was born. In the spring of 1911, Owen's family moved to what was always known as the "Tin House." It had been built about 1895 by Charles SCHLAPIA.

Charles W. and his wife, Attie, with their family retired and moved to Mount Ayr, Iowa, which was their home until about 1920, when Attie passed away. [Alice "Attie" (LEGG) GLEASON SCHALPIA was born in Leggetown, Illinois on November 27, 1860, and died on February 15, 1920. Charles Wellington SCHLAPIA, son of Daniel and Elizabeth (DRUCK) SCHLAPIA, was born in Benton on October 28, 1858, and died September 4, 1941. They were interred at Benton Cemetery.]

On September 20, 1912, their son, Hugh Albert, was born, and then on August 31, 1914, their daughter, Wanda Eleanor, was born.

During the years spent in the "Tin House," Owen's brohter, Floyd, stayed in their home, and he and Owen farmed together.

Around 1916 or 1917, Owen purchased what we call the "GLEASON place," two miles north and one-half mile east of the Benton corner on [Highway] No. 2. It was at this home that Marjorie Elaine was born on March 3, 1919. On March 7, 1924, a son, Francis Been, was born. Then on August 5, 1928, their youngest son, Harry was born.

Ruth graduated in 1925 and went to Cedar Falls to the state teacher's college for one year. She began her teaching career in September of 1927, and taught in Ringgold and Taylor county rural schools for five years.

On June 27, 1931, Ruth married Harold C. PAGE. Harold worked as a farm hand until March of 1933. On January 16, 1934, Harold's mother, Anna M. PAGE, passed away.

On March 1, 1934, Harold and Ruth moved to what we always called "The Big Hill," one mile across the Grand River, east of Benton. They made a home for Harold's father, who had developed serious eye trouble. They also raised Harold's brother, William Elgin, at the request of his mother. They lived on the "Big Hill" until January of 1944, when Harold entered the service of his country, serving two years. During this time, Ruth and Billy lived in Corning to be near her parents.

Harold worked for Ringgold County Farm Bureau on membership and selling their insurance policies, following his discharge in September of 1945. They then moved to Diagonal, Iowa. Teachers were needed, so Ruth started teaching again. She was to pursue this work for 10 years.

In the late 1940's, Hugh and Francis SCHLAPIA owned the Phillip's Oil Station in Diagonal. Harold helped them. They sold out to Bud BEYMER in 1950. Harold then did construction Work with Gayland STEPHENS. In 1954, Harold leased and managed the Skelly Oil Company filling station until his health began to fail. Doctors advised him against too heavy work. In 1964, he quit the oil business. Harold did not remain in active, but did things that did not tax his strength. It was in late 1964 that he entered Des Moines Methodist Medical Center. He was to learn that he had diabetes and a tumorous cancer in the bladder. Harold continued to work at various things, helping at the Diagonal Sale barn between many trips to the V.A. Hospital. This continued over the years until he became very ill and gave up the fight for life on April 20, 1981. Since then, Ruth has continued to live in Diagonal. [Harold Clarence PAGE was born in 1907, and served during World War II in the U.S. Army. Ruth was born in 1908, and died in 1991. They were interred at Diagonal Cemetery.]

Billy married Darlene GILDSIG of Creston in 1950, and they live in Glenwood, Iowa. They have two daughters, Linda and Ruthie, who are married. Billy and Darlene have six grandchildren.

Owen SCHLAPIA died August 2, 1950. He had a brain tumor that took his life. Madge continued to live in Diagonal until she fell in June, 1976, breaking a hip. She spent the remainder of her life at Clearview Home in Mount Ayr, Iowa, until October [26], 1977, when she passed away. [Owen and Madge were interred at Diagonal Cemetery.]

LeRoy and wife, Hazel Jane CROSS, were married April 11, 1933. They spent their married life farming; first at Benton, then at Delphos, and later at a farm north of Diagonal. Their son, Larry, was born at their farm home near Benton on March 19, 1937. About 1960 or 1961, Larry married Mary Lee HINDGARDNER who worked in Des Moines. They farmed with LeRoy near Diagonal until LeRoy retired. They then moved to Creston, Iowa. Mary Lee is an artist and continues to paint. Larry has work there, also. They have [LeRoy, born on November 10, 1910, died in January of 2005. Hazel Jane (CROSS) SCHLAPIA was born on November 29, 1910, Benton, Iowa, the daughter of Walter A. and Etta Mae (HALL) CROSS, and died November 27, 1986. They were interred at Diagonal Cemetery.]

Hugh A. SCHLAPIA married Vivian PRATT of Benton, Iowa, on June 11, 1933. They have four sons: Gerald Lee [born 1936], Alvin D., Ronnie Clark, and Robert Hugh. [Hugh, born in 1912, died in April of 1976. Vivian was born in 1911, and died in 2001. They were interred at Diagonal Cemetery.]

Gerald Lee was born July 10, 1936, and married Yvonne CAMPBELL of Mount Ayr, Iowa, in 1957. They had four children: Mark, Jean, Janis, and Joan. Jerry was associated with his father in the feed and oil business, and lived in Diagonal, Iowa. Jerry died in 1978, following a long illness of diabetes. He married Rosemary CRAWFORD of Mount Ayr, Iowa, in May of 1977. He had a daughter, Judy, born in May of 1978, after his death. He is buried in the Diagonal Cemetery.

Alvin D. married Mary Ann CARSON of Creston in August of 1964. He worked as a C.P.A. in Omaha for the Johnny Carson Restaurants across the states, and later moved to Creston to become a part of SCHLAPIA, Inc. after Jerry could no longer be active. Alvin and Mary Ann have two sons and one daughter.

Ronnie is a Vietnam veteran. He married Toni STEPHENS, oldest daughter of W.A. and Marietta STEPHENS. They were married in Hawaii in May of 1972. Toni is an R.N. and works at the Mount Ayr Hospital. Ronnie is a part of the SCHLAPIA, Inc. They have a daughter, Jennifer.

Robert married Cindy GRAHAM, daughter of Don and Belle GRAHAM, in September of 1974. He has always driven the SCHLAPIA, Inc. oil and grain trucks. They have two daughters, Amanda and Amy, and one son, Adam. They live in Diagonal. Cindy is a secretary to the Diagonal community school board.

Hugh had a heart problem which led them to winter in Texas for a few years. On their way home the spring [April] of 1976, Hugh suffered a heart attack, which took his life. He is buried in the Diagonal Cemetery near Jerry Lee.

Marjorie SCHLAPIA married William JESSEN, a World War II veteran, in July of 1945. They live in Creston and have one son, David, who is married to Judi WICK. They live in Creston and have four children.

Francis SCHLAPIA married June BUNKER on June 10, 1945. They live in Stillman Valley, Illinois. They have four daughters: Joyce, Terri, Connie, and Tracie. [Son Gary Dee died in infancy on March 24, 1946, and is interred at Diagonal Cemetery.]

Harry SCHLAPIA married Patty HARVEY, the daughter of Harry HARVEY of Creston, in June of 1951. They have four daughters and three sons. They live in Creston and Harry is the co-owener of the Creston Motor Company. They have four grandchildren.

The only remaining member of the Charles SCHLAPIA family is Leonard SCHLAPIA, who lives with his daughter, Mrs. Ellis (Iris) STEPHENS in Maryville, Missouri. He was born May 2, 1900.

Wanda SCHLAPIA married Ivan PRICE on June 6, 1936. They lived in the Diagonal Community. They have a son, Marion J., and a daughter, Elinor Kay. They moved to Des Moines in 1961, and worked in the Des Moines schools as a janitor and a hot lunch cook. Ivan had surgery in 1970; a stroke followed which took his life. Marion J. married Sharon STEPHENS, daughter of Gayland and Mayme STEPHENS. They have a daughter, Carey Dawn, who is an R.N. She married Rocky PALMER of Grimes, Iowa. They have a daughter, born December 16, 1984. Mitchell, son of

SOURCE: 1887 - Benton, Iowa Centennial - 1987. Pp. 154-55. Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library, Mount Ayr IA

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

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