18 | James Mckee | Male | 30 | abt 1855 | Ireland | Married |
19 | Fannie L Mckee | Female | 36 | abt 1849 | Illinois | Married |
20 | William A Mckee | Male | 16 | abt 1869 | Illinois | Single |
21 | Maggie L Mckee | Female | 14 | abt 1871 | Union | Single |
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22 | Mollie A Mckee | Female | 12 | abt 1873 | Union | Single |
23 | Delia J McKee | Female | 10 | Abt 1875 | Union | Single |
24 | Mary Mckee | Female | 6 | abt 1879 | Union | Single |
25 | James A G Mckee | Male | 4 | abt 1881 | Union | Single |
26 | Charles B Mckee | Male | 2 | abt 1883 | Union | Single |
27 | Clinton J Mckee | Male | 0 | abt 1885 | Union | Single |
28 | True W Gillman | Male | 56 | abt 1829 | New York | Married |
29 | Roosetta Gillman | Female | 53 | abt 1832 | New York | Married |
30 | Charles H Gillman | Male | 34 | abt 1851 | Illinois | Single |
31 | Dora L Gillman | Female | 17 | abt 1868 | CA | Single |
32 | Dossie Tenonant | Female | 10 | abt 1875 | MN | Single |
Anna O'Brien Born 1836-Ireland Death 26 August 1918-Highland, Union, Iowa Burial 27 August 1918 Buried in Calvary Cem.
George Lee
From December, 1959 until 1964 my parents were steward and matron of the Union County Farm. During their tenure it was one of the first county homes in the State of Iowa to be licensed and be accredited by the state. It was a 26 bed facility housing mostly people with problems that didn't need constant supervision. The residents lived in a loving, caring environment. Most of the people living there performed some work, light housework to farming chores. I saw many of the people change from being completely withdrawn to being more outward and happy. My parents gave selflessly of themselves to see that everyone was well cared for, both emotionally and physically. As far as bodies were concerned, I have heard of such rumors. During the time my parents worked there, anyone that passed away was given a funeral and buried in the Afton Cemetery or other cemetery if family requested it. Many years ago I saw a picture of the old county farm, with horse grazing in the pasture. The porches to the south of the structure had either been torn down or fallen down. If you would like to know more, please contact me @ elliot63@hotmail.com
Seth V. Watson, 87,
Dies at County Home
Seth V Watson, 87, an inmate of the Union County Home for many years, died at the home at 5 p.m. Monday after a long illness. Funeral services will be held at the Deitrick and Keating Chapel at 3 p.m. Wednesday with the Rev. Harold E. Cole officiating. Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery.
Mr. Watson was born in New York City, November 8, 1858. He was the son of Benjamin E. and Caroline E. Watson. He came to Iowa in 1870 and had lived near Creston most of the time since then.
Dated 9-10-1946. Says he is buried in Graceland Cemetery, Lot 21, Section 10.
George Knight Dies at County Home
April 2, 1942
George Knight, 85, Died at County Home Yesterday Afternoon
George Knight, 85, died at the Union County home at 3 p.m. yesterday following an illness of several months.
Funeral services will be tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. at the Roland Funeral Home and will be conducted by Rev, L.E. Watson of the Methodist Church. Burial will be in Graceland Cemetery.
The aged man has been an inmate of the home since 1928 and had no living relatives except a son, whose address is unknown. He was formerly employed as a tiler and farm hand.
Pete Bowman, Town Character, Takes Own Life
May 6, 1944
Robert Charles aka Pete Bowman, 67, for many years a well-known character in downtown Creston, died yesterday afternoon as a result of self-inflicted wounds.
Attendants of the county farm, where he had been living for the last three months, said that he had complained of ill health and had occasionally threatened vaguely to take his own life. His threats were not taken seriously, as he apparently continued to lead a calm and quiet life and physicians found no organic disorder.
Tuesday morning, however, he did not appear with the other inmates at breakfast. When attendants went to investigate they found him bleeding from cuts across the throat and the right forearm which he had inflicted with a razor.
After a physician had checked the flow of blood and taken 15 stitches he pronounced the patient’s condition favorable. He appeared to be recovering for the next 24 hours, taking nourishment and refusing to stay in bed. He ate dinner at noon yesterday and later talked freely with attendants complaining of nothing but the soreness of his throat.
When Mrs. Ab McFee went to check his progress at 4 p.m. however, she found him dead upon the bathroom floor. Physicians said his death had been caused by a blood clot which settled upon the brain.
Bowman was born in Sweden on March 10, 1877, the son of Peter and Ida Bowman, He came to this country and settled in Creston as a small boy. In his younger life he was engaged as a laborer but in recent years he had been unemployed spending much of his time downtown, where he was familiar as a friendly and harmless character, invariably amiable.
A half-sister, Mrs. Esther Sparks of Des Moines, is his only close surviving relative.
Funeral services will be conducted by the Rev. E. E. Lister at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the McGregor and Coen Chapel and burial will be at Graceland.
George Lee
There is about 1-1/2 pages about it in the 1908 History of Union County. Excerpts: The original 160 acres that the brick home sits on was purchased by the county in 1874 for $4,700. Additional land was added over the years to make a total of 247 acres. In 1879 it was deemed the existing facilities were inadequate and a new 3 story brick ... See Morestructure was built for $5,000. The Stewards annual salary for 1906 was $750. The facility had an annual operating budget for 1906 of $4,362. Also, in 1906 it was rated second place of all county homes by the state inspector.