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Transcribed
by
Ann Selvig, from:
Allerton, Iowa Centennial, WALTER
DE
SILVA FAMILY
Walter Orville De Silva was born near Mineral
Point, Wisconsin on February 13, 1869, the third son
of Canfield Asher and Carolina Amanda Thompson De
Silva. When
one year old, he came with his parents to a farm
near Allerton, Iowa, where he grew up and spent his
life. He
attended Hodge School as did his six children and
some of his grandchildren. He farmed
with his father and was married at Fairfax, Missouri
on February 10, 1892, to Rosa Nell Holmes, who was
making her home with his sister Thalia Litherbury. In the
spring of 1898, his father and mother bought a home
in Allerton and moved there. Wat, as he
was called, continued farming, raising corn, oats
and timothy and cared for the large apple orchard
and vineyards his father had planted when arriving
in Iowa. He
also fed many cattle and raised hogs. He was
very talented as a musician playing the piano,
violin, banjo and harp, but most of all for his
ability to recite the poems of James Whitcomb Riley
of which he knew over 200 and was in much demand at
social functions and conventions to entertain. He and his
wife had fixed a park area in their spacious lawn
with fireplace and picnic table, where all were
welcomed to come and spend their leisure time in the
shade of the maple and pine grove, and enjoy the
many beautiful flowers and shrubs they had arranged
in a most unusual design across their entire lawn. Six
children were born to them:
Fannie May, born January 12, 1893. Married to
Jerry James Van Haur, May 19, 1920. They live
near Hilger, Montana and have two children, Irvin De
Silva Van Haur and Sherry Nell Van Haur.
Mary Faye De Silva, born February 15, 1895. Married to
Percy Kenneth Huston on October 29, 1919. He worked
with his father in the Allerton drug store, then
later took up a homestead in Oregon; three years
later they located in Bell, California. They had
three children; Daniel De Silva Huston, Helen May
Huston and Robert Kenneth Huston.
Emma Esther De Silva, born September 20,
1896, married to Thomas Bryant Smith, September 18,
1910 in California, later moving to Kansas City,
Missouri. They
had two children; Ena Irene Smith and James Arthur
Smith.
Ruth Amanda De Silva, born June 24, 1898,
married Samuel Cole Fulkerson on August 24, 1916 at
Allerton, Iowa.
Two children were born, Virginia (died at
birth) and Samuel Cole Fulkerson II. They lived
at Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Alice Irene De Silva, born September 20,
1903, married Gail Cleave Richardson, April 2, 1921,
they had two children, Norma Ellen Richardson and
Jean Ruth Richardson.
They farmed near Allerton where Gail entered
into the raising of Purebred Angus cattle, he was a
very successful farmer.
Walter Orville De Silva, born August 22,
1906, married Lanore Doletta Linnenkamp, May 16,
1932. They
had four children; Marlene Janyce De Silva, Walter
Orville De Silva III and Robert David De Silva and
Michael Joseph De Silva. They lived
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for several years, later
moving to California.
In 1906 the first De Silva house was torn
down and moved closer to the road. Mr. French
Nelson and his son Edward Nelson, erected a large
three story home.
The family grew up in this very lovely home
and three of the girls, May, Mary and Ruth were
married by their father who was Justice of the
Peace. On
March 10, 1929, this home burned to the ground. Wat, Nell,
Emma, and James, took residence in the old vacant
Hodge School House until a new home could be built. Years
later the farm was sold and Wat and Nell moved into
Allerton where they spent their remaining years. |