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Transcribed
by
Ann Selvig, from:
Allerton, Iowa Centennial, THE
ANDREW
DUNCAN FAMILY
Six years before the birth of Allerton, a
young man, 20 year old Andrew Duncan, moved with his
family to Wayne County, Iowa. This move
in 1868 established a permanent home for a family
whose ancestors had traveled far since leaving their
native Scotland in the 1700’s.
They moved first to Ireland and then to
Rockbridge County, Virginia prior to the
Revolutionary War.
Before 1782 members of the family were in
Blount County, Tennessee where they remained until
the late 1850’s.
Then they joined other “northern
sympathizers” and started the long trek by covered
wagon to Louisa County, Iowa. Always
they carried their faith with them and in 1876
Andrew’s mother, Eliza Edmondson Duncan, his wife
Elizabeth and her mother, Margaret Tedford Richie,
became charter members of the Allerton United
Presbyterian Church.
Another family leaving Louisa County in 1868
were the John Calvin Richies. That
family included an 11 year old daughter, Elizabeth
Caroline. Eight
years later at the age of nineteen, Elizabeth
married Andrew Duncan.
Four children were born to this family, Roy
and Hollie shown in the picture with their parents
and Charley and Jessie who both died before reaching
the age of one year.
Family history records the following dates:
ANDREW DUNCAN – born 7-26-1848, married
Elizabeth Richie 3-1-1876, died 3-30-1887, buried in
the Allerton Cemetery.
Elizabeth Richie Duncan – born 1-2-1857, died
12-12-1926, buried in the Allerton Cemetery.
LEE ROY DUNCAN – born 12-6-1876, married
Margaret Noble in 1905, died 2-22-1960, buried in
the Allerton Cemetery.
Margaret Noble Duncan – born 3-24-1876, died
4-15-1966, buried in the Allerton Cemetery.
JAMES HOLLISTER DUNCAN – born 12-16-1878,
married Alma Jeanette Elder 4-10-1907
Alma Jeanette Elder Duncan – born 5-31-1880,
died 8-20-1965, buried in the Allerton Cemetery.
Hollie Duncan lived for 83 years on a farm 2
˝ miles west of Allerton and since 1963 has resided
in Allerton. He
has outlived so many of his friends and family that
the poem “In Retrospect” by James A. Michner seems
most fitting. IN
RETROSPECT I little dreamed
that I might be
A lingering leaf on our family tree
But the years have come and the years And
I find myself still hanging on.
Sometimes I wonder what I have done
To make life meaningful, as I’ve gone along.
All that I’ve done was with best intent,
So all I can do now – is to be content.
So when the time comes for me to depart
I’ll go without murmur or change of heart.
Life has been good and full of rich meaning
So I’ll go without worry, on his promise
leaning.
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