Ellis Wright Family
Six Generations for Cherokee Family
When
little Laurie Elaine Frahm made her entrance into this world there was
more than the usual amount of rejoicing and more than the usual number
of grandparents to welcome her into the family circle. For when Laurie
Elaine, daughter of Mr and Mrs Gerald Frahm of Correctionville was
born, little over three weeks ago, she made the sixth generation in her
family all living and all in the female line. And no one welcomed her
more warmly and lovingly than her great-great-great grandmother, 95
years old, Mrs. Clara Neal Tilden.
For though "Grandma" Tilden
has been totally blind for nearly eighteen years and hard of hearing
for many more she was still young enough at heart to catch the mumps
from her great-great grandchildren when she was a youngster of ninety
one. But her lack of hearing and sight does not prevent her being very
cognizant of every day events and her memory of the past is
unquestionable. Being able to cuddle wee Laurie Elaine and murmur
lovingly to her seems to give her a new lease on life until the
frailties of her age creep in then she must relinquish her to stronger
arms.
Genealogy
The
genealogy of the six generation goes like this: Clara Neal Tilden,
daughter of a pioneer Rock township family - her family came to Quimby
vicinity in 1882 five years before the town of Quimby was platted
according to the old Cherokee County history. Clara married C. E. Neal
and they farmed in Willow township for many years retiring to Quimby in
1912 where Mr. Neal passed away in 1914. They had two daughters, Mrs.
Nellie Flickenger who died in 1930 and Bessie Mitchell, well known
Cherokean who is Laurie Elaine's great-great grandmother. Great
grandmother is Mrs. Bernice West of South Gate, Calif., daughter of
Bessie Mitchell. Grandmother is Mrs. David Jensen of Cherokee who cares
for Mrs. Tilden and is the mother of Mrs. Gerald Frahm and last but not
least in line, Laurie Elaine, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Frahm.
Mrs. Tilden has made her home with her great grand daughter Delores
Jensen for the past ten and half years. In addition to the six
generation combination she reports that five generations can be made up
in twelve different ways with the advent of Laurie Elaine.
Covered Wagon
Of
hardy pioneer stock, Clara was born in a log cabin on the Scioto River
in Franklin County, Ohio January 28, 1867. She came to Iowa when she
was four in a covered wagon. The journey to Benton County where they
first settled took six weeks. Clara relates the family of seven had
four horses. Two would pull the wagon and the older boys would take
turns leading the other two horses. At night, she recalls they would
stay in the yards of other folks who had established homes along the
way and each morning before the family went their way, her mother wold
do the family washing.
She started school in Benton County, Iowa
remembers seeing many Indian tribes passing by, Squaws with their
papooses strapped to their back and of having these wanderers stop at
their home for water. One incident vividly etched in her memory is that
of an Indian squaw who came into their home and insisted she must have
the dress that her mother was ironing at the time. Finally, to get the
Indian woman to go on she gave her the dress.
After eleven years
in Benton County her father, Ellis Wright and two of her brothers set
out to search for another place, one that would be more prosperous for
the family.
In about two weeks they received word from their father
to come to Cherokee County, that he had found what he wanted. This
time, 1882, the family came to their new prairie home by train to
Cherokee. "And then it took a week to let father know he was to come to
Cherokee to get us." she relates. Apparently the railroad did not as
yet reach into the Quimby vicinity at that time. At any rate, Mrs.
Tilden remembers riding to their new home in Rock Township from
Cherokee on a load of lumber which was to be used for the new house.
Also she recalls staying in the Greer Hotel while waiting for her
father to pick them up. Their old Rock Township farm is now owned by
Herman Fassler.
Log Cabin School
The
first school she attended here was in a log cabin. She remembers the
school teach staying with her family and that she was so small that he
many times carried her through snow drifts en route to school. Other
school memories include pupils that were disciplined by spanking. Of
pupils taking turns carrying water to the school from the nearest farm
home. There was no water at the school.
She recalls many
hardships - prairie fires that swept across the prairie and other
problems of this new land. But she recalls many happy times with their
close knit family, and enjoys relating all these adventures to great
great grandchildren.
Her deceased parents, Mr and Mrs Ellis
Wright, two brothers, Wray Wright and Ellis Wright, Jr., and Mrs. Mary
Fox now all deceased all reached the age of ninety or over. All were
well know in the Quimby community as well as her one living sister,
Mrs. Eva Huff, 93 of Cherokee.
In 1922, Clara married Fred Tilden,
who was in the real estate business. They lived in Sioux City, Spencer
and Correctionville. After Mr. Tilden's death in 1937 she moved to her
home in Cherokee.
Her general health had always been very good
and four years ago she underwent major surgery and six weeks later
caught the mumps from the great-great grandchildren. She recovered
completely from both but then in 1961 she was unfortunate enough to
break her hip. She now spends most of her time in bed, now unable to
get about.
This long time county resident has five
grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, twenty six great-great
grandchildren and one great-great-great granddaughter. The Willow
township where Mr. and Mrs. Neal farmed before his death and before her
marriage to Mr. Tilden is now farmed by Dale Wright.
Mrs. Tilden
is a member of the Methodist Church and a long time member of the
Rebekah Lodge that meets in Washta. She joined this organization in
1918 at Quimby.
What a vast change has taken place during the lifetime of this frail, cheerful, plucky ninety five year old lady is startling.
Source: Article written by Mildred Smith for unknown news publication dated 06 June 1962
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