Suzann Seifert
Osceola Democrat
Jan. 2, 1908

Died. Mrs. H.M. SMITH, formerly of Murray, but recently residing in Creston; mother of Mr. SMITH, the lumberman & of Mrs. A.S. CARR of Murray. She died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. ARMSTRONG, on January 18. The remains were brought to Murray for burial.
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Murray.
-Mr. and Mrs. Frank BOSSERMAN & Charles BOSSERMAN attended the funeral of their father at Corydon, Tuesday.
-Mrs. H.M. SMITH, of Creston, mother of Frank SMITH and Mrs. S.A. CARR, of this place , died in Creston, last Saturday. She was brought to this place on No. 4, sunday. Interment was in the Murray cemetery.
-Edith BENSON attended the DUNCAN-BEECH wedding at Afton, last Wednesday.
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My Notes: Would the SMITHs be Karen(Smith)Chew's grandparents or g grandparents? Wasn't her father owner of the Murray lumberyard?
Suzann Seifert
Osceola Democrat
Nov. 19, 1908

ELECTRIC LIGHTS FOR MURRAY. Murray is to have electric lights. Mr. G. M. Miles of St. Louis, arrived in Murray two weeks ago and made a proposition to the council to install a lighting plant. The council met in a special session Wednesday evening of last week and unanimously accepted the proposition for a lighting plant and upon motion ordered a special election to be held Tuesday, December 15th, for the purpose of granting a franchise. A duplicate plant will be installed, two distinct engines and dynamos.

Suzann Seifert
Osceola Democrat
Oct. 15, 1908

COUNTY LETTERS.
Hopeville.
-Miss Carmer LEPSETT was taken very sick at Samuel KANES. Her mother came from Benconsfield and took her home.
-While working in the timber Willie JONES had the misfortune to get struck in the eye by a stick of wood. It is hoped the eye may be saved.
-Messrs James CASHEN, Henry MONROE, Burt JONES, Jont JONES, Ries JONES, Warren PENNOCK, HAUHN, RILEA and GEORGE, and Sanford BURCHETT went to Rosebud South Dakota last week to "Uncle Sams" big land lottery, each one hoping to be so lucky as to get a drawing.
-The home of W.R. DAVIS was burned and is a complete loss. Only a few things were saved by the neighbors.
-Last week was a bad one for the HAWK boys. Clarence had the fingers on one hand broken, Albert was thrown over the head of a horse, burising his face and Roy broke his arm when a rope that he was playing acrobatic feats on, broke.

Suzann Seifert
Osceola Democrat
Nov. 19, 1908

Common-Law Wife. Emma Olive Koons-Penny, who says she is the common law wife of Dallas Penny, who employed in a local wall paper store, raises a brand new question by asking that Judge Brennan annul a marriage which never occurred. Mrs. Penny, if she is entitled to the name, decares in her suit for annulment that she and Penny decided to live together as husband and wife in February, 1905. Since that time, she says, they have so resided-man and wife-but that Penny has become obstreperous and has often threatened to blow her brains out. She asks now that she be permitted to take again her maiden name of Emma Olive Koons and that Penny be enjoined from bothering her with his presence and threats. When Judge Brennan was approached with the restraining order by W. T. Maxi, he wrinkled his brow. "How can a woman have her maiden name restored when she never lost it?" he asked. "This case is one I had better take under advisement." -Capital.

Suzann Seifert
Osceola Democrat
Osceola, Clarke Co. Iowa
January 2, 1908

Suicide by Poison.
Last Saturday Ida Danna KLEINBECK, the young wife of Edward KLEINBECK, living north of Murray, ended her life by taking a dose of strychnine. She was a native of New York and married only last April. Since that time they have made their home with her husband's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob KLEINBECK. The relations of husband & wife were entirely cordial and happy and no adequate motive for her rash act could be found other than existed in her own imagination. She was about 25 years of age and regarded in every way as an excellent woman & wife. [abstracted from full article, obit below]
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Obituary.
Ida Willa DANNA was born in New Mexico October 8, 1887 and died at her home near here Dec 28, 1907 aged 20 years 2 mo and 20 days. She was united in marriage to Edward KLEINBECK April 17, 1907. Mrs. KLEINBECK leaves the immediate members of her family, the husband, father, mother and three [illegible]. One brother having preceeded her to the better world. Her parents are James and Annette DANNA. She had 4 brothers, Frank, who is dead, and [illegible], Clarence and Herbert who all live in Garrison N.Y. She was laid to rest in the Union cemetery.
[Extracted from full obit. Note: birthplace as printed in the paper]

Suzann Seifert
Osceola Democrat
Jan. 2, 1908

Murray.
-Mr. and Mrs. Frank BOSSERMAN & Charles BOSSERMAN attended the funeral of their father at Corydon, Tuesday.
-Mrs. H.M. SMITH, of Creston, mother of Frank SMITH and Mrs. S.A. CARR, of this place , died in Creston, last Saturday. She was brought to this place on No. 4, sunday. Interment was in the Murray cemetery.
-Edith BENSON attended the DUNCAN-BEECH wedding at Afton, last Wednesday.

Suzann Seifert
Osceola Democrat
Jan. 30, 1908

Just for the sake of a little exercise, 3 Osceola ladies took a stroll down the highways leading westward from Osceola. Three hours later they were sitting in the Murray House hostlery awaiting call for dinner. They
are Misses Bessie HART, Helen EMARY & Minnie REEVES. They are well-known pedistrains and a 10 mile jaunt is nothing unusual to them. They spent the afternoon at the Mrs. Lizzie MORGAN home & in the evening, the return home was made by rail.

Some of my country school teachers were Zora Glazebrook, Jeanne Carns, Wade Burchett, Betty Montgomery Hill, Mable Siefkas Ashford.

Country School
Dale Vander Linden
June 3, 2010

I went to country school for eight years of education
A couple years alone but mostly with relations.
I had a bunch of brothers, there were nine of us in all
But only the four youngest made the trek when I was small.

The old country schools looked remarkably the same
But you could tell the difference by the designated name.
There was one called Brush College or Troy number 2,
Also Round Prairie or Ward number 9, Knox number 4 and Cool.

I went to all those schools as my father rented farms
But all that moving around didn’t cause we boys alarm.
We loved having new friends and new places to explore
And new kinds of mischief opportunities that existed galore.

We didn’t print but did cursive writing, as it is known today,
It was called penmanship and taught the Palmer Method way.
It was illustrated by the chart that encircled the blackboard wall
And the required ovals were never mastered by any one at all.

The boys and girls toilets sat at the corners of the grounds.
The girls were at the mercy of a game the boys had found
Of throwing rocks at the walls when it was occupied.
A game that ended real quick when it was the teacher inside.

Each school had George Washington in a painting just half done
And a large map case showing the continents as they had been once. 
There was a large old heating stove for which the boys carried coal by the bunch
The entry ways all had the water cooler and a shelf to put our lunch.

No fancy play equipment adorned these simple grounds.
Most times just one swing was all that could be found.
We entertained our selves with Jailers Base, Ante Over, Tag, 
Fox and geese, May I and New Orleans were also in the bag. 

Our ball games were not a kind you would recognize today
As we usually had only a few kids who were old enough to play.
Our game was called Kitten Ball, four fouls and you were out, 
We threw the ball in front of the runner to get him out.
Our fly exchange rule had the fielder and the batter trade
Modern baseball would be different if that rule was made.

Knox # 4 had thirteen boys no girls, the teacher was a man.
Brush College was smaller, imagine just two students, if you can.
But we survived, had fun, got educated and made good.
I wouldn’t trade it for the fancies of today, even if I could.

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Last revised August 28, 2016