Frederick Wesley Jeffries was born on October 3, 1855 on a farm in Center

Fred W. Jeffries

township, Rock county, Wisconsin. His parents were Jesse and Ellen (Criddle) Jeffries, both immigrants from Axbridge, Somersetshire, England. He was the third eldest of twelve children, namely: Jesse Jeffries, Jr.; Infant

George Jeffries, Edward Jeffries, Fred W. Jeffries Taken on the Jesse Jeffries farm around 1890

Jeffries; Fannie Eliza Jeffries (Mrs. Edwin H. DuShane); Edward James Jeffries; Willis Jeffries; George Eugene Jeffries; Infant Jeffries; Lillian May Jeffries (Mrs. Nicholas J. Wagner); Frank Jeffries; Ellen Estelle (Mrs. Elmer Stokes); and Clement Louis Jeffries.

Fred began his education near his parent’s farm in Rock county, Wisconsin. Fred came to Iowa in 1865 with his parents and siblings – Fannie, Ed, and George. They immediately settled on a farm 7 miles west of Osage – section 27, Rock township, Mitchell county, Iowa. Fred completed his eighth grade education in the rural school near his parent’s farm (Rock #4).

On December 13, 1882, Fred W. Jeffries was united in marriage to Miss

Luella Eliza (Lovejoy) Jeffries

Luella Lovejoy at the Universalist church in Osage, Iowa. They became the parents of four children – Jesse William (married Lillian Ingraham), Ina Vietta (married Ray Carter), Charles Delzo (married Mayme Madison), and Earl Harry (married Gustava Johnson).

Jesse and Ina Jeffries

Luella Eliza Lovejoy was born on October 6, 1860 on her parent’s farm near Stockbridge, Vermont. This farm was located in Warren township, Washington county, Vermont. Her parents were William Ingraham and Emma Jane (or Imogene) (Bryant) Lovejoy. She was had four older half brothers – Albert J. Lovejoy, Charles T. Lovejoy, Daniel Webster Lovejoy, and William Gates Lovejoy and eleven younger siblings – Cornelius Henry Lovejoy, John Shepard Lovejoy, Joseph Allard Lovejoy, Ida Mae Susan Lovejoy (Mrs. Augustus Bingham), Mattie Sallie Lovejoy (Mrs. Harry Wilder), William Benjamin

Jesse William Jeffries

Lovejoy, three infant Lovejoys, Myrtle Belle Lovejoy (Mrs. Lewis Butters), and Nellie B. Lovejoy.

In 1879, Luella moved to a farm near Braidwood, Will county, Illinois with her parents and siblings. In the Spring of 1882, she came to Iowa with her half-brother, Albert J. Lovejoy and his family. They settled on a farm located 7 miles west and 1 mile north of Osage, Iowa. This farm was

Ina Vietta Jeffries

located on section 23, Rock township, Mitchell county. Luella’s parents settled west of Osage in 1885.

Fred and Luella began their married life on a 160 acre farm located eight miles west of Osage, Iowa. This farm was on section 28, Rock township, Mitchell county. They by 1895, they had moved to a 340 acre farm on section 23 or Rock township located six miles west and ¼ mile north of Osage. They lived on this farm until 1904, when they moved onto the parental Jesse and Ellen Jeffries farm – section 27, Rock township, Mitchell county, Iowa. Fred was given this farm after his mother’s death in accordance with her

Charles Delzo Jeffries

last will and testament. The oldest son, Jesse W. Jeffries remained on the farm located on section 23.

Fred was a successful farmer like his father. At one time, he owned 500 acres of land. He farmed with horses his entire life, but he did own a 1915 Buick in which he was known to drive to Waterloo, Iowa from time to time to visit his sister, Mrs. Elmer Stokes. Fred raised cattle, milk cows, pigs, horses, sheep and grew corn, oats, wheat,

Earl Harry Jeffries

hay for crops. He and his brothers sold cattle at Mason City and Chicago – taking the cattle by railroad to both destinations. Fred and his brothers also invested in the stock markets and did fairly well. Fred’s desire was to be able to pay for his grandchildren’s college education. Unfortunately, he did not live to see this dream come true. Several of his grandchildren attended college.

Fred and Luella moved into Osage on April 1, 1910 where they lived until their deaths. Luella passed away on January 23, 1915 from complications of diabetes. Fred passed away on December 7, 1929. Their funeral services were held in the Universalist church in Osage, Iowa. They are both buried at the Osage cemetery in Osage, Iowa.

 

 

 

 

Additional Photographs

Fred W. Jeffries and his 1915 Buick

Ina Vietta (Jeffries) Carter

Earl Harry Jeffries_OCHS (1916)

Jesse W. Jeffries and Ina V. (Jeffries) Carter

 

Copyright 2009 Larry Shoger
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