EMERY HERMAN PENRY

    Emery H. Penry was born Feb. 1, 1888, on a farm about seven miles southeast of Elliott that his father had homesteaded. He was the son of James and Priscilla Roberts Penry. He was one of eleven children.

    He was united in marriage to Flossie G. Priest on Sept. 22, 1909. To this union four children were born. Edith Leota, July 20, 1910; Basil Earl, April 23, 1912; Genevive May, March 29, 1914; and Charlene Francis, Sept. 8, 1927.

    The Penry's lived in Red Oak until 1918 when they moved to Elliott and Mr. Penry opened his own garage, located behind what was then Petty's hardware store.

    Then during Aug. 1921 they moved to Glen Ewen, Canada to be close to his sister, Emma. However they came back to Red Oak in Dec. 1921. In the spring of 1922, Emery and his family returned to Elliott where he had a garage in the old livery barn and also sold Studebaker cars. At one time during this period he also had a garage in what is now known as "the bus barn".

    During the summer of 1924 the family moved to Zearing, Iowa where Emery opened a garage and sold Star and Chrysler automobiles. They lived in Zearing until 1927 when they returned to Red Oak.

    The last part of April 1928 the Penry's moved back to Elliott where Emery worked for the school board as a mechanic for thirty-one years, retiring in 1959. In 1947 Emery was one of several volunteers who constructed the Elliott "Pinochle Palace".

    After retiring, Emery was caretaker for several cemeteries around Elliott until the fall of 1968.

    Mrs. Penry passed away Jan. 22, 1967, and is buried at Red Oak.

    In Sept. 1968 he married Hazel Young of Council Bluffs, and resided there until his death April 29, 1971. He was buried at Red Oak. Mr. Penry was a lifelong auto mechanic.