JOHN THOMAS

    Born in Yorkshire, England, Jan 6, 1821, John Thomas died in Elliott June 23, 1906. His first wife, Anna Fox, also born in England, and he raised seven children and with his wife Nellie, three were raised. Hope Howard Sandquist (1887) is the youngest and the only one born after John and Nellie came from Dyersville, Dubuque County, Iowa to Montgomery County.

    They bought a farm in Pilot Grove Twp., from Edson DeWitt in 1883 and lived there until 1906 when they moved to Elliott. Coming from eastern Iowa with them were their sons, Clarence M. (1877) and Harry (1880). Clarence married Hattie Peck and they eventually bought the farm, moved to Red Oak later and turned the farming over to their youngest son, Roy (Dick) who operated it until his death in 1962. Dick’s step-son, Don Norris, took over and lives there now. Clarence’s death occurred in 1968 and Hattie’s in 1979. Harry moved to Havre, Mont., where he was conductor for Great Northern Railroad.

     Early neighbors were Alvin DeWitts, John Binegars, Albert Wrights, William Busses and Emery DeWitts. A mile north a family by the name of Yockey lived - - he was a traveling Evangelist and rode horseback to Preach in different places.

     Nellie, daughter of William and Martha Wight Martin, was born at Dubuque May 24, 1851 and died at Elliott Jan. 1, 1934.

     Hope married William Howard Jan. 5, 1913 - - he was the son of Titus J. and Sarah Umphress Howard - - and they have two sons - - Leon and Donald. Hope’s second marriage is to Dave Sandquist.

John and Anna’s children were Arthur, England; William John (1855-1933); Anna Thompson; Clara A. (1861-1959) m. John L. Moore (see elsewhere); Edith (1863) m. Fred J. Willcox; Etta Collins Smith (1866); Frederick Charles (1870-1960) m. Mertie Califf. (see Fred and Mertie Thomas).