Clem and Lynda
McCormick-Henke
As written by Lynda McCormick. Submitted by
Kay Masterson, grandniece to
Lynda.
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Clem and Lynda
McCormick-Henke
They were married 25 Dec., 1906, at Oacoma, SD |
Franklin Ulysses McCormick and Vena Jane Loyd.
They were married 2 Sep 1897 in
Sidney, Fremont Co, IA. |
THE STORY OF MY
LIFE
By Lynda Franzetta McCormick-Henke
I was born December 20, 1880 on a farm three miles southwest of Sidney, Iowa,
one-half mile north of Knox, IA. I went to the country school one-half mile
from home, Lone Tree School until the eighth grade then I entered the Sidney
School after Christmas and finished the eighth grade. Our eighth grade
exercises were held in the Court House. I wrote an essay on the Benefits of
Poverty. I took as my example the life of Booker T Washington. I finished the
tenth grade then took one year normal course in Sidney High School.
When we were small we seldom went to Sidney but we went to Knox every few
days with a pail of eggs. Everything was very cheap. Eggs, five cents a dozen
and calico three cents a yard. Mother always put in a few extra eggs for candy
and that was real fun. We used to gather wild fruit in the woods, gooseberries,
strawberries, raspberries and grapes and in the fall we would gather nuts for
winter. Hazel nuts, hickory nuts and black walnuts. Every kid had his sack of
nuts. If you didn't gather any it would be just too bad for you wouldn't get
any.
We never had much money to spend but at Christmas time we had a little to
buy presents. A day or so before the New Year father took us to Sidney to buy
our candy. What fun we had trading candy for it was all different.
Father went to Nebraska City with grain to have ground into flour. He
always took one of us little girls with him. He would buy some cheese, bologna
and crackers for our lunch and that was a real treat.
Our recreation after we were grown up was Croconole, Dominoes and Croquet.
We had play parties and ice cream and strawberry socials in our homes, hay rides
and bobsled rides. What fun on a nice cold night to sleigh ride.
I taught school for eight years in Iowa and South Dakota in the rural
schools.
I came to South Dakota about 1904 and took a homestead that joined my
brother Frank's homestead, then sister Edith came later and took a claim, one
mile west of mine and Clem's claim was in between ours. We had to go back and
forth to our claim shanties every few days. Edith and I stayed together of
nights. One of the neighbors gave us a big revolver to keep the prowlers away.
We hung it up on the wall but we never used it. We were more afraid of it than
the prowlers.
Edith and I bought a pony and buggy to go to Presho after our groceries.
Then Clem used to go with us to dances and drive the pony for us. We had real
nice times while we were proving up our claims. After Edith proved up on her
claim she went back to Iowa to teach school and I stayed in Dakota and taught
school.
Clem and I were married Christmas night in the Methodist Church in Oacoma,
S.D. 1906. Reverend Book of the Christian Church officiated, the Methodist
minister was out of town.
I finished my school in the spring and Clem out from town and we started
house keeping and farming. Clem bought an old team and wagon and with my saddle
pony we started to get a little ground broke up. Clem had about twenty acres
broke on his homestead and I had about five. We sowed some wheat and planted
some corn. We bought a dozen chickens and two cows. Clem went down on White
River and bought an old lister to put in the corn. We also bought another
horse, and an old mower to cut our hay. Pretty slim going for a time but we
kept gaining a little and were not discouraged.
I went to Iowa to be with my mother and be close to a doctor about a month
before Lowell came to bless our home November 22, 1907. On January 15, 1909,
Wesley was born in our home. When they were small I used to take them both on
the horse with me and we would ride the prairie looking after the cattle and
horses as it was free range.
We lived on our ranch from the spring of 1906 to the fall of 1942. Then
we went to Lowell's in Osborne, Kansas and stayed a month or more, then went to
Long Beach, California. Then we came back to Lyman County and moved into
Presho.
We took several nice trips while we were living on the ranch. The first
time out through the Hills we took Wesley to Boulder, Colorado to enter
college. We went to World's Fair in Chicago. We took a trip down through the
Ozark Mountains in Arkansas and fished for a couple of weeks. Our last trip
down in the South into Old Mexico, a wonderful trip with Lowell, Louise and
family.
We lived in Presho from 1943-1949 when in the spring we bought a trailer
house and started to look for a new location. We arrived in California in
March, drove around every day looking at homes. At last we found one and it
really is in a very good location, no danger of high water or mountain slides
and on a quiet street. We both enjoy our home and we have such good reception
on television which we both enjoy. We located here in Arlington June 8, 1949.
Mother's Parents:
Franklin and Ester Kuhns were born and lived near Pittsburgh, Pa. After
mother was married they came west and located near Beatrice, Nebraska. There
were three boys and two girls in her family, Lee, Joseph, Frank, Elizabeth and
Mary.
My father and mother were born and reared near Pittsburg, Pa. Mothers
maiden name, Sarah Elizabeth Kuhns. Father's name Humes Thompson McCormick.
Mother was 18 years old and father 31 when they were married. They and a cousin
of father's came west by covered wagon and located near Sidney, Iowa where all
of us children were born, except sister Lucy who was born in Nebraska. They
bought a small farm of 40 acres and hauled their lumber from Council Bluffs,
Iowa to build their house. They added to their farm 240 more acres.
We had just built a new home when father died. Cause of death was
neuralgia of heart. He was sick just a few hours. Mother was left with the
help of brother Rufe to provide for the family. I was 14 years old, Nellie 12,
Edith 10, Vina 8, Mearl 4.
There were eleven children in our family, four boys and seven girls.
Charley, Rozell, Franklin, Lulua, Rutherford, Ordealia, Lynda, Nellie, Edith,
Vina, Mearl. Mother was very anxious for us to have a good education. She sent
us to Sidney High School. We were brought up in a Christian home and had a
pleasant home life.
Father and mother belonged to Methodist Church and most of the children. I
joined the church when quite young and was Baptized in Berkby Pond.
My Grandparents, Father's family:
Grandpa was born in Ireland and Grandma in Pennsylvania.
Grandmother's maiden name Polly Thompson. There were four boys and one girl in
their family, one pair of twin boys, Sam, Bob, Jim, Humes and Kate.
Wesley Henke has the original copy written by Grandma (Lynda) Henke and Dad
(Lowell Henke) has a copy also.
Aug 23, 2007:
Linda
(Lynda) was my grandfather McCormick's sister, but I've especially been
interested in her as her story has been so helpful in my research. Sisters
Lynda and Edith each had claims close to
Frank McCormick's south of Presho. I did discover the one little
girl was buried in IA, not Presho. No wonder I didn't find her in the Presho
cemetery. I did find the other little girl's grave in Chamberlain, Nellie
McCormick. The Riverview Cemetery link on the Lyman Co genweb site was
extremely helpful, took me right to her grave. Here's hoping you do have the
Masterson history. My husband has done some research on his family. His branch
came from SW PA, down to Maysville, KY, then to KS, eventually to NV. If you do
find the history we'd be interested in seeing a copy as there are lots of loose
ends. One of the Mastersons served with Simon Kenton in KY.
Kay
Additional information
received July 24, 2008
From: Peggy Akins <[email protected]>
Subject: My great grandmother was Carrie Henke sister to Clemens Henke
Hi,
My name is Peggy Akins.
I was just looking at some Henke family history information and realized
that Carrie Henke Peck,
my great grandmother, was Clemens older sister born Sept 7, 1981. They
were two of 14 children born to John Henke, born 1832, Learnigan,
Germany and Rena Dantama born Aug. 16,1863 in Holland. John
Henke's parents were Christopher Henke and Margaretha Walo Res-Germany.
John had one sister Elizbeth or Margaret, Bernard Antone Henke, Henry
Fredrick August Henke, Clements Henke who also came to America.
Clemens Henke was born Dec. 7, 1882 at LeMars, Ia and married Lynda
McCormick on Dec. 25, 1906 at Chamberlain, SD. Lynda McCormick was born
on Dec. 29, 1880 at Sidney, Iowa. Clemens died Jan. 15, 1973 and Lynda
Henke died July 20, 1962. They are both buried in the Grand View
Cemetery in Ft. Collins,Colo. They had two children Lowell Clemens Henke
and Wesley Pearl
Henke.
I have more
history on the Henke's if interested. Nice reading your posting "The
Story of My Life". My Mom talks about when her Grandma Carrie Peck (Clemen's
sister) homesteaded out in the badlands...Eventually, returning to SD to
farm. My parents live at Alcester, SD. My grandmother, Edna Peck Nilson,
married and they farmed between Alcester, SD and Hawarden, IA.
John Henke came
across the waters from Germany to this fair land of America and located
at Illinois, at the age of 21, and then
went to LeMars, Iowa, where he took a homestead. While at Le Mars he
married Miss Rena Dantama. They spent several years at
LeMars and then came to Elk Point in Union County, SD where he resided
until his death on March 20, 1925.
My parent's farm is in Union County. If interested, please let me know.
Thanks. Peg Akins
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