Funeral Card Friday - Harold Whitted

This is a scan of the funeral card of my great grand uncle, Harold Whitted. He was the husband of Helen (Ross) Whitted, who was the sister of my great grandmother, Clara (Ross) Fowlie.

The card reads:

In Loving Memory
Harold Acklin Whitted
Born
January 11, 1903 Calhoun Co., Iowa

Died
October 21, 1989 Lake City, Iowa

Services From
Huffman Memorial Chapel
Lake City, Iowa
Wednesday October 25, 1989
1:30 P.M.

Service of Worship
By
Rev. Jerold Irvin

Music
Organist- Evelyn Johnson
Duet-Vera Mae Doty
Muriel Pierce

Casket Bearers
Johnnie Galbreath Mike Stotts
Merrils Petzenhauser Ray Von Ahn
Roger Glasnap Dean Zimmerman

Interment
Lake Creek Cemetery
Rural Rockwell City, Iowa

Funeral Card Friday - Helen E. Whitted

This is a scan of the inside of the funeral card for my great grand aunt, Helen E. (Ross) Whitted. Helen was the youngest sister of my great grandmother, Clara (Ross) Fowlie.

The card says:

Helen E. Whitted
Born
October 15, 1903
in Calhoun County Iowa

Entered Into Rest
August 14, 1990
in Lake City, Iowa

Services at
Farber & Otteman Funeral Home
Lake View, Iowa
1:30 p.m. Friday, August 17, 1990

Clergyman
Jerold Irvin, Pastor

Music
Congregational Singing
Mrs. Nancy Fertig - Organist

Flower Committee
Mrs. Ervin Thorpe  Mrs. Ethel Wagner

Attendants
John Galbreath  Ray Von Ahn
Roger Glasnapp  Donald Tiziani
Dana Glasnapp  Michael Stotts
John Whitted

Final Resting Place
Lake Creek Cemetery
Rockwell City, Iowa

Wordless Wednesday - Oliver Ross

Since it's apparently Oliver "Buster" Henry Ross week on the blog, here is a photo from Clara (Ross) Fowlie's photo album. It is only captioned "Oliver" and it appears to be Oliver Henry Ross, born in 1906. Possibly late 1920s or 1930s maybe? Oliver was Clara's youngest brother and was my great grand uncle.

Tombstone Tuesday - Oliver H. Ross

Tombstone of Oliver H. Ross, as photographed by me, May 2011

This is the tombstone of Oliver H. Ross located at Lake Creek Cemetery, Lake Creek Township, Calhoun County, Iowa.

It is transcribed as follows:

Oliver H.
Ross
Jan. 31, 1906
Jun. 23, 1988

The WWII flag holder is adjacent as well. The names of his three sons are engraved on the reverse of the stone and his wife's stone is just to the south, or the right of this photo. I won't list their names here since they may still be living.

Military Monday - Oliver H. Ross

T/5 Oliver H. Ross, US Army

A few months ago I found out that my great grand uncle, Oliver H. Ross (1906 - 1988), was in the US Army during World War II. Unfortunately, my immediate family did not have a lot of detail on his service and they indicated that he didn't talk much about it. I checked the usual spots online and came up empty. I wrote to the National Personnel Records Center, but as most people in genealogy know, the records for WWII veterans were destroyed in a major fire in 1973. They did have access to his discharge record which was on file with the Calhoun County, Iowa court recorder and they sent me a copy of that document. What follows, is a summary of the information contained on that document and a brief analysis.

Funeral Card Friday - Mary Hay Ross

This is the Funeral Card for my 2nd great grandmother, Mary Hay Stotler Ross.

In Memory of
Mary Hay Ross

Born
January 27, 1864
Near Mahomet, Illinois

Entered Into Rest
February 15, 1959

Services At
Woodlawn Christian Church
Lake City, Iowa
February 18, 1959 - 2:00 P.M.

Clergyman
Rev. Howard D. Prather
Rev. C. O. Stuckenbruck

Music
Mrs. Darryl Johnson
Mrs. Loren Clark

Accompanist
Mrs. A. M. Short

Flower Committee
Lake City Greenhouse
Mrs. Ellen Condon Mrs. Ida Randall

Attendants
Donald Ellis Marvin Hiler
Roy Tapps Lee Heath
Everett Boyd Lynn Cornelius

Place of Interment
Lake Creek Cemetery

Book Excerpt: The Early Years of the Les Paul Legacy 1915 - 1963

Les Paul Live @ Iridium Jazz Club in
New York City in October 2008
by Thomas Faivre-Duboz.

I found this book on the internet tonight, interesting but not sure of the connection yet. I didn't realize it until tonight, but Les Paul's birth name was Polsfuss.
Book Excerpt: The Early Years of the Les Paul Legacy 1915 - 1963.

According to the book excerpt, Les Paul was born, Lester William Polsfuss, June 9, 1915, in Waukesha County, Wisconsin to George and Evelyn Polsfuss. His grandfather was August Polsfuss of Prussia. From his wikipedia biography, in case you're not aware, Les was "an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible."

My 2nd great grandfather was Gottlieb Polsfuss, son of Christian Poslfuss, both were born in Prussia. Les Paul's family settled in Waukesha County and my ancestors settled in Marquette County, Wisconsin. I'm not sure if there is a connection, but it seems possible that he was a cousin. I'll have to look closer into that part of my mother's side of the family.

Tombstone Tuesday - Mary Hay Stotler Ross

This is the tombstone of my 2nd great grandmother, Mary Hay Stotler-Ross at Lake Creek Cemetery, Lake Creek Township, Calhoun County, Iowa.

Mother
Mary H. Ross
Jan 27 1864
Feb 15 1959

Amanuensis Monday - Mrs. Mary Ross, 91, is blind but she 'reads' many books

According to Genabloggers, "An Amanuensis is a person employed to write what another dictates or to copy what has been written by another. Amanuensis Monday is a daily blogging theme which encourages the family historian to transcribe family letters, journals, audiotapes, and other historical artifacts."

Today I'm posting a transcription of an article from the front page of the Lake City Graphic, from January 27, 1955. I found the news clipping in the collection of my grandmother. Mary Hay (Stotler) Ross (27 Jan 1864 - 15 Feb 1959) was my 2nd great grandmother. I've interspersed some of grandma's photographs with the article since the clipping had no usable photos of it's own. Click the Mary H. Stotler label for some of my previous posts about great-great grandma Ross. The article is after the jump...

Funeral Card Friday - John Hunt

Outside

Inside

This is a copy of the funeral card for my 2nd Great Grandfather, John Hunt.

According to the card, he was born in Iowa. Passed away December 29, 1965, Riverside, California. Services at Preston-Rasmussen Colonial Chapel, Friday 11:00 A.M., December 31, 1965. Officiating, The Rev. W. D. Skinner. Interment Coleridge, Nebraska.

The Chapel is no longer at 3358 Seventh Street. Apparently that part of Seventh street changed to Mission Inn Avenue. I have marked the location in the location field.

Wordless Wednesday - Clarence Brassfield

This one is captioned on the reverse, "on right Clarence Brassfield 1917." It also says Novelty Postcard Studio, 605 4th Street, Sioux City, Iowa. Clarence Brassfield (1895-1941) was the older brother of my great grandfather, Floyd Gipson, Brassfield. Unfortunately, the caption does not indicate who the one on the left is, perhaps a friend or maybe a cousin or other relative.