O'Connor Home, Grenola, Kansas

In 2006 my family and I drove west to celebrate my grandmother's 90th birthday. On the journey home, it was just my daughters and myself, so we took the opportunity to go to the little Kansas town of Grenola. I had hopes of finding the actual house that Byron and Fannie O'Connor had lived in, but wasn't able to. I am not sure what the present population of the little town is now, but it gave me such satisfaction to see this place where my great-great grandparents had lived along with my great-grandmother (Eugenia (Genie) O'Connor) and my great-great-great grandmother (Elizabeth Dille O'Connor).

I am blessed to have some inside photos of at least one of the homes they lived in along with a few outside pictures. They did live in at least 2 homes during their 30 years there, but I still need to identify the locations of each of the houses specifically. Regardless of where they were, I am delighted to have some of the pictures of them, and even some of the pictures that you can see in the photos. It's a delight for me to view them over and over again, knowing what a special heritage I have been given.

The first two pictures show two different directions in the house, which I think is so wonderful so we get a better view of the first floor.  The second two photos are of the same house, but obviously several years apart in being photographed as the trees are much larger and the fence is gone.  The young girl in the picture is Elizabeth O'Connor, Byron and Fannie's youngest child, born in February 1893.

Chester Lee Stiles and Hannah Milburn

In my last post I gave a brief outline of Thomas Daily's family.  In that outline I also mentioned his great-grandson, Lee Stiles.  Lee grew up in the Mishawaka, Indiana area and stayed there for his whole life.  At one point in early 20's he made a trip to Pike's Peak with a friend, which would have been in the early 1860's.  Eventually he married a young lady from the area named Hannah Milburn.  The two of them had two daughters, one who stayed in the area all her life, and one who moved on to Texas and continued her life there.  I have posted here a picture of both Lee and Hannah.



 

Thomas Daily and some descendents

A brief genealogy from my mother's side of the family....

Thomas Daily came to American sometime around the beginning of the revolutionary war. He is married in the 1790 census and found in the Fawn, York County, Pennsylvania. Although not listed in this census, he is married to Margaret Laycock (Laycox). By 1810 they are in Avon, Ontario County, New York.

By 1820 Thomas daughter Nancy is married to Luman Keyes. They had several children and moved to the Mishawaka/South Bend, Indiana area around 1836. They had a daughter, Mary Ann who married John Alsop Stiles.

John and Mary Ann were married in 1841 and had several children. This was John's second marriage, his first wife having died not many years after arriving in the Mishawaka area. He had one surviving son from his first marriage.

By 1850 John and Mary Ann had 5 children and within a week after the last son was born, Mary Ann died, on July 3, 1850. Their daughter, Frances Jane Stiles, was born in 1845 and was left orphaned, along with her siblings in November of that year when their father died also, from organic disease of the brain. (I'm not really sure what that would have been.)

The St. Joseph County archives has an incredible folder that is filled with all kinds of receipts for the estate of John Stiles. There are also the guardianship papers for the children. Frances (Fannie) and her older brother, Chester Leander Stiles, who went by Lee, were the only children from that marriage to live to adulthood.  (The signature by May in the document above was one of Lee's daughter's who married Schyler Colfax Rose.)

Fannie married Byron O'Connor and I have already posted a newspaper article marking their marriage in 1868. Fannie and Byron were the parents of my great-grandmother, Eugenia Maude O'Connor, born June 29, 1872.

Albert and May Frederick in Spring Lake, Texas

After Albert Frederick had proved up on his homestead in North Dakota, he moved his family to Texas. My grandmother was born in Texas in 1908, so they had to have moved between 1906 and 1908. I am not sure exactly when these photos were taken, but probably circa 1910. I believe the county to be Castro County.

 

May Frederick with friends in Texas

Golda May Frederick

North Dakota Farming on the Frederick Farm and a July 4th Party

Not much to add to these photos.  Hard working people coming together to help one another.  People giving of themselves....



A photo from a distance.  You can see the grain blowing out the funnel to the left.  Lots of people, horses and heavy machinery.


 
This last photo is of a 4th of July picnic on the Frederick Farm in North Dakota.  When enlarged, I can see Sophia and John Frederick, along with Albert and May Frederick.  Several siblings are in the picture, but trying to identify each one specifically can be challenging.  Still, it's wonderful to just look at them all and know they are my hard working family, not afraid to venture out to the western frontier.

Frederick Family Photos

From a very faded letter addressed to Miss Golda Frederick, Holt, California and a return address of 224 D Street, Roseville, California. Postmarked 5:30 PM April 22, 1923. (The only changes I will make is to put in punctuation as there are no marks at all and the sentences seem to run on.)



Roseville, Calif. April 21, 1923

My dear Golda and papa, Will write you a few lines. Grandma is very poorly. We have to lift her and move her just like a helpless baby. She has no more use of her limbs, not as much as a baby. Dr. Everett (?) told me yesterday there is nothing we can do but to relieve her pain. Golda, do not go in swimming, do not run the risk. Be careful of that fellow that has the green eyes (I thought that was cute :)). Papa you write a few lines once in awhile. (I don't quite understand this next sentence but will write it as it is before me) I am sorry that Mrs. Hickman have they still that old woman. Take good care of the cats, chickens and papa. Be a good girl and pray for mama. In these times of trouble we are all in God's hands. Anyway, Clarence was down last evening to see us. He is working pretty hard. They are putting in a stock room at Lincoln. Vic Brother and Clarence live together. They have rented two rooms. I will try and get some money to send to you and papa. The renter wants us to come down on the rent. I guess we will have to or lose our renter. You ought to see the little folks bring mother flowers. Well, I must close for this time. Ans soon (answer soon?). Love to papa and you. Mama



Frederick family below. Back row - Ray, Grandpa (Elam) Daniels, Clarence, Robert Highfill, Grandpa (Albert) Frederick, holding Robert. 2nd row - Catherine, Grandma (Katherine) Daniels, Grandma (May) Frederick, Irena Frederick Highfill. Down front, Golda Frederick, Loretta Highfill. Circa 1920.

Golda Frederick, Grandpa(Albert) Frederick holding Loretta, Irena, Grandma(May) Frederick, Grandma (Katherine) Daniels and Grandpa (Elam) Daniels. Probably taken around 1918 or 1919 as Grandpa Frederick is holding Loretta and Irena looks quite pregnant.


Four generations.... Irena, Grandma May Frederick, Grandma Katherine Daniels, Loretta and Robert Highfill. This last picture had to have been taken around 1920 as Loretta and Robert are both in the 1920 Census with Loretta as 2 and Robert as 11 months.


(I also want to make a note that the spellings for Katherine I have seen both ways. Her obituary had it spelled "Katherine" while I've seen it spelled "Catherine" on census records. I will presently go with the obituary spelling as I wonder that the newspaper would have been given the information directly from the family. I do realize I could be wrong, but I think that the gravestone also has it "Katherine".)