Family History Notes and Photos by Bob Mesenbrink

My grandfather, Fred Stephenson, died shortly before I was born, so I never knew him. He spent his entire life in the area west of Denison, Iowa. But several years ago my Aunt Edna mentioned how her dad sold everything and moved to Windom, Minnesota, only to turn around when he got there - because of the deep snow. The story intrigued me, but I didn't have much to go on until I found some articles in some archives of the Denison Review found at a wonderful website, http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov, provided by the Library of Congress. Here is the chronology: January 26, 1916: Sale date of Wednesday, Feb. 9, reserved by Fred Stephenson on his farm near Dow City. February 2, 1916: Sale bill published. Included are 9 head of horses, 36 head of cattle, and 50 hogs, and also a large amount of machinery. The sale bill states that he had decided to quit farming. October 1916: He bought a couple of lots in Arion and gives them to his mother, Lillian Stephenson. The next year, Ma