Family History Notes and Photos by Bob Mesenbrink

Maude Turner was my grandmother. She was born July 1, 1887 near Charter Oak, Iowa, married Fred Stephenson, July 4, 1912, in Arion, Iowa, and died in Denison, Iowa on January 11, 1965. I was pretty young when she died, but I certainly remember her, but I can't say that I knew her well. Fortunately, the Denison Review published a feature article on her on January 11, 1965. There is probably no finer tribute to her than this, and it includes her own words. So, here is the article: Maude Stephenson recalls early days Preface:  Although Mrs. Maude Ste phenson passed away shortly  after the reporter interview ed her and prepared the  story and the newspaper  photographer took her pict ure, we run it now in honor  of the family and the de ceased. BY RUTH BURNSIDE With a big family, its  hard to know very far in ad vance just how many or who  it will be that will drop in to  spend the day or just an hour  or two. Mrs. Maude Stephen son of Denison was confronted  with this s

Henry William, grandson Russell, son Otto, grandchildrenVirginia and Donovan in front My dad didn't grow up on a farm. He was a town kid, but when I was a child, we bought a farm near Ruthven, Iowa. It wasn't just a place to live, but dad wanted to do some farming.  It was only 80 acres, and he had a job too, so it was just a way to get a bit more income, and perhaps a way to rekindle some fond memories of his grandparent's farm north of Dunlap, Iowa. I never knew about this place until I was grown. But it must have been quite the farm. Above is a photo I received from Marge Hoster. It probably doesn't do justice to the farm, but you can see the large barns and house in the background. Here is a closer picture of the house. And another view: Henry's aunt, Helena Flier Mersmann, would visit from St. Louis every summer. She had such a good time I'm told and loved the experience staying at this farm. Aunt Anna made a beautiful wooden box for her t

Country churches thrived before cars and good roads became the rule, and before the farms started to get larger and fewer families lived in the area. St. Paul's Lutheran Church in the southern part of Walnut Township, Palo Alto County, was no different. Commonly called South Walnut Church, it closed in January of 1962. The building still stands and is still cared for, along with the cemetery across the road, and they still have a Memorial Day celebration there. St. Paul's was a Lutheran Church, but more significantly, it's congregation was predominantly Danish immigrants and their descendants. Lost Island Lutheran Church was only a few miles to the west, but until St. Paul's closed, it was Norwegian. I sometimes joke that I grew up in an area with great cultural differences, having both Danes and Norwegians. Lost Island Church has survived to this day, and is one of few country churches still operating I suppose. St. Paul's is important to me for several re

Isaac Vangunda, was a son of my g.g. grandparents, Cyrus and Hannah Vangunda. He was born near Prairie City, Iowa September 22, 1870, moved with his parents to northwestern Kansas, south of Haigler, Nebraska in 1887, his parents homesteading there at that time. Isaac Vangunda, 1875 with note by his sister, Susan Milliner In 1891, when Isaac was the required age of 21, he entered his own claim for land nearby. At that time, he stated that he and his wife would live on the land. But in 1899, when he filed final proof of his homestead, he said he was widowed. More on that later. In 1893, he filed for a leave of absence from his homestead. An absence from there would have otherwise negated his claim, since he would normally have to maintain residence there continuously for the required five years. Here is his Affidavit and Application for Leave of Absence from Claim for One Year: I, Isaac Vangunda, being duly sworn an oath say, that on the 8th day of May A.D. 1891, I made

It would be easier to not write about bad things. It would be easier to just forget about those unpleasant events in family history. But I think it is important that we know what happened in the past - both good and bad. We need to know that when we are faced with difficulties in our lives, that our ancestors got through it, and we can too. It is with that in mind that I write the history of George Stephenson, son of Jonathan and Lillian Stephenson, of Paradise township, Crawford county, Iowa. George was born October 18, 1881 near Dunlap. The name George came from his father's father, a common practice for the first male child. George was the firstborn of five boys and three girls.  In what should have been a normal childhood and early adulthood for him, things went very badly. George died July 3, 1921, at age 39, in the state mental hospital in Clarinda. I received some of his file from the hospital and thought it time to share some of this. George was admitted to Clarin

My great grandfather was Jonathan Stephenson - my mother's paternal grandfather, although she would never have the chance to know him. He died a few months before she was born, at the same home in fact while visiting in Castana, Iowa in 1919. He was born in Cayton, England, a village just south of Scarborough, Yorkshire, in 1847. His father, George, was a grocer, dairyman, and small farmer. His family had been in the Cayton area for centuries. Jonathan's mother was Mary Bielby from Bridlington, a larger town farther down the coast to the south. Jonathan and his older brother, Robert, weren't listed with their parents, sister, Jane, and younger brother, Henry, in the 1861 census. Robert had died a few years earlier, and since Jonathan was almost 14, he probably had to go to work. Yet another brother, John Robert, was born in 1862.A couple years later, Jonathan's mother died and his father remarried, to Ann Harrison in 1866  and started another family. Jonathan would

This is a tribute to my grandfather, who I never knew, Benjamin Henry Mesenbrink. Through the wonders of the internet, and a few family photos that I've collected over the years, I feel like I have gotten to know him a bit. He lived his entire life in and around Denison, Iowa. He was born near Charter Oak in 1888 and grew up on the farm in Goodrich Township, just to the north or northwest of Denison, perhaps between Charter Oak and Deloit. He must have been a good student. He won an award for writing. Later, his family would move to a large house near Dunlap. It was here that he likely became acquainted with the Brady family, in particular his future wife, Mildred. His brother, Charlie, married Mildred's sister, Winnie Hazel as well. I think this is around 1913 or 1914, with Mildred Brady, Ben Mesenbrink, and possibly Hazel Brady Ben and Mildred married in 1914. According to an article in the Denison Review, they took a fairly long wedding trip, and returned hom