Wilzue Whitson:
Wilzue was a part of William Whitson's family lived from late 1850's till about 1865 near Mifflin town (Juanita County) Penn. Returned to Lancaster County to a small farm (40 acres) them moved to Mishawaka, Indiana as one of 4 minor children of Wm Whitson. Worked for Uncle Joseph in farm machinery fastory and later Studebacker Wagon Company in 1875 with several mounths out in 1873 when he visited land (160A) in Iowa for which his father had traded his equity in 40 acres in a 40 acres farm in Lancaster County, Penn. The Iowa land was unbroken prarie, without buildings, fences, or trees 14 miles east of Council Bluffs, Iowa. He first farmed this as a tennant beginng in 1875, later bought it and sold a detached 40 and later bought 120 more for a total of 240 acres. Planted many trees, cottonwood, walnut, maple, some boxelderand a larger than normal orchard. Built more than average of buildings onit an raised and fattened more than average number of cattle and hogs. Many buildings are still standing today (1992). Married Lizzie Smith, who was courted while teaching a nearby 1 room school.
Eliza Sarah Smith:
Married Wilzue Whitson in Omaha, Nebraska, April 19, 1883, at the home of Daniel B. and Isabel Kenne Ball, in whose home Lizzie Smith had been raised since the age of 9. Isabel K. Ball was Lizzie Smith's mothers sister. After marriage Wilzue and Lizzie S. Whitson made their home on a farm in Hardin Township, Pottawattamie County, Iowa; until January 1, 1925 when they moved, accompained by their daughter Alice, to 238 Locust Lodge, Council Bluffs, Iowa, which remained thier home the reaminder of their lives.
Lizzie Smith's mother died in South Boston, Mass., 10/24/1865 when Lizzie Smith was 7 yrs 2 months old. The family of 5 children was broken up and went to live with various relatives. Lizzie Smith went to live with her maternal gradparents Robert Steve Keene and Isabel Davis Keene at Appleton, Maine. She made her home there appoximately 1 1/2 years and the remainder of her life would tell incidents and items dealing with her grandparents, Autn Sarah Hunt and Uncle Robert and Uncle Ed Keene. She carried out a somewhat irregular correspondence with her grandmother until her death in 1896 at 92 years of age. Her grandmother liver her entire life in the same house. Her grandparents hous was still in use and in excellant condition when Jay Whitson visited it in 1949, but no longer owned by a member of the Keene or Davis families.
Late in 1867 or 1868 Lizzie Smith left New England never to return. She first wnet to live with her Aunt Theresa Kenne Jacobs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a few months and then to Omaha, Nebraska to make her home with her Aunt Isabel Davis Kenne Ball and her husband Daniel B. Ball. Lizzie Smith completed her formal schooling in Omaha Public Schools, about the equivalent of a modern High School. More than 30 years later Jay Whitson found she was a better teacher of Algebra and Trigonomentry than many college instructors. IN the late 1870's her uncle, aunt and family (the balls had 2 sons, 2 daughters all younger than Lizzie Smith) moved to a stage station and farm 25 miles south of Kearney, Ne., near the present town of Wilao, Ne..
Here Lizzie Smith tuaght her first school in a sod school house. It is said to have been the first school established in Kearney County. She and her uncle's family returned to Omaha about 1879 or 1880.
The fall of 1880, Lizzie Smith came to Hardin Twp., Pottawattamie County, Iowa and taught school 3 years in 2 different schools. Her first was located 3/4 of a mile from the spot that became the family homestead where she lived 42 years after hre marriage. Her nine children all attended the where she had taught earlier. In the 1912-13 school year her son Jay also was the teacher in this school. That school year was also the last year of attendance by any of her children. Alice and Howard finished 8th grade in 1913. Her oldest child George started school there in 1889, 24 years earlier.
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