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Grandpa like all fathers and grandfathers, prized his progeny; and I am sure, looked for the time when he could have all of them together. Here he arranged for a photo of three generations, the eldest in each being shown together. Uncle Ed (Edward Newton) is to me only a shadowy fig¬ure--I saw him a number of times when Father and I went to Iowa City to visit him. As far as I recall, he never came to Prairie du Sac. He was a successful minister, being university pastor at the State U. of Iowa for the last dozen years of his life. In view of a short term of service in the Northern Army in the Civil War (probably Jan-Apr. 1965) he was made Chaplain of the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) in the ‘70s & ‘80s. Rose remembers him as genial, not devoid of humor.
Vital Statistics: Born Brecksville, Ohio, Mar. 1843
Graduated Knox College, Galesburg, Ill. 1866
Graduated Union Theological Seminary Chicago 1870
Licensed to preach 1868
Married Anna Moore (1848-1878) in 1870.
Took his bride to Ausin (now part of Chicago) to found new Church, 1870. Served (for a time in connection with Estminster Church) till 1876.
Pastor at Waterloo, Iowa 1876-1887.
Independence Iowa 1887-1889.
Iowa City. 1889-1901.
He died (probably from the family affliction of diabetes) May 8, 1901
Children: Albert Moore 1871 – Apr. 2, 1936
Mary Elizabeth 1873- 10-11-1946 unmarried
Grace Adah 1871—28 1876
Anna Moore 1-20-1878
Albert married Eliz. Bowman(m. Jul. 8, 1905 b 9-15-1928)
Child, Edward Bowman Mar. 8 1910
He had daughter Eliz. Ladd Jan. 7, 1950
Ed’s wife died soon after Anne’s birth.
He married her Cousin, distinguished school principal, Chicago (1843-1925) in 1884.
“Bert”, Albert Moore Barrett was his only son, eldest child, 19 years older than I. I have a few recollections of him – during his professional school days and his busy life as Professor. He once visited us at Prairie du Sac. I was afflicted with an ache in my left eye (later diagnosed and corrected by chiropractors as an ill-adjusted vertebra in my neck.) Bert bandaged the area in a white cloth, and I slept. He came for a visit to the Family in Iowa City, having come from Cedar Rapids on the maiden trip of an interurban car, which was wrecked, injuring many passengers. He gave emergency treatment to a number of the victims. He refused an offer of compensation for this, but asked that they replace his straw hat, which had some blood spots on the brim. He was upset nervously—couldn’t enjoy Phil’s and my fireworks we shot off, this being July 4th while I visited them. He bought a pair of bone forceps, to use skinning catfish.
He graduated from Iowa Univ medical school, then took a degree at Heidelburg, Germany, in what is now psychiatry. He became Professor of “brain and nervous diseases” at Ann Arbor, (Michigan University) till his death. He was head of the department and director of the clinical hospital (the “bug house” as he facetiously called it.) He got $100 for consultations. He served the armed forces (probably from his university location) during World War I. Thus he was undoubtedly the most widely known and conspicuous success in our branch of the tribe.
On my 21st birthday, during a vacation from Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash., I worked in “harvest”—wheat threshing near that city. The sack sewer of the crew was Harry Tash, a neighbor of the operator of the enterprise, home for the summer from Mich. Univ. Medical School. When we discovered that he was a student under, among others, Albert Moore Barrett, he said, “Oh, yes. We call him “Hell-rearing Jake” – he lectured so fast nobody can keep up with him in taking notes.” Cousin Mary laughed at this when I told her—saying, “He was always so nervous, this is just like him.”
A brief summary of [Grandfather Newton Barrett's] career seems appropriate. He was born in 1812, in a pioneer cabin near Lake Ontario, New York, the second of a large family. The oldest, Milton, was scalded to death on about this date. Threatened by the proximity of the War of 1812's engagements, his father, Simon Barrett, after closing his term as a schoolteacher there, returned to Woodstock, Conn. 1/3 or so from the airline from Boston to New York City. Grandpa spun cloth fabric in the first factory in the State. He attended Yale, receiving A.B. and A.M. degrees. He migrated to the Western Reserve, studying and teaching theology in a primitive seminary near Cleveland; then after a 10-years' engagement, sent for his fiancee, also a teacher, a year his senior, and married her. He was admitted to the Cleveland Presbytery in 1840, ordained and installed at Brecksville, 0hio in 1841; and it was there that all but Frank, the youngest, of his children, were born. Frank was born in Milan, Ohio in 1850.
Grandpa soon after this, found missionary preaching opportunities in the wilderness of Illinois. Cousin Rose remembers Uncle John's telling of how the boys were covered with snow which blew thru gaps in the roof as they slept in the loft. The family moved several times, mainly in northern Illinois; Uncle Ed and Father attended Knox College in Galesburg, Uncle Ed graduating in the 1860s. Grandpa's longest pastorate and residence was at Dunton (now Arlington Heights), near Chicago, where he and Grandma lived when this family picture was taken.
After a few years at PawPaw and other little churches, he was called to Elkhorn, Wis., where uncle John bought a house near the railroad. I have seen the house, and looked up the record of the deed. The long ministry closed there in 1883, though Grandpa lived there for some years.
The remainder of his long life was spent with one or another of his three sons or their families. He was with Frank during most or all of his 2 1/2 year pastorate in San Antonio. His picture appears in the background of a snapshot of brother Philip about 1894 at Uncle Ed's in Iowa City. He was in our home during a good deal of my early life, and he taught me the rudiments of the three r' s, to such good purpose that I went from the first immediately to the 4th grade when I was 7. I think he especially wanted to sustain Father after Mother died at Richard's birth in Feb. 1895. He was present at Father's sudden death in March 1898--I have his hasty manuscript account of this sad episode, written on a scrap, of paper.
While I was in Geneseo 1901-05, I went several times to Iowa City, 78 miles west by rail, to visit Phil, who had lived with Uncle Ed and family since Mother's death. Grandpa was with Aunt Hannah and the unmarried girls on several of these occasions. Mary told how pathetically grateful he was for any opportunity to run an errand or do some trifling service for the family. I remember a day perhaps in 1900, when I was with Grandpa Millard for a year, when I somehow wandered over to the east side, and dropped in on Grandpa at Dowher Home. I don't think he was there very long. This was in Milwaukee. In 1904 I was with Phil and family at a summer cottage near Iowa City, when we got a telegram saying Grandpa had died--I am sure in Chicago with Uncle John. in about a month he would have been 92.
I remember him as a rather dour, humorless old patriarch, straight as an arrow, and by then slender. Rose knew greatGrandma Lydia, who died the year before I was born. She had evidently broken a hip, as she wore a shoe with a 4" lift. It seems Grandpa was something of a dictator, and was often in trouble with his people. Grandma repeatedly poured oil on troubled waters. Phil and I inherit our love of humor and comedy from Mother's side, French Huguenots in background. Uncle John, however, would have made a living as a comedian if Grandpa's Puritan antipathy to the theater hadn't prevented it. I recall the cynical remark that these early Americans opposed bear-baiting, not because it hurt the bear, but because it was fun for the people. Grandpa was, however, blessed with the Puritan virtues as well as their shortcomings; and one newspaper comment stated that he stood as the accredited ambassador of God.
Aunt Adah had been married for 15 years--had two sons, approaching their teens. Her name was Church. I never saw her as far as I know. Uncle Ed was 32, married to Anna Moore (her youngest daughter,named Anna Moore., changed from "any more" to Anne). Uncle John was 30, not yet married (married Nancy Crego, 1877). Mary Elizabeth was born 1847, died same year. Frank Ferlinghuysen b.1850, was 25, unmarried.
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