Gracious Graceland

Chapter XXXVI

      The sixteenth century saw severe religious persecution in several countries of northern Europe.

      It started in Switzerland, where a group of devout church members discovered in the Bible that the first Christian churches were supported by voluntary contributions, (religion itself being voluntary) and not by taxes levied by the state for the support of the church.  They also objected to infant baptism, contending that adult baptism is the only baptism that has meaning.

Persecution

      Persecution by both Roman Catholic and Protestant churches followed.  The dissenters became known as Anabaptist (re-baptism) and were persecuted without mercy by life imprisonment and by drowning - a cruel and gruesome parody on their belief in adult baptism.

      “Man’s inhumanity to man makes countless thousands mourn.”

The New World

      Emigration followed.  The “Neuenschwanger” (Nyswonger) family came to America.

      The earliest date available is 1754 when John Nyswonger son of Christian and Mary Nyswonger, moved to Maryland with his family at age ten.  He grew up and enrolled in Capt. Martz’ Company of Flying Corps of Frederick County Maryland.  It was a mounted scouting party and they were “here, there and everywhere” serving their country in the Revolution.

      John and his wife had twelve children, one of whom was Jonathan, whose son James figures prominently in this bit of Lucas County history.

      Only two of the twelve chose to come to this area - the other was Hiram - but they enriched the community by their integrity and industry.

Friendship Affinities

      In the course of human history, there have been few friendship affinities, the most notable being that of David and Jonathan.

      “And David loved Jonathan as his own soul.” 1 Samuel 1:18

      Another was that of the legendary Damon and Pythias, dating back to the fourth century B. C.  In classical folklore, Pythias was condemned to death by beheading.  He asked for time to go and arrange his affairs but was refused until Damon offered himself as hostage and to die instead if Pythias should not return on the appointed day.

      Just as time was running out, Pythias returned and the wicked king was so impressed with their constancy that he released both and asked to be included in their friendship.

      “Greater love hath no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13.

      Lucas County has been honored with one known friendship affinity which, if not as famous, is equally genuine and deserves a place in our local history - that of James Nyswonger and William Stemm.

      It was the year 1864.  A star-crossed baby boy was born in Pennsylvania.

      (Note: the word “star-crossed” is poetic and is used in the record of Romeo and Juliette, by Shakespeare.  It means “Not favored by the stars”)

      This little boy never knew the tender love of a mother.  When very young he was taken to the home of Will Potter by a very old man whom he never saw again.  In this farm home was a kindly woman who took care of him and sent him to school.

      A red-headed uncle, Sol Lingle, came to see him.  The family he was living with decided to “sell out and go west”.  On the day of the sale, a strange woman came to claim him, but he, not knowing she was his mother declined to go with her.  A neighbor told him that his name was William Stemm, 

the son of Ira Stemm.

Robbers

      The day of departure came.  They reached Council Bluffs, where in a hotel they were robbed by a Buffalo Bill gang, but they continued on into Nebraska as far as their tickets would allow.

      There they stayed, worked, planted and harvested crops, then started back east but only as far as Creston where they spent the winter.  They all worked and William contributed to the provisions by fishing, one time catching a twelve pounder!  The man and woman decided to return to Pennsylvania, but the boy stayed and worked.

      He then joined another couple going east with a team and wagon.  At night they slept under the wagon, even in the force of the wind and the slash of the rain.  Finally, they reached Whitebreast River where William was stricken with “chills and fever”.

      At this point, some other people put him on a horse and took him to “Doc” James Nyswonger, who was not a doctor but a man of great heart and common sense.  Furthermore, there was an affinity between the two.  William was taken into the Nyswonger home and nursed back to health.

      They had five daughters and one son, but they loved William as their own.  There he grew up, a young man of sterling worth, retaining his own name and filling an honorable place in the community.

Married

      In 1888 he married Frances, daughter of his foster uncle, Hiram Nyswonger.  Their home was blessed with six industrious children, all working together for the success of their farm home.

      Their eldest son, Charley, eventually took over the farm home and the others moved to Lamoni.  Charley Stemm is still living on this farm where he was born eighty-one years ago.

      In 1971 his grandson, Larry Snuggs, farmed the home place which was part of the original land owned by James Nyswonger who was the great, great, great uncle of Larry Snuggs.

      This story was narrated by William Stemm and written by his wife in 1941.  It was loaned to this writer by the family.  William Stemm died in 1948 at age seventy-nine.

Church Organized

      Just before the turn of the century, a group of members of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was holding regular worship serves in a grove on the farm of Robert C. Crooks northeast of Norwood.  A pond on the farm of L. C. Crooks served for baptisms.

      A movement was started for a church building.  David E. Daniels was an undertaker and furniture dealer in Lucas, and an Elder in the church.  He persuaded James Nyswonger that the Norwood community needed an RLDS church and that he, Mr. Nyswonger, should donate the land for it.

      The following is taken from a letter to this writer from the Lamoni Stake of the RLDS Church there.

      “On Nov. 15, 1901, an effort to build a church culminated in the selection of a committee of five, of whom Brother David E. Daniels of Lucas was chairman and William Stemm, James Keen, R. C. Crooks and Jacob Cackler were the other members.  An acre of ground for this church and one and one half acres for the cemetery were donated by James Nyswonger in the northeast corner of his farm, a few rods away from the residence of Brother R. C. Crooks, in whose grove the congregation had been holding their worship services for a few years.  Ground was broken on the 15^th of November two years ago (1901) and a church building was erected and finished for occupation and dedication on the 15^th of November 1903.”

      Jim Pratt, an outstanding mechanic, was the head carpenter.  William Stemm hauled the first load of rock from Otter Creek and many loads followed.  It was a community project in which all hands turned out to help.

Dedication

      The dedicatory service was attended by a capacity crowd.  Mrs. M. A. Marker of Chariton was a very young girl and attended with her mother.  She vividly remembers the occasion.

      Elder David Daniels had given the organ.  An organist and choir from Lucas furnished the music.  Later a piano was purchased with funds donated by the community.

      The deed, dated Sept. 7, 1901, specified that while the property would always belong to the church, it must always remain open to any congregation that might wish to use it when not in use by its own congregation and that there must always be an open Bible.  Remembering the bitter persecution suffered by his ancestors and others in Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe, this points up Mr. Nyswonger’s humanism.

      This agreement has been consistently and honorably kept.  During the building of Highway 65, when the church building of the Evangelical United Brethren of Norwood was dislocated for several months, that congregation held its regular services at Graceland.  Other organizations have used it freely through the years.  Mr. Daniels made and gave a framed bulletin board on which was stated the policy of the church.

      Although faded and tattered, the piece is still there.  The old church, having served its time, is being taken down, joining what a poet calls, “the dust heap known as history”.

Catalpa Trees

      Around the perimeter of the church yard there stands like a guard of honor, a quadrangle of catalpa trees which, in blossom time, are a vision of splendor.  Joy and Julie Curtis, young daughters of Mr. and Mrs. William S. Curtis, went over one afternoon and counted the trees to add this bit of information to local history.  There are eighty-seven and they were set out at the instigation and under the direction of “Aunt Kate” Cackler and her family.

      “The trees wave their broad curtains

      In the south wind’s breath

      While underneath such leafy tents

      They keep the long mysterious exodus of Death”

. . . Longfellow

Graceland Church, razed 1971.

      Seated from left to right in this photograph, taken in front of the Graceland Church, are Otto Stemm, Dorcas Crooks, Brother John Evans, George Cackler and Catherine Cackler.

      Standing are William Stemm, Criswell Crooks, Clark Curtis, Jake Cackler, Leta Stemm Shakespeare, Eva C. Ruble, Kate Cackler and Francis Stemm.

      On a bright November afternoon, this writer visited the old church and cemetery with Mrs. William S. (Ruth) Curtis, whose encyclopedic knowledge of this area has been invaluable in the research and compilation of this story and in its collection of photographs of many who, day by day, helped weave the fabric of local history.

Nyswonger

      Here, just inside the gate, is the lot which James Nyswonger reserved in the deed for himself.  One month later, the body of his wife Eliza was exhumed from the Fletcher Cemetery and reinterred here.

      Two weeks later, Mr. Nyswonger himself was laid to rest beside her.  Engraved on their monument is a suggestive scene of “The Holy City” in the rays of an effulgent sun.

      Below is the inscription “In my Father’s house are many mansions”.

      We walk on, thinking of Euripides’ pronouncement: “When good men die, their goodness does not perish, although they are gone.”

“Aunt Kate”

      Here, in the next lot, lies their daughter, Catherine, fondly known as “Aunt Kate”.

      She had the element of greatness.  She had nine children, one dying in infancy.  She raised the other eight, plus four grandchildren: Eva Ruble of Corydon, Margaret Sterling of Ottumwa, Olive Jones of Seattle, Wash., Joseph Bennett of Wesleyville, Pa.

      Aunt Kate’s son, Jacob Cackler, was a long time resident of Chariton.  Their daughter Leona married John Blackstock, formerly of Chariton and who is now a Patriarch of the church.  Her brother Harold is Bishop and two other brothers, Don and Charles, are Elders.  Their sister Maxine married Eyden Dunshee, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Neil Dunshee.

      Other members of the Nyswonger family living in this area are grandchildren, including Mrs. McCollum of the McCollum Nursing Home, Mrs. Mamie Chandler, Mrs. Mildred Oxenreider, Mrs. H. C. Cackler, Mrs. Marvin Nickelson, Gerald Crooks and many great-great-grandchildren.

      Five generations of Nyswonger and Crooks families have lived in this area and there are still quite a large number of them.

Cackler

      We stand by the grave of George Cackler, the pioneer, born in Knox, Ill. in 1846, the year of Iowa’s statehood.

      He made his own grave stone, a plain concrete slab with rounded top and the name was evidently chiseled by his own hand.  His brother, ten years younger, lies beside him.  The monument here is one of Nature’s loveliest - a Cedar tree laden with bright blue berries thick amongst its branches.

      Surely this tree was transplanted from a fence row by his own hand for these and some other evergreens propagate only after passing through the digestive tract of birds.  Thus do the birds help perpetuate the cycle of life.  The little trees are commonly found among fence rows where birds are wont to rest and roost.  This statement is verified by Mrs. Virginia Jeffries, science teacher in Chariton schools and by Mrs. Robert Piper.  This is the female tree.  Farther up the slope stands another Cedar almost identical to this one, except that its branches are tipped with brown.  It is the male tree.

      “Male and female, created He them”  Genesis 1:27

Thomas

      John and Margaret Thomas, parents of Reese Thomas, came from Wales in 1897, responding to Mrs. Thomas’ mother, who with her sister were already here.

      They brought their five children and went first to Red Oak, then to Lucas where the mines were going strong.  Four more children were born here.  All were good singers in the Welsh tradition.  Both parents and one daughter Irene, who died of polio in 1914, are buried at Graceland.

      Reese is the sole survivor in this area, Jeanette (Mrs. Jim Chaplin), formerly of Chariton, now lives in Webster City.

Crooks

      Under this sod lies Clarence Floyd Crooks, Pvt. UWSA SGD NVPE Repl. Pool OSA 2.   He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.L. Crooks.

      Here lie the Mr. and Mrs. Ullie Crooks.  Mrs. Crooks lost a leg when she was about eleven years old but she never allowed this handicap to interfere with anything she wanted to do.

      She became a mother of four.  She would walk the country roads with as much agility as a normal person.  Their son Wilford, husband of Ruby Vandell Crooks, died in 1959

Killen

      Here is the grave of Robert Killon, Co. F 1^st Cavalry.   1844-1941.

The cemetery record book contains this item: "Apr 30, 1949.  Fletcher Killen came today to get a permit to set a U.S. monument at the grave of Robert Killen, Civil War veteran from Apr. 1861 to Apr. 11, 1865".

      Once again the mind recalls Swift's summation:

      "War, that mad game the world so loves to play.

Curtis

      Several stones here bear the name of Curtis "precious friends hid in Death's dateless night."

      William Noah Curtis and his wife Mary Jane were the parents of Mrs. M.A. Marker of Chariton and of the late Clark E. Curtis, the father of Mrs. Burdette (Angie) Conrad and of William S. and Cyril Curtis of this area.

      Mr. and Mrs. Curtis lived their entire lives on the hill a stone's throw south of the cemetery.  The home is shielded by many pines, which they transplanted in their early years.  

They are buried in Graceland with their young son Emory James.

      An old church record book reveals much of the pulse beat of a community.  Here one finds the "party faithful", serving as chairman of the board through many consecutive three year terms, and Clark E. Curtis as secretary-treasurer in an equal constancy.

      Ullie Crooks was a trustee for many terms.  Other trustees were J.W. Lipe, Dennis Lovell, William S. Curtis and Mrs. M.A. Marker.

      Finances were characteristically slender.  The highest balance in the cemetery treasury at any time through nearly seventy years was $71.90, but whenever funds were insufficient for something that had to be supplied, these faithful would "put in" whatever was needed, even though they had already made their donation.

      In 1924 the church needed shingling, plastering and fence repair.  Steel posts cost 34 cents each, and $20.52 was needed to balance out the bill.  M.O. Crooks, still chairman of the board, "put in" $20.52, so the record states, even though he had already donated $20.

      In 1939 the whole fence had to be replaced.  These were the men who turned out to do it:

      Of the Crooks clan there were Ullie, Wilford and Charley (There is a tinge of sadness in a foot note stating that M.O. Crooks, always so faithful "was unable to help because of a very bad hand".)

      Of the Curtises, there were Clark E., William S. and Roy and Zach; and of the Cacklers, Tom and Wayne.

      There were Dennis and Guy Lovell, Lawrence Lancaster, Fletcher Killen, Milton Marker, Cecil Lawler, Charley Stemm, Lee Turner, Bill Storm and Wilford Skinner.

Ladies Aid

      The Ladies Aid Society served a sumptuous dinner.  They were Mesdames Dennis Lovell, Lawrence Lancaster, Fletcher Killen, Milton Marker, Cecil Lawler, Clark Curtis, Ullie Crooks, Tom Cackler and Bill Storm.

      So this is Graceland – but not all of it.  There are many whose stories are unavailable. Would that every person's life story could be preserved.

      "How little time we have to stay

      And once departed may return no more

      The wine of life keeps oozing drop by drop

      The leaves of life keep dropping one by one

…The Rubaiyat

pages 164 - 174

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