Salem

Chapter XXXVIII

  

      This is Salem - a snow white country church and cemetery, that long range vault of history reminding the visitor that to live is to die and to die is to live again.

      Across the front is a white chain fence, set back to accommodate wagons, buggies and other vehicles of yesteryear and cars of today.

      Here too, one pauses in the soothing shade of great trees and visualizes picnics and other get-togethers with children scampering about.  This church dates from 1873 when a congregation of 40 persons raised $1,500 and the board of trustees, Aaron C. Scott, Daniel Ragsdale and Samuel D. Houston, undertook to organize the “Salem Chapel M. E. Church”.

      Ministers from the Russell circuit conducted services each Sunday afternoon.  A complete list is not available but there were the Reverends Woods, Stone, Kaser, Shipman and Shenton who, with his bride, walked the railroad tracks from Russell to Salem and back - a distance of four miles.

      After continuous services for a good many years, the church was closed for a time.  Then in 1945 it was re-opened by Rev. Donald Brong, a Sunday School missionary who had located in Russell and had re-opened several country churches in the county.

      He conducted services for some time with good attendance.  Bible schools were held each summer for several years.  In 1947 the community purchased the church for $250 and it was reorganized undenominational.

      During the 1940’s, Rev. Archie Beals was pastor and again in 1965-66.  In his last series of sermons, his theme was “A Bird’s-eye View of the Bible”.  On August 28 he finished the series with a sermon entitled “After Death, What?”  Eight days later he slipped through the veil that divides the seen from the unseen.

Hupp

      Strolling in the cemetery, one comes upon twelve graves of the Hupp family.

      Aaron Hupp was born in Pennsylvania in 1818 and when a young man came to Pekin, Ill., where he met Margaret Anne Redlingshafer.  Her family had lived in Bavaria, that province in southern Germany famed in matter of artistic and intellectual tradition but whose people were unable to live in peace because of its warlike neighbors, Prussia, France, Austria and Russia.

      Their wars had devastated the land again and again until many of its citizens, weary of the hoof-beats of war and fate, had turned their hearts and minds to the new world where many had already come in the pursuit of peace and happiness.

      Thus it was that in 1848, a year of turmoil all over Europe, the Redlingshafer family risked their all to come to America.  They settled in Pennsylvania, where Margaret Anne, age 13 grew up.  With her brother George she went to Pekin, where a German settlement extended a warm welcome, the gentle bond of a common country together.

By Covered Wagon

      In 1854 Margaret Anne and Aaron Hupp were married.  Two years later they came to Benton Township in a covered wagon drawn by an ox and a horse, two animals so dissimilar in gait and temperament that one wonders at the doubts and misgivings in the mind of a man contemplating a journey of several hundred miles over ridges and questionable roads, rude to the wheels of the immigrant.

      The tedium of such a journey is hard to imagine, but youth and hope give strength.  Life is full of living, courage and anticipation, when the air was unpolluted and the sky was full of stars.

      One recalls the query of Irving Stone in his book “The Agony and the Ecstasy” - “When did David truly become a giant?  After he killed goliath or at the moment he decided to try?”

      Mr. and Mrs. Hupp reached Benton township, bought 252 acres of land and built their log cabin in time for the birth of their first child Nov. 25.  At that time there were only two houses between their cabin and Eddyville, according to a clipping in one of Dean Boozell’s scrap books.

      Fourteen children were born to them, two dying in infancy.  All the others survived their parents.  Mrs. Hupp, on the morning of her death, laid her hand on the head of each of her sons, giving them her final blessing.  Her monument bears this inscription: “She came to raise our hearts to heaven She goes to call us there”.

      Mr. Hupp lived to age 92 and died in 1910, the year Haley’s comet blazed in the sky for two glorious months - a dazzling spectacle, once seen, never to be forgotten.  It will visit the earth again in 1985.  “He hangeth the earth upon nothing With his spirit, He garnisheth the heavens” . .  Job

      Susie Anna Hupp was a teacher in Lucas County schools for 40 years, Mabel Thomas is a descendant in the Hupp family.  Last of the male line in this county is Ralph and his son Lawrence.

      “The quality of mercy is not strained It blesseth him that gives and him that takes” . . Shakespeare

      When Otto Hupp suffered a dislocated hip, his neighbors gathered to do his corn husking and wood sawing.  Those who participated were Mr. and Mrs. Hayes Cumpston, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Rosa, Mr. and Mrs. Ward Carpenter, Mr. and Mrs. Everett Morton, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Lovell and son, Dewey Sellers and son, Ward Oxenreider, Larry Smith, Ed Binau, Walter Vronan, Jacob Schuman, Bert Sellers, Geo. Carpenter, C. L. Taylor, Ora Cackler, Reece Thomas, J. F. Anderson, Hugh Randall, Theodore Griffiths, Chas. Marlette, Newton Danner, E. Jeffries, Joe Wright, A. M. Bracewell, Emmett Poush, Chester Poush, Stanton Poush, Clarence Mullen, A. R. Gillespie, L. B. Cottrell, R. C. Hampton, Ivan Anderson, Dean Colver, Lester Ambelang, J. H. Schreck, Emory Arnold, Geo. Rosa Jr., Arthur Johnson, Chester Rosa, Lloyd Badger, Cliff Sellers, Jerrie Sellers Jr., Bert Sellers, Chas. Rosa, Jim Hawkins, Clint Morrison, Jack Faulconer, Walter Faulconer, Omar Chapman, Geo. Lanning, G. D. Brewer, Will Redlingshafer, Merle May, Jack Thomas, Frank Ambelang, Howard Threlkeld, Ben Moyer and Guy Rasmus.

Redlingshafer

      Here lies George Redlingshafer, who came to Lucas County in 1859, traveling as far as Agency and walking from there to Chariton.  He too, settled in Benton and became a member of the board of supervisors and held other township offices.  His grandson Rex was the youngest telegraph operator in the state at that time.

      R. L. Redlingshafer, at age 16, enlisted in the Civil War Co. I 8^th Ia. Inf.  It was soon discovered that he was a musician.  Thereupon he was detailed from the ranks to service in the brass band of his regiment.  He saved his compensation to further his education.

      In April 1866, he was honorably discharged, reached home on a Saturday morning and was in school the next Monday, taking up where he had left off five years before.

      E. G. (Greer) Redlingshafer was the last in a long family line.  He served as trustee for the church, the school and township and was school treasurer.  He

helped build the Otterbein church.  He was father of Mrs. Claude Burley and Mrs. Amos Kinkead, both of whom live in Lucas County today.

Scott

      Aaron Scott was the patriarch of the Scott family in Lucas County.  He was drawn on the first petit jury.  Court was held in the log courthouse which had been built two years before.  It stood where Turner’s clothing store is today.  While Aaron was president of the Salem board of trustees, his brother Cyrus was treasurer.  Mr. and Mrs. Scott’s daughter Julia taught the first school in Russell in a house in the west end of the business district.

      Julia married Geo. F. Carpenter and their descendants still living here are the children of the late Ward Carpenter, including Mrs. Gwen Crozier, Geo. F. Carpenter and Mrs. Maudie Smith, who with Morris Scott has furnished the family history for this article.  Morris is a grandson of Aaron Scott.  The late Lillie Scott of Chariton was the daughter of Cyrus Scott.

Bentley

      Annie Marie Scott, sister of Aaron, came to Lucas county with her parents in 1849.  There were no houses in Chariton then but one was under construction on Woodlawn Avenue.

      They attended church in a cooper shop, sitting on planks placed on saw horses.  Annie Marie married John Andrew Jackson Bentley.  He was from Kentucky, where he had learned the blacksmith trade.  His father was a stock shipper and on a voyage from New Orleans, the steamer burned and all on board were lost.  Mr. Bentley had just sold his stock and had considerable money on him which was never recovered.

      The widow was thus left with a family of seven children and no means of support.  John Andrew was one of the youngest.  The mother died in 1844 and John became separated from the family, never seeing any of them again except two sisters and his twin brother.

      In 1855 he came to Chariton and established his blacksmith shop across the street from what is now the National Bank and Trust Company.  There were two or three shops here but this was the largest and did the big business.  There were two smiths regularly employed beside Mr. Bentley himself.  They owned the land between the railroad tracks and the alley and their home was adjacent to the shop.  They owned a farm south of town and sold produce.

      Boyd Schotte was five or six years old and gives this graphic account: “Mammy” and “Pappy” Bentley were widely known and every kid in town loved them.  “Mammy” was the kind of woman that any kid would go to.  They loved children and “Mammy” raised a houseful of canaries.  Mothers would send their children to buy butter, eggs, buttermilk etc. - and Oh, that buttermilk!!  It was delicious!  It had little flecks of butter all through it.  “Pappy” always had a large box of marbles and when any kid would come along, he was invited to come in and shoot marbles.  “Pappy” would mark off a big circle on the dirt floor of the shop and we’d all get down and shoot marbles.”

Dies at the Gold Rush

      The Bentleys were parents of five children, only three of whom reached maturity.  Their son George went to Alaska during the gold rush of 1898 and died there.  They were the grandparents of Dr. Lazear Throckmorton and of Dr. Tom Throckmorton of Des Moines.

      Mr. Bentley was a Civil War veteran (Co. E. 34^th Ia. Inf.) and served until disabled by disease, when he was honorably discharged.  He was a fine craftsman.  He made the beautiful wrought iron gates that graced the front door of the old National Bank which stood where the Central Savings and Loan building is now located.

      A comprehensive family history compiled by the late Dr. Jeanette Throckmorton was loaned to this writer by Mrs. Alma Throckmorton.  This history and a scrap book have formed the basis for this section of Lucas county history.

Arnold

      The earliest Arnold of record is Edward, a soldier in the Revolutionary War.  He enlisted at age 17 and served through the entire engagement.  He was present when George Washington took command at Cambridge and also when he departed from New York in 1783.  He was in nearly all the battles from Bunker Hill to Yorktown.  His son David was born in New York in 1792 and was in the War of 1812.  David was the great-grandfather of Mrs. Claude Burley.  He is buried at Salem.

      David Arnold had a son who was a bodyguard to President Zachary Taylor.  He served in the Mexican War in 1846 and lived to age 99.  The name Edward has been carried down through many generations.  David’s son Edward was born on a farm in Ohio and at age 23 came to Marion county, Iowa in a covered wagon.  He enlisted in the Civil War (Co. G 40 Ia. Inf. Q. M. S.) and was in the siege of Vicksburg.  He came to Lucas County in 1871 and is buried at Salem.

      The late Emory Arnold was in this line of descent.  He was father of Max and Dean Arnold, businessmen of Russell.  This history was given by the granddaughter of Mrs. Claude Burley, Mrs. Ilene Church, who has the complete Arnold history.

Risbeck

      The earliest member of the Risbeck family was Johann of Ulm, Germany.  He married Mary Redlingshafer, sister of Wilhelmina Redlingshafer, mentioned elsewhere in this article.  They migrated to America in 1848 and were parents of five children.  They settled in Pennsylvania.  One of the sons was George, who came to Lucas county in 1868 and married Matilda Jane Selders.  They were the parents of six children.

      Three descendants are living in this area today, Mrs. Quincy Robb of Russell and Mrs. Bill Thompson and Milton Risbeck, both of Chariton.  Claire Risbeck of Kansas City has furnished this information from the family records.

Selders

      In researching the Selders history, one must turn to the book of Job to find a parallel to the succession of woes that overtook this hapless family.  An

exquisite blue spruce stands on the grave site as if trying to compensate with its superb, symmetrical beauty for the sadness that is buried beneath.

      Way back in 1724, in Hanover, Germany, several youths about 10 years old were kidnapped and taken to Northern Ireland, then to America.

      One of these was George Selders.  He grew to manhood, married and lived to age 104.  His grandson, Henry James Selders, grew up and brought the family to Lucas county in 1867.  Of their twelve children (eleven born in Pennsylvania), five died there.  With the surviving six, they came on the train as far as Georgetown, which was the rail head at that time.  From there it was the stage coach and the following description is taken from the family history by C. O. Risbeck of Kansas City, Mo.”

      “The spring was wet, the land swampy, the stage coach heavy and the horsepower inadequate for the grueling cross-country 20 miles to Chariton.  The stage coach afforded space only for trunks and cargo too large to be carried by hand, so the men had to walk beside the vehicle to help push through the miry places where the horses were unable to move it.  The women and children also walked the 20 miles through water and slush.

      “Six years later, Mr. Selders died and was one of the first persons buried at Salem.  In a little more than a year, three more of the children died and since all of their sons had died in infancy, youth or young manhood, the Selders family name was lost to posterity.”

Schreck

      John William Schreck was born in Weimar Saxon, Germany where military service began at age 14.  During his three-year tour of duty, he was in a line of moving cannon when a ball from the rear whizzed through the air, missing him by a hair but killing one of his horses instantly.  He quickly cut the harness, jumped on the other horse and continued in line.  Six years later he came to Iowa, stopping at the German settlement in Pekin, Ill. Where he met Wilhelmina Kestner.  Two years later they were married.

      They came to Lucas county, settled south of Chariton and raised eight children, one of them was Paul, father of John (Willie) Schreck, who has supplied this portion of history.

      When John (Willie) was about five years old the family moved to Benton.

      “They used two wagons.  They wrapped me in a featherbed and put me in the wagon that mother was to drive.  I remember hearing my folks telling that it was the year the Rural Free Mail Delivery was started.  It was about 1902 or 1903.  My earliest memory is of my grandmother’s funeral and burial at Salem.”

      Other descendants living in this area are Fred Schreck of Russell, Marie Becker Lankford of Derby and Mary Schreck Burnett, Ida Schreck Roberts and Carrie Becker Ellis, all of Chariton.

Miller

      Albert F. Miller came from Wisconsin in his late teens, drawn by relatives already here.  His father had enlisted in the Civil War and was in Sherman’s march to the sea when he died.  Albert married Harriet Davis and their first child was Zora, who married Gideon Boozell and continued to live in the Salem community, where they attended and supported the church.

      Their daughters, Ruth (Mrs. Claude Jennings) and Neva (Mrs. Leland Adams) tell of the joyous Children’s Day programs at Salem.  The church was always resplendent and fragrant with lilacs, roses, iris, peonies and asparagus fern.  The little girls fluttering about in ribbons and ruffles.  (Neva remembers a pink organdie dress she had.)

      The little boys stood with brushed hair and polished shoes, all anxiously waiting to march in and speak their pieces and sing their little songs while parents sat in prideful expectancy.

      Raymond and Dean completed the youthful foursome, and with their mother live in Lucas county today.

Johnston

      Amos Johnston was one of the pioneers of Lucas county.  He married Margaret Selders in Pennsylvania and two of their children were born there.  Both died in infancy.  They moved to Chariton in the fall of 1865.  Four more children were born, the eldest being Olive, who married P. F. Plymate.  Both are buried at Salem.

      Frank B. married Laura Long and they lived in the Salem community and were active in all community affairs, Frank was Superintendent of the Sunday School for many years.  They too are buried at Salem.

      Children living in this area today are Alta Threlkeld who has given invaluable help in the research of this article, and Glen R. whose wife is the former Jay Helen Shirer.  Their son Rendell lives in Chariton and their daughter Justine Gillette lives in Corydon.  Glenn succeeded his father as Superintendent of the Sunday School and has served for 25 years.  All have been active in the affairs of Salem church and community.

Keller

      Here are the graves of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Keller.  They had six children, all of whom were part of the Salem population.  Luther served on the school board for many years.  The only descendant here now is Mrs. Clark Cutler of Chariton.

Myers

      Daniel Myers came from Pennsylvania.  He settled in Benton and was active in all township affairs.

      He was treasurer of the school district for 39 years.  He was father of Mrs. Carl A. Johnson, Mrs. Nelson Reynolds of Chariton, Raymond of Ottumwa and of the late Irwin and Nolan Myers.  Nolan married Mary Stephens daughter of Andrew Jackson Stephens, architect and builder of the Stephens home, which is now in Lucas County Historical Museum.  The house is a duplicate of “The Hermitage”, Andrew Jackson’s home in Tennessee.

      In the early days of Iowa, the Myers family operated a telephone exchange as a community service.  It connected Chariton, Millerton and Russell.  The Myers grandchildren now living in this area are Leonard Reynolds, Mrs. Walter Relph and Mrs. Victor Johnson.

Fire Loss

      On a Thursday in 1935, fire destroyed the home of John Clark, who operated a fruit farm of 20 acres.  Much of the loss was irreparable as Mr. Clark had a valuable stamp collection dating back to 1875, pieces of furniture more than a century old and newspaper files covering many years.  Mr. Clark had been a printer before he was a fruit grower.  His neighbors gathered and by Saturday night had built living quarters in what had been a fruit storage house and had added complete furnishings.  These items of good neighborliness were clipped from Chariton newspaper and preserved in a scrap book.

Houston

      Samuel D. Houston was secretary of Salem’s first board of trustees.  He was educated at the Danville Academy in Indiana.  At the age of 21 he came to Benton and bought some land in 1849.

      He is said to have been the third settler in that area, being preceded by Aaron Scott and Jacob Keller.  He taught school in Monroe County during the winter of 1849-50 and farmed in summer.  He made a horseback trip back to Indiana but decided to make his permanent home in Iowa.

      In 1851 he married Marena McKinley, whose parents were the first settlers in Washington Township.  They were the parents of ten children.  Of their 20 grandchildren, four live in Lucas county today, including Mrs. Bertha Reynolds, Mrs. Jessie Wells, Shirley Baughman and the late Mrs. Fred Thompson.

Hopper

      Here are five graves of the Hopper family.  Wm. Hopper came from Pennsylvania.  He married Mary Baber and they had seven children.

      Their eldest son was William, husband of Maxine Poush.  Flossie Greenfield is the only survivor of the Hopper family.

Gookin

      Here is the grave of Landon Gookin, who came in 1856.  He was the grandfather of Elmer, Walter and Bert Gookin.

      Here lie two of his sons, Marshall and Alexander.  Here also is the grave of Hazel Marie, 14-year-old sister of Guy Gookin.  She died in 1914, an early cancer victim.

      Here are Mr. and Mrs. Bryant, whose daughter Olive married Ray Threlkeld, who were the parents of Erville, Mrs. Robert Pettinger.  Their four children were always part of the Salem congregation.

      Here are the Risbeck twins, Charles and Harry.  One died in April, the other languished through successive weeks and followed his brother in August.

      Here lie Everett and Florence Stone, parents of Tom Stone, Mrs. John Massman and her twin, the late Donald Stone and the late Edmond Stone.

      A few paces on we find the resting place of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Hatfield, parents of Mrs. Reese Thomas and here is a marker memorializing Ellis, son of Calvin and Nancy Hatfield.  Ellis made the supreme sacrifice in Germany in World War II and lies today “In Flanders fields where poppies grow Between the crosses, row on row” . .  Col. John MacRae.

      A tall stone marks the resting place of Rev. Marcus Evans, an area missionary who in that early day rode a horse as he went about serving several churches in the area.

      Over toward one corner of the cemetery is the lone grave of a Mormon, who started the long trek to the “New Jerusalem” in Utah.

      But for him, it ended here at Salem.

Ragsdale

     Daniel Ragsdale came from England in 1851 to the land known as the Guy Rasmus farm in Benton.  They built a two room log cabin and since there were seven and cabins were small, they cooked their food outdoors.  They had to drive to Eddyville for their supplies.

      One son, George, was in the Civil War and sent all his money home.  His father hid it in a barrel of ashes in the chicken house.  When George returned he insisted that they build a new house.

      Daughter Belle was born there.  She lived on the farm with her mother until the latter’s death.  The father had died some years before.  Belle was a dressmaker and received 50 cents a day for her work.  Later she went to Des Moines where she was paid $1 a day and her dinner.  She later married the widowed Geo. F. Carpenter and spent the rest of her life in Chariton.  Maudie Smith of Russell has supplied this history.

Pages 182-192

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