Biographies |
Elsie Barnett wrote this to list all the places she and her family had lived, and added a few biographical notes to some of the places. | Itinerary
Ponca Nebr. - born Oct. 30, 1894, in Meth. parsonage which was one side of a duplex, other family was named Wigdon. Dad was preaching. [Opposition of Catholics.] |
Bowman is Elsie's brother. | Rockport Mo. - 1896 - Dad was preaching - Bowman was born Mar. 12, & was baptized at a Meth. Camp Meeting by [Meth.] Bishop Bowman. |
Elsie's mother was Nellie Closs, who came from Illinois. | Russell Kansas - 1899 - first remembrance was visit of Mother’s friend, blind Phoebe - playhouse & play-mate, Lee Atberton [Atherton] [Sandman story] - parents going to Conference & leaving Bowman & me with neighbors. |
The "Insurance" reference is to her father's occupation at that time. | Salina Kansas - 1900 - colored porter at hotel across the street danced a jig for me on the front step every afternoon - our side & back yards were fenced in - one day our ball went over fence into saloon’s back yard & I had to go thru saloon to get it. Visit of Mother’s cousin Annie & her children. Insurance, I guess. |
Elsie's Grandpa and Grandma Closs were Orville Closs and Mary Hawes. They are thought to be of German (Pensylvania Dutch) descent. |
Lawrence Kansas - 1901 - Grandpa Closs lay sick up stairs - Grandma’s orchard & grape vines - this was in the country, & I went to a country school. [- tornado sky -] Neighbors were “Longfellows.” Riding in the buggy behind our horse “Caesar,” Writing insurance.
Rogers Ark. - 1902 - (Dad was Meth. preacher) - Bowman & I went to an Academy nearby - our parrot chilled to death - my 8th birthday party - B. & I had chicken pox - I joined the Church. |
Frances is Elsie's sister. Francis Perry with Gypsy, the pony. |
Bentonville Ark. - 1903-04 - At school we made maps of Ark, for the World’s Fair - Frances was born on a place where we had a large apple orchard - Mary Morgan was my pal - we both rode my pony Gypsy along the ravine - Dad had a lime kiln down the road, this was another house.
Little Rock Ark. - 1904 - We all went to World’s Fair at St. Louis. [- heating store - house near park - ] One house we lived in was in a suburb called Pulaski Heights. Dad wrote insurance. [Frances illness] |
Hubert is Elsie's second brother. |
Omaha Ark. - 1905 - Hubert was born in an ex-logging camp. [walk to school - play house] Dad had a lime-kiln two or three miles from town. Rough country, lots of trees. [- to Harrison. Main Street. Coming of train.]
1905-06 - I began H. S. work at an Academy. [- gas lights.] Dad wrote Insurance. Baxter Springs Kansas - 1907 [1906] - Dad wrote Insurance - I continued H. S. work with very poor grades. [- near Indian Terr. line.] Carthage MO - 1907 [1905] Mitchell S. Dakota - 1907-08 [1906] - Dad wrote Insurance (M.W.A.) to early settlers in Tripp Co. - I was [full-fledged] Freshman in H.S. [- learned to skate - tornado - Ethel Saylor - hot summer.] Vermillion S. Dak. - 1908-09 [1907 & 8] - I was a Sophomore - Florence Tilton was my pal. [ - church supper] I saw my first tornado, it went along N. side of town. [- Victoria Meyberg - Proj. Byers Mrs. Lawton’s S.S. class.] Rapid City S. Dak. - 1909-10-11. Dad had a lime plant. We camped out while he built it at Canyon Lake, 4 miles from town. I had Junior & Senior yrs. of H.S. - & graduated in June of 1911. Hot Springs S.D. - 1912 - Dad had a gypsum plant. I went to College at Yankton S. D. Omaha Nebr. - 1913-14. Dad was involved with building a mausoleum in Westlawn Cemetery, where Grandma Closs was buried. She died in our home in suburb of Benson. I went to Medical school, rode horseback. |
Navarre Perry, ~1980s. Navarre was Elsie's youngest brother. |
Lincoln Nebr. - 1915 - Dad wrote Insurance & was a 32° Shriner. Here Navarre was born, Sept. 4. I met Clair at Warren Church - Dad was trying to build a mausoleum, but failed, was editing “The Mausoleum Era.”
Omaha Nebr. [1915] - short time - do not know what Dad was doing. Binghampton N.Y. - 1916 - We lived on a small farm on banks of Susquehanna river. One summer Bowman took care of the place. Do not know what Dad was doing, he was never home. Asbury Park N.J. - 1916 - Lived here one winter, one block from the ocean. Dad never home, do not know what he was doing. Severn Maryland - 1916 - Dad had office in Baltimore, Insurance, I think. I worked in office for him & his partner. |
Elsie and her class at Rockbridge School |
Lexington Va. - 1917 - Dad had lime-kiln, I worked in his office for a while, then got a school to teach at Rockbridge Baths, 15 miles away.
Johnson City Tenn. - 1917. Dad was writing insurance. I taught a 7th grade room in Public school, til Nov., then took over the H. S. Sciences for rest of school year. Elizabethton Tenn. - 1918 - Dad was writing Insurance, but never home. Clair & I were married June 17, 1918, & came to Nebr. After this Dad moved the family to somewhere in Georgia, I do not remember what town or what he was doing. He soon moved them to St. Charles Ill. - then to Fairbury Ill., then to Moline Ill., then to Chenoa Ill. I do not remember just how long they lived in each of these towns, or what work he did, except that in one he sold Potash fertilizer for a company. They were in Chenoa for 2 or 3 yrs. Here he fell & broke his knee-cap, & was taken to the Catholic Hospital in Chicago, where he died. I sold his house, paid up his bills, & took Mother home with me, with Navarre’s help, in 1954 (?). |
Elsie and Clair farmed near Lynch, Diller, and Waverly. For most of the rest of their lives they lived on an acreage near Lincoln, except for a year in Texas near daughter Lucile and her family. |
[Lynch Nebr.
Lincoln Nebr. Diller Nebr. Waverly Nebr. Diller Nebr. Lincoln Nebr. Taylor Texas—1 yr.] Return to Top |