THE ABLEITER FAMILY Of Clark Co., WI--Part 2.

Transcribed by Michelle Harder

Part 1

Part 3

Obituary of Mary A. Barnes

From the Republican & press of Neillsville Wisconsin

Thursday April 9, 1891

Death of Mrs. Mary A. Barnes

In Pine Valley Clark County, Wis. March 25, 1891 Mrs. Mary A. Barnes wife of Eli Barnes, aged 66 years. Mrs. Barnes was born in Livingston County, N.Y. Fifty years ago last August she was married. In 1845 she came to Wisconsin. For a long time she resided in the counties of Iowa and grant. Ten years ago she came to Clare County. She was the mother of three sons and four daughters. One son and two daughters preceded her in death, and one son Charles A. Was not permitted to be present at the funeral. There were nine grandchildren. The funeral was attended on Thursday, two weeks ago from the residence of her daughter. The sermon was preached by Rev. W.T. Hendren and the body was laid away in the quiet cemetery near Mr. Winter's. Mrs. Barnes was a good Christian woman and much respected by all.

Obituary of Eli Barnes

From the Republican & press of Neillsville Wisconsin

Death of Dr. Barnes

Dr. Eli Barnes died at the residence of Jos. Winters in the town of Pine Valley on Monday, April 23. About five months ago he was injured in a runaway accident in Neillsville. By good care and careful nursing he recovered somewhat but owing to his age, never fully regained his health, and his death was doubtless due directly to his injuries received at the time. He was born at Livingston NY Seventy eight years ago. He had lived in the town of Pine valley some time, where he carried on a farm. He was a Veterinary Surgeon by profession. As a citizen he was highly esteemed. He leaves two sons, John and Charles, and two daughters, Mrs. August Ableiter and Mrs. Jos. Winters. The funeral was held Tuesday afternoon, Rev. G.W. Luther officiating.

Eli Barnes' Trip to California

From the diary of Oscar G. Barnes

Eli Barnes, my grandfather, went to California with a party of people about 1850 to find gold. His job was to hunt meat for the party along the way. He rode a horse, and where the game was large, such as buffalo, deer, etc., they had an easy job. But where the game was small, such as rabbits, pheasants, etc. He was quite busy as the party was quite large. He would ride ahead of the others, hunting, and some nights they would not overtake hi, so he slept on the ground alone.

They had one fight with the Indians, and were helped by a French trapper who had joined the party and knew the country and the ways of the Indians quite well. This Frenchman told them to put the wagons in a circle with the tongue of one under the next one ahead with the oxen inside the ring of wagons. This was in a depression like a large dry ditch. The women were to stay in the wagons and keep shooting at the I Indians as soon as they came close enough.

The men mounted the horses and by riding down the ditch a ways they could ride up the back and attack the Indians from the side. The Frenchman had seen the smoke signals of the Indians and knew they were going to attack the wagon train.

Soon the Indians came down the slope in great numbers, all yelling at the top of their voices. The French trapper told the White men to ride for them, all yelling louder and every man shoot for the Indian chief. They did this, and the Indians were taken by surprise, as they thought another party of horsemen were coming to help the wagon train. The chief soon fell and the Indians went away to elect a new chief before they would come back.

The Frenchman told the party if they could get to a certain place before the Indians came back they were safe and this they did.

PS To the story, as told to Kenneth Barnes by Oscar Barnes

When Eli reached California, he did find gold. While living there he met an Indian who became his friend, and helped him many times. One time when Eli had a bad case of poison ivy, the Indian brought him something to eat which not only healed the poison ivy, but he was never again troubled by it.

When it came time to return to Wisconsin, Eli decided not to repeat the journey by horse. Instead, he boarded a ship and sailed around the tip of South America and landed in New York. After visiting his family he took the train back to Wisconsin. He returned to his family with about the same amount of money he had when he started out.

The Children of Eli Barnes

John Vandalia Barnes was born June 30, 1842 in Livingston County, New York State and came to Wisconsin with his parents in 1845, growing up in Linden, Beetown, and Little Grant Townships. On August 13, 1862 he joined Company 1, 20th Wisconsin Infantry and served in the Civil War until July 14, 1865, Attaining the rank of Corporal. From this experience he had many was stories to tell. He was captured by the South and spent some time in the infamous Andersonville prison. During that time he kept a diary on a single piece of paper, writing first across, then up and down the page, and finally diagonally.

After the was he returned home and on September 18, 1866 he married Rebecca Winter the daughter of J.B.L. Winter of Fennimore. They raised four children to maturity, but their first three - all girls, died in infancy. Nettie was born August 18, 1867 and died February 22, 1868. Emily was born April 20, 1869 and died a month later on May 20, 1869. Their third, Catura was born September 20, 1870, and died November 20, 1870. During these years John and Rebecca traveled to Dakota Territory to homestead with Eli's family and then returned to Wisconsin.

Upon their return they farmed in Liberty Township, Grant County, which lies east of their former location in Little Grant. Two sons were born at this location: Marion, who was born December 2, 1872 and Ezra, born May 15, 1874. The family then moved near Boscobel where Rolla was born August 20, 1876. A daughter, Mary, was also born on January 12, 1879.

In 1881 they moved to Pine Valley Township, Clark County, Wisconsin along with the other Barnes and Winter families. John farmed, worked as a veterinary along with this father, and with the logging crews in the pine forests in the winter. Two children were born in Clark County. Robert was born August 6, 1882 and Ruth was born August 24, 1884. They also lost two children during this period. Mary died January 11, 1884 at the age of five and Robert died April 7, 1889 at age six.

About 1895 the older son, Marion left home and headed west. John never heard from him and many thought he had been killed in an accident. But we do have a letter he wrote to his cousin, Viola Bonhoff in 1936, and his mother kept in contact, visiting him in the 1940's. Marion had worked as a ranch hand, and in later life lived in Fort Dick in northwest California. He never married.

In 1900 Rebecca and her two sons, Ezra, who was 26 and Rolla, who was 24 and her daughter Ruth, who was 16, left John and took the Soo Line railway west to Carrington, North Dakota. Ruth was married there on November 29, 1900 to Thomas Nihill. The family then moved some several miles north and lived near Kensal, ND. The Nihills continued to live at Kensal, but in the spring of 1905 the rest of the family, along with several other families, including the John Coopers, moved to Williams County in northwest North Dakota and settled homesteads near Williston.

That fall Ezra went back to Kensal to work with the threshing crews. While sleeping in the hayloft of a barn the barn caught fire and Ezra perished in the blaze. An account of this tragedy as reported by the newspaper is included.

The page concerning Rolla and his family traces their journey westward through Montana and then to Raisin City, California. Rebecca later joined them in California and lived near her sister, Martha in Pacific Grove, California. There she worked in a fish cannery, and also as a housekeeper for many years. She died in the train in Washington State while heading for her daughter Ruth's in North Dakota and in buried in Kensal, North Dakota.

John Barnes continued to live in Pine Valley, Clark County Wisconsin, until a few months before his death. The site of his home is still called "Barnes Hill", although the original buildings have been replaced with newer ones. Today there is a huge sandpit on the west end of his farm giving a pretty good view of what the hill consisted of. Clifford Winter now owns the south half of this farm.

John V. Barnes had blue eyes and bright red hair that he let grow to shoulder length in winter. He and his brother Charles used to work together with the logging crews and in the spring ride the rafts of logs downstream to the sawmills. He was also interested in mining, and in later years would visit his brother in southern Wisconsin and dug several tunnels in the hillsides of the farm looking for lead ore, or "galena", as it is called.

John usually arrived without prior notice, stayed for a few weeks, then got mad over something and left without telling anyone. He lived in his home until a few months before his death. He was taken to the Veteran's Home in King, Wisconsin where he died August 16, 1915. He is buried in West Pine Valley Cemetery, just a few miles from his home.

William Barnes was born May 28, 1847 near Linden and died in infancy.

Betsy Barnes was born May 29, 1848 in Linden Township Iowa County, Wisconsin. She married Fred Robinson and lived Fennimore Township. Two children were born: Laura Robinson, July 24, 1870 and Hubert Allen Robinson, October 7, 1871. Betsy moved to Clark County with her parents in 1881 and married William Pike on March 10. 1883. They had one daughter, Viola May Pike who was born June 12, 1885. Betsy died in childbirth a year or two later and is buried in West Pine Valley Cemetery on her parent's lot.

Laura Robinson went to New York State and lived with a cousin. Percie (Rowell) Gardner. She married John Slater August 30, 1890 and they had seven children. They are: Vesta Claudine, born June 30, 1893 who married Cylon Dean Goodrich and had two children; Geneva Marie, born August 4, 1895 who married Cecil Bruce and had two children; then married Edd Klee and had one child; Marcella Delphine married Joe Schick and had three children; John Leslie Slater, born September 9 1900 married and died at age 27, no children; Francis Stewart Slater, born March 5, 1905 married Lugard Farner had three children and then married Millie Haney; Furla Beatrice, born November 5, 1906 married Rex Sibley and had two children.

Hubert Allen Robinson returned to Fennimore and lived his adult life working at various jobs in that area. He was a carpenter and cement mason, and at one time ran a tavern on the east side of Fennimore. His wife's name was Rose and they had five daughters: Tressie, born June 27, 1898; Ella, born November 30, 1901; Mary, born September 7 1903; Anna, born October 21, 1905; and Rose, born December 29, 1909.

Viola Pike was raised with her uncle John Barnes' family and, since she was still an infant, used the Barnes name. Viola married Fred Bonhoff, a mail carrier who lived near Colombia. Four children were born: Amanda Ella born August 7, 1910 and died age 18; Wilson William, born October 6, 1914, married Estelle. Edna married Julius Martin and died quite young; Jesse Fred born January 19, 1917 died in infancy. Since her first husband died, Viola later married Frank Lockman in 1925. Frank died in 1954 and Viola in 1967. Both are buried in Colombia Cemetery.

Abby Jane Barnes, who was named after her grandmother, Abby Wrisley, was born August 10, 1850 near Linden and died in infancy.

Mary Ella Barnes was born October 10, 1854 in Beetown Township, Grant County, Wisconsin. She married Joseph Winter, who was a son of J.B.L. Winter and a brother to John Barnes' wife Rebecca. They lived in Liberty township where four of their sons were born, then moved to Clark County with the other members of the Barnes family. They lived directly west of the West Pine Valley Cemetery, having given the land for the cemetery. Their fifth son was born at this move. They were active members of the Methodist church that was built on the site where Mary Ella's Parents' home stood.

Their oldest son, Julius Albertius was called "Bert". He married Jennie Winton and they had eight children. Clifford (Beatrice) lives on the southern part of the John Barnes farm; Edith (Al Ottens) lives in Fulton, Illinois; Alice (Rollen Lisko) lives in Milwaukee; Vivian (Leslie Flaherty) lives in Michigan; Florence (Fred Marty) lives in Granton; Clarice (Ward Lockman) lives in Long View, Washington; Arthur died young; Grace (Ed Schoen) lives by the Black River, south of Neillsville.

The second of Joe and Ella Winter's children, Frank Winter lived in Minneapolis, had no children, and died while burning brush in Pine Valley on July 16, 1919.

The third son, Eli, never married and worked on ranches in South Dakota for many years before returning home.

The fourth son, Charles, died in 1884 at age five.

The fifth son, Arthur, married Hazel Christmas from Columbia and they moved to Fennimore.

After retirement, Joe and Ella Winter lived in Colombia for two years and then moved to Neillsville. Ella died in 1938 and Joe January 5, 1942.

Electa Jane Barnes was born September 9, 1862 in Little Grant Township Grant County Wisconsin. After the family returned from Dakota and lived in Liberty Township she married August Ableiter. The Ableiter family also farmed in Liberty Township between Stitzer and Livingston. August and Electa moved to Clark County with the Barnes families and lives just east of her father, Eli Barnes. Two children were born. Their son John married Olive Metcalf and had two sons, Archie and Richard. They moved to farms near Wrenshall, Minnesota, just south of Duluth. The daughter of August and Electa was Elsie, who married Ernest Ayers. Electa died June 9, 1907 of an epileptic seizure, and illness she had for about 17 years. August then married his second wife, Sarah in 1913.

Charles Allen Barnes was born September 9, 1862 in Little Grant Township Grant County. He was 21 years younger than his brother John, who was fighting in the Civil War when he was born. Charles was still at home when the family moved to Clark County. He married Mary Ableiter the sister of August Ableiter. They had certainly known each other when they were neighbors in Grant County. Since her brother's first child was born that year she had probably been staying with them to help with the work. Charles and Mary farmed for one year in Clark County and could see that their land was too poor. Many forest fires raged in those days and the men had to work together to save their farms. On one occasion they had been fighting fire for a long time and food was running out. He took a load of wood to Neillsville to buy food. This angered his neighbors who said it would serve him right if he got burned out. Charles this might be the best thing that could happen. So he loaded up his possessions and headed for southern Wisconsin.

They found work with a farmer north of Whitehall for six months, then continued on to visit Mary's parents. They arranged to rent the Ableiter farm and eventually purchased it in 1925 when John Ableiter died. Their two children, Oscar and Pearl were born and grew up on this farm. Several other relatives lived on nearby farms which occasioned many family gatherings. Many of the neighbors also built homes in Fennimore when they retired. Most of the time they milked cows, but on other occasions raised Hereford beef cattle. On one occasion when the operator of the only cheese factory and Charles had a dispute, he sold the entire herd of milk cows and went to beef.

Charles built a home in Fennimore and retired in 1922. Since Oscar was not married they rented the farm to Fred Rector who remained there 23 years. In 1925, the year Oscar was married, Charles, Mary and Pearl spent the winter in California. In the years following he worked, maintaining the farm, played cards with friends in Charles Manning's Hudson garage and loved to attend farm auctions. However one cold fall day after attending another farm auction, he caught pneumonia and died October 21, 1935 at his home in Fennimore. His wife Mary and daughter Pearl, who never married, lived in their home in Fennimore until their deaths.

PEARL BESSIE BARNES

Pearl Bessie Barnes, daughter of Charles and Mary Barnes was born December 9, 1892 and did not marry. She lived with and took care of her parents until their deaths. She continued to live in the home in Fennimore until her death on June 29, 1966. She lived directly across the street from Oscar and Mabel Barnes, and son Kenneth, who stated that she was a very special Aunt to him.

ELI BARNES - DESCENDANTS

ELI BARNES b. 9-20-1822 in Hunt, Livingston Co. NY son of George W. And Electa Barnes married Mary Ann Wrisley (b. 12-24-1824 Mich. D. 3-25-1891)

d. 4-23-1900 buried South Pine Valley Cemetery, Pine Valley Twp. Clark Co. WI

1. JOHN VANDALIA BARNES b. 9-18-1866 d. 8-16-1914 King, WI (buried in South Pine Valley cemetery next to his parents) m. Rebecca Winter (b. 1850)

A. Marion Barnes - left home - Crescent City CA

B. Ezra Barnes - b. 5-15-1874 d. 10-23-1905

C. Rolla Barnes - bap. 8-20-1876 m. Bessie May Cooper 10-10-1906

D. Ruth Barnes - m. Thomas Nihill

2. WILLIAM BARNES b. 5-28-1847 Linden Tsp. Iowa Co. WI d. Infancy

3. BETSY BARNES b. 5-28-1848 Linden Twp. Iowa Co. WI d. abt. 1887 Clark Co. WI

m1. Fred Robinson - lived near Fennimore

A Hubert Allen Robinson b. 10-6-1870 d. 7-19-1947 wife Rose

1. Tressie (Willard Bowers)

2. Ella (Chriss Weist)

3. Mary (Ernest Reutier)

4. Annie (m1. Jack Sager m2. Ed Rodebaugh)

5. Rosie (Coulton)

2. Laura Robinson (Slater) b. 7-24-1878 Fennimore d. 197-'s in NY

1. Vesta Slater (Goodrich) Springville NY

2. Geneva Slater (Klee) Buffalo NY

m2. William V. Pike married 3-10-1885 Clark Co.

A. Viola May Pike (used name Barnes) b. 6-12-1885 d. 2-4-1967

m1. Fred Bonhoff (b. 1874 d. 1918)

1. Wilson Bonhoff m. Estelle

2. Amanda Bonhoff b.1909 d. 1927

3. Edna Bonhoff m. Julius Marten

4. Fred Bonhoff Jr. d. infancy

m2. Frank Lockman (b. 1883 d. 1954)

4. ABBY JANE BARNES b. 8-10-1850 Linden Twp. Iowa Co. WI d. infancy

5. MARY ELLA BARNES b. 10-10-1854 Beetown twp. Grant Co. WI

m. Joseph Winter 10-10-1870

A. Julius Albertius Winter b. 9-20-1873 m. Jennie Winton

1. Clifford 8-30-1914 (Beatrice)

2. Edith 5-7-1916 (Ed Ottens)

3. Alice 3-22-1918 (Ronald Lisko)

4. Vivian 3-27-1920 (Leslie Flaherty)

5. Florence 9-29-1922 (Fred Marty)

6. Clarice 2-21-1925 (Ward Lockman)

7. Arthur 5-26-1927 died young

8. Grace 12-29-1931 (Ed Schoen)

B. Frank Emerson Winter b. 11-16-1875 d. 7-16-1919

C. Eli Winter b. 7-30-1877 d. 1965

D. Charles V. Winter b. 4-2-1879 d. 12-15-1884

E. Arthur Winter b. 1-22-1884

m. Hazel Christmas (Hazel m2. Harry Rains)

1. Erma Winter

2. Lila Winter (Myron Whitish)

3. Nellie Winter

4. Velma Winter (Herman Stout)

5. Harold Winter

6. Frances Winter

ELECTA JANE BARNES b. 2-7-1856 Grant Co. WI d. 6-9-1907 Clark Co.

m. August Ableiter

A. John W. Ableiter b.7-1-1884 m. Olive Metcalf 3-12-1892

d. Wrenshall MN

1. Archie Elroy Ableiter b.1-11-1909

2. Richard H. Ableiter b.8-24-1910

B. Elsie Ableiter b.1886 m. Ernest Ayers

1. Forrest Victor Ayers (went by the name Lew)

2. Marian Harriet Ayers

3. Ernest Stanley Ayers

4. Howard Ayers

CHARLES ALLEN BARNES b.9-9-1862 d.10-21-1935

m. Mary Ableiter 3-30-1884

A. Oscar George Barnes b.10-22-1887 d.8-23-1962

m. Mabel Porter 8-31-1925

1. Kenneth Bruce Barnes b.8-29-1930 m. Janet Ann George 1-24-1959

2. Pearl Bessie Barnes b.12-9-1892 d.6-29-1966

.

From the Family Bible of John V. And Rebecca Winters Barnes

BIRTHS

Nettie Barnes August 18, 1867

Emily Barnes April 20, 1869

Catura Barnes September 20, 1870

Marion Barnes December 24, 1872

Ezra Bertram Barnes May 15, 1874

Rolla Barnes August 20, 1876

Mary Magdalene Barnes January 12, 1879

Robert Carl Barnes August 6, 1882

Ruth Harriet Barnes August 24, 1884

MARRIAGES

Ruth H. Barnes November 29, 1900

and

Thomas Nihill Married in Carrington

Rolla Barnes October 10, 1906 Williston

and

Bessie M. Cooper Married in Minot

DEATHS

Nettie Barnes February 22, 1868

Emily Barnes May 22, 1870

Catura Barnes November 22, 1870

Mary M. Barnes January 11, 1884

Robert C. Barnes April 7 1889

Ezra B. Barnes September 23, 1905

John V. Barnes August 16, 1915

Newspaper - Obituary of Ezra Bertram Barnes

A Loved One Laid to Rest

On Monday, September 25, a message came to the home of Mrs. Rebecca Barnes and her son Rolla, bearing the sad news of the death of the loved son and brother, Ezra Bertram who left this place about three weeks before to attend interests in his former home vicinity of Forbes county of this state.

The Grief stricken relatives hastened to the scene of death but reached there too late to look once more on the face so dear to all. The remains had been tenderly laid to rest by loved ones in the Kensal Cemetery.

Cause of death was fire in a barn on the E. Posey farm eight miles from Kensal, on Saturday night, September 23rd at about 11 o'clock. He and Mr. Adam Hammerly, a young man from Eau Claire Wisconsin, and at the time engineer of a threshing rig at work on the place, had gone to the loft to sleep, and both lost their lives. What started the blaze will doubtless always remain a mystery.

The building was discovered in flames by one of the men on the place who had returned late from Courtney, where he had been with a load of grain.

Mr. Barnes was found lying face downward a few feet from the doorway. He had evidently almost reached safety when overcome, as the clothing where he lay upon the ground was not burned.

The remains were taken to the home of his sister, Mrs. Thos. Nehles, four miles north west of Kensal. From there the funeral was conducted Tuesday, September 26. Funeral services were held in the M. E. Church, Rev. Stinson officiating.

Deceased was born in the town of Liberty, Grant county, Wisconsin, May 15, 1874. He, with his mother, brother and two friends took adjoining homesteads about twenty-five miles northwest of Williston, where they spent the summer a happy, contented group, until grief came to break in upon the happy lives.

Loved by all who knew him for his great heart and kind, unselfish ways, he leaves numberless friends to mourn his absence. Life brought to him trials and disappointments but he rose above them all, and his great manly heart went out to cheer and comfort mankind.

ROLLA BARNES

Rolla Barnes, a son of John Vandalia and Rebecca Winter Barnes was born August 20, 1867 near Boscobel in Grant County, Wisconsin. His family moved with all of the Barnes families and several Winter families to Pine Valley twp. Clark County WI in 1881. He grew up on a farm and worked in the logging industry as well.

In 1900 Rebecca Barnes and her sons Rolla and Ezra (Barney) and daughter, Ruth moved to Carrington, North Dakota and settled in McHenry, North Dakota. In the year 1905 the Barnes family along with other friends including the John Coopers moved to Williams County in northwest North Dakota and settled on adjoining homesteads about twenty five miles northwest of Williston.

Rolla and Bessie Mae Cooper were married October 10, 1906 at Minot, North Dakota. Their first child, Alice was born August 16, 1908. They lived on their homestead until Alice was one or two years old, then moved to a place near Dodson, Montana where Rolla did some work. They lived in a beautiful log house on the Milk River.

They also lived at Malta, Montana. Rolla worked for the government, building canals. Malta was the home base and from there camp was set up and moved several times. Six or eight men were hired, horses and machinery (slips and fresnos were used to move the dirt.) There were huge stock tents that housed the horses, sleeping tents, and a large tent for cooking and serving meals. Rolla's wife, Bessie did the cooking - even made bread.

The family rented a house in Malta where a son, George was born May 17, 1914. Bessie's mother Emma Cooper came and stayed for a while.

While George was very young, Rolla worked on a government project and camp was set up on the Milk River where there was a large building for residence with a huge kitchen and dining area. There were bunk houses for the men. They caught many delicious catfish from the river, and when it froze the cut blocks of ice, packing them in straw to use in the summer. A girl named Mary Drabbles lived with the family at this time. She was very helpful to Rolla and Bessie.

The family moved back to Malta after this project was finished. A daughter, Laura was born September 11, 1915. The following year Alice started school in September, 1916 in Malta, completing first and second grades there.

Bessie and children often visited her mother and brothers in North Dakota and Rolla's mother, Rebecca Barnes, who lived in Williston, North Dakota.

Rolla had a fine white saddle horse. He often took George for rides on it. While living in Malta, Rolla bought horses in Iowa and sold them to the Armed Services. He had a flat bed wagon. He "broke" many teams with this wagon and a lead team. Then he drove the new team without the lead team. Sometimes they would run. The area out of town was open plain, so there was lots of room and when the team was tired, they would settle down.

Rolla rode the train with the horses that were from Iowa to Montana. He brought a pony home for Alice. After buying a bridle and saddle, he found the pony was not gentle, so it was sold.

Jobs were slow, so Rolla and Bessie decided to move, going first to Leslie, Arkansas where they stayed for less than a year. Then they went to California to a town named Raisin City, which is now a suburb of Fresno. The family lived in a rented house west of town. The people thought Rolla was a government investigator.

The family's first automobile was a 1913 Model T Ford touring car that they had purchased. A trip was made to Oregon in the car to look for a residence. Finding nothing suitable they returned to Raisin City where they purchased a 45 acre peach ranch west of town.

Rolla worked hard and while the price for crops was stable they made good money. Bessie raised chickens and turkeys. Rolla had a drying yard, a sulphur house, and large wooden trays for drying peaches. In one area a small orchard gave the family a variety of fruit from early summer until late fall.

October 10, 1929, a son Arthur was born. When he was about one year old, Rolla had an attack of sciatic rheumatism. He was on a meatless diet, and confined to bed for a considerable length of time. He recovered enough so he could work, but was never free from rheumatism.

The plowing and cultivating was done with horses. Later, just before the prices dropped for peaches, Rolla bought a Cletrac tractor. It made the work easier, but prices remained low so the farming of peaches was dropped.

Their last child, a daughter Frances, was born July 14, 1925.

Various annual crops were grown on the farm. Rolla worked at various construction jobs, did blacksmith work, also owned and operated a small trucking business.

In 1932 Rolla moved to Oregon. There he worked in the logging industry until his death on June 18, 1959. He is buried in Laurel Cemetery at Kerby, Oregon.

THE CHILDREN OF ROLLA BARNES

Alice worked was a bookkeeper in central California area until the middle 1950's. At that time she and her husband, roy moved to Detroit, Michigan, then to Connecticut. They returned to California in the late 1960's. They now live in Sacramento.

George and family moved many times during his twenty year career in the U.S. Navy. He retired from the Navy in December 1957 and moved with his family to China Lake, California where he was employed as an electronics technician until his retirement December 1973. Now he lives at Lake Isabella, California.

Laura, a housewife, homemaker and bookkeeper worked at many jobs. Except for a few years in Las Vegas, Nevada has lived in Fresno, California her entire life.

Arthur, as a young man worked in aircraft production in Los Angeles, California. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He was employed by Pacific telephone until retirement in 1982 and now lives in Fresno. California.

Frances, a victim of Cerebral Palsy was an invalid all her life. She passed away in April 1979 and is buried by her mother in Washington Colony Cemetery, Fresno, California.

OSCAR GEORGE BARNES

Oscar G. Barnes was the son of Charles A. Barnes and Mary Ableiter. He was born October 23, 1887 between Stitzer and Livingston, Grant County Wisconsin. He attended rural grade school and started high school in Lancaster. However in those days it was necessary for farm children to board in town when going to high school. His father offered a cash settlement equal to the cost of sending him to high school if he chose to stay home and work on the farm. So he returned home and farmed with his father until the family retired and moved to Fennimore in 1923. He was very mechanically minded and liked to experiment with new ideas he would read about. He and his cousin Victor Ableiter built a wireless telegraph using a galena (lead ore) crystal to receive. When telephones came in the farmers owned the lines and their phones. So he built the equipment, even a device to rewind burned out coils and maintained all the neighbors' telephones. He also traded for a large camera (the type that mounts on a tripod) and took pictures of farms, families, ball teams and the like, printed them on postcards and sold them. He and his cousin Victor went to New York and Washington D.C. Around 1915. When his family moved to Fennimore and built a new home in 1922 he sought work in town. He first worked for Becker brothers and Hirsch in a garage. The owners were Stitzer people who he had known. However the garage went bankrupt in about one year. So Oscar went to work for the Center Lumber Yard in Fennimore where he worked until retirement. He married Mabel Porter on August 31, 1925. The wedding took place in the Little Brown Church, Nashua, Iowa. About five families of Aunts, Uncles and cousins accompanied them to Iowa. Then the entire caravan traveled together as far as Yellowstone Park. Oscar and Mabel went north through Montana and returned home, while the other cars went on to California and spent the winter there. Oscar and Mable rented a home for a few years, but went ahead with plans for a new home located across the street from his parents. The house was built by John Earl (the carpenter) and was ready to 1930 the year their son Kenneth was born. Oscar served as mayor of Fennimore for three terms in the 1950's during which time the city diesel generation plant was enlarged and the municipal building was built. He moved back to his father's house with sister Pearl upon the death of his wife in 1956. Then, after his son Kenneth's wedding he went to Florida and built a home in Sanford. His cousin Vern McLimans helped him build. He and Pearl spent part of one winter in this home when Oscar suffered a stroke. He was brought back to Wisconsin and stayed with Kenneth and Janet in Gays Mills until his condition made it necessary for him to go to a rest home. He died in the Soldiers Grove Nursing Home August 23, 1962. He is buried in the Fennimore cemetery.

KENNETH BRUCE BARNES

Kenneth B. Barnes was born on August 29, 1930 at the Boscobel hospital. He was raised in Fennimore and attended Fennimore grade and high school. As he was growing he rand Oscar worked together on many projects. They built and repaired buildings on the home farm and on another farm near Fennimore which was rented to Uncle Bill Purkapile. They also built go carts using washing machine motors, and many other mechanical devices. A shop was built on the Charles Barnes property where they repaired cars and motorcycles. Oscar made a camping trailer around 1936 and the family took a number of trips around Wisconsin. The Oscar and Charles Barnes families as well as the George Porters, Herman Porters and Bill Purkapiles were close families and were usually together for all the important holidays. Kenneth also used to help at the lumber yard after school and Saturdays. This included unloading railroad cars with lumber and coal, as well as delivering to cheese factories and homes. The family traveled to California, Florida and New York state while Kenneth was still at home. He traveled to California by motorcycle with John Beetham the summer he graduated from high school. He then worked for Harold Plattner in a Ford farm store briefly and then for Russell Preston in a Chevrolet garage. He entered the University of Dubuque in the fall of 1950 preparing for the ministry. The first appointment was Blanchardville and Fayette (Jan 1956-June 1963) The second appointment was Gays Mills, Seneca, Barnum and Bell Center. He married Janet George on January 24, 1959. Appointments since include Exeland, Birchwood & Brunet (1961-1964) Clear Lake, Deer Park, Forest & Ceylon (1964-1975) Augusta & Pleasant Valley 1976- .

THE BARNES FARM IN LITTLE GRANT

At the time Charles Barnes was born his parents lived on a farm in Little Grant Township, Grant County, Wisconsin. The township lies directly west of Lancaster which is the county seat. Through the help of the 1860 Census, here is the scale on which they farmed: The farm had 120 acres of which 60 acres were listed as "improved" and 60 acres " unimproved". The value of the land was $1,400. The machinery was valued at $60. They had three horses, two cows, one "other cattle", and three swine all of which had a total value of $242. They raised 100 bushels of "Indian Corn", 52 bushels wheat, and 100 bushels "other grain".

THE JOHN ABLEITER - CHARLES BARNES FARM

IN LIBERTY TOWNSHIP

John Ableiter and his wife Mary (Klais) Ableiter were married in 1855 and lived in Platteville for two years. They then bought a farm between Stitzer and Livingston. They lived in a little valley by a spring, located east of the present buildings. Their daughter, Mary Ableiter Barnes tells of seeing wolves looking in the windows at night when she was young. She said she always carried a hatchet along when going to the spring house with milk and butter. They milked cows outdoors in the barn yard by just walking up to the cow with a pail and milk stool, expecting them t stand. They skimmed the milk and churned the cream into butter. She walked to New California which was about 12 miles away to sell the butter.

John Ableiter was a skilled cabinetmaker, trained in Germany, so he worked for the Kramer brothers Wagon and buggy factory in Annaton, about five miles east of the farm.

Their daughter, Mary Ableiter married Charles Barnes and the couple farmed in Clark County for one year. After this they made their way south, stopping in Whitehall to work for a farmer for about six months. They then returned to Mary's home and rented the Ableiter farm. The farm house was now located about halfway up the hill between the original site and the present one. The Ableiters continued to live in a portion of the house.

By the time John Ableiter died the farm had grown to 348 acres. Charles bought the farm from Mrs. Ableiter on land contract October 20, 1899 for the sum of $2,600. The deed was transferred in 1904. The farm later grew to 500 acres with the purchase of two other small farms.

The Barnes family rented the farm out for one year when they built a new, large barn. This barn was unusual as it was so wide that there were two driveways side by side with room for four rows of cattle. However, there were calf pens instead of the fourth row of cattle. The upstairs was so wide that it required three hay carrier tracks, one at the center and two at hips in the roof. This barn was destroyed by fire in the mid 1940's and replaced with a curved roof structure which had less hat storage area.

The Barnes family also built a new house on the farm. It was originally planned to be a one story structure, so there were three bedrooms downstairs. The builders persuaded them to build two stories, so there was a total of eight bedrooms for a family with two children.

Since Oscar was not married when Charles decided to retire, the farm was rented on shares to Fred Rector, who lived there 23 years. After another renter who stayed a short time, it was rented to Calvin and Virgil Bendorf. They were very successful farmers and soon reached the point where they either wanted to buy, or purchase some other farm and move away. Since Oscar's son Kenneth decided on the ministry, the farm was sold. Bendorfs have since bought several more adjoining farms.

A CENSUS RECORD OF THE BARNES FAMILY

1847 Wisconsin Territorial Census

Iowa County, Range 1 & 2

Eli Barnes males 3, females 3

1850 U.S. Census

Iowa County, Linden twp.

Eli Barnes 29

Mary Barnes 25

John Barnes 7

Betsy Barnes 2

Abby Barnes 1 mo.

Avina Risley 16

1855 Wisconsin Census

Grant County, Beetown twp.

Eli Barnes males 2, females 3

1860 U.S. Census

Grant County, Little Grant twp.

Eli Barnes 38

Mary Barnes 35

John 17

Betsy 12

Ella 5

Electa 3

Abby Risley 66

1870 U.S. Census

Grant County, Fennimore twp.

Fred Robinson 24

Betsy (Barnes) Robinson 22

Walter Robinson 20

1875 U.S. Census

Grant County, Liberty twp.

John Barnes males 3, females 1

1880 U.S. Census

Grant County, Liberty twp.

Eli Barnes 59

Mary Barnes 56

Electa 23

Charles 17

1885 Wisconsin Census

Clark County, Pine Valley twp.

Eli Barnes males 1, females 1

John Barnes males 4, females 2

Joseph Winter males 5, females 1

William Pike males 2, females 3

August Ableiter males 2, females 2

Charles Barnes males 1, females 1

THE BARNES FAMILY IN WESTERN NEW YORK

GEORGE W. BARNES was born in Cayuga County, New York in 1797. His wife Electa (Slater) Barnes was born in Greene County N.Y. In 1799. Her parents were Eli Slater (b.1777) and Ruth Slater (b. 1778) both born in Connecticut. A cousin, Cyril Allen (b. 1795) and his wife Amanda (Durkee) Allen were also born in Cayuga County.

According to the history of Portage and Nunda townships all three of these families - George W. Barnes, Cyrus Allen and Eli Slater, who were all related came to this area at an early date. The date was 1819. George and Electa lived with the Slaters.

The index of deeds shows that George W. Barnes and his wife Electa bought a tract of land in Hunts on October 21, 1823 for $12. This same lot was sold April 16 1824 for $65. (Index of Deed p. 497 libr. C lot 195 Cottinger tract).

Their first son, Eli Barnes was born October 22, 1822 and he married Mary A. Wrisley (sometimes spelled Risley) in August of 1840. Most sources say Mary was born in New York on December 24, 1824. (A few references say she was born in Michigan.) Her mother, Abby Wrisley was born in New York in 1794. A son, John Vandalia Barnes was born to Eli and Mary on June 30, 1842. The family then moved to Wisconsin where six more children were born. Abby Wrisley moved to Wisconsin with them.

The second son of George and Electa was Hiram Barnes. He was born in 1828 and died February 1, 1851 and is buried in Hunts Hollow.

The third child was R. Mary Barnes who was born in 1831 and married John Rowell. They had two daughters. The older, Percie Rowell married a Gardner. They had no children but raised her cousin's daughter, Laura Robinson. (Laura's mother Betsy died in Wisconsin when she was about 9.) The younger of John and Mary Rowell was Gladys, who married a Lockwood and lived on one of Percie Rowell Gardner's farms.

The fourth child of George and Electa was Betsy Barnes, who was born in 1833 and married Benjamin Bringham.

The youngest child of George and Electa was Charles Barnes who was born in 1835 and married Nora (?) who was born in Ireland in 1840. She came to Portage township in 1852. After her death, Charles married Jennie Hamilton (b. 1855). Charles died in June of 1894. Jennie next married Clarence Redmond.

The first son of Charles and Nora Barnes, Eli Barnes, married Elizabeth Carnes and they had four children: Alice, Harry, Sybil and Gladys. Harry remained single.

The second son of Charles and Nora was Winship Barnes. He married and lived in Niagara Falls where he was a paper hanger/painter by trade. They had two daughters - Carrie and Mayme.

The third child of Charles and Nora was a daughter, Alice Barnes who married Ernest Symes and they ran a store in Dalton N.Y. Their family consisted of a son Harry Symes and a Daughter Mary Symes. Harry married a girl by the name of Schwartz. Mary was a school teacher and remained single.

The fourth child of Charles and Nora was Clarence Elton Barnes who married Katherine Elizabeth Tracy. Their first son Tract Barnes left New York in 1912 to live in Colorado. He served in the U. S. Army Crops of Engineers from 1917 to 1919, serving in France and Russia. After his discharge he moved to southern California and married Ruby Smith in 1937. They had no children. Other children of Clarence and Katherine were Mildred, who married Max Thayer; Harriet, who married Ivan Boss and had three children: Beverly, Ivan and Doc; Howard Barnes who is married but had no children; and Earl Barnes who lives in Castile N.Y. He is married but has no children.

The sixth child of Charles and Nora was Howard R. Barnes who was a telegraph operator for the Erie Railroad in Niagara Falls. He did not marry.

After Nora Barnes died, Charles married Jennie Hamilton. They had three children: Charles H., Susan M., and Nora E. Charles and Nora remained home with their mother. Jennie Barnes was a widow in 1900, so her marriage to Clarence Redmond came some tome after that date.