Person:Stella Reynolds (3)

Stella's Story-- written by Stella Reynolds in Macomb, Illinois, 1982: Father was born at Galipolis, Ohio and lived there until he joined the Union Army for the Civil War. When he was mustered out of the army, he returned to Ohio and married. His wife died in childbirth about a year later. He left Ohio and came to Sioux City, Iowa where two of his sisters and their families lived. He met mother in Sioux City and they were married in Elk Point, South Dakota. He began farming near Whiting, Iowa.

In 1893 they moved to a farm in Union County, S.D. where I was born. A pickle factory had started a business in Sioux City and my parents contracted to plant five acres to cucumbers to sell to the factory. After the pickles had been delivered, the factory filed bankruptcy and my folks received nothing for their summer work. They had a very hard time eking out a living as they had two small sons and were expecting another child (me) in January.

Actually, dad drove a team of horses hitched to a springboard wagon to Sioux City to bring one of his sisters to be with mother and to care for the other children when I was about due. However, when Dad was delayed by a bad blizzard, I became impatient and decided I would strike out on my own some two days before Dad and his sister arrived. Mother had to act as doctor, nurse, and mother. By the time Dad managed to arrive, the wood for fuel was depleted so Mother, after caring for me, took all three of us children to bed with her, and with a good supply of blankets and quilts was able to keep us all warm until Dad got back and took over.

Mother always said that the only way we managed to survive was in answer to her prayers. Dad must have agreed with her as he joined the church and was a devoted Christian the rest of his life. Before that time, he hadn't led a good life. He had been orphaned at an early age, entered the army at the time of the civil war by giving a false birth date. While in the service he became involved with other young men who were involved in drinking parties as their main objective in life. After I arrived, however, he gave up that habit as he said, "no daughter of mine would ever be able to say "her father was a drunkard."

They were in dire circumstances and managed to survive in an abandoned log cabin through the assistance of father's two sisters. In January I came along to add to their misfortunes. However they were so happy the baby was a girl and healthy that nothing else seemed to matter. When they moved into the log cabin, it had been vacant a long time and rats had taken possession of the place. The first night they were there, a rat got into bed with my two small brothers and almost bit off the toe on one of them. After that my father kept a light burning and slept with a shotgun by his bed until he managed to get rid of the rats. Later dad was hired to work with a construction crew and managed to keep us all fed and clothed until he found a better farm for the next spring.

Times were hard but the folks always had good gardens and mother was a good seamstress so they managed to feed and clothe us. Dad had two nieces who taught school and wore good clothes which they gave to mother to make over for the children. As it happened, my folks were criticized because we were the best dressed children in the school. The critics never realized how many nights mother spent making over others clothes for us children. The two children younger than I both passed away in infancy. Then Helen came along and when she was about two we moved to Minnesota.

From then on, the tide turned for the better and life was much easier financially. But mother's health was poor and it made for numerous problems. One problem was that I wasn't strong enough to take over all of mother's responsibilities with the home and educating two younger sisters. My health began to fail. Then an uncle and aunt took me into their home and helped me through business college. I soon had a good paying position. Now I was able to make a home for my parents for the rest of their lives and was able to help my younger sisters complete their college education.

Later I had an opportunity to learn to run a linotype at a newspaper while their regular operators were on strike. After about six weeks training they hired me as an operator and I worked for the same paper for several years until I had to give up work for a while because of health problems.

According to her great-niece, Jessica Joy Frost:  My great-Aunt Stella lived with Hap and Helen on the farm. She never married but she had rich correspondence with numerous relatives and frequently visited various relatives. After Helen and Hap died, she came to live with Vernon and his family in Macomb, Illinois. We always called her "Sis", although others referred to her as Stella.  The relatives all remember Stella because she was a thoughtful and kind person and always remembered everyone's birthday.

1. ↑ 1920 Census, Iowa, Woodbury Co
   T625 roll 520 pg. 265, 5 Jan 1920.

   Sioux City, 4th precinct
   Reynolds, Wm C. H, rents, age 79, b. OH, parents b. Eng, not working
   Elizabeth, wife, age 55, immigrated 1880, naturalized 1889, b. England, parents b. Eng, not working
   Harry F, son, age 28, single, b. IA, farm laborer
   Horace W, son, age 27, single, b. IA, shipping clerk for Biscuit Co.
   Stella L, dau, age 25, single, b. SD, carrier, Biscuit Co.
   Helen B, dau, age 20, single, b. IA, teacher, private school
   Bernice M, dau, age 11, b. MN

2. ↑ 1910 Census, Minnesota, Big Stone Co
   T624 roll 690, pg 135, 27 Apr 1910.

   Akron Twp
   Reynolds, William E., age 69, married twice, 20 yrs., b. OH, parents b. England, worked as a general farm laborer
   Elizabeth, age 45, married once, 20 yrs, 7 children, 5 living, b. England, parents b. England, immigrated 1882
   Harry, son, age 19, single, b. IA, working on home farm
   Horace W, son, age 17, b. IA, working on home farm
   Stella L, dau, age 16, b. SD
   Hellen B, dau, age 10, b. IA
   Bernice M, dau, age 2, b. MN

3. ↑ Stella Lucy Reynolds. Biographical Story. (Macomb, Illinois, abt. 1980).

   Verified: YES

4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3} Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Baptism certificate.
5. ↑ 1895 Iowa State Census.
6. ↑ ^6.0 6.1 ancestry.com. Minnesota Territorial and State Censuses, 1849-1905. (Minnesota Historical Society. Minnesota State Population Census Schedules, 1865-1905. St. Paul, MN, USA: Minnesota Historical Society, 1977. Microfilm. Reels 1-47 and 107-164. Minnesota. Minnesota Territorial Census Schedules, 1849-1855. St. Paul, MN, USA: Minnesota Historical Society, 2000. Microfilm. Minnesota. Minnesota 1857 Territorial Census. Minnesota Historical Society, St. Paul, MN, USA.).
7. ↑ 1910 Census, Minnesota, Big Stone Co
   Series: T624 Roll: 690 Page: 135, 7 Nov 2005.

   Quality: 4

8. ↑ 1920 Census, Iowa, Woodbury Co
   Series: T625 Roll: 520 Page: 265, 30 Dec 2005.

   Quality: 4

9. ↑ ancestry.com. Iowa State Census Collection, 1836-1925 (database on-line).. (Original data: Microfilm of Iowa State Censuses, 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925 as well various special censuses from 1836-1897 obtained from the State Historical Society of Iowa via Heritage Quest.).
10. ↑ 1930 Census, Iowa, Woodbury Co
    Roll: 690; Page: 16B; Enumeration District: 64; Image: 890.0, 12 Aug 2007.

    Quality: 4 Verified: YES

11. ↑ Vernon L. Joy. Autobiography of Vernon L. Joy. (Macomb, Illinois, August 2000.).
12. ↑ Vernon L. Joy. Autobiography of Vernon L. Joy. (Macomb, Illinois, August 2000.).

    In late November 1944 my father and I went in to town on Saturday night. I went to a movie and then looked for father to go home. He wasn't to be found but that was no problem because he was bound to show up. Suddenly someone who knew me asked, "How was the fire?" "What fire?" It seemed that our ten room farmhouse was burning and half of Laurel was helping to put out the fire. Somebody drove me home and I watched our house go up in flames. We lost everything: clothes, souvenirs, everything! It was war time and things were rationed and there was no lumber available. We made do. For several years Stella and Helen lived in a plastered one room "milkhouse," while father and I slept in a chicken coop. Everything was fine until one night my father and I awoke itching furiously. A flashlight showed that our bed had shifted against the chicken house wall and we were covered in millions of red chicken mites. Actually they were not red until after they bit you and sucked your blood. No more sleeping that night.
    
    Finally in 1946 the war was over and we bought a new, three quarter ton, white pickup, a new refrigerator and a six room pre-cut ranch house, which father and I hammered together.

13. ↑ In her "Personal Record" she writes that she attended Onawa, Iowa public school from 1st through 4th grades. The fifth grade was at the Blencoe, Iowa church school (a Seventh Day Adventist school?)
14. ↑ Wm, age 54, born Ohio.
    Elizabeth, age 30, born England.
    Harry, age 4, born Woodbury County, Iowa.
    Horace, age 2, born Woodbury County, Iowa.
    Steda, age 0, born South Dakota.
15. ↑ Reynolds, William, head, b. Nov 1840, age 59, married for 9 years, b. Ohio, parents b. England, works as a clerk at a furniture store, rents a home.
    Elizabeth, wife, b. Oct 1864, age 35, married 9 years, 6 children, 4 living, born England and parents b. England, naturalization unknown.
    Harry F, son, b. Apr 1891, age 9, b. Iowa, at school.
    Horrace W., son, b. July 1892 in Iowa, age 7, at school.
    Stella L, daughter, b. Jan 1894 in Iowa, age 6, at school.
    Helen B, daughter, b. Nov. 1899 in Iowa, age 6/12.
16. ↑ Reynolds, William E. male age 64 white, b. Ohio, parents b. England, residence in Minnesota is 3 months, occupation is farmer and nursery.
    Elizabeth, female, 40, b. England parents b. England.
    Harry F., male age 14, b. Iowa.
    Horace W, age 12 b. Iowa.
    Stella L, female age 11 b. S. Dakota.
    Helen B, female age 5 b. S Dak(?)
17. ↑ In her "Personal Record" she writes that she attended the Appleton, Minn. school in 6th and 7th grade, and Dist. #40, Odessa Minnesota school for 8th grade.
18. ↑ Reynolds, William E., head, married, white, age 69, married twice, married 20 years, b. Ohio, parents b. England, occupation general farm employer, renting a farm.
    Elizabeth, wife, age 45, married once, 7 children and 5 living, b. England and parents b. England, immigrated in 1882.
    Harry, son, age 19, b. Iowa, working as a farm hand.
    Horace W., son, age 17 b. Iowa, working as a farm hand.
    Stella L, daughter, age 16, b. South Dakota, not in school.
    Helen B., daughter, age 10, b. Iowa, in school.
    Bernice M, daughter, age 2, b. Minnesota.
19. ↑ Reynolds, Wm. C. H, head, renting, age 79, b. OH, parents b. England, no occupation
    Elizabeth, age 55, wife, emigrated 1880, na 1885, b. England, parents b. England, no occupation
    Harry F, son, age 28, b. IA, farm laborer
    Horace W, age 27, b. IA, shipping clerk for biscuit co.
    Stella L, dau, age 25, b. South Dakota, cashier for biscuit co.
    Helen B. dau, age 20, b. IA, teacher at a private school
    Bernice M, dau, age 11, b. Minnesota
20. ↑ Reynolds, William, served in Ohio army during the Civil War, no church affiliation listed.
    Reynolds, Stella L, daughter, female, white, age 30, single, owns home, mortgaged, value $5000, mortgage value $2500, $3000 insurance on home, highest grade completed: 8, b. South Dakota.
    Helen B, daughter, age 25, single, completed 1 yr. of college, b. Iowa.
    Bernice M, daughter, age 17, single, in 10th grade of school, born Minnesota. Harry F, son, age 34, married, completed 7 yrs. of grammar school, born Iowa. For all children, lists father William Reynolds b. England age 85, mother Elizabeth Beaumont b. England age --,parents married in Nebraska.
21. ↑ Reynolds, Stella, head, owns home worth $5000, owns radio set, female, white, single, age 36, did not attend school last year, able to read and write, b. South Dakota, father b. Ohio, mother b. England, occupation linetype for a circulation industry
    Joy, Harry, brother-in-law, age 30, first married at age 25, did not attend school last year, can read and write, b. Iowa, parents b. Iowa, occupation mechanic for an auto garage, not a veteran
    Joy, Helen, sister, age 30, married at 25, did not attend school last year, can read and write, b. Iowa, father b. Ohio, mother b. England, no occupation
    Reynold, Bernice, sister, age 22, single, attended school in last year, can read and write, b. Minnesota, father b. Ohio, mother b. England, occupation student at college.
22. ↑ Stella Reynolds lived with them on the farm, where she and Helen raised cattle, hogs, alfalfa, and corn. Harry Joy was working as a mechanic-machinist at the Modern Machine Shop in downtown Sioux City.