Let it begin with me ...

If I were preaching this morning --- and I do that here sometimes you know --- I'd begin by stating the obvious:

A police officer named Derek Chauvin --- in that single act of calculated cruelty that killed George Floyd in Minneapolis --- lit the match to tinder-dry centuries of racial inequity, injustice and oppression. And America burned. A single act.

I would point out, too, if you're a believer, that Magic Jesus is not going to save us from ourselves just because you park your sorry ass in the right pew. Nor is he going to fulfill your bizarre fantasy of being swept directly into heaven, leaving everyone you dislike behind to suffer the consequences. Nor do your peculiar personal-salvation formulas have any real power beyond your imaginings.

I'd add, however, that the spirit of this guy whose name Christians have taken in vain for millennia  still has the potential to dwell within you if you follow his way, and can rise again --- through you --- in single acts of kindness. Collectively and in conjunction with our brothers and sisters of all colors, creeds and traditions, through a multitude of kindnesses, we have the potential to redeem the world.

But it is up to you, and to me. Because we're all in this together. And as we've seen, single acts can have unimaginable power. Amen.

What did you think was going to happen?

Floyd

Two things struck me this morning, commencing with this paragraph from a lead story in The Washington Post headlined "Gripped by disease, unemployment and outrage at the police, America plunges into crisis."

"America’s persistent political dysfunction and racial inequality were laid bare this week, as the coronavirus death toll hit a tragic new milestone and as the country was served yet another reminder of how black people are killed by law enforcement in disproportionately high numbers. Together, the events present a grim tableau of a nation in crisis — one seared by violence against its citizens, plagued by a deadly disease that remains uncontained and rattled by a devastating blow to its economy."

That written as cities across the United States, including Des Moines, erupted into violence overnight as protests against the killing by police in Minneapolis of George Floyd continued.

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Baldwin

The other was this quote from James Baldwin (1924-1987), a towering American author and civil rights and gay activist, who lived much of his adult life in France where racism is not so deeply embedded as it is here. It is taken from a 1989 documentary entitled, "James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket," and was his response to a question about U.S. progress in the area of racial equality:

"What is it that you wanted me to reconcile myself to? I was born here more than 60 years ago. I'm not going to live another 60 years. You always told me that it's going to take time. It’s taken my father’s time, my mother’s time, my uncle’s time, my brothers’ and my sisters’ time, my niece's and my nephew's time. How much time do you want for your progress?"

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The predictable --- and understandable --- response to collective violence has been something like, "protest is fine, rioting and looting are not." That's true, but in many cases fails to take into account the fact that violent protest is a symptom, not the disease.

It's happened many times before in these United States and was inevitable as this situation played out.

Violent protest simply means that many of those engaged in it --- and there are some self-serving provocateurs in any situation --- are convinced that no one is listening.

The disease here is endemic racism.

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What to do? Search your own heart, abandon the notion that there is no collective responsibility for the situation we find ourselves in, do your best to root racism out of your own system (we're all infected) and stand for justice --- not just the flag.

A bouquet from the museum garden ....

I have a bouquet for you this morning --- images taken late last evening when I headed out to the museum to perform one of my most important functions: Pushing the garbage can down the north drive to the curb.

We all need some flowers today --- starting with a display of old-fashioned pinks that somehow managed to overwinter in the raised planter around the Stephens House sign and now has  burst into full bloom, as if we'd planned it.

The poppy is blooming in the big flower bed just south of the Stephens House.

As are a few others that I can't put a name to off the top of my head.

Iris are winding down.

But the peonies are just beginning to open.

The museum will remain closed until we can be more certain about the safety of guests, volunteers and staff --- but the grounds always are open.

There are paths to walk, flowers to look at and plenty of benches scattered around if you'd like to just sit and think.

White privilege and responsibility ....

It's been a brutal week so far. We've lurched from New York City's Central Park, where a woman named Amy Cooper was caught on camera by a birdwatcher named Christian Cooper (no kin) as she played the white-victim game after he called her out for failure to restrain a pet dog ...

... to Minneapolis, where a white police officer named Derek Chauvin cold-bloodedly murdered George Floyd in full public view and despite pleas from bystanders.

If a modestly heroic figure emerged from this mess, I suppose it was Mr. Cooper (at left), a Harvard-educated gay rights activist, biomedical editor --- and birdwatcher. His presence of mind disarmed a potentially dangerous situation and shamed his accuser, temporarily disrupting her life. And that's why I've used his photo here. Besides, he's pretty --- not to objectify or anything.

Looking for social media guidance through the mess this morning I came upon an article written by Karen Fleshmen and headlined, "White Women: We Are Amy Cooper." If written from a different perspective, a similar article could have been headlined, "White Men: We Are Derek Chauvin."

Here are the lines that jumped out at me from Fleshmen's article: "You may be thinking: 'I’m not Amy Cooper. I don’t have any part in this.' Part of white privilege is feeling entitled to be perceived as an individual and not as a representative of our entire race. Another part of white privilege is not to feel responsible for the behavior of other white people.

"People of color never get those privileges. They are always perceived as representatives of their entire group."

Food for thought as another day dawns during this spring of our collective discontent.

Doc Byram named to Iowa's Aviation Hall of Fame

Doc Byram (left) in Guatemala, June 1978

Burns M. "Doc" Byram, a Lucas County native whose grave is located in English Township's Spring Hill Cemetery, is one of two men inducted this week into to the Iowa Aviation Museum's Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame. The other is Larry Turner of Elliott, in Montgomery County.

Located at Greenfield Municipal Airport, the museum is dedicated to preserving Iowa's aviation heritage. The Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame, founded in 1990 --- before the museum --- honors Iowans who have contributed significantly to the growth of aviation. You'll find the museum's web site and much more information about it here.

As is the case with all other museums in Iowa, the Iowa Aviation Museum is closed now due to the COVID-19 situation, but likely to reopen to visitors later this year.

I've written about Doc Byram before --- and you can find those posts by following these links: A Scalpel of Thunderous Sound (February 2009) and Images of Burns M. "Doc" Byram, 1924-1978 (April 2018). Here is the Byram biography that was included in a news release forwarded to me a few days ago by Shirley Konz, of Greenfield.

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Burns Maxwell Byram II was born June 1, 1924, near Chariton. After graduation from Toledo High School in 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and participated in 30 missions over France and Germany during WWII as a B-24 navigator/bombardier. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Iowa in 1951. He and his family moved to Marengo where he began medical practice and was instrumental in establishing the hospital. He was named Family Physician of the Year in Iowa in 1961. After obtaining his private pilot’s license in 1954, he attained multiple ratings and acquired several aircraft including a P-51 Mustang, Tangerine. Dr. Byram became a FAA Airman Medical Examiner and was a member of numerous aviation and professional organizations. He became known in Iowa as the “flying physician.” On June 4, 1978, Dr. Byram was killed, when a P-51 he was ferrying for a friend from Guatemala to the United States, crashed in Mexico. After funeral services at Marengo, he was buried at Spring Hill Cemetery in Lucas County. His tombstone bears the image of a P-51 Mustang. 

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The flight-related images here are new --- and I found those by following a link provided by Trygve Johansen of Oslo, Norway, a Mustang enthusiast who contacted me after reading The Lucas Countyan posts. They are taken from this site and show Doc and others in Guatemala about June 1, 1978, just before the flight that would claim his life (the date on the images is wrong). The images below are from Spring Hill Cemetery and show the tombstones of Doc and his parents, Burns M. Byram Sr. and Gladys (Scales) Byram.

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And here's the biography of the other 2020 inductee, Philip Larry Turner, of Elliott:

Philip Larry Turner was born in 1938 at Red Oak and grew up on a farm near Elliott. After graduation from Stennett High School, he attended Iowa State University and University of Nebraska, Omaha. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. He soloed in a T-34 on April 24, 1963, and began rotor wing training, ending with a helicopter solo in a Bell TH-13M on March 5, 1964. He was also trained to fly the Sikorsky UH-34D helicopter that he would eventually fly in Vietnam. He earned his Wings of Gold on April 28, 1964, and was deployed to Vietnam in August 1965. First Lieutenant Turner flew Sikorsky UH-34D helicopters with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron Three Six Two, “The Ugly Angels,” until December 1966. He was shot down 8 times and awarded 29 Air Medals and a Purple Heart. In July 1967, he retired from the military and moved his family to Elliott. He began Turner Copter Services, Inc. doing crop spraying and later offered heavy-lift operations with a helicopter similar to the one he flew in Vietnam. In 1977, he purchased a Sikorsky S-58J. He did hundreds of jobs lifting equipment all over the Midwest, used his helicopters to transport entertainers and politicians, and flew into local hospitals as Santa Claus to visit sick children. Larry’s flying continued until 2013 at an Ugly Angel Reunion in Oklahoma when he piloted for the last time in a refurbished Sikorsky UH-34D helicopter that he had flown in Vietnam. Larry Turner logged more than 20,000 flight hours in multiple aircraft and donated time and money to refurbish helicopters to be displayed in museums. 

Leading by example ...

I came across an image this morning --- from early May --- of French President Emmanuel Macron leading by example by wearing a well-cut mask emblazoned with the tricolor flag during a public event.

Quite the contrast with our leaders, among them the current U.S. president and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, both of whom seem determined to lead by example --- without.

Here in Lucas County, we've watched during the last few days as the number of diagnosed COVID-19 cases ticked up from zero to six, small numbers but significant increases that probably have to do with the increased availability of tests.

In other words, most likely there are plenty of folks out there, perhaps without symptoms, capable of spreading the virus. That becomes more of a concern as social distancing rules and regulations are relaxed and many take that as a sign that reasonable precautions no longer are needed.

So the best strategy is caution as we watch the numbers, hoping for some sort of clarity as June launches and then progresses. Keep your distance, stay away from public gatherings, wash your hands --- and wear a mask if you're mingling in public.

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The New York Times on Sunday devoted its front and a few inside pages to a name-by-name list of some of the nearly 100,000 U.S. citizens who have perished so far of COVID-19.

It was a timely --- and appropriate --- gesture.

But someone out there among my friends then pulled up an issue of The Times from Jan. 25, 1991, when the number of deaths from another viral epidemic, AIDS, passed the 100,000 mark in the United States. The Times played that story under a modest headline half-way down Page 17 --- and didn't even bother to write its own, merely posting an Associated Press report.

Those of us who survived the AIDS pandemic remember well a time when our lives were not valued and know full well that still is the case among many of our fellow citizens, "friends" and relatives. It behooves every LGBTQ person out there, of any age, to remember that.

And to speculate a little about those the white, straight majority consider expendable 30 years later. I'm betting on the immigrants, many of whom are people of color, expected to return to hazardous meatpacking duty in order to keep, as another Times report put it over the weekend, "meat on the table as barbecue season begins." And in Iowa, of course, the livestock industry on track.

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Speaking of homophobia and racism --- I've been bemused during the last week as a once-popular right-wing, racist --- and homophobic --- meme was shared by social media "friends." It's a Photoshop-created image of a passionate kiss involving President Obama and Andrew Cuomo accompanied by gibberish to the effect that Facebook has removed this photograph "so let's share the hell out of it."

Nice older women shared this. As is my policy regarding racist and homophobic stuff, I "unfriended" the first immediately --- but will just watch the other, someone I actually know, for a while to see if this sort of nonsense continues.

What in the world gets into otherwise sensible people?

The 140th anniversary of Memorial Day in Chariton

Had a Memorial Day program been held in Chariton this year --- and plans were cancelled because of the COVID-19 situation --- it would have been the 140th anniversary event in a string that stretches back to the first, held on a rainy Saturday, May 29, 1880.

Among the 14 Union veteran graves that were decorated that year in the Chariton Cemetery was that of Austin Wayland (left), who had died on April 10, 1877, at the age of 35. His tombstone also serves as a memorial to his twin brother, Elijah, who died in combat at Vicksburg on July 1, 1863, and is buried with the unknowns in what now is Vicksburg National Cemetery.

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Memorial Day had originated as Decoration Day 12 years earlier, during 1868, when the newly organized Grand Army of the Republic's commander, General John A. Logan, declared May 30 a day to decorate the graves of fallen Union soldiers with flowers. Various groups had been decorating graves in various places --- including the former Confederate States --- at various times during the years immediately after the war. But this formalized the observance in the North.

It's believed May 30 was selected as the date because it was thought the most flowers would be in bloom then --- the date itself had no significance. The term "Memorial Day" was used first, so far as anyone can determine, in 1882. But it still was Decoration Day in many places until after World War II. Those flag holders and miniature flags came along later, too. The original focus was on flowers.

From the beginning, it became customary to decorate the graves of all Union veterans, in part because the remains of most who had died in service were not buried near their homes. Instead, the remains had been gathered from scattered battlefields and temporary cemeteries and re-interred in national cemeteries throughout the war zone. Additionally, most of the veterans buried near their homes by 1868 had died of complications of diseases or wounds related to their service.

A century later, during 1968, congress moved Memorial Day to the last Monday in May in order to create a three-day weekend.

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Chariton was not on the cutting edge of Decoration Day observances --- a fact noted by several editors of The Patriot as the 1870s advanced. 

"Next Friday, May 30th, is Decoration Day. We have not heard of any arrangements being made to honor the soldier dead buried at Chariton. Great preparations are being made everywhere else," The Patriot editor noted in his edition of May 28, 1872.

Two years later, on May 27, 1874, the lament in The Patriot was similar: "Next Saturday, May 30th, is the day set apart for strewing or decorating with flowers the graves of soldiers who died in the war of the rebellion. Neighboring towns have made the necessary preparations for a suitable observance. Will Chariton permit the day to pass with observing it?"

The answer was, "Yes."

The next year, The Patriot editor devoted several inches of type to a lengthy complaint, commencing: "Have we no soldiers buried in our cemetery? If so, would it not be well to honor their memories by scattering a few flowers on their graves the 30th inst.? Every other town almost, observes Decoration Day with some appropriate ceremony and by adorning the graves of Union soldiers with a few flowers. Why not Chariton?"

Why not, indeed.

The answer, it would seem, was the absence of an organization willing to take on the job. That gap was not filled until Oct. 18, 1879, when Daniel Iseminger Post No. 18, Grand Army of the Republic, was organized. Chariton observed Decoration Day for the first time the following May as a result.

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Chariton's first Decoration Day observance was scheduled for Saturday, May 29, 1880 --- most likely to avoid conflicts with church services on the Sabbath, May 30.

The skies opened and rain poured down on the scheduled date, however. "Saturday was the gloomiest day of the year, and all thoughts of observing Decoration Day were wholly abandoned by the largest proportion of our citizens," The Leader of June 5 reported.

"But late Sunday morning a few started out notifying others to meet and form in procession, which resulted in a fine display and a creditable attendance."

The Patriot of June 2 attributed the success of the observance to D.M. Galloway, "who at an early hour on Sunday morning took the initiatory steps for carrying out the program. Mr. Galloway also went to the cemetery east of town (Douglass Pioneer) and decorated two graves."

"The flowers for the decoration were mostly furnished through the efforts of Mr. Galloway, who with the assistance of a few comrades tended largely to make the decoration a success," The Patriot added.

The procession from town square to the cemetery "was headed by the Consolidated Band, followed by the Knights of Pythias in uniform, Fire Companies, Grand Army of the Republic and citizens. Eloquent addresses were delivered at the cemetery by Col. Dungan and J.C. Mitchell."

According to The Leader, 14 Chariton Cemetery graves were decorated and "the whole was under the direction of Capt. McCormick and J.H. McFarland."

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Oliver Coffman's grave would have been one of the two decorated by Galloway at Douglass Cemetery. His tombstone has survived. We don't know who the other might have been, although a War of 1812 veteran, Samuel W. Walthall, had been buried there after his death on Jan. 22, 1858, and it's possible honors were extended to him (his remains were removed to the Chariton Cemetery in 1919).

Two years later, a list of the 15 graves decorated during 1882 in the Chariton Cemetery --- and by then Decoration Day observances were well established --- was published in The Patriot so we can be fairly sure that 14 of these were the first to be decorated as Chariton began, somewhat belatedly, to observe Decoration Day:

Austin Wayland, Co. E, 34th Iowa Infantry

William S. Henry, Co. L, 4th Indiana Cavalry

William F. Hall, Co. K, 34th Iowa Infantry

Lieut. Frank Nolan, Co. E, 34th Iowa Infantry

Major Joseph R. Jay, surgeon, U.S.A.

Major Henry W. Jay, surgeon, 34th Iowa Infantry

Sergeant John S. Birkhead, Co. H, 1st Iowa Cavalry

Volney D. Douglass, Co. F, 17th Iowa Infantry

John H. Stanley, Co. C, 13th Iowa Infantry

John Scott, Co. F, 3rd Iowa Cavalry

Noah N. Larimer, Co. B, 6th Iowa Infantry

Frank Savacool, Co. K, 46th Iowa Infantry

James Mitchell, Co. F, 6th Iowa Infantry

Harry K. Morgan, Co. E, 19th Iowa Infantry

David T. Mitchell, Co. F, 17th Iowa Infantry.

America, America ....

I shot these images of Iowa's Veterans Cemetery, near Van Meter, during November 12 years ago --- when it was new. It's almost summer now, the grass is green, the trees have grown and the number of graves has multiplied. 

But it seemed an appropriate place to visit, at least photographically, as Memorial Day approaches --- a day set aside to remember those who have died while in service to the nation. 

And I could find nothing more appropriate to accompany the images than this small "Veterans Day" presentation put together during 2010 by Jason Eric Mumaw in memory of his late father, a Vietnam veteran. The song, "American Anthem," was written by Gene Scheer and performed by Norah Jones for Ken Burns' seven-part 2007 documentary, "The War." Here are the words:

All we've been given by those who came before
The dream of a nation where freedom would endure
The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day
What shall be our legacy? What will our children say?

Let them say of me I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings I received.
Let me know in my heart when my days are through
America, America, I gave my best to you.

Each generation from the plains to distant shore
With the gifts they were given were determined to leave more.
Battles fought together, acts of conscience fought alone:
These are the seeds from which America has grown.

Let them say of me I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings that I received.
Let me know in my heart when my days are through
America, America, I gave my best to you.

For those who think they have nothing to share,
Who fear in their hearts there is no hero there.
Know each quiet act of dignity is that which fortifies
The soul of a nation that will never die.

Let them say of me I was one who believed
In sharing the blessings I received.
Let me know in my heart when my days are through
America, America, I gave my best to you.

We're still young as a nation and much remains to be seen; I've lost much of whatever faith I may have had in recent years --- but remain hopeful.

Tombstone Iconography: Chariton Fire Department

If you're out and about in Chariton and Chariton-area rural cemeteries --- Waynick, Oxford and Grimes --- as Memorial Day approaches, keep your eyes open for the unique flag holders and flags that mark the graves of Chariton Volunteer Fire Department members.

Marking these graves is among the firefighter's oldest traditions and the early flag holders, like these at Ephraim Badger's grave in the Waynick Cemetery and Elias Wren's, in the Chariton Cemetery, are especially interesting.

The imagery --- wagon wheel, ladder, hook and trumpets --- on the holders recalls the old hook and ladder company; the image of Old Betsy, the department's 1883 Silsby Steamer, on the flag recalls the engine company.

In some cases, these flag holders are the only marker that indicates the location of a grave --- the firefighters have made sure that their veteran members are remembered when, now and then, their families have not.

A search for the wisdom of the ages ...

I rise each morning and go in search of the wisdom of the ages --- on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Yes, I know .... But it's kinda fun.

This morning, for example, I learned (according to Facebook friends) about the dire explosive potential of a container of hand sanitizer left on the front seat of any vehicle on a hot summer day.

Of course there are no known instances of a container of hand sanitizer exploding under those circumstances. But do you really want to spoil the fun by sharing that clarification?

My favorite fun fact yesterday involved the deadly potential of raw onions --- it's the raw onion, I learned, that will give you food poisoning if you decide to eat a serving of potato salad left to cure on a picnic table for several hours on a hot day. Never mind that such a claim is nonsense, although well-cured potato salad very well may make you sick. Just not the onions in it.

I couldn't resist a response to that one, but it was my only politically motivated response of the day.

The wisdom incorporated in the little graphic, upper left here, probably is worth paying attention to, however.

I'm not sure many social media users are aware of just how revealing their posts are. And if you decide to respond, how much the nature of your response says about you.

I generally limit myself to one response a day, if that --- and try to phrase that response as graciously as possible. But that's primarily because my well of graciousness is relatively shallow. I admire folks willing to debate issues online who manage to keep their cool, drawing from deep wells of knowledge and patience.

I love the social media --- they're free-admission human zoos where you can view the quirks and characteristics of the human animal safely caged and at a distance. And I do appreciate fresh and innovative nuttiness --- so keep those conspiracy theories and skewed lists of falsehoods coming. I will judge you, but will comment only now and then.

The Knights of Pythias ride no more ....

We've been using these weeks of social isolation to do a good deal of rearranging at the Lucas County Historical Society Museum and earlier this week, brought a small but colorful collection of lodge-related memorabilia upstairs to a new home in the Vredenburg Gallery. Among the items was this colorful Knights of Pythias ceremonial ribbon.

The Knights was one of three major fraternal organizations that thrived in Chariton during the latter half of the 19th century and well into the 20th. The Masons, still with us, is the oldest. The other two, which have faded away, were the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.) and the Knights. Each developed an auxiliary as the years passed --- Eastern Star, Rebekahs and the Pythian Sisters.

The Masons were organized in the 1850s, the Odd Fellows in the 1860s and the Knights, during December of 1874. Here's the text of a brief article published in The Leader of Dec. 5, 1874, describing the birth of the order:

NEW ORDER --- On Monday night, Chariton Lodge No. 25, Knights of Pythias, was instituted by R. C. Walker, of Mr. Pleasant, J.B. Herdman, of Fort Madison, and two Knights from Ottumwa. The following officers were elected and installed: A. Reusch, P.C.; J.N. McClanahan, C.C.; R.M. Moore, V.C.; D.M. Thompson, P; E.T. Best, K.R.S.; Moses Folson, M.F.; J.C. Baker, M.E.; Jesse Coles, M.A.; S.E. Carpenter, L.S.; W.B. Critchfield, O.S.; and N.B. Gardner and Cyrus Sprague, K.

The national order had been launched 10 years earlier in Washington, D.C., by Justus H. Rathbone, inspired by the attributes of loyalty, honor and friendship incorporated into the legend of Damon and Pythias. For the first 10 years, only single men were admitted but married men were allowed to join after 1875.

The Knight built all or parts of two buildings on the Chariton square. The smaller structure, dating from 1894, still stands in good repair on the east side. The far grander and somewhat later "Temple" building was on the south side, located on the site of a newer building now occupied by a medical supply firm. Grand Pythian lodge rooms occupied the entire third floor of the latter building, which went up in smoke during 1930 --- and both the fire and its unfortunate timing as the Great Depression settled in sent the Knights into a gradual decline.

The Pythian Sisters survived the longest --- into the early 1980s --- but the Knights have long since closed their books of ritual, packed away their regalia and faded into graveyards.

An "adulterous affair" that in all likelihood wasn't

Rebecca Swayze-Cowman shares a tombstone in the cemetery at Yates City, Illinois, with a grandson; A matching tombstone for her husband, Earl Cowman, is adjacent to it.

Find a Grave photos

Daniel H. Swayze's tale of righteousness wronged by a scarlet woman and her youthful paramour, abetted by the young man's mother, seems not to have been questioned by Chariton's male establishment after he stepped off a train from southwest Nebraska during the early summer of 1910 to tell it. Daniel, 54, was a prosperous farmer, after all, who bore some characteristics of an Old Testament patriarch, having sired a Biblical quiverfull of children --- 11 in all --- by his wife, Rebecca, during the first 22 years of their 28-year marriage.

The Herald-Patriot reported the situation as follows in its edition of May 26, 1910, under the headline, "Caught His Wife Here."

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"Daniel Swayze, of Stratton, Nebr., arrived in Chariton a few days ago in search of his wife, who had taken one daughter and left his home some time ago. He had heard that she was in Chariton, living with Earl Cowman, who lived in Stratton for some years, and returned here with his mother, Mrs. Annie Cowman, a short time ago.

"Mr. Swayze found his wife here, and confronted her with her misdoings. He had warrants served for her and for Mrs. Cowman and Earl, or Jack, as he is better known, and their preliminary trial was set for this morning, before Mayor Carpenter. The charge against Swayze is adultery, and against Mrs. Cowman and her son it is enticing Mrs. Swayze to their house for the purpose of lewdness.

"Mr. and Mrs. Swayze have eleven children, some of them grown. She first left her home last spring, he hearing of her in Buffalo county on March 21 for the last time before he learned that she had come here."

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Henry Gittinger published a followup in the June 2 edition of the Leader that contains, as was not unusual in Henry's case, inaccuracies. In reality, Rebecca Swayze and Earl Cowman were bound over to court on charges of adultery under bond of $500 each; Anna Cowman was cleared of wrongdoing. The court awarded Daniel Swayze custody of his six-year-old daughter, Goldie May, and he returned to Nebraska with her after this appearance in court.

Here's Henry's report, published under the headline, "An Irate Husband."

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"A most unsavory case was tried in the Justices court, in Chariton, last week. Sometime since, Earl Cowman and his mother, Mrs. Anna Cowman, returned to Chariton from Stratton, Nebraska, after a residence there of seven years, they having previously resided in Chariton fourteen years.

"With them came a young woman by the name of Mrs. Swayze which the Cowmans claimed was working for Mrs. Cowman and when the family returned to Chariton she came to Chariton to continue the service.

"A short time since her husband came to Chariton from Stratton, claiming that Cowman had alienated his wife's affections and entered a charge against them of living in a state of adultery, the mother also being implicated in conspiring with her son in the immoral and illegal transactions of separating man and wife.

"The Cowmans denied this, saying that Swayze and his wife had been separated for more than a year. After the hearing, Mrs. Cowman and her son were bound over to court, the bonds being fixed at $1,000 (actually, Rebecca Swayze and Earl Cowman were bound over) and the case will be placed on the criminal calendar at the net term of court and there the real facts will be brought out."

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Mr. Gittinger also seems to have assumed that Rebecca Swayze was young, which of course is a relative matter. In reality, she was 47 and had given birth to 11 children between 1883 (Charles William Swayze) and 1904 (Goldie May Swayze, who had accompanied her mother to Chariton).

Another oddity was the relative youth of Earl Cowman. He was 32, some 15 years younger than Rebecca; had always lived with his mother; and so far as we know had not shown any amorous interest previously in anyone of the fairer sex.

Anna and Earl Cowman were to all appearances (and there's no reason to doubt appearances here) a respectable and relatively affluent pair, but quiet and not widely known in Lucas County where they had lived off and on for many years.

Anna, whose given name actually was Angeline, had married John F. Cowman, a Civil War veteran, during September of 1877 in Knox County, Illinois, and their son, Earl, was born during August of the next year. John, however, died during March of 1880 in Knox County some months before his son's second birthday.

Anna seems to have been well provided for and apparently had no interest in embarking on another marriage. Instead, she brought her young son to Lucas County a few years later in order to live near her siblings, bachelor brother Milton Boyer and sister Josephine (Boyer) Kay. She purchased a farm located near theirs in the neighborhood of Oxford Church, School and Cemetery just northeast of Chariton.

Anna also owned other property, including a farm near Stratton in southwest Nebraska, where she and Earl were living when they encountered Rebecca Swayze; and quite probably in Colorado, where they also lived for varying lengths of time when not in Lucas County or Nebraska.

She also owned a home in Chariton, a home base for the pair while they collected rent on property that they owned elsewhere --- and traveled frequently between Chariton, Nebraska and Colorado, living for lengthy intervals in the latter two states but always returning to Iowa. Earl's occupation always was given as "farmer" although it's not clear how much farming he actually did.

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The adultery cases against Earl and Rebecca came to trial during October of 1910, but we know that only because Lucas County ended up footing the bill for the witnesses. As nearly as I can determine, the outcome was not reported in any of the Chariton newspapers. The likely explanation is, the defendants were exonerated, of considerably less interest than a conviction would have been.

Whatever the case, Earl continued to live with his mother in Lucas County while Rebecca returned to Nebraska to sue Daniel for divorce and fight for custody of her minor children. The outcome of that case was reported in The Kearney (Nebraska) Daily Hub of June 10, 1911:

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"Judge B. O. Hostetler of the district court granted a divorce Saturday afternoon to Rebecca Swayze from Daniel H. Swayze, of Shelton, the grounds for the divorce being extreme cruelty and also abandonment.

"Mrs. Swayze alleged that she married Mr. Swayze in 1882 in Hall county and that later they went to Hitchcock county where they homesteaded. It was here that the husband compelled her to work in the fields, cultivating the corn and also to care for the horses.

"In 1901, Mrs. Swayze stated in the petition for divorce that she was sick and in need of medical care but her husband refused to buy medicine or secure the services of a physician.

"The court awarded Mrs. Swayze her minor children --- George, Harry, Edwin, Goldie and Daniel."

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A year later, during October of 1912, Earl and Rebecca were married at Elwood in Gosper County, Nebraska, and then moved to Peoria, Illinois, where the remainder of their lives were spent, the younger children accompanying them. Rebecca was 50 at the time; Earl, 34.

Earl's mother, Anna, divided her time after that between Chariton and Peoria, but was living in Lucas County when she died during 1914. Earl took her remains to Yates City, Illinois, where she was buried beside her husband, John.

Rebecca died in Peoria at the age of 64 on Feb. 9, 1929, and Earl buried her with John and Anna in the Yates City Cemetery. He continued to live until Peoria until 1952, when he died at the age of 74, and was buried by Rebecca's side in Yates City.

Their tombstones there apparently were erected by Rebecca's daughter, Goldie. Rebecca shares a tombstone with Goldie's infant son, Clude Henry, 1922-1926; Earl's matching stone is nearby.

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Rebecca, Earl and Anna took to their graves the actual story of their relationship. But it is interesting to speculate and my speculation would be that the connection between Earl and Rebecca never was amorous, but instead one of enduring affection and responsibility. And that would make them all modestly heroic, in an old-fashioned kind of way.

Preach it, Brother Oppenheimer!

This is one of my favorite advertisements of all time --- published in the various Chariton newspapers during June of 1890 by Simon Oppenheimer and a reminder that our ancestors not only were enterprising but blessed with humor, too.

Simon (1852-1930) and Freda Oppenheimer opened Oppenheimer's, a men's clothing store, on the west side of the Chariton square during 1884 and at the time this advertisement was published the store was located in the Mallory Opera Block on the northwest corner.

The Opera Block was destroyed by fire in 1903 and that same year the Oppenheimers built their own building on lots left open by that great blaze. Son Jerome Oppenheimer carried the family business forward, as did granddaughter Jerry (Oppenheimer) Hoxton, for nearly a century --- into the 1980s.

Simon (top) and Jerome Oppenheimer

All that remains in Chariton now are the family graves in the Chariton Cemetery, the family homes (still standing but in other hands) and the Oppenheimer Building --- and of course countless references in the back files of the Chariton newspapers.

OPPENHEIMER

The Leading Clothier of Chariton

Sends Greetings to the People of Southern Iowa, the following

OPEN LETTER:

To the Men, Youths and Children of Southern Iowa:

The habit of clothing the human family is of Divine Origin. In the Book of the Law we read that "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothe them." This is the first authentic account we hear of "Ready made clothing."

Zephaniah tells us of the coming of the time when the Lord shall "punish the princes, and the king's children, and such as are clothed with strange apparel."

Hence, dear reader, you see first the necessity of being clothed; and secondly, the necessity of not using "strange apparel."

We can clothe you, and clothe a multitude of men, youths and children. We cannot clothe you in "strange apparel," because we have it not. "Strange apparel" is that strangely manufactured modern goods, constructed of shoddy, old rags, and cotton, made to look like wool. We have none of it. You ought to be punished for wearing it.

We have an immense stock of the very best line of goods. Not "strangely" made of "strange" material and "strangely" thrown together in a "strangely" ship-shod manner. But good goods, manufactured of good wool, carefully cut, and put together in good style. We have men's suits, youths' suits and boys' suits in endless varieties, styles, and materials. The only "strange" thing about them is the "strangely" low prices at which we sell them. But this is not so "strange" when you consider that we buy immensely large stocks and pay spot cash. Our prices appear "strange" to other dealers who cannot get down to them.

Come in and we will do you good. No. 2, Opera Block, Chariton, Iowa

THE LEADING CLOTHIER

OPPENHEIMER

"God's Own Country" --- the lockdown reunion

I've been a fan since its 2017 release of a film called "God's Own Country," conceived of, written and produced by Francis Lee (the guy with the beard) and starring Alec Secareanu (left) and Josh O'Connor. It was one of two highly acclaimed gay-themed films released that year --- the other, "Call Me by Your Name."

Until recently, the film was available on Netflix, but has moved by now to Amazon where it's a free view for Prime subscribers, also available for rent or purchase.

Set in Yorkshire farm country, it's very rural and fairly gritty --- but the overriding theme is one of hope. I liked that.

So I tuned in yesterday afternoon for a Zoom reunion of Lee, Secareanu and O'Connor, shown via YouTube. The men have remained friends as the producer moved on to another film, "Ammonite," now awaiting release, and the actors, to other projects. This modest project was another of those small mercies that would not have occurred were it not for worldwide social distancing.

In any case, a link to the recorded version of the live event follows. And if you like outstanding films of any theme you'll like "God's Own Country."

No social distancing among the flowers ....

I set out yesterday to visit flowers, entertaining at their homes as May advances with no need for masks or social distancing.

In the backyard, chives ...

... and small wasps patrolling the tightly closed buds of peony blossoms.

At the cemetery, lilacs planted on someone's grave (the fern-leaf peonies that bloom there were past their prime and a favorite white rose, not yet in bloom).

And at the museum, bridalwreath spirea ...

... bleeding heart ...

... columbine ...

and iris.

It's Sunday! Poke your nose outside and look around.

Please contain your own disgusting spittle ...

This is my favorite meme of the morning, shared by a couple of social media friends --- warning against the hazards of paying too much attention to our friends with old-fashioned TV-M.D. certification who now are equipped with degrees from that new-fangled YouTube University.

Every couple of months I pull the plug on a social media "friend" whose zeal exceeds my patience. I don't care about opinions that differ from mine --- although racist or homophobic material brings down an automatic ax. Yesterday's offender shared a series of "informational" memes and links alleging that face coverings can be hazardous to your health, one after another. Zap.

The Centers for Disease Control recommend that everyone --- with the possible exception of small children or those with chronic respiratory problems --- wear face coverings (sometimes called a mask) in situations where social distancing is a challenge --- at the grocery store, at the greenhouse or during the opening frenzy at Chariton's new Bomgaars store, for example.

These are simple cloth or paper coverings intended primarily to protect others from your disgusting spittle --- the principal means of sharing the COVID-19 virus if you happen to be infected. If everyone would wear a covering to contain their own spittle --- we'd all be safer.

These are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators which should be worn only by the professionals who need them and who understand how and when they should be used.

Iowa's various restrictions are being lifted now and we can argue to kingdom come about the wisdom of that, but the social distancing rules and recommendations remain in effect and are likely to continue for a long time. Get used to it.

Small treasures and vanishing Iowa newspapers

I thought I'd share this morning one of those small treasures, similar to countless others embedded in the back files of Iowa's once-booming newspaper enterprises --- a brief  memoir featuring Clarissa Vorhies, of Lucas, published on the occasion of her 93rd birthday in The Chariton Herald-Patriot of Feb. 16, 1939. The headline reads, "Mrs. J. P. Vorhies, Lucas resident 66 years, recalls pioneer life of town."

Iowa's newspaper landscape has altered dramatically over the years, but this has been an especially sad week in the south of Iowa where three major county seat papers have been eliminated by their absentee owner --- Alabama-based Community Newspaper Holdings. The Knoxville Journal Express and Pella Chronicle have been "merged" with The Oskaloosa Herald, a larger property; and The Centerville Iowegian, with The Ottumwa Courier.

In Chariton, where the Tuesday Leader and Thursday Herald-Patriot have been published for many years, only one newspaper is being produced weekly now, but this has been presented as a temporary measure and we certainly hope that's the case.

This is not an exploration of cause an effect, merely an attempt to point out that the minutiae of Iowa's history has been recorded --- not in books --- but on the pages of community newspapers.

Here's the Vorhies piece. One interesting point --- this is quite a long article, but not once did its author mention that Mrs. Vorhies' given name was Clarissa. I've added an 1896 plat of Lucas, drawn at a time when the town was booming.

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Mrs. J. P. Vorhies, pioneer Lucas woman, Tuesday celebrated her ninety-third birthday at her home. She has lived for a half-century in her present residence. During the day she received scores of gifts and greetings and was visited by friends and relatives.

Born in Ohio Feb. 14, 1846, Mrs. Vorhies married J.P. Vorhies, a Civil War veteran, when she was 20 years old. They settled first, she recalled, in a small village called Four Corners north of Fairfield, Iowa, and engaged in the mercantile business.

However, after the Burlington railroad was constructed through southern Iowa nearly all of the Four Corners population sought new locations on the Burlington line, as it was necessary to bring supplies to Four Corners by wagon from Burlington. Looking for a new home, Mr. Vorhies consulted with Absalom Knotts (his mother's cousin) and he recommended Lucas as a good shipping point for grain and cattle. There also was a rumor that there some day would be a coal mine in the vicinity of Lucas.

Mr. and  Mrs. Vorhies, their three small children (their youngest was six months old), their household goods and store equipment reached Lucas May 20, 1874. The family lived in the Cushman Hotel until their house and store were made ready for them.

Betty Skidmore, known to this generation as Aunt Betty Allen, helped them get settled, Mrs. Vorhies said.

The Vorhies home and store were located on the lot where the home of N.F. Baker now stands. At that time the principal Lucas street was Vine street and the east side of the town was Division street. There were less than a dozen families living in the town. family names included Adams, Weir, Goben, Quickenden, Skidmore, Kays, Hughes, Gardner. The Gardners lived on the present W.E. Allen farm, and Mabry (Mayberry) Skidmore also operated a farm near the town. Some families still occupied log houses.

Here are other recollections of Mrs. Vorhies: The railroad agent was a Mr. Sutton. The oldest house in Lucas now is that of Bob Wilkinson. There were feed lots on the property now owned by C.R. Rogers and W. Hunter. There has always been a store where the Baker store is now located and the first merchant there was Absalom Knotts. He sold the business to Billy Skidmore who in turn sold it to J.C. Baker & Brother in 1875.

The first doctor was a young man named Wright, who brought his bride but didn't stay long. He was succeeded by several physicians, including Dr. Charles Throckmorton and Dr. Carpenter and Dr. J.C. Bell.

Lucas grew by leaps and bounds when coal mining started, Mrs. Vorhies continued. Mr. Vorhies turned the store and post office over to his wife and formed a partnership with George Kays. With the help of W. Snedaker and Perry Percy and a few others they constructed most of the houses in Lucas and Cleveland. There were at one time more than 1,500 men employed in the Lucas and Cleveland mines. Two mail routes ran from the Lucas post office, one north to Liberty Center, Norwood and Jay and the other south and west.

Lucas's first church was the Presbyterian, known today as the Christian Union church. The Methodist church was first intended as a community building but was turned over to the Methodist people during construction. there were others --- Swedish Lutheran and Swedish Baptist --- but they have been gone for many years. The Latter Day Saints church is still in use, and so is the Presbyterian church constructed in later years.

There was a one-room school house when the Vorhies family arrived in Lucas. Another story was added to the building when coal miners moved into the town and a four-room structure was erected where the present school building now stands. One of the first teachers was Mary Gilison of Chariton. Early principals included Harry Quickenden, Will Knotts, Gomer Evans, H.L. Byers, Hugh Mames and Emerson Wells.

The brick opera house, destroyed by a fire a few years ago, was built by Absalom Knotts in 1880. The brick was obained from a kiln south of Lucas on the farm where Sherman Manley  now lives.

"During the sixty-five years I have lived in Lucas I have seen the town have several booms. Now it seems that such a thing could not again happen, but who knows?" Mrs. Vorhies optimistically queried.

"It seems like a dream," she said, "that we had jewelry stores, millinery shops, bakeries, several restaurants, two drug stores, three general stores, an undertaking establishment, furniture store, barber shops and everything that goes into making a town, good and bad.

"I have," she concluded, "many pleasant memories and many said ones, as all my old friends are now dead."

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Mrs. Vorhies, whose husband's name was James Penman Vorhies, had more birthdays to observe and died during 1944 at the age of 97. Clarissa and J.P. are buried in the Chariton Cemetery.