In admiration of the Admires --- and their dog

As ancestor portraits go, this vintage image is up there with the best so far as character is concerned --- Mary Jane (Callahan) and Jacob Admire, their daughter, Margaret Stumbaugh, and the family dog posed in front of their home in Whitebreast Township three and a half miles or so west of Chariton.

These aren't my ancestors, although I do know some of their descendants. I just happened upon the image online and was intrigued by it. Nor was I able to track down its owner --- it has been shared too many times in too many online "family trees."

But everyone who drives west of Chariton on U.S. 34 passes near the location of this little house and of Grimes Cemetery at the top of the big Whitebreast hill, where Mary Jane and Jacob are buried. The Admires lived about a quarter of a mile south and a half mile east of the cemetery.

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Doris Christensen/Find a Grave

When Jacob Admire died a century ago, during early July of 1919 at the age of 94, someone identified only as "a friend" submitted the following to The Chariton Leader, duly published on July 10:

"With the passing of Jacob Admire, or Grandpa as he was most commonly called, another old landmark has been removed. Coming to Iowa when she was in her young statehood, before the coming of railroads, when transportation was made by wagons, Grandpa Admire, then a young man in the bloom of youth, with his young wife and one small child, came from Indiana in a covered wagon and settled on the old homestead in Whitebreast township, which place has never changed title but has passed into other hands.

"There was not a road or even a bridle path that he did not know, and before his eyesight failed he could point out the graves of the Mormon children at the head of Grave Hollow on the Mormon Trace. His last year was spent among his children, passing away at the home of his youngest daughter, Mary. But his memory was ever fresh on his coming to Iowa, the joys and sorrows, the hardships of a newly settled country, but with it all he loved old Iowa and with pride told how he took the first democratic paper published in Chariton and continued to take it until too sightless to read and then passed it on to his son. We know not just how long Grandpa has lived in Iowa, but we do know he was a good citizen, honest, upright, and ever ready to help in any good cause. And here let us pause and give one silent thought for the old landmark that is no more. By a friend."

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Jacob's obituary also was published in The Leader of that date, although inside on Page 6 as follows. Note that Jacob's middle name, spelled "Lemon" here is spelled "Leamon" elsewhere.

"Jacob Lemon Admire, son of Nancy and Jesse Admire, was born near Lexington, Ky., Dec. 24,  1824, and departed this life at Chariton, Iowa, July 2, 1919. His age was 94 years, 6 months and 8 days.

"He was united in marriage to Mary Jane Callahan in December, 1849, in Johnson county, Indiana. To this union were born nine children, Elizabeth and Julian, deceased; Mrs. Margaret Stumbaugh, Mrs. Hattie Vincent, Mrs. Mary Quadt, Mrs. Bertha Dale and Thomas S. Admire, all of Chariton; James O., of Ainsworth, Neb., and Edward of Morris, Okla. Also 24 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

"He came to Iowa in 1855 and took a homestead the following year in Whitebreast township, where his home has been ever since. Chariton at that time had but one store, a post office, a land office and a few dwelling houses. There were but few cabins between Chariton and Osceloa, and there were no churches or school houses in Lucas county.

"The religious meetings were held in the dwelling houses. the first school was taught by J.R. Callahan in a log cabin north of where is now Whitebreast Junction. He made brick near the Grimes farm on the Chariton and Lucas road to replace the rock chimneys and fireplaces used by the citizens.

"In his 64 years as a resident of Lucas county he has seen almost all of the history and development of the county.

"His wife preceded him in death six years ago, for whom he never ceased to mourn. He was active in the business life and was upright, and was a kind and loving husband and father. He never united with any church but said he had made his peace with God and was waiting for the call to rest. All the children were present at the last sad rites except Edward of Morris, Okla., who had been present during his sickness, but had returned home. The funeral services were conducted from the residence July 5th by Rev. E.W. Curtis and interment was int he Grimes cemetery."

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The J.R. Callahan mentioned in passing in the obituary was Jeremiah Riley Calahan, Jacob's father-in-law. I've written about him here, in a post entitled "But did George Washington see Jeremiah Callahan?"

Mary Jane had preceded Jacob in death six years earlier and her obituary was published in The Leader of March 3, 1913, under the headline, "Called Suddenly Home." It reads in part as follows:

"On Saturday, March 1st, at the ripe old age of 89 years, Mrs. Jacob Admire was called into the immediate presence of her Lord. Mrs. Admire, whose maiden name was Mary Jane Callahan, was born near Lexington, Kentucky, on May 24th, 1824. When but a small child her parents moved to Johnson county, Indiana, and later to Brown county, in the same state, where she resided until womanhood was reached.

"She was united in marriage to Jacob Admire in the year of 1848, and to their union was born nine children, three boys and six girls. Of the latter, one died in infancy and one in womanhood. The surviving children are: Margaret Stumbaugh, Hattie Vincent, Tabetha Dale, Mary Quadt, and James, Edward and Thomas. These mourn with their aged an infirm father the departure of one who was a true wife and a loving mother. In addition to these, twenty-four grandchildren and fourteen great-grandchildren, two brothers and two sisters."