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Family of Elijah VEAZIE and Amber May WOODARD
Elijah VEAZIE b. 1843 Apr 12357 at Randolph, MA2357. d. 1938 Mar 262357 at Havelock, IA2357. bd. Washington Cem., Havelock, IA840.
Amber May WOODARD b. 1865 Nov 32363 at Sutton, Quebec, Canada475. d. 1931 May 222363 at at home near Havelock, IA2363. bd. Washington Cem., Havelock, IA840.
Married2720 1887 May 182720 at Pocahontas Co., IA2720.
In the 1880 census1716, Elijah is listed as a farmer. His obituary2357 relates that he volunteered in the Civil War but was rejected. His daughter, Annie Veazie Bower relates2786 that her father had, indeed, volunteered for the Union army, but had been turned down "because he was too small."
He then went west with his sister2786, Carrie Rebecca Veazie, initially visiting their Aunt Hannah (nee Stetson)(Canterbury) Johnston, their mother's sister in Rochelle, Illinois. Hannah and her husband, James Johnston, both having lost their spouses, had some 8 children: 3 of his, 2 of hers, and 3 together. As a result, Elijah and Carrie did not remain there long. Elijah got a job on a farm, and Carrie went back to teaching.
Elijah worked on a farm for a while, and learned to harness, drive a team, and ot milk cows. Elijah, having learned leather-working from his father back in Randolph, MA, then hired out to a German shoemaker named Earnie. The Earnies had no children, were fond of Elijah, and wanted him to take over the shop some day. However, Elijah's cousin, Walter Veazie, who had succeeded in enlisting as a bugler in the Union Army, was discharged and came to visit Elijah.
They decided to leave Illinois and "work their way down the Mississippi to New Orleans." Elijah told his sister Carrie he would "meet her in Randolph in 5 years."
They went as far west as Clarinda, Iowa, and to Tarkio and Chillicothe, Missouri. Whether Cousin Walter accompanied him further isn't known. But Elijah went on to New Orleans and visited his Uncle Elijah and "Cousin Henry," presumed to be Dr Henry Augustus Veazie, Uncle Elijah's son. From New Orleans, Elijah went to Jacksonville, Florida, where his Aunt Rebecca B Veazie was teaching.
Elijah worked in the Crowell and Ross Shoe Store in Jacksonville from Aug 27, 1869, to June 28, 1870, at $62.50 per month, according to his account book2786, repairing shoes and waiting on trade.
The "5 years" he had promised his sister were up, and he returned by boat to Massachusetts. Having said that the "West had got into his blood," he returned to Illinois. According to Elijah's diary2786, on Aug 1, 1871, he and Dave Spalding (his Aunt Hannah's son-in-law, husband of her daughter Emma) left Byron, Illinois, for West Bend, Iowa, driving 34 head of cattle. Other diary entries include: "Spent the winter of 1873 and '74 in Ft. Dodge, Iowa"; "March 1874, rented a farm northwest of West Bend," which he called the Henry Place; and "March 14, 1874. Traded Uncle Jim a note for 100 bu. Of oats. March 19. Bought a mule from Uncle Jim for $70 cash." The "Uncle Jim" mentioned is presumably the husband of his Aunt Hannah (Stetson) Johnston.
Elijah worked near West Bend for 6 years before moving to Pochahontas County, where he bought a farm, persumably July 12, 1880, the date of the deed which his some Samuel later held.
Elijah was one of the earliest settlers of the county. He was at times a farmer and shoemaker.
The information for Amber May Woodard was initially provided in correspondence to Doris (McGowan) Veazie, 4 Nov 1971, by Josephine(Viggers) Veazie, Samuel Carlton Veazie's wife. Much of that information provided the basis for further research, as referenced. The Spencer (IA) Reported, Wed, Dec 3, 1919, led off in column 1 of page 1 with an article relating the attempted murder in Webb, IA, of Mrs Amber Veazie of Pocahontas Co. She was at her father's home at the time when Lem Bailey, a farmer near Webb, pointed a gun at her and fired. The shot missed both Amber and Lem's father-in-law Carleton Woodard. Bailey struck Woodard, age 80, on the head with his gun, and Woodard's daughter Amber "fought like a hyena" for him. Bailey testified that his father-in-law's household "had been picking on him and his wife." Apparenlty Carleton Woodard had put Bailey's wife and her baby out of their (rented) house. The article further related that Carleton Woodard was the defendant in a sensational divorce case eleven years previous, having found Woodard guilty of inhuman treatment of his wife. A month or so after the divorce, the couple remarried. Mrs Woodard had since died.
Children of Elijah VEAZIE and Amber May WOODARD:
| 1. | Caroline (Carrie) Elizabeth VEAZIE1717 b. 1888 Mar1717 at Pocahontas Co., IA2792. d. 1964 Dec 282370 at St Ann's Hosp., Algona, IA2370. bd. Washington Cem., Havelock, IA2370. | ||||
| md. 1) Stoddard M SMITH | |||||
| md. 2) Aaron BISHOP | |||||
| 2. | Annie E VEAZIE1717 b. 1889 Sep 11643 at Washington Twp., Pocahontas Co., IA1643. d. 1974 Feb 212358 at Palo Alto Hospital, Emmetsburg, IA2358. bd. Rush Lake Cem., Curlew, IA840. | ||||
| md. David Howard BOWER | |||||
| 3. | Samuel Carlton VEAZIE1717 b. 1892 May 17840 at Pocahontas Co., IA2792. d. 1975 Jan 16840. bd. Washington Cem., Havelock, IA840. | ||||
| md. Josephine VIGGERS | |||||
| 4. | Margaret Grace (Marjorie, Madge) VEAZIE1717 b. 1895 Sep1717 at Iowa1717. d. 1987840. bd. Golden Cem., Golden, CO840. | ||||
| md. Francis (Frank) Willard MORTON | |||||
| 5. | Gladys Inez VEAZIE1717 b. 1897 Oct 2192 at Iowa1717. d. 1992 Mar 1792. | ||||
| md. Sylvester King SOJOURNER |