Alva Leo Hutson, Farmer Turned Ice Cream Maker (52 Ancestors #16)

This is another article for the series in which I'm participating, "52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks", a challenge by Amy Johnson Crow on No Story Too Small.

Alva Leo Huts

Stories about my mid-western roots continue here with the birth of my great-grandfather Alva Leo Hutson on 26 Oct 1879 in Wayne Twp, Mitchell, Iowa.  His parents were James Hutson and Ella Pillsbury.  He had a brother, William Ernest Hutson, born on 19 Mar 1882.

Alva and William spent their boyhood days in Wayne Twp. They were primarily raised by their mother.  Their father was seemingly an absentee for most of Alva’s and all of William’s life.  Ella divorced James in 1895 based on abandonment since July 1882 according to the divorce record.  She married John Henderson on 10 Dec 1895, the day after the decree was granted.  In the 1900 U.S. federal census for Wayne Twp, Alva was 21 years old and recorded as Alva
Henderson, son of John Henderson.  Alva had a half-brother, Clyde, born about 1897 to Ella and John.

Marriage and Children
On 19 Jan 1901, Alva married Ada Lurena Boruff (1881-1973) in McIntire, Mitchell, Iowa.  Their first child, Hobart Clayton Hutson (1901-1955) was my grandfather.  Shortly after his birth, Alva and Ada moved to Renville County, North Dakota.  Eight children were born there:

• Lyle Kenneth Hutson (1904-1973)
• Violet Olive Hutson (1905-1919)
• Florence Ella Hutson (1906-1991)
• Lawrence William Hutson (1909-1986)
• Lillian Opal Hutson (1910-1998)
• Esther Marie Hutson (1911-1995)
• Alvin James Hutson (Jul 1914-Oct 1914)
• Harold Alvin Hutson (1915-1987)
• Melvin Milan Hutson (1923-2010) [born in Wisconsin]

The Homestead Years

Homestead Proof for
Alva L. Hutson

I don’t know why he moved to McKinney, Renville, North Dakota but quite possibly it was because of the available land and/or because James Boruff (Ada’s father?) was there also.  By 1906, he filed a homestead application with proof that he had built a 16x24 foot house for his family.  He also built a barn of the same size, a well and had broken 60 acres of crop.  On 17 Feb 1908, he was awarded a patent of the southwest quarter of Section 10 in Township 161 [McKinney] north of Range 86 west of the 5th Principal Meridian, North Dakota, containing 160 acres.  The family lived on the homestead until 1920 when the census of January of that year recorded them as living in a rental in Grover, Renville, North Dakota.

The Ice Cream Years
Or, the "I wish I had know him then" years -- yum-yum!

Hutson and Son Ice Cream Truck

Later in 1920, the Hutson’s moved to Minnesota.  They lived in Rochester, Olmsted, Minnesota for several years.  Alva was employed as a Mixer and Ice Cream Maker at the W.L. Parkin Creamery.  In 1930, Alva was living in Marshfield, Wood, Wisconsin where he continued in the ice cream business.  By 1934, he moved again, this time to Amery, Polk, Wisconsin.  There he was in business with his son Lawrence running their own ice creamery called the Super Ice Cream Co.  Unfortunately, he died suddenly In Amery of a heart attack on 20 Aug 1936.

Future Research:

• Obtain the sale documents for the farm in North Dakota
• Learn what crops Alva grew
• Determine if James Boruff of North Dakota was related to Ada Boruff Hutson
• Research North Dakota newspapers for stories about the Hutson’s and the area in general
• Obtain Alva’s birth record if available and death certificate; burial location
• Research business records, license, etc. for Super Ice Cream Co.
• Search for probate packet
• Other, suggestions welcome

Sources:
Dates of birth and death:  SSDI and Bible records
Marriage certificate: Osage County, Iowa Courthouse
Divorce Record: Osage County, Iowa Courthouse
Brother William:  WW I Draft Registration Record and Elaa's divorce record
Census records: Ancestry.com
Homestead record:  Bureau of Land Management

Copyright Denise Hibsch Richmond