Charles Ward Pillsbury, Mid-West Farmer (52 Ancestors #25)

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

I'd like to introduce you to another of my mid-western farmers.

In 1856, near the Fox River and Lake Winnebago in the small Township of Omro[1], Winnebago county, Wisconsin, Charles Ward Pillsbury was born[2] to William C. Pillsbury and Eliza Cooper Pillsbury.  His brothers and sisters were:

James Pillsbury 1847-

Susan Pillsbury  1850-

Emma Pillsbury  1851-

Ella Pillsbury 1860-1943

Charles was my third great uncle[3].

The Iowa Years

Charles lived in Wayne Township, Mitchell County, Iowa beginning sometime before 1880[4].  He spent much of his boyhood and young adult life on his parent’s farm.   In 1891, he married Eva from which this union brought two children: Helen in 1892[5] and Harold in 1898[6].  He had a farm of his own in Wayne Township for about ten years.

Seemed like life was good.  And then…

The Minnesota Years

Possible route from McIntire (near Wayne), Iowa
to Parkers Prairie, Minnesota. Yahoo Maps
(click to enlarge)

Parkers Prairie in Otter Tail County, Minnesota became home for Charles’s family by 1920[7].  He and Eva were 62 now.  He owned the house and the farm.   His son Harold was married and worked as a laborer, maybe on the family farm.  Helen wasn't in the household; maybe she was married.

But why did Charles move here?  This small town, surrounded by rivers and lakes (an oxymoron -- he’s in Minnesota for goodness sakes), is 280+ miles or so from Wayne Township and nearly 150+ miles north of Minneapolis, Minnesota[8].

In about ten years, Charles and Eva would be living with Harold and Wilma, his wife.  All would remain in Parkers Prairie for the rest of their lives.  Eva died in 1931, Charles in 1933, Harold in 1934.  They are buried in Parkers Prairie Cemetery.

Future Research

• Locate land and property records
• Obtain birth, marriage and death records
• Obtain funeral and cemetery records
• Learn more about life in Iowa and Minnesota

Sources

---

[1] Omro Historical Society http://omrohistoricalsociety.weebly.com/

[2] Year: 1860; Census Place: Omro, Winnebago, Wisconsin; Ancestry.com Image 10. Lines 25-32

[3] Steve Morse Relationship Calculator http://stevemorse.org/relation/calculator.html

[4] 1880; Census Place: Wayne, Mitchell, Iowa. ED : 315. Ancestry.com Image 10. Lines 9-12

[5] Year: 1900; Census Place: Wayne, Mitchell, Iowa; Roll: 448; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0122; FHL microfilm: 1240448. Ancestry.com Image -.  Lines 95-98

[6] Registration State: Minnesota; Registration County: Otter Tail; Roll: 1675772; Draft Board: 2. Draft Card : P. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918

[7] Year: 1920; Census Place: Parkers  Prairie, OtterTail,Minnesota; Roll: T625_849; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 160; Image: 382. Ancestry.com.

[8] Google map 2014