RELEASE DATE: APRIL 12, 2015
KINSEARCHING
by
Marleta Childs
P. O. Box 6825
LUBBOCK, TX 79493-6825
[email protected]
As readers may recall, information concerning reunions of several families in the early 1900s in Iowa appeared in the Kinsearching column dated 15 February 2015. Additional newspaper clippings regarding the HAMLIN family and related lines are also found in the Opal and Lester Saffell family papers, currently held in a private collection in Lubbock, Texas. The fragile items, sometimes undated, probably came from an Iowa or Illinois newspaper. Although short, perhaps they will add some new details or “color” to HAMLIN family stories. (Some punctuation, capital letters in proper names, and other letters have been added or deleted for clarity and readability of the clippings. All-caps for surnames are used for emphasis.)
“Grandpa Entertains” (undated)
“Thanksgiving Day was most pleasantly spent by the grandchildren of John HAMLIN at his home in this city when thirteen of them came in to spend the day with him and help partake of the good things that they know comes from Grandpa’s table. Of course, there were some older ones along, but on a day like this, it is always Grandpa and the children that count. In all, there were twenty-seven, namely:
Mr. and Mrs. O. K. OLSON of Red Oak;
Mrs. Bert HAMLIN and children of Red Oak;
Miss Edna OWENS of Red Oak;
Mr. and Mrs. John HAMILTON, Jr., and daughter of Macedonia;
Miss Zola HAYNES of Elston, Iowa;
Mr. and Mrs. Frank HAMLIN and children;
Mr. and Mrs. Albert GODFREY and children of Elliott;
with Misses Lizzie and Delia, who are at home and assisted Mr. Hamlin in the entertaining.
We shall not undertake to tell of the manner in which they enjoyed the day, but will say that we deem it a pleasure to have an account of such a family gathering and would like to receive more of them, for we know they are the happiest events in one’s life.”
(Another undated piece)
“Mr. and Mrs. A. R. HAMLIN held reunion Sunday in honor of Mr. and Mrs. John HAMLIN, who are moving to Chicago. Those here from a distance were Mr. and Mrs. Ralph HAMLIN of Creston;
Ray GRENNELL and family of Griswold;
Mrs. Albert GODFREY and family;
Frank HAMLIN and family of Elliott;
Mr. and Mrs. Frank GODFREY of Morton Mills; and
Mr. and Mrs. O. K. OLSON of the Stratton vicinity.”
(Also undated)
“Mr. and Mrs. Charles PARRISH and son, Carl, of Monmouth, Ill., who spent the winter in California, spent Tuesday and yesterday with Mr. and Mrs. A. R. HAMLIN. Mr. PARRISH and Mrs. HAMLIN are cousins. They are making the trip by automobile.”
(Written on this piece is the date, May 4, 1930.)
“Claude HAMLIN and Sheldon PIKE, students at Ames, in company with Miss SWANSON and her brother, Leroy SWANSON of Ames, drove here Saturday for a visit until Monday.”
(This item was published in September 1930, according to a handwritten note.)
“Mrs. A. R. HAMLIN and sons, Lee and Claude, returned Friday night from a motor trip and week’s visit in Galesburg, Ill., with relatives at Mrs. Hamlin’s old home at Monmouth and where they visited with her brother, Ed WATSON, and at Brookfield, Mo., with her brother, James WATSON.”
(End)