Carroll, Iowa

24 July 2013

Drove about 80 miles northwest to the town of Carroll where we are spending four nights.  We are staying at Swan Lake State Park and spending most of our time tracing family roots. Even though there have been lots of dark clouds, they aren’t over us, for which I am grateful. We received several severe thunderstorm warnings on our weather radio telling people to head to storm shelters because there was damaging wind and hail, but the online weather map showed the affected areas to be generally south of us.

The park is beautiful and quiet, about 3 miles outside Carroll which is a medium sized town. For two nights, we were able to have a campfire because the temperatures have really cooled down. I enjoyed watching the fireflies – we don’t get those in California that I know of. The first night, we watched the fireflies against a background of distant sheet lightning.

Found the cemetery where some of my ancestors are buried and found their gravesites. We spent a day plus at the Greene county courthouse looking up land records and probate files. In the recorder’s office, they led us into the vault, showed us the index and books and told us to have fun. I was looking at records that are over a hundred and fifty years old! We were quite successful, finding land records for my great great grandfather, who was one of the early settlers (in 1857) and great grandfather and several of their children. Also got copies of the probate records for all three of my direct ancestors. They gave me some insight into their lives and how difficult it was for some. I also got some new data on death dates and wives’ maiden names.

Also spent some time at the public library where I looked up obituaries on microfilm. Met with some success, but not a lot of new data. Saw two teenage Amish girls watching soaps on the library computers – bet their parents don’t know they are doing that!

We took one day and drove an hour and a half north to Fort Dodge to meet up with Russ’ Aunt Irene (who will be 95 in September) and one of her daughters. Had a very nice lunch – Irene said that we really “flapped the air”. I enjoy listening to Irene – she shares some mannerisms with her brother and I grew nostalgic remembering my wonderful father-in-law.

Tomorrow, we continue northwest to Sioux County for more family research, then to Sioux Falls to visit more of Russ’ family. Really enjoying Iowa!

Swan Lake is a man made lake just south of Carroll, Iowa.

 

This is a picture of two bison who are relaxing in a field just across the road from our campsite.

This doggie was so excited to chase balls into the lake!

   

Relaxing by a campfire, our first of this trip.

 

Can you guess this church's denomination?  Leitha guessed correctly from about 3 blocks away.

 

On the road out to my ancestor's graves.

Greenbrier Cemetery, in the south part of Greene County.

My great-great-grandfather's tombstone. He came to this country from County Down, Ireland in the 1840s.

 

A REALLY large hawk perched alongside the country road we took to the cemetery.

 

The cupola inside the Greene County courthouse.

 

This is the Greene County courthouse where we spent a day looking up family records.

Russ with his Aunt Irene and cousin DeeAnn.