On mom’s side twelveth generation,
Of that fifth Generation Iowan,
Louis Starkey ,Waterville,Iowa, family all Norweign, came to Iowa before it was a state,1846,settled in Waterville in Allamakee County, Louis was an Iowan farm boy,
Fell in love with a girl from Winnishiek,County whose last name was Burgeson,they wed and moved to Lane ,South Dakota in Covered Wagon, that was in 1874, so like an intelligent young man he moved his young wife back to Iowa and settled in Clay county,
I unsure how many sons I know from my grand ma a few. Lottie Henrietta Starkey was the second youngest in the Louis Starkey family. My Nana called by my older half sister Diana Lee Dudley,(Diana could not pronouce grandma.)daughter of my mom’s first husband the wife beater Mom divorced when Diana Lee was a year and a half. Nana was a forth grade school teacher. My.grandparents were born in eighteen ninety-six, and both sets married in nineteen twenty-two. Nana was ninety-five when we lost her.An Empath like my grandma and mom and me Louis great granddad, was ninety-six. Esther Nana’s baby sister married a Crew in Clay County. All I recall of Esther is that she was sweet and I loved her.I have a lovely orange and yellow afghan she made years ago.They both bring me great warmth more than I sustain from my blood family .
Nana married a young bank teller,also an Iowan whose folks came in a covered wagon from Pennsyvania.Settled in PA and VA in the sixteen hundreds.One relative pounded in the first nails in the first building in Gettesburg,PA.Had relatives who fought on both sides in the war Between the states .Had three relatives in Andersonville the worst POW[prisoner of war camp in the confederatecy.]
Lottie’s younger sister Esther married a fellow whose last name was Crew in Clay County,Iowa.Lottie was a forth grade country school teacher one day she met Clarence Ward Bittinger who worked at the Bank of Spencee Iowa.Clarence as a clerk. CIarence served in WWI as a second Leutenet luck was on his side.Grandad never saw action after training to fly on her furst day if school. chicken pox. Married Lottie in 1922 the same year my dad’s folks wed. Clarence and Lottie have four children. Clarian married Juliane[Bud]Lovitt from Oklahoma.They met at the roller rink.Bud had served in the Navy during WWII.Tthey had four children.Clarian wanted a little girl. They were living in Indiana. Clarian became extremely ill. My favorite aunt had carried to term her daughter who never would graduate wear a wedding dress or hold her daughters hand while she walked her to school . My poor uncle had to purchase a small coffin to rest her small firm in. ) I don’t know but I hope she was brought home to Spencer Iowa before her parents passed from this earth. The Lovitts had three sons as well. David,Wayne, and Randy Gene. David, an accountant,Wayne, head of voters registration in Iowa and Randy beside being a bully had been a captain in the merchant marines.
Marian(my mom) was born in the middle of her family, like me,fun,hardworking, born November 4th,1927,graduated at seventeen,
Grew up in the Depression knew how to be frugal Norweign mom,saved everything noyhing went to waste idea wasted on.her eldest my half sister Diana Lee Heike Dudley,married Diana’s dad freshly out of the Navy after WWII,moved to California, turned put young love huge mistake first Lee(that was his name lived with his mom beat his wife moms huge mistake was to become pregnate.He kicked and puched her in the gut),
Mom and best friend worked in Des Moines,Iowa after divorcing the monster when Diana was a year and a half.Diana was raised by mom’s golks in Spencer,Iowa whole mom earned a living.
Diana a budding narcississ. Mom and her best buddy Betty took their vacation to Bloxi,Mississippi,mom met the love of her life, married (he used the oldest line in the world my wife doesn’t get me like you do,
Mom fell hard. Don Bender sold her hiant beans,I love you, Marian. I’ll get a divorce, then we can be together,
Mom returned to Iowa to work,plans change a lie, took root,all the home movies made over those few days, and photos were sent to the girl in Iowa. Don’s friend also in the Air Force sent the lie.Don died diving off a pier. Don Bender from Bend Oregan.Broke mom’s heart.When VHS became a thing, mom had her eight mm film into two VHS tapes. I found Don Bender of Bend Organ died at seventy- nine,
It was a blessing she never had to marry the bastard, mom met dad on a blind date.Mom lived to sing and had a lovely voice sang first soprano in Sweet Adalines.Nana mom’s mom mother recalled, forced her to marry dad,Leon Norbert Heike,youngest son to Paul John Andrew And Agnes Kleeman Heike of Shawno ,Wisconsin. July the first nineteen fifty-six in Spencer Iowa at the Methodist church. Dad’s sister and family came but his older brother and family cold not come.Normsn’s wife was expecting their fifth child.Norm’s wife Wava totally uncom fortable was late by two weeks.Karen Agnes was born July fufteenth,nineteen fifty-six .
Lee and his new family after Karen’s birth drive to Seymore, Wisconsin for his niece baptism.That’s when dad”s new daughter nit liking not being the center of attention called my granddad hero of the first World War(to me anyway)a phedofile.where she picked up such a word at eight yesrs old after having begged dad at eight to adopt her would be a mystery but it is clear my Nana told her if her new grandad touched her tell yout mom.
Grand dad had been in the medical Corps in WWI, in France a young man’s detail(job) was the removal of dead and injured comrades from the trenches.He was made a First Sargent which is a non com(non commissioned officer).
Mom dad’s new wife took it upon herself to tell her new sister in laws to keep their children away from grampa.he touches them. When mom met them, they had between the two nine children.I sure mother by that eight year old little girls move for attention made mom appear stupid.
I was born March tenth nineteen hundred and fifty eight and Ellen Beth April eleventh, nineteen sixty-one with Whopping cough, we both had it we nearly lost Ellen.
Bibliography:
1.https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/iowa-admission-anniversary.html
2.https://ponderingandwandering.com/2018/01/30/on-the-trail-of-the-grasshopper-crosses/
Val Whitewolf 