Jill's Genealogy Journey

Stories, Discoveries & Tips

George Holman

Ancestor Ornaments

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Do you find it hard to know what to do with all your research?

What if there are some easy and fun options?

How about ancestor ornaments!?

Ancestor Ornaments: Holman, Fjerstad, Laitala & Middendorp

What a nice way to honor our ancestors!

Click here if you want to see these ancestor ornaments up close.

If you want more context on these pictures:

P.S. Thinking about doing this yourself? It was a little fussy to design these, but if you have some technical skills and you already have done the genealogy research, it isn’t too difficult. You can even use mine to get started and customize ornaments yourself!

Holman Timeline for Four Generations

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I have said it before and I will say it again: I don’t know how anyone decides they are done with family history! I have so much respect for all those people who published books. Anyway, I figure I have collected enough that this could be useful to someone, but please consider this a draft. Here are facts and their sources.

  • 1830 – Abel Holman with 5 people in household Windham, Windham, VT (census)
  • 21 Aug 1830 – Charles Holman born VT (binder)
  • 26 Jul 1832 – Abbie Harrington born Windham Co VT (death cert) or 1831 (HK)
  • 1850 – Charles in Windham VT (census)
  • 1854 – Abbie and Charles married & moved to Dekalb IL (HK)
  • 1856 – Abbie and Charles moved to Rockford IL (HK)
  • 1858 – Abbie and Charles moved to Ogle Co IL (HK)
  • 1860 – Charles & Abbie & kids in Dement, Ogle, IL (census)
  • 1863 – Charles drafted for the Civil War with brother James in IL (draft reg)
  • 7 Sep 1863 – George Holman born IL (binder)
  • 1865 – Fred born Vermont (binder)
  • 1866 – They moved to Kossuth IA – They were early settlers here (HK) Charles’ brother James moved there as well (Reed)
Pic of Headstone for Charles Holman
Headstone for
Charles Holman
Died 30 Sep 1880 Algona IA
  • 5 May 1867 – Nellie Benschoter born to Oliver and Sarah IA (death cert)
  • 1870 – Charles & Abbie & 3 kids in Algona IA (census)
  • 1880 – Charles & Abbie have 4 kids and a servant in Kossuth IA (census)
  • 30 Sep 1880 – Charles died Algona IA (death cert)
  • 1885 – Abbie has 3 kids in Kossuth IA (census)
  • 25 Oct 1885 – George and Nellie married in Kossuth Co IA (marriage cert)
  • 4 Sep 1892 – Fay born Algona IA to Nellie and George (draft card, death, birth cert)
  • 22 Sep 1895 – Mabel Vipond born Moline to Isaac and Louise Belle (death cert)
  • 1900 – George “Mary” and 5 kids in Kossuth IA (census)
Pic of Abbie Harrington Holman
Abbie Harrington Holman
  • 1900 – Abbie is with Rose and Anton in Kossuth IA (census)
  • 1905 – George, Nellie and 6 kids farming in Big Stone MN (census)
  • 1910 – George, Nellie and 5 kids farming in Big Stone MN (census) (owned – look for land records)
  • 1910 – Isaac Vipond and Belle and 5 kids farming in Big Stone MN (census)
  • 12 Jun 1913 – Fay & Mabel married in Big Stone MN (binder)
  • 18 Jun 1915 – Glen Holman born to Fay and Mabel in Odessa MN (death, birth cert)
  • 5 Jun 1917 – Fay farming in Odessa MN, wife and 2 kids (draft card)
  • 23 Jan 1920 – Frances Fjerstad born to Peter and Clair (death cert)
  • 1920 – Fay and Mabel and 2 kids in Ortonville MN (census)
  • 1920 – George, Nellie and Ruth in Mpls MN next to the McGaughey’s (census)
  • 17 Nov 1923 – George died Algona IA (death cert)
  • 6 Feb 1926 – Abbie died Algona IA (death cert)
Pic of George & Nellie Holman Family
l-r: Earl, Nellie, Charles, Zela, Sarah, George, Fay circa 1902 IA or MN
  • 1930 – Fay & Mabel & 5 kids in Big Stone MN (census)
  • 16 Feb 1937 – Glen and Fran married in Milbank living in Ortonville MN (marriage cert)
  • 1940 – Fay & Mabel & 4 kids in Big Stone MN, Isaac w/ them (census)
  • 22 Nov 1944 – Nellie dies Todd Co MN (death cert)
  • 1948 – Fay & Mabel in Mpls MN at 1721 4th Ave S (city dir)
  • 9 Apr 1966 – Mabel dies Hennepin Co MN (death cert)
  • 23 Jan 1968 – Glen Holman dies Hennepin Co MN (death cert)
  • 1 Aug 1971 – Fay dies in Anoka Co MN (death cert)
  • 17 May 2002 – Fran dies Hennepin Co MN (death cert)
  • (As always, there are no details about living descendants to protect their privacy.)
Pic of Fay & Mabel & their kids
l-r: standing: Earl, Glen, Luvern, Mabel, Fay & kneeling: Bob, Jim


*Fun discovery: Fay and Mabel were neighbors! There was just one family in between their families in the 1910 census. They married in 1913.
*Fay was a Rip Rapper in the 1940 census! What is that?
*I wish we could find out more on Charles parents! Who will solve the mystery?

Pic of Glen & Fran & their 5 kids
Glen & Fran & their 5 kids circa 1949


Sources:

  • HK=History of Kossuth, Hancock, and Winnebago Counties, Iowa from 1884: Click here for the ebook
  • Reed=Reed’s History of Kossuth Co from 1913: Click here for the ebook (Check out p.301 for a great account of the destructive cyclone of 1894 where George & Nellie lost a child and all their buildings.)
  • binder=The Holman-Benschoter Family binder made in 1996 by Marlin Albert McGaughey and Dorothy Lee Swanberg
  • Plus all those birth, marriage & death certificates and census records!

The Basic Facts:
Charles Thomas HOLMAN
b. 21 Aug 1830, Windham, VT
d. 30 Sep 1880, Algona, Plumcreek, IA
& Abigail (Abbott) HARRINGTON
b. 26 Jul 1831, Rutland, Windham, VT
d. 6 Feb 1926, Algona, Plumcreek, IA
m. 23 Feb 1854


George Allen HOLMAN
b. 7 Sep 1863, Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois
d. 17 Nov 1923, Algona, Kossuth, IA
& Nellie BENSCHOTER
b. 5 May 1867, Algona, Kossuth, IA
d. 22 Nov 1944, Park Rapids, Hubbard, MN
m. 25 Oct 1885, Portland, Kossuth, IA


Fay Oliver HOLMAN
b. 4 Sep 1892, Algona, Kossuth, IA
d. 1 Aug 1971, Fridley, Anoka, MN
& Mabel Edna VIPOND
b. 22 Sep 1895, Moline, Rock Island, IL
d. 9 Apr 1966, Minneapolis, Hennepin, MN
m. 12 Jun 1913, Ortonville, Big Stone, MN


Glen Oliver HOLMAN
b. 18 Jun 1915, Odessa, Big Stone, MN
d. 23 Jan 1968, Minneapolis, Hennepin, MN
& Evelyn Frances FJERSTAD
b. 23 Jan 1920, Toronto, Deuel, SD
d. 17 May 2002, Brooklyn Center, Hennepin, MN
m. 16 Feb 1937, Milbank, Grant, SD

You might also be interested in:

Great Old Photograph of George Holman & Nellie Benschoter

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Pic of George & Nellie Holman Family
l-r: Earl, Nellie, Charles, Zela, Sarah, George, Fay circa 1902 IA or MN


Don’t you love this old photograph!? This is one of my favorites. They look so well-scrubbed and dressed up! And it was over a hundred years ago! I am guessing this photo was taken in turn of the century Minnesota – maybe 1902?


I vaguely remember my great-grandfather Fay. I was only 2 when he died. It is hard to imagine that old man used to be that sweet-looking boy on the right in the photo.
It was fun to learn about this family in early frontier Iowa.

Some more Tidbits:
(This isn’t all verified, these notes are from family stories and obits.)

  • George was a pioneer in Kossuth County IA. He was quoted as saying he thought he broke more prairie in Kossuth than any other living man.
  • He flew through the air with a steer in the cyclone of 1894. Buildings were destroyed. They had to buy another farm and rebuild. The family was scattered among various friends and family until the new house was complete. He traded his land for “160 unproven” in the Red River valley, then decided it was too far to move so rented it out. Bought 160 NW of Swea City IA in 1899. Some family came and offered lots of money, so they sold that farm.
  • They moved among several farms in Iowa and then to Ortonville, MN in 1901. They were pretty prosperous, with lots of buildings and several horse teams. In 1914, George and Nellie moved with Zela, Ruth, and Earl to Roundup, Montana to a large homestead known as Devil’s Basin.
  • George was visiting brother Zina in the hospital and then died of appendicitis or obstruction of the bowels or on his death certificate it says toxemia following thrombosis.
  • Not a lot is known about George’s father Charles and none of us seem to be able to find his parents. He was a cabinet and coffin maker. It says he’s a farmer from Jamaica [VT] on Fred’s birth certificate. Known as a Green Mountain boy. Charles moved to “Indian Country” (Kossouth County IA, north of Algona) in 1866 in a covered wagon. He settled on a homestead on Plum Creek and went to Fort Dodge, 40 miles away, for groceries and supplies (with a handsled in winter).

Thanks to Marlin Albert McGaughey and Dorothy Lee Swanberg for putting together the binder on the Holman-Benschoter Family in 1996 and also for sharing photos with me. That was really fun and helpful back when I was just starting on this genealogical journey.

The Basic Facts:
George Allen HOLMAN
b. 7 Sep 1863, Rockford, Winnebago, Illinois
d. 17 Nov 1923, Algona, Kossuth, IA
Nellie BENSCHOTER
b. 5 May 1867, Algona, Kossuth, IA
d. 22 Nov 1944, Park Rapids, Hubbard, MN
m. 25 Oct 1885, Portland, Kossuth, IA

And George’s Parents:
Charles Thomas HOLMAN
b. 21 Aug 1830, Windham, VT
d. 30 Sep 1881, Algona, Plumcreek, IA
Abigail (Abbott) HARRINGTON
b. 26 Jul 1831, Rutland, Windham, VT
d. 6 Feb 1926, Algona, Plumcreek, IA
m. 23 Feb 1854


You might also be interested in:

Heritage Pages – Or What to Do with all that Research

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I was getting bored with computer charts and I wanted to create something fun to share, sort of an electronic scrapbook that doesn’t damage any original records or photos. I went searching for early Iowa images online and put these together using Pages on a Mac.

A Few Tips

  • Search for early maps for your place – there are a lot of great old maps online (if Google isn’t working try Cyndislist.com)
  • Brainstorm keywords that apply eg. in this case: frontier iowa, covered wagon, log cabin, prairie
  • Crop the images with a graphics program such as my new favorite: Pixelmator
  • If something isn’t in a good format for your program, take a screenshot (command-shift-3) and then you can crop the screenshot

 

George Holman Heritage thumbnail
George Holman was a pioneer in frontier Iowa (Kossuth)
Charles Holman Heritage Thumbnail
Charles Holman was a pioneer in frontier Iowa (Kossuth)