| A brief family history Fred Beard was raised in the Iowa City area. Nellie McNutt was from the Green Ridge, Missouri area. In 1902, Fred's parents, John Hormel and Caroline Beard moved to Missouri, for her health. She had tuberculosis and wanted to be near a treatment center there. They bought a 320-acre farm in Pettis county, near Sedalia, from Adolph Riecke in 1903. In 1905, John died suddenly of typhoid fever. At that time, Fred, the oldest child, was 16. Fred had attended school with, and courted, Nellie McNutt. Shortly after his father’s death, Fred left home and went to the Iowa City area, working on the Hunter farm east of Iowa City. This move by her oldest son upset his mother. Caroline soon sold the Missouri farm and moved, with her 4 remaining children (Robert-14, Waldo-9, Manley-3, and Carrie-2), to Iowa City, where she bought a house on the southeast side, on Court street, across the street from a school, and still standing. In February of 1911, Fred Beard went to Missouri and married Nellie Mae McNutt, and they returned to Iowa City (actually Morse) on the train. Fred must have arranged to rent the farm before going to Missouri. Fred and Nellie moved from MO to IA after their marriage, to a farm near Morse, IA, where Freddie was born. In 1912, they then moved to the farm near Hills, that was owned by Michael Mentzer, who was married to "Aunt Louise", Carrie Wolz Beard’s sister. Five more children were born at the farm near Hills. The Mike Metzer Farm was five miles SW of Iowa City in Liberty Twp., Johnson county, IA, and one mile north of Old South Liberty, a one-time stage-coach stop including a hotel, store, blacksmith shop, etc. On this farm all of us were born except Fredrick and Treva. In 1918 we moved to Evergreen Hill farm 2 1/2 miles NW of Frytown, at one time called Williams Town and at one time called Frank Pierce.In 1918, the family bought a farm west of Frytown that had been owned by Frank Hess. The family lived there for 18 years, until 1936. During the Depression, Fred lost ownership of the farm to the State of Iowa, and rented from the State for several more years. The kids attended Oakland School west of their home. All of the children except Treva, the youngest graduated from high school while they lived at the Frytown farm. Frederick and Paul graduated from Center High School, southwest of their home. The twins and Donald attended Center for two years (John for one year), and then the 4 of them transferred to Sharon Center High School. Paul went to Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls. Treva attended Center High School until 1936 when… Due to some trickery on the part of a neighbor, Fred lost the farm at Frytown and moved a couple of miles west to the farm of Virgil Beaney, in 1936. Freddie was living and working in Iowa City, Ellen was married, Evelyn came back from Wellman, where she was working at Maplecrest, to help with the move. Paul, who was teaching at Frytown school, Donald, John, and Treva were still living with Fred and Nellie. Moved to rent a farm near Morse [In 1937?]. While there, Carl and Evelyn both got married in June of ’38. Treva stayed with McKay’s, neighbors, so she could continue at Center High School. Later, she moved back with her parents and took the bus to attend City High in Iowa City. Moved to rent a farm (the Adams farm) near West Branch [1941?], a very large farm with a house that had two separate living quarters. For some time, John and Thelma lived there too. Donald helped Fred farm until he was drafted in WWII. With Donald gone, Fred could not handle the farm work alone, and decided to buy the McNutt family farm in Missouri. Nellie’s father, Ferdinand, had died in 1939. Moved to Missouri, [1943?] to the McNutt family farm where Nellie grew up. Nellie was not pleased about the move, and didn’t think Fred would like the Missouri lifestyle, or working poorer Missouri farmland. Lucy lived with Fred and Nellie part-time, and with Nellie’s sister Ella the rest of the time. Lucy lived on for 10 years after Ferdinand’s death. Fred and Nellie remained on the farm in Missouri until Nellie’s health began failing. In 1970, John, Evelyn and Ellen drove to Missouri to help Fred and Nellie get ready for their sale. After the sale, Fred and Nellie moved into the lower level of the Emery and Ellen Rhodes home, which had been equipped with a small kitchen, bath, bedroom and a large living room. They lived there together until Nellie’s health diminished further and she moved into the Beverly Manor Rest Home nearby. Later, Nellie was moved to Pleasantview home at Kalona, and soon after, Fred moved there as well. Fred died there in March of 1982, and Nellie died in October of the same year, both at age 92, having been married for 71 years. |