Recollections of Frank Lafaver
Transcribed by Dale Lafaver May 1998
I was born in Sullivan County, Mo. near Owasco. At the age of six months I and my mother went to Indiana, near Gosport, on a farm owned by my grandfather. My father had gone there a short time before. We lived there several years. My brother and sister was born there. On October 16, 1876 we loaded several covered wagons and went to Knoxville, Iowa. My uncle and his family went with us. We stayed until March. A heavey snow fell the day we started to Iowa and was still on when we left in march. We had a cold trip and it was slow traveling. One of our horses died in Bloomington, Ill. We got another one and made the rest of the trip.
We arrived in Sullivan County in March, 1877, and lived one year on the J. A. Ammerman place then we moved to the Comstock place now owned by Ralph Curl. In March 1881 we moved on a farm now owned by my oldest son Vollie. My father had bought it of J. R. Hensley.
I bought eighty acres of land 3/4 mile north of my father's home. In October,1894 I was married to Ida Zoe Hill. We built a house there and lived in it untill 1908; then moved to the farm where we now reside, known as the henry compton place. we have seven children, four of them are married. Vollie married Grace Dewitt, Lee married Helen Hardinger, Gertie is now Mrs. Issac Pickens and Ester is Mrs Charles Walker. Rex, Carl and Glenn are still at home. All of our children live close to us except Lee and family. Lee is a carpenter and lives in Kansas City.
We also have two of my brother's children, Ruth and Ruby La Faver. They have been with us four years. My brother, Walter, died during the "flu epidemic in the year 1918. My sister, Daisy Campbell, died in 1927 in a hospital at Kirksville, Mo. and left Four children: Harold, Lela, Bernard and Norma. Fred La Faver and Etta Andrews are living. My father passed away June 28, 1905, and my mother in December, 1920. In the fall of 1904 we started in the faith at Sticklerville at meetings held by Rev. Faucette and the only regret is that we haven't lived closer to our master. as I am writing this, I am thinking of my early school mates and only one, resides in the district at this writting, except my sister and myself.
Ettais the wife of Milton Andrews. Fred La Faver married Margaret Porter and live in Oklahoma.
Denzel and Ida Mae La Faver, son and daughter of Lee and Helen La Faver were enroled at Comstock during their first school days. Also the older children of Charles and Ester La Faver Walker.
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Note's added by Mike La Favre
Theuncle Frank mentions is Jacob C. La Favre
Knoxville, Iowa was the home of Jacob and Isaac's older brother John W. Lafaver. Jacob's wife, Elizabeth Farr, did not make the trip with the family at this time. Elizabeth remained behind, staying with her father, to help with her son, Jefferson, legal problems. Elizabeth left for Iowa after Jefferson was found not guilty at his 2nd trial in Owen County on Oct 11, 1877. Elizabeth died from"complications of child birth" on April 11, 1879.
