George A. Amerine

AMERINE, BEEDLE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen- Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/21/2015 at 19:17:38

Monona County History
1982

George A. Amerine, p 87

George and Christian Amerine came to the United States from Germany and Sweden respectively. They were the parents of two daughters, and two sons. The younger son, George, being our father. He was born in Illinois. Dad was making his own living when 14 years old, as his father had passed away when he was a small boy. Dad now lived in Iowa.

He married Murtie Beedle, who was a daughter of Frank and Mary Beedle. George and Murtie had four daughters, Opal Mary (Anderson), Gladys Lucretia (McClure); Marie Lula and Georgia Murtie. (I was to have been the boy, but they had to change the ‘e’ to ‘ia’.

All four girls went to Country school south of our house on the farm. Dad farmed and rented the same place for 26 years. He then bought an acreage on the west outskirts of Onawa; tore down the old house and built a new one, but passed away the day it was finished and never lived in it.

Mother, Opal, Marie and I moved into the house in May of 1930. I then started to the Onawa Public school in the eighth grade and what a change from the one-room country school! I graduated in 1935 in a class of 53 and was the youngest (16 years old).

Opal married Harold O. Anderson, they moved into a new home which was built west of us. While at home she did housework for various families for 15 to 35 cents an hour. Later she worked for Dr. S.N. Anderson’s office, then in Ford’s Apparel until she became ill and passed away in 1976.

Gladys married Elmer McClure and stayed on the farm that we left. In 1948, they built a brick home east of us and moved there. Elmer kept on farming until his health failed. He passed away in 1970. Mother passed away in 1962.

Marie stayed at home and did the cooking and housework. She became ill and passed away in 1978. Gladys and I were the only two left, so we sold our homes and built a new one in 1980 at 1204 13th Street and are living together. Today as I write that our flowers are beautiful, entirely around the house and a row of velvet-red coxcomb at the edge of the garden. Gladys still does the canning, cooking and housework. I have worked almost 46 years in two offices, Iowa Master Breeders Hatchery and the County Engineers Office, where I am still employed. Submitted by: Georgia M. Amerine.