Wm & Eliz. (Allen) Penn Family

ALLEN, PENN

Posted By: Cathy Joynt Labath (email)
Date: 9/21/2006 at 19:04:28

--From Graettinger [Palo Alto Co, IA] Centennial 1893-1993 p. 263

WILLIAM AND ELIZABETH (ALLEN) PENN FAMILY

Elizabeth Allen was born on April 20, 1847 in Paxton, Berwick on Tweed, Scotland. William Penn was born in Argilshire, Scotland on November 11, 1848. In 1871 they were married and two of their children, Ann and Mary, were born in Scotland before the Penns came to America. In Scotland, Mr. Penn was a garden and groundskeeper.

When they came to America, they located on a farm in Jack Creek Township. The farmed it for twenty-five years and then they built a home in Graettinger. He raised a big garden and sold plants and flowers to the local people. Mr. Penn was active in town affairs. He was on the town council, the school board, was mayor for two terms and town clerk for one term.

They were the parents of five daughters and two sons – Ann, Mary, Isabel, Margaret, Florence, William, Jr. and Robert.

Mrs. Penn passed away in 1937 and Mr Penn in 1942.