IAGenWeb - Marion County |
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Reading from left to right--Mrs. Clemantine Betzer, wife of James H. Betzer and daughter of William and Elizabeth Welch. Mrs. Sarah Nossaman, wife of Wellington Nossaman and daughter of William and Elizabeth Welch. Mrs. Annia Smith, wife of O. H. Smith and daughter of William and Elizabeth Welch. Mrs. Isobel Gregoire, wife of John Gregoire, and daughter of William and Elizabeth Welch.
Mrs. Gregoire taught the first school In Marion county. Her school house was of the log cabin variety with split logs with the flat side turned up with hickory legs, as seats and a split log table for a desk. This school was located about four miles south of Pella and located on the farm later owned by Engle Ver Ploeg.
These truly pioneer women were here in 1844 and did much to help the Hollanders in getting their homes in shape to live and assisted in finding food stuffs at times when the rations ran low. They could not understand the Holland language, but they managed to tell the new settlers in the sign language what they desired and it was not long until they were the very best of friends and neighbors. Mesdames Nossaman and Gregoire spent their entire lives in Pella and vicinity, living to a good old age, and enjoying the respect and love of their fellow citizens up to the time of their demise.