TRUE FAMILY in SHENANDOAH, IA

by Patte Kelley: pattek@carnegielibrary.org

[see Patte's family pictures on photo page]

 

      JOHN W. TRUE was born in August 1849 in Dane County, Wisconsin. His parents were WILLIAM HENRY TRUE and SUSAN A. SPRINGER. William descended from Henry Trew who was born 30 May 1591 in Caister-on-Sea, Filby Parish, Norfolk, England.

      John W. True married 16 Mar 1871 in Wisconsin CORDELIA FOREST CUMMINGS daughter of WILLIAM CUMMINGS and JULIA ANN ROBINSON. Cordelia was born 20 July 1852 in Oregon, Dane County, Wisconsin. In 1873 John and Cordelia moved to the Shenandoah, IA area.

      The Trues resided first on a farm west of town, then, in 1905 they moved to Shenandoah. John and son William Orville opened a restaurant in town about that time. Cordelia died 20 Jan 1906 in Shenandoah, Page County, Iowa. John married second 1 August 1907 in Page County, IA, ANNA L. RODERICK. John died 02 May 1923 in Wisconsin. John and Cordelia are both buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Shenandoah. Their children were William Orville True and Mero Glen True.

      WILLIAM ORVILLE (or ORVAL) TRUE was born 24 January 1877 in Farragut, IA. He married first on 16 March 1899 in Farragut, IA, CAROLINE ADELLE JONES. Their son was HAROLD FOREST TRUE born 30 March 1900 in Walnut Twp., Fremont Co., IA. William’s second wife was AUDREY BREWER.  William died 2 December 1927, In Omaha, NE.

      MERO GLEN TRUE was born 06 Dec 1891 in Shenandoah, Iowa, and died 03 Oct 1936 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa.  He attended the Iniversity of Denver and Creighton State College. He married EDITH ESTA CODER, daughter of GEORGE BARTON CODER and ELIZABETH ADELINE GRANTHAM.  Edith was born 2 July 1895 in Stanberry, Gentry County, Missouri. He served in the army as 1st Lt Co E 168th 42nd Div and 145th Inf 36th Div Iowa. Mero is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, Shenandoah, IA. Edith, who died in Latrobe, Westmoreland County, PA in 1974, is buried in Crabtree, Westmoreland County, PA. The Children of MERO TRUE and EDITH CODER were:

                                RUSSELL GLEN TRUE, born 09 June 1913 Atlanta, Phelps County, Nebraska.; died 29 November 1944, France (WWII)

                                MARY CATHERINE TRUE (TRUDY), born 07 February 1921, Council Bluffs, IA; died 20 August 1985, Cincinnati, Ohio

                                MARGARET ANN TRUE. (PAT), born 11 November 1923, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa; died 22 July 1992, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

                         Also buried in Rose Hill Cemetery are John W. True’s brother BONAPARTE FARGO TRUE, born 12 April 1872 in WI, and his wife ORAH M. SMITH born 29 January 1868, IA. They were married 25 December 1891 in Page County and they lived for a time in Shenandoah, where Bonaparte was a printer and circulation editor on the Shenandoah Post. They were living in California at the time of their deaths.