land. He was married to Kim Reason 27 Nov 1976, and to Patricia Martin 14 Feb 1989. There were no children by either marriage. James retired from the U.S. Coast Guard 1 Jun 1994 after 20 years of service. James lives in Decorah, returning there in 1994.

Janet, the third child, was born in Decorah. She attended special education schools in Hyattsville, MD and Bellevue, NE. After graduation from CHAP School in Bellevue, she entered a training program at the St. Coletta School, Jefferson, Wl. She is a resident worker at St. Coletta’s and lives in a group home.

Joseph, the fourth child, was born in Decorah. He attended schools in Adelphi, MD; Bellevue, NE; Kearney State College, Kearney, NE; and Bellevue College, Bellevue, NE. He married Carrie Gill 19 Feb 1985 at St. Croix, Virgin Islands. They have two children: Samuel Joseph and Max William. They live in Catonsville, MO.

Don and Florabelle moved to Decorah in 1946 after Don was discharged from the Army. They moved from Decorah to Adelphi, MD in 1960. Don had been the Internal Revenue Agent in the Decorah office and he transferred to the National Office of the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, DC. In Aug 1973 they moved to Bellevue, NE and Don worked in the Regional Office of the IRS in Omaha, NE until his retirement in Feb 1977. In 1978 Don and Florabelle returned to Decorah. Don was a part-time instructor at the Northeast Iowa Technical Institute at Calmar, IA. He was very active in the Association of Retarded Citizens and he put a lot of time and effort in the planning and building of the first group home in Decorah. It opened in 1982 and was named “The Schell House”. Don was a member of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church, the Knights of Columbus, the Elks, the Lions Club and the American Legion. He was also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the State of Iowa Board of Accountancy, and the National Association of Retired Federal Employees. Don died 23 Oct 1994 at Decorah and is buried at St. Benedict’s Cemetery.

Florabelle is a member of St. Benedict's Catholic Church. Before her marriage she was a secretary at the Oliver Company, Charles City, IA. Florabelle is active in her church circle, enjoys playing bridge and visiting her children.

Schellhammer, Frederick and Katherine (Mundt)

(Ardith Koenig)

Frederick John Schellhammer was born 1 Sep 1860 in Shonbaugh, Germany. He was married on 28 Feb 1888 to Katherine Abele Mundt. Katherine was born 2 Nov 1862 in Stuttgart, Germany. As a young child, Katherine came with her mother Christiania Abele to Giard Twp,, Clayton Co. They came to Christian Schellhammer’s who had a flour mill near Beulah Falls, or Schellhammer Cut, which is now Spook Cave. Christian’s second wife, Marie was Christiania Abele’s sister. Frederick came to America when he was a young man and worked as a equestrian on a farm near Postville, IA.

Katherine and Fred Schellhammer

After Frederick and Katherine were married, they rented farms in the Postville area until they purchased a farm southeast of Castalia, IA in Sec. 34 in 1891. Before she was married, Katherine did apprentice work in a tailoring shop in Postville. There were no patterns in those days, so a pattern had to be made for each person. In later years, she taught her daughters how to make their own patterns. They would sew for the neighbors.

Frederick and Katherine’s children were: Fred C. (19 Mar 1889-8 Jun 1980) married Ethel Thornton (b. 18 Mar 1897) on 17 Mar 1923. Albert (13 Sep 1890-18 Aug 1896) died from a fall from the top of their windmill. Anna (5 Jul 1892-22 Feb 1957) married Ernest Baltz (10 Mar 1888-24 Mar 1967) on 6 Dec 1916. Clara (23 Aug 1894-23 Aug 1987) married Rueben Bernhard (21 Jan 1897-5 Nov 1973) on 10 Sep 1918. Helen (21 Nov 1895-5 Mar 1991) married Roy Owen (12 Sep 1894-23 Oct 1947) on 30 Dec 1919. Sarah Mae (30 Jan 1898-4 Apr 1976) married Joe Schultz (29 Mar 1895-5 Sep 1983) on 24 Feb 1921. Elsie (10 Oct 1900-25 Jun 1931) married Harold Gilbert (19 Nov 1898-12 Nov 1962) on 25 Jun 1921.

Father Fred J. was struck by horses’ hoofs while unhitching his team which injured him internally. He died the next day 8 Jul 1906.

Katherine married Ole Smorstad in 1914. He died in 1917. Katherine died 12 Feb 1943.

Schenck, James Barclay - Family History

(Steven Lawrence Hill)

James Barclay Schenck was born 2 Jul 1820 in Steuben Co, New York. Because his mother died when he was very young, James spent much of his youth in Michigan where he lived with his Uncle Charles Schenck. While living in Michigan, James farmed during the summer months and attended school during the winter