[NOTE: What follows is probably only of interest to my siblings and perhaps a few other immediate family members. I should probably start a private blog for this purpose, but for now I'm just needing a place to gather this material.]
You may recall our earlier assault on the “Dreaded Boxes“, over a year ago. Finally more or less ensconced in a new workspace after several months of tumultuous moving, and with a new scanner in play, the tedious effort of examining and processing the Dreaded contents can now continue. Today. We get underway with my paternal great grandfather, Julius.
Here is Julius in a ca1898-1900 portrait, apparently an official photograph taken to mark his tenure as a representative in the Iowa State Legislature. You can read more from the Iowa State Legislative archives on his role there.
Julius and his wife, Clarabelle, had a family of four girls (including a set of twins) and two boys, the younger of which, Delwin (“Dell”), turned out to be my grandfather. Here is a 1914 family portrait:
(front, left to right: Georgia (twin), Clarabelle (Normand), Julius Marius, Genevieve (the other twin) (top, left to right: Ruth (age 17), Will, Dell (age 27), Edith)
So far, I have found no photographic evidence of Julius’ parents, but they are identified as William N. Hathaway (1817-1901) and Rachel Sweet Hathaway (1823-1883). Some mention of William (do a text search, perhaps using Ctl- or Cmd-F) is made in this lengthy historical record of Monona County. (Or check out this intriguing but somewhat unreadable illustrated version.)
The official History of Monona County Iowa (yes, you can obtain a copy on Amazon) includes this account of Julius and his family:
J. M. HATHAWAY
Standing for many years among the leading and most influential citizens of Monona county, and evincing his faith in the prosperity and the future of the county by large investments in its farm lands, Julius M. Hathaway is entitled to specific mention in the permanent record of the annals of this section of the state.
Mr. Hathaway is a native of Iowa, born at Council Bluffs on the 17th of April, 1855, and is a son of William N. and Rachael (Sweet) Hathaway. The mother was born in London, Ontario, Canada, whence in young girlhood she was brought to the United States by her parents. The father was born in North Wilbraham, Hampden county, Massachusetts, and at an early age moved to Cortland county, New York, and was there reared and educated. Later he moved to Michigan, where he lived for a time, and in 1848 came to Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 1856 he came to Monona county, where he acquired land and thereafter engaged in farming until his death, which occurred in 1898. His wife passed away in 1887. In 1863 Mr. and Mrs. Hathaway made a trip overland to California, returning the following year. There were no railroads and their experiences were sometimes thrilling and dangerous. They were harassed by Indians and at one time met a band of eight hundred redskins. However, by diplomacy they succeeded in gaining the friendship of the Indians, and they made their round-trip journey without injury.
Julius M. Hathaway attended the public schools of Monona county and then assisted his father on the home farm until twenty-five years of age. He then entered politics, being elected to the office of justice of the peace and other township offices. In 1891 he was elected county treasurer, serving four years, and was also a member of the school board for many years. He was engaged for a time in the formation of farm organizations, and was elected to represent Monona and Ida counties in the state legislature, serving in the twenty-seventh general assembly. Mr. Hathaway next engaged in the agricultural implement business for four years, at the end of which time he returned to the home farm, buying the interests of the other heirs in the place, and operated it for eighteen years with marked success. He then moved to Onawa and became secretary of the Monona County Mutual Insurance Company, holding that position three years, and also serving as agent for the Iowa Tornado Mutual Insurance Company. During these years Mr. Hathaway wisely invested from time to time in Monona county land and is now the owner of about nineteen hundred acres.
On June 18, 1879, in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, Mr. Hathaway was united in marriage to Miss Clara Normand, who was a school teacher prior to her marriage. To their union have been born the following children: Edith, who is the wife of J. E. McNamara, of Castana, Iowa, editor of the Castana Times; Georgia, who is the wife of Arthur Whitehorn, of Great Falls, Montana, and her twin sister, Genevieve, who is the wife of Warren Winegar, of Turin, Iowa; Delwin B., who is a farmer in Monona county, as is William Newton; and Ruth, the wife of J. D. Stone, who also is a farmer in Monona county.
Politically Mr. Hathaway has always given his support to the democratic party and has been interested in public affairs. he served one year as mayor of Onawa, six years as a member of the city council, and six years as a member of the school board, being a member of the committee which had in charge the erection of the present school buildings. During the World war he rendered effective service as a member of the county council of defense. He has done a great deal of traveling, visiting many parts of the United States, as well as foreign lands. He is a close reader, keeps well informed on the great questions of the day, and is a splendid conversationalist and an agreeable companion. Because of his splendid public record, his business success and his attractive personality, he is easily accorded a place in the front rank of the citizens of his county.
The most recent documentation on Julius appears to be this group portrait, said to be to mark Julius and Clara’s golden wedding anniversary, which I calculate to be ca June 1929.
Julius is the gentleman in the cap and tie, standing in the second or third row about a third of the way from the left of the photograph. The young man in glasses and overalls at the extreme left would be my father, Francis. His sister, Mary, stands four people to his left, and his younger brother, Warren, is immediately in front of Mary. Someone named Ruth stands at Mary’s left, and while she bears our family surname, I have no idea who she is (clearly far too young to be the Ruth of Julius’ 1914 family group). My father’s brothers, Don (older) and Howard (younger) and sister, Jean, are either not identified in this picture or were not present.
Does my connection with Julius have anything to do with my early years of public service and my continued obsession with politics?
This genealogy stuff is exhausting.
