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Clara
(Miner) Tucker |
Clara
(Miner) Tucker was born on May 12, 1850 in Fort Madison, Lee County, IA or in Des Moines County, IA, the
daughter of Nathaniel "Nathan" and Susan (Abbott) Miner.
An Iowa history once correctly called her "a lady of German extraction," even after five generations since her
Meinert ancestors had arrived in America.
On June 13, 1871, when she was 21 years of age, Clara wed 21-year-old George Wilson Tucker (June 13, 1850-1909) at the county courthouse in Burlington, Des Moines County, IA by the hand of Rev. W.C. Shippen of the Old Zion Methodist Episcopal Church.
George was a native of Lawrenceburg, Dearborn County, IN, and the son of John W. and Sarah (Spicknell) Tucker. He migrated to Lee County at the age of one in 1851.
Their marriage withstood the ups and downs of 33 years.
Together, the pair produced a family of six children -- Etta Mae Lange, Charles Tucker, Susan Tucker, John W. Tucker, Nathaniel J. "Nate"
Tucker, and Frances Katherine "Frankie" Rea.
The Tuckers acquired land in Green Bay Township, Lee County and stayed there with George's parents for a number of years. When the federal census enumeration was made in 1880, the Tuckers made their home in Green Bay Township.
Later circa 1898, after the death of George's father, they moved to Wever, Lee County and by 1900 into Fort Madison, Lee County, IA. They appear to have maintained their ownership of 500 acres in Green Bay Township for good.
Their address was 411 Second Street in Fort Madison.
George is profiled in the 1905 book, Biographical Review of Lee County, Iowa. The chapter opens with the statement that "One who for many years has been identified very prominently with the agricultural interests and the public life of Lee county is George W. Tucker." The entry goes on to say that he:
...received a good common-school education, but in order to further prepare himself for the successful business career which has since been his, he entered Pearson's Business College, at Fort Madison, and pursued a course of commercial study. In 1876 he began farming, believing that in this field of endeavor life rich rewards for those who conduct their efforts with energy, care and the scientific application of business principles. His expectations have been fully justified, in his own case, at least, by the event, as his vigorous prosecution of the enterprise has brought him much material prosperity.
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| Locals on a fishing outing at "The Bay" in Fort Madison |
In 1897, George was elected sheriff of Lee
County, where he served for four years. He
also held the post of deputy sheriff, and "held most of the offices of his
township." His son John is known to have worked for him as deputy sheriff circa 1900.
They were members of the First Methodist Church, and he belonged
to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks (BPOE), Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen of America and the
Forresters. He gave "hearty and loyal support to the Democratic party,
believing that its principles are best calculated to secure the general welfare
in harmony with the spirit of American institutions."
George died at the age of 58 years, 9 months and 18 days as a patient in Fort Madison's St. Elizabeth Hospital on March 26, 1909. Rev. Arthur Long, of the Burlington Christian Church, presided over the funeral rites, held in the family home. His remains were lowered into eternal repose in Atlee Cemetery in Fort Madison, otherwise known as Elmwood Cemetery. An obituary appeared in the Keokuk Daily Gate City newspaper, saying the deceased "had many friends all over the county. He was a kind neighbor, father and husband, and always ready to assist his friends in distress. His early demise is greatly regretted by all and the deepest sympathy goes out to the bereaved family and other relatives."
Clara outlived her husband by 35-plus years. In 1910, the year after her husband's passing, she resided with her daughter Frankie in Fort Madison.
In 1930, she headed a household in Fort Madison that included her daughter Sarah Susie and son-in-law Milo Jacobs. Sadly, the daughter died later that year, and Clara relocated to Pomona, Los Angeles County, CA. She was in Pomona in 1933 when, at the death of her sister Laura's husband Joseph Troxel Jr., she provided testimony supporting the widow's right to a Civil War soldier's pension. Her signed affidavit remains in the soldier's file in the custody of the National Archives in St. Louis.
Clara migrated to Southern California in about 1930 to lived with her married daughter and son-in-law, Frankie and Dr. James Glen Rea, at 219 Garfield Avenue in Pomona. She remained in the community for the final 15 years of her life.
She died on March 13, 1945, at the age of 94. Her remains were returned to Clements' funeral parlor in Fort Madison for funeral rites held in the home of her son John on Avenue D. Burial was in Elmwood Cemetery following funeral rites conducted by Rev. Dr. S.C. Patterson. Pallbearers were Paul Bufe, Clyde Sheperd and Charles Ireland of Wever; Victor Pierott of Burlington; and Fred Jackson and Harry Walters of town. An obituary in the Pomona Progress Bulletin said her passing took place "after a long period of failing health." An obituary also was published in the Fort Madison Evening Democrat.
~ Son John W. Tucker ~
Son John Tucker (1878- ? ) was born on Oct. 21, 1878 in Green Bay Township, Lee County, IA.
John earned a living in Fort Madison, IA in 1900 as a deputy sheriff for Lee County, working for his father, the county sheriff.
When he was about 23 years of age, in 1901, he was united in holy matrimony with 19-year-old Josephine Schlemer (1882- ? ).
They produced one known son, Dr. Edward C. Tucker.
John and his brother Charles worked together in the hardware and implement business in Fort Madison and met "with gratifying success." They also were farmers, as shown in the 1910 federal census of Green Bay Township.
At the death of John's mother in Pomona, CA in 1945, John was named in the Pomona Progress Bulletin obituary. At that time, he hosted her funeral in his home at 1107 Avenue D.
Son Edward C. Tucker (1905- ? ) was born in about 1905 in Green Bay Township, Lee County. In adulthood, he was a dentist in Fort Madison. He is mentioned in his grandmother Tucker's 1945 Fort Madison Evening Democrat obituary and in a 1947 edition of The Fortnightly Review of the Chicago Dental Society.
~ Daughter Etta May (Tucker) Lange ~
Daughter Etta May Tucker (1872-1920) was born on May 21, 1872 in Weyer, Green Bay Township, Lee County, IA.
At the age of 18, on Feb. 24, 1891, Etta May married Herman Lange (Feb. 28, 1862- ? ), also a native of Weyer. The nuptials were held in Green Bay Township.
They had at least one known son, George Wilson Lange.
Sadly, after 29 years of marriage, Etta died in Milburn, OK on Jan. 26, 1920. Her remains were brought back to Fort Madison for burial.
Herman survived his wife by almost four decades. He passed into eternity in Talihina, OK on May 20, 1959.
Son George Wilson Lange (1892-1969) was born on July 5, 1892 at Weyer, Green Bay Township, Lee County, IA. On May 28, 1928, in a ceremony held in Colbert, OK, he was joined in wedlock with Rose Ellen King (Aug. 30, 1904-1984). They produced at least one daughter, Alice Elizabeth Jacobs. George succumbed on Nov. 25, 1969 in Talihina, OK. Rose Ellen survived him by 15 years. She joined him in death on June 26, 1984 in Ada, OK.
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Granddaughter Alice Elizabeth Lange (1940-2014) was born on July 29, 1940 in Wewoke, Seminole County, OK. Two days after Christmas 1961, she was wedded to Ronald Dean Jacobs (April 9, 1938-living), with the nuptials taking place in Albion, OK. The couple produced one son, Lange Jacobs. Said the Marietta (OK) Monitor, Alice was "very involved in volunteer work in every community in which she lived." The couple resided for two decades in the Panama Canal Zone, working in a civil service capacity for the Panama Canal Company. She also taught school in several Oklahoma communities. In 2001, the Jacobses relocated to Marietta, OK and became members of the First United Methodist Church. Among other activities, Alice was admitted to membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) in 1998, on the service record of Jacob Minerd Sr., the first known cousin to be so acknowledged for Jacob's service. She also was active with the Daughters of 1812, Colonial Dames of the 17th Century, Daughters of the American Colonies and State Governor of the Continental Society of Daughters of Indian Wars. Said the Monitor, "She was also very active in numerous volunteer organizations such as the Pink Ladies Auxiliary of Mercy Health Love County, RSVP, SODA Area of Aging and Ombudsman for many years. Alice will be remembered as a wonderful cook who enjoyed sharing with others." Sadly, Alice died at home on Aug. 26, 2014, at the age of 74. Their son Lange Jacobs married Jennifer (?) and make their home in Boca Raton, FL, with one daughter, Jill Elizabeth Jacobs.
Marietta Monitor obituary, 2014
~ Son Nathaniel Jackson "Nate" Tucker ~
Son Nathaniel Jackson "Nate" Tucker (1882-1968) was born on Nov. 21, 1882 in Wever, Lee County, IA and appears to have been named for his maternal grandfather.
He was tall and slender and sported blue eyes and brown hair.
On Jan. 16, 1907, when he was age 24, and she 22, Nathan entered into the holy rite of marriage with Edith Jane Kennedy (June 4, 1884-1957) in Lee County. She was the daughter of Cyrus and Sallie (Schantz) Kennedy.
Their home in 1910, as shown by the United States Census, was on a farm in Green Bay Township, Lee County, IA.
The Tuckers produced two children -- Sarah Kathryn Weddington and Richard KennedyTucker.
Nathan was required to register for the military draft during World War I. Age 35 at the time, he disclosed that he and Edith dwelled in Wever and that his occupation was "farmer."
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Edith and the children - Katherine L. Tucker |
In 1945, Nathan was named in his mother's obituary in the Pomona (CA) Progress Bulletin. Their final address together was 906 Avenue D.
Edith Jane passed into the arms of the heavenly host on Jan. 24, 1957.
Nathan outlived his wife by almost a dozen years. Sadly, burdened with "pulmonary edema," a buildup of fluid in the lungs, and atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD), Nathaniel was admitted to Sacred Heart Hospital. There, he died at the age of 85 on Oct. 20, 1968. The remains were lowered into the sleep of ages in Oakland Cemetery in Fort Madison.
Daughter Sarah Kathryn "Sally" Tucker (1910-1991) was born on Feb. 22, 1910 in Green Bay Township near Wever, Lee County, IA. On July 5, 1935, at age 26, she tied the marital cord with 25-year-old Roy Gilmer Weddington (Feb. 12, 1911-1986), a Fort Madison native and the son of George Horton and Maude (Malcolm) Weddington. Their nuptials took place in Fort Madison, with Susann Macdonald, Margaret L. Laird and Alex Laird serving as witnesses. At the time of marriage, Roy was employed as a teller with Lee County Savings Bank. Together, they bore a family of offspring, including Suzanne J. Larsen and Gary T. Weddington. The couple lived in the Blackhawk Heights section of Fort Madison over the years. When the federal census enumerations were made in 1940 and 1950, the family remained in Fort Madison and he continued his profession as assistant cashier with the bank. Sarah Kathryn was rendered a widow at Roy's passing on June (?) 1986. She survived him by about five years. Sadly, she died in Fort Madison in April 1991. Their remains sleep for the ages in the sacred soil of Oakland Cemetery.
- Granddaughter Suzanne J. Weddington (1939- ? ) was born in 1939 in Iowa. She was joined in wedlock circa 1961 with Harold L. Larsen ( ? - ? ) of Park Ridge, IL. News of their marriage license was made public on the pages of the Des Moines Tribune.
- Grandson Gary T. Weddington (1942- ? ) was born in about 1942. He attended the University of Florida at Gainesville where he met his future bride. He was united in matrimony with Susan Schroeder ( ? - ? ), daughter of Harry J. and Betty Schroeder Jr. The couple's only son was Jeffrey Weddington. They lived in Jacksonville for six years and then relocated to Phoenix so Gary could attended the Thunderbird School of International Management. From there they migrated once more to Los Angeles. In 1999, Gary and his son formed Perma-Guard in Wilmington, NC. The marriage ended in divorce, and Susan wed again to (?) Miller.
Great-grandson Jeffrey T. Weddington ( ? -2014) was born in Gainesville, FL and spent the first six years of life in Jacksonville. He then accompanied his parents on moves to Phoenix and Los Angeles. Jeffrey's childhood was filled with all sorts of sports and activities, ranging from baseball, football and soccer to surfing and Cub Scouts. Said an obituary, "He moved to Lake Tahoe in high school and was on the Squaw Valley Ski Team and again played football. He attended college in Santa Barbara, California, before returning to Los Angeles and working in the food industry for David Murdock’s Regency Club in Westwood, California. In 1999, Jeffrey and his father formed a company called Perma-Guard in Wilmington, North Carolina." He found his calling as a commercial fisherman in Wilmington and enjoyed boating with his father. He also loved to travel and logged visits throughout the United States, Europe, Central and South America and Mexico. Jeffrey was the father of Taylor Weddington. Tragically, he received a puncture from a stingray which led to a bone infection of his spine. He suffered a heart attack during his hospital treatment and died at the age of 51 on Dec. 17, 2014. A celebration of life was held in Fort Madison Riverview Park.
Son Capt. Richard Kennedy Tucker (1916-2005) was born on Jan. 2, 1916 in Fort Madison, Lee County, IA. He was baptized on March 27, 1927 in the Union Presbyterian Church. In adulthood he stood 6 feet tall and weighed 180 lbs. Richard received a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1936 from the University of Iowa. On Nov. 26, 1938, when he was 22 years of age, he was united in matrimony with 22-year-old Jeanne M. Crowley (1916-2007), daughter of J. Ray Crowley of Davenport, IA. Their wedding was held in manse of the First Presbyterian Church in the bride's hometown. She was pictured in a wedding announcement in the Davenport Daily Times, which said she wore "an afternoon frock of peacock blue velvet, fashioned with small white collar. Her flowers will be gardenias." Jeanne was an alumna of Fort Madison High School. After attending Stephens College, she received a degree in 1937 from the University of Iowa. The newlyweds' first home was in Indianapolis where he was working as a reporter for the Indianapolis News. They remained there until after the outbreak of World War II, at 648 Eastern Avenue. A trio of offspring born to the couple were Michael Tucker, Robert Tucker and Dr. Katherine L. Tucker. Richard joined the U.S. Army in 1942 and was assigned to the staff of Gen. Douglas MacArthur in the Pacific Theatre. His role was as an infantry correspondent and press officer, and at the Japanese surrender in August 1945, he was aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. A year later, in 1946, they relocated cross-country to Maryland when he joined the staff of the Baltimore Evening Sun. Then at the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, he was deployed to Korea to cover the conflict for the newspaper. During that time he posed for a humorous photograph, with a sign reading "Baltimore Sun Hamhung Bureau." After the close of the war, he returned to his position with the Evening Sun .
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| Japanese surrender in World War II, which Richard Tucker witnessed aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay - courtesy Library of Congress. |
One of Richard's colleagues at the Sun during the 1947-1955 timeframe was William Manchester, future author of such bestsellers as The Death of a President (1967), The Arms of Krupp (1968), American Caesar: Douglas MacArthur (1978) and The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill (1983 and 1988). In a recap of those years, Manchester wrote in his farewell column in the Evening Sun in 1995 that they "were the happiest I have ever known. Nothing beats the life of a reporter; his days, as H.L. Mencken wrote, 'chase one another like kittens chasing their tales.' And I was in great company." After mentioning "Dick Tucker" by name among several others, Manchester added that his colleagues were "survivors of the war, most of us, all drawn to Baltimore by the reputation of a great daily with a circulation of nearly a quarter-million. There has never been a newspaper like it, or a staff like ours." The two men remained friends to the end. In September 1995, now living in Middletown, CT, Manchester invited Richard and Jeanne to a dinner in Baltimore of Evening News alumni including Jim Bready, Bill Pyne, Jim McManus and Brad Jacobs. Richard was hired away in 1957 to be managing editor of Xerox's Read and Current Events in Middletown, CT. During their New England era they dwelled in East Hampton, CT and Block Island, RI. In retirement, circa 1983, the Tuckers returned to Richard's hometown and belonged to St. John's United Church of Christ. He authored the 1991 book The Dragon and the Cross: The Rise and Fall of the Ku Klux Klan in Middle America, produced by Archon Books. His friend Manchester said the book was "meticulously researched, vividly told, and compulsively readable. It is a classic piece of Americana." In her own right, Jeanne earned a living over the years as a teacher. As they aged, the Tuckers relocated in 1999 to Massachusetts, where their married daughter Sharon was living. At the age of 89, Richard succumbed to the spectre of death at home in Mansfield, MA on March 5, 2005. Rev. Rob Robinson presided over the funeral rites, held in the family church in Fort Madison. Interment was in Oakland Cemetery. His photograph accompanied his obituary in the Sun. In his name, a memorial fund was established to benefit the new Fort Madison Public Library. Jeanne outlived her husband by just over two years and remained in Mansfield. She died on April 9, 2007. The headcount of her survivors was three grandchildren and two great-granddaughters. An obituary appeared in the Boston Globe.
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Grandson Michael D. Tucker relocated to Taiwan and was there in 2005-2007.
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Grandson Robert N. Tucker moved to Phoenix/Tempe, AZ.
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Granddaughter Katherine L. Tucker, PhD ( ? -living) first majored in chemistry at the University of Connecticut but then shifted her focus into nutritional sciences, receiving her bachelor of science in 1978. She achieved honors in her studies and worked with African-American teenage girls to developing nutrition education programs. She seized an opportunity to join the Peace Corps in the Philippines Islands and then obtained a doctorate in nutritional sciences at Cornell University (1986). There, on a year-long data collection assignment in northern Panama, she researched maternal employment and child nutrition. Said a profile on the University of Massachusetts/Lowell website, "Tucker’s interest in community nutrition expanded into understanding the policies of food, epidemiology and the changing landscape of a complex industry. She went on to work at Tufts University, where she founded a new graduate program in nutritional epidemiology. For Tucker, there are no limits to the field of nutrition, and she encourages students interested in both chemistry and healthy food to consider it." She has authored more than 300 articles in science publications and today heads the Center for Population Health and Health Disparities at UMass/Lowell. In the profession, Katherine has twice served terms on the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine and was editor in chief of Advances in Nutrition from 2013 to 2023. She is a Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition, Gerontological Society of America and the American Society for Bone Mineral Research. As well, she is senior editor of the 12th edition of the textbook, Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease. Katherine is married to Luiz Falcon ( ? - ? ), and they have established a home in Sharon, MA. She graciously has contributed valuable content for this biography.
~ Son Charles Clinton Tucker ~
Son Charles Clinton Tucker (1874-1939) was born on Oct. 22, 1874 in Green Bay Township, Lee County, IA.
On Nov. 21, 1895, when he was 21 years of age, he married Elsie Badley (April 10, 1874-1940), the daughter of Uriah and Clarissa (Garrison) Badley. Rev. G.B. Schwartz presided over the wedding nuptials. At the time both resided in Wever, Lee County.
The couple did not reproduce over their 43 years together.
Charles and Elsie were longtime farmers and are shown in this occupation in the 1900 federal census enumeration of Green Bay Township. In 1900, farm laborer George Curfman boarded under their roof.
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Elmwood Cemetery - courtesy Karen Kester |
Sadly, during an intense hot weather spell Charles suffered a heart attack on Aug. 9, 1939 and was found dead in dead the next morning, at the age of 59. Burial was in Fort Madison at the Atlee Cemetery, also known as Elmwood Cemetery.
Elsie only survived her husband by six months. She was swept away by the Grim Reaper on Feb. 25, 1940.
~ Daughter Susan Sarah "Susie" (Tucker) Tucker Jacob ~
Daughter Susan Sarah "Susie" Tucker (1876-1930) was born on Sept. 15, 1876 in Green Bay Township, Lee County.
On July 31, 1897, when she was 21 years of age, she entered into marriage with 32-year-old locomotive engineer Charles Seth Tucker (1866-1918), a native of Fayette, WI and and son of Seth Samuel and Mary Jane (Coyle) Tucker. Their nuptials were conducted in Green Bay Township by Rev. A.E. Buriff.
The happy couple are said to have been no relation to each other. They did not reproduce.
When the federal census enumeration was made in 1900, the Tuckers shared a home in Fort Madison with Susie's parents. Charles' occupation was shown as railroad engineer.
The pair relocated to Wellington, KS and were there in 1909 followed by a move by 1910 to Amarillo, Potter County, TX, with him continuing his work as a railroad engineer. He also is said to have worked as "an engineer" in Oklahoma, with their home at one time in the town of Blackwell. They maintained their Wellington home but lived in Milburn, OK in the autumn of 1918.
Charles passed away in Milburn, OK in mid-September 1918, of causes not yet known. Fellow engineers John Scow and S.H. Barner traveled from Fort Madison to attend the funeral rites. Also going to the funeral were Wellington railroaders W.P. Glass and Sherman Lupher. Burial was back in Fort Madison in Atlee Cemetery, also known as Elmwood Cemetery.
The Wellington Monitor-Press reported within a month or two that "Mrs. Charles Tucker, whose home was broken up by her husband's death, left last Thursday for Fort Madison, Iowa, where she will reside in the future."
Susie's whereabouts in 1920 are known. Later, she married a second time to Milo Orson Jacob (Feb. 16, 1868-1954), son of Orsen Elisha and Portia Adelaide (Gates) Jacob. He appears to have been wed previously to Mary Jane Jacob (1869-1952) and to have brought a stepdaughter into the second union, Portia Novella LeBrun.
He earned a living as a conductor for the Santa Fe Railroad. Federal census enumeration records for 1930 show the Jacobses living with Susie's widowed mother in Fort Madison. Their home address was 832 Avenue D.
As she aged, Susie suffered from chronic constipation which worsened into bowel obstruction. She entered Sacred Heart Hospital in Fort Madison for treatment. Grief blanketed the family when, at age 53, Susie died on April 22, 1930. Interment was in Fort Madison.
Milo survived his bride by 24 years. His last address was 1715 Avenue F.
Sadly, burdened with hardening of the arteries, and then after fracturing his neck, he was spirited away by the angel of death on New Year's Day 1954 as a patient in Sacred Heart Hospital. His remains were lowered under the sod of Hillcrest Memorial Park in Fort Madison. Dorothy Jacob Sterner signed the official Iowa certificate of death.
~ Daughter Frances Kathryn "Frankie Kate" (Tucker) Rea ~
Daughter Frances Kathryn "Frankie Kate" Tucker (1889-1965) was born on April 3, 1889 in Wever, Green Bay Township, Lee County, IA. Dr. D.N. Coon assisted in the birth.
She married Dr. James Glen Rea (May 30, 1887-1964), originally from Kansas and the son of James A. and Charlotte A. (Higby) Rea. The wedding took place on May 11, 1910, in Lee County, when Frankie was age 20, and James 22.
The pair did not reproduce.
James was a physician. During World War I, he is known to have served as a first lieutenant in a U.S. Army medical corps.
James went on to a career specializing in the treatment of ear, eye and throat diseases. In 1924, he was among a dozen Fort Madison physicians who were charged with violating the of Volstead Act and prescribing liquor during Prohibition. The outcome of the matter is not known.
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| Lush growing fields of Pomona, CA |
The Reas relocated to Southern California by 1930. They settled in Pomona, CA at the address of 219 Garfield Avenue. In September 1935, said the Pomona Progress Bulletin, Frankie Kate entertained a visit from her mother and brother Charles and spent several weeks at Balboa Beach, CA. She was active in the Woman's Auxiliary Guild of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, and he was a member of the congregation's vestry. He also belonged to the Pomona lodge of the Elks and in 1959 received a 30-year membership pin.
James kept an office in the Medico-Dental Building in Pomona circa 1936. He made news that June when he went on an extended vacation to the Mayo Brothers Clinic in Rochester, MN and other medical clinics in Chicago. From 1941 to 1946, he regularly advertised his services in the local newspaper.
Federal census records for 1940 show the pair in San Jose, Los Angeles County, providing a home for Frankie's widowed mother.
In retirement, they moved back in Fort Madison. Their address at the end was at 819 Avenue D. Sadly, James died on Leap Day 1964. A brief notice his death was published in the Des Moines Tribune and a somewhat longer one in the Pomona Progress-Bulletin.
Frankie Kate passed away just a little more than a year later on March 14, 1965, with burial in Fort Madison, at the Atlee Cemetery, also known as Elmwood Cemetery.
| Copyright © 2000, 2007, 2011, 2017, 2022, 2024 Mark A. Miner |
| Karen Kester and Katherine L. Tucker generously have contributed valuable content for this biography. |