What happened to Ma and Pa?
Ma and Pa tired of trying to farm the homestead shortly after Laura was married. So, at Christmas time in 1887 they moved to De Smet permanently. Pa built a comfortable little house for the family on Third Street, close to the school Carrie and Grace attended. Pa was very busy in town as Justice of the Peace, Deputy Sheriff, Town clerk, and Street Commissioner. He was an active member of the school board and belonged to the Congregational church. Pa worked as a carpenter while living in town. Pa died June 1902 of heart failure. Ma and all his girls were with him when he died. After Pa died, Ma lived in the home on Third Street with Mary. They kept very busy. In 1918 Ma became ill and Grace and her husband, Nathan Dow came to live with Ma and Mary. Ma died in 1924.
Ma and Pa tired of trying to farm the homestead shortly after Laura was married. So, at Christmas time in 1887 they moved to De Smet permanently. Pa built a comfortable little house for the family on Third Street, close to the school Carrie and Grace attended. Pa was very busy in town as Justice of the Peace, Deputy Sheriff, Town clerk, and Street Commissioner. He was an active member of the school board and belonged to the Congregational church. Pa worked as a carpenter while living in town. Pa died June 1902 of heart failure. Ma and all his girls were with him when he died. After Pa died, Ma lived in the home on Third Street with Mary. They kept very busy. In 1918 Ma became ill and Grace and her husband, Nathan Dow came to live with Ma and Mary. Ma died in 1924. Back to Top What happened to Mary? Mary went to the blind school in Vinton, Iowa. When she graduated she returned home to live with Ma and Pa on Third Street. Mary would fill her days helping Ma around the house, reading her
