Fairview Farm - Adams Ranch photos

The Odebolt History Pages have received permission from the Mennonite Church USA Archives to share photos and information from WWI Mennonite conscientious objectors who worked on Fairview Farm / Adams Ranch.  There were 47 COs there from all over the USA. They came to the ranch from the 163rd Depot Brigade, Camp Dodge, Iowa on August 20, 1918.

We thank the Mennonite Church Archives for their willingness to share these photos, as many have not been seen before.

Click on the below link to access the photos .pdf document.  It is large - about 4.5MB - so allow time for it to load.

Mennonite CO Photos 

A look back to 1944 Main Street

(Click the photo to enlarge it)
Main Street Odebolt in the summer of 1944.  The Cut-Rate Market is having a
furniture sale and the Cracker Jack Elevator looms above the street to the north.

This photo of Main Street in Odebolt recently appeared on an on-line auction site.  Bonnie (Girvan) Ekse did some sleuthing in the Odebolt digital newspaper archives and through the title on the marquee of the Princess Theater, identified the photo as being taken in July 1944.  

Click to enlarge

The July 13, 1944 Odebolt Chronicle, page 5, has a Princess Theater ad for Friday and Saturday, July 14-15 for a double feature of the movies "Tunisian Victory", a "picture of war in Africa",  and "Beautiful But Broke", a "screaming comedy with lots of music." Coming next is "A Guy named Joe," strring Spencer Tracy and Irene Dunne. 

 

On the same page is a Larson's Store ad "July Food News" listing Red Star Dry Yeast packages for 3 cents each, 2 cans of Shurefine Pork and Beans for 25 cents, and a 25 pound bag of Butter-Nut Flour for $1.23, among other items.  

There is also an ad from the Odebolt Bakery stating that "You Can't Eat Too Much ODEBOLT BREAD" and requesting that orders to be called in on Wednesday night at least by 10:30 to Phone 160. 

The rest of the page is full of the daily social doings of Odebolt people, but one popped out from the rest. 

It states, " Mrs. Niles Melteson and children Phil, Tommy and Mavis came Saturday evening from Iowa City to make their home in Odebolt.  They have moved into the Henry Girardin house on North Main street.  Mrs. Melteson, whose husband is stationed in the army in Kentucky, is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nels Bergman."  

I grew up on North Main until we moved out to a farm south of town and the Meltesons were great friends with my older brother and sisters.  I remember them well as some of the "big kids" on the block!  

The Odebolt Library and the Odebolt Museum's project to place Odebolt newspapers from 1877 to 2014 on-line is MUCH appreciated by many people.  If you want to take a look back in time, go to https://saccounty.advantage-preservation.com/

- Barb (Girvan) Horak

Odebolt web manager

Help identify Swedish men

Click the photo to enlarge it.

The photo was taken at Frey's Studio, 3rd and Main St. in Odebolt in 1897.
Standing from Left: Anton Nilsson ... Julius Nilsson .... August Johnson (Johansson)

Sitting from left: John Monson ... Olander "Ole" Johnson ... Nils Johnson (Johansson) ...Taylor Johnson

The above photo was sent by Anders Nilsson from Bastad, Sweden, asking for identities, which have now been found.  

Anders' grandfather was Julius Nilsson/Nelson, who returned to Sweden in 1897; Julius' brother is Anton Nilsson; cousins are John Monson and Ole Johansson/Johnson (married "Anna" in Odebolt on Jan. 23, 1901).  August and Nils Johnson (Johansson) are brothers.


Update - From an Anders Nilsson email, January 5, 2017:
In June 2014 I sent you a mail asking or help to identify 3 of the 7 persons on photo taken in Odebolt about 1897.  In December 2016 I received a mail from Nan Johnson in Shepardstown, WV, telling that she is almost sure that one of the men is Taylor Johnson, her grandfathers father (and I agree). Taylor Johnson was born in Sweden as Tiliander Jonsson.  Then I believe that the two remaining are the brothers Nils and August Johnson (Johansson). I thank you for your effort to help me and I hope I will be able to visit Odebolt the coming years.

All the Best for 2017
Anders Nilsson.

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Old Photo

This circa 1905 photo is my grandmother, Hulda Meyer, with her students. Her parents were Frederich Meyer & Sophia (Frevert) Meyer of Odebolt.  She was born in 1885 and went to Charles City College, later moving to California where she married in 1909.

I would like to know if anyone in Odebolt might recognize the students as their grandparents or relatives or possibly the schoolroom setting from other photos. 
I RETAIN ALL COPYRIGHT PRIVILEGES.   - Stanley Wiemeyer

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