Persis C. (Towle) McGeorge (1839 - 1927)

Born 1 Sep 1839 in Addison, Vermont, United States [uncertain]

Ancestors

Died 5 Jan 1927 at age 87 in Sac City, Sac, Iowa, USA

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Biography

Persis Towle was born September 1, 1839 in Addison County, Vermont, USA. ^[1] Her parents were Samuel Peasley Towle (1801-1890) and Lucida Washburn (1804-1896). ^[2][3]

In the 1850 US Census, Persis was 10 years old, and living with her parents and 4 siblings in Rochester, Windsor County, Vermont, USA. List: ^[4]

• Samuel P Towle, Age 49, Male, Occupation: Farmer, Birthplace: New Hampshire
• Lucinda Towle, Age 45, Female, Birthplace: Vermont
• Walter Towle, Age 18, Male, Birthplace: Vermont
• Hannah M Towle, Age 15, Female, Birthplace: Vermont
• Harry D Towle, Age 13, Male, Birthplace: Vermont
• Perces C. Towle, Age 10, Female, Birthplace: Vermont
• William W Towle, Age 8, Male, Birthplace: Vermont

Before the Civil War (unknown date), Persis married George Washington McGeorge.

1870 Census ^[5]

In the 1880 US Census, Persis is listed as divorced, and living on her own with three kids, in Jackson township, Sac County, Iowa. List: ^[6]

• Persis McGeorge, White, Female, Age 40, Marital Status: Divorced, Occupation: Keeping house, Birthplace: Vermont, Father's/Mother's Birthplace: New Hampshire / Vermont
• Winnie McGeorge, White, Female, Age 10, Daughter, Single, Birthplace: Iowa, Parent's Birthplace: Indiana / Vermont (maybe George was born in Indiana, not Ohio?)
• Lola H McGeorge, White, Female, Age 9, Daughter, Single, Birthplace: Iowa
• Harry S McGeorge, White, Male, Age 4, Son, Single, Birthplace: Iowa
• (Note: Winnie/Winifred McGeorge was born Nov 1869, Harry was born 1875, but died in 1882). ^[2]

In the 1885 Iowa State Census, Persis is living with her two daughters (Harry is missing) and Percis's mother (listed as a border). List: ^[7]

• Persis McGeorge, Age 45, Female, Divorced, Occupation: Keeps house, Birthplace: Vermont
• Minnie McGeorge, Age 15, Female, Single, At School
• Lola McGeorge, Age 14, Female, Single, At School
• Lucinda Towle, Age 81, Widowed, Boarding, Birthplace: Vermont

In 1895, only Persis and her daughter Lola are listed as living together. ^[8] Lola is listed for the first time working as a teacher. She would support her mother this way for the next 45 years.

• Persis McGeorge, Age 53, Female, White, Birthplace: Vermont, Occupation: Weaver, Religious Belief: Methodist
• Lola McGeorge, Age 24, Female, White, Birthplace: Sac City, Iowa, Occupation: Teacher, Religious Belief: Methodist

In the 1900 US Census, Persis is listed as living with her daughter Lola, in Sac City, Sac County, Iowa. List: ^[9]

• Persia McGeorge, Head, White, Female, Birthdate: September 1838, Age 68, Widowed; She is listed with having only 2 children, with 2 living (is that a miscount, or does that mean one of them might have been adopted?), Birthplace: Vermont, Parent's Birthplace: Vermont, Occupation: (blank)
• Lola McGeorge, White, Female, Birthdate: January 1871, Age 29, Single, Birthplace: Iowa, Parent's Birthplaces: Vermont / Michigan, Occupation: School Teacher.

(Note: Here, Persis is listed as Widowed, so this might indicate her ex-husband died previously).

By 1905, Persis is listed of having lived in Iowa for 37 years, that she and her mother were born in Vermont, and her father, in New Hampshire. She is indicated as a widow and that her occupation in a Housekeeper. ^[10]

By the 1910 US Census, Persis and her daughter Lola had moved Jackson township, in the same county. List: ^[11]

• Persis McGeorge, Head, Female, White, Age 70, Widowed, Lists 3 children being born it her, but only 2 surviving, Birthplace: Vermont, Father's/Mother's Birthplace: New Hampshire/Vermont, Occupation: none
• Lola McGeorge, Daughter, Female, White, Age 39, Single, Birthplace: Iowa, Father's/Mother's Birthplace: Michigan/Vermont, Occupation: Public School Teacher

By 1920, they had moved back to Sac City. ^[12]

In 1925, she and Lola still live in Sac City, at 44 Main Street. ^[13]

• Persis McGeorge, Head, Female, Widowed, Age 85, Widowed, Owns Home, Home Value: $2000, Lived in Iowa: 57 yrs, Highest Grade Completed: Rural School-6th grade
• Lola McGeorge, Daughter, Female, Single, Age 53, Single, Lived in Iowa: 53 yrs, Highest Grade Completed: 10th grade

As reported by her daughter Lola:

• Persis died in Sac City, January 5, 1927, at age 87 years, 4 months, and 4 days. She was buried in Oakland Cemetery, in Sac City, Iowa, on January 8, 1927. ^[2][3]

Her obit in the Sioux City Journal (Sioux City Journal (Sioux City, Iowa) Jan 12, 1927, WedPage 4) reads as such: ^[14]

Pioneer Woman of Sac City Laid In Grave

Sac City, Ia, Jan 11 --Special: Funeral services were held at Sac City for Mrs. Persis Towle McGeorge, who died at the age of 88 years. She was a native of Vermont, and came to Sac City 59 years ago, and settled on a farm not far from Early.

At that time the country was wild prairie, and the Indians were frequent visitors. She was a pioneer school teacher and both her daughters followed that profession. She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Charles Huston of Early and Miss Lola McGeorge, sixth grade teacher of Sac City, and one brother, Walter Towle, of San Francisco, California.

Sources

1. ↑ "United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHTK-HZW : 19 May 2020), Samuel P Towle, Addison, Vermont, United States; citing p. 61, NARA microfilm publication , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll ; FHL microfilm .
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Wolterman, Conley. Find A Grave website. "[1]." Accessed 9/27/2016. Image of Huston-McGeorge family plot.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Ancestry.com. Iowa, Death Records, 1920-1940. "[2]. " Accessed 7/9/2017. State Historical Society of Iowa; Des Moines, Iowa; Iowa Death Records; Reference Number: 101784593.
4. ↑ Ancestry.com. 1850 United States Federal Census. "[3]." Accessed 9/27/2016. Original data: Seventh Census of the United States, 1850; (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432, 1009 rolls); Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29; National Archives, Washington, D.C. Census Place: Rochester, Windsor, Vermont; Roll: M432_930; Page: 8A; Image: 22
5. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDVT-GKJ : 19 March 2020), Persis McGeorge in entry for George W McGeorge, 1870.
6. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDL6-TVH : 7 September 2017), Persis Mcgeorge, Jackson, Sac, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district ED 187, sheet 178C, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,363.
7. ↑ Ancestry.com. Iowa, State Census Collection, 1836-1925. "[4]. " Accessed 9/27/2016. Original data: Microfilm of Iowa State Censuses, 1856, 1885, 1895, 1905, 1915, 1925 as well various special censuses from 1836-1897 obtained from the State Historical Society of Iowa via Heritage Quest. Iowa, State Census Collection, 1836-1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007
8. ↑ "Iowa State Census, 1895," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VTQF-BKK : 4 April 2020), Persis Mcgeorge, Sac, Iowa, United States; citing p. 25, 1895, State Historical Society, Des Moines; FHL microfilm 1,022,177.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9LX-J2P : accessed 9 June 2020), Persia Mcgeorge, Jackson Township Sac City town, Sac, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 122, sheet 8B, family 186, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,457.
10. ↑ "Iowa State Census, 1905," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2S8N-Z7F : 16 March 2018), Persis Mcgeorge, Sac, Iowa, United States; citing card #474, State Historical Department, Des Moines; FHL microfilm 1,430,616.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MG9C-FF4 : accessed 9 June 2020), Persis Mcgeorge, Jackson, Sac, Iowa, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 133, sheet 22A, family 508, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 422; FHL microfilm 1,374,435.
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MDMD-5RS : accessed 9 June 2020), Percis McGeorge, Sac City Ward 3-4, Sac, Iowa, United States; citing ED 150, sheet 12B, line 83, family 114, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 511; FHL microfilm 1,820,511.
13. ↑ "Iowa State Census, 1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKQ7-HF5Z : 26 May 2020), Persis McGeorge, Sac, Iowa, United States; citing Sac, Iowa, United States, Iowa State Historical Department, Des Moines; FHL microfilm .
14. ↑ https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/102332841