"Our Life 1882-1982"
Centennial History of Akron, Iowa
pp 409-411

THE ROOT FAMILY

Lewis F. Root was born January 27, 1852 in Athens county, Ohio. Sarah Pollock was born August 23, 1854 in Olivesburgh, Ohio. They married in Ohio, moved to Trenton, Missouri in the 1870's and farmed in that area. They had four children born in Missouri: Lewis Roy, Dott Leone, Ralph Eugene, and Edith May.

In 1883 they moved to Akron, Iowa, and homesteaded township section 23. Three more children were born: Blaine Levi, Anna Faye, and Ross Robert. The children grew up on the farm, attended Stony Point country school and high school in Akron, Iowa. Some of them went on to college.

The family lived on this farm until 1912, then sold it and moved into Akron.

Sarah E. (Pollock) Root was killed in a car-train accident in 1920 and Lewis F. Root died in 1942.

The Root Family, 1900

The children: Lewis Roy Root (born Nov. 22, 1875) married Mamie Jane Dee (born December 14, 1882). They had seven children. Roy was a farmer, in real estate, and insurance business.

Dott Leone (Root) Cross (born February 6, 1887) married Levi J. Cross (born May 22, 1877). Levi was a manufacturer of ice, ice cream, and pop. Dott and Levi lived their entire married life in Akron, Iowa. Dott was active in the Methodist church. She also served many years on the Riverside cemetery board.

Dott and Levi had two children: Donald and Dorothy, who attended school in Akron and graduated from Morningside college in Sioux City, Iowa. Donald taught school a few years and then furthered his education and became a medical doctor. He is married and has three sons: Donald, James and Charles. Dr. Donald Cross and wife Louise live in Boone, Iowa.

Dorothy taught school for a few years and then married Harold Crain. They have two children, Margarett Ann and Robert. Dorothy lives in San Jose, California. Harold was head of the drama department at San Jose State college. He passed away in September 1978.

Ralph Eugene Root (born July 18, 1879) married Mamie K. Batcheller (born January 1, 1880). They had four children. Ralph, taught mathematics in the University of Chicago, Illinois, University of Missouri and the Naval Academy of Annapolis, Maryland, where they lived for many years.

Edith May (Root) Burow (born March 12, 1881) married Herman J. Burow. Edith was a teacher. Herman was farmer and worked in a flour mill. When Edith's husband passed away, she moved back to Akron, Iowa, where she and her sister Anna lived together.

Blaine L. Root (born September 29, 1884) married Minnie Straider. They had three children when she passed away. Then he married Louise Straider and they had three children. In later years he married Ruth (Colby) Root. Blaine was a farmer and in the insurance business.

Anna Faye (Root) Gosting (born August 6, 1886) married Charles A. Gosting. They had two children, one passed away at a young age. Charles was in the grocery business at Wynot, Nebraska. After the death of her husband, Anna moved back to Akron and made her home with her sister Edith. When Edith passed away, Anna moved to Sidney, Nebraska to live near her daughter, Geraldine Olson.

Ross Robert Root (born August 23, 1888) married Anna Mae Montagne (born October 9, 1888). Ross lived in Akron and vicinity his entire life. Mae was born in Richland, South Dakota. She then, with her parents, moved to Beresford, South Dakota, and then to Akron, Iowa. Ross and Mae were married February 8, 1910. They had three children: Vivian Eleanor, Robert Vincent, and Theodora (Teddy). Ross and Mae, active in community affairs, were engaged in farming until 1963, when they retired and moved into Akron, Iowa. Mae passed away September 27, 1967 and Ross passed away October 14, 1969.

Vivian Eleanor (born November 12, 1910) married Lester F. Nason of Sioux Falls, South Dakota on July 29, 1934. They had five children: Joan, Mary Beth (deceased), Catherine, and twins, Darla and Dorothy. Lester was a city fireman in Sioux Falls, and is now retired.

Joan married Karol Kittelson, they and their two children, Eric and Jennifer, live in Yankton, South Dakota. Karol is a stock broker.

Catherine married Les Lemme, they and their four children, Mary Beth, Lynne, Leslie and Darvin live in Festus, Missouri. They are in the mortuary business.

Darla married Rance Wright, they and their two children, Mia and Ryan, live in Athens, Georgia.

Dorothy married Duane Ferrie, they and their two sons, Derek and Aaron, live in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where Duane is a city fireman.

Robert Vincent Root (born February 4, 1914) married Phyllis Marie Seyler (born March 8, 1917) on February 4, 1936. They farmed the Schatzel farm one year and the former John Huckert farm in Union county, South Dakota for 38 years. Robert served on the Spring Creek school board, district 28, 12 years and 18 years on the Sioux Valley township board. They retired and moved into Akron in 1975. Robert and Phyllis have four children: Marilyn Jane, Richard Robert, Beverly Jean and Julie Marie. They all attended Spring Creek school eight years and graduated from Akron high school.

Marilyn Jane Root was born December 3, 1936. Following her high school graduation in 1954, she was bookkeeper for the Gassman Motor Co. in Akron, a position she continued at after her marriage to Verne Heeren on January 16, 1955. Verne spent ten months in the service, was stationed at Camp Polk, Louisiana. They farmed four years on the Hammerstrom farm near Alcester, South Dakota. In 1960 they moved to their present location, the former August Hitzemann farm west of Akron. They had five children: Sheryl Kay, was born July 5, 1957 and passed away the same day; Gary, born on December 5, 1958; Kurt, December 12, 1964; and twins Kevin and Kraig on December 11, 1966. All live at home and take part in the farming operation when not in school.

Richard Robert Root was born November 29, 1939. He graduated from high school in 1957, married Rosemary Weber on August 25, 1959, while attending the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, graduating in 1961. For two years he served in the army, and they lived at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma and Ft. Lewis, Washington. Following his discharge from the army, they lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where Richard was an accountant for the Iowa Light and ower Company and later comptroller for Cornell college at Mt. Vernon, Iowa.

They returned to Akron to live on the farm where Richard was born and now operates. They have two children, Terri, born August 13, 1960 in Vermillion, South Dakota and Robert, born April 24, 1962 at Ft. Lewis, Washington. Terri is a student at South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota, and Robert is in the navy and is currently stationed at Orlando, Florida. Robert is the fifth generation Root that has lived in the Akron area.

Beverly Jean Root was born January 7, 1946 and married Gary Donily on July 1, 1971. After high school graduation in 1964, Beverly attended the Methodist school of nursing in Sioux City, Iowa, graduating in 1967, she worked there, then spent one year in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She and two girl friends ventured to Portland, Oregon where she was a nurse in open heart surgery until returning to Sioux City in 1980. She works in general surgery at St. Luke's hospital. She has two children, Travis, born December 30, 1972, and Kim, born February 14, 1974, both in Portland, Oregon.

Julie Marie Root was born on January 14, 1949 and graduated from Akron high school in 1967. She married Tom Nason on October 7, 1967. She did office work in Sioux City, Iowa for awhile, then was employed at the Akron Clinic and now works in the office of the Akron hospital. Tom worked as a welder, prior to serving two years in the army, he was stationed in Thailand, then at Fort Carson, Colorado. He is now engaged in farming, they live on the former Joe Brundeen farm in Union county, South Dakota, where her parents lived when she was born. They have three children: Tricia, born March 26, 1970, while her father was in Thailand; Jeaneen, born June 27, 1973; and Joel, born March 27, 1978.

Theodora (Teddy) Root was born on October 14, 1918. August 2, 1939, she married John H. Earnest, born October 25, 1918. Jay owned and operated the Akron Feed Mill for 31 years. He passed away on June 20, 1973. They had two children: Nancy Lee, born August 9, 1941; and Michael John, born August 17, 1946.

After graduating from the Akron high school, Nancy attended the State University of Iowa and Wayne State in Nebraska. She married Gary Johnson August 26, 1961. Gary owns and operated the Luken-Johnson funeral home in Le Mars, Iowa. They have two sons, Jay and Joel.

Mike graduated from Akron high school in 1964. He furthered his education at the University of South Dakota, Morningside college, and the School of Mortuary Science in Dallas, Texas. Maike married Vicki Carlson August 20, 1966. They have two children, Lisa and John. Mike is now an electrical contractor in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.