Harry Gleason and Elizabeth Jones' Family

Harry Jay Gleason, son of Nathaniel, was born on April 2, 1865 in the State of New York. Harry died at the age of fifty-six years and twenty-two days in Carroll County, Iowa on April 24, 1921 in an automobile accident. He is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery at Audubon, Iowa. He was a painter by profession.

According to the April 21 1921 edition of The Audubon Advocate, Harry Gleason and R. J. Loveland had been drinking prior to the auto accident. The car in which they were traveling was speeding at a rate of forty-five or fifty miles per hour when R. J. Loveland, who was driving, lost control and hit a culvert on the Templeton Road nine miles North of Audubon. Harry died from a blow to the head that resulted in a deep scalp wound. He was pinned under the car. Harry's son, Merrill, was a passenger in the back seat. He was the only witness to the accident and gave the following account of the accident.

"I suppose that we went forty five or fifty miles an hour on the way up. We must have been going awfully fast when we hit the culvert for I was in the back seat and could see that Loveland was losing control of the care. I yelled for them to look out and dropped down in the bottom of the car myself and we hit something. It all happened so quick that I can't tell just what happened."

"The car turned over the side of the concrete culvert and landed in the water of the creek. I was able to get out and called to them. Papa just kind of groaned once. Loveland was telling me to come and get him out. I took hold of his legs and tried to pull him out but saw that he was pinned under the car and that I could not get him out myself. I started up the road toward a farm house after help."

On July 3, 1894, Harry purchased a parcel of land in Audubon, Iowa from Chas. L. Tramps for one hundred dollars. This parcel of land was described as:

"Lot Six (6) in Block five (5) in the Town of Audubon."

Harry married on May 6, 1895 at Audubon, Iowa to Elizabeth May Jones, daughter of Aaron Jones and Harriet [family name unknown]. Elizabeth was born on April 8, 1865 in the State of Iowa. She died at the age of forty-nine years, two months and twenty-two days on July 30, 1914 at Audubon, Iowa. She is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery at Audubon, Iowa.

Harry and Elizabeth had six children, all of whom were born at Audubon, Iowa.

1. Helen May Gleason was born on September 9, 1897.

   On February 19, 1914, she married Franklin David Hart, son of Cyrus D. Hart and Margaret J. Laughlin (McLaughlin) at Audubon, Iowa. Franklin was born July 26, 1895 at Rossie, Iowa. He died on January 31, 1981 at Benton Harbor, Michigan. He was buried on February 3, 1981 in Crystal Springs Cemetery at Benton Harbor, Michigan. He worked as a machinist for Ross Carrier, a Division of Clark Equipment, retiring in 1961. Franklin was a veteran of World War I and a member of World War I Veterans Barracks 582. He was a member of the American Baptist Church. The 1915 Iowa State census reported Franklin's earning for the year 1914 was $500.00.

   Helen and Franklin had three children.

   • Ida May Hart was born on June 30, 1914 at Audubon, Iowa. Ida died on December 22, 2004 at Stevensville, Michigan.

     Ida had a daughter, Lorretta. She first married Mr. Ledyard. She married a second time to Mr. DeShurko. She married for a third time to Drewey O"Dell.

   • Harry David Hart was born on June 23, 1916 at Audubon, Iowa. He died at the age of forty-four on September 11, 1961 at Hines Veteran Hospital in Maywood, Illinois as the result of injuries received in an automobile accident. He is buried in North Shore Memorial Garden at Hagar Shore, Michigan. He was a veteran of World War II. He was employed for twenty-eight years at Clark Equipment. He was a member of the Congregational Church.

     He married Juanita Beal. They had two children

     • Kathleen Hart.
     • Timothy Hart.

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   • Margaret Hart was born on March 2, 1922 at Ravenna, Nebraska. She died on April 18, 1990 at Sodus, Michigan.

     Margaret married on February 19, 1943 at Benton Harbor, Michigan to Russell Wycoff, son of Charles Wycoff and Hazel [family name unknown]. Russell was born on April 1, 1921 at Eau Claire, Michigan. He died on March 27, 1989 at Sodus, Michigan.

     Margaret and Russell have three children.

     • Russell Wycoff, Jr. was born on November 28, 1945 at Jacksonville, Florida. He married at Eau Claire, Michigan to Jane Zdebski. Russell and Jane have one child, Jeanine.
     • Sandra Wycoff was born on October 4, 1947 at Benton Harbor, Michigan. She married on August 24, 1968 at Sodus, Michigan to Roger Prouty. Sandra and Roger have two children: Christian and Renee.
     • Marsha Wycoff was born on February 12, 1952 at Benton Harbor, Michigan. She first married on March 23, 1968 to Craig Roger. She married a second time on April 10, 1986 to Tidey Person. Marsha and Tidey have one child Tracey Tidey.

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2. Merrill Gleason was born on August 16, 1899. He died in January 1955 in the veterans hospital at Maywood, Illinois. He was buried on January 27, 1955 in Crystal Springs Cemetery at Benton Harbor, Michigan. Merrill was a veteran of World War I and a member of American Legion Post 105. He worked for Ross Carrier, a Division of Clark Equipment. He was also a painter and decorator. His nickname was "Duke".

   On May 5, 1922, Merrill married at Wood River, Nebraska to Agnes Jane Williamson nee Stewart, a widow. Agnes was born on June 25, 1887 at Belfast, Ireland. She died at the age of ninety-nine on December 12, 1982 at St. Joseph, Michigan. She was buried on December 15, 1982 in Crystal Cemetery at Benton Harbor, Michigan. Prior to her marriage to Merrill, Agnes Jane was married to Joseph Williamson, who died in 1920. She was a member of the Salem Lutheran Church.

3. Harriet Ellen Gleason was born on November 3, 1900. She died from a poison taken with the intention of committing suicide the age of eighteen years, six months and ten days on May 13, 1919 at Exira, Iowa. She is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery at Audubon, Iowa.

   She married Howard Guy McLain, son of Bert W. McLain and Grace M. [family name unknown]. Howard was born on December 3, 1899 at Exira, Iowa. He was a drayman by profession.

4. Sylvia May Gleason was born on April 5, 1903. She died at St. Anthony's Hospital in Carroll, Iowa on October 21, 1923. She was twenty-one years, six months and seventeen days of age at the time of her death.

   Sylvia married on March 16, 1923 to Francis Ernest Stewart. She attended the Audubon public schools. Sylvia was a member of the Methodist/Episcopal Church.

   Sylvia and Francis had one child.

   1. Ernest Russell Stewart for whom there is presently no information.

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5. Millard Jay Gleason, also known as Robert Earl, was born on May 28, 1904. He died at Omaha, Nebraska on July 30, 1978. He was buried on August 2, 1978 in Maple Grove Cemetery at Audubon, Iowa. He is reported to have married Doris Hensen. He served in the United States Navy.
6. Lawrence David Gleason was born on November 4, 1907. He was slain at Tulsa, Oklahoma on August 15, 1953. He was buried on August 18, 1953 in Crystal Springs Cemetery at Benton Harbor, Michigan. Jesse Tecumseh, an American Indian, was arrest and charged with the murder of Lawrence. However, it is not presently known if he was found guilty of the crime. Lawrence served in the United States Air Force during World War II, spending most of his service time around the Marianas Islands in the South Pacific. He was severely wounded. While living in Michigan, he worked for the Bendix Corporation in South Bend, Indiana and Ross Carrier, a Division of Clark Equipment. While living in Oklahoma, Lawrence worked for the Douglas Aircraft Co. Lawrence was a member of the First Evangelical United Brethren Church.

   Lawrence married Ruby Martinson.

Sources

1. Tulsa World editions of 16 August 1953, 17 August 1953 and 22 August 1953.
2. Obituaries for:
   • Lawrence D. Gleason.
   • Merrill Gleason.
   • Sylvia Stewart, née Gleason
   • Harriett McClain, née Gleason
   • Agnes Gleason, née Stewart.
   • Franklin Hart.
   • Harry D. Hart.
3. The News-Palladium of Benton Harbor, Michigan, edition of 14 August 1953.
4. Family charts furnished by Helen M. Hart, nee Gleason, of Watervliet, Michigan.
5. Records of Crystal Springs Cemetery at Benton Harbor, Michigan.
6. Marriage records of Audubon County, Iowa.
7. 1870 U.S. Federal Census for the Town of Alexandria, Jefferson County, New York, Page 66, Dwelling 1157, Family 1174.
8. 1880 U.S. Federal Census for the Town of Anita, Cass County, Iowa, Page 15C, SD 3, ED 38, Dwelling 106, Family 171.
9. 1895 Iowa State census for Audubon, Audubon, Iowa, Line 7, Family 158, Roll ia1885_288.
10. 1900 U.S. Federal census for Audubon, Leroy Township, Audubon, Iowa, Sheet 5B, SD 9, ED 28, Dwelling 100 Family 100.
11. 1905 Iowa State census for Audubon, Leroy Township, Audubon, Iowa, Lines 365 to 370, Roll IA_75.
12. 1910 U.S. Federal census for Audubon, Leroy Township, Audubon, Iowa, Sheet 3A, SD 9, ED 25, Dwelling 30 Family 31 [Washington Avenue].
13. 1910 U.S. Federal census for Ward 2 of Carroll, Carroll Township, Carroll, Iowa, Sheet 1A, SD 10, ED 44, Dwelling 10, Family 10 [523 East 6th Street].
14. 1915 Iowa State census for Audubon, Audubon, Iowa, Lines 21B and 22B, Roll IA1915_27.
15. 1920 U.S. Federal census for Audubon, Leroy Township, Audubon, Iowa, Sheet 16A, SD 9, ED 26, Dwelling 418 Family 419 [202 Washington Avenue].
16. 1920 U.S. Federal census for Ravenna, Garfield Township, Buffalo, Nebraska, Sheet 16A, SD 6, ED 41, Dwelling 373, Family 383 [216 Grand Avenue].
17. 1925 Iowa State census for Gray, Audubon, Iowa, Lines 31 to 35, Roll IA1925_1596.
18. 1930 U.S. Federal census for Ward 2 of Benton Harbor, Benton Township, Berrien, Michigan, Sheets 12B, SD 12, ED 11-10, Dwelling 286, Family 318 [322 Lake Avenue].
19. Mortgage Record of Audubon County, Iowa Book D, Page 12.
20. Records of Maple Grove Cemetery at Audubon, Iowa.
21. Birth records of Audubon County, Iowa.
22. 1930 WPA Grave Registration Survey.
23. Letters from Helen Hart, nee Gleason dated October 9, 1985, January 23, 1986, March 13, 1986.
24. Letter from Margaret Hart Wycoff date September 8, 1986.
25. Story concerning Harry David Hart in the News-Palladium.
26. Family chart furnished by Margaret Wycoff.

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