Although his family had, and still has, a strong presence in Illinois, John was born in Idaho because his father had accepted an invitation from his half brothers Charles Albert and William Henry Campbell to come to Idaho and work on what would become the famous Circle C Ranch. For whatever reason, John's father and mother returned to Illinois within several years, and John was brought up on the farm in central Illinois.
The 1925 Iowa census found him 31 years old, still single, and working on a farm in Emmet County, Iowa, with a stint in the U.S. Navy and two years of college under his belt. He was apparently also ready to settle down, as the next year he married Charlotte Kracht in Franklin County, Iowa.
John and Lottie found Iowa agreeable, and spent the next 20 years there. Sometime during the Great Depression they moved back to Illinois, probably due to economic conditions. There John did several different kinds of work while they completed their family of five kids:
Patricia Cleo
John William Jr.
Marian Susan
Douglas Elsworth
Julie Diane
John retired in 1959, and where to? To Iowa, of course!
The 1925 Iowa census found him 31 years old, still single, and working on a farm in Emmet County, Iowa, with a stint in the U.S. Navy and two years of college under his belt. He was apparently also ready to settle down, as the next year he married Charlotte Kracht in Franklin County, Iowa.
John and Lottie found Iowa agreeable, and spent the next 20 years there. Sometime during the Great Depression they moved back to Illinois, probably due to economic conditions. There John did several different kinds of work while they completed their family of five kids:
Patricia Cleo
John William Jr.
Marian Susan
Douglas Elsworth
Julie Diane
John retired in 1959, and where to? To Iowa, of course!
Although his family had, and still has, a strong presence in Illinois, John was born in Idaho because his father had accepted an invitation from his half brothers Charles Albert and William Henry Campbell to come to Idaho and work on what would become the famous Circle C Ranch. For whatever reason, John's father and mother returned to Illinois within several years, and John was brought up on the farm in central Illinois.
The 1925 Iowa census found him 31 years old, still single, and working on a farm in Emmet County, Iowa, with a stint in the U.S. Navy and two years of college under his belt. He was apparently also ready to settle down, as the next year he married Charlotte Kracht in Franklin County, Iowa.
John and Lottie found Iowa agreeable, and spent the next 20 years there. Sometime during the Great Depression they moved back to Illinois, probably due to economic conditions. There John did several different kinds of work while they completed their family of five kids:
Patricia Cleo
John William Jr.
Marian Susan
Douglas Elsworth
Julie Diane
John retired in 1959, and where to? To Iowa, of course!
The 1925 Iowa census found him 31 years old, still single, and working on a farm in Emmet County, Iowa, with a stint in the U.S. Navy and two years of college under his belt. He was apparently also ready to settle down, as the next year he married Charlotte Kracht in Franklin County, Iowa.
John and Lottie found Iowa agreeable, and spent the next 20 years there. Sometime during the Great Depression they moved back to Illinois, probably due to economic conditions. There John did several different kinds of work while they completed their family of five kids:
Patricia Cleo
John William Jr.
Marian Susan
Douglas Elsworth
Julie Diane
John retired in 1959, and where to? To Iowa, of course!
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