Born in Greene County, Pennsylvania in 1860, Hester Matilda Ann was the first child of her parents, John Supler Allum, 1838-1921, and Elisabeth Loar, 1840-1923. Although she was just seven years old when her parents left Pennsylvania for Iowa, we can assume young Hester knew her Greene County grandparents, Jonathan Allum and Elisabeth Supler. Even her paternal grandmother, Sarah Allum (widow of John Allum, 1784-1836), was alive prior to the family's departure. Hester may have retained recollections of her maternal great grandparents, John Supler and Mary Margaret Sargent, both alive when the family left PA.
Hester was not the only child when the family migrated westward. Two younger siblings also made the journey -- brother James Newton and sister Sarah "Emma" Jane. The three siblings were eventually joined by three more born in Iowa.
Interestingly, Hester was destined to marry another Greene County native in Iowa. Thomas A. Burnfiel(d) arrived in Jasper County in the 1880s, and he and Hester married there on June 26, 1889. A son of Zenas and Sarah Burnfiel(d), his family's history was also entwined with Greene County, Pennsylvania, even to Richhill Township, with which both Allums and Burnfiel(d)s were associated.
Although specific reasons a couple adopts a child or children are not always known, Hester and Thomas had no natural children but, one at a time, did adopt four. Two died very early in life, and the other two – boy and girl – were only 9 and 5 years old when Hester died in 1904 after a long illness. She was the first of her siblings to pass on, although all too soon, in 1905, brother James Newton also died, both siblings predeceasing all other adult family members, including their parents.
A member of the Christian church at Kellogg, Iowa, Hester's burial service was conducted there by Rev. E. F. Leake on Sunday, June 5, 1904, the date on which she was buried in Our Silent City Cemetery. In the same cemetery are Hester's two adopted infants, including daughter Rose Burnice (the only infant known by name); her parents, John Supler Allum and Elisabeth Loar; brother James Newton Allum; sister-in-law, Anna Bowermaster; sister Flossie "Edna" Allum; brother-in-law, Alexander James Lepard; niece, Agnes Kathryn Alum Kent; and Hester's adopted son, Bertis Milo, who died much later, in 1968.
--DeeAnna Allum Granston
Gravestone photo taken in 1965
Hester was not the only child when the family migrated westward. Two younger siblings also made the journey -- brother James Newton and sister Sarah "Emma" Jane. The three siblings were eventually joined by three more born in Iowa.
Interestingly, Hester was destined to marry another Greene County native in Iowa. Thomas A. Burnfiel(d) arrived in Jasper County in the 1880s, and he and Hester married there on June 26, 1889. A son of Zenas and Sarah Burnfiel(d), his family's history was also entwined with Greene County, Pennsylvania, even to Richhill Township, with which both Allums and Burnfiel(d)s were associated.
Although specific reasons a couple adopts a child or children are not always known, Hester and Thomas had no natural children but, one at a time, did adopt four. Two died very early in life, and the other two – boy and girl – were only 9 and 5 years old when Hester died in 1904 after a long illness. She was the first of her siblings to pass on, although all too soon, in 1905, brother James Newton also died, both siblings predeceasing all other adult family members, including their parents.
A member of the Christian church at Kellogg, Iowa, Hester's burial service was conducted there by Rev. E. F. Leake on Sunday, June 5, 1904, the date on which she was buried in Our Silent City Cemetery. In the same cemetery are Hester's two adopted infants, including daughter Rose Burnice (the only infant known by name); her parents, John Supler Allum and Elisabeth Loar; brother James Newton Allum; sister-in-law, Anna Bowermaster; sister Flossie "Edna" Allum; brother-in-law, Alexander James Lepard; niece, Agnes Kathryn Alum Kent; and Hester's adopted son, Bertis Milo, who died much later, in 1968.
--DeeAnna Allum Granston
Gravestone photo taken in 1965
Born in Greene County, Pennsylvania in 1860, Hester Matilda Ann was the first child of her parents, John Supler Allum, 1838-1921, and Elisabeth Loar, 1840-1923. Although she was just seven years old when her parents left Pennsylvania for Iowa, we can assume young Hester knew her Greene County grandparents, Jonathan Allum and Elisabeth Supler. Even her paternal grandmother, Sarah Allum (widow of John Allum, 1784-1836), was alive prior to the family's departure. Hester may have retained recollections of her maternal great grandparents, John Supler and Mary Margaret Sargent, both alive when the family left PA.
Hester was not the only child when the family migrated westward. Two younger siblings also made the journey -- brother James Newton and sister Sarah "Emma" Jane. The three siblings were eventually joined by three more born in Iowa.
Interestingly, Hester was destined to marry another Greene County native in Iowa. Thomas A. Burnfiel(d) arrived in Jasper County in the 1880s, and he and Hester married there on June 26, 1889. A son of Zenas and Sarah Burnfiel(d), his family's history was also entwined with Greene County, Pennsylvania, even to Richhill Township, with which both Allums and Burnfiel(d)s were associated.
Although specific reasons a couple adopts a child or children are not always known, Hester and Thomas had no natural children but, one at a time, did adopt four. Two died very early in life, and the other two – boy and girl – were only 9 and 5 years old when Hester died in 1904 after a long illness. She was the first of her siblings to pass on, although all too soon, in 1905, brother James Newton also died, both siblings predeceasing all other adult family members, including their parents.
A member of the Christian church at Kellogg, Iowa, Hester's burial service was conducted there by Rev. E. F. Leake on Sunday, June 5, 1904, the date on which she was buried in Our Silent City Cemetery. In the same cemetery are Hester's two adopted infants, including daughter Rose Burnice (the only infant known by name); her parents, John Supler Allum and Elisabeth Loar; brother James Newton Allum; sister-in-law, Anna Bowermaster; sister Flossie "Edna" Allum; brother-in-law, Alexander James Lepard; niece, Agnes Kathryn Alum Kent; and Hester's adopted son, Bertis Milo, who died much later, in 1968.
--DeeAnna Allum Granston
Gravestone photo taken in 1965
Hester was not the only child when the family migrated westward. Two younger siblings also made the journey -- brother James Newton and sister Sarah "Emma" Jane. The three siblings were eventually joined by three more born in Iowa.
Interestingly, Hester was destined to marry another Greene County native in Iowa. Thomas A. Burnfiel(d) arrived in Jasper County in the 1880s, and he and Hester married there on June 26, 1889. A son of Zenas and Sarah Burnfiel(d), his family's history was also entwined with Greene County, Pennsylvania, even to Richhill Township, with which both Allums and Burnfiel(d)s were associated.
Although specific reasons a couple adopts a child or children are not always known, Hester and Thomas had no natural children but, one at a time, did adopt four. Two died very early in life, and the other two – boy and girl – were only 9 and 5 years old when Hester died in 1904 after a long illness. She was the first of her siblings to pass on, although all too soon, in 1905, brother James Newton also died, both siblings predeceasing all other adult family members, including their parents.
A member of the Christian church at Kellogg, Iowa, Hester's burial service was conducted there by Rev. E. F. Leake on Sunday, June 5, 1904, the date on which she was buried in Our Silent City Cemetery. In the same cemetery are Hester's two adopted infants, including daughter Rose Burnice (the only infant known by name); her parents, John Supler Allum and Elisabeth Loar; brother James Newton Allum; sister-in-law, Anna Bowermaster; sister Flossie "Edna" Allum; brother-in-law, Alexander James Lepard; niece, Agnes Kathryn Alum Kent; and Hester's adopted son, Bertis Milo, who died much later, in 1968.
--DeeAnna Allum Granston
Gravestone photo taken in 1965
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