"As I remember his telling it, Dad's (Alonzo B. Ordway) grandfather, Alonzo Ordway, and his grandmother, Lucretia, lived their later years until they died in Union, Iowa--also Dad's birthplace - about thirty miles from Marshalltown. Dad's father, George, and family eventually moved from Union to Marshalltown. All except Dad remained there until they died - the last being his unmarried sister, Mabel, who lived in the family house at 609 West State Street until her death in the 1960's when the house was sold.Continuing with Dad's account, the family in Marshalltown visited the grandparents in Union, regularly, going there and returning by train the same day, usually Sundays. on these visits the senior Alonzo would graciously give his namesake a dime. However, Grandmother Lucretia would surrepticiously take young Alonzo aside and give him a dollar without the grandfather's knowledge!
The senior Ordways had moved from Boston to Union to be near their son, George, and his young wife, Ellen, who had relocated earlier at New Providence, near Union. (Ellen's brother, William "Uncle Will" Bowers, had a son Harry - Dad's cousin - who later was a successful and wealthy New York financier as a partner in the investment banking firm, Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
Before moving from the East, George's mother, Lucretia, had run a profitable boarding house during the Civil War. her husband had invested the profits, or loaned them out at 4% interst, so the returns were comfortable, Son George was a cabinetmaker, however when business fell off after the Civil War, he decided to follow the gold rush in California. He went there by ship via Panama (no canal then) to San Francisco, then decided not to pursue gold and returned by the same route.
The senior Ordways had moved from Boston to Union to be near their son, George, and his young wife, Ellen, who had relocated earlier at New Providence, near Union. (Ellen's brother, William "Uncle Will" Bowers, had a son Harry - Dad's cousin - who later was a successful and wealthy New York financier as a partner in the investment banking firm, Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
Before moving from the East, George's mother, Lucretia, had run a profitable boarding house during the Civil War. her husband had invested the profits, or loaned them out at 4% interst, so the returns were comfortable, Son George was a cabinetmaker, however when business fell off after the Civil War, he decided to follow the gold rush in California. He went there by ship via Panama (no canal then) to San Francisco, then decided not to pursue gold and returned by the same route.
"As I remember his telling it, Dad's (Alonzo B. Ordway) grandfather, Alonzo Ordway, and his grandmother, Lucretia, lived their later years until they died in Union, Iowa--also Dad's birthplace - about thirty miles from Marshalltown. Dad's father, George, and family eventually moved from Union to Marshalltown. All except Dad remained there until they died - the last being his unmarried sister, Mabel, who lived in the family house at 609 West State Street until her death in the 1960's when the house was sold.Continuing with Dad's account, the family in Marshalltown visited the grandparents in Union, regularly, going there and returning by train the same day, usually Sundays. on these visits the senior Alonzo would graciously give his namesake a dime. However, Grandmother Lucretia would surrepticiously take young Alonzo aside and give him a dollar without the grandfather's knowledge!
The senior Ordways had moved from Boston to Union to be near their son, George, and his young wife, Ellen, who had relocated earlier at New Providence, near Union. (Ellen's brother, William "Uncle Will" Bowers, had a son Harry - Dad's cousin - who later was a successful and wealthy New York financier as a partner in the investment banking firm, Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
Before moving from the East, George's mother, Lucretia, had run a profitable boarding house during the Civil War. her husband had invested the profits, or loaned them out at 4% interst, so the returns were comfortable, Son George was a cabinetmaker, however when business fell off after the Civil War, he decided to follow the gold rush in California. He went there by ship via Panama (no canal then) to San Francisco, then decided not to pursue gold and returned by the same route.
The senior Ordways had moved from Boston to Union to be near their son, George, and his young wife, Ellen, who had relocated earlier at New Providence, near Union. (Ellen's brother, William "Uncle Will" Bowers, had a son Harry - Dad's cousin - who later was a successful and wealthy New York financier as a partner in the investment banking firm, Goldman, Sachs & Co.)
Before moving from the East, George's mother, Lucretia, had run a profitable boarding house during the Civil War. her husband had invested the profits, or loaned them out at 4% interst, so the returns were comfortable, Son George was a cabinetmaker, however when business fell off after the Civil War, he decided to follow the gold rush in California. He went there by ship via Panama (no canal then) to San Francisco, then decided not to pursue gold and returned by the same route.
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