It was approximately 1834 when Jonahs parents moved from their Virginia
home, where the family had lived since prior to the Revolution. Jonah was 11
years old. It must have been hard to leave that beautiful green valley by the Shenandoah river, all their friends and family. Never to see many of them again. I can picture the wagon, loaded down with all their belongings and bidding farewell to their friends and family. It is said that Jonah's sister Eliza, a young lady of 17, rode her pony all the way frm Virginia to Ohio. Jonah's oldest brother Samuel was a young man of 22, and undoubtedly spent much of his time hunting to provide food for the traveling family. Many of the children were very young, the youngest being Isabella, age 5 years. It is not known what time of the year they arrived in Ohio, but the first cold Ohio winter must have been discouraging to face. New friends to be made in a strange new country. A living to be made. It is not known for certain, what type of work Jonah's father did, besides farming, but he did purchase a lot of leather goods. He may have been a saddler (saddle maker) or harness maker.
In the spring os 1838 Jonah's father and mother both died, about a month
apart. Jonah, his brothe John and James and his sister Isabella were made
wards of Jesse Goddard, minister of the M.E. Church in October of 1838. Later, Isabella went to live with her married sister Eliza Locke Underwood.
The 1850 Ohio census (Pleasant Township, Clark CO., Ohio) lists Jonah,
Sarah and Isabella (Jonahs sister) as follows:
J.B. Lock age 27 Carpenter
S.J. Lock age 22
Isabella Lock age 20.
Value of Real Estate $100.00
List place of birth for Jonah and Isabella as Virginia. Place of birth for
Sarah Jane is not readable in the census.
The names of these four children, are listed in memorial, on the Locke family monument in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis, MN as follows:
CHILDREN of J. B. and S. J. Locke
Joseph A.
Lorenzo
Jonah J.
Arvales B.
ZaideeThe fifth child listed on the monument, "Zaidee", was born at Silver Creek, MN (Wright Co.), and died at age 1 year 7 months. She is most probably buried at the old cemetery in Monticello, MN.
(There is a volume of stories, documentation, pictures and records of this family starting page 16-43
From Everett Locke, The Descendetns of Johna Britton Locke and Sarah Jane Brooks Locke, revised 1987. pg 11.
They moved to OH in the late 1830's and then to Wright Co., Minnestota in 1855. A ccording to the "History and Business Direcctory of Wright Co." published by George Grey in 1867, concerning the Township of SIlver Creek - "This township was first settled in Feb of 1855. The first settlers were J. Borkks, J. S. Locke and J. B. Sanborn". When the first claims for land were filed in the congressional township (Silcer Creek an Clearwater) in 1857, Joseph filed claim in Section 25 of Township 122, range 26 on June 24, 1857. He also filed claim on land in Section 30 of Township 122 Range 9Monticello) on June 24, 1857. HIs daughter Margaret Brooks also filed claim in Section 30 on Aug 7, 1857. Joseph Brooks wa also on the list of the first grand jurors, selected by county commissioners July 23, 1855.
By Everett J. Locke, The Descendents of Jonah Jane Brooks Locke, revised 1987, pg 12.
According to a story related to this writer, by an older member of the family, Adam was in Texas at the start of the Civil War, and was drafted into the Confederate Army, against his will, and at an opportune time deserted and worked his way carefully back to the Northern States and Minnesta.
page 46 The Descendants of Jonah and Sarah Locke
He was called "GENE" by all that knew him. He was the village clerk and assessor of Brooklyn Township (Which later became Brooklyn Center) for 25 years. Married Sarah Kathryn Green on Jan 13, 1881 in Prairie Township, Minnesota. Sara was born April 16, 1859 in Prairie Dulong, Illinois; died Nov 21, 1940 in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. She was the daughter of Mahlon and Margaret (Jarrard) Green of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Samuel and sara are buried in the Locke/Brooks Family Plot in Lakewood Cem, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Pg. 68
I REMEMBER GRANDPA and GRANDMA
We four sons of Sadie Locke Chandler were fortunate to live in the same country and nearer to Grandpa and Grandma Alfred and Rosa Locke than any of the other mumerous grandchildren.
I remember them first in the mid - 1920's when I was fibe to seven years old and they over 60 years old and lived at 2218 Baker St. in Everett, Washington in a two story house that he had built and it remains in good repair in 1983. He was then working as a night watchman in a lumber mill. Our occasional visits were timed so asa not to disturb his sleep during the day, but it was a big treat for we contry boys to visit them in the "city" and to accompany them to services at the First Baptist Church.Grandpa liked to grow plants and flowers and to ahve a garden so, about 1925, he retired from mill work and purchased five acres of land a half miles north of Silver Lake on the old US 99 or Everett-Bothell highway. There he cleard away the brush and again built a two stroy house plus a garage and shed for storage and for chickens. The water supply was from a hand pump over a well in the back yard, later replaced by an electric pump and pressure system.
Grandpa cleared more land each year to obtain wood for heating and cooking and to expand his vegetable and flower gardens. These grew into the Locke Pansy Gardens covering perhaps a half acre where he gew many varieties of pansies. He sold them from a small stand next to the highway and also in the city of Everett. By this time I was about 8 to 10 years old with brother, Glen, two years older and Earl and Russell behindus. Mother endeavored to help by making us a sales force peddiling pansies door to door in everett during the summers. We supplemented this with Grandpa's strawberries or our own laboriosly hadn picked wild blackberries during the season.
Several things are high in my memories of Grandpa. First he was afflicted seriously with asthma, which reportedly caused the earlier move of tehfamily from Minnisota to Everett in 1920. When struck by one of his frequent asthma attacks, he cought and wheezed terribly as he struggled to breathe. To gain relieft, he burned sulphur in a small hand held container and inhaled the fumes. WE boys were always curious about this mystic procedure so peeked through doors or followed him to the woodshed where he usually went to burn his sulphur. If cautious, we could get close enogh to smell the stinking sulpher fumes. -- But not too close though, because asthma made Grandpa "cross" and he didn't appreciate us being entertained by his ailment!Second, Grandpa's car was a Model T Ford of early vintage, probably difficult for anyone to operate smoothly. Grandpa approached the task with obvious trepidation as he set the controls to start it by hand crank and avoid being run over or having his arm borken if it "kicked back" in the process. With the engine rattling away, he quickly mounted the beast by swinging his ong legs over teh door-less driver's side and sat stiffly erect with both hands grasping the steering wheel as he tried to co ordinate use of the three foot pedals and the nad throttle! This was like a small circusto we boys, so we always tried to get a ride with him to experience the jerky starts and swaying turns as he coaxed the old Ford to it's top speed of 25-35 miles per hour.
Third, was Grandpa's high kicks. HE was tall and thin with long legs and proud of his ablity to kick higher than his head. During family gatherings, someone invariably egged him on to perform this feat and he would oblige with a copule hight kicks whether outside or in the living room -- Not bad for a man over 70 yeasr old!
Grandma was a calm, patient, virtuous lady who could easily uphold a title as Best American Grandmother. her most remembered sign of annoyance was to say "Oh pshaw!". She loved each of her children and grandchildren equally and we knew that without any effort on her part.
Grandma was famous for her home made doughnuts, mixed by hand from the basic ingrediants and cooked in lard over an old wood burning sove. The "doughnut holes" -- An obvious sign of acceptance and approval! Along with cooking, she mended clothes and darned holes in socks in true grandmotherly style!
Grandpa and Grandma celebrated their Golden Wedding aniversity March 14, 1931. Some time that spring, their eight livign children and twelve granchildren celebrated the occasion at the Pinehurst Community Hall near Everett. Frank came from Minnestota, Edith and Arthur from Idaho, Harvey from Indiana, Elmer from nearby Seattle, to join effie, Sadie and Clara who resided near Everett.
Six years later, I answered the ring of our old hand cranked wall telephone out on the farm to hear Grandma say "Oh Vernon, Grandpa has died. Get your Dad to come right away". His funeral was held in teh old Baptist Chruch and he was buried at Evergreen Cemetery overlooking the Snohomish River Valley and out to the Cascade mountains.
Grandma continued her graciou life fifteen more years, sharing her house with Aunt Clara and moving near Aunt Effie for closer care and companionship. At age 88 she joined Grandpa at the beautiful buirial site and in God's Heaven of which they were so confident and richly desrving.
Page 71 same source: Alfred Britton Locke, son of Jonah and Sarah Jane (Brooks) Locke, was born in a log cabin May 26, 1858 at Silver Creek, (Wright Co., Minnesota. Die December 29, 1937 in Everett, Washington. Married Rosa mary Fletcher on March 14, 1881. Rosa was the daughter of William Harrison Fletcher and Harriet Sophia (Nichols) Fletcher, Rosa was born March 14, 1863 in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota; died January 31, 1952 in Everett, Washington. Afred and Rosa lived on their 40 acres farm near Oseo, Minnesota, until 1910 when they moved to Everett, Washington, because of his asthma. Alfred and Rossa had nine children.Excerpt from book on the Alfred B. Locke family, written in 1962 by Effie
(Locke) Gemmer.
OUR INHERITANCE
Rosa Mary and Alfred B. Locke were always hard working indiviiduals. No one could accuse either of them of being lazy. After raising their eight children, at different times they worked in the apple orchards, raspberry fields and hop fields, and in later life, when they lived near Silver Lake, Washington, they both enjoyed "Locke's Pansy Gardens".
They taught truth and honesty by daily living. They were generous almost
to a fault, always willing to share and to help others.
They never possesses an abundance of this world's goods, yet left a great
deal of their family wich could never be measured in dollars and cents.
Lessons we learned from them and memories of the example they set for us in
daily living are our most cherished inheritance.
Each of their children received a share of their modest estate and each of sixteen grandchildren received a small sum, as token of their grandparents
regard for them.I Remember Grandpa and Grandma by Vernon L. Chandler.
We four sons of Sadie Locke Chandler were fortunate to live in the same
county and nearer to Grandpa and Grandma Alfred and Rosa Locke than any of the other numerous grandchildren.
I remember them first in the mid-1920's when I was five to seven years old
and they over 60 years. They lived at 2218 Baker St. in Everett, Washington in a two story house that he had built and it remains in good repair in 1983. He was then working as a night watchman in a lumber mill. Our occasional visits were timed so as not to distrub his sleep during the day, but it was a big treat for we country boys to visit them in the "city" and to accompany them to services at the First Baptist Church.
Grandpa like to grow plants and flowers and to have a garden so, about
1925, he retired from mill work and purchased five acres of land and a half
miles north of Silver Lake on the old U.S. 99 or Everett-Bothell Highway.
There he cleared away the brush and again built a two story house plus a garage and shed for storage and for chickens. The water supply was from a hand pump over the well in the back yard, later replaced by an electric pump and pressure system.
Grandpa cleared more land each year to obtain wood for heating and cooking
and to expand his vegetable and flower gardens. These grew into the Locke
Pansy Gardens covering perhaps a half acre where he grew many varieties of
pansises. He sold them froma small stand next to the highway and also in the
city of Everett. By this time I was about 8 to 10 years old with brother,
Glen, two years older and Earl and Russell behind us. Mother endeavored to
help by making us a sales force peddling pansies door to door in Everett during the summers. We supplemented this with Grandpa's strawberries or our own laboriously hand-picked wild blackberries during the seasons.
Several things are high in my memories of Grandpa. First, he was
afflicated seriously with asthma, wich reportedly caused the earlier move of
the family from Minnesota to Everett in 1920. When struck by one of his
frequent astham attacks, he coughed and wheezed terribly as he struggled to
breathe. To gain relief, he burned sulphur in a small hand-held container and inhaled the fumes. We boys were always curious about this mystic procedure so peeked through doors or followed him to the woodshed wherehe usually went to burn his sulphur. If castious, we could get close enough to smell the stinking sulphur fumes. Not too close though, because asthma made Granpa "Cross" and he didn't appreciate us being entertained by his ailment.
Second, Grandpa's car was a Model T. Ford of early vintage, probably
difficult for anyone to operate smoothly. Grandpa approached the task with
obvious trepidation as he set the controls to start it by hand crank and avoid being run over or having his arm broken if it "kicked back" in the process. With the engine rattling away, he quickly mounted the beast by swinging his long legs over the door-less driver's side and sat stifflyt erect with both hands grasping the steering wheel as he tried to coordinate use of the three foot pedals and the hand throttle. This was like a small circus to we boys, so we always tried to get a ride with him to experience the jerky starts and swaying turns as he coaxed the old Ford to its top speed of 25-30 miles per hour.
Third, was Grandpa's high kicks. He was tall and thin with long legs and
proud of his ability to kick higher than his head. During family gatherine,
someone invariably egged him on to perform this feat and he would oblige with a couple high kicks whether outside or in the living room: Not bad for a man over 70 years old.
Grandma was a calm, patient, virtuous lady who could easily uphold a title as Best American Grandmother. Her most remembered sign of annoyance was to say "oh pshaw" She loved each of her children and grandchildren equally and we knew that without any effort on her part.
Grandma was famous for her home made doughnuts, mixed by hand from the
baisc ingredients and cooked in lard over an old wood burning stove. The
"doughnut holes" were cooked last as a special treat for grandchildren that was looked forward to and prized highly. Even when I brought by bride from far away to meet her, she made "doughnut holes" An obvious sign of acceptance and approval. Along with cooking, she mended clothes and darned holes in socks in true grandmotherly style.
Grandpa and Grandma celebrated their Golden wedding anniversay March 14,
1931. Sometime that spring their eight living children and twelve
grandchildren celebrated the occasion at the Pinehurst Community Hall near
Everett. Frank came from Minnesota, Edith and Arthur from Idaho, Harvey from
Indiana, Elmer from nearby Seattle, to join Effie, Sadie and Clara who resided near Everett.
Six years later, I answered the ring of our old hand cranked wall
telephone out on the farm to hear Grandma Say "Oh Vernon, Grandpa died. Get
your Dad to come right away". His funeral was held in the old Baptist Church
and he buried at Evergreen Cem. overlooking the Snohomish River Valley and out to the Cascade Mountains.
Grandma continued her gracious life fifteen more years. Sharing her house
with Aunt Clara and moving near Aunt Effie for closer care and companionship.
At age 88 she joined Grandpa at the beautiful burial site and in God's heaven
of which they were so confident and richly deserving.On March 14, 1881, on Rosa Mary's 17th birthday, she and Alfred were married and went to live on his 40 acre farm near Osseo, MN. There they lived until 1910 when they moved to Everett, Washington because of his asthma.
A letter from pg 42 of the Lock book by Everett Locke. Letter from Alfred Locke to Samuel Locke.
Salem, Ore. Jan 8-17Dear Brother
I just got a letter from Aunt Nellie that Uncle Joe was very sick he was taken with grippe and then brights desease set in, he is ratinal part of the time. She wrote there was very little hope for him Uncle John died over a year ago Uncle Richard died when we was in Minn nearly four years ago and Aunt Sue Sept 27, was 86, of last year. Aunt Rachel had a stroke three years ago she is in a hospital in Seattle her left side is paralyzed she can not set up and has to be waited on like a baby. Shelays on her left side and is apparently as well as she was three years ago. She is 76, Ella Riddle died six weeks ago Mrs. PRoctor Ellas sister telephoned to Elmers place. Sadie ansewred but did nto find out what the troube was on account of long distance. I wrote to Hiram but have not heard from him.
AUnt Allice is well, I think she is 67. I came to Salem the 25th of Aug. Was having the asthma in Everett, but have been all ok ever since I came. I picked hps for a month worked in a prune dryer for a month at $2.25 and have been here ever since at $1.75 am not more then paying expenses on account of rain, only worked about half the time last momht got in 11 1/2 days.
This is some ranch they had twenty thousand boxes of apples and four hundred ton of pears and I don't know how many peaches & cherries. I am pruning pear trees at present, it is no snap standing on a ladder all day. We got Amy's picture it is surely a good picture of her, thank you Amy.
Jan 10, Alfred wrote this last night. I see he didn't sign his name but I think he watned me to send it this morning so I will add a few lines Alfred is homesick to come back there this summer, but as he don't hage th asthma here we think we had better stay Ore for a while anyway. Arthur & Flor want us to come to Ida and stay with them next summer but Alfred thins he is more independent doing for himself As long as he can. We are living in a tent are real comfortable. This is a valley, if he gets the asthma here we will pull up the tent and go a little higher. THe people are real nice and friendly here. Clara is teaching in the Southern part of Wash. She spent Thanksgiving here with us. Effie is keeping house for Elmer & Harvey. Harvey is going to High School, Sadie & Elisa and baby Glen are staying in Everett with Elija's brother will go back to their homestead in the spring. Edith is workign in Everett. Rosa M. Locke
S/o Richard Hesselgesser and Elizabeth Pence.
Emma never married.
Sarah Elizabeth (Lizzie) HESSELGESSER
Sarah never married.
S/o Henry Boosinger and Lucy Ann Dear.