James & Emeline Hall wedding day
Some people have been taking it upon themselves over the last several years to simply copy and then transfer my work to other commercial ancestral websites.
While I am obviously not the original source of these obituaries, they are my work and content on my web pages are loosely copyrighted.
I have NO problem with people copying material on my web pages for their OWN personal use, but to take it and then post it on those commercial websites that have done
NOTHING for Manning, and make money off my work and other people who help me, is really low-life.
When you do this, it really hurts my Manning historical research!!!
People searching for obituaries and information about their family who are connected to Manning
will probably search those commercial websites.
When they find MY work on those sites, they won't realize the source and worst of all probably won't continue
searching and find my website - and then contact me to find out that I probably have more information and pictures of their family members.
This also prevents me from asking them for Manning pictures and history they have that I don't have and would like to scan - which then HURTS my Manning historical research.
I have ways of knowing if someone takes my work and then posts it on those other sites, so be aware of this and that I might be contacting you to STOP doing this.
You don't want to help me with my Manning research - FINE - BUT don't steal my work to help some other person/company make money off me!!!
Now I realize that the only way to prevent this theft is to NOT post anything on my webpage but then that would really hurt my research because no one out there would know
what I'm doing for historical research in Manning and then never contact me.
ALSO - PLEASE remember that providing my web page to you for FREE and FULL access, costs me a lot of money!
I make absolutely NOTHING off all of my historical work - to the contrary it costs me thousands and thousands of dollars.
Update January 3:
I just received an e-mail from a Hall descendant who I worked with in 2008.
She wanted me to resend an 1893 MHS class picture I had sent her back then...apparently she lost it.
Well, now I can't find it!
It has to be in my database but I must have not given 1893 as part of the file name.
I searched for other key words but no luck yet...anyway I will eventually find that picture.
BUT, I'm so glad she contacted me because after reading one of the older e-mails from her I noticed I had sent an obituary to her for James Hall, one of Manning's Civil War Veterans.
I checked James' military link on my Veterans' page but NO obituary.
So I e-mailed her and asked her if I truly did send her the obituary...sure enough she sent back the obituary
I had transcribed over 10 years ago from the Monitor Microfilm.
So I searched the 1918 Monitor folder and sure enough, there was the file. I had simply never transferred it to
James' bio on the Veterans' page.
I guess after working on over 4000 Manning connected obituaries since 1996 on my web page, I'm bound to forget to post a few of them.
This is exactly what I'm talking about at the beginning of this feature...if this Hall descendant had not found my web page but first found one of those other commercial ancestry sites, I might not have discovered my omission just now.
I asked the Hall descendant if she had found James' wife's obituary - she had not.
So I did a quick search on the Internet - I didn't find her obituary but got lucky to find a fairly decent scan of James & Emeline.
So I copied it and then repaired and enhanced it. I think it might be high enough resolution to use in the future Manning Veterans' history book.
Now to show you how much information I had dug up over the years about the Hall family...
Back in 2002, while talking to John Ohde, I found out that a Hall descendant had sent him a couple of letters and paper copy prints of the Hall family sometime in the 1980s...below
is that information.
The Kemp descendent had made facsimile copies of the originals he had. While these pictures are better than nothing, I really wanted to get the originals to scan.
So I
tried to contact Kemp, but found out he was deceased and couldn't track down any of his relatives to see if they still had those old Hall/family pictures.
Here are the scans I made from paper copies that Kemp gave to John.
James Hall residence in background
Henry Pollock home center and Kemp home 3rd house on this block
Frank & Ida (Hall) Kemp in their car “Horseless Carriage” in 1905.
When but ten years or age, he lost his mother, and when fourteen, his father died also. After this the boy was thrown out on the world to struggle for himself. At this tender age he of necessity encountered many difficulties and endured much adversity, but triumphed over all. At the age of seventeen, he went to Thornton, Illinois. Being an industrious young man he readily found employment on a farm. Here he remained until the age of twenty-four, when he enlisted in the army. He belonged to Company F. Fifty Second Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted in 1861.
As a soldier he made a noble record and was engaged in the battle of Vicksburg, Shilo, Ft. Donelson, Siege of Corinth, Bay's Ferry, Resaca, Iuka, Snake Creek Gap, Altoona, and Atlanta, beside being with Sherman on his famous march to the sea.
He endured many hardships incident to military life and was honorable discharged, November 18, 1864. Upon his return from the army, he again settled at Thornton, where he engaged in business for himself. On August 16, 1868, he was married to Miss Emeline Williams of that city.
To this union were born five children, three daughters and two sons. One son died at the age of four and a half years, and the other in infancy.
In the year 1875, the deceased moved his family to Shelby County, Iowa, settling near Irwin. Here they lived some fifteen years, enduring the privation and hardships incident to pioneer days. By means of thrift and good management he struggled to a good degree of affluence. He was a man who was always in the forefront of every noble project for the uplift of the community whether material, educational or religious.
But he had given his best strength to the flag of his country, and was handicapped by ailments contracted in army service. It was therefore necessary for him to abandon farming at a comparatively early age. He came to Manning in 1890 where he spent the rest of his days. He was a man whose life was above reproach, and whoever sought the best, things for his family in the way of education, and comfort. He was a model husband, father and citizen, and universally esteemed by all who knew him. Long since he took the Bible as the rule and guide of his faith and practice, and throughout his soldier career, always pillowed his head by night upon a copy of the Scripture which he carried.
For three years his health was on a rapid decline. At the end drew near he became eager for the summons of the death angel to usher him to his final rest. He appeared fully ready for the end. He died May 31, 1918, aged 80 years, 10 months, and 5 days. A wife and three daughters remain to mourn his demise, all of whom were present in his last hours and weeks lending, their kindly ministrations to make their loved one comfortable. The daughters are Mrs. Harriet Martin, Billings, Montana; Mrs. Azubah Pollock, Omaha, Nebraska; and Mrs. Ida Kemp, Sioux City, Iowa.
It is fitting that mention be made of the long and happy marriage of this aged couple. Had the husband lived a couple of months longer, they might have celebrated their golden wedding. It would be hard to find a richer affection and greater devotion than that which was exhibited by this aged pair.
The funeral services were conducted from the home Sunday afternoon. Rev. Aller, pastor of the Presbyterian Church, conducted the services. There was a very large attendance of friends and neighbors.
At the grave the services were under the charge of the local Masonic Lodge, the deceased being a faithful member and worker of that organization. Over a hundred of the members of the lodge were present and the work of the lodge was very impressive.
Thus another of our valiant soldier boys has departed from this earth. His life work is ended, but his memory will always he cherished for the noble work he performed. He has well earned a place among men, and future ages shall pay him honor.
JAMES L. HALL is a native of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, born July 26, 1837. He is the son of Alvin and Philantha (Yales) Hall, both natives of Massachusetts, who afterward moved to Wisconsin where they died rather early in life. When James L. was three years old his parents went to Walworth County, Wisconsin, where he grew to manhood. He was reared to farm life, and received a limited education in the common schools; although his opportunities have been few he has made the most of them, and has qualified himself to transact any business that may fall to him. At the age of fourteen he was thrown upon his own resources, and since that time he has made his own way in life. Mr. Hall was united in marriage August 16, 1868, to Miss Emeline Williams, daughter of Spofford C. and Mary (Hastings) Williams, natives of Vermont; she was born in Rutland County, May 29, 1845. They have three children - Hattie, Azubah and Ida. In June 1875, Mr. Hall came to Shelby County, Iowa, and settled on an eighty-acre tract of wild prairie in Jefferson Township. Here he has established a comfortable home, and has one of the best farms in this part of the county. He has suitable buildings for stock, and has planted a three-acre grove. He devotes himself to agricultural pursuits, and deals extensively in live-stock. He has added 160 acres to his first purchase, and now owns 240 acres in a body.
Mr. Hall has done much toward the up-building of Shelby County, and is deserving the esteem and regard in which he is held. The first wages he received were $10 a month, and from this small start he has risen to a position of financial independence. Politically he affiliates with the Republican Party; he has served faithfully in the various offices in his township from the beginning of his residence in the county until the present time. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., Lodge No. 444, and of the Farmers' Alliance.
He enlisted October 1, 1861, at the call for men to defend this nation's flag, in Company F, Fifty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was honorably discharged November 18, 1864, having served his country for three years. He entered the service as a private, but was soon promoted to Sergeant, in which capacity he served most of the time. The most noted battles in which he participated are Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Siege of Corinth, Lay's Ferry, Resaca, Inka, Altoona, Snake Creek Gap, and Atlanta. He was with Sherman on his famous march to the sea, and saw all there was to see, but did not feel all there was to feel, as he escaped without a single wound, and without being taken prisoner. However, he endured all the privations incident to a soldier's life, and these are not few. He is a member of the G.A.R., Slacker Post, No. 139.
Here is a colorized image of the Hall home, taken sometime before 1923 which is when the residential streets were paved.
Well I hope this feature story will inspire more people to contact me about Manning history/pictures they have so we can work together to add it to my Manning Historical Database.