THE STEPHEN AND MARY ELLEN QUAIFE FAMILY HISTORY

Written by Grandson Cecil M. Goodrich

 This is a brief account of some events in the lives of this family – also a brief description of the “Walnuts”, country home of the family a few miles northwest of Robinson, Brown County, Kansas.

 These are from personal knowledge, from conversations and correspondence with relatives. I lived with my parents at Robinson around the turn of the century and was out on the old home place very often; also I stayed at the “Walnuts” around seven months in about the year 1902 while my parents and sister Lola were in the Indian Service at Martinez, California. My father was a teacher and my mother was assistant teacher.

 It is the year of 1856 – the pioneer era of the Middle West. The family of John and Dianah (Moreton) Quaife Jr. are on a farm near Ionia, Iowa, having settled there after a long journey overseas. Stephen is 25 years of age when they reach Iowa having been born on January 2, 1831. In 1840 when the family sailed over the stormy Atlantic, Stephen is around 10 years of age.

 In a few years Stephen starts southwest, working in various types of employment – farm work, helping to build the old brick academy still standing at Highland, Kansas. At White Cloud, Kansas, on the Missouri River, he meets the beautiful young Mary Ellen Abrahms, daughter of a prominent family of that town. Her father is an ox-team freighter hauling supplies form St. Joseph to the thriving mining city of Denver in the Rockies. Thousands of gold miners are pouring into the area around Denver. Her mother’s maiden name was Prim, from the great state of Kentucky. (Three of her brothers are soon to join the Union forces in the great Civil War – one to lose his life for his country, and find rest in the National Cemetery at Arlington, VA.)

 In the town of White Cloud, on the west bank of the Missouri River at the foot of the rolling bluffs, Stephen won the heart of this beautiful girl. After marriage the young couple settled on 40 acres of black Brown County soil on the virgin prairie near Robinson, Kansas, where they built a home. They worked hard; carving a home out of a prairie. Neighbors are far apart. They plant a hedge of bois d’arc, and a large ‘wind break’ on the north, getting the saplings nearby along the winding Wolf River. Walnut saplings are planted on both sides of the walk all the way from the road to the house. These are the trees which give the name of “The Walnuts” to the old homestead.

 The black clouds of the Civil War are gathering on the horizon as they toil so hard in building their home and farm. Grandfather and grandmother are patriotic; his grandfather was a captain in the English army, losing his life for his Country in far away India. Although it is heartbreaking to both, grandfather forms a Fife and Drum Corps (one of his drummer boys is the youngest veteran of the Kansas volunteers in the Civil War.) I remember reading a letter from one of his Civil War buddies telling “when you played your fife in those stirring days at the public gatherings at Hiawatha, you stood straight and soldier like, such as no man ever did, I feel, in the world. Grandfather is a musician – he loves his fife. He is able to bring it home with him from the War and it is in his casket at his funeral, clasped in his loving arms.

 On September 8, 1862, grandfather walks down the lane between the young walnut trees on the old home place on his way to enlist in the Union Army in a nearby town. When he reaches the gate he turns and waves a sad farewell to grandmother. He enlists as Fife Major of a Drum Corps in Captain O. H. Macauley’s Company “H” – 13^th Regiment – Kansas Infantry.

 Many months of hardships are ahead – sleeping on the ground in all sorts of weather – hunger – thirst – weariness from hiking mile after mile with a heavy pack over the Ozark mountains of Arkansas. Death is nearby nearly all of this days and nights; he takes an important courageous part in the great battles of Pa Ridge and Prairie Grove, both in Arkansas. Grandfather carries a musket as well as his beloved fife. Pea Ridge is the biggest battle west of the Mississippi; here the Union victory saved St. Louis and the state of Missouri for the Union. Discharged at Little Rock, Arkansas, on June 26^th, 1865, he returns to grandmother at “The Walnuts”.

 Grandmother had stayed most of the time at the home – riding horseback to White Cloud to sell eggs for means to pay out the prized dresser they had bought for the new home. Also, grandmother would take butter to the market.

 My mother, Effie Jane, is born at White Cloud, Kansas, the eldest child. She attends school at Robinson and the Academy at Hiawatha. She has wonderful musical ability, found in nearly all the Quaife’s. Developing her talents by taking piano lessons at Hiawatha, she becomes the best pianist, and piano teacher of that area. She goes on trains to several towns in northeastern Kansas to give lessons to her many pupils. Her Hiawatha piano teacher says “Each note you play comes out as a jewel, wondrous, and clear-cut.” Also, she studies oil painting, and her children have several of her beautiful works in their homes.

 Uncle Walter lives on a farm adjoining Uncle Stanton’s on the east; energetic, hard working, on e of the best farmers in Brown county, it is a common bit of knowledge in the family that he often needed to change teams after on half day in the field. He saves a s a boy to build his farm. Even in his old age he is a hard worker; while making his home at Nunn, Colorado, he built long stretches of fence for a railroad.

Uncle Asa is an artist, and a great photographer. For many years in Montana, and at Salem, Oregon, he is a noted photographer (one of the best), and colors (retouches) pictures in a wonderful manner. In his later years his great love of Nature and beauty leads him to become a successful florist.

Uncle Stanton lives on an adjoining farm to “The Walnuts”. Often I am in his home as a boy. He marries my father’s sister, Aunt Clara, of Cairo, Nebraska, so I feel more like a brother than a double cousin to my brother in the ministry and to Emma. (Rev. Otto Quaife and Mrs. Emma Quaife Henderson) Uncle Stanton is a very fine cornetist and plays in the good town bands of Robinson and Cairo, Nebraska. (Also, I believe in the band of St. Michael, Nebraska). He and I spend many a happy hour together tramping the old home farm in quest of rabbits. A crack shot, he would stop a rabbit going at full speed. Also he traps skunk and opossum. One of the best farmers anywhere, his farm is a delight to the eye. I remember Aunt Clara as a loving mother and companion, a helpmate indeed for Uncle Stanton. When needed in the field in times that Uncle Stanton was sick, she would shuck corn, and help to get out other crops with all of her strength.

I remember Cousin Otto in the summer of 1914 when I come up from Oklahoma to make a visit at “The Walnuts” once more. Come Sunday morning, over the hill I go to Uncle Stanton’s where I join Otto and Emma, and start down the road – over the Kelley hill, and on to Sunday school a the United Brethren Church at Robinson. Otto’s great love for his Savior shows even then; no wonder he is to be an evangel for the Evangel of God and to devote his life to this greatest of all callings!

Uncle Charles (Ba) is my favorite uncle; I suppose because we are about the same age. I love him like a brother – we are always together for several years in our boyhood days. My parents leave me at “The Walnuts” while they are in the Indian Service in Martinez, California. We go to school at Robinson together. In the afternoon when school is over, grandfather is usually waiting at the entrance – in the buggy – waiting with old Flora to take us home.

Ba is one of the best shots in the world, I think – a noted trap shooter. When he goes after ducks and geese in season, he usually “brings them in.” Many a time we go hunting together on the old farm. Also, he is one of the best farmers in Brown County, farming the home place for many years.

A loving son, he takes care of dear grandmother in his home in her old age until she leaves us for Heaven’s glory. Ba raised two fine sons who have gone far in life’s way: Harold travels in foreign lands for his refrigeration company; and Donald is rated high as a bus and truck driver between the West coast and Chicago.

As a splendid musician he plays the drum accompaniment to Grandfathers fife at G. A. R. meetings.

As a motorcycle racer, Ba won several races as a young man. Many a mile I ride behind him; a true Quaife as regards the love of nature, and the beautiful, he notices the beauty of God’s creation on all sides. Flowers bloom in his yard every year. Like grandfather he is interested in weather, and is the inventor of an atmospheric pressure instrument. He owns a fine gun collection and watch collection. He has a wide reputation as a clock repair man. Our love to you Uncle Ba!

Grandfather Quaife is a great reader, and keeps us supplied with good magazines and books. I remember well the “Youth’s Companion” and the continued article, On The Old Farm by C. A. Stephens. He keeps a diary, I believe, every year recording weather statistics. He is a hard working, cheerful man, singing on in the evenings his famous “Punch and Judy” show fur us. He tells us tales from  Old England such as “The Mare’s Egg” and when he begins “Once upon a time an Irishman….” We are all ears. He loves his orchard; in long winter evenings we sit around the fire eating apples, drinking sweet cider… eating popcorn. Once he sells Uncle Fred a shipment of peaches too Cairo, Nebraska. County Fair days see him at the Superintendents desk of the Fruit Exhibit in Exhibit Hall at Hiawatha.