Clarence and Kate had two children. Their second child was born Charles William Schofield (Harry Charles Schofield) on February 22, 1880 in Mendota, LaSalle, Illinois. On September 5, 1883 Clarence and Kate were divorced. Some say they thought they were divorced because Kate was Catholic and Clarence was Baptist and there families didn't like that. I have found no evidence of that. Another rumor is that Kate ran off and became a dance hall girl. I think the dance hall girl is more correct. Clarence was left with the two children and moved back to near Freeport, Illinois where the Schofields were from. After Clarence and Kate were divorced, Clarence decided he was going to go West and work as a carpenter. He left his two ch ildren with Joseph and Nancy Pierce. The couple had no children and, if I recall correctly, he was the Overseer of the Poor for the County. Clarence was going to find work and send money and come for the children later. Instead of going west Clarence ended going to Massachusetts and seeing his twin sister Florence. He ended up getting married again in 1884 to a lady about ten years older than him in Massachusetts. Shortly after ward Clarence and his new wife moved to Ludington, Michigan where he worked in a pipe organ factory. Clarence never came back for his children and may have never seen Myrtle again.
It was decided and Joseph and Nancy would adopt the children. Myrtle and Charles were adopted and Charles went by Harry. Later their last name s were changed to Pierce. They lived in a four square farmhouse near Shannon, Illinois on the county line. The home is still there although most trees and buildings are gone due to a tornado. Both children attended public school. Harry went to a trade school and Myrtle attend Frances Shimer Academy in Mt. Carroll, Illinois.
Harry is my wife's grandfather. He never talked about his family to his children. It is rumored and that Harry did not like his adopted parents. So he ran away. I have learned that he did not get along well with his a dopted mother Nancy. In a local history book Harry stated that he just wanted to see the country and headed west. In reality Harry went to Pierre, South Dakota where his mother Kate was living. Harry change his name to Harry Charles Schofield. Harry was well acquainted with his Schofield relatives in Freeport and didn't like the name Pierce. Harry worked in Pierre, South Dakota on the Capital building when he arrived. I think Harry and Kate had a strained relationship. Kate went by the name of Grace in South Dakota and was married to Edward Sansom. Kate divorced Edward between 1900-1904 and disappeared. Myrtle married Louis Volkers and later moved to Canada where she started and ran a school for a while. Myrtle had kidney and heart disease and moved back to Freeport, Illinois and died shortly after. She is buried in Freeport and I have been to her grave. Louis remarried in 1932 to another Schofield relative. I think Louis is buried at Cedarville, Illinois four miles north of Freeport. Myrtle came to visit Harry in South Dakota with her daughters around 1920. Harry's children knew little of his family background. Apparently, Harry wrote many letters trying to find out about his parents and the Schofield without success. He was corresponding with his cousin Marjorie Volkers Largent in the early 1930s about the family. I remember that Marjorie stated that she had a photo of Clarence Hiram Schofield. Harry's grandson recently found a photo of Harry and Myrtle's mother. Clarence Hiram Schofield came to see his son Harry in 1914 from Oakland, California. I found Clarence's death record in Pierre, South Dakota while looking at records in the courthouse. I stumbled across the record by accident. I later got a death certificate and did some newspaper research in the Philip, South Dakota newspapers. Clarence came to South Dakota from Oakland, California. He was at the train station in Rapid City and became paralyzed from Ataxia. He arrived in Philip, South Dakota by train and stayed at a hotel there und er the care of a doctor and nurse. The newspaper stated that it was the first time Harry had seen his father in 30 years. After a few weeks he went to St. Mary's hospital in Pierre, South Dakota, where he died. Harry was a rancher south of Midland, South Dakota and had 15 children. ----Brent, North Dakota
It was decided and Joseph and Nancy would adopt the children. Myrtle and Charles were adopted and Charles went by Harry. Later their last name s were changed to Pierce. They lived in a four square farmhouse near Shannon, Illinois on the county line. The home is still there although most trees and buildings are gone due to a tornado. Both children attended public school. Harry went to a trade school and Myrtle attend Frances Shimer Academy in Mt. Carroll, Illinois.
Harry is my wife's grandfather. He never talked about his family to his children. It is rumored and that Harry did not like his adopted parents. So he ran away. I have learned that he did not get along well with his a dopted mother Nancy. In a local history book Harry stated that he just wanted to see the country and headed west. In reality Harry went to Pierre, South Dakota where his mother Kate was living. Harry change his name to Harry Charles Schofield. Harry was well acquainted with his Schofield relatives in Freeport and didn't like the name Pierce. Harry worked in Pierre, South Dakota on the Capital building when he arrived. I think Harry and Kate had a strained relationship. Kate went by the name of Grace in South Dakota and was married to Edward Sansom. Kate divorced Edward between 1900-1904 and disappeared. Myrtle married Louis Volkers and later moved to Canada where she started and ran a school for a while. Myrtle had kidney and heart disease and moved back to Freeport, Illinois and died shortly after. She is buried in Freeport and I have been to her grave. Louis remarried in 1932 to another Schofield relative. I think Louis is buried at Cedarville, Illinois four miles north of Freeport. Myrtle came to visit Harry in South Dakota with her daughters around 1920. Harry's children knew little of his family background. Apparently, Harry wrote many letters trying to find out about his parents and the Schofield without success. He was corresponding with his cousin Marjorie Volkers Largent in the early 1930s about the family. I remember that Marjorie stated that she had a photo of Clarence Hiram Schofield. Harry's grandson recently found a photo of Harry and Myrtle's mother. Clarence Hiram Schofield came to see his son Harry in 1914 from Oakland, California. I found Clarence's death record in Pierre, South Dakota while looking at records in the courthouse. I stumbled across the record by accident. I later got a death certificate and did some newspaper research in the Philip, South Dakota newspapers. Clarence came to South Dakota from Oakland, California. He was at the train station in Rapid City and became paralyzed from Ataxia. He arrived in Philip, South Dakota by train and stayed at a hotel there und er the care of a doctor and nurse. The newspaper stated that it was the first time Harry had seen his father in 30 years. After a few weeks he went to St. Mary's hospital in Pierre, South Dakota, where he died. Harry was a rancher south of Midland, South Dakota and had 15 children. ----Brent, North Dakota
Clarence and Kate had two children. Their second child was born Charles William Schofield (Harry Charles Schofield) on February 22, 1880 in Mendota, LaSalle, Illinois. On September 5, 1883 Clarence and Kate were divorced. Some say they thought they were divorced because Kate was Catholic and Clarence was Baptist and there families didn't like that. I have found no evidence of that. Another rumor is that Kate ran off and became a dance hall girl. I think the dance hall girl is more correct. Clarence was left with the two children and moved back to near Freeport, Illinois where the Schofields were from. After Clarence and Kate were divorced, Clarence decided he was going to go West and work as a carpenter. He left his two ch ildren with Joseph and Nancy Pierce. The couple had no children and, if I recall correctly, he was the Overseer of the Poor for the County. Clarence was going to find work and send money and come for the children later. Instead of going west Clarence ended going to Massachusetts and seeing his twin sister Florence. He ended up getting married again in 1884 to a lady about ten years older than him in Massachusetts. Shortly after ward Clarence and his new wife moved to Ludington, Michigan where he worked in a pipe organ factory. Clarence never came back for his children and may have never seen Myrtle again.
It was decided and Joseph and Nancy would adopt the children. Myrtle and Charles were adopted and Charles went by Harry. Later their last name s were changed to Pierce. They lived in a four square farmhouse near Shannon, Illinois on the county line. The home is still there although most trees and buildings are gone due to a tornado. Both children attended public school. Harry went to a trade school and Myrtle attend Frances Shimer Academy in Mt. Carroll, Illinois.
Harry is my wife's grandfather. He never talked about his family to his children. It is rumored and that Harry did not like his adopted parents. So he ran away. I have learned that he did not get along well with his a dopted mother Nancy. In a local history book Harry stated that he just wanted to see the country and headed west. In reality Harry went to Pierre, South Dakota where his mother Kate was living. Harry change his name to Harry Charles Schofield. Harry was well acquainted with his Schofield relatives in Freeport and didn't like the name Pierce. Harry worked in Pierre, South Dakota on the Capital building when he arrived. I think Harry and Kate had a strained relationship. Kate went by the name of Grace in South Dakota and was married to Edward Sansom. Kate divorced Edward between 1900-1904 and disappeared. Myrtle married Louis Volkers and later moved to Canada where she started and ran a school for a while. Myrtle had kidney and heart disease and moved back to Freeport, Illinois and died shortly after. She is buried in Freeport and I have been to her grave. Louis remarried in 1932 to another Schofield relative. I think Louis is buried at Cedarville, Illinois four miles north of Freeport. Myrtle came to visit Harry in South Dakota with her daughters around 1920. Harry's children knew little of his family background. Apparently, Harry wrote many letters trying to find out about his parents and the Schofield without success. He was corresponding with his cousin Marjorie Volkers Largent in the early 1930s about the family. I remember that Marjorie stated that she had a photo of Clarence Hiram Schofield. Harry's grandson recently found a photo of Harry and Myrtle's mother. Clarence Hiram Schofield came to see his son Harry in 1914 from Oakland, California. I found Clarence's death record in Pierre, South Dakota while looking at records in the courthouse. I stumbled across the record by accident. I later got a death certificate and did some newspaper research in the Philip, South Dakota newspapers. Clarence came to South Dakota from Oakland, California. He was at the train station in Rapid City and became paralyzed from Ataxia. He arrived in Philip, South Dakota by train and stayed at a hotel there und er the care of a doctor and nurse. The newspaper stated that it was the first time Harry had seen his father in 30 years. After a few weeks he went to St. Mary's hospital in Pierre, South Dakota, where he died. Harry was a rancher south of Midland, South Dakota and had 15 children. ----Brent, North Dakota
It was decided and Joseph and Nancy would adopt the children. Myrtle and Charles were adopted and Charles went by Harry. Later their last name s were changed to Pierce. They lived in a four square farmhouse near Shannon, Illinois on the county line. The home is still there although most trees and buildings are gone due to a tornado. Both children attended public school. Harry went to a trade school and Myrtle attend Frances Shimer Academy in Mt. Carroll, Illinois.
Harry is my wife's grandfather. He never talked about his family to his children. It is rumored and that Harry did not like his adopted parents. So he ran away. I have learned that he did not get along well with his a dopted mother Nancy. In a local history book Harry stated that he just wanted to see the country and headed west. In reality Harry went to Pierre, South Dakota where his mother Kate was living. Harry change his name to Harry Charles Schofield. Harry was well acquainted with his Schofield relatives in Freeport and didn't like the name Pierce. Harry worked in Pierre, South Dakota on the Capital building when he arrived. I think Harry and Kate had a strained relationship. Kate went by the name of Grace in South Dakota and was married to Edward Sansom. Kate divorced Edward between 1900-1904 and disappeared. Myrtle married Louis Volkers and later moved to Canada where she started and ran a school for a while. Myrtle had kidney and heart disease and moved back to Freeport, Illinois and died shortly after. She is buried in Freeport and I have been to her grave. Louis remarried in 1932 to another Schofield relative. I think Louis is buried at Cedarville, Illinois four miles north of Freeport. Myrtle came to visit Harry in South Dakota with her daughters around 1920. Harry's children knew little of his family background. Apparently, Harry wrote many letters trying to find out about his parents and the Schofield without success. He was corresponding with his cousin Marjorie Volkers Largent in the early 1930s about the family. I remember that Marjorie stated that she had a photo of Clarence Hiram Schofield. Harry's grandson recently found a photo of Harry and Myrtle's mother. Clarence Hiram Schofield came to see his son Harry in 1914 from Oakland, California. I found Clarence's death record in Pierre, South Dakota while looking at records in the courthouse. I stumbled across the record by accident. I later got a death certificate and did some newspaper research in the Philip, South Dakota newspapers. Clarence came to South Dakota from Oakland, California. He was at the train station in Rapid City and became paralyzed from Ataxia. He arrived in Philip, South Dakota by train and stayed at a hotel there und er the care of a doctor and nurse. The newspaper stated that it was the first time Harry had seen his father in 30 years. After a few weeks he went to St. Mary's hospital in Pierre, South Dakota, where he died. Harry was a rancher south of Midland, South Dakota and had 15 children. ----Brent, North Dakota
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His death certificate states that he was buried in Pierre, South Dakota. A death notice states that "Funeral services were held Tuesday in charge of Undertaker Dotson, internment taking place at Riverside Cemetery" There is no marker and according to the cemetery the location is unknown.
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