Farmer

Itha Elmer and his twin sister lost their mother when they were about nine years old, and Itha Elmer's formal schooling ended about the same time. He and his sister lived with various farm families, trading work for a place to live. When he was about 26, he married a 17-year-old family friend, Mary Louise PAYNE. They lived in Danville, Illinois, until after their fourth child was born in 1917, with Itha Elmer supporting his family as a farmer.

Before 1920, they loaded their possessions and animals onto two train cars and moved their family to Minnesota to raise potatoes, because potatoes were selling at a high price. When they left Minnesota a few short years later, it was with little more than the clothes on their backs and debts owed beyond what they could ever repay. Because the price of potatoes had risen so high, too many farmers were growing potatoes. When Itha tried to sell his crop, he could not have given the potatoes away; the market was flooded.

At the age of 47, Itha had lost everything. He and his wife returned to Danville with no money, no possessions, and a child who had been born in Minnesota.

By April 1930, he had moved his family to Lincoln Township, Berrien County, Michigan. There, he worked as a manager on a farm. Before 1940, he had moved his family back to Vermilion County, Illinois, and before 1950, he and his wife moved back to Berrien County, Michigan, where his wife died in 1953 and he died in 1958.

alicemariebeard.com/genealogy

Farmer

Itha Elmer and his twin sister lost their mother when they were about nine years old, and Itha Elmer's formal schooling ended about the same time. He and his sister lived with various farm families, trading work for a place to live. When he was about 26, he married a 17-year-old family friend, Mary Louise PAYNE. They lived in Danville, Illinois, until after their fourth child was born in 1917, with Itha Elmer supporting his family as a farmer.

Before 1920, they loaded their possessions and animals onto two train cars and moved their family to Minnesota to raise potatoes, because potatoes were selling at a high price. When they left Minnesota a few short years later, it was with little more than the clothes on their backs and debts owed beyond what they could ever repay. Because the price of potatoes had risen so high, too many farmers were growing potatoes. When Itha tried to sell his crop, he could not have given the potatoes away; the market was flooded.

At the age of 47, Itha had lost everything. He and his wife returned to Danville with no money, no possessions, and a child who had been born in Minnesota.

By April 1930, he had moved his family to Lincoln Township, Berrien County, Michigan. There, he worked as a manager on a farm. Before 1940, he had moved his family back to Vermilion County, Illinois, and before 1950, he and his wife moved back to Berrien County, Michigan, where his wife died in 1953 and he died in 1958.

alicemariebeard.com/genealogy