John S. Crookham Sr. was the grandson of Elisha Starbuck and Sara (Sallie) Louisa Delashmutt. John is the oldest son of Sara (Frankie) Frances Starbuck and John Addison Crookham, an Oskaloosa, Iowa attorney. John was born Sept. 25, 1904 in Oskaloosa. He had two brothers Joe Carter and James Francis. He married Fayetta Wright on Sept. 25, 1927. They had three children Frances, John Starbuck Jr., Joel Wright. John Sr. went to Alaska as a Superintendent for the Inland Construction Company to build the Alcan Highway and airstrips on the Aleutian Islands, When John returned from Alaska he bought a Texaco Station where Pearl and Main meet in Council Bluffs and then moved the station to Broadway. He worked there until he retired in 1970. He died August 23, 1983 at the age of 78.