Ada Jane Moody was born on 29 July 1840 in Frenchtown, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Her father Benjamin died on 16 December 1839 a few months before she was born. Her mother Jane died in 1843. Ada Jane was then adopted into the home of her mother's sister Adah Bishop. She and her husband, the Reverend Joseph Miles Bishop raised her and educated her. When she was born her given name was Jane after her mother, the Ada was added later I suspect as an honor to the aunt that raised her. She was often called "Jennie Ada".
Ada Jane was a descendant of William Moody who came from Ipswich, England, in 1633, on the ship "Mary and John". They settled in Byfield, Massachusetts, and their descendants lived there for 220 years. There were a great many preachers in the family. Generation after generation. (Ada Jane and Nelson's son Perry Oliver, was a missionary in China for decades and did many good and charitable works.)
Ada was educated to be a teacher. She taught school in Northern Pennsylvania near her home. Her oldest sister Adelphia Moody had married the wealthy Chicago businessman, Jesse Spalding. Adele invited her sister to Chicago where she had arranged a suitable match for her sister much like her own. Things did not go as planned because Ada Jane left town unimpressed and certainly not engaged!
After leaving Chicago, Ada traveled to Green Bay Wisconsin to visit a cousin, and there as fate would have it, she would meet a handsome Swedish immigrant, Nelson Hanson and rest as they say, is history. The meeting of these two good people was defiantly "Love at First Sight". Nelson and Ada Jane were joined together in marriage on 30 June 1864, in Fort Howard Wisconsin. Her sister Adele was not pleased in the slightest.
Nelson, although a recent immigrant, had spent his time working hard, going to college and when he and Ada Jane married already had a well-established business. The newly-married couple lived in Batavia, Illinois, and later in Darlington Wisconsin where many of their children were to be born. In 1880, the family relocated to Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo, Iowa. There the family settled on a 120 acre farm. The family would give up farming and Nelson along with their son Jesse would start a successful Nursery business.
Ada Jane and Nelson would have 8 children:
Benjamin Moody Hanson (1865-1891)
Bertha Hanson (1867-1948)
Joseph Miles Hanson (1868-1921)
Harriett Eleanor Hanson (1869-1939)
Jesse Spaulding Hanson (1871-1921)
Irene Hanson (1874-1894)
Perry Oliver Hanson (1875-1967)
Ira Bray Hanson (1879-1880)
Ada Jane and Nelson would bury 5 of those children. Losing both Joseph Miles and Jesse Spaulding in 1921.
After 10 years with the nursery they sold the business and with their daughter Eleanor joining them, coming from Pittsburg, they re-located to St. Paul Minnesota and ran a boarding house called the "St. Paul Commons".
Ada Jane and Nelson would find there way back to Clear Lake with their family. On 29 April 1925, just 5 months after losing her beloved Nelson, Ada Jane joined him. Both rest in the family plot in Clear Lake.
Ada Jane was active in her Church and Community and instilled a strong work ethic and charitable heart in all of her children.
Ada Jane was a descendant of William Moody who came from Ipswich, England, in 1633, on the ship "Mary and John". They settled in Byfield, Massachusetts, and their descendants lived there for 220 years. There were a great many preachers in the family. Generation after generation. (Ada Jane and Nelson's son Perry Oliver, was a missionary in China for decades and did many good and charitable works.)
Ada was educated to be a teacher. She taught school in Northern Pennsylvania near her home. Her oldest sister Adelphia Moody had married the wealthy Chicago businessman, Jesse Spalding. Adele invited her sister to Chicago where she had arranged a suitable match for her sister much like her own. Things did not go as planned because Ada Jane left town unimpressed and certainly not engaged!
After leaving Chicago, Ada traveled to Green Bay Wisconsin to visit a cousin, and there as fate would have it, she would meet a handsome Swedish immigrant, Nelson Hanson and rest as they say, is history. The meeting of these two good people was defiantly "Love at First Sight". Nelson and Ada Jane were joined together in marriage on 30 June 1864, in Fort Howard Wisconsin. Her sister Adele was not pleased in the slightest.
Nelson, although a recent immigrant, had spent his time working hard, going to college and when he and Ada Jane married already had a well-established business. The newly-married couple lived in Batavia, Illinois, and later in Darlington Wisconsin where many of their children were to be born. In 1880, the family relocated to Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo, Iowa. There the family settled on a 120 acre farm. The family would give up farming and Nelson along with their son Jesse would start a successful Nursery business.
Ada Jane and Nelson would have 8 children:
Benjamin Moody Hanson (1865-1891)
Bertha Hanson (1867-1948)
Joseph Miles Hanson (1868-1921)
Harriett Eleanor Hanson (1869-1939)
Jesse Spaulding Hanson (1871-1921)
Irene Hanson (1874-1894)
Perry Oliver Hanson (1875-1967)
Ira Bray Hanson (1879-1880)
Ada Jane and Nelson would bury 5 of those children. Losing both Joseph Miles and Jesse Spaulding in 1921.
After 10 years with the nursery they sold the business and with their daughter Eleanor joining them, coming from Pittsburg, they re-located to St. Paul Minnesota and ran a boarding house called the "St. Paul Commons".
Ada Jane and Nelson would find there way back to Clear Lake with their family. On 29 April 1925, just 5 months after losing her beloved Nelson, Ada Jane joined him. Both rest in the family plot in Clear Lake.
Ada Jane was active in her Church and Community and instilled a strong work ethic and charitable heart in all of her children.
Ada Jane Moody was born on 29 July 1840 in Frenchtown, Bradford County, Pennsylvania. Her father Benjamin died on 16 December 1839 a few months before she was born. Her mother Jane died in 1843. Ada Jane was then adopted into the home of her mother's sister Adah Bishop. She and her husband, the Reverend Joseph Miles Bishop raised her and educated her. When she was born her given name was Jane after her mother, the Ada was added later I suspect as an honor to the aunt that raised her. She was often called "Jennie Ada".
Ada Jane was a descendant of William Moody who came from Ipswich, England, in 1633, on the ship "Mary and John". They settled in Byfield, Massachusetts, and their descendants lived there for 220 years. There were a great many preachers in the family. Generation after generation. (Ada Jane and Nelson's son Perry Oliver, was a missionary in China for decades and did many good and charitable works.)
Ada was educated to be a teacher. She taught school in Northern Pennsylvania near her home. Her oldest sister Adelphia Moody had married the wealthy Chicago businessman, Jesse Spalding. Adele invited her sister to Chicago where she had arranged a suitable match for her sister much like her own. Things did not go as planned because Ada Jane left town unimpressed and certainly not engaged!
After leaving Chicago, Ada traveled to Green Bay Wisconsin to visit a cousin, and there as fate would have it, she would meet a handsome Swedish immigrant, Nelson Hanson and rest as they say, is history. The meeting of these two good people was defiantly "Love at First Sight". Nelson and Ada Jane were joined together in marriage on 30 June 1864, in Fort Howard Wisconsin. Her sister Adele was not pleased in the slightest.
Nelson, although a recent immigrant, had spent his time working hard, going to college and when he and Ada Jane married already had a well-established business. The newly-married couple lived in Batavia, Illinois, and later in Darlington Wisconsin where many of their children were to be born. In 1880, the family relocated to Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo, Iowa. There the family settled on a 120 acre farm. The family would give up farming and Nelson along with their son Jesse would start a successful Nursery business.
Ada Jane and Nelson would have 8 children:
Benjamin Moody Hanson (1865-1891)
Bertha Hanson (1867-1948)
Joseph Miles Hanson (1868-1921)
Harriett Eleanor Hanson (1869-1939)
Jesse Spaulding Hanson (1871-1921)
Irene Hanson (1874-1894)
Perry Oliver Hanson (1875-1967)
Ira Bray Hanson (1879-1880)
Ada Jane and Nelson would bury 5 of those children. Losing both Joseph Miles and Jesse Spaulding in 1921.
After 10 years with the nursery they sold the business and with their daughter Eleanor joining them, coming from Pittsburg, they re-located to St. Paul Minnesota and ran a boarding house called the "St. Paul Commons".
Ada Jane and Nelson would find there way back to Clear Lake with their family. On 29 April 1925, just 5 months after losing her beloved Nelson, Ada Jane joined him. Both rest in the family plot in Clear Lake.
Ada Jane was active in her Church and Community and instilled a strong work ethic and charitable heart in all of her children.
Ada Jane was a descendant of William Moody who came from Ipswich, England, in 1633, on the ship "Mary and John". They settled in Byfield, Massachusetts, and their descendants lived there for 220 years. There were a great many preachers in the family. Generation after generation. (Ada Jane and Nelson's son Perry Oliver, was a missionary in China for decades and did many good and charitable works.)
Ada was educated to be a teacher. She taught school in Northern Pennsylvania near her home. Her oldest sister Adelphia Moody had married the wealthy Chicago businessman, Jesse Spalding. Adele invited her sister to Chicago where she had arranged a suitable match for her sister much like her own. Things did not go as planned because Ada Jane left town unimpressed and certainly not engaged!
After leaving Chicago, Ada traveled to Green Bay Wisconsin to visit a cousin, and there as fate would have it, she would meet a handsome Swedish immigrant, Nelson Hanson and rest as they say, is history. The meeting of these two good people was defiantly "Love at First Sight". Nelson and Ada Jane were joined together in marriage on 30 June 1864, in Fort Howard Wisconsin. Her sister Adele was not pleased in the slightest.
Nelson, although a recent immigrant, had spent his time working hard, going to college and when he and Ada Jane married already had a well-established business. The newly-married couple lived in Batavia, Illinois, and later in Darlington Wisconsin where many of their children were to be born. In 1880, the family relocated to Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo, Iowa. There the family settled on a 120 acre farm. The family would give up farming and Nelson along with their son Jesse would start a successful Nursery business.
Ada Jane and Nelson would have 8 children:
Benjamin Moody Hanson (1865-1891)
Bertha Hanson (1867-1948)
Joseph Miles Hanson (1868-1921)
Harriett Eleanor Hanson (1869-1939)
Jesse Spaulding Hanson (1871-1921)
Irene Hanson (1874-1894)
Perry Oliver Hanson (1875-1967)
Ira Bray Hanson (1879-1880)
Ada Jane and Nelson would bury 5 of those children. Losing both Joseph Miles and Jesse Spaulding in 1921.
After 10 years with the nursery they sold the business and with their daughter Eleanor joining them, coming from Pittsburg, they re-located to St. Paul Minnesota and ran a boarding house called the "St. Paul Commons".
Ada Jane and Nelson would find there way back to Clear Lake with their family. On 29 April 1925, just 5 months after losing her beloved Nelson, Ada Jane joined him. Both rest in the family plot in Clear Lake.
Ada Jane was active in her Church and Community and instilled a strong work ethic and charitable heart in all of her children.
