Monday, September 26, 2011

George H. Tannahill and "Stirpes"



Young George H. Tannahill
George H. Tannahill was the first of William and Janette's children to be born in Nashua, Iowa.  He was born on March 21, 1857 and was only 5 yrs. old when his father died.  
When he was a young man he moved with his widowed mother to Phillips Co., Kansas where they homesteaded adjoining farms.  Prior to this time, another family had come to New Jersey from England, looking for a place to make their permanent home.  While in New Jersey, a lovely little girl was born to Fredrick Robinson and his wife, Sarah.  They named her Mary Evelyn.  When she was a young girl her family moved to Springbrook, Pa. and then came on to Phillips Co., by covered wagon to settle on a homestead near George and his mother.  On Oct. 5, 1881, Mary Evelyn Robinson became the bride of George Tannahill..

George H. Tannahill and
Mary Evelyn Robinson
Wedding Picture

The first home that George and Mary had, was called a dugout and was made in a bank of dirt.  They had 2 little boys in this home, then they moved into a house and the rest of their 11 children were born there.  Iva Bushman has this to say of their early years; “In early years our home in Phillips Co., was the stopping place for many a traveler.  Always they found the welcome mat out, an extra place at the dining table and sleeping quarters.  I always remember the “Patent Medicine Man” and the pay for board and lodging was usually a jar of brown salve and a bottle of liniment, a cure all for aches and pains for both humans and livestock.
 
Besides caring for her family of almost a dozen, Mary Evelyn boarded the country schoolteachers, one Susie Rollins and Mary McKown.  The school known as the Tannahill Schoolhouse was also the place of Sunday morning worship.  Out of this hospitality a romance blossomed, for Bert Tannahill married Susie Rollins on June 10, 1908.   George served in the Kansas State Legislature from Phillips co. for three terms.  In the year 1910 the family moved from their farm near Long Island, Kansas to a farm near Vernon where George and Eva resided until their deaths.  This was also the year that Irma was born.  He was again elected as Representative this time for Woodson Co. And served two terms.

  Iva says, “Dad was a diligent worker for all projects for the good of the community, among them the Vernon Rural High School.  Many a pupil received an education here, that never could have otherwise.  Among them Vernon and Irma, also nine grandchildren were graduates of V.R.H.S.” 

  At one time George went to Washington to have the body of his father, William Tannahill moved from the Cemetery there, and brought to Nashua co. Cemetery near the Little Brown Church, but was informed that a body could not be removed from a national Cemetery.  He went back to Iowa and had a tombstone erected for his father and markers for James Tannahill and his baby sister, Ella, who died when she was only 3 yrs. old.

  Eva was a charming and gracious companion to George.  Their home, overflowing with love and happiness, was noted far and wide, for it’s hospitality.  They identified themselves with the Church and were active in the various organizations of the church and raised their children in this tradition


Back row, L to R.::  Henry Krafft, Fred Tannahill, Fred Risker, Truman Hoppes,
John Krafft, Art Tannahill, Johnny Steele, Jutt Rhoades and Edgar Payser.
Middle row, L to R: Oscar Pyser, John Morton, Burt Tannahill, George Krafft,
Instructor Walcot, Band Leader C.A. Rhoads, George Poyser, Jim Costello and
Elwood Ellis.  Front Row, L to R: Bill Grote, Frank Rhoads, Edd Rhoads, Fred Steele,
 and Faragus Coons.   Photo courtesy of Fort Bissell Museum as shown on the
Farmers State Bank Heritage Calendar.


The Farmer Boys band was organized of neighborhood boys and numbered in the teens.  Of this band, Fred played horn, Art, slide trombone and Bert was an accomplished musician on both the trumpet or cornet and also violin.  Many an evening was spent at home with music as our entertainment and both Nettie and Anna played piano.

Our house was a Community gathering place, playing games of  hide and seek in the big hay barn in summer and Puss-in-the-Corner and Fruit Basket Upset in the winter.  The same was true after moving to Vernon but by this time the three older boys were in homes of their own”.

"Stirpes"
This last week as I was googleing, I found another account of William Tannahill in a publication called "Stirpes" on the Portal to Texas Website. http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth39868/m1/22/sizes/
The article was called "The Man Who Had Three Tombstones". I had never seen this publication and maybe some of you might like to read this account.  It is on pps. 20,21,22.  Follow the link above to find it.

Tannahill, George H
Tannahill, Mary Evelyn Robinson












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