Nina Lorene Smith Grisso ( 1901-1984)

The first child of Hiram and Estella Smith is the last one I am writing about in this family group. Nina was the oldest of seven children, six of whom grew to adulthood.  She was a sweet kind soul, and she was my grandmother.  In 1920 on January 31, she married Bert Roscoe Grisso.  They were married in her parents house, which to this day is a lovely home. I don't know the circumstances but Nina and Bert went to Oklahoma following the marriage. I once saw a card that Nina sent to her parents. She signed it " Mrs. Bert Grisso". One could almost feel the joy and happiness in that signature. She was no longer Miss Smith, she was "Mrs. Bert Grisso".

A little further research in those digital newspapers that I love, I found this:

March 31, 1920
    
     Mr. and Mrs. Bert Grisso returned Friday evening from their winter sojourn somewhere in Oklahoma.  Mr. Grisso says no more of the southern life for him. Mrs. Grisso was formerly Nina Smith, daughter of H.L. Smith south of town.
     www.Jefferson.advantage-preservation.com

I think he was referring to Oklahoma not Missouri where he grew up.

Bert was from Moody, Missouri which sits just north of the Missouri/Arkansas border. His family goes back through four generations in Fulton County, Arkansas. Three Grisso brothers and wives migrated from Virginia in the mid 1800's. There has been a huge amount of Grisso research already done. (More on that to come).  So, how did this young Grisso man end up in Greene County, Iowa? Some family lore says he came to Iowa to work. Picking corn (by hand)  was a common source of employment in those days. It was hard work suited to strong young men.  It is possible Bert's future father-in-law, Hiram Smith, came to the area for the same reason many years earlier.

I don't know much about grandma Nina's formative years. I imagine she was busy helping her mother with babies. She was approximately  8, 9, 12, 13, and 16 when new babies joined the family. She always loved kids. Maybe this is where her training came from. Her grandmother, Ginevra Vorhies and her great-grandmother, Sarah Jane Withrow lived nearby. I imagine they taught her many things.

She attended country school with her brother, Merroll.   I love this keepsake. It is probably my teacher side showing.

 

 

With pleasant memories of

happy days

spent together in the schoolroom

this souvenir

is presented to you with the

best wishes of your teacher

 

As I was working on this post, I found the following letter. I have    no idea what grandma Nina was asking for, but I do think this must have been from her teacher, W. C. Henning. I love the beautiful penmanship.  I scanned the envelope as well as the letter. Notice the 1 cent stamps.



1890

     A glimpse into the last decade of the 19th century would show Joseph Withrow celebrating age 59-69.  Sarah Jane, would age from 56-66. Joseph Jr.  turned 16 in 1890 and at the end of the century turned 26.  At age 11 in 1890, the family would not have expected that little Sarah Jane (Sadie) would only live for six more years in the decade often referred to as the Gay Nineties.

     At the beginning of the decade, Joe Jr. (16) and Sadie (11) probably walked to school with the children of their older sisiter, Ginevra.  Ginevra (35), John Mac (40) and their three children lived next to the Withrows.  Estella now 14, Eugene now 13, and Leroy now 11 undoubtedly attend the country school shown on the map below.

     The families properties are located in the northwest quadrant of section 16.  The school is located in the far southeast corner of the same section.  School District No. 5.

     Anna and her husband, Wm. lived in Greene County as well as Boone County and Carroll Counties.  There is a considerable amount of research needed on this branch of the family.  However, this is where some of the third and fourth cousins I know come in.

     By 1899, Ginevra's daughter, Estella, was close to marriage.  Her brother, Eugene (23) and Leroy (21) had also become adults by the end of the 1890's.


NW Quadrant Section 16 Original Homestead of the family
Look for school in the southeast corner. The kids had about a two mile walk by road. Did they cut through the section on winter days? I do know it was not uphill both ways.  This is not a very clear map. When I enlarge it, it goes off the page. Well, another technology problem to solve.