In terms of my family line, I know where I came from. I can show who was my Grandfathers’ Grandfather. I know some of the basic facts of there lives. What I do not know is who they were. But I am finding out. And that is what this website is about. I may have never known my Grandfather Charlie Delk, but I do know he played cribbage and he taught my Father, who taught me and who has taught my son. I am learning more about him through the letters he wrote home to his parents during WWI. I know that his Mother was distraught over the death of her children and wrote poems to get through the tough times. And lucky for us, her daughter Mary May saved almost everything, and now we are able to share that with you. And getting to know who our family was and what their lives were like is just as important as the 1900 census. The story of our family starts to develop as we gather the photos, letters and documents that were left behind. We begin to learn that Russel Delk was at Camp Dodge on Thanksgiving day in 1917 and that his brother Frank was getting to know the women in Germany. Charlie was at Camp Pike, while his future wife Bernice Butler was studying to become a teacher at Drake University. There are new photos, documents, and letters for all of these family members, and as we uncover more, we will get to know who they were. Have a safe and prosperous 2012. Brian
Photos, documents and letters
December 30th, 2011 § Comments Off on Photos, documents and letters § permalink
Merry Christmas to All!!!
December 18th, 2011 § Comments Off on Merry Christmas to All!!! § permalink
My Great-Grandmother was a poet and she did know it. We are currently going through her poems and transcribing them. Seven pages have been added to Martha Maitlen Delk’s page, along with some more photos and two more letters. Some of the poems are Christmas poems that she wrote to friends and family. I will also have some pictures of her and Elmer, Mary May and others, along with some more documents by the end of next week. Until then, Have a Merry and Safe Christmas Holiday.
Brian
New update soon!
November 28th, 2011 § Comments Off on New update soon! § permalink
Just a quick fyi, I will have a new update soon. This update will include documents, photos and some poems from Martha Maitlen. Everything should be updated by the beginning of next week. Thank you for your patience. If anyone out there has anything they would like to share with this site please contact me at delkbrian@earthlink.net
Brian
Fernandis Orien Delk and the Iowa Supreme Court
October 5th, 2011 § Comments Off on Fernandis Orien Delk and the Iowa Supreme Court § permalink
One of the great and tragic things about the World Wide Web is its vastness. So much information is out there that
it is overwhelming. On the other hand, information is out there, you just need to know how to find it. The other day I
did a shotgun type search for Fernandis and found out he had a ruling in the Iowa Supreme Court. This information comes
via courtesy of Google Books. In general it deals with land, mortgages and liens. And even though I play a lawyer on TV, it does not mean I understand what was going on. For copyright reasons I am not going to put the documents on his page, but here is a link for your viewing pleasure.
Brian
Quick Update
June 28th, 2011 § Comments Off on Quick Update § permalink
I realize the site seems to have been neglected as of late, but that is not the case. I am currently working on the 1927 Weldon High School Year Book while Dad is recovering from back surgery. Hopefully by the end of July, the Yearbook will be done and we will have some poems up from Martha Maitlen.
Brian
Update
April 12th, 2011 § Comments Off on Update § permalink
I do not know everything there is to know to be a parent. I have been a parent for over fifteen years and yet I am still learning the art of parenthood. But what I have come to learn is that a parent such as myself, will treat each child differently. I know how each child will react to events that are mundane, exciting or tragic and will handle each child accordingly. I am sure my parents did the same thing with my two sisters and me and their parents with them. Which is one reason why when it comes time for families to get together and reminiscence of days gone by and how everything transpired, there will be multiple versions of the past. Which leads me to the biographies.
I am sure when it comes time to write out each biography, there will be suggestions that they are not quite right, that somethings did not happen this way or that. This may be the case, but, the purpose of this site is to provide information about John Delk’s descendant’s and if we can, his siblings and ancestors as well. If something is factually inaccurate, please respond in the comments section. But remember, our individual recollection of the past will be different from the collective recollection.
With that all written, biographies of Charles Wesley, Franklin and Martha Maitlen, have been posted. there are also three new letters that can be found on Martha’s page.
Brian
Marjorie Jean Delk
March 2nd, 2011 § Comments Off on Marjorie Jean Delk § permalink
I am the youngest of the first cousins. This is not a statement, just a fact. My grandfather, Charles Wesley, passed away before I was born, and my grandmother, Bernice, a year and a half after I was born. So instead of grandparents, I had lots of aunts and uncles. We were a big family and we had huge family gatherings. The annual Christmas get together was at my Dad’s sister Marge’s house and it was by all accounts a big deal, even though we had just saw everyone a month earlier at Thanksgiving. I was spoiled with cookies that Aunt Marge had prepared and stamps that Uncle Warren had gathered for me. I was also schooled in cribbage and tolerated by the older cousins. Those times are long past. The big family Thanksgiving diner and Christmas gatherings eventually stopped and three years ago the family reunions also came to an end.
My aunts and uncles have grown old and sadly, they too, are passing away. Aunt Marge passed away on Friday, February 24, 2011. She will be missed by many, but, her cookie making will live on. For my wedding 20-years ago, she gave me a cookie cookbook, which to this day is still being used. And I am passing what I know about making cookies, on to my daughter, who is one of the many cousins and grandchildren who will carry on the traditions and values that the children of Charles and Bernice have passed along to their children.
1933 to 1937 Diary is Done
February 11th, 2011 § Comments Off on 1933 to 1937 Diary is Done § permalink
The diary is done with an index, of sorts. I have coded it so one can jump to the beginning of every month. Since I now know how I am laying the diary section out, the other diary’s will go a little faster. As I have mentioned before, this diary holds some interesting tidbits about what was going on, from where everyone was to the weather. Please take some time to go through it and let me know what you think.
Brian
Diary updated
February 6th, 2011 § Comments Off on Diary updated § permalink
Aunt Mary’s diary has been updated, it is now complete through October. Interesting stuff going on in Weldon, Iowa. Peggy is crazy on a couple of days, they listened to King George IV speech, canned a lot garden goods for the cave, spent time in the cave because of a bad storm, and a lot of people visited. This is good stuff for researchers of the Great Depression era house holds. Will have the rest of the diary and an index later in the week.
Brian
Diary updated, again.
January 30th, 2011 § Comments Off on Diary updated, again. § permalink
The months of April and May, 1933 through 1937 have been posted, with the April links fixed. After I get all of the pages posted, I will make an easier index for people to jump around the diary. Dad is also preparing a book a poems that Martha Maitlen Delk had written through out her life. These poems detailed the times, both good and bad in her life and give a good account, just like Mary’s diary, of what was happening in the world around her. Look for them starting next month.
Brian