Clara M. Rash

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=154139814
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/KF5Y-31Y

Story of Clara Davis Rash, written by Granddaughter Lois Hinton

Clara and Alva Rash with their little daughter Pearl arrived in Gordon by team and wagon from Hardin County, Iowa in 1884. They had come as far as Valentine by train and made the hundred miles or so with the wagon. They located on their homestead nine miles southeast of town. Here was their home for thirty-four years. A two room sod house was erected upon their arrival. This they lived in for some thirty years. Clara and Alva raised ten children. During the time between 1914 and 1919 a five bedroom two story home was erected, together with a huge barn and various other buildings to comprise their farm. How spacious their new home must have seemed after living in the soddy for so long.

Alva farmed, traded and sold horses and ran a well mancine and raised cattle. He gradually added to their homestead until he had a fair sized operation. During this time Alva was gone some of the time drilling wells and trading horses. So, Clara and the children did the farming and took care of the livestock. Their farm was a half-way stop on cattle drives from the Sand Hills to market. Their home was always a hospitable busy place that was the center of much activity

Clara was needless to say a busy lady and endured the usual hardships of a pioneer mother and homemaker.

They retired and moved to Gordon in 1919. Both were proud of their life and enjoyed reminiscing of days gone by. One fond memory of Clara's was that she had attended school in West Branch, Iowa with Herbert Hoover (Editor: 1874-1964, 31st President of the United States 1929–1933. He was indeed from West Branch and remains the only Iowan president. He was born 8 years after Clara so maybe did not attend school with her).

Clara was very anxious for each of her children to receive the best possible education, and encouraged and insisted they all graduate from high school and attend college if at all possible, which six of the children did.

Clara and Alva were very active members in their community and instrumental in starting a Sunday School. in their school district. They were loyal and faithful members of the Methodist Church. They enjoyed and endured the trials and tribulations of a pioneer couple, coming from the lush farming country of Iowa to the prairie land of Nebraska. They lived the good life and helped settle up the country to make it the community it is today.

Children of ALVA RASH and CLARA DAVIS are:

1. PEARL MILDRED RASH, b. Oct. 23, 1884 South Dakota, d. June 13, 1971.
2. GRACE LENORA RASH, b. Feb. 1886 Nebraska, d. Oct. 14, 1975, Placer.
3. MINTA MAY RASH, 1887-1889, Gordon Cemetery, Gordon, Neb.
4. ROY H. RASH, b. Oct. 27, 1888 Nebraska, d. March 1965.
5. GUY R. RASH, b. Sept. 1890 Nebraska, d. 1946, m. Tella Marie Johnson.
6. ROSS DAVIS RASH, b. Sept. 10, 1892 Neb., d. May 1966, m. Vera Cooper, several children.
7. BESSIE BARD RASH, b. Sept. 1894, d. 1966, m. WILLIAM REDFERN, b. 1890, Nebraska, children Dorothy & Doris.
8. ELSIE EFFIE RASH, b. April 21,1896, Gordon, Neb., d. Feb. 17, 1978, Los Angeles, Calif, m. (1) Roy Lee Catron, 1894-1948; m. (2) Wayne Walker, 1901-1982.
9. Infant Rash, 1898-1898, Gordon Cemetery, Gordon, Neb.
10. VAUGHN RASH, b. 1900 Neb., d. 1969, m. Eula Drinnon.
11. VIOLA ESTHER RASH, b. 1902 Neb., d. 1988, m. Leo J. Sharp.
12. WILMA FRANCES RASH, b. 1910 Neb., d. 1992, m. Alfred McCallister, son James B. Residence: Gordon, Neb.

Parents:
W H. "Wheeler" Davis 1820–1888 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157561159
Susanna Cook Davis 1823–1888 https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157561140

Siblings:
Sarah Jane Davis 1846–Deceased
Nathan Cook Davis 1848–Deceased
John W. Davis 1851–1914
Jesse B Davis 1853–Deceased
Marietta Davis 1855–Deceased
Alpheus Davis 1857–Deceased
William Cook Davis 1859–1935
David Vestal Davis 1861–1943
Elmer Elsworth Davis 1863–
Clara M Davis 1866–1949
Elizabeth Davis 1873–Deceased

1930 Census:
Name Role Sex Age Birthplace
Clara M Rash Head F 63 Iowa
Roy H Rash Son M 41 Nebraska
Grant C Rash Grandson M 14 Nebraska
Event Place: Gordon, Sheridan, Nebraska, United States
District: ED 8
Sheet Number and Letter: 2A
Household ID: 32
Line Number: 19
Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Affiliate Publication Number: T626
Affiliate Film Number: 1293
GS Film Number: 2341028
Digital Folder Number: 004951881
Image Number: 00553
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: N03874-6
Record Number: 26214
Citing this Record: "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQ2X-XCH : accessed 22 July 2020), Grant C Rash in household of Clara M Rash, Gordon, Sheridan, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 8, sheet 2A, line 20, family 32, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1293; FHL microfilm 2,341,028.

1940 census:
Name: Clara Rash
Event Place: Gordon, Gordon City, Sheridan, Nebraska, United States
Last Place of Residence: Same House
Age: 73
Marital Status: Widowed
Race: White
Birth Year (Estimated): 1867
Birthplace: Iowa
Relationship to Head of Household: Head
District: 81-8
Sheet Number and Letter: 20B
Household ID: 458
Line Number: 44
Affiliate Publication Number: T627
Affiliate Film Number: 2265
Digital Folder Number: 005460571
Image Number: 00531
Citing this Record: "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9MT-5HJ : 13 May 2020), Clara Rash, Gordon, Gordon City, Sheridan, Nebraska, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 81-8, sheet 20B, line 44, family 458, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2265.

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Further research shows the following write-up is probably not about Clara's father. The 1900 census shows Jacob and Laura Davis living in Iowa with children Clara, Sarah and Martha. But Clara is still single and is 28, so born later than the birthdate we have for Clara.

The possible (but by no means definite) father of Clara Davis Rash is the subject of the following write-up from the 1883 book "History of Hardin County, Iowa"

(http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iabiog/hardin/h1883/h1883-eldora....):

Jacob Davis, who resides on section 12, was a settler of 1851. He was born in Monroe county, Ohio, in 1824, and removed with his parents to Indiana when he was eight years of age. His father, Abraham Davis, died in Indiana when Jacob was about twelve years of age. When twenty-five years of age, Mr. Davis removed to the State of Illinois. Came to Hardin county in 1851, and settled where he now lives in 1855. He married Miss Laura Bates, a daughter of Joseph Bates, who settled in Clay township, from Illinois, in 1855. He afterwards settled at Steamboat Rock, where he lived till his death. Mr. Davis having lived in Hardin county from its earliest history, has witnessed its development from a wild and uncultivated region to its present cultivated and prosperous condition. Soon after he came to the county, he killed a buffalo, which was probably the first animal of the kind killed in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have four children, all of whom were born here, viz: Martha, Samuel, Sarah and Clara.