Jessie Elton Hook

JESSIE ELTON (BOYD) HOOK

Jessie was born July 6, 1876 to John Saylor Boyd and Simildie Elton (Raynolds) Boyd in Marshal Township, Taylor County, Iowa. She was the seventh (7) child of eight (8) born to the Boyds (Alice {1861-1863}, Anne R. {1862}, Frank S. {1864}, Eliza {1867-1875}, George R. {1870-1875}, Myrta B. {1874-1875}, and Bruce B {1879-1942}.

Family history indicates one of her great-grandfathers, John Saylor, emigrated from Germany to Philadelphia at 4 years of age. He served in the Revolutionary War, under Gen George Washington, and was thought to have been murdered near Zanesville, Ohio about 1807 while engaged in locating his land warrant. Her paternal grandfather, John Boyd, was born Aug 4, 1794, in County Antrim, Ireland and came to the United States at age 14 to avoid further religious conflicts in Ireland. He and Eliza Saylor (daughter of John Saylor) married 12/5/1822 and produced 10 children. John died Aug 11, 1854 in Brecksville, Ohio of consumption. Jessie’s mother, Simildie Raynolds, descended from Jeffrey Raynolds (her 3rd great grand-father). The Family Bible notes “Jeffrey Raynolds, of royal blood, was sent out under a tutor from London, England during the Black Death in England to Virginia, N.S.A. The a in the name was, at that time, inserted, instead of the e to designate it from the Reynolds. Jeffrey died in VA circa 1720-1721. His house (as of 2/26/1894) still remains.” The John Saylor Boyd family moved to Iowa from Ohio more than a half-century prior to Jessie’s birth. Not much is known of Jesse’s childhood years, although photographs taken of her and her brother, Bruce, indicate the family may have been of moderate position in the community. Further, family stories (and photographs) note Jessie probably received a full education including college level studies.

On September 19, 1900 Jessie (age 24) was united in marriage to George Wm. Hook, a prominent businessman and farmer with deep family ties to the Bedford, Taylor County, Iowa community and Methodist Church. In July 1901 Jessie gave birth to her 1st child, Ruth. After Ruth, son John W. was born in 1904, followed by daughter Mary L. in 1906. A daughter, Florence, was born in 1910, but died soon thereafter. Jessie’s last daughter, Jessie B., was born June 1, 1911. Sadly, just prior to Jessie B.’s birth, son John W. died of peritonitis (per newspaper stories). Tragically, Jessie, being confined to bed after the birth of her daughter and grieving over the loss of her only son, died suddenly and unexpectedly on June 20, 1911. Per the story published in the Times-Republican, June 22, 1911: “This double visitation of death to one family has brought sorrow to the entire community and sympathy to the home where a father and little daughters are called upon to miss both son & brother, wife & mother, while an infant child will never know a mother’s care.”