John Milton Colebank was the first boy of 11 children born to L S and Martha McIndoo Colebank September 15, 1887 on their farm in Milford Township, Iroquois County near Onarga, Illinois. When John was 13 his family moved by train to a farm in Riverdale Township near Madelia, Minnesota. John and his dad rode the freight train and looked after the farm animals and the rest of the family rode the passenger train. John finished the 6th grade in rural District 4 School. At age 22 he farmed with his brother-in-law John Strean near LaSalle, Minnesota. When they had problems with the water well on their farm John went to the neighboring farm to borrow a block and tackle and met one of the daughters, young school teacher Clara Nasman. There was a mutual attraction and they began seeing each other. The following year John decided to go with his cousin Robert Colebank to Oregon where Robert's uncle Lincoln Roll lived. Clara didn't want John to go, because she thought he might meet some pretty girl out there in Oregon, but John wanted to seek his fortune and promised Clara he would keep in touch with her. John got a job in the paper mill in Oregon City and enlisted in the National Guard. John kept in touch as he promised and ever more his thought turned to that Nasman girl back in Minnesota. In 1912 John returned to Minnesota and found himself a job on the railroad in Duluth, Minnesota. He continued seeing Clara, commuting by train between Duluth and St. James. After four years of courtship John and Clara Frances Nasman were married on March 11, 1914 in the home of the bride's parents on their farm near LaSalle, Minnesota. John was 26 and his bride 24. Pastor A T Lundholm performed the ceremony. Clara was the daughter of Swedish immigrants Nils and Anna Greta Nelson Nasman. She was born June 26, 1889 on their farm in Riverdale Township, Watonwan County, Minnesota.

Clara attended rural district 16 grammar school and was confirmed in rural East Sveadahl Lutheran Church near St. James. She attended high school in St. James while staying with her maternal uncle Andrew Nelson who was a mail carrier. Clara taught rural grammar school in districts 16, 27, 28 and LaSalle, all in Watonwan County.
The first year of their marriage John and Clara farmed in partnership with Clara's brother George Nasman. The next year they rented the Kensella farm 7 miles west of Madelia where Laurence was born. In 1917 they rented the L S Colebank farm (John's father) in Madelia Township, and Maynard was born here. In 1920 John and his brother Henry purchased the Gust Felsing farm in Woodside Township, Polk County, in northern Minnesota. Henry built a new house while John worked the land.

Clara was pregnant and stayed with John's parents in Madelia where Norman was born in February. Later on, in 1920, Clara and the children joined John and Henry who were living with their cousin Robert Colebank. When Robert got married in the fall, Henry, John and family had to live in their granary building until Henry got the house ready to move into.

John and Clara raised their family on this Woodside farm. Clara brought the children up in the local Maple Lake Lutheran Church. Both were active in 4H activities and John was a 30-year member of the Polk County Fair Association. They co-authored "The L S Colebank Family Tree" with their daughter Ann and John's sister Bernice Roof. They retired and moved into Fertile, Minnesota to live in 1968. Clara died June 29, 1974 at age 85 and John the following September 10, five days before his 87th birthday. Both are buried in the Maple Lake Church Cemetery.
Copied with permission from "From Whence Came the Colebanks" by Warren Colebank, copyright 1989, pps. 184 and 185.