Blanche Anetta Evans was born on August 10, 1872, in Monmouth, Kansas to James Henry Evans and Emma Navida (Fry) Evans. She grew up a farm girl with one older sister, Olive Mae, and four younger brothers: George Edgar, Frank Otis, Jesse Glen, and Charles Dana.
After finishing school in Monmouth, Blanche earned her teaching certificate and took a job in Kalona, Iowa, where she met and married the dashing Murph Newton Adams on January 22, 1896. They lived together in the Adams Hotel while he sought a suitable home for them. Of course, once married she could no longer teach, but soon she gave birth to her first daughter, Dorothea Belle, followed by four more children: Lon Otis, Marjorie Beryl, Ralph Elgan and Thomas Reagan.
Murph was a real estate agent and bought and sold many homes for Blanche, upgrading each time. Although they lived in various houses, the children grew up in Kalona, except for a brief time living in Oskaloosa, when their new house full of new furniture burned to the ground.
When her children were grown and began to have children of their own, they all lived on the same street in Kalona, with the exception of Ralph, who lived in Iowa City. Those were wonderful years with grandchildren free to play together in each other's homes and to enjoy their grandmother's cooking and benefit from her meticulous housekeeping, watching her iron linens and freshen the centerpiece on the dining table.
The idyll ended in 1938, when Blanche's sons came to her and told her they'd discovered that their father had been keeping company with a woman in Washington, Iowa. Blanche left Murph, moving into an apartment in Iowa City. Her husband came to her asking for quarter, but none was given and they did not live together again.
WWII came, and Blanche gave up her apartment, staying with her children and their families in turns. She was blessed by having all of her grandsons return safely from serving overseas. She died on November 29, 1946, in Burlington at her daughter Margie's house. She was 74.
After finishing school in Monmouth, Blanche earned her teaching certificate and took a job in Kalona, Iowa, where she met and married the dashing Murph Newton Adams on January 22, 1896. They lived together in the Adams Hotel while he sought a suitable home for them. Of course, once married she could no longer teach, but soon she gave birth to her first daughter, Dorothea Belle, followed by four more children: Lon Otis, Marjorie Beryl, Ralph Elgan and Thomas Reagan.
Murph was a real estate agent and bought and sold many homes for Blanche, upgrading each time. Although they lived in various houses, the children grew up in Kalona, except for a brief time living in Oskaloosa, when their new house full of new furniture burned to the ground.
When her children were grown and began to have children of their own, they all lived on the same street in Kalona, with the exception of Ralph, who lived in Iowa City. Those were wonderful years with grandchildren free to play together in each other's homes and to enjoy their grandmother's cooking and benefit from her meticulous housekeeping, watching her iron linens and freshen the centerpiece on the dining table.
The idyll ended in 1938, when Blanche's sons came to her and told her they'd discovered that their father had been keeping company with a woman in Washington, Iowa. Blanche left Murph, moving into an apartment in Iowa City. Her husband came to her asking for quarter, but none was given and they did not live together again.
WWII came, and Blanche gave up her apartment, staying with her children and their families in turns. She was blessed by having all of her grandsons return safely from serving overseas. She died on November 29, 1946, in Burlington at her daughter Margie's house. She was 74.
Blanche Anetta Evans was born on August 10, 1872, in Monmouth, Kansas to James Henry Evans and Emma Navida (Fry) Evans. She grew up a farm girl with one older sister, Olive Mae, and four younger brothers: George Edgar, Frank Otis, Jesse Glen, and Charles Dana.
After finishing school in Monmouth, Blanche earned her teaching certificate and took a job in Kalona, Iowa, where she met and married the dashing Murph Newton Adams on January 22, 1896. They lived together in the Adams Hotel while he sought a suitable home for them. Of course, once married she could no longer teach, but soon she gave birth to her first daughter, Dorothea Belle, followed by four more children: Lon Otis, Marjorie Beryl, Ralph Elgan and Thomas Reagan.
Murph was a real estate agent and bought and sold many homes for Blanche, upgrading each time. Although they lived in various houses, the children grew up in Kalona, except for a brief time living in Oskaloosa, when their new house full of new furniture burned to the ground.
When her children were grown and began to have children of their own, they all lived on the same street in Kalona, with the exception of Ralph, who lived in Iowa City. Those were wonderful years with grandchildren free to play together in each other's homes and to enjoy their grandmother's cooking and benefit from her meticulous housekeeping, watching her iron linens and freshen the centerpiece on the dining table.
The idyll ended in 1938, when Blanche's sons came to her and told her they'd discovered that their father had been keeping company with a woman in Washington, Iowa. Blanche left Murph, moving into an apartment in Iowa City. Her husband came to her asking for quarter, but none was given and they did not live together again.
WWII came, and Blanche gave up her apartment, staying with her children and their families in turns. She was blessed by having all of her grandsons return safely from serving overseas. She died on November 29, 1946, in Burlington at her daughter Margie's house. She was 74.
After finishing school in Monmouth, Blanche earned her teaching certificate and took a job in Kalona, Iowa, where she met and married the dashing Murph Newton Adams on January 22, 1896. They lived together in the Adams Hotel while he sought a suitable home for them. Of course, once married she could no longer teach, but soon she gave birth to her first daughter, Dorothea Belle, followed by four more children: Lon Otis, Marjorie Beryl, Ralph Elgan and Thomas Reagan.
Murph was a real estate agent and bought and sold many homes for Blanche, upgrading each time. Although they lived in various houses, the children grew up in Kalona, except for a brief time living in Oskaloosa, when their new house full of new furniture burned to the ground.
When her children were grown and began to have children of their own, they all lived on the same street in Kalona, with the exception of Ralph, who lived in Iowa City. Those were wonderful years with grandchildren free to play together in each other's homes and to enjoy their grandmother's cooking and benefit from her meticulous housekeeping, watching her iron linens and freshen the centerpiece on the dining table.
The idyll ended in 1938, when Blanche's sons came to her and told her they'd discovered that their father had been keeping company with a woman in Washington, Iowa. Blanche left Murph, moving into an apartment in Iowa City. Her husband came to her asking for quarter, but none was given and they did not live together again.
WWII came, and Blanche gave up her apartment, staying with her children and their families in turns. She was blessed by having all of her grandsons return safely from serving overseas. She died on November 29, 1946, in Burlington at her daughter Margie's house. She was 74.
Family Members
Siblings
