Margaret Rebecca Ward was born on April 5, 1857, in Mitchell, Canada, the daughter of George, Sr. and Mary Ann Pickering Ward. In Canada, Margaret grew up on the farm of her father, who was a neighbor of the Barr family. In 1871, through George Ward, Sr., her future husband, Gabriel Barr, purchased 120 acres of land in Amherst Township, Cherokee County, Iowa. The Ward and Barr families traveled from Canada to Iowa in covered wagons. In the spring of 1874, Gabe settled on this land. Marcus had been founded in 1871.
Margaret married Gabriel M. Barr on September 20, 1876, in Marcus, Cherokee County, Iowa. She was 19; he was 30. She wore a thick, gold wedding band with "MRW to GMB" inscribed on the inside.
In Marcus, Gabriel was an auctioneer and owned a successful general/men's clothing store.
Other children:
Pearl Wanda (Pearlie) Barr, b. June 4, 1886. She died in childhood in Marcus of scarlet fever.
Leslie Garfield (boy) Barr, b. September 3, 188_. He died in childhood in Marcus of spinal meningitis.
Both are presumably buried in Marcus, but there are no grave markers, and the cemetery has no record of their burials.
The family belonged to the First Methodist Church. Gabriel M. Barr was a trustee and a steward of the church. The Biographical History of Cherokee County, Iowa, W. S. Dunbar & Co., Chicago - 1889, pages 517-518 (from Jim Allen, Member #47319841) says, "His wife cordially seconds all his efforts in this direction, being a member of the same society."
In Marcus, the Barrs had a storm cellar (called a "cave"). They had unbelievable tornadoes come through Marcus. Their Methodist church was destroyed by a tornado on June 14, 1885. The Barrs kept their summer canning in the cellar.
The Barrs had a dressmaker come in once a year and live with the family, perhaps for three weeks, and make their wardrobes for the year. The dressmaker brought bolts of fabric and would make suits and long dresses. They had a parlor for Sundays and for company. It was heated only then, and had French doors, antique furniture, and velvet.
Indians would come into their home in Marcus. Margaret would cook and feed them. The Indians never hurt them; they'd eat, then get on their horses and leave.
Granddaughter Jo Ann remembered her tiny Grandma Barr sitting in a padded wicker rocking chair and reading to her from a large, blue book of children's Bible stories.
Margaret died on October 2, 1936, in Riverside, California. She had been living with her daughter Sadie and son-in-law David Gowan. The cause of death: Margaret was riding with the Gowans, sitting three in the car, she on the outside. The car turned a corner, and the door flew open. Margaret had had a previous surgery for a hernia. Falling out of the car, combined with the previous surgery, caused her death. She passed away at age 79 years, 5 months, and 27 days.
Information from 1986 oral notes from Margaret's granddaughter, Jo Ann, (Memorial #53169460), and from the Marcus Historical Society; Marcus, Cherokee County, Iowa; courtesy of Sherree Ogren.
Edited and submitted by great-granddaughter, Angela, Member #48520699.
Margaret married Gabriel M. Barr on September 20, 1876, in Marcus, Cherokee County, Iowa. She was 19; he was 30. She wore a thick, gold wedding band with "MRW to GMB" inscribed on the inside.
In Marcus, Gabriel was an auctioneer and owned a successful general/men's clothing store.
Other children:
Pearl Wanda (Pearlie) Barr, b. June 4, 1886. She died in childhood in Marcus of scarlet fever.
Leslie Garfield (boy) Barr, b. September 3, 188_. He died in childhood in Marcus of spinal meningitis.
Both are presumably buried in Marcus, but there are no grave markers, and the cemetery has no record of their burials.
The family belonged to the First Methodist Church. Gabriel M. Barr was a trustee and a steward of the church. The Biographical History of Cherokee County, Iowa, W. S. Dunbar & Co., Chicago - 1889, pages 517-518 (from Jim Allen, Member #47319841) says, "His wife cordially seconds all his efforts in this direction, being a member of the same society."
In Marcus, the Barrs had a storm cellar (called a "cave"). They had unbelievable tornadoes come through Marcus. Their Methodist church was destroyed by a tornado on June 14, 1885. The Barrs kept their summer canning in the cellar.
The Barrs had a dressmaker come in once a year and live with the family, perhaps for three weeks, and make their wardrobes for the year. The dressmaker brought bolts of fabric and would make suits and long dresses. They had a parlor for Sundays and for company. It was heated only then, and had French doors, antique furniture, and velvet.
Indians would come into their home in Marcus. Margaret would cook and feed them. The Indians never hurt them; they'd eat, then get on their horses and leave.
Granddaughter Jo Ann remembered her tiny Grandma Barr sitting in a padded wicker rocking chair and reading to her from a large, blue book of children's Bible stories.
Margaret died on October 2, 1936, in Riverside, California. She had been living with her daughter Sadie and son-in-law David Gowan. The cause of death: Margaret was riding with the Gowans, sitting three in the car, she on the outside. The car turned a corner, and the door flew open. Margaret had had a previous surgery for a hernia. Falling out of the car, combined with the previous surgery, caused her death. She passed away at age 79 years, 5 months, and 27 days.
Information from 1986 oral notes from Margaret's granddaughter, Jo Ann, (Memorial #53169460), and from the Marcus Historical Society; Marcus, Cherokee County, Iowa; courtesy of Sherree Ogren.
Edited and submitted by great-granddaughter, Angela, Member #48520699.
Margaret Rebecca Ward was born on April 5, 1857, in Mitchell, Canada, the daughter of George, Sr. and Mary Ann Pickering Ward. In Canada, Margaret grew up on the farm of her father, who was a neighbor of the Barr family. In 1871, through George Ward, Sr., her future husband, Gabriel Barr, purchased 120 acres of land in Amherst Township, Cherokee County, Iowa. The Ward and Barr families traveled from Canada to Iowa in covered wagons. In the spring of 1874, Gabe settled on this land. Marcus had been founded in 1871.
Margaret married Gabriel M. Barr on September 20, 1876, in Marcus, Cherokee County, Iowa. She was 19; he was 30. She wore a thick, gold wedding band with "MRW to GMB" inscribed on the inside.
In Marcus, Gabriel was an auctioneer and owned a successful general/men's clothing store.
Other children:
Pearl Wanda (Pearlie) Barr, b. June 4, 1886. She died in childhood in Marcus of scarlet fever.
Leslie Garfield (boy) Barr, b. September 3, 188_. He died in childhood in Marcus of spinal meningitis.
Both are presumably buried in Marcus, but there are no grave markers, and the cemetery has no record of their burials.
The family belonged to the First Methodist Church. Gabriel M. Barr was a trustee and a steward of the church. The Biographical History of Cherokee County, Iowa, W. S. Dunbar & Co., Chicago - 1889, pages 517-518 (from Jim Allen, Member #47319841) says, "His wife cordially seconds all his efforts in this direction, being a member of the same society."
In Marcus, the Barrs had a storm cellar (called a "cave"). They had unbelievable tornadoes come through Marcus. Their Methodist church was destroyed by a tornado on June 14, 1885. The Barrs kept their summer canning in the cellar.
The Barrs had a dressmaker come in once a year and live with the family, perhaps for three weeks, and make their wardrobes for the year. The dressmaker brought bolts of fabric and would make suits and long dresses. They had a parlor for Sundays and for company. It was heated only then, and had French doors, antique furniture, and velvet.
Indians would come into their home in Marcus. Margaret would cook and feed them. The Indians never hurt them; they'd eat, then get on their horses and leave.
Granddaughter Jo Ann remembered her tiny Grandma Barr sitting in a padded wicker rocking chair and reading to her from a large, blue book of children's Bible stories.
Margaret died on October 2, 1936, in Riverside, California. She had been living with her daughter Sadie and son-in-law David Gowan. The cause of death: Margaret was riding with the Gowans, sitting three in the car, she on the outside. The car turned a corner, and the door flew open. Margaret had had a previous surgery for a hernia. Falling out of the car, combined with the previous surgery, caused her death. She passed away at age 79 years, 5 months, and 27 days.
Information from 1986 oral notes from Margaret's granddaughter, Jo Ann, (Memorial #53169460), and from the Marcus Historical Society; Marcus, Cherokee County, Iowa; courtesy of Sherree Ogren.
Edited and submitted by great-granddaughter, Angela, Member #48520699.
Margaret married Gabriel M. Barr on September 20, 1876, in Marcus, Cherokee County, Iowa. She was 19; he was 30. She wore a thick, gold wedding band with "MRW to GMB" inscribed on the inside.
In Marcus, Gabriel was an auctioneer and owned a successful general/men's clothing store.
Other children:
Pearl Wanda (Pearlie) Barr, b. June 4, 1886. She died in childhood in Marcus of scarlet fever.
Leslie Garfield (boy) Barr, b. September 3, 188_. He died in childhood in Marcus of spinal meningitis.
Both are presumably buried in Marcus, but there are no grave markers, and the cemetery has no record of their burials.
The family belonged to the First Methodist Church. Gabriel M. Barr was a trustee and a steward of the church. The Biographical History of Cherokee County, Iowa, W. S. Dunbar & Co., Chicago - 1889, pages 517-518 (from Jim Allen, Member #47319841) says, "His wife cordially seconds all his efforts in this direction, being a member of the same society."
In Marcus, the Barrs had a storm cellar (called a "cave"). They had unbelievable tornadoes come through Marcus. Their Methodist church was destroyed by a tornado on June 14, 1885. The Barrs kept their summer canning in the cellar.
The Barrs had a dressmaker come in once a year and live with the family, perhaps for three weeks, and make their wardrobes for the year. The dressmaker brought bolts of fabric and would make suits and long dresses. They had a parlor for Sundays and for company. It was heated only then, and had French doors, antique furniture, and velvet.
Indians would come into their home in Marcus. Margaret would cook and feed them. The Indians never hurt them; they'd eat, then get on their horses and leave.
Granddaughter Jo Ann remembered her tiny Grandma Barr sitting in a padded wicker rocking chair and reading to her from a large, blue book of children's Bible stories.
Margaret died on October 2, 1936, in Riverside, California. She had been living with her daughter Sadie and son-in-law David Gowan. The cause of death: Margaret was riding with the Gowans, sitting three in the car, she on the outside. The car turned a corner, and the door flew open. Margaret had had a previous surgery for a hernia. Falling out of the car, combined with the previous surgery, caused her death. She passed away at age 79 years, 5 months, and 27 days.
Information from 1986 oral notes from Margaret's granddaughter, Jo Ann, (Memorial #53169460), and from the Marcus Historical Society; Marcus, Cherokee County, Iowa; courtesy of Sherree Ogren.
Edited and submitted by great-granddaughter, Angela, Member #48520699.
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