Doebbeling, Edward Nicholas

Edward Nicholas Doebbeling

Born Sep. 27, 1861 in Peppertown, IN

Died Nov. 7, 1950 in Craig, MO

Great Grandpa Doebbeling

by Daren Lee Meyer

Edward Nicholas Doebbeling was one of eleven children born to Johanna Sophia Heinemann and Heinrich Fredrich (Henry)Doebbeling. He was born September 21, 1861, at Peppertown, Indiana. His grandfather came from Germany in a sailboat with the journey across the Atlantic taking 101 days. Edward\\\'s brothers and sisters names were Simeon,Frederich, Lydia, Alice, Almond, Ida Katherine, Laura Johanna, Benjamin, and Mathilde. Simeon and Alice were twins.

About 1875 his family moved to a farm adjoining the present Doebbeling farm on the north. Three of his brothers and sisters, Laura, Benjamin and Mathilde, died as children from malaria and are buried in the Corning, Missouri, Lutheran Cemetery.

Edward N attended approximately the first eight grades of formal school at Hogriff School. Like most farm boys, he only attended winter sessions. having farm work to get done in the fall and summer seasons. My great aunts Susie and Mary, both in their eighties remember him clearly. According to them, he was a scholar of some merit, a self-made scholar who drilled his younger brothers every afternoon on their return from school. He made sure that they were expert spellers, and had beautiful handwriting, were excellent readers and correct mathmeticians. He was interested in anthing to read and all his life read anyting he could get his hands on.

After his marriage to Mary Florence, he was fascinated by the knowledge of his well-educated mother-in-law, the daughter of an Irish doctor. They spent many hours pouring over old books and dictionaries. His father-in-law was also a source of great interest. He was a judge. Due to Edwards ill health, she spent many7 hours in the county court. His less educated neighbors came to look upon him as their legal advisor. He even helped many of them to obtain the legal rights to the accretion land bordering farms after the MIssouri River changed its channel, leaving land in its wake.

His reading abilities were fondly remembered by mom (Phillis Jean Doebbeling). She said that he wore out a copy of "Heidi", her favorite book as a little girl. Besides reading her the usual little children books, he carefully cut out the serial stories printed daily in the nespaper and saved them to read when she came home from the farm with him. His reading was entertaining to the children because he was such a dramatic reader. He read the daily newspaper thoroughly and worked the ccrossword puzzle every day. This desiere for new knowledge endured throughout his life.

He married Mary Florence Allan March 6, 1896. Her parents\\\' farm adjoined the Doebbeling farm on the south side. They had five children.

Grandpa had typhoid fever in 1916 and was in poor health for the rest of his life. They had a hired man and a hired girl. It took a large dining table!

They started purchasing part of the Allan farm from Great Grandther W.H. Allan. It took them from 1917 to 1926 to pay for the land. They also purchased other ground, including some accretion land. On june 1, 1922, they registered the farm name as Glenwood and it is still used today.

In later years they moved to Craig, Missouri. My mother remembers going home with him from the farm. These were the times that he read to her.

For entertainment he did crossword puzzles, listened to the radio stories such as "One Man\\\'s Family", "Pepper Young" and others. He enjoyed gardenting and helped perepare the food for canning on thier screened-in porch.

Every day he walked to town to get the amil and purchase any supplies they might need. Then he would return home and record his purchases in his journal.

When his son Alfred visted from New York, Great Grandpa would meet the train a night early because Uncle Alfred would come a day early because he didn\\\'t want his father to come down to the train so late at night.

Great Grandpa had a marvelous singing voice and enjoyed being in choirs. My mom says tears still coem to her eyes when the congregation is singing "Just As I Am" because she can still hear her grandfather singing, "I come, I come," on the Chorus.

Edward N., Accourding to my mom, loved and respected his wife greatly. Seh said they had a close relationship and a marriage that worked better than any she has ever seen. He never tolerated anthing but respect from his chidlren toward their mother and grandmother. His children were important to him and he took great pride in their accomplishments.

He was of the Lutheran faith and attended the local church. He sporke fluent German. Mom remembers when the church held two services, one German and one English. He preferred the German. They had a Bible reading every night in their home.

My mom feels very fortunated to have known her grandfather so well.

Edward Nicholas Doebbeling passed away on November 7, 1950, at his home in Craig, Missouri.

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