Elsie Mae (Peacock) Biggs (1877 - 1954)

Born 21 Aug 1877 in Cass, Iowa

Ancestors

Died 18 Apr 1954 at age 76 in Jefferson, Greene, Iowa

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Biography

Elsie was born on August 21, 1877 in Cass county, Iowa. She is the daughter of William Peacock and Martha Harris.

She married Howard Franklyn Biggs on December 4, 1898 in Dow City, Crawford county, Iowa.

She passed away on April 18, 1954 in Jefferson, Greene county, Iowa and is buried in the Jefferson cemetery. A memorial can be found on Find A Grave.

Her obituary was published in the Jefferson Herald on April 22, 1954.

Rites for Elsie May Biggs Here Tuesday

Funeral services for Elsie May Biggs were held at the Slininger Chapel at 2 p.m., Tuesday, April 20, with Rev. Gilbert G. Stout, pastor of the First Methodist church of Jefferson officiating.

Mrs. C.C. Charles, accompanied by Shirley Winey, sang "In the Garden" and "Under His Wings."

Pallbearers were Donald Peacock, Harry Johnson, Chester Peacock, Darrell Shriver, Dale Barnes and Harry Wood. Interment was in Jefferson cemetery.

Early Easter morning April 18, 1954, Elsie May Biggs passed away at the home of her daughter, Mrs. O.H. McCain, at the age of 77 years, seven months and 27 days.

She was born in Cass County, near Atlantic, on August 21, 1876, and was the second child of William C. and Martha A. Peacock. When a small child the family moved to Audubon and Crawford counties where she received her education.

Early in life she became a member of the Methodist church, remaining a member all of her life.

On December 4, 1898 she was united in marriage to Howard F. Biggs and moved to a farm near Dow City. To this union three children were born. Ethel, Mrs. O.H. McCain, Vernon L. and Lura May, Mrs. Wayne Louk, all of Jefferson.

In 1915 the family moved to Greene County, near Churdan and in 1921 came to Jefferson. She had spent from 1941 to 1945 in California, most of the time in hospitals and sanitariums from the result of a broken and crushed hip. Later she learned she had cancer and since 1945 had to undergo surgery several times.

She has been a member of the Beulah Rebekah Lodge No. 24 more than 25 years and a member of the Royal Neighbors Maple Leaf Camp No. 316 for 37 years.

Preceding her in death are her husband, Howard, who passed away three years ago; her parents; three sisters and three brothers.

Besides her children she leaves her oldest sister, Mrs. Olive Wood of Grand Junction; her youngest brother, Alva L. Peacock of Churdan; one grandson, Marvin E. McCain and three great granddaughters of Hawthorne, California.

Many relatives and friends will miss her sweet smile.^[1]

Timeline

August 21, 1877 - Birth - Cass County, Iowa

1885 - Iowa State Census - Manning, Warren Twp., Carroll County, Iowa. The Peacock family by the 1885 Iowa State census consisted of William and his wife, Mattie; Leah Olive "Ollie", Elsie Mae, William Arthur, Ira Floyd and baby Chloe Ethel Peacock.^[2]

December 4, 1898 - Marriage - Married Howard Franklyn Biggs in Dow City, Crawford County, Iowa.^[3]

1900 - United States Federal Census - In 1900 Howard F Biggs, 23, was living in Goodrich, Crawford County, Iowa, with his wife, Elsie M. Biggs, 22, and their daughter, Ethel Z Biggs, 8 months. Howard is listed as a farmer. The family is living next to his parents.^[4]

1910 - United States Federal Census - In 1910, Howard Biggs, 33, is living as a farmer near Goodrich, in Crawford County, Iowa , with his wife Elsie, 31. The two children are listed as Etsal Biggs, 10, and Vernon Biggs, 8.^[5]

1920 - United States Federal Census - In 1920, Howard F. Biggs, 43, and his wife, Elsie, 42, were living in Cedar Township, Greene County, Iowa. Also in the household, were Ethel Lura Biggs, 20, and Vernon Biggs, 18.^[6]

1930 - United States Federal Census - In 1930, Howard Biggs, 53, was shown as a farm manager living in Hardin Township of Greene County, Iowa, with his wife, Elsie M., 52.^[7]

1940 - United States Federal Census - The 1940 census shows Elsie Biggs as a servant in the home of William Doyle in Dodge Township, Guthrie County, Iowa. The census shows that she had lived in Jefferson, Greene County, in 1935. She is listed as married.^[8]

April 18, 1954 - Death - Jefferson, Greene County, Iowa

Sources

1. ↑ "Rites for Elsie May Biggs Here Tuesday," Jefferson Herald, 22 Apr 1954, p. 6, col. 5; digital images, NewspaperArchive (http://www.newspaperarchive.com), historic newspapers.
2. ↑ Family History Library, "1885 Iowa State Census," database, FamilySearch (www.familysearch.org: accessed 26 Jan 2012), Elsie M. Peacock, age 7; citing Census Records, FHL film 1021448, State Historical Society of Iowa, Iowa State Census Records, Des Moines, Iowa.
3. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, "Iowa Marriages, 1809-1992," database, FamilySearch, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org:), Howard F. Biggs and Elsie May Peacock; citing Marriage Records, FHL 1035130; Index entries derived from digital copies of original and compiled records.
4. ↑ 1900 U.S. census, Crawford, Iowa, population schedule, Goodrich, enumeration district (ED) 59, sheet 1B, p. 10, dwelling 15, family 15, Howard F. Biggs; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T623, roll 426.
5. ↑ 1910 U.S. census, Crawford, Iowa, population schedule, Goodrich, enumeration district (ED) 0068, sheet 5B, p. 7201 written, dwelling 96, family 96, Howard Biggs; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T624, roll 399.
6. ↑ 1920 U.S. census, Greene, Iowa, population schedule, Cedar, enumeration district (ED) 102, sheet 1A, p. 9 stamped, dwelling 8, family 8, Howard F. Biggs; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T625, roll 491.
7. ↑ 1930 U.S. census, Greene, Iowa, population schedule, Hardin, enumeration district (ED) 7, sheet 4A, p. 134 stamped, dwelling 73, family 73, Howard F. Biggs; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T626, roll 656.
8. ↑ 1940 U.S. census, Guthrie County, Iowa, population schedule, Dodge Township, enumeration district (ED) 39-9, sheet 7A, p. 80 stamped, household 148, Elsie Biggs; digital images, FamilySearch (http://www.familysearch.org); citing National Archives and Records Administration microfilm T627, roll 1163.