Henry Dugan

Henry Dugan, born August 8, 1865, was the fourth son and child of Phillip and Hannah Stumbo Dugan but two of his older brothers died as small children before Henry was born. He was raised on a farm in Boone County, Iowa but beyond that I don't know much about his early life.

He married Lillian Brown. Their first child, Amy born December 1894, was my grandmother. They eventually had ten children. Their seventh child, Mel died of the summer complaint when he was about two years old, probably in the summer of 1907 or 1908.

On their farm they had work horses, milk cows and hogs for selling and butchering. They also raised vegetables. In an interview with Susan Reed, Grandma (Amy) Reed recalled. "In the fall we made sauerkraut. We made it in a 40-gallon barrel. My dad chopped the cabbage with a spade. The sauerkraut was kept out for a couple days, then the barrel was rolled into the cellar."

Their youngest daughter, Inez, remembers her father drying vegetables on the roof. She also said that during the week the children walked two miles to school. If the weather was bad, their father took them to school. They went to Sunday School in a horse drawn wagon. Like the others, at night Inez slept on a feather bed instead of a mattress.

Her father Henry became tired of farming. After hearing about work in lumber mills in Northern Minnesota, Henry decided to move. In 1918, when Inez was nine, they moved to Deer River. They traveled by train and arrived in the winter, I believe she said February. Her Dad got a job at the box mill in Deer River.

My mother Jennie always liked to go to their home, which was a large house on a place called creamery hill, which was later cut down. According to the 1920 census both Henry and his two sons, Royal and Lloyd were working at the box mill. Around 1930 they moved to the country, north of Grand Rapids. I remember going there to family reunions when I was young but I do not remember my great-grandfather Henry.

My mother remembers her Grandfather Henry as grumpy. They always had to hurry through the door or he would holler at the kids, "Shut that screen door. You want to let all the flies in?" He was a small stooped man with a mustache. My mother remembered him as always using a cane. My mother said they owned a black car. She said it was a treat to go for a ride because her parents didn't have a car.

Henry Dugan died August 19, 1948. He was buried at Itasca Cemetery in Grand Rapids.

David Nolette