DeanSimar on Family Tree Circles

Edith Simar, married Elias Uptagrafft, about 1890, they raised a family on what was known as the Simar Homestead, in Jewell County Kansas, first homesteaded by John Simar, in / or about 1871.

Burton John Simar, a son of the homesteader, and the first child born on the homestead, -- married Abbie Jane Uptagrafft, a daughter of John Uptagrafft, in 1907, so all next generation descendants of these two families, are double cousins.

James Boyd Orr was a pioneer of the westward movement, he married Cornelia A Wells, and together they ventured to the extreme western frontier, taking up residence in Black Hawk County Iowa, and raised a family in some very primative conditions.

Their son, Ralph Kier Orr, was also a very adventurous person, note,(see the journal) - (The Big Move) , Ralph Kier Orr, was my Grandfather, and a very prosperous farmer, - farming in Eagle Valley Township, Todd County, Minnesota.

He and Abbie M (Ingalls) Orr, married in 1901, and raised a family of eight, four boys and four girls, some descendants of that pioneer family, still live in that area.

For more information on the Orr Family, the Ingalls Family, or the Simar Famiy, contact me at -- > Dean Simar , Reno Nevada. < E-Mail -- > dean_simar@yahoo.com <

First known Fraze in America, was David Fraze, wife was Amanda, Traveled west by wagon train, from the Baltimore area, settling in Kentucky, Later moving on west to Texas and Oklahoma, have found an Edward Fraze in centeral Oklahoma, in the early 1900's , had a large family, some have moved to Calif. -- Any information on Fraze Family will be helpful. . contact > dean_simar@yahoo.com <

My Grandmother (Abbie Mable) was an Ingalls, daughter of William Harrison Ingalls, she was born in Iowa, about 1883, moved with her family, to Todd County Minnesota, late in the 1800's, after graduating from high school, she took the necessary course's to become a teacher, teaching school for only a couple years, when she married Ralph Kier Orr, a local farmer in Eagle Valley Township.

They farmed in Eagle Valley, for many years, raised a large family, and over the years they acquired and incorporated several smaller farms, making it into a rather large farming operation.

In 1937, Ralph Kier, passed away, but Abbie and her sons, continued the farming operation, which consisted of both dairy and beef, as well as many acers under cultivation.

In 1956, Abbie Orr passed away, and the Orr family farm (farms) were eventually sold off, as the next generation, were not interested in farming.

Some descendants of Ralph and Abbie Orr, still live in that area, but have pursued other lines of work.

For more information on Ingalls and Orr families, contact --

>Dean Simar< at >dean_simar@yahoo.com<

Anyone have information on Moore Family in Fayette Co. Iowa, or later in Osceola Co. Iowa , from the time Iowa was the western frontier, till about 1920.

John Morris, lived in the Los Angles area, mid 1900's , Relocated to Reno Nevada, 1970's or 1980's , three boys Ken , Tom , Roger . -- last known address for Ken, was Wyoming, -- Tom was in Nevada, -- Roger, unknown, John is a carpenter, presently living in the Mariposa California area .

My GreatGrandfather's sister Sally Simar, married a Elijah M Owen
possibly in Fayette County Iowa, about 1860, we have no further
records on her. Would very much like to find out more about this
family.

On this (part two of Simar Family in America) article I want to concentrate on the Simar Family since about 1900, well over one hundred years after Ephraim Frederick Simar came to America, see part one.

Burton John Simar, (my Grandfather) , according to the best calculation I can come up with, was probably the 12 child of John Simar, he was the fifth child of his second marriage, and was the first to be born on the Simar Homestead, in northern Kansas, (Jewell) Co. -- and his father (John Simar) was 64 years old, when he was born, and had two more children, after that, but I want to concentrate on the period after 1900. -- On Burton John and all the Simar family history since that time.

Sometime shortly after 1900, Burton John, set out for Montana, that being the western frontier, the chance of striking gold, was a strong possibility, so he staked out a claim, in the mountains north of Eureka, in the rugged Purcell mountains, not far from the canadian border, it is not known if he ever got anything at all from this claim, but he held on to it till about 1910, when he either sold it or just walked away.

In 1908, a young girl from Iowa, that he had known since she was in diapers, (Abbie Jane Uptagrafft) came to Montana, supposedly to visit her sister, but the story goes, that he meet her at the train depot, and it didn't take him long to find his way to Libby, (the county seat) and obtain a marriage license.

They lived in Montana for a couple years, their first child, (my father) Alfred was born there in Dec. 1908, but sometime in 1910, they Moved back to Jackson Co. Minnesota, where he took up farming, a son Marion was born while they lived in Jackson Co.

In either 1912 or 1913 this young family relocated to Douglas Co. where he resummed farming, on what was known as the Belle River Farm, two more boys were born, while they lived on this farm, in 1915 or 1916, they again moved to another farm in Todd Co. close to the little settlement known as Clotho, then during the early 1920's they moved to a farm, known as the Big Place, about 6 miles south of Eagle Bend. This farm was 200 acres, and it served this growing family perfectly, as the family had now grown to 10 children, and two more were born, while they were living on this farm, then in 1927 tragedy struck this young family, Ralph a son born in 1922 died, and in 1931 John Uptagrafft, the childrens Grandfather died, while living with them, then in 1934 their mother Abbie Jane died of a burst appendix, in 1938 Burton John took sick and died, the youngest child, John W Simar, was not yet 10 years old, but the family somehow managed through all of this, and stayed together as a close knit family, Burton and Abbie, along with their son Ralph, are all burried in a well kept cemetery, just east of Eagle Bend.

More on the fourth and fifth generation of this family, in part three.

continuing from part 2

I don't remember my Grandfather, (Burton John Simar) as he died in 1938, when I was one year old. The Simar family lived on what everybody called the BIG PLACE , it took a big place, to raise a big family, Burton John and Abbie Jane (Uptagrafft) Simar, had raised 11 children, my Dad (ALFRED J SIMAR) being the oldest of this family, and when he married, in 1936, he too ended up on this BIG PLACE, for a couple years, as this was right in the middle of the great depression, and times were very unsettled.

In 1940 he was able to buy his own farm, just a half mile from the BIG PLACE, and with-in a couple years, the rest of this big family, all went their seperate ways, many stayed close by, and bought there own farms, but the BIG PLACE was no longer the Simar Farm.

I'm only going to follow my Dads family, as I write this journal, each of my Dads siblings, have families, and I'll leave it up to them to write there own journal or diary.

I was only 3 years old, when my Dad bought his farm, it was called STAR VIEW FARM , he said that the buildings sat on the highest hill in the neighborhood. It was a great place for raising a family, 80 acres, when he first purchased it, and he later bought another 40 acres, so it was 120 acre farm, about half of it under cultivation, and the rest was timber and in pasture land.

My Mom and Dad were both active in the neighborhood, and in their church, I remember Dad being on the school board, and on the church board, my Mom was secretary / treasury of the local Farm Bureau, and active in the local 4-H club, and quite often a sunday school teacher.

I had two brothers and three sisters, so we had a fairly large family, and lots of family togetherness, which carries on over to this day.

We lived on this farm till 1952, when my Dad sold all his farm machinery, and the cattle, but did not sell the farm till several years later, and moved to California. After arriving in Modesto Ca. he took a job on a turkey farm, and my Mom got a job in town, at an egg candling and packaging firm. I think it was the second summer, that Dad got a job on a local dairy. But his real desire was to work the land, to be out in the field plowing, and discing etc. , and that job came along a few years later, when he was hired by the Island Dairy, to be their field man, and he loved that job, and at the same time he dabbled in raising a few beef cattle, and sometimes a few hogs, and always a good sized garden.

In 1970 he bought a small acreage place close to Turlock, where he planned to retire, and again raise a few livestock, and his garden, just enough to keep busy.

My Mom retired from the nursing profession in 1983 or 1984, and a couple years later she became bedridden from the complication of diabetes, she passed away in 1990. -- My Dad, even though very healthy, and quite active up until that time, soon started going down hill, and he passed away in 1991, they are both burried in a rather small cemetery, just east of the little ranchette he bought in 1970, between Turlock and Denair, on East Zeering Rd.

I'll resume, with the next generation, in part 4 .

My name is Dean A Simar , I am the fifth generation of the German Emigrant , Ephraim Frederick Simar , who arrived in America about 1790 , he made his home in New Jersey, -- New York, -- and in Pennsylania, where he died in about 1850, probably in Bradford County.

The second generation of this family, who consisted of John, -- Ephraim, -- William, -- and Asher, along with at least four girls, none of which we seem to have an accurate record of.

John, Ephraim, and Asher, headed west, into the western frontier, settleing in Fayette County Iowa, all three bought farms, in the close vicinity of West Union, Fayette County, Ephraim and Asher prospered as farmers on this virgin farmland in Iowa, and lived the rest of their lives there, but after about 15 years in Fayette County, John once again got itchy feet, and felt the urge to move on, this time he took a homestead in northern Kansas, Jewell County, where he homesteaded 160 acres on Ash Creek, probably about 1871, in 1883 he passed away, and one of his daughters (Edith) along with her new husband, (Elias Uptagrafft) took over this farm, and lived there most of their life, both being burried in a cemetery in the area.

My Grandfather, Burton John Simar, was born on this homestead, in 1873, and when his Father died, he went to live with his Uncle Asher Simar, back in Fayette County Iowa, in the late 1800's or early 1900's, he decided to try his luck, hopeing to strick it rich in Eureka Montana, where he staked out a claim, about 1910, with no luck on his claim, he gave it up, or sold it, and went back to Jackson County Minnesota, where he once again took up farming, after a couple years in Jackson County, he relocated to Douglas County, on a farm that became known as the Belle River Farm, about 1915, he again relocated, this time to Todd County, Renting and farming several farms, over the next 6 or 7 years, in the early 1920's he settled on a 200 acre farm, south of Eagle Bend, in Burleene Township, known as the Big Place, he lived there till he took ill in 1938 and passed away.

Several of his sons, bought farms in that area, but one by one, they all sold off their farms, and today none of the fifth generation of Ephraim Frederick are still in the farming business.

Compiled by Dean A Simar, the oldest of the fifth generation.

note -- can be contacted at > dean_simar@yahoo.com <

> See part two <