Bawden4 on Family Tree Circles

John was born 5 Apr 1921 in Rock Island, Rock Island, Illinois, an only child. He showed great ability in math and photography. He graduated from Rock Island High School and in 1943, from Grinnell College, Grinnell, Poweshiek, Iowa, majoring in physics.

After graduation, he went to Cal Tech to join a crew of young scientists at the Naval Ordnance Test Station in the desert at Inyokern, California. These people were commissioned by the US government to develop a camera used in reconnaissance planes. His mother, Helen, came with him and organized the scientific library at the NOTS.

While at Inyokern on 17 November 1946, John married Doris Lucile WILLIAMS in Pasadena, born 13 Jul 1923, dtr of Mr. and Mrs. John B. WILLIAMS, of Ottumwa, Wapello, Iowa. She also graduated from Grinnell College.

John died of a heart attack on 13 May 1947 in Pasadena, California. A large stained glass window of David in the chapel at Grinnell College was dedicated to his memory by family and friends. There was not enough money given and the artist had not been paid. Grinnell College paid for the window.

Doris died 23 September 1988 in Shawnee Mission, Johnson, Kansas. No burial info avail. John is buried in Rock Island's Memorial Park Cemetery. They had no children.

William was born 13 July 1896 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa, son of William and Mary ILES GANSERT.

The family returned to their home at 807 22nd Street, Rock Island, Illinois (now in historic district) from Davenport, Scott, Iowa on E. 13th St. shortly after his birh. "Iles" worked at the family candy company shortly before his father's death in 1919.

On 4 Jun 1920, Wm married Helen Katherine DETJENS in Rock Island's Trinity Episcopal Church. She was the dtr of Herman and Katherine MUELLER DETJENS, born 2 May 1897 in Rock Island, Rock Island, Illinois. She graduated from Rock Island High School and Monticello Seminary in Alton, Madison, Illinois; she attended the University of Chicago and graduated form the Technical Normal School of Chicago as a dietician.

Mother Mary ILES GANSERT moved to Davenport, shortly after Helen and Wm were married, giving the GANSERT family home in Rock Island to her son. In 1925 William ILES GANSERT left his wife and child and moved to the San Francisco, California Bay area. Nothing more is known about him.

Helen remained in Rock Island where she was Society Editor for the Davenport Daily Times newspaper until 1944. In 1945, she became Society Editor for the Argus newspaper in Rock Island, and editor of the International Harvester magazine (farm implement mfg). After son John graduated from Grinnell College, in Grinnell, Poweshiek, Iowa she moved with him to Pasadena, California where she organized a scientific library at the Naval Ordnance Test Station in Inyokern, California. Helen GANSERT attended college near her home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Wm and Helen had only one son: John ILES GANSERT: born 5 April 1921 in Rock Island, Rock Island, Illinois. (seperate blog)
Death info for Helen: 2001 in Maricopa County, Arizona...need date and city. I have SS# if you write me.

John Thomas ILES was born 9 Jun 1882 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa, son of Mary TERRILL BAWDEN (the dtr) and John LOWERY/LOWRY ILES. John was the son of Dr. Thomas Jefferson and Mary/Maria Louisa(e) NUCKOLS ILES.

He was living and working as a clerk for his father at the Riverside Milling Company on River Drive in Davenport until 1906, when he listed his occupation as student. In 1918 he was living with his sister Mary ILES GANSERT on 22nd St. in Rock Island, Illinois, again listing his occupation as student.

He married Edna (no date)born 24 March 1882 in Memphis Junction, Kentucky. In 1930 they were renting in Louisvile and he is a foreman. Edna was the dtr of David and Rufina (no maiden) MANGAN.

In his WWI draft record he lists his father as next-of-kin. They lived at 2728 S. 4th in Louisville.

Edna died 17 Feb 1949 of diabetes and hypertensive myocarditis.

John died 25 Feb 1951 in Veachland, Shelby Kentucky Old Mason's Home of cirrhosis of the liver and enlarged heart. Death records said he had moved there 9 mos before from Louisville. Occupation was listed as mechanic. They had no children.

Mary Louise ILES was the g-dtr of Stephen and Mary TERRILL BAWDEN, and dtr of John and Mary TERRILL BAWDEN ILES born 25 Nov 1871 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa.

She married William Louis/Lewis GANSERT, 13 May 1895 in Davenport's Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

William was born 31 July 1865 in Rock Island, Rock Island, Illinois, son of John G. or Gustav John and Susan M. (maiden unk) GANSERT.

Until shortly after 1900, Mary and William lived in their home with her father, John ILES on E. 13th St. in Davenport; after that, the GANSERT family moved to their own home in Rock Island, Illinois.

In 1891 Wm founded the GANSERT Candy Company in Rock Island which, according to Mr. GANSERT's obit, developed into one of the largest candy factories in the Midwest (United States).

Wm died 22 Apr 1919 of Oster sarcoma in the family home at 807 22nd St in Rock Island, and is buried on the ILES-GANSERT lot in Davenport's Oakdale Cemetery.

He and his family were members of Trinity Episcopal Church in Rock Island. Mary lived in the family home on 22nd St, with her oldest child William ILES GANSERT until 1923 when she moved to Davenport.

In 1925, Mary moved to San Francisco. She died 26 May 1964 in Napa, Napa, California. (California Death Index)

They had 2 children born in Davenport:
1. William Iles Gansert born 13 Jul 1896
2. George B. Gansert born 25 Sept 1897; died 25 Apr 1898 in Davenport.

The home on 22nd St. in Rock Island is now part of the Broadway Historic Association. It was built by Paul Hamilton, a bookkeeper who worked in the downtown firm of Mitchell and Lynde. Information from the association says Mr. Gansert's wholesale firm advertised an odd combination of 'candies, tobacco, oysters and celery' at it's 18th St. store. In the 1940s, the home was converted into a duplex, though owners in recent years have reversed those changes and it is now a private family home. [Association newspaper article]