Mrs. F. P. Gardner was a member of the Newton Public Library board of trustees from 1911 to 1913, and again in 1919-20.[1]  Julia M. Grumbling was born in Warren County, Iowa, in May 1872.[2]  The daughter of Christian Myers and Ella (Jones) Grumbling[3], young Julia was residing with her family in 1885 in Center Township, Henry County, Iowa, where her father was a “Teacher in College.”[4]  She received her bachelor and masters degrees from Iowa Wesleyan College.[5]    In 1900, Miss Grumbling was living with the family in Washington, Iowa; her occupation is listed as school teacher.[6]  She was a teacher in the Tacoma, Washington High School in 1905.[7]  Miss Grumbling was married to Frank Pearl Gardner (1871-1939), of Jasper County, Iowa, on July 17, 1907, at Tacoma.[8]  Gardner was in Newton by 1903, when he is listed as a partner with K. Abe Burnell in a shoe store.[9]  In 1910, the couple was residing at 100 W. McDonald (N. 2nd Ave. W.), where Gardner had his own shoe store.[10]  The 1920 U. S. Federal Census listed Gardner as a traveling salesman.[11]  The Gardners had taken up residence in Perry, Iowa, by New Year’s 1925.[12]  In 1930, the couple was residing at 1526 Carpenter Ave. in Des Moines, Iowa.[13]  After the death of her husband, Mrs. Gardner returned to work as a teacher at Woodrow Wilson Jr. High School.[14]  She died February 12, 1962, in Los Angeles, California.  She was 89.[15]  In Newton, Mrs. Gardner was affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal Church.[16]

-Larry Ray Hurto

 

[1] 1896-1957 Library Trustees, Newton Public Library History.  https://cdm16179.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16179coll1/search/searchterm/library%20trustees/field/subjec/mode/exact/conn/and/order/title/ad/asc.

[2] 1900 United States Federal Census.

[3] Sgt Christ’n Grumbling in the U.S., Find a Grave® Index, 1600s-Current.

[4] Julia Grumbling in the Iowa, U.S., State Census Collection, 1836-1925.  Historical Sketch and Alumni Record of Iowa Wesleyan College (Mt. Pleasant, IA:  Mt. Pleasant News-Journal, 1917), p. 120, lists “Mr. C. M. Grumbling, B. S.” as an instructor in “Natural Science” at Iowa Wesleyan University in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, from 1883 to 1898.  https://libsysdigi.library.illinois.edu/OCA/Books2012-08/historicalsketc0iowa/historicalsketc0iowa.pdf.  Ten years later Miss Grumbling was a resident of Mt. Pleasant.  Julia Grumbling in the Iowa, U.S., State Census, 1895.

[5] The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA, February 17, 1962.  From 1855 to 1912, the school was known as Iowa Wesleyan University.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_Wesleyan_University.

[6] 1900 United States Federal Census.

[7]  R. L. Polk & Co., comp., R. L. Polk & Co.’s Tacoma City Directory 1905 (Tacoma, WA:  R. L. Polk & Co., 1905), p. 333.  U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995.

[8] Julia M Grumbling in the Washington, U.S., Marriage Records, 1854-2013.  Miss Grumbling was a resident of Pierce County, Washington, at the time of her marriage.  An account of the marriage ceremony and supper appears in The Tacoma Sunday Ledger, July 21, 1907.
[9] Miss Effie McLellan, comp., Directory of the City of Newton 1903 (Newton, IA:  Published by the Newton Journal, 1903), p. 21.  At that time, Gardner was living at the Churchill Hotel.  The firm of Burnell & Gardner lasted until 1907.

[10] R. L. Polk & Co., comp., R. L. Polk & Co.’s 1910 Jasper County [Iowa] Directory, Vol. I (Des Moines and Detroit:  R. L. Polk & Co., 1910), p. 74.  Gardner was in the shoe business by himself from 1907 to 1911.

[11] 1920 United States Federal Census.

[12] Julia Gardner in the Iowa, U.S., State Census Collection, 1836-1925.

[13] 1930 United States Federal Census.  Enumerator Veronica Harman spells the family name Gardener.  The census worker recorded Julia’s occupation as high school teacher.

[14] Polk’s Des Moines (Polk County, Iowa) City Directory 1940 Including West Des Moines and Fort Des Moines (Omaha, NE:  R. L. Polk & Co., Publishers, 1940), p. 296.

[15] The News Tribune, February 17, 1962.  The writer is grateful to Beth Talbot Larson for her assistance in locating an obituary for Mrs. Gardner.  Ms. Larson was unable to find where Julia Gardner is buried and no death record.

[16] Julia Gardner in the Iowa, U.S., State Census Collection, 1836-1925.