William Andrew WICKHAM ³

  General Notes:

PHOTO: submitted by Gerald Wickham

IA MARRIAGES, 1809-1992:
Groom's Name: W. A. Wickham
Groom's Birth Date: 1868
Groom's Age: 25
Bride's Name: Bertha Fossler
Bride's Birth Date: 1871
Bride's Age: 22
Marriage Date: 22 Feb 1893
Marriage Place: Iowa, United States
Groom's Father's Name: B. Wickham
Groom's Mother's Name: Eliza Millslagle
Bride's Father's Name: Henry Fossler
Bride's Mother's Name: C. Daniels
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: I10048-1
System Origin: Iowa-EASy
Source Film Number: 1034940
Reference Number: p 160

1900 IA CENSUS, Hardin Co, Etna Twp: William A. Wickham, Jan 1871, 29, married 7 yrs, b. IA, father b. OH, mother b. NY, farmer; wife Bertha, Nov 1872, 27, married 7 yrs, 2 children, 1 living, b. IA, parents b. IL; son Earl, Sep. 1894, 5 yrs, b. IA, parents b. IA; boarder, Ella A. Hiserodt, Nov 1853, 46, wd, b. WI, father b. Canada (Eng.), mother b. ME, landlord.
(Note: It appears that Ella Hiserodt owned the home and William was renting from her.)

1905 IA STATE CENSUS, Hardin Co, Etna Twp, Robertson P. O.: William Wickham, Bertha Wickham, Earl W. Wickham.

1910 IA CENSUS, Hardin Co, Etna Twp: William Wickham, 40, b. IA, farmer, owned farm; wife "Candace", 38, b. IL (first marriage for both - married 17 yrs); son Earl W., 15, b. IA.

1915 IA STATE CENSUS, Hardin Co, Etna Twp, Ackley P.O.:William A. Wickham, 46, farming, 8th grade education, b. IA, father b. VA, mother b. OH, Christian; Bertha Kanssas(?) Wickham, 43, housewife, 8th grade education, b. IA, parents b. IL; Earl W. Wickham, 20, single, occupation: home; 8th grade education, b. IA, parents b. IA, Christian; Doris Irene Wickham, 7, b. IA, parents b. IA.

1920 IA CENSUS, Hardin Co, Etna Twp: William Wickham, 50, b. IA, parents b. OH, farmer, gen. farm; wife Bertha, 48, b. IA, parents b. IL; ad. daughter Doris, 12, b. US, parents b. US.

1925 IA STATE CENSUS, Hardin Co, Etna Twp: W. A. "Wickam", 56, attended rural schools, highest reader completed: 4, b. IA, engaged in agriculture, father was "Bimael Wickam", b. OH, mother was "Lisa Millswagor", b. OH, parents married IA; wife Candance, 53, attended rural schools, highest reader: 8, b. IA; father is Henry Fossler, b. IL, age 80, mother is "Candee Denfils" (?) b. IL, 53, parents married IL.

1930 IA CENSUS, Hardin Co, Etna Twp: "Willam" A. Wickham, 61, married age 24, b. IA, father b. OH, mother b. VA, farm, truck farm; wife Candace B., 58, married age 21, b. IA, parents b. IL.

MEMORIES - THE 1st 150 YEARS IN HARDIN CO, 2001, A Farmer's Life in Hardin County, early 1900s, by Doris Randall, daughter of William A. and C. Bertha Fossler Wickham (an excerpt of a letter to her cousin, Gerald D. Wickham of Iowa Falls) "William A. Wickham was the son of Bimuel R. and Eliza Millslagle Wickham of Hardin Co, IA. He married C. Bertha Fossler, daughter of Henry F. Fossler of Hardin Co., on Feb. 22, 1893 in the Christian Church in Eldora. They had two children, Earl and Doris, and a foster child. Their farm was 40 acres - mostly timber - one mile south of Robertson. Mother's father didn't think they would made it, but she was a determined lady. Dad cleared the land, farmed, raised pigs, horses and milked cows. Once, when he was breaking a horse, he went flying over a pile of wood in the barnyard with the cart.
Mother, determined to get the place paid for, raised chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys. In the winter she would dress the geese, ducks and turkeys, and pack them in barrels to be shipped to Chicago. She sold chickens and eggs locally in Iowa Falls or traded them for things in the stores. She also picked and canned berries to sell in Iowa Falls. She got a lot of the house furniture with coupons or by selling spices and such, and she traveled around with a horse and buggy.
In the summer, we would go to Iowa Falls in a buggy for shopping. It was really trading, as butter, eggs, etc., were traded for whatever we needed. In the winter we used a bobsled. Dad wore his big fur coat and mother wrapped herself in a wool shawl over her coat. Her feet were warmed by a soapstone and she snuggled down in a layer of straw. Then, in town, the horses were put in the livery stable and fed before the trip home
They were hardworking, honest and religious people. William died in 1930. Bertha sold the farm and moved to Iowa Falls and rented sleeping rooms in her home until her death in 1958."

OBIT, The Citizen: W. A. Wickham Dies at Home Near Robertson - Lived on Same Farm for 38 Years: W. A. Wickham, one of the old time and well known residents of Robertson, died suddenly Monday morning. He was up and did his chores, ate his breakfast, and then suddenly expired from heart failure. He had been troubled with his heart. The funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at the Robinson Church and were in charge of Rev. T. C. Collister of the Ackley M. E. church. Burial was made at Ackley.
The Citizen is without full particulars as to Mr. Wickham's life. He was born January 1, 1869 in Cedar county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Wickham have lived on the same farm near Robertson for 38 yrs. Mr. Wickham is survived by his wife and two children, Earl Wickham of Iowa Falls and Mrs. Doris Randall of Portland, OR, an adopted child. A brother, Frank Wickham, and wife of Mt. Pleasant attended the funeral.

OBIT: William Andrew Wickham, eldest son of "Bimmel" and Elizabeth Wickham, was born in Cedar county January 3,1869 and departed this life Sept 1, 1930 at the age of 61 yrs, 7 mo, and 27 days. He with his parents came to Hardin county at an early day and settled in this vicinity and lived here ever since. On Feb. 22, 1893, he was united in marriage to Candace Bertha Fossler and to this union was born a son, Earl, who resides in Iowa Falls, and a daughter who died in infancy. An adopted daughter also died at an early age. A grown daughter, Mrs. Doris Randall, who was raised and loved as one of the family, resides at Portland, OR.
He is survived by his wife, son and daughter, three brothers, Frank of Mt. Pleasant, Bert of ND, and Ernest of Iowa Falls. His parents and sister preceded him in death. He was a good husband, a kind father, and a good citizen and will be sadly missed in the home and among his numerous friends.

INFO FROM GERALD WICKHAM, 1988: William "Will" Andrew Wickham and Bertha were married in the Christian Church at Eldora, Hardin Co, IA on Feb. 22, 1893. He was the eldest son of Bimuel R. and Eliza Millslagle Wickham. They soon purchased forty acres of mostly wooded land south of Robertson, near his father-in-law. He cleared the land for farming and raising and breaking horses. In the winter they dressed ducks, geese and turkeys for shipment to Chicago. His only living descendants are through his adopted daughter Doris. Wil and Bertha were to have two children, two adopted children, four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.

LETTER FROM DORIS WICKHAM RANDALL:
William A. Wickham & Candace Bertha Fossler married Feb 22, 1893.

William married Candace Bertha FOSSLER on 22 Feb 1893 in Eldora, Hardin Co, IA.^{1 2} (Candace Bertha FOSSLER was born on 27 Nov 1872 in Hardin Co, IA,⁵ died on 16 Mar 1958 in probably Hardin Co, IA ¹ and was buried in Oakwood Cem, Ackley, Hardin Co, IA ⁶.)