Many of our family have left us a legacy of personal writings (Bible entries, diaries, letters, memoirs), which help us to visualize their daily lifes. We have attempted to collect as many of these letters as possible. By strolling downward, you may slowly linger over each one or quickly jump to a particuliar group. Have a 'writing' to post, please e-mail Freida Wells or myself, Ann Brown.
These biographies came about from a series of 'cousins' gatherings of children and grandchilren of Jesse Lee and Dora. It has now expanded to include descedants of Jesse's siblings. Five scrapbooks were located and an effort is being made to preserve the family heritage for future generations. Explanation from Duane Harsell
How These Biographies Came About
According to Peggy (Job) Stiffey and Myrna (McDowell) Hoteling:The Job family reunions have been held in the home of Deane and Myrna Hoteling since 1976. Following a bountiful carry in dinner and catching up on current family events, the children and descendents of Jesse and Dora Lillian Job would begin to reminesce about the past. Luckily some of these memories were jotted down. Two grand daughters, Peg Stiffey and Myrna (McDowell) Hoteling decided to collect and compile small booklets of this history. In January of 2005 these two ladies drove to Keokuk, Iowa to visit a cousin, Norma Jean (Jobe)Myers, Clay and the project began. While looking for additional information more and more of their cousins would meet these ladies at various places for lunch, or when visiting family members in nursing homes or at the Lewis County Historical Society in Canton, Missouri. Several of the cousins would show up and inquire where they where going to meet next and they all would meet and discuss current family events and family history. Today 6 first cousins attend these meetings and 3 second cousins have become regular attendees. These meetings are referred to as 'The Cousins Day' and 'The Cousins Meeting'
At the meetings, various descendants would write notes about a particuliar person. These notes would be passed on to Lisa Ann (Stiffey) Harsell, Duane's wife. Lisa would then take the notes and and compose paragraphs. She would then return them to the submitter who would then change or add more notes over a persiod of serval days/weeks at their 'cousins' meetings. Lisa then arranged the notes into grouped paragraphs.
These letters are being presented, below, in the format that Duane Harsell submitted to us.
- Memory of Jesse Lee and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job
----Written by Peggy Eileen (Job) Stiffey, November 2006, granddaughter
- Memory of Stanley and Hazel (Broy) Jobe
----Written by Norma Jean (Jobe) Myers, Clay, November 2006, daughter
- Memory of Clay Jobe
----Written by Myrna Arlene (McDowell) Hoteling, November 2006, niece
- Memory of Bernard and Dolly (Janney) Jobe
----Written by Peggy Eileen (Job) Stiffey, November 2006, niece
- Memory of Ragan and Mae (Job) Shanks
----Written by Robert and Linda (Wallace) Shanks, November 2006, son and daughter-in-law
- Memory of Herbert Hadley & Mildred Waneta (Shires) Job
----Written by Peggy Eileen (Job) Stiffey, November 2006, daughter
- Memory of George Finis & Hazel Edith (Martin) Job
----Written by Jesse Lee Job and Linda Joyce (Job) Hamilton, Unger, NOvember 2006, son and daughter
- Memory of Ruby Gilbert Jobe
----Written by Myrna Arlene (McDowell) Hoteling, November 2006, niece
- Memory of Harold Raymond and Marguerite Mary (Bailey) Job
----Written by Raymond Harold 'Ray' Job, November 2006, son
- Memory of Jessie Adabel (Job) & Roy Joseph McDowell
----Written by Myrna Arlene (McDowell) Hoteling, November 2006, daughter
- Memory of Betty Beatrice (Job) & James Nelson Keen Sr
----Written by Myrna Arlene (McDowell) Hoteling, November 2006, niece
Memory of Jesse and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job
Jesse Lee Job
Jesse Lee Job was born near Canton, Mo. on September 13, 1875, the youngest son of Gideon and Lucinda (Cook) Job. He married Dora Lillian Sherwood on May 9, 1900. They had ten children together: Stanley Wilbert, Henry Clay, Bernard Clyde, Mae Catherine, Herbert Hadley, George Finis, Ruby Gilbert, Harold Raymond, Jessie Adabel, and Betty Beatrice.
Jesse was a farmer and a great hunter and trapper. He never owned anything mechanical or motorized and did his entire farm work with a team of horses. They moved almost every year from one farm house to another, around the Canton and LaGrange area. He always made and drank home brew and smoked a corn cob pipe. Jesse liked to take it easy, but made sure the boys were always busy. Granddaughter, Myrna remembers she and Shelby visiting Grandpa Jess and he had them bend their arm and rub the hair at the bend. When they opened their arms, the hairs would pull. He told Myrna she was not a true Job, because her arms were not hairy.
When they lived near Canton, Jesse and Lilly would take the buckboard, pulled by a team of horses and go to town on Saturday night. It was said Jesse and Lilly were a fun couple and had a lot of friends. In his later years, after most of the kids had left home, they moved into Canton. They first lived in a big, old house that was very cold, so they moved to the south end of town, just off highway 61.
Jesse died of sclerosis of the liver on the front porch of his home on February 24, 1944, at the age of 68. He was a member of Centenary Methodist Church of rural Canton. He is buried in Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo.
Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job
Dora Lillian Sherwood was born on April 11, 1880 to Henry Clay and Sarah (Moore) Sherwood. She married Jesse Lee Job on May 9, 1900. She was a tall woman, probably at least 5’9” and was at least a head taller than Jesse. They had ten children together.
She got a perm in her hair once a year and just let it grow the rest of the time. She and Jesse were always in love and could be seen “billing & cooing” well into their 60’s. Lilly was a Republican, while Jesse was a Democrat.
Lilly was known to be a good cook and always worked hard. They were poor and moved a lot. She and daughter, Betty lived with Stanley for awhile after Jesse died, because she was afraid to stay by herself. She always knew a lot about history and was proud to say her family was Pennsylvania Dutch. It was Lilly who got tired of people mispronouncing Job and added an “e” to it. Stanley, Clay, Bernard and Ruby all used the “e”, the other children did not.
After Jesse died, she gave up, thinking she would also soon die, but she lived ten more years. She suffered from a Parkinson-like disease and was bedfast her last four years and had to have around-the-clock care. Some of the ladies who cared for her were Dora Hudnut, Myrtle Stevens, Daisy Gross, Bertha Pryor, Susanne Staples and Mary King. She died on September 7, 1954 at the age of 74 in Minnie Patrick’s home in LaBelle, Mo. She was a member of Centenary Methodist Church of rural Canton and is buried in Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo.
* * * * * *
Jesse and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job
L-R...back...1st-Mae Catherine (Job) Shanks, 2nd-Jessie Adabel (Job) McDowell, 3rd- Bernard Clyde Jobe, 4th-Stanley Wilbert Jobe, 5th-Henry Clay' 'Clay Roderick' Jobe, 6th-Herbert Hadley Job, 7th-Harold Raymond Job and 8th-Ruby Gilbert Jobe. front...1st-Betty Beatrice (Job) 2nd-Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job, 3rd-Jesse Lee Job and 4th-George Finis Job
Memory of Stanley and Hazel Jobe
Stanley Wilbert Jobe
Stanley Wilbert “Deacon” Jobe was born northwest of Canton, Mo. on October 9, 1900, the first child of Jesse and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job. Wanting an education, he rode his horse, “Little Nell” to attend high school in Canton, Mo. until his dad told him ‘he was old enough to leave the nest or help support his siblings‘.
He first worked as a farmhand for Hull Howard, for the WPA (Works Projects Administration) and on dredge boats for the U. S. Corps of Engineers. He worked on the Hecla and the Geyser. He could recognize any boat by the sound of its whistle. In the pre-war period, he became a guard at the Lock and Dam in Keokuk, Iowa. He was employed by the Rock Island District Corps of Engineers for more than 26 years, until being forced to retire due to ill health.
He met Hazel Gross at a family dinner at his Aunt Cora Vaughn’s home. Hazel was Stanley’s second cousin. They married on April 17, 1930. The newspaper clipping of their wedding states that Stanley was an “upright and industrious young man” and that Hazel was “amiable and attractive”. They had one child, Norma Jean. 
Stanley was a Republican and lively discussions often ensued at family dinners. His eyesight started failing at the age of 51 and he started having trouble with his balance and walking. Doctors said he had a neuropathy disease, like his mother and was eventually bedfast. Duane Job recalls Stanley visiting in a ‘46 Coupe. He got out with a broom and Duane thought it was because he was a afraid of the dog, but later realized he needed it for balance.
He was a member of the Centenary Methodist Church, near Canton, Mo. and later moved his membership to the Canton Methodist Church, where he attended faithfully.
He died on February 9, 1956 at the age of 55 of a cerebral hemorrhage, after a four-year illness. He is buried at Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo.
Hazel Fern Gross Jobe
Hazel Fern (Broy) Gross was born on December 9, 1909 in Ewing, Mo., the only child of Robert Logsdon Broy and Daisy Ray Vaughn. Robert and Daisy divorced when Hazel was very young and Hazel had no memory of her father Daisy later met Rev. Edward Leonard Gross at a revival meeting and married him. He was the only father Hazel ever knew. Although Hazel never met her real father, she did inherit upon his death, as no will was found.
Hazel graduated from LaGrange High School and attended LaGrange College in LaGrange, Mo. for two years, until it moved to Hannibal. She was forced to quit college after it moved because her parents would not allow her to leave town.
Rev. Gross later accepted a teaching position in Marionville, Mo. in the Ozark Mountains. Since Hazel and Daisy did not want to be separated, a caravan was formed and they all moved to Marionville: Stanley, Hazel and Norma Jean; Rev. Ed and Daisy Gross; Mr. and Mrs. Ed Vaughn and their son, Custer (Daisy‘s brother). They lived there for four years, before moving back to Canton, Mo. Stanley and Hazel then bought the house they lived in until his death.
Hazel was a homemaker and later took in laundry to augment Stanley’s pension. She was an accomplished musician and a faithful worker in the young people’s department of the Baptist Church where she was a member. Following surgery for a hysterectomy she asked her granddaughter, Carla, to take her to the mall before going home from the hospital. She disowned her only child, Norma Jean, because she disapproved of her marriage and they never saw each other again.
She developed uterine cancer, which spread and she died on February 7, 1995 in Blessing Hospital, Quincy, Ill. She was very active and lively until the end. She is buried in Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo.
Memory of Clay Jobe
Henry Clay 'Clay Roderick' Jobe
Clay Roderick “Boss” Jobe was born on August 6, 1902 in Lewis Co., Mo., the second child of Jesse and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job. His parents named him Henry Clay after his grandfather Sherwood, but he had it changed to Clay Roderick He had brown eyes and hair and was the tallest of the family at 6‘.
He spent his working days at Lock 17 in New Boston, Ill. Sometimes, when he had to mow the grounds, he would remove his shoes and socks and mow barefooted. He retired in 1958, after working as a lock man for 30 years in New Boston, Ill. He rented a room from an old man and woman in New Boston.
He introduced his sister, Mae, who was the cook on the dredge boat Hecla to another worker, Ragan Shanks. They eventually married, but Clay never married. He was a heavy drinker and smoker and never owned a house or vehicle. He did not drive, so his brother, George, would go to New Boston to get him when he wanted to come home for a visit. When he had a meal at Hadley and Waneta’s, he would ask for baking soda, swallow a big spoonful of it and wash it down with water. He offered to pay so his sister, Adabel, could board in town and go to high school, but her folks would not allow it. He bought cedar chests for his sisters, Betty and Adabel and was still buying wedding gifts when his nieces married in 1959. His sister-in-law, Hazel would choose a hand mixer and he would pay for it. He loved history and would tell stories from the Sherwood side of the family. He claimed to be a direct descendent of General Nathaniel Green on his mother’s side of the family.
Leo Childers tells the story of being at a dance at Mr. Obliniss’ house west of LaGrange. Arthur Bronestine had the job of keeping order at the dance and asked Clay’s father, Jesse to leave the dance floor because he had had too much to drink and was wobbly. Clay jumped up and said, “That is my father and he can dance if he wants to”. Leo stated that Clay was “kind of rough in his younger days.”
After retiring from the U.S. Corps of Engineers, he returned to Canton where he lived for a short time with George and Hazel Job, before George built a small building for him at his farm. Hazel did his laundry and took all of his meals to him.
He was a member of the Masons. After his death, his brother, Hadley, would have liked to have had his Mason ring, since he was also a Mason, but their sister, Betty was given the ring.
Clay, Stanley, their mother, Lillian, and perhaps Bernard all suffered from a crippling disease that left them bedfast. Clay died on July 22, 1960 in Kirksville Hospital in Kirksville, Mo. He is buried at Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo.
Memory of Bernard and Dolly Jobe
Bernard Clyde Jobe, Sr.
Bernard Clyde “Blackie” Jobe was born on August 10, 1904, the third son of Jesse Lee and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job. He had brown hair and eyes and was 5’11” tall and weighed 175 lbs.
Bernard married Dollie Janney Hubbard, who was four years older than him, in 1928. She had two children from a previous marriage, Maxine (Hubbard) Spangler and Donald Hubbard. Bernard and Dollie had four children together: Bernard Clyde, Jr., Harold Lee, Jesse Carliel and Vivian Marie (Marsh).
He was employed for 20 years by the city of Quincy, as a mechanic, servicing the Quincy police cars, and as department foreman at the city market. He retired in his early 50s, due to ill health.
Daughter Vivian stated Bernard was not close to his children, but she recalled going for drives with her parents and stopping for ice cream cones. Bernard placed his faith in Jesus before his death, for which she is thankful. He was a member of Central Baptist Church in Quincy, Ill.
He died on April 20, 1966 in Blessing Hospital from a massive stroke, after having several small stroke. He is buried at Greenmount Cemetery in Quincy, Ill.
Dollie (Janney) Hubbard Jobe
Dollie Janney was born on September 24, 1900 in East St. Louis to James and Elizabeth Janney. She was a very petite woman, under 5’ tall and had long, beautiful auburn hair. She also had a beautiful soprano voice.
She had a hard life, but did not complain. She could sew very well and, from necessity, made many garments. She was a homemaker, keeping a spotless house. She enjoyed cooking and Vivian said she never tasted a roast beef as good or a better cherry or apple pie. She was a housekeeper at the Elkton Hotel for 30 years, beginning at the age of 50. She wore heels to church, even in her 80s. She enjoyed eating out and shopping in the mall with Vivian.
She attended Calvary Baptist Church, Quincy, Ill. and worked in the church nursery for years. Her faith in God became stronger as she grew older. When she was bedfast and sometimes unable to communicate, she could still recite Bible verses she had memorized. Her last years were spent in the home of her daughter, Vivian and her family. Vivian’s daughter, Jennifer, gave a beautiful eulogy for her grandmother and she was grateful Dollie had lived with the family.
She died on May 31, 1989 in Blessing Hospital and is buried at Greenmount Cemetery in Quincy, Ill.
Memory of Ragan and Mae (Job) Shanks
James Ragan Shanks
(James) Ragan Shanks, son of Eugene and Ebbie (Ragan) Shanks was born in Licking, Mo. on February 1, 1902. His parents died early and he was raised by an Uncle John. He completed the sixth grade.
Ragan met Clay Jobe while working on boats and barges. Clay introduced Ragan to his sister, Mae, who was working as a cook on the dredge boat Hecla. They were married on October 22, 1927 in Canton, Mo. They had two children: Phyllis Mae and Robert Lee.
Ragan worked for the Army Corps of Engineers, retiring on December 31, 1955, after 34 years of service. He was Head Operator at Lock and Dam #20 in Canton, Mo. at the time of his retirement.
He was a member of the Benjamin Christian Church. He was careful with his machinery, his car, careful with people and never smoked or drank, nor used harsh language. He enjoyed green beans with new potatoes, seasoned with bacon and square white 2-layer cakes with white frosting and coconut between the layers and on top. He didn’t go to the doctor much and died with his own teeth. Because his health was failing and he was no longer able to use the stairs to the basement, he gave the deep freeze to Jr. and Shelby Miller, which broke Mae’s heart. She got very depressed because she realized that they were both declining in health. He was no longer able to drive and so he thought he and Mae should go to Lincoln Hill Nursing Home in Quincy, Ill. where his grandson, Kevin worked. He lived there a few months before entering Blessing Hospital, where he died of congestive heart failure on November 29, 1985.
He was very well liked and respected by nieces and nephews. He is buried at Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo. Mae Catherine (Job) Shanks
Mae Catherine (Job) Shanks
Mae Catherine “Kitten” Job was born on October 25, 1906 in Canton, Mo., the fourth child and first daughter born to Jesse and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job. She had brown hair and eyes and was 5’5” tall. She weighed 150 lbs. She completed the eighth grade. When still a young girl, she asked to go visit some neighbor girls and her dad said “no, as they didn’t amount to anything” and she told her dad “neither did she” and he used “Old Barker” (his name for his razor strap) on her.
She worked at the poultry house candling eggs, as a telephone operator, and as a cook on the dredge boat Hecla, where her brother, Clay, introduced her to Ragan Shanks. Her dad bet her a cow that she couldn’t catch Ragan, but when she did, he reneged. They were married on October 22, 1927 and had two children, Phyllis Mae and Robert Lee.
She was a good cook and kept a ‘spic-n-span’ house. She did not eat when others were eating, but ate later before clearing the table. Ragan kept up on the news and she kept up on family and friends. She was a great one for a bargain and checked the specials and clipped coupons for them. She picked up pecans and walnuts, as well as cherries and apples that neighbors didn’t want to use. Her apple pie was a big treat. She sliced the apples paper thin and the crust was as fine as any French pastry. She had more of a temper than Ragan and he liked to tease her. His favorite disparagement was “dirty potlicker” and she used “old blister”. She did fine embroidery and hand work.
She was diagnosed with leukemia later in her life. She had a bone marrow test and did not complain about the pain. She moved to Sunset Home in Quincy, Ill. after Ragan died. Sunset Home called and her sister, Adabel and niece, Myrna, were at her bedside when she died on February 6, 1999. At 92 years and 3 months, she lived to be the oldest of Jesse and Lillian’s children. She was a member of Wyaconda Baptist Church in Canton, Mo. and is buried at Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo.
Memory of Herbert Hadley & Mildred Waneta (Shires) Job
Herbert Hadley Job
Herbert Hadley “Whitey” Job was born on January 22, 1909, the fifth child of Jesse and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job. He was born on a farm five miles northwest of Canton, Mo. His parents were farmers and they moved several times during his childhood. Hadley attended several schools, including Sunny Side School, Pleasant Ridge School and Pink Prairie School. He completed the 8th grade.
His family lived on the Boudreau Farm, west of LaGrange, Mo. (where Leo Childers now lives) when Hadley was a teenager. He worked for Walter Muegge and met his wife, Mildred Waneta Shires during this time. They were married on May 28, 1935 in Ewing, Mo. Their first apartment together was in the Grover and Elizabeth Lillard house, in Canton, Mo. After a short time, they bought a farm from Harry Parker, 3 miles northwest of Canton. To this union four children were born: Shirley Joetta, Hadley Duane, Peggy Eileen, and Ronald Eugene.
He spent his adult life working for the U. S. Corps of Engineers in Canton, Mo. and farming. His first job with the U. S. Corps of Engineers was on a dredge out of Keokuk, Iowa and in 1923 he was working on the dredge Hecla in Canton, Mo. At the time of his retirement on December 30, 1964, he was Head Lock & Dam Operator at Lock 20 in Canton, Mo. He had worked at Canton Lock and Dam since it was put in operation in 1935. He farmed his own land, as well as farming for others, with the help of his two sons. He also raised cattle, hogs and chickens. After his retirement, he spent the rest of his life enjoying his kids and grandkids. He was a Mason and a member of Craft Lodge 287 in Canton, Mo.
Hadley hated flies and would not allow one to light in the house. If one got in the car, he would almost wreck the car trying to get it out. When he lived in Keokuk, Iowa, he was asked to join the Moose. One of the first things they wanted to do was get him drunk. He walked out and said “I don’t want no part of that” and never returned. He always told his boys not to drink because Clay drank and would throw up “awful old green stuff”.
He suffered a stroke in late November of 1978, while setting in his favorite chair eating an apple. He was paralyzed on the left side and was never able to walk or talk again. Waneta cared for him in their home, with the help of their children, until his death on July 5, 1981. He had also developed diabetes and suffered with kidney stones and complications from his stroke. Hadley loved to go for rides and the family continued to take him for rides until his death.
He is remembered by his children as a strong disciplinarian, but was always fair. His kids always had to ask his permission before going any where. He loved to eat and enjoyed company at meal times. If you were at his house at meal time, you would be invited to stay and eat. He was a good father and provider for the family.
He was a member of the Canton, Mo. Baptist Church and is buried at Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo.
Courtship of Hadley and Waneta
Actual Scanned Letters, with Transcriptions - Written in the 1930's
Mildred Waneta (Shires) Job
Mildred Waneta Shires was born on January 18, 1918, in Ewing, Mo. She was the second daughter of Clarence and Virginia (Blackburn) Shires. She graduated from Steele School. Her parents were farmers.
She married Herbert Hadley Job on May 28, 1935, at the age of 17, in Ewing, Mo. She spent most of her married life on their farm northwest of Canton, Mo. Four children were born to this union.
She never worked away from home, but always worked hard raising a big garden, raising chickens, for fryers, as well as eggs, and milking cows. She spent her summers canning from her garden, as well as making jams, jellies, etc. She was a wonderful cook and enjoyed cooking for others.
After Hadley’s death in 1981, she and her sister, Maxine began going to Marblehead, Ill. at least once a week, to paint ceramics. They always went out for a meal before going home. She always made four of everything so that each of her children would have one. All of her children, as well as grandchildren, have many beautiful ceramic items, made by Waneta. She also began crocheting and made many beautiful Afghans for her family. When Maxine moved into Country Aire Nursing Home in Lewistown, Mo., Waneta visited her often.
She became forgetful in her later years and Ron would go by every morning on his way to work to make sure she was OK. Her children and daughters-in-law took turns going every day to make sure she took her medicine, fixed her lunch and supper, and helped her with her shower. Her grandson, John Gorrell, moved in with her after being injured in the tornado of 2003. Her children continued to go to her home daily, but having John there eased their minds about her staying by herself at night. She loved to go for rides and her children took her almost daily. She especially liked going on country roads and by family member’s homes.
A few days before her death, Peg was helping her with her shower, when she had a spell and asked to lie down. A couple of days later, Duane and Carm had just gotten home from fixing her supper and getting her ready for bed, when John called and said she had fallen on the kitchen floor. She died of a heart attack before they could get back to her house.
Waneta was a very kind and generous woman. She was loved and respected by all who knew her. She always accepted people as they were and yet held her values high. She never preached about her faith, she just lived it. Hadley had provided well for her and she lived very comfortably until her death.
She was a member of the Canton Baptist Church in Canton, Mo. and is buried in Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo.
Memory of George Finis & Hazel Edith (Martin) Job
George Finis Job
George Finis Job was born on May 22, 1911, in Lewis Co., Mo., the sixth child of Jesse and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job. He was given the middle name of “Finis” because that means finished, but Jesse and Lilly had four more children. He had brown hair, was 5’10” tall and weighed 175 lbs.
He married Hazel Edith Martin on November 4, 1933 in Monticello, Mo. They had five children together: Beverly, Lois, Shelby, Jesse and Linda, all of whom were born while they lived on Jamison Street in Canton, Mo. They also raised Linda’s son, Jeff (Hamilton), even though it was against Linda’s will.
One of his first jobs was measuring water on the Wyaconda River for $7 a month. He spent most of his working years with the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Due to failing health, he was forced to retire in 1967, at the age of 55, after 30 years of service. He was head lock man at Lock and Dam 20 in Canton, Mo. at the time of his retirement. After retirement, he painted houses when he could and worked for his son, Jesse, after Jesse opened the Shell station in Canton, Mo. Later, he bought half of the station, so they had an equal partnership.
He always kept his home, outer buildings and fences painted and looking nice and rolled his own cigarettes. George enjoyed the citizens band radio and often listened and talked to others. His handle was “Stud Duck.” George and Hadley often raced home from Canton. George would always say to Hadley’s kids “I’m gonna suck you up in the carburetor”. Another saying often heard from him was “I ain’t got a dime.”
When his son, Jesse was in the hospital after being badly burned in an explosion, it was George who fussed at him to do whatever was needed to get well. Jesse credits his dad with giving him the will to go on.
After their daughter, Linda and her husband Butch (Unger), moved to Mark, IL in 1979 so Butch could work at Consolidated Freighting Truckline, George and Hazel would drive up to see them at least once a month and stay for 3 or 4 days. Hazel and Linda would fix a big meal and they would play a lot of cards, mainly Uno. They had a lot of fun together.
While they were going to Mark so often, George started having some mini black-outs. During that time, he was diagnosed with a very rare blood disease. His was only the 4th case diagnosed. He was put on prednisone, which made him gain a lot of weight, which he really hated. His doctor would eventually lower the dose, but it would flare up again, so he never got off the medicine. He was diagnosed with leukemia, but never had treatment for it. His doctors told him not to worry about it, the blood disease would kill him before the leukemia would advance. He was in a lot of pain his last couple of years of his life. He doctored in Iowa city and Lois would drive him and Hazel to his doctor‘s appointments.
He died on July 22, 1987 in Blessing Hospital, Quincy, Ill. of congestive heart failure. He was a member of Wyaconda Baptist Church and the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Big Tree Aerie 1800 of Canton, Mo. He is buried in Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo.
Hazel Edith (Martin), Job
Hazel Edith Martin was born May 12, 1912 in Memphis, Mo., the daughter of James O. and Blanche (Loney) Martin.
Her family moved to Lewistown, Mo. and Hazel worked at the hotel in Canton, Mo. George Job was friends with her brothers and they introduced him to her. They were married on November 4, 1933, in Monticello, Mo. after a short courtship. They had five children together: Beverly, Lois, Shelby, Jesse and Linda, all of whom were born while they lived on Jamison Street in Canton, Mo. They also raised Linda’s son, Jeff Hamilton
In 1946, they moved 4 miles northwest of Canton, Mo. on what was called Tick Ridge. Hazel raised a humongous garden. They always raised cattle, and for a time had pigs and chickens also. Due to George’s rotating work shifts, Hazel did all of the outside work, with help from Shelby and Jesse. Once, when Hazel and Jesse were doing chores before school, Hazel fell and broke her leg. She had been throwing down hay from the loft to Jesse, but Jesse left to catch the bus. Hazel tripped on one of the bales and broke her leg. She had to crawl a long distance to the house to call for help. Hazel milked the cows every morning and made deliveries in a panel truck. Lois and Bev helped deliver, and then she would drop them off at school. They kept the milk route until the pasteurization law passed, and then decided it was no longer feasible, so they started raising beef cows. She made her own cottage cheese and cured her own hams and was famous with her relatives for her butterscotch pies and hot rolls.
After George died in 1987, she moved to Canton Sr. Housing in Canton, Mo. She had a knee replaced and stayed with Jesse and his wife, Jane for a while and then lived with Lois for a short time, before moving back to Canton Sr. Housing. She later decided to have her other knee replaced, although there was no one to care for her. Jim McClaughry, her son-in-law, was very good about taking her for walks. She did not like to be alone because she was scared of falling. Although she never did fall, she had to call Jim at 2:00 a.m. one night to help her to the bathroom, so she decided to go to Lewis Co. Nursing Home in Canton, Mo. She lived there for several years, before dieing of natural causes on November 29, 2001.
She was a member of the Immanuel United Methodist Church in Canton, Mo. She is buried at Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo.
Memory of Ruby Gilbert Jobe
Ruby Gilbert Jobe
Ruby Gilbert Jobe was born July 2, 1913. He was the 7th child born to Jesse Lee and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job. He had blue eyes and brown hair. He was 5’ 7” tall and weighed 153 lbs. His nicknames were “Stuben” or “the Barron”.
One of his earliest jobs was with the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps). As a young man he also was a member of the U.S. Governments Reforestation Camp. Before entering the service, he was employed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers as a painter’s helper. He entered the Army Air Corps. at Jefferson Barracks and received an honorable discharge as a Sergeant from Scott Field, Ill. on December 17, 1945. He was the only one who took the radio operator mechanic class who did not have a high school or college degree. This was a four year class in civilian life which these men completed in 18 weeks. He sent a picture of a captured Japanese sub which was on display when he was in Albuquerque, NM. His family was invited to attend a flag dedication at his Dover Baptist Church held for its service men. His discharge papers state he was given 2 lapel button’s issued for no time lost, a good conduct ribbon and WW2 victory medal (2 overseas bars). He served outside the continental US in Canada. While stationed in Miami, Fl. his base was in a hurricane. He wrote of shooting a rifle with a kick hard enough to bruise his shoulder. After being discharged from the army, he worked construction on the Blue Jay Project on an Air base located 400 miles from the North Pole at Tule Bay, North Bafin Bay in Greenland, making $600 a week. He made so much money the income tax would have eaten it all if he had been in the states over three months, so he went to Mexico to stay a month every year. Alaska was not a state yet.
After returning home, he was employed by the U.S. Corps of Engineers, retiring from the Canton Post Office in 1965. He had been employed by the post office since 1961. He was married to Genevieve Herzog for a short time. He ran for City Marshall of Canton, Mo. in April of 1959, but did not win. He was a member of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church and was a past member of the Canton Big Tree Aerie of Eagles and the American Legion Post 170 of Canton, Mo.
Ruby had problems with his heart and also had prostate cancer but he died of injuries he suffered in a car wreck on October 17, 1978 on the way to the hospital. He was 65 years 3 months old. He had just been released from Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Ill. for heart problems a few days earlier and a note he left indicated he was driving himself back to the hospital.
He is buried in Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo.
Memory of Harold Raymond and Marguerite Mary (Bailey) Job
Harold Raymond Job
Harold Raymond “Beaver or Flapper” Job was the eighth child of Jesse and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job, born on November 10, 1915 near Canton, Mo. Raymond completed the 8th grade.
He married Marguerite Mary Bailey on August 12, 1938 at the home of Rev. Custer Vaughn in Tick Ridge, Lewis Co., Mo. Ed and Cora Vaughn were their attendants. Two sons were born of this union, Raymond Harold, born on April 26, 1940 at the family home in the 700 block of White Street, Canton, Mo. and Gary Walter, born on October 3, 1942 at the maternal grandparents home on Tick Ridge, Canton, Mo.
Raymond and Marguerite moved to Keokuk, Iowa in 1943 where he was briefly employed by the U. S. Corps of Engineers, working on dredge boats, until called by Uncle Sam. He served in the US Army 1945-1946, until the war ended. His service was in Florida and California.
Raymond returned home in March, 1946. Within a week of his return, he purchased a farm and moved to Lewis Co., Mo., on the North Fabius River, two miles south of Dover Baptist Church. They remained there until moving to Canton, Mo. Senior Housing in 1985.
They farmed and worked off the farm until the mid 1980s. They began farming with a team of horses for pulling equipment but soon purchased their first tractor, a new Farmall Model C. Beginning with milk cows and chickens for eggs and fryers, they soon added hogs. They owned a Surge milking machine. Later they sold the milk cows and raised beef cattle for market.
Raymond worked several years at the LaGrange Foundry. Later he worked 17 ½ years in the boiler room at Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Ill., from which he retired at the age of 65 in 1981.
For most of his life, Raymond enjoyed playing his guitar and singing for his personal pleasure. In 1950, Marguerite bought a stringed combination violin and dulcimer musical instrument from a traveling salesman and learned to play the instrument. Raymond and Marguerite spent many evenings accompanying each other and sharing their common love of music. Raymond was known for driving slow, 35 or 40 mph on the 2-lane highways. It was sometimes hard to pass, and you could almost always find a long line of cars itching to get around him.
His niece, Myrna, recalls visiting at Uncle Hadley’s and Raymond insisted she come shake his hand. She knew he was being too friendly, but finally did and found he was holding onto the electric fence when she got a big shock.
He was a member of LaGrange Methodist Church in LaGrange, Mo., where he sang in the church choir.
Raymond died at the age of 76 years and 3 months on May 13, 1992 in Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Ill., following a two week stay. He had a portion of his colon removed, earlier in 1992 because of cancer. The cancer had been detected early and he did not have to undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatments. An autopsy found no trace of cancer. He had also been treated for glaucoma with eye drops and had undergone a total knee replacement. He had excellent teeth and had lost only a couple of them during his lifetime. He is buried in Forest Grove Cemetery in Canton, Mo.
Marguerite Mary (Bailey) Job
Marguerite Mary Bailey was born on September 9, 1915, in Lewis Co., Mo. She was the first child of Walter Edger Bailey and Margaret Elizabeth (Tretter) Bailey. She gradated from Canton High School in Canton, Mo. She married Raymond Job on August 12, 1938.
Marguerite worked at Doc’s Air Park Restaurant in West Quincy, Mo. in the 1950-1960 until it closed. She also worked 19 ½ years at the Quincy Junior High School cafeteria, retiring at age 62 in 1977.
Marguerite bought a stringed combination violin and dulcimer musical instrument from a traveling salesman around 1950 and learned to play the instrument. Raymond and Marguerite spent many evenings accompanying each other and sharing their common love of music.
She was a member of the LaGrange Methodist church in LaGrange, Mo. Marguerite would drive from Senior Housing in Canton, Mo. to the farm outside of LaGrange to feed cats still living there. Her sister, Bonnie, would go with her, sitting in the back seat for safety sake.
Marguerite died at age 84 years, 5 month on February 11, 2000. She and her sister, Bonnie, had walked the few blocks to and from their Senior Housing apartments to the Canton, Mo. County Market grocery store. She collapsed and died on her kitchen floor while putting the groceries away. She had undergone both a hysterectomy and a cholecystectomy in mid-life. Later in life she was treated for high blood pressure and heart
Memory of Jessie Adabel (Job) & Roy Joseph McDowell
Roy Joseph McDowell
Roy Joseph “Skee” McDowell was born on June 13, 1906 in Mark, MO. He was the oldest child of Isaac and Della (Duvall) McDowell. His mother farmed on Long Island, Ill. and he was often left in charge of his three younger sisters, cooking and ironing dresses for them
He graduated from LaGrange High School in LaGrange, Mo. and attended LaGrange College, where he played basketball. He was also active on the local “Stars” baseball team.
He married (Jessie) Adabel Job on November 8, 1936. They had five children together: Myrna Arlene, Charlotte Ann, Marsha Jo, Stephen Kent, and Bradley Neil.
He worked as superintendent at a foundry in Champaign, Ill. and worked at the Mo. Gravel Co. in LaGrange, Mo. before going to work at Gardner-Denver Foundry in LaGrange, Mo. In 1971, he retired from the Foundry in LaGrange, where he had worked as a molder. He also helped to organize the union at the Foundry in LaGrange while working there. He was a member of Cooper Industries’ Quarter Century Club. He served on the La Grange City Council, was a member of the School Board, was active in Scouting, coached Little League baseball teams and was a Deacon in the First Baptist Church, where he also taught a men’s Sunday school class.
The family lived on a small farm southwest of LaGrange, Mo. before moving into LaGrange. Roy worked the farm while also working at the foundry. He always raised a vegetable garden, even after moving into town. He liked to hunt quail, ducks, squirrels and rabbits and liked to fish. He had to give up hunting when he could not walk through the corn fields any more. “One bad thing about getting old was the things you had to give up.”
One summer day, he became ill and thought he was having a sun stroke. He lay in the grass until it passed. Later, when doctoring with heart problems, he found out he had had a heart attack and his heart had made its own bypass. He had heart bypass surgery in Springfield, Ill. in 1980. Later in life, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer but never received treatment. His doctor thought his heart would give out before the cancer would become a problem, although he did have back pain.
He died on September 27, 1991 from a heart attack in Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Ill., after a 4-day stay. He was able to remain in his own home all of his life.
He is buried in Riverview Cemetery in LaGrange, Mo.
Jessie Adabel (Job) McDowell
(Jessie) Adabel “Dugan” Job was born on January 30, 1918 in Canton, Mo. She was the ninth child and the second girl of Jesse and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job. She had brown eyes and hair, was 5’ tall and weighed 120 lbs. She often wondered why, after seven boys, her folks gave her the name of Jessie. Her mother would make a bread, butter and sugar sandwich and leave it on the window sill so she could eat this dried-out treat if she woke up at night.
She attended Pink Prairie and Pleasant Ridge Schools, taking the 8th grade twice, just to have something to do. He brother, Clay, offered to pay for her to board in town and go to high school, but her folks would not allow it. She won the county spelling bee and received a $5 gold piece. She loaned it to her brother, Stanley, who repaid it with cash.
Although she had never driven, she once took her brother’s car, knocked over the outhouse and drove to Canton, Mo. On another trip, Adabel, her mother and her sister, Betty were going to Aunt Cora Vaughn’s, with Adabel driving. She made a sharp left turn and her mother fell out of the car. She hurt her shoulder and ruined the bowl of bread dough she had on her lap. Adabel was in a car wreck in 1962 in which she suffered a whip lash, which left her with headaches until her death.
She married Roy McDowell on November 8, 1936. They had five children together: Myrna Arlene, Charlotte Ann, Marsha Jo, Stephen Kent and Bradley Neil.
She was a good cook, especially light rolls, noodles and pies. She enjoyed sharing her home-made goodies with neighbors and people feeling under-the-weather. She worked for Mildred Kramer, at Motorola in Quincy, Ill., was a cook in the LaGrange School cafeteria and as a reporter on the local paper. She was a den mother for the LaGrange Cub Scouts for a number of years and volunteered at the information desk at Blessing Hospital, Quincy, Ill., until her death. In 1982, she served on the committee that researched and wrote the history book on LaGrange, Mo. She embroidered and quilted and made over 150 quilts, which she gave to her family and friends. She could pick out tunes on the guitar and piano and could also whistle very well.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church in LaGrange, Mo., where she was faithful in attendance and served a number of years as church clerk. She was also clerk of the Wyaconda Baptist Association for nineteen years. She taught a Sunday school class and was on the benevolence committee. One year, she, her daughter, Myrna, and her granddaughter, Tina taught Bible School where Tina’s two sons were students - four generations!
She had heart bypass surgery on June 7, 1987 in Springfield, Ill. She also had stents and a pacemaker implanted at a later date. She was taken to Blessing Hospital in Quincy, Ill with pneumonia in December, 2000. Her pacemaker slowed down and she died on December 20, 2000. She was able to live in her own home until her death.
She is buried in Riverview Cemetery in LaGrange, Mo.
Memory of Betty Beatrice (Job) & James Nelson Keen Sr
James Nelson Keen
James Nelson Keen was born on June 3, 1923 in Lowell, Ill., the son of Nelson and Gladys (Monroe) Keen. At the age of 3, he survived a fire in which his mother and younger brother perished.
He married Betty Beatrice Job Phillpot on April 3, 1956, a second marriage for both of them. They had two children together, Teresa Lynn and James Nelson, Jr. He also had two children from a previous marriage. He and Betty loved to dance and were members of Bells and Bows Square Dance Club.
He was employed by Lonestar Cement Co. in Oglesby, retiring in 1988. He also owned and operated a floor cleaning business and was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Navy.
He developed cancer and died on March 19, 1994 in St. Margaret’s Hospital in Spring Valley, Ill. He is buried in Granville Cemetery in Granville, Ill.
Betty Beatrice (Job) Phillpot, Keen
Betty Beatrice Job was born on June 10, 1924, the last child born to Jesse Lee and Dora Lillian (Sherwood) Job. Jesse and Lillian were approached by Emma Lahr, who had no children, and thought that since they had so many children and were poor, they might give Betty to her to raise. They refused. Betty attended and graduated from Canton High School, where she was on the honor roll. She had brown hair and eyes, was 5’2” tall and weighed 130 lbs.
Betty was spoiled by her older siblings. Stanley bought her and Adabel a doll and buggy and brought them home on his horse, “Little Nell”. Clay bought her a cedar chest and Hadley bought her a blue coat with red velvet buttons, which Mae had picked out. Ruby got her a birth stone ring for her 16th birthday. Oneta (Childers) Bittisworth made her a blue silk dress with fancy embroidery. Leo Childers recalls his mother waiting for Betty and other kids to come home from school and keep the guineas away because they would chase the kids.
Betty worked for the dentist, Dr. Todd, as a telephone operator, in a restaurant and at the Gardner-Denver Foundry in LaGrange, Mo. She would thread needles for her mom before going to work, so she could sew during the day.
Betty married Conway Phillpot, Jr. on April 7, 1946. They had no children and later divorced. She married (James) Jim Nelson Keen on April 3, 1956 in the Lutheran Church in Granville, Ill. They had two children, Teresa Lynn and James Nelson, Jr. She loved to “jitterbug” when younger and she and Jim were members of Bells and Bows Square Dance Club. She was a member of the Hennepin Methodist Church.
She was very active in Democratic politics in Granville. Ill. and was a precinct committee woman. She worked at the Ill. Dept. of Labor, the Secretary of State License Office and as Bailiff in the Putman County courthouse.
She was a breast cancer survivor, had crones disease and a heart problem. She passed away on Christmas morning, 2002, in her home after her morning cup of coffee. She is buried in Granville Cemetery in Granville, Ill.
