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Harry Weldon Nicodemus Relevant Links

Rosabell Barnett Relevant Links

Barnett Files

Harry Weldon Nicodemus and Rosa Bell Barnett on their wedding day, 27 Oct 1892. She had just turned 16 on 2 Oct. He had just moved to the area and met this sweet young lady. The locals called him the "little Dutchman" relating to his German heritage although the family had been in America for over 100 years when he was born. Their children all had a strong since of humor and were always (even in to their later years) play jokes on one another. Written on the back of this photo is the following: "Father and Mother wedding picture. Allie was a little baby crying in another room and could not have her picture taken (ha)". Allie was of course the oldest of the 11 children and was actually born a year later one day after her mother's 17th birthday, but that's very representative of the "kids" humor.

This photo and the one of the grandchildren posted to Paul Eugene Tuckness' page were taken at the same time (1938-1939). Harry Weldon Nicodemus (1864-1951), Rosa Bell Barnett (1876-1958) and their 11 grown children. Standing L to R: Lena Lorene Snodgrass b. 1912, Minnie Myrtle Vest b. 1900, Harry Walter b. 1904, Jessie Irl (Earl) b. 1914, William Hamilton (Bill) b. 1895, Allie May Boos b. 1893, Esther Eva Tuckness Carner b. 1902, Mable
Gertrude Evans b. 1906, Bessie Jane (Betty) Payne Schnake b. 1909. Seated L to R: Nora Ellen Allen b. 1896, Grandpa Nic, Grandma Nic, Charles Augustus (Gus) b. 1898. It is certainly easy to tell that the men were farmers by their "farmer's tan".

The stone of Harry and Rosa in the Scholfield Cemetery, Polk Co, Missouri which is near their farm in Dallas Co.

Harry Weldon & Rosabell (Barnett) Nicodemus

Harry Weldon Nicodemus

Born: 05 September 1864 in Unionville, Frederick County, Maryland
Died: 15 February 1951 in Dallas County, Missouri
Burial: 18 February 1951, Schofield Cemetery, Polk County, Missouri

Mother: Martha Ellen Miller
Father: John Hamilton Nicodemus

Married: Rosa Bell Barnett 27 October 1892 in Dallas County, Missouri

Children:

Allie May
b. 03 October 1893, Dallas County, Missouri
d. 30 September 1987, Springfield, Greene County, Missouri
William Hamilton (Bill)
b. 19 April 1895, Dallas County, Missouri
d. 04 March 1969, Dallas County, Missouri
Nora Ellen
b. 09 December 1896, Dallas County, Missouri
d. Abt. 1959, Lebanon, Missouri
Charles Augustus (Gus)
b. 01 September 1898, Dallas County, Missouri
d. November 1985, Springfield, Greene County, Missouri
Minnie Myrtle
b. 23 August 1900, Dallas County, Missouri
d. 04 September 1976, Dallas County, Missouri
Esther Eva
b. 30 March 1902, Dallas County, Missouri
d. 01 March 2000, Aurora, Arapahoe County, Colorado
Harry Walter
b. 16 December 1904, Dallas County, Missouri
d. 22 September 1974, Buffalo, Dallas County, Missouri
Mable Gertrude
b. 05 July 1906, Dallas County, Missouri
d. Abt. 1983, Dallas County, Missouri
Bessie Jane
b. 25 June 1909, Dallas County, Missouri
d. 31 December 1991, Lenexa, Kansas
Lena Lorene
b. 14 September 1912, Dallas County, Missouri
Jessie Irl
b. 30 September 1914, Dallas County, Missouri
d. 14 August 1996, Dallas County, Missouri

Sources and Additional Information:

Harry Weldon Nicodemus was the first child of John Hamilton and Martha Ellen (Miller) Nicodemus. He was born near Unionville, MD at the end of the Civil War (5 Sep 1864). Like many young men of his time, Harry Weldon felt the call to go west and left home at the age of 21. His brother Warren may have accompanied him or have joined him in NW Missouri. Harry Weldon spent six years in Kansas and some time in Callwell, MO, and the Cherokee Strip in what is now Oklahoma. On the way back to Callwell Co, he stopped in Dallas Co, MO where he found the land much to his liking and stayed there.

On 27 Oct 1892, Harry Weldon was united in marriage to Rosa Bell Barnett, the oldest daughter of Billie and Mary Jane (Case) Barnett. The Barnetts had a total of 16 children. On her wedding day, Rosa Bell was 16 years and 25 days old. One day after her 17th birthday, she had her first of 11 children.

A copy of this letter written by Harry Weldon Nicodemus to his aunt in Maryland was obtained from Bessie Jane (Nicodemus) Schnake's daughter Betty Jean Badgley. She indicated that Grandma Nicodemus gave it to Bessie about 1948. On the envelope, Grandma had written, "he wrote it 10 years ago." He had written Aunt Gene. The G had been crossed out and a J inserted making it read Aunt Jean. It is not clear if the letter was ever sent and if so, how it or a copy came back to Missouri. At any rate, it offers a rare look back at how things were then and is proof that the family ties were maintained over great distances.

I tried to type the letter just as it was written. I did not correct any spelling, but did add some punctuation (commas, periods, and paragraphs) for clarity and ease of reading. Actually Great-grandpa Nicodemus was a better speller than I am.....even with my computer spell checker.

Buffalo Mo Aug 11, 1938

Dear Aunt Gene ⁽¹⁾

I have been thinking of writing you a letter for a long time but just kept putting it off. Well I am still living on the same farm. The first piece of land I ever owned, 360 acres in a valley in the Ozark Mountains of southwest Missouri. Well, there are no mountains around here. Buffalo is on a beautiful prairie at the edge of it. Then east of Buffalo it begins to get hilly and more or less hilly on to St Louis. Buffalo is 210 miles south west of St Louis and south east of Kansas City and 34 miles north of Springfield. Highway 65 is 2 1/2 miles east of this farm but we have a Roosevelt road (gravel) to the slab so we can go anywhere any time and you know that is what people want now especially the young generation.

I am not so much on the go myself. I would like to go to Ind. again, might some time, just if the spirit moves me. I have not been to Ohio for a couple years. ⁽²⁾

We have had several droughty years and not very good crops. This year it was better. Had plenty of rain up until middle of July then it quit. It most always does that so we put in more wheat barley and oats so it comes off before the dry weather sets in and this year...?....we got the oats sown, ground had got warm but after that we had a big rain and 9 inch snow but when it went off it was warm again and we got a good stand and it is ready to feed to the hogs now but it hurt on the last ...?.... for rain. Had a good rain here last Sunday but it was local, did not reach far. We don't often have general rains here like you have in Maryland. We always have plenty of wood and water on this farm good wells and several never failing springs and every farm does not have that.

We got the threshing done the week after the 4th of July. Had over three thousand bu. wheat oats and barley and I guess the corn will make 40 bu. per acre 60 acres. It has been (a) better season than for several years but the trouble here when they get a good crop they convert it into cash and spend it as quick as they can or have it already spent before they get it and then when poor crops come they are in the suds again. Most of the farms are mortgaged all have cars radios etc and there is always lots to go to.

I like to live here, have lived here longer than I ever lived anywhere. The wife ⁽³⁾ was raised here the children were raised here. This is their home. When they leave and go to California, Idaho, or anywhere else they always come back.

One boy, Gus ⁽⁴⁾, he lives in Chicago. (He is a) Motorman on (a) streetcar. He comes home once and twice a year. The oldest boy Bill ⁽⁵⁾ he lives two miles from here. The other one ⁽⁶⁾ lives on the other end of this farm. The youngest boy ⁽⁷⁾ lives at home. All (are) married and three girls are widows with two children each. The oldest girl ⁽⁸⁾ with two children lives ten miles to the west. She has (a) boy and girl ⁽⁹⁾. Then one girl lives 10 miles east. They have four children. ⁽¹⁰⁾ Two girls work in Springfield ⁽¹¹⁾. One of their husbands was fooling around with a gun and got shot through the heart ⁽¹²⁾. We raised her two children ⁽¹³⁾.! The boy, 14, is down in the field now finishing plowing wheat ground with (the) tractor while the other boys are putting up the Lespedeza ⁽¹⁴⁾ hay.

We have been farming with the tractor for three years. Like it all right. It gets pretty hot here. In July 97 to 100 and the tractor does not seem to mind the heat. (We) can plow 8 to 9 acres in a day and cultivate 40 acres corn in a day.

I have the farm rented to the boys and I just work when I feel like it and it has been so hot I don't feel like it much. I help milk and chore around in the morning then I lay off till milking time and tend the garden. Have two hundred acres south of here a mile. (I) rent that to (the) soninlaw (sic) ⁽¹⁵⁾ and Bill the oldest boy. You know we had 4 boys and seven girls and I think that there is 17 grand children and one great grand son.

We raise horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs. Still raise horses to sell to keep the tractor going. Milk cows 17 and calves still sucking 12 cows. Truck takes the milk every morning to Springfield, the largest produce market in the world. It is said to be on top of the Ozark mts, but fine farming country around Springfield. This is a great dairy country. Soil is not so good as in northwest Mo.

The Lake of the Ozarks 50 miles north on Highway 65 cost $30,000,000 to (build) and Bennett Springs State Park north of Buffalo runs a river and lots of other big springs and caves in Mo. The Ozarks are often refered (sic) to as the land of smiles and the native Hill Billies and it takes two Heiffers (sic) and a ghoat (sic) to buy a hound pup.

Well I am getting to be an old man, 74 in Sept. (I) am (an) old setler (sic) here. Very few much older around here. Am siting under a russian mulberry tree that I planted over 40 years ago 7 ft in circumference ⁽¹⁶⁾.

Buffalo Mo is an inland town. Said to be the best inland town in America. Never had a railroad. Don't need any now since the cars and truck and air planes but in two more years we will have an old ($300,000) Railroad Bond debt paid off for a RR that was never built.

I was sorry to hear of the Koontz boys death Harry and Arthur ⁽¹⁷⁾ and a good many others. I think I might get back there again but I have been bothered with my stomach.

The Xray said ulcers in my stomach and have been doctoring for that and am better. Doctor said not to climb in hay, mow, nor silo, nor chop wood and told me what to eat and what not eat and there was more I could not eat than what I could eat, have not lisened (sic) to him much except about eating.

Was to see Willis ⁽¹⁸⁾ two years ago, he is in Colorado at Fowler, in Arkansas River Valley 10 miles of Rocky Ford.

Weldon ⁽¹⁹⁾ is the only one of your children I remember and Mamie ⁽²⁰⁾ I think ans(wered).... a letter I wrote to you and Uncle Ezra once. I never saw her so you can have her ans(wer) this one and give this on to Charley and Aunt Martha ⁽²¹⁾ and tell him to give to Aunt Idagile (?) ⁽²²⁾and Harry Koontz('s) wife ⁽²³⁾.

Love to all,

H. W. Nicodemus (Weldon) ⁽²⁴⁾

This page was last updated on: June 15 2010