William John Borrett1

(July 15, 1871 - January 15, 1969)
William John Borrett|b. Jul 15, 1871\nd. Jan 15, 1969|p1422.htm|Alfred W. Borrett|b. Mar 24, 1846\nd. 1936|p1423.htm|Sarah Jane Foote|b. Oct, 1854|p1424.htm|William Borrett|b. Jan 1, 1813\nd. Sep 7, 1872|p1431.htm|Maria Ball|b. Aug 10, 1820\nd. Jul 23, 1893|p1432.htm|William M. Foote||p1452.htm|Rhonda Swisher||p1453.htm|
Charts on which this person appears:
John Smith (m. Ann Laurence) Descendants Chart
William John Borrett
     William John Borrett was born on Saturday, July 15, 1871 in Mallory Township, Clayton County, Iowa, son of Alfred W. Borrett and Sarah Jane Foote.1

The June 19, 1900 census of Mallory Township, Clayton County, Iowa, shows William as head of household. He was single and living alone. His given age was 28 years. He was farming his own farm, which was mortgaged. His parents had the farm next to his..4

At age 31, William married Jessie Kolker on Thursday, September 4, 1902. Jessie was 23 years old. She was the daughter of Thomas Edward Kolker and Melissa Smith. Jessie's mother was adamantly and irrevocably opposed to the marriage and flatly refused to attend!1,5

William appeared in the Millville Township, Clayton County, Iowa, US census of April 23, 1910 as head of household. At age 38, he was farming in a general manner on his own farm which was free of mortgage (farm schedule # 61).. The household also included Jessie, his wife. She was 31 years old. They had been married for eight years and they had one child, Opal, who was five years old. Glenn L. Wiltse was living with them as a hired hand. He was 20 years old and single. Their neighbors were Edward and Susie Kenyon, and William and Hattie James.6
5
William John Borrett is seated while Jessie is standing.
The young girl is Opal, and the baby boy is Alfred.

The picture was taken at Chase studios in Guttenberg, Iowa, during the summer of 1911. At this time the family was living on Pumpkin Ridge on what was the De Sotel farm. Opal eventually married Ralph Moser and lived on Skip Level.

Photo courtesy of Donald Moser.


William died on Wednesday, January 15, 1969 at age 97.1 He was laid to rest in the Guttenberg City Cemetery in Guttenberg, Clayton County, Iowa.7

William John's and Jessie's biographies as found in the "1984 History of Clayton County Iowa," reads as follows:
William John, the eldest son of Alfred W. and Sarah Jane Foote Borrett, was born in Mallory Township, July 1871. He attended Epworth Academy (now gone) and Fayette (now Upper Iowa). He taught school, sang at revivals, and played bass in a dance band. The Borretts had a threshing rig and threshed grain over a wide area, starting in late July and continuing until late in the winter.

Jessie Kolker, daughter of Thomas Edward and Melissa Smith Kolker, taught school. She attended normal school in Elkader during the summers. At a revival meeting held at Hopewell Church, she met the singer and on September 4, 1902 they were married. The young couple started farming in Section 7, Mallory Township, later purchasing a farm in Millville Township and moved there. They farmed until 1939 when they moved to Guttenberg. Jessie was an accomplished artist and William a woodworker. These avocations kept them busy until late in life.

Two children blessed this union: Opal Irene born September 20, 1904, and Alfred Ronald born Jan 19, 1911.

Opal graduated from Guttenberg Public High in 1921 and furthered her education at Iowa Teachers College, Cedar Falls. She taught school and soon married Ralph Rudolph Moser, December 24, 1924.

William built a large barn in 1905, sawing all the logs by himself. Later he rebuilt the house, moving another house from a deserted farm and adding it to the existing home. The rebuilding was done in 1919.

In 1931 their daughter Opal died and, at an advanced age, Borretts took on the task of raising their two grandsons.

Jessie died May 2, 1959, and William died January 15, 1969. They are both buried in the City Cemetery, Guttenberg. William is mentioned on p. 910 of the "1882 History of Clayton County" in his father's biography (Alfred Barrett).

(This entry was submitted to the 1984 History of Clayton County by Donald Meyer, grandson.).1

Children of William John Borrett and Jessie Kolker

Citations

  1. [S71] Clayton County Genealogical Society / Box 866 Elkader - Iowa 52043, 1984 History of Clayton County Iowa (Elkader, Iowa 52043: Griffith Press, 1984), p. 87-88, see entry for William John and Jessie Kolker Borrett. Hereinafter cited as 1984 History of Clayton Co.
  2. [S71] Clayton County Genealogical Society / Box 866 Elkader - Iowa 52043, 1984 History of Clayton County Iowa (Elkader, Iowa 52043: Griffith Press, 1984), p. 87, see entry for William and Maria Ball Borrett. Hereinafter cited as 1984 History of Clayton Co.
  3. [S34] Monona, Iowa Reprinted by: Monona Historical Society, 1882 History of Clayton County Iowa (1401 North Fares Ave, Evansville, Indiana 47711: Chicago: Inter-State Publishing Company, 1882, Reproduction by: Unigraphics, Inc., Republished 1975), p. 968 (Mallory Twp. - Barrett, Alfred). Hereinafter cited as Book - 1882 History of Clayton Co.
  4. [S126] 1900 US Census, US Census Search, Heritage Quest Online, 1900 Iowa, Clayton, Mallory Twp; Series: T623 Roll: 425 Page: 186.
  5. [S229] Interview with Donald Moser (Millville, IA), by Susan Noyes, 2005.
  6. [S129] 1910 US Census, US Census Search, Heritage Quest Online, 1910 Iowa, Clayton, Millville Twp.; Series: T624 Roll: 397 Page: 24.
  7. [S314] Spencer L. Kraybill & Noah L. Zimmerman, History of a John Graybill Family in America 1681-1981 (111 Water Street, Baltimore, MD 21202: Gateway Press, Inc., First Edition 1977, Baltimore, Second Edition 1982, Baltimore), p. 543. Hereinafter cited as History of a John Graybill Family in America.
  8. [S71] Clayton County Genealogical Society / Box 866 Elkader - Iowa 52043, 1984 History of Clayton County Iowa (Elkader, Iowa 52043: Griffith Press, 1984), P. 87-88. Hereinafter cited as 1984 History of Clayton Co.
 


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