Alta May ALLUM

  General Notes:

Photo: This original, vintage photo is of Alta May (Allum) Hicks, 1874-1951, young mother to sons Kenneth and Maurice. It was taken at C. W. Young & Co., but the location of the studio is not on the photograph. Alta is holding baby Maurice (known by his middle name of "Drennon").

Photo from DeeAnna Allum Granston (original vintage photo gift to DeeAnna from Fannie Wentworth Woolson, 1882-1973, Alta's first cousin)


1874 BIRTH of Alta May Allum (on January 3 or June 23?)

1879 DEATH of grandfather, William Allum

1880 CENSUS, Iowa, Iowa County, Marengo Township, Marengo ("Alta May," age 5, with parents)

1885 CENSUS, Iowa State Census, Iowa County, Marengo ("Alta M.," age 10, with parents)

1893 DEATH of infant brother, Walter Francis Allum

1894 DEATH of grandmother, Margaret (McReynolds) Farley

1897 DEATH of mother, Rosanna "Rosa" (Farley) Allum

1898 MARRIAGE of Alta May Allum and Robert Franklin Hicks on January 1 at Marengo, Iowa County, Iowa by E. C. Brooks

1900 CENSUS, Iowa, Wayne County, South Fork Township ("Robert," age 26, "Manager, General Store") (wife "Alta," age 21) (Alta's age is incorrect; she is documented as the mother of 1 child, 1 child living in the year 1900, and she and Robert had been married 3 years)

1908 DEATH of brother, Louis Rex Allum

1910 CENSUS, Iowa, Decatur County, Garden Grove Township ("Robert F.," age 39, "Farmer, General farm") (wife "Alta A.," age 34) (Alta is shown as the mother of 2 children, 2 children living in the year 1910; she and Robert had been married 12 years) ("Hicks" is transcribed "Hie" in some census indexes)

1920 CENSUS, Iowa, Muscatine County, Muscatine ("Robert," age 49, "Retail dry goods") (wife "Alta," age 45)

1927 DEATH of father, John Banks Allum

1930 CENSUS, Missouri, St. Louis County, St. Louis ("Robert F.," age 55, "Manager, ? factory") (wife "Alta A.," age 50)

1951 DEATH, Alta May (Allum) Hicks, at 77 years 1 month 28 days

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1958 DEATH of husband, Robert Franklin Hicks, at 87 years 1 month 23 days



Ruth Anna Martin Hicks, July 22, 1968 letter to DeeAnna Allum Granston:

"Robert and Alta were married in Marengo, Iowa. (I believe she had lived there all her life to that time.) He worked in a grocery-dry goods store. Shortly after they were married they moved to Chadron, Nebraska where Kenneth was born, and again Robert worked in a grocery store. While there they saved enough money to buy a store so moved back to Iowa, this time to Corydon, where Drennon was born. Then they moved to Kalona, Iowa. While in Kalona Robert made considerable money and retired when he was in his 50s. They then moved to Muscatine where they lived for quite some time. 'Believe from there they went to Des Moines for a short time and then to St. Louis, Missouri where Robert went into the doughnut business. Drennon worked for his father there. Robert hadn't intended to sell the business, but one day a man came in wanting to buy the business. Robert told him a high figure he would want in cash. To his surprise, the man returned a short time later with the money. Robert said, though he hadn't intended to sell, he would not go back on his word. So he sold and Robert and Alta moved to Houston, Texas, again going into the doughnut business. After a short time there, they purchased a 40-acre farm near Columbus Junction, Iowa. From there they bought a trailer and traveled, finally settling in Kansas City, Missouri. Alta died there. When Robert was unable to be by himself, he went to Drennon's in Bellwood, Nebraska.

"When they were in Kalona, Iowa it was in the winter time and the river was frozen solid. They were able to cross the river with horses and a sled on the ice."


DeeAnna, August 17, 1968 letter to Ruth Anna:

"One June day I went to Greenwood Cemetery at Muscatine, Iowa where I located the graves of Robert, Alta and Kenneth and took color snapshots of the stones. ' Fortunate ' is the word since I knew nothing about the size of the cemetery or where the graves were. Your statement ' high on a bluff overlooking the river ' was helpful. I slowly drove along the narrow driveways within the cemetery and spotted Robert and Alta's stone, even though it is a flat one."


Ruth Anna, January 10, 1969 letter to DeeAnna:

"Finally I have a few more dates to send to you. The date of death for Robert Hicks is February 1, 1958. He died at Osceola, Polk County, Nebraska. He had just been moved to a nursing home after being in the hospital in David City, Nebraska. 'Just got his death certificate and a death certificate for Alta, whose date of death was August 20, 1951 in Kansas City, Missouri."



CHURCH AFFILIATION (Alta): First Methodist Church, Marengo, Iowa County, Iowa (Received into membership at age 13 in 1887 by Rev. J. E. Corley)



PHOTOGRAPHS:

Alta May Allum with sons Kenneth and Drennon (an original vintage photo from Fannie Wentworth Woolson (1882-1973), first cousin to Alta)

Kenneth and Drennon Hicks as youngsters (an original vintage photo from Fannie Wentworth Woolson)

Main entrance to Greenwood Cemetery, Muscatine, Iowa

Close-up Greenwood Cemetery sign

Gravestone of Alta May (Allum) Hicks and Robert Hicks

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Alta married Robert Franklin HICKS, son of Hugh Mc Clelland Wallace HICKS and Sarah Elizabeth DUDLEY, on January 1, 1898 in Marengo, Iowa County, Iowa. (Robert Franklin HICKS was born on December 9, 1870 in Fairfield, Jefferson County, Iowa, died on February 1, 1958 in Osceola, Polk County, Nebraska and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Muscatine, Muscatine County, Iowa.)