Robert was 9 years old, his sister Mary was 4, their mother had just died of TB and their father was unable to care for them. The Reorganized Latter Day Saints church offered a solution at the Children’s Home in Lamoni which provided care of church members children in unfortunate situations. Robert and Mary arrived there about 1912.
As I began to wonder about my grandfather, Robert and who the other children might have been at the “Children’s Home” many questions arose. How many were there? Who were his playmates? Who shared this experience? Are there written records?
A report in the Saints’ Herald magazine stated that the Home opened 15 August 1911. This photo is from that day, it piqued my interest. Could my grandfather and his sister be in this picture!? Very few photos of Robert are known to exist.
By the look on their faces, Robert and Mary were timid and afraid. One can only imagine the grief and confusion these young children faced. Leaving their rural farm home for maybe the first time, this picture appears to be taken in front of the Lamoni Church. Perhaps sent “home” letting the family know the children had arrived safely.
Cared for by the Robinson family who managed the Home from 1911 until 1915, I can imagine Brother Robinson welcoming them to the home. Showing the children where to put the few things they brought with them. Shown a steel framed bed and small dresser. New clothes may have been a treat. Having a doll of her own a welcomed comfort.
Who were the other children at the Home? I was surprised to see the 1915 Iowa State census taker noted “at Children’s Home” for 19 children. After 100 years here are the names in the 1915 Iowa state census. Amazing!
The 1915 Lamoni, Decatur, Iowa state census
Administration age born birthplace
Robinson, W.P. 46 1869 WI Manager of Children’s Home
Robinson, Isabelle 65 1850 WI Matron at Children’s Home
Robinson, Helen 32 1883 WI
Robinson, R.C. 30 1885 WI
Cobb, Lilly 20 1895 MO cook
Sartwell, Vera 22 1893 IL worker in Childs Home
Note: While the 1915 census is indexed, it is filmed card by card – not full sheets as we usually see in a US Federal Census. Meaning I had to read all 30,000 Decatur County, Iowa cards to create a list of the children who were noted as “at the children’s home.” To my surprise I found 9 boys and 10 girls.
Children in the Home
Name age born birthplace
Atkinson, Garland 6 1908 WA
Bullock, Martha 11 1904 IL
Bullock, Russell 9 1906 IL
Godfrey, Anna J. 10 1905 NE
Godfrey, Emma L. 13 1902 NE
Godfrey Martha J. 8 1907 NE
Holdsworth, Stafford 11 1904 MO
Hilliard, Grace 10 1905 IL
Kern, Russell 11 1904 MO
Kern, Verne C. 12 1903 MO
Kern, W.J. 14 1901 MO
Moffett, Jean Marie 16 1899 IA
Perry, Claude E. 3 1912 MO
Perry, James A. 9 1906 MO
Perry, Lottie Ann 13 1902 MO
Perry, Marg M. 8 1907 MO
Perry, Robert L. 17 1898 MO
Perry, Roy D. 4 1911 MO
Perry, William W. 11 1904 MO
Smith, Vada 9 1906 IL
Warren, Fern E. 8 1907 MI
Warren, Pearl A. 10 1905 MI
Note: Robert & Mary are not listed because they were in Kansas with their older sister in the 1915 census.
Next I set out to learn more about the eight families represented.
The Bullock family was from Illinois. Parents: John W. & Martha (Naiden). Mother died 03 Aug 1909. Siblings include Russell, Daniel, James E., John W., William S. They lived at Belleville, St Clair, IL. Mother Martha died before 1920. They were rLDS.
The Godfrey family was from North Platte, Nebraska. Parents: Harvey Joseph & Fairzina (Smith) Godfrey. Mother died 03 Apr 1907. Father married again in 1910. Siblings included: Andrew, William, Charles, Luella, Emma, Cecil, Martha, Anna, Elbert, and Emma.
Holdsworth family was from St Louis, Missouri. Parents: Thomas & Evangeline. Mother died 28 Aug 1917. They were from St. Louis. There was a divorce in 1891 and a remarriage in1896. The children arrived in Iowa in 1913.
Hilliard family from Illinois. Grace age 10 possibly the daughter of William & Dora Hilliard. They lived in Clinton, IA. Siblings included: Worth, James, Robert, Wiley and Joseph.
The Kern family was from Missouri. Parents: John E. & Nalvina (King) Kern. There were 3 children with first wife, and 7 with second wife. Father was an invalid since 1908, he died in 1910. Siblings included: Flansas, Mary, Lulu, Floyd, U.G., Verne, Russell, Jossie, and Elzie.
Moffett family of Iowa. Jean Marie age 16 was child of Joseph & Nellie Moffett from Decatur County. Her name at birth was Virgean Marie Moffett. They were from Ringley, Ringgold, IA.
The Perry family of seven was from St Clair County, Missouri. Parents Arthur & Bertha Perry had eight children: Robert S., Lottie Ann, Willie W., James A., Mary M., Rob D., Claude E., and Dortha Bertha born in 1909 died on 07 Mar 1914 at the Children’s Home.
Smith family Illinois ??
Warren family from Michigan. Fern age 8, Pearl age 10 were children of Burt & Alice Warren. Other siblings Noah & Geraldine. The mother died on 10 Aug 1913 at Lansing, MI. The father remarried 14 Sep 1914.
Can you picture meal time in the Home? Likely a table full of boys including those closest to Roberts age (12) were:
Stafford Holdworth age 11
Russell Kern age 11
William W. Perry age 11
Verne C. Kern age 12
The table of girls included Mary age 8 and those closest to her age:
Martha J. Godfrey age 8
Marg M. Perry age 8
Fern E. Warren age 8
Now with a list of names I was stunned to find a beautiful, clear photo of children at the Home. I believe this was near the same time as the 1915 census. W.P. Robinson on the left and Mrs. Isabelle Robinson on the right. Randall & Carrie Robinson and Helen Robinson also. Can you identify anyone else in the picture?
My next project is to match names to faces. How can that be done more than 100 years later? I’ll save that for next issue.
Geneographer 
The census I have for the Lamoni Children’s Home is from 1920. I believe they are conducted in 10 year increments. Is the photo of the children also from 1920? If so, my grandfather was 3 1/2, according to the census. His siblings were there, too, 9 and 7.
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