Jessie Benton Swearingen ^{1 2 3 4 5}

  General Notes:

Jessie was born on the farm of her parents, a half mile west of Albion, Iowa. She was from a large family with six girls and three boys. Jessie and her sister, Alice were they only two children in her family allowed to attend the private Seminary in Albion that her father had helped establish. Jessie and George were both teachers at the Seminary in Albion, Iowa. After marriage they lived for awhile in Davenport, Scott County, Iowa where George was a bookkeeper. They moved to Ida Grove, Iowa for a few years. Soon, they decided to try to homestead in Nebraska, so they traded in their good bedroom furniture to her father in exchange for a team of horses. A few miles south of Raleigh in Antelope, Nebraska they obtained the usual 160 acres plus another 80 called the "timber 80". The family stayed for the five years needed to obtain the title, but because they had lost four crops out of the five they came back to Albion where George edited a small newspaper called "The Plow and Pen". The family home was on the street running along the north side of the park. This home has been reputed as the home of Jesse James for a brief period.

Jessie and George separated from one another about 1892. Jessie did fairly well as a practical nurse, as nearly all babies were born in the home in those days.

A special column was done in honor of Jessie's 90th birthday celebration in the Albion newspaper and it reads as follows: "born on the farm of her parents, a half mile west of Albion. Her family came form Winchester, Ohio in 1855 when her father bought the original farm." This article talks more about her childhood and what she liked to do. Her brother Frank lived with her and a sister Maggie lived in Red Oak at that point in time.

Source: Ancestry.com/RootsWeb.com Database: My Ancestors (Jill Bennett )
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  Noted events in her life were:

• She worked as a Practical nurse / midwife. ²

• She appeared on the 1860 US Census in Iowa Township, Marshall County, IA on 7 June 1860. ⁴

1860 US Census
Page 5, Family 29, Roll 335
Iowa Township, Marshall, Iowa, United States
Jessie F. Swearengen..4..Iowa

(Living with parents.)

NOTE - If her birth date was 17 Jul 1856, then her age should have been 3 instead of 4.
.

• She appeared on the 1870 US Census in Iowa Township, Marshall County, IA on 30 July 1870. ⁵

1870 US Census
Page 16, Family 114
Iowa Township, Marshall, Iowa, United States
Jessie Swearingen..14..Iowa..At Home

(Living with parents.)

NOTE - If her birth date was 17 Jul 1856, then her age should have been 13 instead of 14.
.

• She appeared on the 1880 US Census in Blaine Township, Ida, IA on 4 June 1880. ³

1880 US Census
Page 73A, District 136, Dwelling 1, Family 2, Roll 0345
Blaine Township, Ida County, Iowa
Jessie Blanchard..Wife..23..IA..Keeping House
(Living with husband and daughter at home of husband's parents.)
.

Jessie married George H. Blanchard on 3 July 1879 in , Marshall County, IA.^{1 2 3} The marriage ended in divorce. (George H. Blanchard was born on 5 October 1851 in Cuyler, NY ^{2 3} and died on 27 August 1910 in Davenport, IA ².). The cause of his death was Sunstroke.

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1880 US Census in Blaine Township, Ida, IA on 4 June 1880. ³

1880 US Census
Page 73A, District 136, Dwelling 1, Family 2, Roll 0345
Blaine Township, Ida County, Iowa
George Blanchard..Self..28..NY..Farmer
Jessie Blanchard..Wife..23..IA..Keeping House
Gertie Blanchard..Dau..1m..IA..Apr
.

• Divorced: Abt 1892.