Hi Barry: He said a lady (I'm assuming your mother?) had sent him all kinds of information and pictures.. The West Cem./headstones (William & Elizabeth and son) are directly in front of his home and he keeps it mowed and very nice... There is no longer a fence around it. He's concerned about vandalism.. Yes, he seems quite protective! I turned on the charm and he was very nice.... I'm just full of hot air!! Ha.. He said he'd gotten an old map of the area at the Iowa State Fair this year and wanted to have it framed. He's quite thrilled to know all the history of his land. I didn't find any history of DeKalb at the Leon Library this afternoon... Nancee -------Original Message------- From: Barry West Date: 12/4/2009 8:36:25 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [IADECATU] TRIED TO FIND MCKEE CEMETERY.. Nancee, I was back in Van Wert in March. I didn't stop at any cemeteries. My wife Lynn had her knee replaced and wasn't any mood for long walks. Did Mr. Brune say which West farm he owned. I'm thinking it was probably Isaac and Florence West's place. It could also be the original West place of William West or Charles West. I should have made it out to the state game reserve where I think was the original William West place was located. I talked to some turkey bow hunters at the Long Creek Motel in Leon that hunted the reserve. Thanks for the information. Barry West

DeKalb was built on the train line from Van Wert. I believe there was a siding there for train cars to wait and maybe a small depot. My father said the train rails were long gone when he was a kid. The West farm and probably West school would have been close to the train siding. There was a picture of women doing washing at DeKalb on ebay awhile back. The Wests, Fierces, McKees, Redmans, and a few others were in the area. My father didn't have much information on the Wests. Patt Fulton was probably the lady that sent information to the Brunes. I once heard that there was a fourth grave in the West cemetery. Also, the West cemetery was shown on both sides of the road in early surveys, but was really on one side. Lots of Wests in the McKee cemetery. After Isaac West died his wife Florence (McKee) ran the farm and I believe it was a large farm. She probably rented parts out. My grandfather Clifton West was raised on this farm. Barry West -----Original Message----- From: Nancee Seifert <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Fri, Dec 4, 2009 6:49 pm Subject: Re: [IADECATU] TRIED TO FIND MCKEE CEMETERY.. Hi Barry: He said a lady (I'm assuming your mother?) had sent him all kinds of information and pictures.. The West Cem./headstones (William & Elizabeth and son) are directly in front of his home and he keeps it mowed and very nice... There is no longer a fence around it. He's concerned about vandalism.. Yes, he seems quite protective! I turned on the charm and he was very nice.... I'm just full of hot air!! Ha.. He said he'd gotten an old map of the area at the Iowa State Fair this year and wanted to have it framed. He's quite thrilled to know all the history of his land. I didn't find any history of DeKalb at the Leon Library this afternoon... Nancee -------Original Message------- From: Barry West Date: 12/4/2009 8:36:25 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [IADECATU] TRIED TO FIND MCKEE CEMETERY.. Nancee, I was back in Van Wert in March. I didn't stop at any cemeteries. My wife Lynn had her knee replaced and wasn't any mood for long walks. Did Mr. Brune say which West farm he owned. I'm thinking it was probably Isaac and Florence West's place. It could also be the original West place of William West or Charles West. I should have made it out to the state game reserve where I think was the original William West place was located. I talked to some turkey bow hunters at the Long Creek Motel in Leon that hunted the reserve. Thanks for the information. Barry West www.iagenweb.org/decatur ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Your right about the plat map showing the two cemeteries on either side.  Not too far from the West cemtery is an old Indian burial mound (now owned by the state, I believe).  My grandmother always thought that is why the plat maps showed two cemeteries.  TRACIE --- On Fri, 12/4/09, Barry West <[email protected]> wrote: From: Barry West <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [IADECATU] TRIED TO FIND MCKEE CEMETERY.. To: [email protected] Date: Friday, December 4, 2009, 9:24 PM DeKalb was built on the train line from Van Wert.  I believe there was a siding there for train cars to wait and maybe a small depot.  My father said the train rails were long gone when he was a kid.  The West farm and probably West school would have been close to the train siding.  There was a picture of women doing washing at DeKalb on ebay awhile back.  The Wests, Fierces, McKees, Redmans, and a few others were in the area.  My father didn't have much information on the Wests.  Patt Fulton was probably the lady that sent information to the Brunes.  I once heard that there was a fourth grave in the West cemetery.  Also, the West cemetery was shown on both sides of the road in early surveys, but was really on one side.  Lots of Wests in the McKee cemetery.  After Isaac West died his wife Florence (McKee) ran the farm and I believe it was a large farm.  She probably rented parts out.  My grandfather Clifton West was raised on this farm. Barry West -----Original Message----- From: Nancee Seifert <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Fri, Dec 4, 2009 6:49 pm Subject: Re: [IADECATU] TRIED TO FIND MCKEE CEMETERY.. Hi Barry:  He said a lady (I'm assuming your mother?) had sent him all kinds of information and pictures.. The  West Cem./headstones (William & Elizabeth and son)  are directly in front of his home and he keeps it mowed and very nice... There is no longer a fence around it.  He's concerned about vandalism.. Yes, he seems quite protective! I turned on the charm and he was very nice.... I'm just full of hot air!! Ha..  He said he'd gotten an old map of the area  at the Iowa State Fair this year and wanted to have it framed.  He's quite thrilled to know all the history of his land. I didn't find any history of DeKalb at the Leon Library this afternoon... Nancee -------Original Message------- From: Barry West Date: 12/4/2009 8:36:25 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [IADECATU] TRIED TO FIND MCKEE CEMETERY.. Nancee, I was back in Van Wert in March. I didn't stop at any cemeteries. My wife Lynn had her knee replaced and wasn't any mood for long walks. Did Mr. Brune say which West farm he owned. I'm thinking it was probably Isaac and Florence West's place. It could also be the original West place of William West or Charles West. I should have made it out to the state game reserve where I think was the original William West place was located. I talked to some turkey bow hunters at the Long Creek Motel in Leon that hunted the reserve. Thanks for the information. Barry West www.iagenweb.org/decatur ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message www.iagenweb.org/decatur ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message