scroll-l.gif (2079 bytes) 

CLAN GUNN of KINLOCHLAGGAN

the Hugh George Gunn and Emily "Emma" Schneider Gunn

Family

scroll-l.gif (2079 bytes)

On November 13, 1884, Emma "Emily" Schneider married Hugh George Gunn -- Betsy Gunn Schneider's younger brother.

Dave Nelles, father of Floyd Nelles of Scotland, SD, reported to people that when they went to the wedding of Hugh and Emma, the baby (George Schneider, the nephew) came toddling right along with them down the aisle.

Hugh George also by this time had a homestead near the one which had been Betsy's and was near their parents. After Hugh George and Emma's marriage, they traded Emma's homestead for Betsy's so they each had 320 acres of adjoining land--theirs becoming the Hugh George Gunn family home. Thus Hugh George and Emma resided with the toddler, George Schneider, near his grandparents.

The first child of Hugh George and Emma Gunn was stillborn. Their next child was born Nov. 26, 1887--a boy. Since it had been the family custom for the oldest son of the oldest son to name the first born boy "Hugh George" and "George Hugh" alternately in each generation, this son was to be christened "George Hugh."

However, since they already had a toddler named "George" in the household, this presented a problem. Nevertheless, the newcomer was named "George Hugh" and the two Georges went by the names "Gunn" and "Schneider", in order to distinguish between the two, and were still referred to by those names throughout the relationship.

George Schneider Sr.'s keeping of Eugene and the Hugh Gunns' raising of "Schneider" meant separating the brothers--so Eugene was also at the Gunn household much of the time throughout his life.

George Sr. lived in Washington, Iowa after his second marriage to Josie Buchanan. However, he did threshing in the area around Scotland each summer and fall, accompanied by Eugene--who stayed with the Gunns and brother George at that time.

Hugh and Emma's second son, Frank Finlay, was born January 15, 1889, so all four boys were close to each other throughout life.

Joining a household of three boys, Hugh and Emma's first daughter, Marguerite Jane--named after her two grandmothers, Marguerite Curie Schneider and Jane Smith Gunn--was born on November 27, 1891. About two years later "Betsy" was born. She died of whooping cough at the age of five months. Their third daughter, Marie Emily, was born on December 5, 1895. All of their children were born on the farm.

About that time, the uncle of Hugh George Gunn--"Uncle John"--suffered a stroke which left him an invalid. His wife, Flora, left about that time. Hugh George Gunn provided him with the nursing care he required. Dora, the girl John and Flora had raised, must have also moved in with the Hugh Gunn family at that time. She was still living with them in June of 1900--listed as a "boarder". She would have been 16 at the time John died, but many years younger at the time of his stroke.

With several small children in a house that consisted of one room plus two tiny (about bed-size) bedrooms, and "Uncle John's" inability to tolerate the noise of children, they built a separate house for him in their yard, and Hugh George cared for him until his death March 19, 1897.

After "Uncle John" died, the Hugh Gunn family moved his house up by theirs and built a connector between them. His former home was used as a kitchen and their former "all purpose" room became a living room. A dining room was built where the two adjoined.

Soon after the addition went up, the youngest child was born March 1, 1902. This was Alexander "Alex" Gunn.

scroll-l.gif (2079 bytes)

      WB01345_.gif (1360 bytes) Home                             WB01345_.gif (1360 bytes) Back to Index