LYON COUNTY GENEALOGY

 

THE FAMILY OF CHRIS AND LOUISA GOSSMAN

Birthdates: Louisa, Chris, Mid 1800’s
Married: January 11, 1873.

Chris and Louisa came to Lester shortly after they were married in 1873. They lived two miles north and four miles east of Lester about 1890. Ernest and Earl Gossman. Kathryn Schultz, Ella Tracy and Maude Stuerman were their five children. Ernie played in the city band when he was very young. Earl worked for Fred Peters in the plumbing business, and Ella was teaching school when she was 16 years old.

Kathryn Gossman Schultz was born August 3, 1889. She attended school in Lester and graduated from there. She lived all her life in Lester. Frank Schultz was born September 12, 1889. Kate and Frank were married September 11,1911. Frank was a depot agent for the Great Northern Railroad. Their two children were Opal Bonynge and Ervin Schultz.

Opal was born June 20, 1912 and attended grade and high school in Lester. She attended Iowa State Teachers College at Cedar Falls and taught in the country school and then in Lester Public School. Opal and Eugene Bonynge were married October 5, 1940 in Lester. They moved to Elgin, Illinois until  1942 when Gene went into the service and Opal moved back to Lester. She taught in a rural school until Gene returned from the service. They moved back to Elgin and in 1952 Gene was killed in an automobile accident. In 1953 Opal and her three children moved back to Lester.

They completed grade and high school education in Lester. The oldest son, Bradley is a lawyer and has his practice in Sioux Falls. He married Marlys Qual and they have three children: Lisa, 20; Craig, 16; and Todd, 10. The youngest, Gene is a psychologist and is currently completing an internship for his Doctorate at the University of Iowa. He married Jane Grotewold and they have a daughter, Stacy, age 7. Deborah is a teacher in the Sioux Falls Schools. She married Tom Denevan and they have two sons, Corey, 14; and Dan, 11.

Ervin Schultz attended grade school and graduated from Lester High School. He married Norma Bratburg at Lester. Vicki and Kim are their daughters. Ervin was Superintendent of Schools at Correctionville, Iowa when he passed away suddenly in 1970.