2409 S. Vine Urbana, Illinois 61801 - Richard R. Grayson, MD

6W
mostly foliage that grows in the shade - bleeding hearts, impatiens, and ferns, he said.
"I did it because I wanted to. They had no plants," he said.
Generation 7 Alvin H. Theiss [48]
Born February 19, 1905, on the family farm near Fort Dodge and attended St. Paul parochial school.
He worked on the family farm and married Alta Christopher there in 1941. They made their home on a
farm near Duncombe. He served in the army during World War 11. Following the war he returned to the
Duncombe area where he farmed until retiring in 1970. He moved to the Villa Park Care Center in April,
1987. Died July 16, 1987, in Fort Dodge. Buried in St. Paul cemetery.
Address in 1980: R.F.D., Duncombe, Iowa 50532.
Father: Fred Theiss
Mother: Ottilie Kramer [46]
Wife: Alta Christopher
Born in Sedalia, Missouri. Daughter of Martin Christopher of Vincent, Iowa. Had blonde
hair. Married May 13, 1941. Alta's obituary lists a sister named Margaret Kinne; this sister
is Margaret Christopher, who married Clarence Kinne [88] . Died.
Child 1: Esther Mae Theiss
Born August 9, 1942. Address: 2633 21st Ave N, Fort Dodge, Iowa. Phone: 515-573-2447.
Office Manager for St. Paul's Church.
Child 2: Allen Theiss
Born July 16, 1944. Lived in Woodward, Iowa, in 1987. Lives in Northwood Living, Fort
Dodge, Iowa, in 1995.
Generation 7 Therese Theiss [491
Born June 29, 1908. She graduated from Tobin Business College, and then worked as a bookkeeper for
Minogue Insurance Agency in Fort Dodge, and later at the Stromberg in Fort Dodge. She then worked at
the Darrah Insurance Agency, until retiring in 1970. She was a 4-H leader for many years. She was a member
of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Ruth Circle and taught Sunday school for many years. She also
was a member of the Fort Dodge Women's Garden Club, the Rock Hound Club, and the Genealogy Club.
Apparently she was interested in the Kinne family tree early; I have copies of letters from relatives written
in 1956 providing her with names and addresses of relatives.
Address 1978-1990: 1425 6th Ave N, Fort Dodge, Iowa 50501. Died March 25, 1990.
Father: Fred Theiss
Mother: Ottilie Kramer [46]
Generation 7 Alma Theiss [sol
Born March 6, 1911, Fort Dodge, on the Theiss farm. Address 1980-96: 1425 6th Ave N, Fort Dodge,
Iowa 50501; phone 515-573-2447. Never married. She spoke German at home before the age of 6, and no
English. She learned English first in school, and then in war time they all had to stop speaking German,
for all the parochial grade schools halted their German language instruction and instituted a rule against
speaking German.
I phoned Alma December 23, 1992, and had a nice conversation, and I met her December 28, 1995. In
February, 1996, she sent me a pair of family tree scrapbooks that her sister Therese had accumulated over
the years. They contain newspaper clippings about the family reunions and obituaries, snapshots, and high-
quality group photos from the reunions. There's even a booklet containing summaries of several decades of
fmaily reunions and notable events. I copied all of it, and it came to 378 pages! That information has now
been mostly incorporated into this family tree.
Father: Fred Theiss
Mother: Ottilie Kramer [46]
Generation 7 Elmer F. Theiss [511
Born January 27, 1914, at the family home outside Fort Dodge, Iowa. In 1944 he was in the army as a
L Sergeant at Camp Cook, California. He was a salesman of veterinary medical products. Died August 10,