A Story of Grit

A Story of Grit

Life could be very difficult in the late 19th century, probably harder for some people than others, just like it is now. It seems that my great-great grandmother had a pretty hard time of it and it wasn't only her choice of husbands but heartache that came her way.

Johanna Belle "Annie" Kiper, was born 28 Mar 1857 to Richard Henry and Nellie Fongaler (spelled Vogelaar in Holland) Kiper. She was born in Iowa not long after her parent's immigration to this country from Holland. It is believed that the spelling of both of her parent's names have been Americanized.

Sometime near 1877, she married a man named Bill (?) Jackson (of unknown genealogy). In 1878 she gave birth to her first child - Richard Ara Jackson, my great grandfather.

In 1879 she gave birth to a daughter Ellie, who died in infancy.

Where Bill Jackson came from or where he went is unknown. His name has also been reported to have been Andrew Jackson, but no one by that name has been found in records of that county.

At some point in time and for some reason, she sent her son Richard Ara "Dick" Jackson to live with her sister - Ellen and her husband, Albert Jordan (Tjaden in Holland.) on their farm. (Tjaden is on their headstones.)

Around 1880, she married a man named Sam Dunne in Beloit, Kansas. Sam stayed around long enough to father a son, William B. Dunne born on June 28, 1881, but he abandoned the mother and child and never returned.

Shortly thereafter, Joanna married Jim Gregory who died about 9 weeks after they got married. The dates are uncertain.

On 27 August 1883, she married Mathias M. Knott. She and Mathias had 7 children - Joseph in 1884, Henry 1886, Elizabeth or Lizzy in 1889, Nellie in 1891, Opal in 1893, Katie in 1895 (who died in infancy) and Fay Lulu in 1897.

Mathias died in 1901 at the age of 50.

In 1903, her sister Ellen and husband Albert Jordan were convicted in a Kansas court of cruelly abusing and causing the death of their 4 year old nephew, Harry Kipers. He served 18 months in jail and she 6 months. Dick Jackson was the leading witness for the defense, although family stories suggest that he himself was abused during the time he stayed with them. The Smith County Pioneer, on March 23, 1909, said:

"The trial cost the old couple a large sum of money that they had made by a lifetime
of slavery to hard work and miserly habits."

Albert Jordan died in 1909. Thereafter his widow married Seibo Hellman. She died in 1919.

In 1910 Joanna married Jacob Phillips. They separated at some point and he lived in Harrison, Nebraska until his death in 1920.

In 1911 her son, Dick Jackson, killed his half brother, Henry Knott. Dick was acquitted of murder but committed suicide in 1913.

The Smith County (Kansas) Journal, in their March 23, 1911 issue described Dick Jackson's upbringing:

"Their (Richard and Henry Knott) mother, Mrs. Knott is a sister of Mrs. Albert Jordan, who served a six month sentence in jail here six years ago for mistreating an adopted child. Jackson is about 37 years of age and was reared in the Albert Jordan home. He was the leading witness for the defendants when the Jordans were on trial here. When his foster parents were sentenced - Albert to the penitentiary for one year and Mrs. Jordan to the county jail for 6 months - Jackson bought one of the Chrystal Plains farms for $1,500 and after the aunt, Mrs. Jordan, was released from jail she deeded him, as his share of the big estate, the Harlan township farm (where he lived)."

Annie lived in Portis, Kansas until she died in 1931 at age 74.