J. J. EASTMAN AND FAMILY

Otis Eastman came with his parents, who were English and Scotch-Irish, from New York state to Rockford, Illinois, when he was just a boy.  He grew up at Rockford, and in 1849 made the trip with the '49ers from Illinois to California in the Gold Rush.  At this date, 1961, members of his family still have the gun, and the money belt which he wore around his waist on the trip across the plains.  He later enlisted and served with the North in the Civil War.

Margaret Ball, at the age of fifteen years, came with her Pennsylvania-Dutch parents from the state of Pennsylvania to Rockford, Illinois.  It was at Rockford that Otis Eastman and Margaret Ball met, and after the Civil War had ended, they married.  The young couple moved to Nevada, Iowa, and later, in 1870, came in a covered wagon across the plains to Kansas.  They settled on a farm just a mile east of Belleville, in Republic County Kansas, where they reared a family of four girls and five boys.  Jacob John Eastman was born here on May 25, 1878.

Jacob John, Jake as he was known, was next to the youngest in the Eastman family.  He has told many a story about carrying buttermilk to the "paddies" building the Rock Island Railroad through Belleville and Republic County Kansas when he was a boy of nine and ten years.  He received his education in the Belleville schools where some of his schoolmates were Henry VanNatta, Ralph McTaggart, Nelson Ward, Loyd and Ed Johnson.  Henry VanNatta still tells how Jake taught him to whistle through his teeth.  Jake was one of the best football players in this part of the country and was offered a scholarship by the University of Kansas.  However, a serious injury in a Thanksgiving game ended his football career.

Chris and Mary Holgerson came from Denmark in Europe to Junction City, Kansas; and on the the farm, which they homesteaded, west of the river in Republic County, Norway and Beaver Townships, in Kansas.  This was the 1870s.  It was here that Christena Mae Holgerson, Stena, as she was known, was born and reared, along with four sisters and four brothers.  She attended Oak Creek Community School, and later went to the county seat, Belleville, Kansas, for employment.  She was born February 16, 1877.

It was in Belleville that Jake Eastman and Stena Holgerson met, and were married in 1901.  For a time, Jake worked at the brick yard northeast of Belleville, where the brick, used in most of the buildings around the square in Belleville, was made and hauled to Belleville for this construction.  He later owned and operated a blacksmith shop at the corner of 17th and N. Streets in Belleville.  Jake and Stena Eastman had three children, two sons and one daughter; Ray, Roy, and Goldie, all born at Belleville, Kansas.

In 1912, Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Eastman, with their three children, moved to Norway township.  They lived two years in Norway, and until 1923 on a farm located one-half mile west and one-half mile south of the Norway River bridge.  Mrs. Eastman was known for the many beautiful flowers that attracted many people as they passed the Eastman farm home.  She was also noted for the delicious cakes she baked; and now, nearly forty years later, Athol Scott says he can still remember eating Stena's banana cakes.

In addition to farming, Jake Eastman and his wife, Stena, did their share of anything there was to do in the community.  They were always ready to help a neighbor; Jake helped to build the present Norway Grade School building, which at that time was a high school, completed in 1914.  He did the cement work there, including cement culverts in Norway Township, including the one which is located one-half mile west of the river bridge, at the Alex Scott corner.  Warren Scott was three years old at the time, but he was right out there helping to build that bridge.  The cement work on the Norway Community Church, now the EUB Church, finished in 1917, was done by Jake Eastman.  The many chickens Stena raised and sold, cakes and pies she baked, quilts she made and took to the auctions to be sold for money to build the church, is well remembered.  The Eastmans were members of the Community Church in Norway.  Jake Eastman was a member of the I.O.O.F. and Rebekah Lodges in Norway, Kansas, and took great interest  and pride in the work of the Lodge.  He also served his time helping to keep good roads, and was elected to the office of Township Trustee, which he served.

Their three children were graduated from the Norway Grade School.  Roy and Goldie were graduated from the Norway High School.  Ray and Roy Eastman were both good athletes and both played on the Norway High School basketball team.  Norway High School was noted for its good athletes during three years, and had an excellent track team.  Ray and Roy Eastman also did their part on the track team.  Goldie played side-center on the girls' Norway High School basketball team during her four years in high school and graduated as Valedictorian of her class.  A special note of interest here is the fact that Norway High School was noted as the only high school in the county having not one boy enrolled who smoked or used tobacco in an y form.  We were all very proud of this fact and believed it was one factor in our school's successful athletic events.  Of course, it was unheard of at that time for a girl to smoke, so the girls received no credit for their abstinence.

Jake Eastman loved music and loved to sing.  Ray had a beautiful bass voice, and Roy was equally as good a tenor.  With Goldie at the piano and singing the soprano, while Jake sang baritone, hours and hours of happy times were spent singing in the Eastman home from the time the children were quite small.  Mr. Jake Eastman was also one of the originators, and he and Stena Eastman were original members of the old "Come Back" club of the Norway Community.

In 1922, Jake Eastman was elected sheriff of Republic County, Kansas.  In January, 1923, the family moved from the Norway Community to Belleville, the county seat, where they lived in the home built in the jail for the sheriff's family while he served two terms in that office.  It was the same here as wherever the family lived, the whole southeast corner of the Courthouse Square was aglow with the beautiful flowers which Mrs. Eastman planted, cultivated, and loved.

While living here, Ray died on March 4, 1924, at the age of eighteen years.  He had influenza and complications from that caused his death.

Roy and Goldie both attended and graduated from the Concordia Business College.  Goldie attended Kansas City University and Kansas University.

In May, 1924, Roy Eastman was married to Alma Hunter of Mankato, Kansas.  He met here at Concordia Business College where she was also a student.  Goldie Eastman was married to John Beryl Lindquist of Belleville, Kansas, on October 25, 1924.  Beryl died on October 15,1955, at Los Angeles, California.

The Roy Eastmans moved to Twin Falls, Idaho, in January, 1928, where they have since made their homes in "Magic Valley", farming.  Here they reared four sons and three daughters.  Virginia Lee, Roy Earl and Darrel were their older family and practically grown when they had a second family; Noreen, Bertina, Dwane and Stevie.  Now, in 1961, Virginia Lee is married to Claire Ricketts and lives on a farm near Jerome, Idaho.  They have three sons, Allen, Danny and Donny.  Roy Earl has a degree in engineering from the University of Idaho.  With his wife, Doris, and their three children, the twins, Scott and Lynn, and little Sue, he lives in Wenatchee, Washington.  Darrell and his wife and daughter live in Twin Falls Idaho, where he operates a truck line from Twin Falls to Los Angelas, California.  Noreen and her family of four children are at present living in Idaho.  Her husband is a captain in the Air force and, so far, they have been permitted to be with him.  Bertina married Clifford Streeter of John Day, Oregon, and went there as a bride to make her home,  She has three small children.  Dwane Eastman, now two years out of high school, is a student at Seminary in Southern Canada, and studying for the ministery.  Steven Bart, the youngest of the fmailyu, attends Filer High School, at Filer, Idaho, where he is a sophomore.  He is still living at home with his parents.

Roy and Alma own their own farm southwest of Twin Falls, Idaho.  Roy is a good carpenter and has done a lot of building in Twin Falls, through the winters.  Alma has taught school many terms at the Consolidated School, where their children went to grade school.  They are all members of the EUB Church in Twin Falls, Idaho.  Roy and Alma have been very active in the music and choir work, and with the young people's work of the church.  Roy has been superintendent of the Sunday School there, and their daughters were all married in this church.

John Beryl and Goldie Lindquist had one daughter, Doreen Adele Lindquist, born July 25, 1926.  She was reared in Belleville, Kansas; attended grade and high school there and finished her education at the University of Kansas, with an AB Degree in Psychology; and a Master's degree in Medical Social Work.  Doreen was married to James W. Bouska, son of Luther and Doris Bouska, in the Presbyterian Church at Belleville, Kansas, on November 23, 1947.  James W., Jimmy as he is known, received his law degree from the School of Law at the University of Kansas, and served as County Attorney of Republic county for two terms.  Jimmy and Doreen now live in Overland Park, Johnson county, Kansas, where he is practicing law in Johnson County.  A coincidence in which Doreen in proud of is the fact that both of her grandfathers helped to build the Community Church building , now the EUB Church in Norway.  Her grandfather, John Lindquist, was a contractor and brick layer.  He laid the brick in this building, while her grandfather, Jake Eastman, did the cement work.

Mr. and Mrs. James W. Bouska, Doreen and Jimmy, as they are know, have four children.  David, age eleven, and Diane, age five, spent much of the Centennial summer in Norway, Kansas, with their grandmother, Goldie Lindquist.  We had great fun wearing Centennial dress that matched.  Diane rode her decorated bicycle in the parade; rode on the "Gay Stitcher's" float, and in general they had the time of their lives.  David and Diane like to be in Norway in the summertime to attend the free picture shows put on by the Norway Merchants, and to attend the ball games in the evenings, and play on the swings at the school house.  To them, Norway is a wonderful happy place where they like to come.  The their grandmother, the memories of her childhood at Norway are filled with the same happiness.  On January 25, 1960, twin sons were born to Doreen and Jimmy.  Jordon Theo and John James, now almost two years old, are big boys, well and strong, and the pride and joy of their family.

Mrs. J. J. Eastman, Stena, passed away at Belleville, Kansas, on January 12, 1933.

Jake Eastman and Mrs. Alma Holgerson, widow of Will Holgerson who was a brother of Stena, were married in 1934, and lived west of the river in Norway Township, on a farm.  It was there that Jake Eastman passed away on February 12, 1948.  Alma passed away in February, 1958.

Golda F. Lindquist continued living in Belleville, Kansas, until July 1958, at which time she moved back to Norway, Kansas, the home of her childhood.  For a number of years she was employed as a case worker in the Welfare Office of Republic County, Kansas.  Later, she was a Life Underwriter, working five years for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, and since that time for the Franklin Life Insurance Company of Springfield, Illinois.  She also established a General Insurance Agency which she owned and operated in Belleville, Kansas.  She now operates a General Insurance Agency in Norway, Kansas, where she makes her home.

By Golda Eastman Lindquist