Recollections of Iva Mae (Ward) Miles
15 September 1996
My recollections of my great grandmother Mahala Ann (Van Grundy)Strawn a re mostly from her family pictures and what my parents toldme, as I wa s only about two years old when she died.
I know she always had her bible in her hands when her pictures weretak en. The bible was always on the little table beside her chair. Shealso s moked a corn-cob pipe which was not unusual in those days area.She was f air skinned, had long hair done up, wore long dresses to thefloor, wit h a shawl over her shoulders. She was a very gentle personand loved he r family. I prize a little red glass mug that has hername on it, and a f ew pictures. She is in the picture I have of sixof my grandmothers and g reat grandmothers all living at the same timewhen I was little.
Mahala's parents were Cornelius Van Gundy and Annie Clayton. She hadtw o sisters, Naomi and Malinda, and four brothers, George W., JohnClayto n, James Polk and Francis M. Mahala was born 19 Nov 1833 inMontgomery C o, Indiana. Some census records say Illinois. She died inCrocker, Polk ( Co), Iowa on 22 Feb 1915. She married William R.Strawn first on 20 Oct 1 869, but he was not divorced from MaryGuisinger. He later went back an d obtained a divorce from Mary andthen married Mahala a second time on 1 A pril 1877 in Vandalia, Jasper(Co), Iowa.
Starting 10/11/1897 Mahala drew a widow's pension on William'smilitary s ervice in Co A, 31st Ind Inf.
