From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 634.

Andrew and Grace departed for North America about 1854 and lived in Stratford, Canada for 10-15 years. The voyage was long (perhaps as long as 14 weeks) and one son (either John or Andrew) died in route, which one is not now known as both have never appeared in U.S. census records. Five children where born to Andrew and Grace in Canada, Christina in 1855, James T. in 1856, Robert in 1857, Mary Jane in 1860 and Isabell in 1862. It is suspected that they lived on a farm in Stratford, Ontario.

The entire family (absent Andrew and John, one or both dead by then) emigrated from Canada to Ohio about 1865 (probably after the end of the Civil War). There, in the town of Burbank (Medina County) they had their ninth and last child, Charles (known by later family members as "Uncle Charlie") who was born in 1866. They might have been attracted to Ohio as several of Grace's relatives lived there (Taskers). It is curious that two towns not too far away are "Perry" and "Burton", which in later generations became family names...were they chosen because of the family's experiences in Ohio?

Andrew, Grace & family moved to Onslow, Clay Township, Jones County, Iowa about 1869 or 1870. Jones County is located near Cedar Rapids and southwest of Dubuque in the east central part of the state. Onslow is nearly in the middle of four adjacent townships, Scotch Grove, Madison, Wyoming and Clay. Andrew was mentioned as one of the early settlers of Clay Township. The family was living on a farm (section 118, family # 119 in the 1870 census taken on July 16, 1870) when Andrew was 53, Grace 46, George 17, Christina 14, James 13, Robert 11, Mary 9, Isabell 7 and Charles 4. In March 1870, Andrew, Grace, George and Christina joined the Scotch Grove Presbyterian church one township away. They didn't stay long as they were "dismissed" (transferred) to a new church being formed on June 14, 1870 in nearby Clay Township, the Bethel Presbyterian Church. Andrew and Grace became founding members of the Bethel Church along with about 18 others. Andrew began a long and prominent position with this church, being an Elder of the church from 1870 until about 1895 and was elected as church clerk and served from January 13, 1873 until about 1880. All of Andrew's and Grace's children and some grandchildren (Perry, Grace and James) were baptized in this church.

Andrew became a U.S. citizen on March 5, 1873, renouncing being a subject of Queen Victoria of Great Britain. By the 1880 census, Andrew (63) and Grace (56) were living on the farm with five children, absent George and Mary. George was recently married (to Margaret Isabell Moncrief) and living seven farms away. By the 1900 census, Andrew (83) was living with just Christina (45) as Grace had died at the age of 75 on November 12, 1899. Andrew died at the ripe old age of 86 on January 24, 1902. Both are buried in the Clay cemetery, Clay township.

MCS 4/18/1997

Written and submitted by Mike Scroggie

Charlie and Jessie had their only child, Eugene in 1895, who later was a WWI fighter pilot in Eddie Rickenbacker’s famous 94th Aero Pursuit Squadron. During his career, Charlie had several jobs, including selling insurance, owner of a newspaper, the Hopkinton Leader, and finally as a professor and school principal. In 1900, Charlie was appointed guardian of his father Andrew, who had been declared “of unsound mind” by the court in Jones County. Upon Andrew's death in January, 1902, Charlie was assigned as executor of the estate and oversaw the distribution of his assets.

He and Jessie lived in several towns in Eastern Iowa, settling in Des Moines by 1908. In the early 1920s, Charlie retired and moved with Jessie to Santa Monica, California, where he spent the remainder of his life and died there on June 29, 1948.

Submitted by Mike Scroggie

George and his family lived in Canada for about 10 years where five additional siblings were born, Christina (1855), James (1856), Robert (1857), Mary Jane (1860) and Isabell (1862). George must have liked Canada as he returned there later in life after his wife died.

George and his family immigrated to the U.S. about 1865 and settled in Ohio where his brother Charles was born.

George was 17 years old when he appeared in the 1870 census working on the family farm in Clay Township, Jones County, Iowa. In 1870, he joined the Scotch Grove Presbyterian Church and later transferred to the Bethel Presbyterian Church when it formed. By 1880, he was married to Margaret Isabell Moncrief who was a native of Iowa (her parents were both born in Ireland), and together living on a farm nearby Andrew's and Grace's farm. It is curious that their first child James was born in 1878 but was not listed as living with them during the 1880 census. In 1900, George at the age of 46 is listed as living with his children Perry, Grace, Jessie, John, George E. (Emmett) and Araminta. His wife Margaret Isabell had died of heart failure on August 11, 1898. His son Perry left high school at that time to help out on the farm. By 1910, George was living in Clay township with Perry (29), Grace (26), Emmett (16) and Araminta (14). By 1913, he had left Iowa, presumably to his farm in Alberta, Canada.

Later in life, George went to live with his son James in Vancouver, Washington. He died there on November 29, 1938 at the age of 85.

MCS 3/11/1997

Written and submitted by Mike Scroggie

Perry married Laura Jane Coburn on September 12, 1910 in Onslow, IA. They lived on a farm near his father's until about 1916. They had two children while living in Iowa, Donald William (b. 9/12/1912) and Dorothy Isabelle (b. 1/19/1915). They moved to Ruthton, MN, Pipestone County, about 1916. This farm was a half section (320 acres) of raw land, no buildings, owned by Perry's uncle Charles R. Scroggie. They lived in a tent while the house and barn and other farm buildings were built. They lived on this farm for about six years, during which they had two more children - Charles Burton (b. 1/24/1917) and Blanch Katherine (b. 4/20/1919).

About 1921, Uncle Charlie sold the farm and Perry bought a quarter section (160 acres) farm four miles northeast of Ruthton. The farm was located in Lincoln County and the mailing address and county seat was Tyler, MN. They lived on this farm until 1929, during which time their last child, George Perry was born (b. 1/10/1924). During these years, Perry owned and operated a threshing machine and every summer would thresh his own grain crops and also several neighbor's. This was sort of a co-op deal that farmers helped each other to get the crops harvested. During this period, Perry and Laura were members of the Ruthton Methodist Church in Ruthton. Perry sang in the choir and was on the board of the church.

Perry sold the farm in 1929 and moved the family to Ruthton for about one year. He actually considered moving to the state of Washington and made a trip out there and stayed with his brother James. However, either the stock market crash that year and the ensuing depression or the lack of opportunities in Washington caused him to dismiss the idea. Instead, he bought livestock while in Ruthton in preparation for moving to another farm. They then rented a farm about 1 1/2 miles southeast of Ruthton, across the road from the John Coburn family, Laura's brother. The Scroggie and Coburn cousins grew up there together and have many pleasant memories (and photos) of family gatherings.

When William Coburn (Laura's father) died in 1917, Perry and John Coburn traveled to South Dakota to return his body to Ruthton, MN for burial. Catherine (McBurney) Coburn returned with them and lived alternatively with the Coburns and Scroggie's until her death at the Scroggies home in 1936.

In 1936, Perry bought a small forty acre farm on the edge of Ruthton. He worked this farm for ten years, until he sold it about 1946 and moved into the town of Ruthton. Perry died there on March 25, 1952 and is buried in the Ruthton cemetery 1/2 mile north of town.

CBS & MCS 3/27/1997

Written and submitted by Mike Scroggie