Iva Agnes conyers grew up in Iowa in the 1890's. Orphaned at age eight, she suffered ill treatment and loneliness. Through hard work, grit and determination, she overcame her circumstances and became a teacher. In later life, she wrote her memoirs, which have been revised and expanded by her grandaughter, Arden Iva Sleadd. The book relates the events of Iva's early life; the death of her mother; living with her Mormon grandparents; the remarriage of her father; their move by covered wagon to Kansas and Idaho; the death of her father; and the heartbreak that followed. Includes brief memoirs by Iva's children and others who knew her, along with her personal photos.
Part Two of the book contains the Conyers family history, compiled by Terri Napoli. It contains over 3400 names of descendants, reflecting ten years of research, and includes the accounts of two other Conyers pioneers: Enoch Ward Conyers and John Hiram Conyers. Other surnames included are Hanscom, Hansen, Ballentyne, Hornback, Mitts, Mayfield, Vredenburgh, Horseman and many others.
About the Author
Terri: I don't descend from the Conyers, but my fiance does, John David Conyers. I've been addicted to genealogy since 1989. I've attempted for several years to gather information on my family to no avail. All my research is in Sicily and Sweden and it is very difficult gathering information. When I met John in 1992, he and his oldest son had just begun their research. I began helping them and soon took over. I have a Bachelor of Science in Business and many hobbies. I love photography, animals, reading scary books, creating scrapbooks, and, of course, genealogy.
John has four children: John (Gina), Kelly (Deb), Michael (Amy), and Karen. He was a heavy equipment operator of the gas company in Chicago for 31 years and retired in February 1997. He enjoys dog training, which is how we met.
Arden: I am grateful for a wonderful husband, John Buckley Sleadd. we were married August 11, 1984 and have five children. I received a master's degree in music education, and have been a public school teacher, a choir director, community service leader, and home-educator for my children.
After moving to Oregon in 1995, it remained in the back of my mind that I might perhaps try to find my grandmother's long-lost Hanscom relatives, but I had no idea what part of the state they had settled in. A year ago, I idly glanced through my grandmother's photographs, and there I noticed for the first time that her Uncle Dan Hanscom and the family's photo has been taken in 1895 in none other than Medford, OR - practically in my own backyard. I decided to glance through the local phone book for Hanscoms; I found four, and the first call I made turned out to be my relative! I made friends with Ruby and Charlie Hanscom, and in the process learned a lot about genealogy. Soon I was inspired to get my grandmother's memoirs prepared for publication.
