(In August 1877, Jno. T. Ronayne and I) arrived in Stewartsville, Kalb Co, Missouri, Tuesday morning and that afternoon walked out to Chas. Hobb's place. Mr. Hobbs was a great uncle of mine, having married a sister of grandmother McFarland. Aunts Nina and Maggie had gone to MO that summer or the one previous to teach school and were then staying with Mr. Hobbs' family. We received a warm welcome upon our arrival and were given to understand that we must stay there while in that locality. The family was a very pleasant one and our stay with them was pleasant. During those bright autumn days we had many a fine ride on horseback, that being the usual mode of traveling. We also did some work in the line of hay making, corn cutting, etc. Maggie and Nina secured schools, and I also secured a fall term in a district about one mile south of Stewartsville....After giving up this school we went back to Hobbs for a time. I soon secured another school some seven miles from Uncle Hobbs'....on Friday evenings (I) rode over to Hobbs'....I resigned before the term closed and returned to Iowa in Jan'y or Feb'y.

Source: From "An Autobiography of O.A. McFarland," an unpublished journal written by my great-grandfather Oscar Almon McFarland.
Submitter: Bethany McFarland