Individual Details
Grant Gerd Eilers
(3 Aug 1891 - 27 Oct 1988)
Farmed, drove gas truck, 1937 became a Prison Guard at the Iowa State Reformatory, Anamosa, IA Retired and moved to Porterville, CA in 1960 Was Capt. on retirement
The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Mon, Jan 03, 1944 ·Page 12
Where Prisoners Escaped; Guard Is Stabbed
GRANT EILERS, veteran prison guard, suffered stab wounds in the stomach in a brief but bloody fight with escaping convicts at the Iowan men's reformatory at Anamosa Saturday afternoon. Eilers laid open one convict's scalp, sprained another's shoulder before he was stabbed in the fight. His condition is not serious.
THE WAGON GATE at the Iowa men's reformatory at Anamosa was the path to freedom through which four convicts, holding the deputy warden and the captain of the guard as hostages, escaped on New Year's day. The convicts went through unmolested, despite strict prison orders that the gate must never open on Saturday afternoons, Sundays or holidays. A new guard, never on the gate before, threw it open.
BACK IN PRISON ... after 24 hours of freedom, these four convicts, who escaped from the Iowa men's reformatory at Anamosa New Year's day, presented a bedraggled appearance late Sunday night. They are, left to right, Frank Brown, John Bryl, Ralph Cassidy and Steve Ratcliff. Cassidy, transferred to Anamosa from Fort Madison because another convict there had threatened to kill him, was covered in blood from a six-inch gash in his head, inflicted by Guard Grant Eilers during a fight that preceded the escape. Ratcliff's shoulder was sprained by a blow from the same guards's billy. Until fed in Davenport where they were captured Sunday, none of the men had eaten since escaping.
Grant Eilers
When the Gleaners started Grant became a charter member and has remained a Gleaner all through the years. Age does not slow Grant down as he is now 97 years old and still working for the Gleaners. On Aug. 3, another birthday will come around and the gleaners will have to have a party for Grant. At age 98 Grant says he is going to give up his drivers license.
(from unidentified article clipping, with picture)
The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Mon, Jan 03, 1944 ·Page 12
Where Prisoners Escaped; Guard Is Stabbed
GRANT EILERS, veteran prison guard, suffered stab wounds in the stomach in a brief but bloody fight with escaping convicts at the Iowan men's reformatory at Anamosa Saturday afternoon. Eilers laid open one convict's scalp, sprained another's shoulder before he was stabbed in the fight. His condition is not serious.
THE WAGON GATE at the Iowa men's reformatory at Anamosa was the path to freedom through which four convicts, holding the deputy warden and the captain of the guard as hostages, escaped on New Year's day. The convicts went through unmolested, despite strict prison orders that the gate must never open on Saturday afternoons, Sundays or holidays. A new guard, never on the gate before, threw it open.
BACK IN PRISON ... after 24 hours of freedom, these four convicts, who escaped from the Iowa men's reformatory at Anamosa New Year's day, presented a bedraggled appearance late Sunday night. They are, left to right, Frank Brown, John Bryl, Ralph Cassidy and Steve Ratcliff. Cassidy, transferred to Anamosa from Fort Madison because another convict there had threatened to kill him, was covered in blood from a six-inch gash in his head, inflicted by Guard Grant Eilers during a fight that preceded the escape. Ratcliff's shoulder was sprained by a blow from the same guards's billy. Until fed in Davenport where they were captured Sunday, none of the men had eaten since escaping.
Grant Eilers
When the Gleaners started Grant became a charter member and has remained a Gleaner all through the years. Age does not slow Grant down as he is now 97 years old and still working for the Gleaners. On Aug. 3, another birthday will come around and the gleaners will have to have a party for Grant. At age 98 Grant says he is going to give up his drivers license.
(from unidentified article clipping, with picture)
Events
| Birth | 3 Aug 1891 | Monticello, Jones, Iowa, United States |  | ||
| Occupation | 1910 | Farm Labor - Lovell Township, Jones, Iowa, United States | | ||
| Military | 5 Jun 1917 | WWI Registration - Lovell Township, Jones, Iowa, United States |  | ||
| Military | 1917/18 | U.S. Army, Private 1st Class | | ||
| Marriage | 11 Dec 1917 | St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Wayne Township, Jones, Iowa, United States - Anna Katherine Gerdes | | | |
| Census (family) | 15 Jan 1920 | Lovell Township, Jones, Iowa, United States - Anna Katherine Gerdes | | | |
| Census (family) | 15 Apr 1930 | Lovell Township, Jones, Iowa, United States - Anna Katherine Gerdes | | | |
| Occupation | Bet 1937 and 1960 | Prison Guard Captain - Iowa State Prison, Anamosa, Jones, Iowa, United States | |||
| Census (family) | 1940 | Fairview Township, Anamosa, Jones, Iowa, United States - Anna Katherine Gerdes | | ||
| Residence | Bet 1960 and 1988 | Porterville, Tulare, California, United States | |||
| Death | 27 Oct 1988 | Porterville, Tulare, California, United States | | | |
| Burial | 31 Oct 1988 | Hillcrest Cemetery, Porterville, Tulare, California, United States | | ||
| Soc Sec No | 482-10-5672 | | |
Families
| Spouse | Anna Katherine Gerdes (1891 - 1977) |
| Child | Garnet Marion Eilers (1918 - 2001) |
| Child | Kathleen Ann Eilers (1922 - 2007) |
| Father | Henry E. Eilers (1862 - 1940) |
| Mother | Talke Maria "Mary" Peters (1870 - 1942) |
| Sibling | Blanche Margaret Eilers (1887 - 1942) |
| Sibling | Herman Raymond Eilers (1889 - 1962) |
| Sibling | Albert Eilers (1892 - 1892) |
| Sibling | Laura Anna Eilers (1894 - 1923) |
| Sibling | Alma Adena Eilers (1896 - 1969) |
| Sibling | Paul George Eilers (1899 - 1979) |
| Sibling | Irving H Eilers (1906 - 1981) |
| Sibling | Elaine Irene Eilers (1911 - 1994) |
Notes
Military
Form 1 174 Registration Card No 47 0-1062Grant Gerd Eilers age 25
address: Monticello Iowa
birth: Aug 3, 1891
Natural born citizen of Monticello, Iowa USA
Farmer, self, Monticello, Iowa
no dependents, single, Caucasian
Ht: tall, Medium build, blue eyes, light hair
Military
Vet of World War I, served in FranceMarriage
Monticello (Iowa) Express, December 13, 1917.The Marriage of Twin Sisters.
The marriage of Misses Hannah and Anna Gerdes, twin daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Ricklef Gerdes occurred last Tuesday afternoon at four o'clock at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church in Wayne township. The former was united in marriage to Fred Oltmanns, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Oltmanns, of Sterling, Illinois, and the latter was united in marriage to Grant Eilers, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Eilers. The wedding ceremonies were performed by Rev. W. H. L. Schuetz, the pastor St. John's church and Mrs. Henry Jacobs played the wedding march. Messrs. Henry and August Gerdes acted as ushers.
Mr. and Mrs. Oltmanns will make their home on a farm near Sterling, Illinois. Mrs. Oltmanns has lived in and near Monticello the most of her life. She is a charming young woman with many exceptionally good traits of character Mr. Oltmanns is almost a stranger to Monticello people, but comes well recommended. He is to be congratulated upon his choice of a wife, and in the same degree is Mr. Eilers to be also congratulated.
Mr. and Mrs. Eilers will make their home in Monticello for the present. They expect to rent a farm next March where they will make their future home. Both Mr. and Mrs. Eilers have lived the most of their lives on farms and therefore know what requirements are necessary for success in that line of endeavor. Mrs. Eilers is a young woman of cheerful disposition, with the same good traits of her sister. She will do her full share toward making a happy home for her husband.
All these young people have many good friends who are glad to wish them well in this important venture in life. They are from good families, and will found homes that will be an honor to themselves and th neighborhoods where they may reside.
Census (family)
Fm 90, 90 Eilers Grant Head Rent 28 IowaAnna Wife 28 Iowa
Garnet Daughter 1 4/12 Iowa
(rest unreadable)
Census (family)
79, 81, Eilers, Grant G, Head, rent, radio, MW, 38, married at 27, IA IA IA, farmer, general farmingAnna C., Wife, FW, 38, married at 27, IA IA IA, none
Garnet M, Daughter, FW, 11, single, attended school, IL, IA, IA, none
Kathleen A, Daughter, FW, 6, single, attended school, IA, IA, IA, none
Carlos, laborer, MW, 23, Married at 21, IA, IA, IA, farm laborer
Census (family)
Head Grant G Eilers M 48 Iowa, 8th grade, Guard, Men's State Reformatory, 52 wks $1200 in 1939Wife Anne K Eilers F 48 Iowa, 8th grade, housework
Daughter Kathleen Eilers F 17 Iowa, H-3, in school
Residence in 1935: Rural, Jones, Iowa
Death
Grant G EilersFuneral services for Grant Girt Eilers, 97, is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday at Myers Funeral Chapel. The Rev. Carl Hoppman of the Trinity Lutheran Church is to officiate. Burial is to be at Hillcrest Memorial Park. Mr. Eilers died Thursday in a local hospital after a short illness.
He was born in Monticello, Iowa, and was a Porterville resident for 28 years. He was a retired guard from Iowa State Prison and a U.S. Army veteran of World War I.
Mr. Eilers was a charter member of Trinity Lutheran Church, a member of the Porterville Gleaners, Past Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of Monticello, Iowa, and a past member of the American Legion.
He is survived by two daughters, Garnet Barton of Porterville and Kathleen Flanagan of Bakersfield; a sister, Elaine Heiken, Manchester, Iowa; three grandchildren and six great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Contributions may be made to Trinity, Lutheran Church, Porterville, Grant Eilers Memorial Fund.
Soc Sec No
Name Born Died Residence Last Benefit SSN Issued RequestGRANT EILERS 3 Aug 1891 27 Oct 1988 93257 Porterville, Tulare, CA 482-10-5672 IA (Before 1951)
Endnotes
1. Eilers, Grant Girt, Myers Chapel memorial service card, Porterville, Callifornia, Oct 31, 1988,.
2. 1910 Federal Census, USA, Iowa, Jones Co. (read July 2000 by Nancy Prouty).
3. "Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934," database, Family Search, (https://familysearch.org: accessed 30 December 2013), Grant G. Eilers and Anna K. Gerdes, 1917.
4. US Population Census - Iowa, Jones Co., 1920 (read Dec 17, 2001 by Nancy Prouty), SD 5? ED 72 sheet 5.
5. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1920 > Iowa > JONES > LOVELL Series: T625 Roll: 495 Page: 27.
6. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1930 > Iowa Series: T626 Roll: 662 Page: 150.
7. Hanssen, G. L., Accokeek, MD, The Hanssens of Eastern Iowa, a family history. (Waldorf, MD: R.A. Hanssen Printing, August 2000), p. 141.
8. Eilers, Grant G. obituary, unknown, Porterville, California, 1988,.
9. Eilers, Grant Girt, Myers Chapel memorial service card, Porterville, Callifornia, Oct 31, 1988,.
10. California Death Records, Rootsweb.com online [http://vitals.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ca/death/search.cgi], accessed 2008-2012.
11. Eilers, Grant Girt, Myers Chapel memorial service card, Porterville, Callifornia, Oct 31, 1988,.
12. Social Security Death Index. (ancestry.com).