On this (part two of Simar Family in America) article I want to concentrate on the Simar Family since about 1900, well over one hundred years after Ephraim Frederick Simar came to America, see part one.

Burton John Simar, (my Grandfather) , according to the best calculation I can come up with, was probably the 12 child of John Simar, he was the fifth child of his second marriage, and was the first to be born on the Simar Homestead, in northern Kansas, (Jewell) Co. -- and his father (John Simar) was 64 years old, when he was born, and had two more children, after that, but I want to concentrate on the period after 1900. -- On Burton John and all the Simar family history since that time.

Sometime shortly after 1900, Burton John, set out for Montana, that being the western frontier, the chance of striking gold, was a strong possibility, so he staked out a claim, in the mountains north of Eureka, in the rugged Purcell mountains, not far from the canadian border, it is not known if he ever got anything at all from this claim, but he held on to it till about 1910, when he either sold it or just walked away.

In 1908, a young girl from Iowa, that he had known since she was in diapers, (Abbie Jane Uptagrafft) came to Montana, supposedly to visit her sister, but the story goes, that he meet her at the train depot, and it didn't take him long to find his way to Libby, (the county seat) and obtain a marriage license.

They lived in Montana for a couple years, their first child, (my father) Alfred was born there in Dec. 1908, but sometime in 1910, they Moved back to Jackson Co. Minnesota, where he took up farming, a son Marion was born while they lived in Jackson Co.

In either 1912 or 1913 this young family relocated to Douglas Co. where he resummed farming, on what was known as the Belle River Farm, two more boys were born, while they lived on this farm, in 1915 or 1916, they again moved to another farm in Todd Co. close to the little settlement known as Clotho, then during the early 1920's they moved to a farm, known as the Big Place, about 6 miles south of Eagle Bend. This farm was 200 acres, and it served this growing family perfectly, as the family had now grown to 10 children, and two more were born, while they were living on this farm, then in 1927 tragedy struck this young family, Ralph a son born in 1922 died, and in 1931 John Uptagrafft, the childrens Grandfather died, while living with them, then in 1934 their mother Abbie Jane died of a burst appendix, in 1938 Burton John took sick and died, the youngest child, John W Simar, was not yet 10 years old, but the family somehow managed through all of this, and stayed together as a close knit family, Burton and Abbie, along with their son Ralph, are all burried in a well kept cemetery, just east of Eagle Bend.

More on the fourth and fifth generation of this family, in part three.