1904 Ella Frances Miles graduated from McDonald Institute, Ontario.
1907 Edwin Schafer received a B.S. in Agriculture from Kansas State Agricultural College (now Kansas State University). [1]
1907-1909 Edwin Schafer worked with Experimental Field Crops, K.S.A.C. and Experiment Station. [2]
1909 Ella Frances Miles completed a summer course at Columbia University.
1910 Edwin Schafer received the M.S. degree from the University of Illinois.
1910 On April 18, Ella F Miles (age 24) lived at 106 North Madison in La Grange Village, Lyons Township, Cook County, Illinois, with her mother Ada E. Miles (age 47, born in Canada), widow, and siblings Marion E (age 25), Ella F (age 24), Marshall G (age 20), Dorothy L (age 18), Evelyn A (age 15), Frank H (age 13), and Margaret L (age 10). [3]
Ella Frances Miles was a Home Economics Instructor at Kansas State Agricultural College.
1910-1913 Edwin Schafer was an Instructor in Farm Crops, K.S.A.C. [4]
1912 Edwin G. Schafer and Ella F. Miles were married on August 16 at La Grange, Cook County, Illinois. [5]
1913 Edwin Schafer joined Washington State University as a Professor of Agronomy. He was later Department Head.
1914 Son George Miles Schafer was born on January 15 in Pullman.
1916 Daughter Judith Evelyn Schafer was born on January 24 in Pullman.
1918 Edwin George Schafer registered for the the WWI draft on September 12. His registration card states that he lived at 718 B. Street, Pullman, Washington, was age 34, born 18 Feb 1884. His occupation was Professor Farm Crops, Washington State College, and his nearest relative was Mrs. Ella M. Schafer. He was of medium height, medium build, with grey eyes and dark brown hair. [6]
1920 On January 16, Edwin G Schafer (age 35) and his wife Ella Schafer (age 33) lived at 1718 B. St., Pullman, Whitman County, Washington, with son George Schafer (age 6) and daughter Judith Schafer (age 4). Edwin's was born in Kansas, his parents were born in Germany, and his occupation was professor at the state college. Ella was born in Illinois, her father in Wisconsin, and her mother in Canada. The children were born in Washington. [7]
1921 Son John Francis Schafer was born on February 17 in Pullman.
1922 The Pullman Herald reported on Friday, January 20, [8]
Wranglers at W.S.C
The Wranglers, the most exclusive faculty club at the State Collage of Washington, have announced as chief wrangler for 1922 Rudolph Weaver, head of the architecture department, and as scribbler, Professor Edwin G. Schafer, head of the farm crops department. These are the only officers. The year's program covers discussions of literature, science and art in the papers by the members, most of them heads of departments. Membership is limited to 20, and no one can be elected unless a vacancy is made by the death or resignation from the faculty of some member.
1930 On April 16, Edwin G Schafer (age 46, age 28 at marriage) and his wife Ella Schafer (age 44, age 26 at marriage) lived in Pullman, Whitman County, Washington at 1814 Monroe St. with son George (age 16), daughter Judith (age 14) and son John (age 9). The value of their home was $8000, and they had a radio. Edwin's occupation was college instructor. Edwin was born in Kansas,and his father and mother were born in Germany. Ella was born in Illinois, her father in Wisconsin, and her mother in Canada (English). The children were born in Washington. [9]
1940 On April 5, Edwin Shafer (age 56) and his wife Ella Shafer (age 54) lived at 1814 Monroe Street in Pullman, Whitman County, Washington with son John (age 19) and a roomer Frances R Conard (age 32). Edwin's occupation was instructor at the state college. He was born in Kansas, and the highest grade of school he had completed was college, 5th or subsequent year. Ella was born in Illinois and had completed 2 years of college. John, born in Washington, had completed 1 year of college and was a student assistant. Frances was born in Kansas, had completed 5 or more years of college, and was an instructor in foods at the state college. The family lived in the same home 5 years earlier. Frances lived in Chicago, Illinois, five years earlier. [10] [11]
1942 Edwin George Schafer, age 58, registered for the draft on April 27. His height was 5'11" and his weight was 168. His eyes were gray, his hair brown, and his complexion light. He lived at 1814 Monroe, Pullman, Whitman, Wash, Telephone 6422. He was born Feb. 18, 1884, in Jewell, Kansas. Mrs. Ella M. Schafer (same address) would always know his address. His employer was State College of Washington, in Pullman, Whitman, Wash. [12] [13] [14]
1947-50 Edwin Schafer was Assistant Dean, College of Agriculture, Washington State University, 1947-1950.
Notes from Jack (John Francis) Schafer:
Mom and Dad must have graduated from high school the same year, 1902, she at 16 in Hamilton and he at 18 in Jewell City. (I have his about 3 x 4 foot diploma.) She spent the next two years at the McDonald Institute--the first in Hamilton and the second in Guelph--in a two-year home economics program. This is one of the three institutions that subsequently comprised Guelph University. Dad spent these two years farming with his father.
Dad graduated from college in three years, having come from a "good" high school. He spent the next two years working for the College's Agronomy Department. Mother worked at various jobs--child care, secretary at the Otis Elevator Company--until she was old enough to teach Junior High home economics in Hamilton. She must have lived with relatives after her mother returned to LaGrange.
In 1909 Dad went to the University of Illinois where he spent a school year and received a Master's degree. Mother spent the summer of 1909 at Columbia University in New York City. Later that year she answered a commercial recruiting ad, and on January 1, 1910, arrived in Manhattan, Kansas, as an instructor in home economics at Kansas State Agricultural College, now Kansas State University. Later in 1910 Dad returned from Illinois, and became an instructor in agronomy. They were both faculty members until their marriage in 1912, when Mother, of course, immediately lost her job, now being a faculty wife. They remained at Kansas State for another year, until moving to the State College of Washington, now Washington State University, in Pullman, where they spent most of their adult and family life and Dad's professional career.
Notes from a conversation with Judy Schafer Chevalley Hiss on her 90th birthday:
The family had a Model T Ford (perhaps two different models at different times) and visited the National parks of Glacier and Yellowstone and also visited Seaside, Oregon on the coast. They stayed in motels and cabin camps.
1953 Edwin G Schafer, professor, and Ella M Schafer lived at 212 Campus Dr, Pocatello, Idaho. [15]
1958 Ella died of a stroke, after having a previous stroke.
The Ella Miles Schafer Scholarship at Washington State University was established. [16]
Ella Frances Miles was born February 1886 in Chicago. She began high school in Omaha, Nebraska and finished in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She did her college work in Ontario and graduated from McDonald Institute at Ontario Agriculture College. She then taught in the public schools from 1907-1908 and 1908-1909 and the fall term 1909-1910. During the summer of 1909 she did special work in Teachers College at Columbia University. In 1910 she accepted a position at Kansas State College where she was an instructor in Domestic Science (now Home Economics) beginning January 1910 and the college years 1910-1911 and 1911-1912 and the fall term of 1912-1913.
Ella married Edwin G. Schafer, a member of the Agronomy staff at Kansas State University, August 1912. In September, 1913 they moved to Pullman where Edwin became Professor of Farm Crops at WSC and Agronomist in Washington Agricultural Experiment Station. Mrs. Schafer made her home in Pullman for forty-five years until her death in October, 1958. In Pullman Ella maintained an interest in students on campus. Her three children, two sons and one daughter, are all graduates of WSU. Ella was a member of Ingleside Club, a member and past president of the Women's Faculty Club at WSU and active in her church.
The Ella Miles Schafer Scholarship Fund was established at Washington State University by Ella's husband and their children, George M. Schafer ( now deceased), Judith S.C. Hiss, and John F. Schafer, in memory of their wife and mother.
Award Requirements
Because of Ella Miles Schafer's long time interest in home economics, those considered eligible for Ella Miles Schafer Scholarships shall be full-time, regularly enrolled undergraduate students at Washington State University majoring in home economics.
Notes from a conversation with Judy Schafer Chevalley Hiss on her 90th birthday:
Edwin moved to a retirement home in Spokane and rented his house in Pullman to a faculty member with the stipulation that he could visit when he returned to Pullman. He left the car (likely a Pontiac) in the garage. He took the train from Spokane when he visited Pullman and walked to the garage to get the car and then drove back to the train station to get his suitcase. He attended a men's weekly luncheon club and the Kiwanas and the Wranglers Club when he visited in Pullman. Edwin's son Jack lived in Pullman during part of this time.
1976 Edwin G. Schafer died on July 8 at Riverview Terrace in Spokane, Washington. [17] He was born February 18, 1884, and his last residence was Spokane, Washington. [18] He was buried at Pullman City Cemetery, Pullman, Whitman County, Washington. [19]
Notes from Jack (John Francis) Schafer:
When I was a young teenager, I appreciated listening to my mother tell of her background and growing-up years, sometimes leaning nearby while she ironed. Being considerably younger than my brother and sister, I had her somewhat to myself in this particular era. Mother was born in Chicago in 1886, the second of nine children. Her name was Ella Frances Miles. Her parentage had a largely Canadian background with mostly English and northern Irish ancestry. Her father was an executive in the Armour Co., being the son of a former Armour partner (deceased 1891). Her early childhood was in LaGrange, a western suburb, from where her father commuted to his job in downtown Chicago by commuter train.
I know very little of her actual childhood, the things a child does or plays with. My information appears generally to be more of the "bean-counting" variety. Marion was two years older, "Johnny" (Frederick) was two years younger. The three of them, as the older children, went on some sort of a train vacation with their father some time before Mother was ten years old.
Following these three, there were Marshall, born in 1889, Dorothy in 1892, Douglas in 1893, Evelyn in 1895, Frank or "Dop" in 1896, and Peggy (Margaret) in 1899.
The winter of 1895-96 was especially tragic. Douglas--age 2--and Johnny--age 8--both died, of different childhood diseases of the era (Douglas: diphtheria, Johnny: meningitis), during that winter. Mr. Miles was diagnosed with tuberculosis to which he later succumbed, and I believe that Marshall also was very ill. I remember being very impressed with these happenings as our family, a generation later, seemed particularly free from these sorts of tragedies.
In 1898, the family moved from LaGrange to Omaha, Nebraska, where Mr. Miles was in charge of the Armour and Company operations. Presumably, this move was made on account of his health, either for a "better" climate or for a less demanding position. Mother's first year in high school at age 13-14 occurred in Omaha. Although only staying in Omaha for two years, she maintained contact with two friends, at least up into my childhood years.
The following year, the family moved to Longmont, Colorado, where Armour had a small plant at which Mr. Miles nominally worked, and the climate was "better." His health had deteriorated, and he spent much of the time in bed. Mother's second high school year was at Longmont. The parents also spent some time in Arizona, and Mr. Miles passed away early that year.
At the end of the school year--in 1901, the family consisting of Mrs. Miles and the seven surviving children, moved to Hamilton, Ontario, where Mrs. Miles' closest family members lived. Mother spent her third and last year of high school in Hamilton. She graduated from a three-year high school program at age 16 in 1902. She thus had three years in high school, each in a different city.
Mother remembered going to the beach at Lake Ontario, but not going into the water. As far as I know girls of her generation sat on the beach but didn't swim. Although we went to lakes in later years, I don't believe that she ever swam.
Mrs. Miles had two much younger sisters, Sarah and Nettie, who helped her with her young family, ranging in age from two (Peggy) to 17 (Marion) the year that they moved to Hamilton. She was 39 herself. The family income was greatly reduced, but apparently resources were adequate so that they were not poor, and Mrs. Miles did not work outside of the home.
Following high school graduation Mother enrolled in MacDonald Institute, in their initial year as a home economics school in Hamilton. After one year in Hamilton, the Institute moved to Guelph, I believe as part of the Ontario Agricultural College, later Guelph University. When in Guelph in 1984, Joyce and I visited a city museum which included several exhibits on the University and its components and their early history.
Mother moved with the Institute to Guelph, and graduated in 1904 from their 2-year program at age 18. (Her paternal grandmother died in Chicago earlier that year at age 64.) Although qualified to teach, Mother was too young to obtain a position, so returned home to Hamilton. Marion had graduated from a high school 4-year program the same year that Mother also graduated from high school and went on to a 4-year college nursing program, so was no longer at home. With Aunts Sarah and Nettie available, along with Mrs. Miles, I don't recall Mother talking about being heavily involved in child care during this period.
She went to work as a secretary for the Otis Elevator Company. Eventually, she obtained a position teaching junior high "domestic science" in Hamilton. During the summer of 1909 Mother attended graduate school at Columbia University in New York City, as an opportunity to upgrade her teaching credentials. She was 23 years old and had been out of college for five years. She returned to her position at Hamilton in the fall, but obviously was searching for new opportunities.
In the fall of 1909 Mother answered an advertisement in an educational journal or responded to a professional recruitment ad and accepted a position as Instructor in Home Economics at the Kansas State Agricultural College (now Kansas State University). I believe that she arrived by train in Manhattan, Kansas, on New Years Day of 1910, a few weeks short of 24 years old. The Kansas years seemed to me to be her years of closest friendships. It must have been a year of program expansion. Several young women joined the faculty that year. Their names are those that I remember best from my youthful conversations. Mrs. Van Zile was the Dean. There has been a Van Zile Hall on the KSU campus for many years. This new young faculty were apparently her "girls."
One of Mother's duties was to be in charge of the home demonstration program in which the students lived in cottages under her supervision and practiced the elements that they had learned in class.
My dad, a Kansas State graduate and an assistant in the Agronomy Department, returned to Manhattan with his new Master's degree from the University of Illinois in the summer of 1910. I don't know when they first met, but they courted over the next two years, and often double-dated with Mother's close friends from the Home Ec faculty. Upon his return from Illinois, Dad was promoted to Instructor in Agronomy, so these two daters were both instructors at the College.
Mother and Dad were married on August 16, 1912. Grandmother Miles and her five younger children had moved back to La Grange, Illinois. The wedding was held in her home. Dad's youngest brother, Raymond, an undergraduate at Kansas State came with him as best man. Dad and Mother honeymooned at the Wisconsin Dells and returned to Manhattan for the 1912-13 academic year. Mother lost her job immediately as did all married women of the era. They bought a home on Humboldt Street in Manhattan near the University. (Some 55-plus years later, when I lived in Manhattan, Dad and I toured this house, during one of his visits with us, courtesy of the then-current owner.).
Several of their contemporary friends were married about this same time as Mother and Dad. The two couples that I remember best are the Calls and the Conrads. Both Mrs. Call and Mrs. Conrad were Home Economics instructors with Mother. In contrast to Mother and Dad, these people spent their whole careers at KSU. Mr. Conrad was a long-term Engineering Professor. Mr. Call eventually became the Dean of the College of Agriculture. Of course, both Mrs. Conrad and Mrs. Call lost their jobs as Mother did.
Kansas State maintained a preparatory division for enrolling students who were not adequately prepared for college. Uncle Dop, who was about 16 at this time came to Manhattan and attended this program for a while.
In the fall of 1913 Dad obtained a new position as Professor of Farm Crops at Washington State College (now University), and Mother and Dad moved to Pullman, Washington.
Research Notes:
Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Pullman, Washington 99164-5610, Archives 104, College of Agriculture, Assistant Dean Records, 1947-1950 (Number of Containers: 18, Linear Feet of Space: 9, Approximate Number of Items: 9,620, reprocessed by Wendy E. Williams, 1982): The records of the Assistant Dean of the College of Agriculture consist of correspondence and administrative materials including budgets, reports, admissions information, scholarship applications and awards, and student advising records. During the time period covered by these records Edwin G. Schafer, formerly head of the Department of Agronomy, held the position as Assistant Dean. Because of Dr. Schafer's background, the collection also contains a great deal of information dealing with agronomy research. During 1947 and the first part of 1948 E. C. Johnson, Dean of the College of Agriculture, was involved in a special project in Latin America, leaving the Assistant Dean to handle most of the departmental correspondence and duties in addition to his regular duties of supervision of agricultural personnel--faculty, staff, researchers, and students--and administration of placement services for agricultural graduates.
Listed in the Kansas State library catalogue: A laboratory manual of agriculture for secondary schools, by Leland E. Call and E.G. Schafer. New York: The Macmillan company, 1912, 344 pages, LC Call Number: S495 .C16 (located in KSU Hale Library). The condition of Kansas seed corn by E.G. Schafer, Published by Kansas State Agricultural College, Experiment Station; 22, located in State Library of Kansas, Topeka, call number E 47.4:22
Who Was Who in America - Volume 7, 1977-1981: Edwin George Schafer (Deceased). Occupation: agronomist. Born: Jewell, Kan., Feb. 18, 1884. Son of John Christian and Mary Louisa (Klink) S.; B.S., Kansas State Coll., 1907; M.S., U. of Ill.; 1910; married Ella Frances Miles, Aug. 16, 1912; children: George Miles, Judith Evelyn (Mrs. Louis Chevalley), John Francis. Asst. in agronomy, Kan. State Coll., 1907-09, instr. in farm crops, 1910-13; prof. farm crops, State Coll. of Wash., and agronomist Wash. Agrl. Expt. Sta., 1913-51; head of dept. farm crops same, 1917-28. of dept. agronomy (farm crops and soils), 1928-48; asst. dean Coll. of Agr., 1947-51, emeritus prof. of agronomy 1951—; prof. of agr. Idaho State Coll., 1952-1954. Fellow A.A.A.S., Am. Soc. Agronomy (pres. Pacific sect. 1925-26); mem. Am. Assn. U. Profs., Alpha Zeta, Phi Kappa Phi, Alpha Gamma Rho. Conglist. Club: Kiwanis. Author: A Laboratory Manual of Agriculture (with L. E. Call), 1912; also various bulls, dealing with farm crops. Home: Pullman, Wash. Retired.
[1] Record of the Alumni of the Kansas State Agricultural College (Manhattan, Kansas: Department of Printin, Kansas State Agricultural College, 1914), 185, [GoogleBooks].
[2] Record of the Alumni of the Kansas State Agricultural College (Manhattan, Kansas: Department of Printin, Kansas State Agricultural College, 1914), 185, [GoogleBooks].
[3] United States Federal Census, 1910, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[4] Record of the Alumni of the Kansas State Agricultural College (Manhattan, Kansas: Department of Printin, Kansas State Agricultural College, 1914), 185, [GoogleBooks].
[5] Cook County, Illinois, Marriages Index, 1871-1920, [AncestryRecord].
[6] United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[7] United States Federal Census, 1920, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[8] Chronicling America, Historic American Newspapers, Library of Congress, [NewsChroniclingAmerica].
[9] United States Federal Census, 1930, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[10] United States Federal Census, 1940, [AncestryImage], [AncestryRecord].
[11] United States Federal Census, 1940, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[12] United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, [FamilySearchImage], [FamilySearchRecord].
[13] United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, [FamilySearchImage].
[14] U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].
[15] US City Directories, Pocatello, Idaho, City Directory, 1953, [AncestryRecord], [AncestryImage].
[16] Washington State University, Ella Miles Schafer Scholarship, [URL].
[17] Washington State Digital Archives, [Washington_Archives].
[18] United States Social Security Death Index, [FamilySearchRecord].
[19] Find A Grave Memorial 86016026, [FindAGrave].