W-1891-BLES.DOC

 

1891  Landau-Simpson

 

born

1891-06-27  Byron Daniel Landau  Kanona Ks

18__-__-__  Edna Simpson  Jennings Ks

married

1916-11-04  Kanona Ks

 

died

1949-06-12  Council Bluffs Iowa

1927-01-27  Council Bluffs Iowa

father

1856  William Landau

               Simpson

mother

1860  Nancy French

 

#1 child

19xx  Jarrell  Landau

               Anita

 

 

                      Byron Landau                                                               no known photo of Edna

Byron left home after finishing high school. An early undertaking was to help build an out house for Holden and sister Neva. Byron married his boyhood sweet heart Edna Simpson, from Jennings a near by small town, and went to work for the Union Pacific Railroad. They bought a home in Council Bluffs and Byron drove across the river to Omaha where he worked at their main office. Byron was successful and became head of their accounting department at a time when records were kept by hand. Though they were upgrading their methods, it still required a considerable staff. I once there with Dad when I was in grade school, and was able to visit with Jarrell for a few days. Jarrell was and innovative energetic kid and fun to be with. He arranged for us to wrap and place potatoes in a pile of raked up leaves, then light the pile creating a bond fire. We and other kids roasted hot dogs in the embers and pulled the potatoes out and ate them. It was fun and the trip ended too soon.

 

                        Jarrell                                                            Jarrell at home in Council Bluffs

Jarrell in front of Grandmother Landau’s home Oberlin KS about 1934

Grandmother in white on sidewalk by her Model-T she’d drive to Kanona. Oberlin High School in background – after school hours you could hear the kids practicing on their instruments.

After Edna died, Jarrell and Byron lived together while Jarrell finished school.  Jarrell was offered an excellent job with Union Pacific. After a couple years in engineering school Jarrell married Annita & Byron moved to an appartment. I accompanied my dad Rell and uncle Wayne on a trip to visit Byrons when I was in high school. While the brothers visited I became acquainted with Annita, and Jarrell showed me about Council Bluffs. At the time we had no idea that I would soon be there for another visit, this time while in service stationed at Lincoln Nebr.

Byron died of a heart attack a few years after WWII and was brought back to be buried beside Edna at Jennings. All the family gathered there as Byron was the first of them to go and it came as quite a shock. Several of Byrons friends from Omaha came for the funeral. All of us cousins liked to visit with Byron, there never seemed to be enough time. Jarrell always felt close attachments to the family and was one of the prime movers of any family activity. Byron and Jarrell seemed to have inherited grandmother Nancy’s get-up-and-go.

Brothers:                 Rell                            Wayne                    Byron  Council Bluffs about 1939

Rell                                          &                                     Byron

Brothers: Wayne, Rell, Byron, Earl (William not present)

with Mother Nancy  about 1933, Nancy died in 1934