A long time before my Great Grandfather, Lawrence Dale Zea, and his sisters Louise and Lucille, and brother Kenny lived in Illinois the Zea family lineage began in New York. Our lineage spawns from hard working laborers in an unknown town in New York.
My great-great-great-grandfather, George Washington Zea, was born in New York on December 10, 1854 to Sylvester Zea and Margaret Maria …show more content…
He was born November 27, 1927 to Lawrence and Ida Zea. He served in the Army stateside during World War 2 and again during the start of the Korean War. As an experienced veteran he took the same values of dedication his father took. From hard labor to preaching and teaching to both young and old. He served as Chaplain for American Legion post 679. The position of chaplaincy has a long and honorable history. As chaplain Lawrence was able to encourage and lead the other members through moral and spiritual growth. He was a sign of reminder that all Americans have God who is the source of all rights and privileges. He was truly meant for the position as throughout his entire life he sought out to help people wherever there was a need. For Thirty Four years he worked on the Chicago and North Western Railroad. This railway is one of the oldest railroads in the midwest. It is the first railroad to have a train running out of Chicago. Even after working he continued to serve the community. While living in carpentersville for 40 years he was truly a dedicated Pastor for the First Baptist Church of Meadowdale. He and his wife, Beverly, did everything together.While living in Chicago they would visit the Somerset House, which was a residence for senior citizens. For years they brought desserts and joy to the residents of the house. On Christmas they would visit the senior home to bring gifts to the …show more content…
Born November 8th, 1936 in Iowa in an area called “The Cabbage Patch”. The majority of her childhood was stricken by poverty. In the time of the Great Depression she recalls having no money and potbelly stove in her living room. During this time her father was the city marshall, so when one afternoon her father caught her with stolen candy he made her throw it in the potbelly stove and followed by placing her in a jail cell for about 20 minutes. As she puts it “I never wanted to steal anything again”. When she became older she managed a deli, and also worked at a packager at a meat locker company. In 1980 she opened a diner named “Ruby’s” which she ran up until 2003 when her husband got sick. But during the time before she married her second husband and was still married to the first. She owned the business she adopted Michael James after she had lost 3 children of her own, and her sister in law had him out of wedlock. It was on this same day that she adopted Michael that her divorce papers went through, and she purchased the first house she had owned. Now she currently resides in both Humeston Iowa, and Rockport,Texas. In an attempt to avoid the winters in Iowa she spends 6 months in Iowa and the other 6 in