Grace Chamberlain - a busy senior
Grace Chamberlain is a senior citizen who provides house keeping services for over 20 homes and offices and "house sits" weekends for customers and friends. Grace is a good role model for those of us who are aging. She is upbeat, pleasant, and friendly. When I questioned her motivation, she said, "I enjoy getting out instead of staying home alone. I like to keep moving." When I last visited with Grace, she was "house sitting" at Reba Lamb's home with Reba's dog "DJ."
Grace Chamberlain was born on a farm near Shelby, Nebraska. She went to rural school and then to high school at Rising City and graduated from the National Business Institute at Lincoln, Nebraska. Her parents, Henry and Bess Chase, became disenchanted with the unpredictable rain fall in Nebraska. In 1946, Henry and Bess Chase, and their three children, Billie, Grace, and Eva, and a nephew, Kent White, moved to Clarke County, Iowa. The Chases’ bought a farm three miles north of Hopeville. While waiting to get possession, they rented a farm east of Osceola on the road to Liberty.
Grace Chamberlain began working for Bankers Life in Des Moines. Since she didn’t have a car, Grace went by bus to Des Moines where she lived week days and returned to Osceola on weekends. She met her future husband, Francis Chamberlain, at East Chapel Church which was east of Osceola. Francis was the Sunday School Superintendent.
Francis Chamberlain and Grace Chase were married in 1947. For three years they rented a farm from Olin Marquis before buying a farm on what was known as the Hopeville Trail in southwest Clarke County. They would eventually own 520 acres which is bordered by the Hopeville Cemetery on the west. The farm was originally owned by Dr. Jesse Emery who sold the land to his son who built the present two-story farm home in 1865.
The Chamberlains’ early neighbors included the Don Pierson and Homer Reasoner families. Francis and Grace Chamberlain have two daughters and five sons, Jeanne, Rebecca, Bob, Jim, John, Mark, and Steve. Grace Chamberlain still lives on the Chamberlain farm. She said, “I don’t want to leave here, in a few more years I will have been here 60 years.” The Chamberlain pasture land is rented to Nate Ruby who lives across the road.
Grace Chamberlains’ home site is very scenic. From the large porch on the south you can see across the valleys to the plateau where the town of Hopeville was located. The scene is framed by many Austrian Pine, Cedar, Walnut, Hickory, and Chestnut trees that Grace planted. She is proud to have lived to see the trees grow to maturity. Grace said she once read that you should plant a tree for every year of your life. She wouldn’t admit her age, but said it approximated mine. That’s still a lot of trees!!!!
Grace’s husband, Francis Chamberlain died in 1994. Family members who live in the Murray area are daughter Jeanne Gaumer and husband Randy Gaumer, sons Jim Chamberlain and wife Julie, and Mark Chamberlain. Rebecca Pennington and husband Russ Pennington, live near Lucas. Steve Chamberlain and wife Mary Chamberlain, live at Lorimor. Bob Chamberlain and wife Kathy Chamberlain, live at Tulsa, Ok. John Chamberlain, and wife, Barbara Chamberlain, live in Ithaca, N.Y. Grace Chamberlain has 17 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.