David Rury is the middle child of 10 children, born in 1902. His father Amos Rury was a coal miner and farmer in Southern Illinois. His grandfather and great grandfather Frederick Jr and Sr came to America from Prussia in 1839 coming in through Louisiana and up the Mississippi to Steeleville, IL. David and three of his brothers Frederick, Alfred and Oren came up from Sparta, IL (near St. Louis) by train and headed north to Galena in the 1920's. I don't know if they came at the same time or after one came up the others came later.

Interview: Val Rury, Compiler: Ken Rury, Poulsbo, WA, Dec 1993 & Feb 2001
David only went to school to the 2nd grade and then worked in the mines. Never really learned to read, write or do arithmetic very well. His wife myrtle always did the finances, until they turned it to there son Val.

David worked in construction prior to farming. Myrtle Trevethan's family lived next to the Ford farm where David worked and that's how they met. He went to dances and parties together. They married in 1928, with Myrtle's sister Fannie as maid of honor and vice versa when Fannie married. They lived in a small one room house in Savanna where David worked for a construction contractor for the Savanna Ordinance Depot and in the winter drove a solid tire truck across the Mississippi carrying ammunition. In 1929 David and his wife Myrtle rented a farm in Gilford Township and sold a Model A Ford to buy a horse, cow, 2 sows and an old car. He also would borrow a horse from his brother Fred to make a team. In 1931 they moved to and rented the Miller farm. Myrtle's dad John died in 1930, which eventually led to them renting the Elizabeth Trevethan farm in 1935 near Council Hill. Her brothers Albert & John had been helping their mother with the farm. During this period their were family arguments regarding the farm, which carried on most of their lives. In 1943 they bought the Elizabeth farm in Thompson TWP. In 1956 they bought Anton Schap's old 15 acre farm with unused blacksmith shop in the middle of Schapville. They remodeled the house, did some pig farming and started the David Rury Feed store abt 1960.

Anton Schap was a pioneer blacksmith in Schapville, (the town was named after his father, Anton Schap Sr) and for many years son Melvin worked with his father in the business. Schap retired and sold the Schapville place to David Rury, but died by end of year.

Interview: Joan Rury, Compiler: Ken Rury, Poulsbo, WA, Jan 1997
Joan, (daughter of David and Myrtle Rury) lived on the Elizabeth farm from infant (1943) to 15 years old (1958). She was part of a 4H type club and had her own cow that her dad gave her. She had to milk it and keep track of how much milk the cow gave. She remembers hiding in an old house behind the barn whenever her mom wanted to brush her hair. Joan had long hair and it was a lot of work brushing, curling and keeping it nice. This house behind the barn was made out of mud and straw and was not in very good shape. David would store hay or feed in the basement of the house. There was a great climbing tree next to it. She didn't swim in the rivers, because they were too shallow then. Later her father bought 150 more acres below the river and from the main road to the cow paths and did some rerouting of the river. This caused a better swimming hole to form where the two rivers met. Joan would trap animals like skunk, muskrat, and raccoon along the river with her dad. Joan told about a cow that didn't like her and trapped her one day behind a beam. Val her brother climbed through the cow's legs to rescue her.

Joan and Val are 12 years apart. Joan says there is very little she remembers of Val as a child, because by the time she was old enough to know him he was leaving home for the Air force and getting married in New Mexico. Joan remembers having ration cards and still has some.

In Nov 1955, David Rury rented the Elizabeth farm to his son Val, who later bought it. David bought a 15 acre farm in the middle of Schapville. David's health was not well and needed something that required less work. The farm had an old blacksmith shop and in the upstairs coffins were made. The gas pumps was already there, but were not used by David. The pumps were later removed. David raised pigs. They turned the blacksmith shop into a grocery store that carried almost anything, penny candy, ice cream, bread and other food stock, nuts & bolts, Rooster & Manamar feeds, seed corn, twine and other farm necessities. The potbelly stove remained and was a common place for kids as well as adults to hang out and play cards and gossip. It kept the kids out of trouble.

In 1974 they traveled on vacation to Indiana and southern Illinois.

To show how important the Rury Store was to the community here is an excerpt from a sermon by Dr. Roane Deckert, Easter, 1999, "Sonrise".
http://www.npcusa.org/sm990404.htm
"In my first parish, a little country church, two of my favorite people where two elders named Roy and Willis. Roy lived near the manse and Willis lived across Mill Creek about five miles upstream. They were as different as day and night. Roy was a large rather blunt man, given to loud conversations salted and peppered with colorful stories and aphorisms. Willis was tall and slight, sensitive and given to diplomacy. Roy was the road commissioner which meant that he graded the gravel roads, and all the roads were either gravel or dirt in those days. Roy knew everyone in the township. Willis was a dairy farmer along Roy?s regular grading route.

One day they had an argument. I don?t remember what it was about. But they wouldn?t speak to each other after that. Willis? feelings were hurt and Roy was stubborn. So days, and weeks and months grew agonizingly into two years with the two men avoiding each other. At Rury?s feed store where the community gathered to gossip, exchange speculations about the weather, talk about the price of farm products and play cards they would pointedly ignore each other. They avoided each other at church. Their wives, who were good friends, grieved over the hostilities. The entire township knew about Roy and Willis?s fight and how neither would speak to the other.

One day, Willis climbed the long hill from his farm in the valley and met Roy at his mailbox. He signaled Roy to stop his machine and turn off the engine it was time to talk. "Enough is enough," he told Roy. "This nonsense has gone on too long. We have been good friends for too many years to carry on like two wet hens. I?m willing to let bygones be bygones if you are. Shake?" The two old friends shook hands and disconnected from the past hurt which was casting a dark shadow over their lives."

Grandson Ken Rury's Memories of Grandpa David
When David retired from farming he owned and operated Rury's Schapville Feed Store, Rural Route 2 Elizabeth, IL, phone 29R32 which was the center focus of Schapville. People met there to warm up around the pot belly stove, tell stories, and play cards. Schapville is between Elizabeth and Scales Mound and east of Galena, IL. Grandchild Ken remembers buying ice cream and soda pop. He also remembers mowing their lawn, which had to be cut just the right way. Grandpa David made these marble toys that rolled a marble down a red wooden track back and forth until it reached the bottom. It was a simple toy, but it kept us kids busy for hours. David loved to fish and catch crawdads and frequently took his grandchildren along. Some of us just didn't have the patients and preferred to swim instead. Grandma Myrtle always kept a clean house, with lots of doily cloths around and a glass china cabinet. We used to ring the house from the store on an old fashion crank phone and everybody had a party line and you could hear other people talk. Grandma had an artificial silver Christmas tree with red and blue ornaments we would decorate each year. Very rarely we might spend the night there and I can remember the smell of the guest bedrooms. They smelled like an old antique, not a bad smell. Like a room that hasn't been touched in many years. Grandma loved to play cards Canasta, Kings Corners, Rummy, Spite&Malice even Slap Jack and also Scrabble. As I look back on it she had a wonderful patience for us kids. I remember her teaching us how to make rhubarb pizza and cookies.

Grandpa and Grandma had a camper that they kept at Leisure Lake outside Dubuque, IA, which they used to vacation to and go fishing. They eventually bought a mobile home there for retirement about 1974. It was during this time that Grandpa had gotten an infection in his toe, which ended up with one leg being amputated about1976 (age 72) and the other leg Nov 1979. Grandpa didn't let this stop him and he still would get in his boat to go fishing. He showed me not to give up and there is plenty of life to be lived after even the most difficult challenges. I rarely saw him complain and never feel sorry for himself.

In 1978 they had a 50th Anniversary party in Preston, IA. In November 1978 they flew to Seattle, WA to attend their granddaughter Kim's wedding. I remember taking grandpa in a wheel chair to see the King Tut exhibit. Our family flew out from Wisconsin, our first plane trip. In Oct 1979 they moved to Maquoketa, Iowa to be near their daughter Joan and closer to a hospital. Grandma and grandpa also came to Washington for granddaughter Karen's wedding in February 1981.

When we moved from WI to WA we drove down to Iowa to see them. Grandma Myrtle flew to Washington in 1984 for my wedding and stayed several months. Myrtle was only 122 lbs down from 200 lbs. Grandma David flew to Washington for Val and Anelle's 35th Anniversary and that was the last time I saw her. She was much thinner then, but looked good. She still loved to play cards. I never remember her complaining about anything. As long as I can remember she always sent each of us kids a birthday card with a dime for each of our years, but no more than $1.

Two wonderful books written by Archie Liberman describe the families and friends in the Schapville area. The first book was called Farm Boy (I don't have a copy, but would like to get one), the second was called Neighbors, A Forty-Year Portrait of an American Farm Community. This second book has a picture of the DAVID RURY FEED store with the Rury's from Kenneth W. to grandpa David, and Joan (Rury) Oldag's children and the people and places in Schapville. It also has a picture of Anelle Rury stitching a quilt. If you grew up in Jo Daviess county or find life on the farm and rural community interesting this is a wonderful book. It can be ordered for $40 from LANDS END Direct Merchants at 1-800-356-4444 for a limited time. Farm Boy is already out of print.

• Married: 5 SEP 1928 in Council Hill, Jo Daviess, IL
• Note: In 1978 a 50th Anniversary party was held in Preston IA. In attendance where the families of their two children Val & Joan and their neighbors of Preston.

1. Val Edward Rury b: 6 FEB 1931 in Scales Mound, Scales Mound Twp, Jo Daviess, IL c: ABT 1940 in Methodist Church, Galena, Jo Daviess, IL
2. Living

1. Title: CENSUS 1910: CUTLER PRECINCT, PERRY CO., IL (Date: 29 April 1910)
   Text: Microfiche: Roll 315 E.D. 69 S.D. 16 Sheet 7A Home 57 Family 47
   RURY, Amos A., Head, 38 yrs, married 20 yrs, bp IL, parents bp Germany, spoke English, Farmer, General Farm, Own Account, read, write, farm schedule 46
   RURY, Ida E., wife, 39 yrs, married 20 yrs, 10 born, 9 living, bp IL, parents bp IL, farm laborer, general farm, working own account, read, write.
   RURY, Fred E., son, 19 yrs, single, bp IL, parents bp IL, spoke English, read, write, not attending school.
   RURY, Bessie F., daughter, 17 yrs, single, bp IL, parents bp IL, spoke English, read, write, not attending school.
   RURY, Alfred W., son, 16 yrs, single, bp IL, parents bp IL, spoke English, read, write, attending school.
   RURY, Irene V., daughter, 13 yrs, single, bp IL, parents bp IL, spoke English, read, write, attending school.
   RURY, David E., son, 9 yrs, single, bp IL, parents bp IL, read, write, attending school.
   RURY, Pearl B., daughter, 6 yrs, single, bp IL, parents bp IL, not attending school.
   RURY, Ora J., son, 4 yrs, single, bp IL, parents bp IL, not attending school.
   RURY, Elmer R., son, 2 yrs, single, bp IL, parents bp IL, not attending school.
   RURY, Herman J., son, 4/12 yrs, single, bp IL, parents bp IL, not attending school.
2. Title: CENSUS 1920: SPARTA PRECINCT EXCLUDING SPARTA CITY, RANDOLPH CO., IL
   Date: 14 Jan 1920
   Microfiche: Roll 396 E.D. 124 S.D. 17 Sheet 6B Home 57 Family 47
   RURY, Amis, Head, 48 yrs, married, read and write, bp IL, parents bp Germany, spoke English, Farmer, farm schedule 82
   RURY, Ida, wife, 48 yrs, married, read, write, bp IL, parents bp IL spoke English.
   RURY, Fred E., son, 28 yrs, single, read, write, bp IL, parents bp IL, spoke English, laborer, home farm, wage.
   RURY, David E., son, 17 yrs, single, not attending school, bp IL, parents bp IL, read and write, laborer, home farm, wage.
   RURY, Verna, daughter, 15 yrs, single, attending school, read and write, bp IL, parents bp IL.
   RURY, Oren, son, 13 yrs, single, attending school, read, write, bp IL, parents bp IL.
   RURY, Elmer, son, 11 yrs, single, attending school, read, write, bp IL, parents bp IL.
   RURY, Herman, son, 9 yrs, single, attending school, bp IL, parents bp IL.
3. Title: Census 1930, IL, Carroll, (Savanna Twp, Savanna City, Ward: 4); [PageDetail], ED 8-17 SD 1 Sheet: 6A & 6B, [RollNo], [Form], NARA T626-408.
   Text: Enumerated: 7 Apr 1930
   House: 147 Family: 151
   Rury, David E., head, owned house worth $1200, not a farm, male, white, 28 yrs, married at age 26, can read/write, bp IL, father bp IL, mother bp IL, citizen, laborer construction company, not currently employed, unemployment schedule line 29, not a veteran.
   Rury, Myrtle L., wife, female, white, 21 yrs, married at age 19, can read/write, bp WI, father bp IL, mother bp IL, citizen, no occupation
   
   House: 159 Family: 163
   RURY, Alfred W., head, own house value $3000, radio, not on farm, male, white, 36yrs, married age 21, read/write, bp IL, parents bp IL, Native Tongue Code State 61, cars fairer (ticket taker?) for Steam Railroad,
   RURY, Virginia A., housewife, female, white, 33 yrs, married age 18, read/write, bp IL, parents IL, Native Tongue Code State 61
   RURY, Paul A., son, 13yrs, in school, read/write, bp IL, parents bp IL, Native Tongue Code State 61
   Sheet: 6B
   RURY, Clyde E., son, 11yrs, in school, read/write, bp IL, parents bp IL, Native Tongue Code State 61
   RURY, Alfred W., son, 3 months, single, not in school, bp IL, parents bp IL, Native Tongue Code State 61
4. Title: Obituary: David Rury
   MAQUOKETA, Iowa - Services for David Rury, 80, of Maquoketa will be 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. John's Lutheran Church, Preston. Burial will be in Preston Cemetery. Visitation is 2 to 9 p.m. Friday at Miller Funeral Home, Preston. Mr. Rury died Tuesday at his home.
   He operated a feed and general store in Schapville, Ill. Mr. Rury married Myrtle Trevethan in 1928 in Galena, Ill.
   Survivors include his wife; a daughter, Mrs. William (Joan) Oldag, Preston; a son, Val, Puyallup, Wash.; nine grandchildren; two foster grandchildren; a sister, Irene Woodside, Venedy, Ill; and brothers, Elmer, Cambridge, Ill and Herman, Prophetstown, Ill.