Unfortunately, I know very little about my great grandmother.  She died when my grandfather Charlie was only 6 years old and whenever I would ask about her, he would always respond, "I never really knew my mother...but, I remember that she loved me."

Louise Marie King was born on February 23, 1885 in St. Louis Co., Missouri.  Her parents were Wilhelm and Marie Beverforden King. Wilhelm was a stone mason who practiced his trade in St. Louis.

Louise's young life is a mystery to us, but we know that she had a son named William prior to meeting Charles Daniel Halfaker, Sr.  Charles met Louise while working in St. Louis and they fell in love and married on January 30, 1905.  They soon moved to Bourbon, Crawford Co., Missouri and started their family.  Their children are as follows:

Serelda Evelyn Halfaker  b: March 4, 1906
Carrie May Halfaker  b: December 13, 1908
Ernest Herman Halfaker  b: January 30, 1910
Charles Daniel Halfaker  b: December 5, 1911
Louise Halfaker  b: April 29, 1914
Bertrum Leroy Halfaker  b: September 24, 1916

The family bought property shortly after their first daughter was born and built a home on what is known as Blue Springs Road outside of Bourbon.  They had several joyfilled years in this area as their family grew, until the winter of 1917.  Charles had gone to St. Louis to find work to help support his family during this cold winter.  The children had all had the flu and colds and Louise had spent many hours watching over them and making sure that the wood fire did not go out during those cold nights.

Early in December, Louise had become sick with what was known as Inflamatory Rheumatism and later suffered a stroke.  She was confined to her bed and Charles returned home immediately upon getting word of his wife's condition.  She suffered for almost a month and died on January 6, 1918.

Life would never be the same for her husband or children.
 

**Much of the information contained on this page comes from "The Halfaker Family History" written by William E. Rohrer.  William is the youngest son of Serelda Halfaker Rohrer.

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