Lewis & Anna’s marriage license, dated Dec. 27, 1884. Lewis was the last of six children born to Silas and Martha Stout, who were Indiana farmers and members of the Society of Friends. Anna was the daughter of Willis and Naomi Kenworthy, also Friends. Willis was a part-time pastor as well.

In 1913 Lewis self-published a genealogy of his family in booklet form, and called it A Branch of the Stout Tree. It begins with his grandparents and their 12 children, and traces all of the descendants through 1911. This booklet must have been quite popular, as it was updated many times. The latest copy that I have was published in 1952, long after Lewis’ death. All of the versions of this book begin with a retelling of the legend of Penelope Stout.

Above is a composite of three pages from the Stout guest book from an open house at the new parsonage in Wichita, Kansas in 1910. Wichita is the place where the Stouts first met the Votaws, and the signatures of several members of the Votaw family appear here. Names that I recognize in these lists: Harold Votaw (age 7), Joseph and Sarah Ann Votaw, Mildred Stout (age 7), Vera Votaw (Boyce), Clayton Votaw, and Vernon Votaw.

This photograph of the Stouts on their horse-drawn carriage is not dated, and we don’t know anything about the occasion on which it was taken. Looking at the age of Lewis and Anna in the picture, we can be fairly certain that by that time they would have acquired an automobile (see photo below). Perhaps this photo was taken at the retirement of the horse-and-buggy.

Here is Lewis with daughter Mildred standing with what appears to be a new car. Based on Mildred’s apparent age, and on the receipt which appears below, I believe this car to be a Maxwell from about 1910 or 1911. It’s certainly a wonderful family vehicle.

This is a receipt for a “Dodge Brothers Business Sedan” which Lewis purchased in 1922 for $1,290. He received $100 trade-in value for his “used Maxwell” which would have been more than 10 years old at the time.

Opportunities to fly in an airplane must have been pretty rare in 1920. But Lewis apparently got such a chance, took it, and got the certificate!

This is the house in Plainfield, Indiana, which Lewis had built for himself and Anna later in life. Anna passed away in 1924, and Lewis gave this house to Mildred and Harold Votaw when they married in 1926. This is where they lived when Dick was born.

Lewis’ parents were farmers, and Lewis and Anna started their marriage as farmers. Like his father (Silas Stout), Lewis kept careful records, using a paper journal, one of which is pictured above. Below are two pages from that journal.

The above journal pages are from 1890, and include notes about the crops, farm animals, church meetings, weather, and the new baby. Daughter Tirzah had been born in March, and on the six-month anniversary of her birth Lewis writes “Gertrude is very good to take care of Tirzah. We leave the baby in her care while we milk.”

The above photo includes Lewis, Anna, Tirzah and Mildred standing near the church parsonage (a home provided by the church) in Azaliah, Indiana. The home is a simple one, not large, suitable for the “plain” living espoused by Quakers.

One hundred years ago in America’s midwest, salaries paid to pastors were quite small. For example, Lewis Stout’s salary as pastor of the Union St. Friends church was $1,500 for the year 1924. Congregations who loved their pastor would occasionally surprise him with special gifts – sometimes money, sometimes food. The above article tells about the surprise gift of coins given by the Wichita church, which Lewis served as pastor beginning in 1909.

Lewis kept track of family births, deaths, and other important events in his diary. These pages contain his records of Mildred’s birth, the death of some of his siblings, and Anna’s cancer surgery.

Anna Stout, wearing what must have been one of her best dresses. It appears in several pictures of her.

This photo shows the couple in their early years – probably at about the time that Lewis began doing pastoral work, in the 1890s.

In this short video clip my grandmother Mildred talks about her mother, Anna Stout, and the special relationship that they had.

The letter transcribed below was sent by Anna Stout to Mildred when Mildred was in college. Anna was worried because Mildred hadn’t written, and the fears revealed in her writing are ones that we’ve all had rattling around in our heads on occasions when we haven’t heard from our loved ones. 

In the letter, Anna says that she would use the phone, but it’s so expensive. But maybe if she doesn’t hear soon – she would resort to that act of desperation.

Lewis’ postscript is funny, and reveals the difference between the two parents.

In this picture, which probably dates from the mid-1920s, Mildred has a big grin on her face and Lewis is looking disgusted. I think that the whole thing was a set-up – the sisters were just having fun with their dad.

This small newspaper article tells about a “food surprise” given to Lewis and his family when they were pastors at Carmel Friends meeting.