Brief Life History of Ralph Dewey
When Ralph Dewey Brokaw was born on 15 June 1898, in La Porte City, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States, his father, Henry Kershaw Brokaw, was 35 and his mother, Eunice Nancy Rebecca Kennicott, was 33. He married Matilda Elizabeth Albertson on 30 November 1920. They were the parents of at least 3 daughters. He lived in Cedar Township, Benton, Iowa, United States in 1930 and Waterloo, Black Hawk, Iowa, United States in 1940. He died on 20 April 1988, in Black Hawk, Iowa, United States, at the age of 89.
Photos and Memories (0)
Do you know Ralph Dewey? Do you have a story about him that you would like to share? Sign In or Create a FREE Account
Family Time Line
Sources (18)
- Ralph Brokaw in household of Henry Brokaw, "United States Census, 1920"
- Ralph Dewey Brokaw, "Iowa, Delayed Birth Records, 1850-1939"
- Ralph Dewey Brokaw, "Iowa, County Marriages, 1838-1934"
Spouse and Children
Parents and Siblings
World Events (8)
1900 · Gold for Cash!
This Act set a price at which gold could be traded for paper money.
1913 · The Completion of the Keokuk Dam
The Keokuk Dam was completed in 1913 and began to power the surrounding area. It was the largest single capacity powerhouse in the world at the time. After World War II, the powerhouse was modernized and all the units were converted in 2002. It remains the largest privately owned and operated dam on the Mississippi River.
1922 · Oldest radio station west of the Mississippi
The Karlowa Radio Corporation, in Davenport, was issued a new license for broadcasting and with it they were randomly assigned call letters of WOC. The small studio was the first to reach the Iowa area and was identified as one of 21 stations that were desirable because of coverage area and performance. In September 1927, WOC became a member of the new NBC radio network and still is today. In 1932, Ronald Reagan got his first broadcasting job at WOC as a sportscaster and he returned in 1988 after his presidency tour. WOC is the oldest surviving broadcasting station in the middle Mississippi Valley and was the first to keep logs on their electrical consumption and their on-air programming.
Name Meaning
Altered form, under American Dutch influence, of French Brocard, a variant of Brochard . Compare Bercaw , Bragaw , and Burcaw .
History: Bourgan Brocard (also recorded as Broucard), a French Huguenot exile, came to Long Island in 1675 (via Germany), and Bourgon Brokaw, evidently the same person, was a witness in 1717 at the baptism at the Dutch Church in Jamaica, Long Island. Most of his family later moved to NJ. His descendants also bear the surnames Bercaw, Bragaw, and Burcaw. In the (US) National Huguenot Society's register of qualified Huguenot ancestors, the progenitor is listed as Bourgeon Broucard or Brokaw or Bragaw, and in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of America as Bourgon Broucard.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
Possible Related Names
Discover Even More
As a nonprofit, we offer free help to those looking to learn the details of their family story.