Data source is the 1990 book, "Moomaw-Mumma-Mumaw-Mumaugh Genealogy" compiled by Robert Austin Moomaw (deceased).
LEROY MOOMAW
Leroy Moomaw was one of several men who in the 1920's believed that Russian crested wheatgrass was well adapted to the dry, cool growing conditions of northern and western states in the U. S. Leroy writes "Now several million acres in the U. S. and Canada of it are testifying to our faith in it." Leroy spent most of his working career as an agronomist at the Experiment Station of the University of North Dakota of Dickinson, North Dakota. Please see the "Notes" on his son, James Curtis Moomaw, who followed in his father's career footsteps as an agronomist worldwide.
Leroy had a love of family and its history. He prepared one of the first outlines of the Moomaw family. It contained 13 mimeographed pages in the early 1940's and was only preceded by Moomaw history done by Frank Ray Moomaw.
On the death of his beloved wife Louise Marbut Moomaw, he wrote "As one who respects the laws of heredity and character of the individual, I tell my sons the best thing I have ever done for them was to choose Louise for their mother."
North Dakota Death Index
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Name (Last, First Middle) Date of Death County of Death Gender Age Date of Birth State of Residence County of Residence
MOOMAW, FLORENCE 10/06/1926 Stark FEMALE 5 DAYS 10/01/1926 North Dakota Stark
MOOMAW, RUTH 10/01/1926 Stark FEMALE 15 MINUTES 10/01/1926 North Dakota Stark
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[The following article was written by Leon A. Moomaw in 1967 and transcribed from the original handwritten document by Robert A. Moomaw on January 3, 2007]
LEROY MOOMAW
One mid-afternoon in August our telephone rang. In answering, a man said "this is Leroy Moomaw. I am at the library. Could I see you for a short while." I responded, stay right there and I will come down and get you. We recalled having visited his family in their Missouri home about 10 years ago. We were always almost startled when hearing anyone with the name "Moomaw" since it was so rarely heard. However in this case we knew it to be a distant relative. We brought him to our home and persuaded him to stay overnight with us.
That evening my wife and I visited with him and showed him some family pictures. We learned his life story. He began as an agronomist doing work in the northwest part of the United States before coming to the Experiment station at Dickinson, North Dakota in 1919, where he stayed for 31 years especially working with the development of pasture grasses. Upon leaving, they moved to southwestern Missouri mainly because this had been the childhood home of his wife. Her family had started a large dairy operation. This was a beautiful country well adapted for such a venture. With the very best of cows and modern equipment, it became a successful business. His youngest son helped him one year making valuable improvement but decided he wanted to do different work.
As we visited that evening, we found him to be a highly educated man capable of discussing most any subject. His wife had passed away two years before. He had sold the dairy and all of his land. The three sons had each received a good education and are efficient in their lines of work. Each has a home and family of his own.
When we asked for his address he spoke rather sadly "I really don't have a home or any permanent address." We asked what was his mission on this trip. He responded, "I am all alone. I am growing older but still physically able to do some work. I feel like I should continue to do something worthwhile. For years, I have been interested in crested wheat grass, having begun experimental work in 1915. I am now visiting Experiment stations to find out what work they have done. I go to universities and libraries to see what material they have. I want to get their estimate of its value and its power of resistance to dry weather. I want to meet people who have grown crested wheat for pasture and get their opinion, and wish to contact seed dealers to get their ideas of value as reported by growers. He had been almost a month on this trip visiting in western Kansas, eastern Colorado, western Nebraska and Wyoming. He wanted in the future to go to Utah, Arizona and New Mexico but was then on his way to North and South Dakota.
The next morning it seemed to me it was with reluctance he prepared to leave. We had talked of our kinship which had perhaps created a closer tie. As I saw him drive away my mind was filled with many thoughts. Here was a man grown older having given his life in distinguished service for the development of agriculture. The death of his wife had deprived him of home and companionship. He had developed a splendid business but none of his sons wanted it, which forced him to sell everything. He was far beyond retirement age and could spend the rest of his time in leisure but no, the call to service, the urge of duty kept him pushing on toward the sunset. How different from many who are demanding more leisure, longer vacations, and above all less work and responsibility.
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His tombstone can be viewed at
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mobarry/cemetery/oakhill/oak-1/DSCN1176.JPG