Grace Irene Benoit, youngest of the thirteen children of Mary Ann Dondanville and Lester Benoit, was born in Clare, Iowa on May 25, 1888. She married William Aaron Winter at St. John's Church in Gilmore City, Iowa on September 29, 1908. William, known as Bill, was one of four children of James J. Winter and Susannah Johnson. He was born in a sod house in McCook, Nebraska, September 24, 1887. His family moved to Iowa in 1890. Bill left home at an early age and traveled to Northern Minnesota where he worked as a farm laborer and completed his education at Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis.

Bill returned to Iowa where he found work in a cement plant in Gilmore City. It was at this point that he met Grace. Following their marriage Grace and William established their first home on a farm near Rolfe, Iowa. Their first child, James Jerome, was born there January 20, 1910. A daughter, Evon Doretta, was born July 25, 1913. William Aaron Jr. and Clarence Lester were born in the mid 1920s. William Jr. died at about age three and Clarence died a few weeks after birth. A fourth son, Robert Dale, was born June 15, 1928 in Rolfe.

Having lost two sons at vary young ages, Grace and Bill became concerned, following the birth of Robert, with the importance of easy access to emergency medical care. They gave up the farm at Rolfe and moved to a farm in Buffalo Township near Titonka, Iowa. Richard Pierre was born in Titonka on February 15, 1930 and Evon graduated from high school there in 1931. They lost that farm in Buffalo Township during the depression and moved to Algona, Iowa in 1934.

In Algona, Bill Winter worked initially at golf course maintenance for the country club. He put his mechanical skills to use designing and installing a sprinkler system for the course. As the economy improved he went to work for Kent Motor Company, the local Ford Dealership. With the shortage of auto parts during World War II, Kent began rebuilding flathead V-8 engines. Again Bill put his mechanical skills to use. Kent Manufacturing was established as a separate company. Universal Manufacturing, a supplier of rebuilt auto parts, eventually acquired Kent Manufacturing. Bill remained with the company until his retirement.

Bill died at University Hospital in Iowa City, April 11, 1963. Grace died in Algona on October 7, 1982. They were buried in Calvary Cemetery in Algona.

James Jerome Winters 1910 - 1974
born in Gilmore City, Iowa, 1910, grew up near Rolfe. He changed his last name from Winter to Winters In 1930 he married Erma Mildred Pavey. Two daughters, Gwendolyn Grace, '31. Erma Jean, '32.Died in California on February 7, 1974

Evon Doretta Winter 1913 - 2002
born in Gilmore City, Iowa, 1913. Raised on farms near Rolfe. Married Russell Leonard Cook on June 17, 1936 in Fairmont, Minnesota. Only child, Janis Lee, was born in Algona in '37. Evon died in Carroll, Iowa in 2002. Russell continues to live in Carroll in 2004.

Robert Dale Winter 1928 -
born in Rolfe, Iowa, 1928. married Ruth Forsberg on November 17, 1949, eight children; Marsha Ann, '51; Diane Marie '53; William Albert, '54; Cynthia Yvonne, '55; Deborah Kaye in '57; Bruce Leonard, '59; Steven John, '61; and Jennifer Lynn in '65.

Richard Pierre Winter 1930 -
born in Titonka, Iowa, February 15, 1930, married Louise Ann Farrow from Ledyard, Iowa in 1956, six children: David Aaron, '57; Alaine Louise , '58; Mark,'61; James , '63; Donna Suzanne , '64; and Karen Ann, , '67.

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