USA > Iowa > Clarke County > Biographical and historical record of Clarke County, Iowa > Part 24
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girl is married to S. M. Gilbert and now resides in Salem, Dakota. At the reunion of veteran Union soldiers, held at Creston, Iowa, August 17, 18, and 19, 1886, Mr. Wil- son was chosen as Colonel of the First Bat- talion and commanded with credit.
HARLES URY, farmer, section 25, Jackson Township, was born in Kana- wha County, West Virginia, March 31, 1853. His parents, William and Esther Ury, were born, reared and married in that State. They immigrated to lowa, first set- tled in Mahaska County, where the father improved a farm on the original prairie of that county. The mother died in 1869, the father soon afterward moved back to his former home in West Virginia and now lives in Meigs County, Ohio. Charles Ury was the second in a family of eight children. He has been dependent upon his own re- sources since fourteen years of age. He came to Clarke County in 1871 and en- gaged in farm labor for F. C. Mills, remain- ing with him six years. In September, 1878, he purchased the farm he now owns and occupies. It had been partially im- proved, a house was built and seventy acres broken. In addition to the home farm of 160 acres, he owns seventy-three acres in two different tracts, thirteen acres being in Franklin Township. Mr. Ury has five brothers and two sisters living-Samuel is in Missouri ; John in Pottawattamie County, Iowa; Thomas in Mills County ; George in Clarke County ; Mrs. Angeline Schell lives in St. Louis, Missouri ; Laura and Frank live with their father in Ohio. Mr. Ury is politically a Republican. January 24, 1878, he was married to Mary C. Marvin, born in Jackson Township, January 4, 1861. Her father, Runa Marvin, enlisted in the Thirty- ninth lowa Infantry, in the war of the Re- bellion, and died in the service. He was a
native of Indiana. Her mother, now Mrs. Abbylene Gardner, lives in Jackson Town- ship. Mrs. Ury had two sisters, Elizabeth and Charlotte (both died young), and two half-sisters, Cora and Florence Mills, both living in Jackson Township. Mr. and Mrs. Ury have had four children-Albert W., Esther A., Herbert E. and Runa E. Mrs. Ury inherited about $3,000 from her father's estate. She is a member of the Christian church.
OHN HARLAN is a native of Darke County, Ohio, born January 19, 1825, a son of James and Nancy Harlan, the former born in Kentucky, May 1, 1801, and the latter in Indiana, June 2, 1803. James Harlan lived in Kentucky until fifteen years of age, and then accompanied his parents to Ohio, where he lived until 1851. He followed agricultural pursuits in Ohio, and was moderately successful, but in 1851, to better his condition, con- cluded to try his fortunes in the West, and accordingly, moved with his family to Lec County, Iowa, where he lived fifteen years, and in 1866 moved to Van Buren County, where he lived about twenty years. His wife died May 4, 1885, and he soon after left Van Buren County and has since made his home with his son John in Clarke County. John Harlan was reared in his native State, and after attaining manhood engaged in agricultural pursuits. In the fall of 1865 he moved to lowa, and settled in Fremont Township, Clarke County, buying 160 acres of land, to which he has since added twenty acres, and has now one of the best farms in the township. He was married November 26, 1846, to Asenith Hubbard, daughter of Silas and Elizabeth (Anderson) Hubbard. Of the six children born to them but two are living-Andrew C. and Lafayette H. Addison Monroe,
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Mary Catherine, Rosalie and an infant daughter are deceased. In politics Mr. Har- lan is a Republican. He has held various township offices, and is an efficient and faithful public servant. Mrs. llarlan is a member of the Christian church. Her father was a soldier in the war of the Re- bellion, and served about fifteen months, when on account of sickness he was sent home on furlough, but died twenty-four hours after his arrival.
OSEPH S. MORRIS, one of the rep- resentative citizens of Liberty Town- ship, residing on section 3, was born in Harrison County, West Virginia, March 31, 1829, a son of C. L. and Jane (Bumgard- ner) Morris, the father being born in the same house as our subject, July 29, 1803, and the mother a native of Augusta County, West Virginia, born December 31, 1806, of German ancestry. The parents of our subject had a family of four children, Joseph S. being the eldest. Mary E., died aged eighteen months; Mrs. Nancy H. Withers, lives in Osceola, lowa, and Adam T., of Sheridan County, Nebraska, who en- listed in the Eleventh West Virginia Vol- unteers at the age of sixteen years, in 1863, and proved a gallant and efficient soldier. He served under Sheridan in the closing scenes of the war, culminating with the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. The family, with the exception of Adam T .. came to Clarke County, lowa, from West Virginia, in April, 1865, the father making his home at first in Fremont Township. The mother died at Medora, Warren County, Iowa, April 5, 1882, the father still living, a resident of Medora. In carly life . he worked at the carpenter's trade, which is also the trade of our subject, and while superintending the erection of a Baptist church at New Virginia, in the fall of 1874,
he was very badly injured by falhng fron. a ladder, from the effects of which he has never fully recovered. Both parents were members of the Baptist denomination, Joseph S. Morris, our subject, received a good education in his youth, and at the age of eighteen years began teaching school in his native State. He followed that pro- fession for many terms, teaching several winter terins in his present neighborhood. At the election upon the ordinance of se- cession, he was clerk at Big Bend, Calhoun County, Virginia, and cast one of the six- teen votes against the ordinance, and sey- eral of the sixteen patriots were murdered by guerrillas within a few days. Mr. Morris was rejected upon offering himself as a soldier, but was of great service to the Union as courier, guide and pilot, and all that lay in his power to help the cause of the Union he did. Mr. Morris settled on his present farm in 1867, where he owns a valuable farm of ninety acres, beside which he is the owner of property in the village of Medora, Warren County. March 14, 1867, he was married to Susan A. Stacy, who was born in Washington County, Ohio, July 9, 1840, a daughter of A. W. Stacy, a native of Ohio, who located in Liberty Township, Clarke County, with his family in 1854, living there till his death in April, 1881. He was an ardent Republican in politics. In religious belief a Universalist. llis wife was also a native of Ohio. She died on the homestead in Liberty Town- ship, February 7, 1874. Mr. and Mrs. Morris have nine children all living at home-Walter C., Gertrude M., Mary E., Margaret J. and Harriet J. (twins), Olive B., Robert A., Joseph A. and Austin H. Mr. Morris is an active worker in the in- terests of the Republican party in Clarke County, and is one of the leading speakers in this part of the State. Mrs. Morris was the eldest of her father's family, her broth- ers and sisters being as follows: William
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H .. of Warren County ; Charlotte M., wife of Adam Morris, of Sheridan County, Ne- braska; Mrs. Harriet J. Stacy, of Warren County ; Caius M., of Liberty village; Sam- uel Austin, living in Nebraska ; Osmer Miles, of Ord, Nebraska; Mrs. Effie E. Twombley, of Liberty Township; Mrs. Vesta A. Smith, of Fremont Township; Joel D., died aged seventeen years, and Alvin Luke, living in the village of Liberty. The ancestors of the subject of this sketch came to America long before the Revo- lutionary war, and several of them are favorably mentioned in the history of the country, Thomas Morris (United States Senator from Ohio) being his great-uncle.
EMON BENNETT, residing on sec- tion 25, Madison Township, Clarke County, Iowa, was born in Putney, Vermont, April 8, 1822, a son of Samuel Bennett, a native of the same town, now deceased, and a grandson of Samuel, a na- tive of Rhode Island, of English descent, his ancestors being among the early settlers of Rhode Island. His grandfather, with three of his brothers, served in the Revo- lutionary war, Samuel Bennett, Sr. being the only one to return alive. Soon after the war closed he settled in Putney, Ver- mont. He had a family of twelve children, his son, Samuel Bennett, having been a sol- dier in the war of 1812. Our subject was reared on a farm, and received good edu- cational advantages, attending the academy in Townsend, and the Waterville College (now Colby University), and later went to Dartmouth College, at Hanover, from which institution he graduated in 1848. He then' read medicine for one year, and at- tended lectures at Woodstock, Vermont. He went to Tennessee in 1849, and was en- gaged in teaching in Fall Branch Seminary in Washington County, for twenty-one
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terms of five months each. He taught one term in Chattanooga, and was teaching the Rutherford Academy, at Kingsport, Tennessee, when the war broke out, and being of Union sentiments he was obliged to leave the South at a sacrifice of $4.500. He located in Warren County, Iowa, in July, 1861, and the following winter taught school at Indianola. He then went to Des Moines, where he taught school for one year, remaining there till 1867, when he came to Clarke County. On coming to Clarke County he settled on his present farm, which he had entered in 1852. He has followed the teacher's profession in Clarke County for four terms, and also fol- lowed carpentering for four years. He is now devoting his attention to farming, stock-raising and dairying, and is now the owner of a good farm containing 160 acres of well-improved land. Mr. Bennett was married in July, 1852, to Eleanor J. Wright, daughter of James Wright, deceased. They have had seven children, six are still living -James S., Lemon, Jolin F., Frances M., Mary J. and Ella M., all being married but James and Lemon. Mr. Bennett is a mem- ber of the Baptist church.
TOIIN W. STIFFLER, deputy post- master at Murray, was born in Guern. sey County, Ohio, the date of his birth being October 5, 1859, the eldest son of Wesley and Rachel (Neel) Stiffler, of whom the mother is deceased. John W., our sub- ject, was reared principally on a farm, re- ceiving a fair common-school education. Af- ter leaving school he taught for three terms, beginning in the fall of 1881. His principal occupation has been farming, which he fol- lowed till January, 1886, when he was ap- pointed to his present position. He has been a resident of Clarke County since 1868, coming with his parents in the spring of
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HISTORY OF CLARKE COUNTY.
that year. He was united in marriage March 13, 1883, to Miss Samantha A. lindes, her father, Samuel Hindes, being a resident of Madison Township, Clarke County. Mr. and Mrs. Stiffler have one child, a daughter named Mabel. Mr. Stiff- ler is classed among the active and enter- prising young men of Murray, and during his residence in Madison Township held the office of constable for two years. IIe was nominated on the Democratic ticket for county surveyor in the fall of ISS3, but was defeated at the polls by 149 votes, in a Republican county of 565 majority. He is a member of both the Masonic and Odd Fellows' orders.
Mary M. Whisler, of Clarke County, her father, Thomas L. Whisler, having come to this county in 1854 from Marion County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Morrow have two sons-Francis E. and Robert E. After his marriage Mr. Morrow settled on a farm where he followed agricultural pursuits till 1873, when he moved to Osceola, and became associated with his father in the agricultural implement business. I.le dis- posed of his interest to his father in 1876, who carried on the business until his death. In the meantime William E. Morrow had spent a year in Colorado, but on the death of his father in 1884 he returned to Osceola, and took charge of the business in which he is still engaged. He keeps a full line of everything pertaining to his business, and has a well-established trade, his business house being located on the west side of the square. Mr. Morrow is a member of the Masonic order, and is a comrade of the Grand Army of the Republic.
ILLIAM E. MORROW, dealer in agricultural implements, Osceola, and one of the early settlers of Clarke County, was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, near Fort Washington, May 15, 1846, a son of Thomas A. and Esther (Scott) Morrow, the father a native of Bel- mont County, Ohio, born September 26, P. SMITH, one of the enterprising and successful farmers of Knox " Township, is a native of Fairfield County, Ohio, born June 8, 1832. His pa- rents, Warren and Catharine (Peters) Smith, were natives of Massachusetts and Virginia respectively. They had a family of five children-A. P., E. H., Henry C., Laura, and one who died in infancy. A. P. being the eldest child he was obliged to assist with the work of the farm during his youth. He received his education in the schools of his native county. He was united in marriage September 5, 1852, to Mary Hudgel, of Fairfield County, Ohio, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Hudgel. They are the parents of eight children- 1814, and the mother born August 26, 1815. in Chester County, Pennsylvania. The father is now deceased, his death occurring July 29, 1884. The mother is still living. They had born to them four children, two sons and two daughters, all of whom are yet living. William E. Morrow was brought by his parents to Clarke County, lowa, when he was but ten years of age, they locating in Knox Township. Ile was reared on a farm, his education being received in the common schools of his neighborhood, and at the graded school at Garden Grove, Iowa. After finishing his education he began his career as a teacher, following that profession both winter and summer till after his marriage when he : Elizabeth C., John M., George W., D. W., taught only during the winter terms. He . Thomas, William, Ezra and Eddie. In 1860 was united in marriage October 20, 1869, to : Mr. Smith came with his family to Clarke
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County, lowa, locating in Knox Township on eighty acres of section 24. To this he has added by subsequent purchases till he now owns 236 acres of highly-culti- vated land. with comfortable house, barn and other farm buildings. He has three fine orchards, and his larm is one of the best in the township. In connection with his farming he is quite extensively engaged in raising and feeding stock. Mr. Smith began life almost without means, but by industry and good management has ac- quired his present fine property. In pol- ities he is a Greenbacker.
OSES T. JOHNSON, dealer in hardware and agricultural imple- ments for the Osceola Hardware Company, is a native of Indiana, born in Owens County, August 19, 1846, a son of F. W. and Electa J. Johnson, who were both natives of Indiana, the mother born near Greencastle. His paternal grand- father, David Johnson, was a native of Vir- ginia, and his maternal grandfather, Fred- erick Barrows, was a native of Vermont, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. Our subject's parents had a family of twelve children, six sons and six daughters, seven still living, three sons and four daughters. Moses T., the subject of this sketch, was but eight years old when his parents moved from Indiana to Clarke County, lowa. FILLIAM MAYTURN is a native of England, born January 27, 1837, a son of Charles and Charlotte - - (West) Mayturn. In 1852 he left his native country in company with his father and sailed for America. Two years later he left his father in the East and started for the West. He stopped in White Pigeon, Mich- igan, a short time, working at anything he could find to do to better his finances, and then proceeded to lowa in company with They settled some five miles northwest of Osceola on a farm, remaining there two years, when they removed to Osceola where Moses T. was reared to manhood, attending the schools of that town, and later entered the State University, at lowa City, where he pursued his studies for one vear, after which he spent two terms at Adrian College, Michigan. He then re- ! turned to Osceola, and entered his father's dry-goods store, assisting his father till he . J. H. Woodbury, who owned land near
was twenty-four years of age, when he was married to Miss Samantha J. Ream, of Osceola, a native of Pennsylvania. Soon after his marriage Mr. Johnson went to Montgomery County, Kansas, where he ran a store at Radical City, his father being associated with him in the business. He subsequently returned to Osceola, Iowa, and was variously engaged for a time, when he embarked in the general grocery business which he followed about four years. He then disposed of his business and settled on a farm where he followed farming for two years, when he again lo- cated in Osceola. In 1884 he entered the hardware store of the Osceola Hardware Company in the capacity of clerk, which position he still holds to the entire satisfac- tion of his employers. Mr. and Mrs. John- son have one daughter named Pearl. Mr. Johnson was elected a member of the city council in March, 1886. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, an organization in which he takes an active interest. In 1875 he went on an extended tour through California, thence to Oregon, and from there to Washington Territory. Mr. John- son is associated with his brother, Thomas A. Johnson, in raising and dealing in cattle in which they are meeting with fair suc- cess.
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. Garden Grove, Decatur County. lle worked for Mr. Woodbury about four years, when he induced his father to come West, and he then lived with him until his marriage. Immediately after his marriage :. he, went to Franklin Township, Decatur County, where he had previously bought Icioo acres of land. He lived there until : 1868, when he removed to Clarke County . arand bought the old Hawkeye saw and flour -. ining mill at Osceola, which he ran two years. I !. In 1870 he bought a farm of sixty acres in : F:Fremont Township, to which he has since aradded 192 acres, and now has one of the !! b.best farms in the township, all under culti- vacation, with pleasant and comfortable build- ining .:. improvements. . Mr. Mayturn has alalways taken an interest in the welfare of nihis township and has represented his fel- lolow-townsmen in various official relations. AtAt :present he is acting treasurer of the totown board. In politics. he is a Republican. HI He was married November 24, 1862, to MMiss Barbara Ann Hartman, a native of In- cidiana, daughter of John F. and Susan (Outstadt) Hartman. To them have been b born seven children-Nellie, Willie T., " Grace G., George, Mary, Byron and Rosa. Willie. and George are deceased. Mr. Mayturn and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, at New Vir. = ginia.
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P. HALLING, farmer, section 11, Jackson Township, was the son of @ John P. and Elizabeth Halling, and was born March 23, 1818. Ilis father died in Germany, province Schleswig Holstein, at the age of seventy-eight years. His mother died when he was four years of age. He married November 21, 1851. Mrs. Halling was born August 30, 1828. Her parents, Matthias and Lena Schmidt, also died in Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Halling have had five children-Marie, John, Mat-
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thias, H. P. and Lena. They came to the United States with the hope of bettering their condition. . They landed in Castle Garden May 29. 1869, and immediately proceeded westward. They reached Lyons, Clinton County, lowa, June 4, and re mained there until September 17, and in October, 1869, came to Woodburn, their present home. 'Mr. Halling brought a cap- ital of about 83.000 to this country. His fine farm contains 200 acres of well-im- proved land. He is a thorough, practical farmer, and his property shows. care and thrift." He is quite extensively engaged in stock-raising .. . Both Mr. and Mrs. Halling were reared in the Lutheran faith. In pol- itics he is a. Republican. In local politics he may be classed Independent.
BOYLE, an active and. enterprising business man of Osceola, who is also extensively engaged in breeding and raising stock, was born in Cornwall, Eng- land, November 14, 1837 .. When eleven years old he was brought to America by his parents, John and Mary (Lennox) Boyle, who settled in Canada West. After the mother's death the father returned to Eng- land where he died in 1885. L. Boyle, our subject, began his career as a clerk at the early age of twelve years, and was em- ployed in that capacity by various parties tillattaining the age of manhood. In 1861 he came to lowa from Illinois where he had lived a number of years. He located at McGregor, where he remained two years, engaged in the dry-goods business with his two brothers. Ile then returned to lowa, and in the fall of 1868 came to Clarke County, and engaged in the grocery business at Osceola, to which he has since clevoted the greater part of his time. Ile keeps a well assorted stock of family gro- ceries, and by his strict attention to the
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wants of his customers, he has built up a large trade. Mr. Boyle also owns a good farm of eighty acres, and is engaged in raising horses of a high grade. He has at present twenty head of fine horses, among which may be mentioned Little Crow, Jr. Mr. Boyle was united in marriage in 1864, to Miss Sarah Nickerson, of Canada, and to this union have been born six children -Jessie, wife of Harry Gifford, of Creston; Carrie, Edith and Alice (twins), and Ethel and Harry (twins). Mr. Boyle is one of the prominent citizens of Osceola, always taking an active interest in every enterprise which tends toward the public good.
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ATTHIAS KERR, living on section 3, Liberty Township, is a son of Arthur and Hannah Kerr, pioneers of that township, they being the first set- tlers in the northeastern part of the same. The parents were born and reared in Penn- sylvania, but married in Ohio, and when our subject was about five years of age they located in De Witt County, Illinois, coming thence to Clarke County in the spring of 1853, when they settled on section 3, Liberty Township. Here the father in)- proved a farm and followed agricultural pursuits successfully till his death, having at that time a valuable farm of 160 acres. He died October 29, 1882, at the age of seventy-two years. He was one of the most active and energetic of the pioneers, and won the confidence and esteem of a large circle of acquaintances. Ilis widow still survives, and is making her home with her son John in Fremont Township, this coun- ty. They reared a family of nine children of whom eight still survive-James, a resi- dent of Montana since 1861; John, of Fre- mont Township; Matthias, our subject; Mrs. Margaret Ann Davison, of Osceola Town- ship; Mrs. Isabell Hite, of Warren County;
Isaac, of Sac County, Iowa; William of Warren County, and Mrs. Ellen Michaels, of Van Wert, Decatur County. Marion, the sixth child, contracted disease while in the army, and died about thirteen years later of consumption. Matthias Kerr, our sub- jeet, is a native of Harrison County, Ohio, born February 5, 1839. He remained with his parents until twenty years of age, when he went to MeLean County, Illinois, and enlisted in the defense of his country, July 25, 1861, a member of Company D. Seventh Illinois Infantry. Illinois had sent six reg- iments to the Mexican war, thus the first regiment in the civil war was called the seventh. Mr. Kerr participated in the hardly-contested battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh and the battle of Corinth in October, 1862. His regiment was at and, in the vicinity of Corinth in the fall of 1863, and there re-enlisted as veterans, and in May, 1864, joined Sherman's forces. Mr. Kerr was taken prisoner while on scouting duty, and for a time was confined in Anderson- ville prison, and the suffering he underwent while in that Southern prison pen has aged him fast. Ile left there under special car- tel for exchange of sick November 20, 1864, and was discharged on account of disabil- ity from Chestnut Hill Hospital at Phila- delphia, June 15, 1865. While in Ander- sonville he lost part of his right foot by gangrene, and now receives a pension of $12 per month. After leaving the army he returned to Illinois, and in the spring of 1866 married Mary Allen, and immediately after their marriage went to Madison Coun- ty, Nebraska, Mr. Kerr building the first house in that county, where the city of Norfolk now stands. Mrs. Kerr died of consumption in June, 1867, aged twenty-five years, leaving at her death, one child, Har- land, who is now with his father. After the death of his wife Mr. Kerr came to Liberty Township where he has since resided. For his second wife he married Hannah J.
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Trumbo, July 25, 1865, a daughter of the pioneers John and Sophie Trumbo. Her parents came from Allen County, Indiana, to Liberty Township, Clarke County, Iowa, in 1855, and are still living on their old homestead on section 2. Mrs. Kerr is a native of Allen County, Indiana, the date of her birth being January 18, 1840. Mr. and Mrs. Kerr have five children-Bertie May, Mary Ann, Frederick O., Don and. Bessie Ellen. Mr. Kerr now has a fine home on section 3, where he owns 120 acres of choice land under excellent cultivation. In politics he is an ardent Republican. He has served his township as trustee, and by his upright and honorable dealings he has gained the confidence and respect of all who know him.
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