USA > Iowa > Marion County > History of Marion County, Iowa, and its people, Volume II > Part 10
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When the war was over Mr. Derry returned to Marion county and has since followed farming. For seventeen years he carried on general agricultural pursuits in Washington township and for five years he has lived in the village of Columbia. At different times he has lived in various parts of the county but has always depended upon farming as a means of livelihood and of supporting his family comfortably.
On the 13th of August, 1866, Mr. Derry was united in marriage to Miss Mary Allen, a daughter of George and Elizabeth Allen, and to them five children were born, as follows: Katie, the deceased wife of Don Smith; Norah, who gave her hand in marriage to James Myers; Austin and Oscar, twins, the former deceased; and Stella, who is the wife of Frank Harkins. The wife and mother passed away January 30, 1914, leaving a husband and three children to mourn her loss, and her remains were interred in Columbia ceme- tery.
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Mr. Derry is independent in politics but maintains a general interest in public affairs and gives his cooperation to plans and movements for the welfare of his community. Five years ago he retired from active business life and took up his abode in Columbia, where he is now residing, enjoying well merited rest that has come to him as the direct reward of persistent, earnest labor intelligently directed. He has lived in the county continuously for fifty-four years and many are the changes which have occurred during this period-changes which have placed Marion county on a par with the older counties of the state in all that makes for civilization and improvement.
J. F. WILLIAMS.
J. F. Williams, residing on section 31, Clay township, owns and operates a farm of two hundred acres in Clay and Liberty town- ships part of which has been in his possession more than a quarter of a century. He is numbered among the worthy native sons of Marion county, his birth having here occurred on the 20th of August, 1857. His parents, S. C. and Sarah M. (Salliers) Williams, both of whom were natives of Kentucky, removed to Indiana and subsequently came to Iowa, spending the remainder of their lives here. They had ten children, seven of whom still survive.
J. F. Williams attended the common schools in the acquirement of an education and when sixteen years of age left home and began providing for his own support by working as a farm hand. In 1887, having practiced strict economy, he had accumulated sufficient cap- ital to buy land of his own and in that year came into possession of forty acres. In 1894 he bought eighty acres more and in 1900 another eighty-acre tract, so that he now has two hundred acres in Clay and Liberty townships which he operates. He erected modern and sub- stantial buildings on the property and brought the place under a high state of cultivation and improvement, the well tilled fields annually yielding bounteous harvests in return for the care and labor which he bestows upon them. He cultivates the cereals best adapted to soil and climate and also devotes considerable attention to stock- raising, both branches of his business bringing him a gratifying annual income.
In 1883 Mr. Williams was united in marriage to Miss M. C. Rose, a native of Marion county, Iowa, and a daughter of Richard
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and Matilda (Glenn) Rose, mention of whom is made on another page of this work in connection with the sketch of T. R. Gregory, a brother-in-law of Mrs. Williams. For six terms prior to her mar- riage the wife of our subject followed the profession of teaching in this county. They have two children. M. W., who was born May 16, 1884, and now assists his father in the operation of the home farm, wedded Miss Sylvia B. Whitlatch, by whom he had two children : Macel, deceased; and Laverne. Elma A. Williams is still under the parental roof.
Mr. Williams exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party and has ably served in the capacity of school director. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Methodist Protestant church, to which his wife also belongs. They have spent their entire lives in Marion county and are widely and favorably known within its borders, the circle of their friends being almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintances.
WILLIAM R. HANNA.
William R. Hanna, one of the enterprising farmers of Clay town- ship, owning a good tract of land on sections 19 and 20, was born May 18, 1858, on the place which is still his home, his parents being Andrew J. and Sarah H. ( Knowles ) Hanna, in whose family of three children William R. was the eldest, the others being A. J. and Mary M. The father was born in West Virginia but was reared in Athens county, Ohio, where occurred the birth of the mother. They were married October 19, 1856, and at once left Ohio for Iowa, traveling by wagon across the country. They reached their destination in December, 1856, and the farm consisting of two hundred and forty acres of land in Clay township, Marion county, was purchased by Mr. Hanna May 1, 1856. His was the first farm in the county to sell for fifty dollars per acre. He became one of the foremost agriculturists of the state and had at one time three thousand acres. His prosperity was notable in that at different times he faced various hardships and difficulties, having at one time to pay a security debt of sixty-five hun- dred dollars on which he never received a cent. He possessed, how- ever, notable business ability and keen sagacity and as the years passed on well merited success in large measure crowned his labors. His political allegiance was given the republican party and he was called
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ANDREW J. HANNA
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to serve in a number of township offices. He died February 8, 1908, having survived his wife for about twenty-seven years, and they were laid to rest in Brackenridge cemetery.
William R. Hanna was reared upon the old home farm and pur- chased the place when his father removed to town. He further improved the property and is today one of the substantial agricultur- ists of Marion county, owning six hundred acres of valuable land in the county and also a smaller tract in Colorado. Upon his place are seen all of the equipments and accessories of a model farm of the twentieth century. The fields are well fenced, good barns and sheds furnish ample shelter to grain and stock and the latest improved machinery facilitates the work of the fields.
In 1880 Mr. Hanna was united in marriage to Miss Julia M. Rouze, a daughter of W. K. and Mary T. Rouze. They now have three children, namely: Laura M., who is the wife of Ed Osborn ; Cresco A., who wedded Miss Edith Haines; and Beryl W., at home.
Politically Mr. Hanna is a republican but has never held office nor is he desirous to do so. He prefers to concentrate his undivided attention upon his business interests and he has displayed sound judg- ment in managing his farm and enhancing its productiveness. His labors have been attended with excellent results and he ranks with the leading farmers of the county.
E. R. JORDAN.
E. R. Jordan is the popular and capable cashier of the Guaranty Bank of Knoxville, which is one of the reliable financial institutions of the city. He was born near Pleasantville in 1883 of the marriage of John and Mary E. (Ruddell) Jordan, both natives of Adams county, Illinois, where their marriage occurred. The paternal grandfather, William F. Jordan, came to this state in the '40s and entered the land where Pleasantville now stands. The father, who was a farmer and also a merchant, passed away in 1898 and was survived by his widow until 1903. He was the father of seven chil- dren, three by a former marriage, one of whom is deceased, and four by the mother of the subject of this review. Two of that family have passed away. Two uncles of our subject, Miles and Wesley Jordan, were prominent merchants of Pleasantville for a number of years.
E. R. Jordan completed a commercial course in Elliott's Busi- ness College after graduating from the public schools and at the age Vol .II- 7
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of seventeen years entered the Citizens Bank of Pleasantville as book- keeper and in time became cashier. In 1913 he accepted the position of cashier of the Guaranty Bank of Knoxville, in which connection he is still serving. The institution is a private bank and its owner- ship is vested in a copartnership comprising twenty-six members. It gives its depositors the largest security of any bank in the county, more than three thousand acres of lowa land, over twenty-seven hundred of which are in this county. Mr. Jordan's knowledge of business affairs in general and of banking procedure in particular has been of great value to the bank and has contributed in large measure to the prosperity which the institution enjoys.
Mr. Jordan was married in 1907 to Miss Lillis Hays, of Audu- bon, this state. He is a member of the Christian church and a dem- ocrat in his political belief. Fraternally he belongs to the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is past noble grand, and to the blue lodge and chapter of the Masonic fra- ternity. Since coming to Knoxville he has gained recognition as an energetic, prudent and successful business man and has also won many warm friends, who esteem him for his admirable traits of character.
SHELDON J. MARSH.
Sheldon J. Marsh, a prosperous farmer and stockman residing in Knoxville township, was born on the 14th of October, 1855, in that township, and is a son of Daniel Marsh, mentioned more at length elsewhere in this work. He has resided in Knoxville township during his entire life and gained his early education by attendance at the public schools. He was also a student in Professor McKee's Academy at Knoxville in 1875 and 1876. His home training pre- pared him well for the work of an agriculturist and upon arriving at mature years he decided to follow that occupation. He owns two hundred and fifty-five acres of productive land on sections 3, 4 and 8, Knoxville township, and has made many improvements upon his place, which is lacking in none of the equipments of an up-to-date farm. He follows general farming and his practical knowledge of the best methods of agriculture, coupled with his energy, insure's him good crops annually.
On the 10th of January, 1889, Mr. Marsh was united in mar- riage to Miss Susanna Griffith, who was born in Greene county,
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Pennsylvania, on the 15th of February, 1860. Her parents, Samuel and Juliana (Burris) Griffith, were both born in the vicinity of Morgantown, West Virginia, the former on the 30th of September, 1814, and the latter on the 9th of January, 1829. Their marriage occurred at Mount Morris, Pennsylvania, on the 11th of November, 1847. Mr. Griffith gave his time and attention to agricultural pur- suits in the Keystone state until 1868, when he came west with his family, arriving at Pella, Marion county, on the 14th of September of that year. The following December a removal was made to Wayne county and there he farmed for three years. At the end of that time he returned to this county and in 1876 he purchased the farm now owned and operated by his son, Samuel Ross Griffith. The place is on section 5, Knoxville township, and is a valuable property. Mr. Griffith served in the Civil war, enlisting in Com- pany F, Seventh Virginia Volunteer Infantry, on the 18th of Sep- tember, 1861. He participated in the battles of Winchester, Romney and Harrison's Landing and a number of other engagements. At Harrison's Landing he contracted a severe cold which eventually affected his eyes and he was sent to a hospital in New Jersey. The care which he received was unavailing and he was sent home totally blind. He lived twenty-six years after this, his death occurring on the 6th of August, 1888. He was of Welsh descent, his parents com- ing to this country from Wales. His wife was of Irish and English lineage, her maternal ancestors coming to this country from the Emerald isle in the seventeenth century. Her father, William Bur- ris, was an Englishman and married Miss Sarah Donley, a daughter of James and Susanna Donley. Mrs. Burris lived to a remarkable age, lacking but a month of rounding out one hundred and two years. Mr. Burris died April 19, 1850. The family were Methodists in their religious belief. Mrs. Griffith died on the 7th of July, 1907. Her daughter, Mrs. Marsh, is one of seven children, the others being : William Burris, deceased; Sarah, the wife of A. F. Conn, of Gar- den City, Kansas; Charles M., of Knoxville township, this county; James Donley, deceased; Edward F., of Denver, Colorado; and Samuel Ross, living upon the old home place in Knoxville township.
Mr. and Mrs. Marsh are the parents of five children: one who died in infancy; J. Howard, who was born December 1, 1893; Lila Gertrude, born April 13, 1895; Sheldon Perry, who was born Jan- uary 12, 1897, and died when a year and a half old; and Forrest Burris, born May 19, 1900.
Mr. Marsh is a republican, and fraternally belongs to the Ma- sonic order and is a member of the Eastern Star, as are his wife and
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daughter Lila. The family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church and manifest in many ways a keen interest in the growth of the organization. The high opinion which their neighbors enter- tain for them is the best testimony to the high standards of conduct that guide their lives and their friends are many.
ASHLIE WELSHER.
For two terms Ashlie Welsher served acceptably as county recorder and since 1911 has been engaged in the real-estate and insurance business in Knoxville and in the intervening three years. has negotiated a large number of real-estate transactions and has written many insurance policies. He was born in Lorain county, Ohio, on the 8th of November, 1857, a son of Alonzo and Mary A. (Rowland) Welsher, who were natives of Monroe county, New York, and Lorain county, Ohio, respectively. The paternal grand- father was Aaron Welsher, a native of New York who removed to Ohio and was a farmer by occupation. The maternal grandfather was Wildman Rowland, a native of Massachusetts, descended from Revolutionary stock.
Alonzo Welsher grew to manhood in Ohio and there learned the carpenter's trade. In 1852 he made the long and perilous journey overland to California and remained in that state until 1855. In that year he returned east and in 1856 was married. In September, 1861, he brought his family to this county, locating upon a farm in Franklin township, which he had purchased two years before. He continued to live here until his death, which occurred on the 17th of July, 1914. In addition to operating his farm he conducted a saw mill. His political adherence was given to the republican party and for three terms he served upon the board of supervisors. His widow survives and is well known and highly esteemed in her local- ity. To them were born two children: Ashlie, of this review; and Bertram R., who was killed in a railway wreck on the ist of Octo- ber, 1900.
Ashlie Welsher received a public-school education and in his youth also learned the principles of farming. After starting out in life for himself he devoted his time to agricultural pursuits until 1901, when he removed to Knoxville and in the fall of 1906 was elected county recorder. He performed so well the work devolving upon him in that capacity that he was reelected in 1908. His second
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term expired on the Ist of January, 1911, and since then he has been successfully engaged in the real-estate and insurance business. He is a man of energy, foresight and sound business judgment and these qualities insure his continued success in his chosen field.
On the Ist of November, 1882, Mr. Welsher was united in mar- riage to Miss Nannie J. Wilson, a daughter of Thomas and Ellen (Newbrey) Wilson. Her father served in the Civil war, enlisting from this county, to which he had come in the late 'sos. He was married here to Miss Ellen Newbrey, a daughter of John Newbrey, who was one of the pioneer settlers of the county but who in the '70s removed to Kansas, where he died when more than ninety years of age. To Mr. and Mrs. Welsher have been born four children: Ethel, at home; Earl, manager of the lumberyard at Melcher; Clinna, at home; and Don, who was born in 1894 and died in 1895.
The family attend the Congregational church and Mr. Welsher's political allegiance is given to the republican party. Fraternally he is a member of Oriental Lodge, No. 61, F. & A. M., and Tadmor Chapter, No. 18, R. A. M. His son Earl is a past master of Oriental blue lodge, a member of the Knights Templar commandery and the Mystic Shrine. Mrs. Welsher is past matron of the Eastern Star and both daughters also belong to that order and the Daughters of the American Revolution. Earl has been connected with the Iowa National Guard and has served as first lieutenant. Mr. Welsher has made an excellent record as a public official, as a business man and in all relations of life and enjoys the merited respect of his fel- low citizens.
CHARLES WHITLATCH.
The name of Whitlatch became connected with the history of Marion county during pioncer times, for among the early settlers in this section of the state was the family of which Charles Whitlatch was a representative. He was born in Ohio on the 24th of August, 1826, a son of Noah and Eva (Bible) Whitlatch, who were likewise natives of the Buckeye state, whence they removed to Indiana. They became residents of Iowa in pioneer times and both the father and mother spent their last days in Marion county.
Charles Whitlatch came with the family to this district and with every phase of pioneer life he soon became familiar. Many of the homes at that early day were built of logs. The fields were largely
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unfenced and there was not a little prairie land still unclaimed and uncultivated. Mr. Whitlatch became an active factor in the devel- opment of the farming interests of the county and throughout his entire life gave his attention to general agricultural pursuits. He worked on persistently and energetically year after year, turning the furrows in the early spring, planting the seeds, cultivating the crops and in due time gathering good harvests. He overcame difficulties and obstacles by determination and energy and in all of his business affairs was thoroughly reliable.
In this county Mr. Whitlatch was married on the 17th of Novem- ber, 1861, to Miss Millie Hall, a native of Indiana and a daughter of Martin and Susan ( Kee) Hall, who removed to Iowa in 1848 and settled in Marion county upon a farm which the father entered from the government. Both he and his wife died upon this place. In their family were eight children, of whom four are living. Mr. and Mrs. Whitlatch became the parents of seven children, as follows: Robert J., who operates the home farm; Mary J., who is the wife of Frank Mallory; John H .; one who died in infancy; Eva, who gave her hand in marriage to John Spaur; Edgar E .; and Pearl C., who died at the age of eighteen years.
Mr. Whitlatch provided liberally for his family through the conduct of his farming interests, which as the years passed on brought to him a creditable measure of prosperity. He did not seek to figure prominently in any public connection but was a devoted husband and father, a faithful friend and a public-spirited and progressive citi- zen. After his demise his widow sold the old homestead and is now living in the village of Attica, where she owns and occupies a pleas- ant residence. She is a Protestant in religious faith and throughout her entire life has displayed many sterling traits of heart and mind which have endeared her to those with whom she has been brought in contact.
THOMPSON CRAIG.
Possibly no man alive today in Marion county has seen greater changes in the community than Thompson Craig, who for sixty years has lived here, an interested witness and an active participant in the work of transformation that has brought the county out from a pioneer environment and secured for it all of the advantages and opportunities of modern civilization. He was born in Fayette
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county, Ohio, December 24, 1826, and has therefore passed the eighty-eighth milestone on life's journey. His parents were John and Sarah Ann Craig, who reared a family of five children, all of whom are now deceased save the subject of this review. The parents lived and died in Ohio, leaving their son Thompson an orphan when he was but six years of age.
He was early thrown upon his own resources and worked as a farm hand in Highland county, Ohio, until he reached the age of fifteen, when he sought the opportunities of the new and growing west, finally arriving in Marion county, Iowa, in 1854. A brother had come to the county a short time before and had entered from the government all of section 6, Indiana township, for five men. Of this Thompson Craig received one hundred and twenty acres and upon the farm has resided continuously since, devoting his life to general farming and stock-raising. As the years passed on he con- verted the wild prairie land into rich and productive fields. He had to perform the arduous task of breaking the sod and many other dif- ficult labors incident to the development of a new farm. When he arrived here the county was largely unimproved, some of the now thriving towns and villages had not yet sprung into existence and the county seat was but little more than a hamlet. One could ride for miles over the territory without coming to a fence or habitation to impede his progress, but the value of the country was becoming rec- ognized and soon notable changes occurred, for settlers came to claim the wild land, which soon passed from the hands of the gov- ernment into the possession of individuals and was converted into rich farms. Mr. Craig used practical methods in carrying on the farm work and in the course of time gathered abundant harvests as a reward for his labors.
On the 25th of October, 1849, occurred the marriage of Mr. Craig and Miss Judith Painter, a daughter of John and Phoebe (De Poy) Painter, who lived and died in Ohio. They had a family of nine children, all of whom have passed away with the exception of Mrs. Craig, who by her marriage became the mother of eleven children, namely: Eli A. and Henry S .. both of whom are deceased ; John O .; Samuel A .; Emma R., the wife of Joseph Geisinger; Wil- liam S .; Della, the widow of Joseph Jenkins; Benjamin Franklin; Thomas Arman, who died at the age of two years; May, the wife of J. Jenkins; and Noka Valentine.
In his political views Mr. Craig has always been a republican since the organization of the party but has never sought nor desired office and has never served in a public position save that of school
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director. His time and energies have been concentrated upon his farming interests and his home place today bears no resemblance to the claim upon which he settled more than six decades ago. He and his wife made the journey westward by wagon, ofttimes having to ford the streams. Many of the homes in this locality were log cabins and the work of progress and development seemed scarcely begun. There was a spirit of helpfulness, however, that bound the carly settlers closely together. They had many mutual interests and they were always willing to assist one another, while the spirit of hos- pitality reigned supreme. In the years which have come and gone Mr. and Mrs. Craig have enjoyed the friendship of all with whom they have come in contact and they are today numbered among the most highly esteemed and vencrable couples of the county, sixty-five years having passed since they started out on life's journey together as man and wife.
EDWARD HARVEY.
No history of Marion county would be complete were there failure to make prominent reference to Edward Harvey, who is one of the self-made men and pioneer settlers of this part of the state. He was born in Fayette county, Ohio, on the 18th of March, 1831, a son of Washington and Sidney (Hinkle) Harvey, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Virginia. They became resi- dents of Ohio at an carly day and therc the mother passed away in 1848. The father afterward married again and later removed to the west, settling in Marion county, Iowa, where he resided until his death, being accounted one of the leading and representative agri- culturists of his community. He had a family of nine children, of whom Edward is the eldest and the only one now living.
Edward Harvey left home at the age of eightcen years and was employed at farm labor up to the time of his marriage, when he be- gan farming on his own account in Ohio, there remaining for two years. In 1853 he arrived in Iowa and took up his abode upon the farm in Marion county whereon he now resides. He entered the land from the government. His first home was a log cabin covered with a clapboard roof, and there was a mud and stick chimney and a puncheon floor. The door had its latchstring, which usually hung on the outside-an indication of the hospitality which reigned among the pioneer settlers. After occupying that primitive home for a
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