The Brown Families of Jasper County, Iowa

REV. ELIJAH S. BROWN.

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Rev. Mr. Brown, now living retired in Jasper county, is known and beloved not only in this locality but throughout the state as well. His has been a remarkable career, without a parallel, perhaps, in that for forty years without a break he did not take a day's vacation, nor was he incapacitated by sickness. Forty years does not cover the full period of his ministry. He has been a most zealous worker in his chosen field and has nobly earned the respite which he now enjoys, leading a retired life with his faithful wife beside him. who has with fortitude and fidelity.shared his labors and trials during his long career in the service of the Master.

Rev. Elijah S. Brown was born March 29. 1834. in Brown county. Illinois, being the son of James T. and Nancy (Harrell) Brown, the mother having been born in Adair county, Kentucky, and the father was born in Botetourt county, Virginia.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JAMES M. BROWN.

Among the honored citizens of Jasper county who shouldered their guns when Fort Sumter was fired upon and who followed the flag through many bloody campaigns and harassing marches during the great Civil war. none bore a more honorable part than James M. Brown, now living in retirement after a long and useful life, devoted principally to general agricultural pursuits and stock raising, a man who has richly earned the high esteem in which he is held by all classes in this locality. for he has done much toward the general upbuilding of his vicinity and his ideals have ever been high, and his conduct above reproach.

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On November 1, 1866, Mr. Brown was united in marriage with Sarah E. Morrison, of Orange county, New York, the daughter of Henry and Harriet (Sherman) Morrison, both natives of New York, in which state they spent their lives on a farm and there the father died, after which the mother brought her family of nine children to Wisconsin and later to Iowa, in which state she died.

Mr. Brown is one of a family of eight children, of whom three are living-. Mrs. Lafayette Martin, of Creswell Oregon; Addison F. and himself.

To Mr. and Mrs. Brown nine children have been born, three of whom are deceased; George and Charles died in infancy; Henry died on the farm east of Newton when twenty-two years old; Edward is at home: Carrie is the \\ife of T. T. Powers: Gertrude is at home: Kellogg, Frank. Eben and Bertram are all in South Dakota on farms.

Mrs. Brown has two brothers and a sister living at this time, Henry Morrison, of Newton; John Morrison, of Plattsville, Wisconsin; Mrs. Catherine Wallace, of Springville, Pennsylvania.

Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members of the Congregational church of Newton. He belongs to Garrett Post. Grand Army of the Republic. He has been very successful as a business man. Besides his city property, he has considerable property in South Dakota. Prior to his retirement, five years ago, he farmer near Kellogg and later near Newton, He is a Republican and has served his township as assessor, road supervisor, member of the school board and in other capacities, always discharging his duties in a very able and acceptable manner. He has served his party as committeeman and as a delegate to both county and state conventions, and he has always made his influence felt for the good of the same. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Woman's Relief Corps. She is a lady of high intelligence and culture and, like her husband, enjoys the friendship of a very wide circle of acquaintances.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

TOHN S. BROWN.

Among those citizens of Jasper county whose long residence therein entitled them to special mention is John S. Brown. Mr. Brown was born in Logan county, Illinois, April 8, 1849, his father being Leroy Brown, a native of Tennessee and his mother, also a native of Tennessee, being Jane (Mc- Nabb) Brown. The father died in 1881 at Newton, Iowa, aged sixty-four. The mother died at Lincoln, Logan county, Illinois. It was in about the year 1840 that Mr. Brown's father came from his native state to Illinois, where he engaged in the mercantile business. In the fall of 1865 he came to Jasper county. Iowa, settling in Newton, where he worked at the carpenter trade. Afterwards he was elected city marshal of Newton, serving about seven years up until the time of his death.

Mr. Brown, the subject of this sketch, is one of two living children. His brother, Carl Brown, who was born in Logan county, Illinois, in 1847, resides at this writing in Calistoga, California. He is the editor of that unique western publication. The Cactus, which is known all over the United States. He is the same Carl Brown of Coxey's Army fame, and is also a cartoonist of ability.

The military record of Mr. Brown's father is of special interest. He was a soldier in the Mexican war, serving with distinction and bravery in the battle of Cerra Gorda and other prominent engagements of that war. Then, when the great civil conflict broke out, he again answered his country's call, serving all through the war, coming out as captain of a regiment. He was a member of Garrett Post No. 16, Grand Army, at Newton.

After coming to Newton, the subject of our sketch engaged in the painting business, afterwards taking up the business of farming. On April 27, 1870, he was married to Catherine Helphrey, daughter of Jacob and Catherine

(Warner) Helphrey. The father was a native of Virginia and the mother was a native of Maryland. Mrs. Brown's parents came first to Ohio, where they were married, afterwards emigrating to Newton, Iowa, in 1850, where they purchased several hundred acres of land from the government at one dollar and a half per acre. Some of this land is now within the city limits of Newton. Mrs. Brown's father followed farming and stock raising until his death, which occurred in 1880, at the age of eighty-one. Her mother died in 1892 in Newton, at the age of eighty-nine years. Mrs. Brown is one of ten children, seven of whom are living: David Helphrey, who died in Jasper county, Iowa, at the age of fifty years; Charlotte Rowles, widow of Nicholas Rowles, residing in Colfax, Iowa, aged eighty years; Miranda Ashley, widow of Riley Ashley, residing in Jasper county; Mrs. Ella Bishop, widow of John Bishop, resides in Kansas City, Missouri; Mrs. Mary Wilson, widow of J. W. Wilson, resides in Newton, aged sixty-four years; Mrs. Lew J. Powers, wife of J. W. Powers, resides in San Antonio, Texas, her husband, a Union soldier who lost an arm in the service, being superintendent in the national cemetery there; Eva Helphrey, who died in infancy; Mrs. John S. Brown, born July 2, 1848; Samuel Helphrey died in the army in 1863; Thomas J. Helphrey resides in Chicago, and is engaged in the sewing machine business.

To Mr. and Mrs. Brown has been born one child, a son, Carl L. Brown, born March 10, 1871, who resides with his parents on the farm. He is married, his wife being Maude (Allen) Brown. They have one child, a bright little fellow of five years. Mrs. Brown is a member of the Christian church at Newton. In politics Mr. Brown is a Democrat.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

Among the most prominent of the young business men of Newton and Jasper county, the name of Matthew Brown stands. But thirty years of age, he is at the head of one of Jasper county's most important industries. He was born April 2, 1880, in Jasper county, and is the son of William and (Boyd) Brown both natives of Scotland, his parents having married there and come to America in 1863. From New York, their landing place, they went to Maryland for a short time, the father working m the coal mines ot that state but they soon left Maryland for Jasper county, Iowa. Landing in Jasper county, the father began farming. The farm he purchased was one hundred and twenty acres of unimproved land, but Mr. Brown set resolutely to work clearing it and improving it, building a good brick house thereon. He remained upon this farm until his death, which occurred in June, 1906 Mr Brown was a tireless worker and a man of public spirit. He raised much fine stock and was a member of the Shorthorn Breeders' Association. Few men were better or more favorably known in Jasper county. The mother ot the subject of this sketch died while living upon the farm.

Mr Brown, the subject of this review, is one of six children, all living, as follows- Mrs. Agnes McAllister, wife of David McAllister, ot Jasper county Tennie Johnson, wife of David Johnson, a farmer residing at Mt. Ayer'Iowa; Mary Shields, wife of Delmer Shields, a motorman ot Des Moines, Iowa; Clara French, wife of Vernon French, a farmer m Jasper county; Robert B., a farmer residing in Jasper county; and Mr. Brown, the subject of this sketch.,,,,

Matthew Brown was married May 27, 1903. to Maud E. Gilford, daughter of Tohn and Ann Gilford, both natives of Jasper county, and residing in the county at this writing. Mrs. Brown has the following brothers and sisters: William, residing in Spokane, Washington; Frank, residing in Sisters..Nebraska; Ella Evans, wife of William Evans, Greeley, Colorado: Charles, ot Holton, Washington; Mr. Pearl, residing at Brainard, Minnesota: Maud E., wife of the subject, born May 8, 1884: Harry, of Glenwood, Iowa.

Mrs. Brown is an entertaining woman of intelligence and culture. She is a member of the First Christian church of Newton and of the Ladies Aid and C. W. B. M. societies of that church.

Mr. Brown, after conducting a general blacksmithing business for eight years, purchased the Newton Tile Works, which factory he has successfully operated for five years, manufacturing first class drain tile of all sizes up to and including eight-inch, his factory being the only one in Newton making tile. Few young men are so well known in the county as this young manufacturer, as he is one of the most enterprising of the county's many business men.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.