The Irons Family of Keokuk County, Iowa

Ninety-two years of life filled with useful effort and crowded with respect and esteem of his fellow-citizens have left this venerable resident of Keokuk county still hale and hearty- and with every prospect of continued health fur some years to come. He was one of the pioneers of this locality and is to-day an honored citizen of Adams township. A native of Maryland, he was born in Alleghany county on the roth of April, 1810, and is of German descent, his father, John Irons, having come to.America with his parents when but six months old. The family located in Frederick county, Maryland, about forty-five miles from Baltimore and there the father of our subject was reared to manhood and married, the lady of his choice being Miss Catherine Hann, who was born and reared in New Jersey. The young couple located upon land in Alleghany county, and there in the midst of the forest the father cleared and improved a farm. Throughout life he engaged in agricultural pursuits. During the early days the family endured many hardships and privations, the country being still in its primitive condition. The mother died when about fifty-eight years of age and the father passed away at the age of seventy-eight. In the family of this worthy couple were fifteen children, twelve of whom reached man and womanhood. There were six sons and six daughters, but only four of the number are now living, one being a resident of Nebraska, another of Kansas and the third of \ virginia. while our subject makes his home in Iowa.

On the old home farm John Irons passed the days of hi-- boyhood and youth and on reaching man's estate he was married in West Virginia in 1832 to Miss Margaret Powell, who was born in Monongalia county, near the Marion county line. Fourteen children blessed this union. twelve of whom reached years of maturity. In order of birth they are as follows: Catharine, deceased; Joseph, now a resident of Oregon: Nancy Ann. wife of Decater Higgins; Charles, whose sketch appears on another page of this column; John, who entered the Union army for three years' service and was killed in a railroad wreck while on his way home; William, a resident of Nebraska; Levi, a farmer of Adams township, Keokuk county, Iowa; Margaret, the wife of John W. Lightfoot, a resident of California; James, deceased; Warren, a farmer of Adams township, this county; Alice, wife of Andrew Hummer, who lives on the old homestead; and Allen, deceased.

After this marriage Mr. Irons located m Munn county. West Virginia, where he engaged in farming for fourteen years, and continued to make that place his home for two years longer, when he returned to the old homestead in Alleghany county. Maryland, having purchased the same. He continued the operation of that farm until 1853, when he sold the place and came to Iowa, making the journey by team to Adams township, Keokuk county. He entered three hundred and twenty acres of land and to it he added from time to time until he had six hundred acres, part of which was the present town site of Keswick. He continued his farming and stock raising until well advanced in years. when he retired from active labor, leaving the operation of the land to younger hands. Since then he has divided must of his property among his children.

Mr. Irons has been called upon to mourn the death of his wife, who died on the loth of March, 1900. They had traveled life's journey together for sixty-seven years, two months and twenty-seven days. They had shared with each other life's joys and sorrows, its adversity and prosperity. Although ninety-two years of age he has always been in exceptionally good health, and has never taken a dose of medicine in his life. He is strictly temperate in all his habits, never using liquor, nor has he ever smoked or chewed tobacco, and to his excellent habits may be attributed the tine health which he has enjoyed. On attaining his majority Mr. Irons became identified with the Democratic part)- and cast his first vote for General Jackson and has since never wavered in his allegiance to that political organization. His fellow citizens recognize his worth and ability and called upon him to serve in local positions of honor and trust and he was at one time a member of the Grange. He was one of the first settlers of Adams township and for half a century has resided upon his present farm. He is the oldest man living in Keokuk county- and no one in the community is held in higher esteem. After a useful and honorable career he can well afford to lay aside all business cares and live in ease and retirement. As a citizen he has ever stood ready to discharge any duty involving upon him and the best years of his life were given to the up-building and advancement of his adopted county.

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

Among the brave men who devoted the openingwars of their manhood to the defense of their country duringthe dark days of the Livil war was Charles Irons, a prominent old settler of this county, who is now engaged in the grocer)' business at Keswick. He was born in Marion county, West Virginia, on the 26th of December, [839, and is the fourth child and second son of John and Margaret ( Powell) Irons, whose sketch appears above. He was about fourteen years of age when he came with the family to Keokuk county, Iowa, and upon a farm in Adams township he grew to manhood, his life being devoted to agricultural pursuits when not in school until after the outbreak of the Rebellion. In 1862 he enlisted for three years as private in Company H, Thirty-third Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and he participated in the engagements at Jenkins Ferry and many others in Alabama, assisting in the capture of Spanish Fort. For about six months he was confined in the regimental hospital at Helena, Arkansas, and was then sent home on a furlough, at length rejoicing his regiment at Little Rock. He remained in active service until the close of the war, and was then honorably discharged at Rock Island, Illinois, after which he returned to his home with an army record 01 which he may be justly proud.

Mr. Irons was then successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising until 1901, when he removed to Keswick and embarked in the grocery business, in which pursuit he is incewisp meeting with success, having already built up a good trade. He is still the owner of a good farm of one hundred and fifty-four acres in Adams township, which he rents, and is a stockholder in the Keswick Savings Bank. He

514 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGkAPHICAL HISTOkY.

assisted in organizing that bank, was one of its directors for some time, and also served as vice president. He is a man of good business and executive ability, who generally carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertake-, and he ranks among the leading and representative citizens of the town. lie is widely and favorably known throughout the county and is justly entitled to prominent mention in its history.

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

WARREN C. IRONS.

Warren C. Irons, who resides on section 29, Adams township, owns and operates a valuable farm of two hundred and eighty- acres, whose neat and thrifty- appearance well indicates his careful supervision. A native son of Keokuk county Mr. Irons was born on section jj, of the township where he still resides, his natal day being May 12, 1854, and he is the twelfth child in the family of John and Margaret ( Powell ) Irons, whose sketch precedes. Upon the home farm our subject was reared to manhood, receiving a good practical education in the district schools of the locality and assisting in the operation of the farm and in harding sheep during his youth. Me was married on the 12th of February, 1889, to Miss Lizzie Stoner, a daughter of John and Fannie Stoner. Both of her parents are now deceased. The father died in 1869 and the mother in 1872, while Mrs. Irons was called to her final rest, October 27th, 1889. She left one daughter, Rosa E., who was born October 11. 1889, but died on the 2nd of February, 1890. Mr. Irons was again married, his second union being with Miss C. Anna Fisch. who was born in Muscatine county. Iowa. May 11. 1863. and is a daughter of Michael and Eva (Lang) Fisch, both natives of Germany, the father having come to the new world when about twelve years of age and the mother when about eighteen. They were married in Muscatine, Iowa. Mr. Fisch. who is a farmer by occupation, now makes his home in Keokuk. In his family were eight children, six (daughters and two sons, Mrs. Irons being the sixth in order of birth Of this family three daughters and one son are now living. By his second marriage Mr. Irons has one daughter. Vera Eva, who was born May 24, 1896, and is now a bright little girl of six summers. His wife spent her girlhood on a farm in Iowa county, Iowa, until twelve years of age and was educated in the common schools.

After his marriage Mr. Irons took up his above upon the farm where he now resides and has since devoted his energies to its operation. He is a skillful and progressive farmer who has met with success in business and has found stock raising quite a profitable source of income. Besides his property in this county he owns three hundred and twenty acres of land in the Red river valley 111 Wilkin county, Minnesota. He also has town property in Keswick and is a stockholder in the Keswick Savings Bank. He has made many improvements upon his home place, including the erection of a commodious and pleasant residence in 1900, and everything about the farm plainly indicates the thrift and enterprise of the owner, who is regarded as one of the leading citizens of the community. His entire life has been passed in Adams township and those who know him best are numbered among his warmest friends. He is industrious and enterprising and to these qualities '.nay be attributed his success in life, while his ballot supports the men and measures of Democracy., and as every true citizen, takes an active interest in public affairs.

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