James R. Ross

As printed in 1906

JAMES R. ROSS.

James R. Ross is the owner of a farm of seventy acres on section 2, Marion township, constituting a well improved property, which is highly cultivated and returns him golden harvests. He was born near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, December 17. 1832, his parents being Samuel H. and Sarah (Livingstone) Ross, both of whom were natives of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania.

The father's birth occurred in November, I799,and themotherwasborn in 1803. Having arrived at years of maturity he engaged in farming in Pennsylvania and was connected with agricultural interests in that state until 1841, when he came to Iowa, settling northeast of Mount Pleasant, where he rented a farm. Later he bought eighty acres of timber land in Center township, southwest of Mount Pleasant, and his attention was given to the tilling of the soil until 1876, when he retired from active business, and lived in Mount Pleasant until 1886. He then spent his remaining days in the home of his son, James R., passing away in February, 1890, when a little more than ninety years of age. Although he had attained an advanced age he had always enjoyed good health. His wife passed away in September, 1887, and they were laid to rest in Forest Home cemeten, Mr. Ross was a republican in his political views and both he and his wife were members of the United Presbyterian church. In their family were ten children, of whom six reached adult age: John P., who married ]Martha Smith and resides at Big City, Oregon; James R.; Martha, who is the widow of Thomas Lash and is a resident of Oklahoma; W. F., who died in Nevada; Mrs. Sarah Hughlings. deceased; and Samuel R.. who resides at Big City, Oregon.

James R. Ross was educated in the district schools of Pennsylvania until eight years of age and afterward spent four years in Iowa as a district school student of Henry county. Through reading, travel and observation he has added greatly to his knowledge and is now well informed, keeping in touch with the general trend of thought and progress of the present day.

Making his home under the parental roof, he worked at intervals as a farm hand until 1860, when he left Iowa for Colorado, attracted by the discovery of gold in that state. Not long afterward, however, he returned to Marion township, Henry county, and in 1868 took up his above upon a farm of forty acres, entirely unbroken. With characteristic energy, however, he began the development of a farm and his labors soon wrought a noticeable change in its appearance. He had been married in 1866 to Miss Mary A. Neel, who was born in Indiana in 1834, and was a daughter of Jesse and Rebecca Neel. They had two children: Elwood F., who married Nettie Huber and is living in Mount Pleasant, their children being three in number, Neelie C., William F. and Ellis L.; and Neel, who married Lillian A. Zuhn and resides in Marion township upon a farm adjoining the Ross homestead. Mrs. Ross died in 1877; her remains were interred in the Mount Pleasant cemetery.

.On the 8th of Xovember, 1880, Mr. Ross was married to Miss Laura A. Molsbee, who was born in Vermilion county, Indiana, September 29, 1843. '' "'s a daughter of Epps and Sarah (Wright) Molsbee, both of whom were natives of Tennessee, the former born February 26, 1815, and the mother September 15, 1810. Mr. Molsbee was a farmer by occupation and when a young man removed to Park county, Indiana, where he devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits. He died September 20, 1897, having for several years survived his wife, Avhose demise occurred July 26, 1885. They were buried in Linebarger cemetery in Indiana.. Mr. Molsbee was a democrat, unfaltering in his advocacy of the principles of the party. Unto him and his wife were born three children: Laura A., now Mrs. Ross; Elizabeth E., who is living at the old homestead in Indiana; and William E., who resides with his sister upon the old home farm. The last tW'O are unmarried. Mr. and Mrs. Molsbee also had an adopted son, Preston A., who married Ora Ratcliffe and resides in Bloomingdale, Indiana, w'here Elizabeth Ellen and William Molsbee also make their home.

In the spring of 1884 Mr. Ross removed to his present farm which comprises seventy acres on section 2j, Marion township. Here he engaged in farming for ten years, but for the past decade has rented the land and lives retired. At the time of the Civil war he enlisted for service in the Union army, but on account of physical disability he was rejected as was his brother, W. F. Ross, who, however, served for three months.

Mr. Ross has ever voted in support of the men who are pledged to uphold republican principles. He is deeply interested in educational progress and has served as a member and president of the school board. He has long resided in Henry county having come here in pioneer days when the district was largely unbroken prairie and a few people residing here felt that the uncultivated prairie tracts would never be of much value. He is a self-made man in every- sense of the term and his life record proves that success may be attained through ])persistent and earnest effort. At the same time a ])pleasant and genial manner have won for him warm friendship and high regard, and he is classed with the worthy citizens of his community, where he is highly esteemed by all who know him. having resided in the vicinity for more than a third of a century.

As printed in Biographical review of Henry County, Iowa, containing biographical and genealogical sketches of many of the prominent citizens of to-day and also of the past .. (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.