Lorenzo D. Thompson

As printed in 1890

Lorenzo D. Thompson, of Iowa Centre, Iowa, a respected and esteemed resident of Story County, was born in Illinois, Ogle County, on the 18th of October, 1850, and is the son of James and Catherine (Mellinger) Thompson, natives, respectively, of New York and Ohio. The father went to Ohio with his parents when a child, married there and shortly afterward moved to Illinois, locating on a farm in Ogle County. He still resides on the same, and his wife is also living. He is hale and hearty and about seventy years of age. Lorenzo D. Thompson grew to manhood on the Ogle County farm, remained with his father until twenty-one years of age, and in 1875 came west to Iowa, locating in Story County on a farm near Nevada. He moved to Iowa Centre in the fall of 1882, and has not been engaged in business since that time, except handling some stock at this place. Mr. Thompson was married in Ogle County, Ill., on the 31st of March, 1875, to Miss Sarah Richardson, daughter of William Richardson, of Ogle County, and a native of Ogle County, where she was reared and educated. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have four children: Katie, Luleen, Flora and Edna. One child — Clair — was killed in the tornado of June, 1882. Mr. Thompson is a Republican in politics, was elected justice of the peace of Indian Creek Township in 1886, re-elected in 1888, and is now serving his second term. He is a delegate to the next Story County Convention. He has been reasonably successful since his residence in this county, and is considered one of ts substantial citizens. He owns a good farm in Nevada Township and good residence prouty in Iowa Centre. He is a Master Mason, cially. James Thurston, farmer and stock-breeder, Nevada, Iowa. Nearly ever since his identification with Story County as one of her citizens, Mr. Thurston has been interested in the raising and breeding of horses, and by reason of his long and intimate acquaintance with this branch of industry, he has become well known. Born in Delaware County, Ohio, on the 13th of September, 1827, he was the son of Isaac and Phoebe (Inman) Thurston, the father a native of Rhode Island. The mother died in Ohio in 1841, and the father died in Kane County, Ill., at the age of sixty-nine years. James Thurston, the youngest of nine children, three of whom are living, came to Kane County, Ill., in 1844, and made his home in that State until 1880. As he had early been taught the duties of the farm, he followed this occupation in Illinois, until coming to Story County, Iowa, in the last mentioned date. He settled on 140 acres on Section 13, Nevada Township, and has for many years been engaged in stock-breeding. He is now the keeper of two thoroughbred Percheron horses, owned by a Farmers' Stock Improvement Company, of New Albany — Sebastapol, four years old, and weighing 1,850 pounds; and Muscat, also four years old, and weighing 1,700 pounds. These thoroughbred horses, valued at $2,000 each, were purchased in Europe by W. L. Elwood, of DeKalb, Ill., in March, 1889, and were imported thence direct to this country. These are two of the finest horses in the county. Mr. Thurston was married in 1852 to Miss Sarah Perry, a native of DeKalb County, Ill., and three interesting children have been born to this union: Laura J., Esther A., and Anna V. Mr. Thurston is a Republican in his political views, and Mrs. Thurston is a member of the United Brethren Church.

Mrs. Martha Tichenor, consort of Joseph Tichenor (deceased), is a resident of Section 28, Nevada Township, Story County, Iowa. She was born in Indiana, on March 10, 1830, and was the second in a family of eight children, all deceased but four, born to the union of William and Jane (Neal) McOullough, both natives of South Carolina. The mother died at the age of forty-two and the father at eighty years of age. The children living are: Isabella ( resides in Keokuk, Iowa, and is the widow of Marion Beatty), Adaline ( resides in Peoria, Ill., and is the wife of Thomas Leve, who is baggage-master of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad), and William (residing in Republic County, Kas. The latter married Miss Anna Mullen. Mrs. Tichenor secured a limited education in the old subscription schools in Indiana, and was married to Joseph Tichenor on April 3, 1855, in Scott County, Ind. Shortly afterward they emigrated to Iowa, and there engaged in cultivating the soil. Their marriage was blessed by the birth of seven children — five sons and two daughters: Eldert (married Miss Nettie Wiseman, and is engaged in farming in Story County), Belle (resides in Story County, and is the wife of William Hogue, a farmer), Eva died at the age of fourteen years), Carleton and Joseph (twins), (both deceased, the former at the age of twenty-seven years and the latter when young; Carleton married Miss Mary Whittaker and left a little boy), Edward ( is a farmer and resides on the home place), and Oliver (resides on the home place). Mrs. Tichenor is a worthy member of the Evangelical Society, as was also her husband, and is a liberal supporter of all benevolent and religious institutions. The society numbers about thirty members, and is prospering finely. Mrs. Tichenor came to Story County in 1855, and has witnessed the marvelous growth of the same since that time. She is the owner of 160 acres of good prairie land, and also has 20 acres in timber. She lost her husband on June 15, 1877, and his remains are interred in the Mullen Cemetery, near the home. Mrs. Tichenor expects to spend the balance of her days in Story County surrounded by her children and many warm friends. Joseph Tichenor (deceased) was a native of Delaware, born in 1814, and always cultivated the soil. He was an honorable, upright man, and was respected by all acquainted with him. He was a Republican in politics. He started life a poor boy, but by industry and economy had accumulated considerable property at the time of his demise, which occurred on June 15, 1877, from cancer of the stomach.

As printed in Biographical and historical memoirs of Story County, Iowa (1890). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.