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Jasper County, Iowa
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F.
M. Austin All
people of true sensibility and a just regard for the memory of those who have
departed this life cherish the details of the history of those whose careers
have been marked by uprightness and truth, and whose lives have been filled up
with acts of usefulness. Such a man
was F. M. Austin, who was born in Warren County, PA, March 14, 1835, and whose
father, James C. Austin, was one of the early settlers in that county, for we
find that he taught school there as early as 1815.
The elder Mr. Austin was born June 5,1792. He was a man of education and was quite prominent in his day.
He served in the War of 1812 and made his home in Pennsylvania until 1866, when
he came to Iowa. In this state his
death occurred the following year. His
wife, whose maiden name was Martha Monroe, was a native of the Empire State; she
was born June 13, 1807, and died at Colfax, this state, January 19, 1887.
The
subject of this sketch was one of three sons. His brother W. R. is the only one
now living. He resides in New York
City and is a man of considerable prominence, having held several Government
positions, being in the census office in Washington, D.C., for some years. For
some time he has been a Grand Army man and got up the Grand Army Directory for
the Government. Our subject's brother, B. F.
Austin, came to Iowa many years ago, but subsequently returned to New
York State, where his death occurred. The
original of this sketch came west to Illinois when nineteen year's of age and
settled at Cambridge, in Henry County.
In the year 1859 he was married to Miss Emily Wilson, who was a native of
Henry County, IL, and a daughter of George F. H. Wilson, one of the early
settlers of the Prairie State from New York.
Her mother, whose maiden name was Lydia Adkins, was a native of
Connecticut and came of good old Puritan stock.
Mr. Wilson was a prominent man of Henry County, IL, and served as Sheriff
of the county for some time. He
took a deep interest in politics, was public spirited and enterprising and was
well respected. His death occurred in 1878. His brother L. P. is now a resident
of Prairie City and is one of the wealthy men of the place.
He was a candidate for nomination for Governor of Iowa on the Populist
ticket. Mrs. Austin's mother is
still living in Henry County, IL. Mrs. Austin had two brothers. N. D., who was s
soldier in the Rebellion, is now a prosperous farmer of Carroll County, Iowa,
and E. G., who is single, lives with his mother in Henry County and is quite
wealthy. In
1865 Mr. and Mrs. Austin came to Iowa and located on the farm where the latter
now lives. There they prospered and became well to do, but at the time of Mr.
Austin's death they were living in Colfax.
He was a quiet, unassuming man, with hosts of friends and no enemies. All
his life he was a stanch Republican, and
socially was a Mason. He was the owner of two hundred and forty acres of
land, which Mrs. Austin now operates with her son, and was also the owner of
other property. Five children were born to them, two sons and three daughters.
Ida is the wife of W. S. Baker and lives in Delmont, SD.
William O is married and is in the ranch business in Loa Angeles County,
CA. Fred is single and resides at
home. He looks after the farm for his mother and is meeting with good success.
Kattie married Rev. J. H. Condit, a Presbyterian preacher, and live at
Wapello, Iowa, Nellie is a teacher in the schools of East Des Moines. The
daughters were all educated in the college at Valparaiso, IN. Portrait and Biographical Record,
Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA, Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago,
IL, 1894, p. 234. |
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