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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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Virgil Blackledge Mr. Virgil Blackledge was born in Buena Vista
Township, this County, on July 16, 1875, and he is the son of Oliver J. and
Ernestine (Turk) Blackledge, a well known pioneer family of this County, having
lived on a farm here for forty-eight years, then moved to Oregon where he
engaged in the furniture business and there he still resides.
His wife was the daughter of Peter and Mary Turk. The only child born to
Oliver J. Blackledge and wife, Virgil, of this review.
He grew up on the home farm and assisted with the general work about the place during
his boyhood and received his education in the public schools. He was married on January 18, 1898 to Bernice Tool, the
daughter of John and Rebecca Tool, of this County. To this union one daughter
was born, Lela Blackledge, whose birth occurred on March 17, 1900; she is now in
school. The subject was again married on September 1, 1904, to Myrtle Hayes, also born in this County, the date of her birth being May 14, 1884. She is the daughter of Andrew J. and Emeline Hayes, a well-known family of Jasper County, having lived on a farm here for a number of years. To this last union these children were born: Ernestine, September 20, 1905; Imogene, born December 21, 1906; June, born July 30, 1909; Jesse V., born August 24, 1910, and Mary, born November 30, 1911. Virgil Blackledge took up
farming for a livelihood and followed this line of endeavor with success up to
1905 in which year he moved to Newton, where he became associated with the Union
Central Life Insurance Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, and he has since been
engaged in this work with very gratifying results and with eminent satisfaction
to his company, who regarded him as one of the most faithful and trusted
employees. Mr. Blackledge has been a member of the Methodist Church, with which he united in 1893, the Mt. Zion Church of his home neighborhood. Fraternally, he belongs to the Masonic order, Newton Lodge No. 59, and politically, he is a Republican, but he has never been an aspirant for political honors. Mr. Blackledge has been very successful in a business way. He has owned three good farms in this County, first the Dan Mathers farm about four miles west of Galesburg, this County; selling this, he purchased the Wilson Thompson place in Buena Vista Township. Then he sold out and bought the old James Wright place in the same Township. Upon moving to Newton he sold the farm and purchased an excellent residence property at the corner of Plum and Market streets, which he has since sold. Past and Present of Jasper County
Iowa, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, B.F. Bowden & Company,
Indianapolis, IN, 1912, page 1171. |
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