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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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CHARLES
H. JENNINGS All
honor and praise is due the old soldiers, they who, when the Union was in danger
of being disrupted, gladly and unhesitatingly left their varied tasks, forsook
their cheerful hearthstones, bade farewell to home folks, shouldered their
muskets and offered their services and their lives, if need be, in order, as the
Great Emancipator said, "that the nation, under God, might live." By
their great sacrifices we of today are enjoying the fruits of their labors, the
glorious heritance which is inestimable. One of this worthy number is Charles H.
Jennings, of Newton, Jasper County, a man whose life has been led along
consistent lines, resulting in much good to those with whom he has come into
contact and he is held in high esteem wherever he is known. Mr.
Jennings, who is of English and Irish ancestry, was born in Knox County, Ohio,
May 26,1845, the son of Joseph and Eliza (McCown) Jennings, of New England.
They came to Ohio when both were children.
The paternal grandfather, Joseph Jennings, owned land in Knox County,
Ohio, on the stage road, his home becoming a stage station in the early days, in
fact, his place was a sort of tavern and there both driver and teams were
changed. His son Joseph, father of the subject, when fifteen years of age, began
driving the stage through Knox and adjoining counties and continued in this
business for a period of twenty-five years.
In 1856 he came to Iowa, driving overland in "prairie
schooners" from Franklin County, Ohio, where, at Reynoldsburg, he had kept
a grocery store, the trip here requiring a month, for the roads were very rough;
on the way a sick horse was traded for a good yoke of oxen.
He arrived with his family in Newton in April 1856, his family at that
time consisting of three children, four having been born at later dates, and,
besides himself and wife, his father also came along, but the latter later
returned to Ohio and his death occurred at Columbus. During the first year of his residence here Joseph Jennings
engaged in freighting.
He handled the brick for the first two brick houses built in Newton,
those for George Anderson and Colonel Meyers, both still substantial buildings.
The same year he bought one hundred acres of land in Newton Township,
which land now lies in Sherman Township, paying two dollars and fifty cents per
acre for the same. This he cultivated for over thirty years, during which time
he became one of the township's leading farmers, and laid by a competency; then
he bought property in Newton and moved there, where he continued to reside until
his death, in 1898, at the advanced age of eighty-two years, his wife having
preceded him to the grave many years before.
He was a man of sterling character and always a hard worker and a useful
citizen. Charles
H. Jennings was the second child in order of birth in a family of seven, named
as follows: Isabel, who married
Milton Heifner, a farmer, died some time ago, leaving four children; Mary F.,
who married Austin Niffin, taught school a number of years in this County, and
her death occurred in Newton a few years ago; George, Cordelia, Maggie and
William, all died during childhood. The
subject's schooling was not extensive, owing to the fact that he grew up in a
pioneer County; however he improved such opportunity as he had in the
subscription schools, walking three miles, also going to school some in Newton.
When seventeen years of age he ran away and joined the army, his father
having opposed his suggestion to become a soldier; but he enlisted in Company L,
Ninth Iowa Cavalry, on August 3, 1863. His service was mostly in Missouri and
Arkansas, taking part in a, number of minor engagements and skirmishes, and
while he was not wounded he suffered from a severe sunstroke, which has proved
detrimental to his health ever since. He
was also badly hurt by his horse falling on him.
He was honorably discharged on February 3, 1866, and after his return
home he began farming. In 1871 he
took up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres in Kansas, remaining
there until 1873, when he sold it and returned to Jasper County.
In 1878 he bought land in Adair County, but sold it a few years later,
after which he followed carpentering in Newton for ten years.
He was appointed janitor of the court house, which position he held for
five years. He bought a substantial
residence property on Main street in the west part of Newton, and in 1894 traded
this for his home place, which is pleasantly situated in the north end of the
city, surrounded by four and one-half acres of ground, and on this Mr. Jennings
has planted a number of fruit trees of excellent variety, and that same year he
built a good, cozy house here. Besides
this valuable property, he is the owner of a very desirable farm of one hundred
and sixty acres in Wells County, Colorado. Mr.
Jenning's was married in 1868 to Araminta Rumbaugh, which union proved a failure
and continued less than a year. In
1876 he was again married, his second wife being Mary Eleanor Miller, whose
death occurred in 1896; this union was without issue, but they adopted a son
when he was three days old, he having proved to be a good boy and a great
comfort to his foster parents. Two
years after the death of his second wife Mr. Jennings was united in marriage
with Mrs. Alma Sager Kintz, who was born in Jasper County, Iowa, the daughter of
Simon and Eliza Sager. By her
former marriage, she became the mother of one child, William Kintz, who is now
living in Newton; he is a moulder and carpenter.
The two boys just referred to grew up together.
The adopted son was named Charles Ernest Jennings.
He is now in Colorado. The
subject is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Garret Post No. 16. He
has always been a Republican. The Past and Present of Jasper County, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, 1912 B.F. Bowen Co., Indianapolis, IN, p. 598. |
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