AMOS PERRY
The death of Amos Perry, which occurred
in 1908 at his home in Edge wood, was widely regretted, as he was a man of
strict integrity and marked public spirit. He was a resident of Delaware county
for fifty-four years, removing here when a young man of twenty years, and was
always heartily in sympathy with every measure for the advancement of the
common interests. He was born near Penn Yan, Yates county, New York, on the 9th of April, 1834, a son of Matthew H. Perry, who was born
in Massachusetts in 1796. The latter
accompanied his parents to New York when a lad of ten years
and resided there until 1835, when he took his family to Kane county, Illinois. The journey was made
partly by boat, the family going up the Illinois river to Joliet and thence to Kane
county, where they settled. The father was a farmer and wagon-maker. He was of
English descent and was related to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who won fame
in the War of 1812. Matthew H. Perry passed away on the
1st of March, 1890, respected by all who knew him. His wife was a native of Rhode Island, born about 1797, and
she passed away in 1876. In religious faith she was a Freewill Baptist and the
sincerity of her belief was manifest in her daily life.
In the family were eleven children, six
sons and five daughters, of whom five of the sons entered the Union service
during the Civil war. Two died in the south during hostilities and one lost an
arm in the service.
Amos Perry was but a year old when he was
taken by his parents to Illinois. He grew to manhood in
Kane county, that state, but in 1854, when twenty
years of age, came to this county, settling
on land on sections 33 and 34, Coffins Grove township. He engaged in
farming until the outbreak of the
Civil war, when lie enlisted in the Third Iowa Battery and served until the
close of hostilities. He then returned to this county and devoted his time to
the management of his affairs. He developed his farm and brought the land to a
high state of cultivation. He held the respect of those who came in contact
with him, the more so as all that he accomplished for many years was done under
a great handicap, as for thirty years he
was blind. He lost one eye while serving in the army.
On the 17th
of February, 1860, Mr. Perry was united in marriage with Miss Violet E. Minkler,
a daughter of Alanson and Elizabeth (Minkler) Minkler. She was born in Erie county,
Ohio, on the 6th
of June, 1844, and by her marriage she became the mother of seven children:
Mrs. Effie Tripp, Mrs. Edith Utley,
Mrs. Burch, Mrs. Hobbs, Mrs. Pogue, Willard and Ernest.
Mr. Perry passed away April 26, 1908, when seventy-four years of age, and the
funeral sermon was preached by Elder Hubbell, who had known Mr. Perry well for a number of years. The interment was made
in the local cemetery. Mr. Perry
was constant in his support of the republican party,
believing that its policies are the most adequate to the needs of the
country. His honesty was never questioned and his interest in civic
affairs was great. His memory is still
cherished by his many friends and the good that he did still lives.
Back
to Biographies
Back to Main Page
Back to Iowa AHGP
Back to AHGP