(A photograph is included in the source book.)
"Honorable Levi Fuller,
M.D., a leading citizen of Fayette county for nearly fifty
years, was born August 14, 1824, at Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. He
was the eighth child of a family of eleven children and the only
son who grew to maturity. His father, Capt. Elijah
FULLER, was born December 9, 1787, at Surry,
Cheshire county, New Hampshire, and died January 5, 1880, at
West Union, Iowa. He was eighth in direct line from the
Pilgrim Edward FULLER, who, with his wife,
came in the "Mayflower" in
1620 and landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, his line being,
Edward, Samuel, Samuel, Barnabas, Samuel, Joshua, Levi, Elijah.
He married Matilda NEWCOMB, born May 10, 1790,
at Leyden, Massachusetts, died May 11, 1862, at West Union. She
also was a lineal descendant of the Pilgrims. The blood of
Governor William BRADFORD and Edward FULLER
of Plymouth Colony were united in the marriage of Matilda
NEWCOMB and Elijah FULLER.
Jerusha BRADFORD, daughter of Thomas BRADFORD,
son of Major William BRADFORD, son of Governor
William BRADFORD, married Hezekiah NEWCOMB.
Matilda NEWCOMB was a lineal descendant of
this union.
Elijah Fuller's father, Levi Fuller, and three brothers, Samuel,
Joshua and David, were in the Revolutionary war. Joshua was
killed at the battle of Bennington, Vermont. Levi was a member
of Capt. John GRIGG's company, Col. Alexander
SCAMMEL's New Hampshire regiment, Continental
Army, at the age of sixteen years. He enlisted at Walpole, New
Hampshire.
Elijah Fuller was captain of a company at the time of the war of
1812, but was not called into service. In 1818 he was a member
of the New Hampshire Legislature. His wife's father, Hezekiah
Newcomb, was a member of the Massachusetts Legislature
continuously for eighteen years.
Dr. Levi Fuller, of this review, . . . attended the academy at
New Castle, Pennsylvania, after which . . .came to Stephenson
county, Illinois, in 1846, and practiced his profession at
Rockgrove several years. On May 13, 1845, he married Jemima
Elizabeth TIPTON, born June 3, 1826, who was
his loved companion until her death, February 1, 1899. She was
the daughter of William and Elizabeth (SHADE) Tipton, of Howard,
Center county, Pennsylvania. . .. To them were born three
children, William E., born March 30, 1846; Matilda Jane, born
May 17, 1848, died August 6, 1851; Mary Elizabeth, born June 9,
1850, died December 7, 1851.
Dr. Fuller came to West Union, Iowa, in April, 1853, and
practiced his profession for a time, but soon entered into
general business. He opened up a hardware store in West Union,
in May, 1854, the first in the town and county. In 1868-9 he and
his son, William E., owned and operated the West Union Bank, the
only bank in the county, which was sold to S. B. ZEIGLER and
afterwards merged in the Fayette County National Bank. . . .
Mr. Fuller was a Whig and a Republican. . . He was in the
convention that nominated Lincoln in 1860 and attended most of
the subsequent national conventions of his party. He represented
Fayette county in the Legislature during the war, serving
through two sessions . . . .For about twenty years he was
president of the board of trustees of the Upper Iowa University
. . .The Methodist Church at West Union was the constant subject
of his fostering care and he assisted liberally in the building
of all the churches in West Union. Doctor Fuller became a member
of the Methodist Episcopal church at nineteen years of age and
was an active member until his death. . .
We quote the following extract in reference to his death from
the West Union Gazette: All Saturday forenoon Dr. Levi Fuller
was in his office or on the street following the daily routine
of his life in this community for nearly fifty years. At 3:30
Saturday afternoon, December 8, 1900, he was dead. Through the
morning he complained of not feeling well and attributed his
condition to indigestion, to which he was often subject. He was
persuaded to not come up town after dinner, occupying the lounge
in conversation with Mrs. W. E. Fuller. Suddenly, in the midst
of the talk, with no warning, without a struggle, he ceased to
breathe. . . . . ."
Don Gardner's home page includes a biography of Washington Gardner whose mother, Nancy, was a sister of Jemima (Tipton) FULLER, wife of the subject of this biography. To read that biography go to http://members.aol.com/dtgardner/mw1.html/page3.htm.