BENJAMIN F. THOMPSON
A progressive and influential agriculturist of Smithfield township, Fayette county, is Benjamin F. Thompson, the subject of this sketch. Mr. Thompson, the son of Thomas and Susan M. (Vincent) Thompson, was born in Racine county, Wisconsin, on July 8, 1861. His father was born in Lancashire, England, on September 18, 1810, and his mother was born in New York state on August 25, 1823, and so there came to him, both paternally and maternally, blood from good stock of many generations-a priceless heritage-and on this heritage he has built well. His parents were married in Albany, New York, on February 26, 1840, and in August, 1848, moved to Racine county, Wisconsin, where Benjamin F., the next to the youngest of their children, was born. In 1873 Thomas Thompson moved from Wisconsin to Smithfield township, Fayette county, Iowa, and in the spring of 1875 purchased one hundred and sixty acres of splendid farm land in section 31 (also some timber in another section), where he lived until his death on April 16, 1895. Mrs. Thompson survived her husband, her death occurring on November 22, 1904. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were religiously inclined, and did many good works, although they were never formally united with any one church. Politically, Mr. Thompson was a Republican, and while never holding any public office, was actively interested in furthering the cause of his party locally. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson were the parents of seven children, one of whom died in infancy. They had the great privilege, during their lifetime, of offering three sons to the service of their country, in the Civil war: William R., born November 13, 1842, who enlisted in April, 1864, in the Second Wisconsin Cavalry, and served until the winter of 1865. He was a resident of Marengo, Illinois; twins, Edgar and Edwin, were born January 7, 1847. Edwin enlisted in the First Wisconsin Heavy Artillery in September, 1864, and served until the close of the war in July, 1865, and died on October 13, 1893. Edgar enlisted on February 5, 1865, in the Wisconsin Infantry, and in March, while in Racine, Wisconsin, contracted measles, from which he died. Their daughters were Sarah A., born November 13, 1853, wife of A. Ecker, of Harlan township; Eugenie V., born January 1, 1856, wife of Stephen Masters, of Smithfield township, and Helen C., born August 31, 1864, widow of John Mittlestadt, and resident of Oelwein, Iowa. On the death of his parents, Benjamin F. Thompson became the heir to the home farm, to which he had added forty acres, and now owns, therefore, two hundred acres of fine farm land, highly cultivated; on this farm he has a nice home, with good surroundings, and everything about the place shows that a man of good taste is the owner. On April 4, 1906, he married Bertha Guritz, who was born December 16, 1886. Mrs., Thompson is the daughter of August and Emma (Davis) Guritz, of Harlan township, Fayette county. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are the parents of two children, Benjamin F., Jr., who was born December 19. 1908, and Arthur E., born March 26, 1910. Mr. Thompson is a Republican, and has been active in local politics, having held the office of township clerk for ten years, and was also secretary of the school board for twenty years.
Typed for the Fayette County Iowa USGenWeb Project by Mary Aldrich
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