Nathaniel Umbarger
(Source: “As Time Goes By”, Odebolt, Iowa 1877-1977,
printed by The Odebolt Chronicle May, 1977)
Nathaniel Brown Umbarger was born 1845 in Wythesville, Virginia, son of Stephan Umbarger. He was drafted in 1864 by the southern recruiting officers and forced to serve in the Confederate army. He was captured at the battle of New Market and held prisoner until the close of the war. He then took advantage of free government transportation issued to discharged soldiers and came westward to Iowa to visit an uncle. He looked over the territory and invested in land in Jones County. Then he returned to Virginia and in 1867 married Mary Agnes Brown. He and his wife came, in 1868, to Iowa to Jackson County and in 1873 moved to Sac County and bought a quarter section of land in Richland Township.
Nathaniel Umbarger was the first clerk in Richland Township and was a prominent man in the affairs of the township since its organization. He died in 1911.
Nathaniel and Mary were parents of two daughters who died in infancy; Lemuel Stephan who died at thirteen; J. Francis; Clara L.; William L.; Florence; and Arthur G.
J. Francis Umbarger married Winifred D. Ballard, in 1896, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Ballard. Their children were Morris; Max; Percy; Margaret; and Frank.
Wm. L. Umbarger was married in 1906 to Mabel Smith; Their children were: Helen; Alice; and James.
Henry Waggoner
(Source: “As Time Goes By”, Odebolt, Iowa 1877-1977,
printed by The Odebolt Chronicle May, 1977)
Henry Waggoner, born in 1834 in Perry County, Pennsylvania, son of John and Elizabeth (Topley) Waggoner.
The history of John and Elizabeth dates back to 1732, when their ancestors left Switzerland to escape tyranny and religious persecution, going first to England and later to the United States, arriving in Philadelphia in 1740.
Henry Waggoner married Mary Murphy. Henry served in the Civil War as a Union defender.
In 1881, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Waggoner and their family came to Odebolt in an immigrant train and settled on the Cook Ranch. Later they moved to a farm west of Odebolt.
Children of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Waggoner were James; Katherine; Albert; Harry; Edward; Phoebe; Ida; Cyrus; Emma; and John.
Only Harry and Albert remained in the Odebolt area. Harry Waggoner married Sarah Lesher, were parents of Ione (Mrs. Percy Sellman); Esther; Cecyle (Mrs. Francis Olson); Irma (Mrs. Victor Bennett); Gladys (Mrs. Erwin Hackbarth); Fern (Mrs. Wallace Larson); Marie (Mrs. Harry Hartshorn).
Albert Waggoner married Jessie Gunn, were parents of Ruby (Mrs. Will A. Nelson); Russell, married Wilma Zimmerman; Helen died in infancy; Charles, married Delphia Nelson; Lettie (Mrs. H. Hobart Smith); Faye (Mrs. Levi Anderson); Alice (Mrs. Vern Boerner); and Lea [sic], married Vivian Christie.
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