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- HON. MARSHALL H. PENGRA, now a retired farmer,
- is spending the late years of an honorable and useful life
on his farm about four and a half miles northwest of Juda, Green
county. He is the eldest son of Moses and Sarah (JOHNS) PENGRA,
natives of Bennington county, Vt., and Wales, respectively. Sarah
JOHNS came to this country with her parents when a young child.
Moses PENGRA was born Jan. 11, 1799, son of Marshall PENGRA,
of Vermont, whose father was one of three brothers who came to
this country from England before the Revolution. The PINGREE
family of Michigan, is supposed to have descended from the same
course, the spelling of the name changing in the intervening
years.
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- Marshall H. PENGRA was born Jan. 18, 1819, in the town of
Darien, Genesee Co., N.Y., and
- came to Green county, Wis., in 1845. Since that year he has
made his home on one farm, and presents an encouraging example
of the rich rewards that wait on industry and honesty in agricultural
life. In all these years he has been very active and industrious,
and only the increasing weight of age prevents his continued
application to the practical work of the farm. His close attention
to his own business has not hindered an enlightened public service,
and he has filled creditably several local offices of honor and
trust. He has been chairman of the town, school director, and
justice of the peace for thirty-five years. At the time the office
of county commissioner was abolished he was holding that position.
From 1870 to 1872 Mr. PENGRA was a member of the State Legislature,
and took an active part in the deliberations of that body. Mr.
PENGRA has studied law, and practiced in the justice courts of
the county for many years. Twelve different estates have been
settled by him, and in every case his administration proved satisfactory
to all parties concerned.
- Mr. PENGRA and Miss Elvira LYON were married April 16, 1840.
She was born in 1819 in
- Franklin county, Mass., a daughter of Marshall and Chloe
(SHERMAN) LYON. The LYONs were one of the old families of New
England, and their history runs back to English origin. When
a young woman Elvira LYON moved with her parents from Franklin
county, Mass. to Erie county, Penn., where she taught school
for several years before her marriage. Her parents died in Erie
county. Marshall H. PENGRA and his wife had seven children, of
whom the eldest, Marshall Pembroke, born May 15, 1841, is now
a resident of Brodhead. He was a soldier in the 22d Wis. V.I.
during the Civil war, and acquitted himself with much credit
in that great struggle. George M. died in childhood. Delia Elvira,
born April 27, 1844, married Charles MADISON, and died at home.
Winfield SHERMAN, born Nov. 2, 1847, married a Miss PRESTON,
and resides in Madison. Mary E., born Feb. 6, 1850, married Edward
FESENDEN, and is now deceased. Moses B., born April 29, 1851,
is living in Minnesota. Charles Fremont, born March 27, 1857,
married Miss Etta FEATHERS, of Albany, and they are living on
the home place of his father. Mrs. Elvira PENGRA departed this
life Jan. 26, 1901. She was a member of the M. E. Church from
the age of eighteen years.
- Mr. PENGRA and his devoted companion always commanded the
highest respect of all who
- knew them. Mr. PENGRA is among the oldest pioneers of the
county now living, and his career has been honorable and useful
in the extreme. Politically he is a Republican, and, as this
sketch shows, a capable and efficient man in every walk of life.
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-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin,"
(c)1901 Union Publishing; pp. 760-761; lithograph, p. unknown.
-
- Courtesy of Carol.
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