- JAMES NELSON DAVIS. Among the esteemed citizens and wealthy
retired farmers of Clarno
- township, Green county, may be mentioned James N. DAVIS,
who makes his home in the handsome residence erected on his large
farm, just two miles south of Monroe.
- Mr. DAVIS was born Oct. 26, 1827, a son of David and Mary
(WOODLE) DAVIS, and is in
- the strictest sense of the word, a self-made man, so far
as his financial acquirements are concerned. He was brought to
Wisconsin in youth by his parents, and received his education
in the little log school house near his home. He gradually acquired
his fine property, his home farm now consisting of nearly 500
acres of well-tilled fields. His entire life has been a temperate
one, and he has never tasted whiskey nor used tobacco in any
form - a fine example, worthy of emulation. Of lofty ideals,
a high sense of honor, of untarnished reputation, he is a citizen
of which any community might well be proud. In politics he is
a stanch Republican, and he has held the offices of school director,
chairman of Decatur township, supervisor of Clarno township,
giving to the duties of each the same careful, close attention
he gave to his private affairs, and proving himself a most acceptable
official. In religious belief he is a consistent member of the
Baptist Church at Juda, Wisconsin.
- On March 17, 1851, Mr. DAVIS was married to Miss Elizabeth
RODERICK, daughter of
- Andrew and Lydia RODERICK, early settlers of Green county.
To this union came ten children, as follows: Lydia, Miles O.,
Aura, Eva J., Lucinda R., Austin C., Frank, Nora, and Edith J.
and Edna M. (twins). Four died in 1871, within six weeks and
those now surviving are Lydia, Aura, Eva J., Lucinda R. and Austin
C. Mr. and Mrs. DAVIS also reared an adopted son, Frank, now
a dentist at Brodhead, Wis. Mrs. DAVIS, who was born in 1825,
died April 29, 1895, a faithful follower of the teachings of
the Baptist Church.
- David DAVIS, father of James N. DAVIS, was a son of James
DAVIS, and was a native of
- Pennsylvania, of Welsh descent. He came to Green county in
1838, settling in the town of Spring Grove, thus becoming one
of the very early settlers of the county. He was born May 6,
1793, and died Feb. 17, 1882. He married (first) Polly ROSS,
who bore him three children: Joshua, deceased; Nancy, widow of
Alfred BAREMORE, of Juda; and Keziah, widow of J. W. KILDOW,
of Spring Grove township. For his second wife he married, on
Nov. 22, 1822, Mary WOODLE, who was born in Fayette county, Penn.,
Feb. 9, 1804, and died Feb. 17, 1871. She was of Scotch lineage.
Their family of sons were eleven in number, namely: Thomas, born
Sept. 2, 1824; James N., mentioned above; David, born Nov. 22,
1829; Joel J. P., Jan. 8, 1832; Samuel, March 8, 1834; William,
Nov. 25, 1836; Doctor E., Aug. 12, 1839; Zachariah P., June 2,
1841; Joseph J., Nov. 18, 1843; John Q., May 26, 1848; and Levi
G., Dec. 1, 1850. Four are still living, James N.; Samuel, of
near Hampton, Iowa; Doctor E., near Brodhead, in Rock county;
and David, in Clarno township.
-
- Taken from "Commemorative Biographical Record of
the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin,"
(c)1901 Union Publishing; p. 395.
-
- Courtesy of Carol.
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