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JOSEPH PENROSE, of Canton Township, was born in Bucks County, Pa., April 2, 1837. At the age of three years he was brought with the family to Benton County, Iowa, where he has since made his home. He now resides on the farm chosen by his father in 1840, when he first arrived in the township. His marriage took place in 1859, to Phoebe R., a daughter of James and Barbara (Walters) Jones. She was born in Coschocton County, Ohio, in 1840. Mr. Penrose is now the owner of 212 acres of land, and gives his attention to stock-farming. He and his wife are the parents of eight children. The oldest, James S., died when but one year of age. Those still living are William O.; Delilah D., now the wife of Henry Shneyer, residing in Hitchcock County, Neb.; Laura, Mary B., Lewis Edwin, John A. and Myrtle.In politics Mr. Penrose is a National Greenbacker. He was Justice of the Peace three years, and is now serving his eighth year as Trustee of the township. He is a member of the A. O. U. W. Mr. and Mrs. Penrose are members of the Presbyterian Church.
Stedman Penrose, father of our subject, was born in Bucks County, Pa., and was there reared to manhood, and united in marriage with Mary Strawn. In 1840, accompanied by his family, consisting of wife and two children, he came to Iowa, and became a resident of Benton County, and was thus numbered among the very few old settlers of the county. Joseph Strawn, the brother of his wife, then an unmarried man, also came to this county with them. Mr. Penrose located on section 12, in what is now Canton Township, and engaged in agricultural pursuits. When gold was first discovered in California in 1849, he started for the golden shore, making the journey overland with teams. His death occurred in California in 1850. Five children survive him — Ann, now the wife of Daniel Verdan, residing in Whitewater, Col.; Joseph, living in Benton County; William, who enlisted in Co. D, 8th Iowa Vol. Inf., and was killed at the battle of Shiloh; Lewis, a farmer residing in Linn County; Marietta, who married Robert Shopshire, and is now residing in Whitewater, Col. Mrs. Penrose made her home with her children on the farm until 1859, when she married B. J. Kenyon. She died in Colorado, Nov. 6, 1882, aged seventy-four years.
Source Citation: "1887 Benton County, Iowa Biographies" [database online] Benton County IAGenWeb Project. <http://iagenweb.org/benton/>
Original data: "Portrait and Biographical Album of Benton County, Iowa." Chicago: Chapman Brothers, 1887, p. 236-237.
Transcribed by: Sue Soden. Submitted to the Benton County IAGenWeb Project on January 28th, 2009. Copyright © 2009 The IAGenWeb Project.
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