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JOHN G. STEWART, retired farmer, residing near the south limit of Vinton, was born in Hampshire County, Va., May 18, 1818, being a son of John and Rebecca (Culp) Stewart, natives of Virginia. His father was a farmer and followed that occupation in his native State until his death, which occurred June 10, 1835. His mother died in 1842.The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm in Virginia, where he remained until 1836, when, with his mother, four brothers and three sisters, he removed to Alleghany County, Md., where they lived until 1853, when they moved to Washington County, Iowa. Mr. Stewart there purchased 218 acres of land, onto which he moved and where he lived two years and a half, when he sold out, and in the spring of 1856 moved to Benton County and located on section 26, Taylor Township, where he bought 360 acres of unimproved land. He made all the necessary improvements and resided there until 1873, when he sold out and bought thirty-four town lots in Vinton and two and one-fourth acres of land just outside of the city limits. He has improved the place on which he lives, and, having spent the most of his life at hard labor, he is now living at ease and enjoying the fruits of his industry. In the midst of his present prosperity he is ever ready and willing to aid by all the means in his power those who are discouraged and fainthearted, and to help them on in the battle of life.
Mr. Stewart was married, April 14, 1836, to Levina Barkdoll, a daughter of Jacob Barkdoll, a native of Maryland. She was born Sept. 29, 1817. Their union was blest with ten children, eight of whom are living: Mary E., born May 29, 1838, married Alonzo Edmonds, a blacksmith in Dysart, Iowa; Susan C., born July 13, 1840, married William H. Brown, a farmer in Monroe Township: Jacob N., born Sept. 30, 1842, married Mary Etta Clark, and resides in Taylor Township: John W., born Dec. 20, 1844, married Sarah J. Luthur, and is a farmer in Taylor Township; Lavina A., born Jan. 28, 1847, married George W. Smouse, a farmer in Benton Township; Theodore G., born Sept. 23, 1849, died Sept. 29, 1872; Jonathan P. born April 14, 1852, married Caddie Stewart, and is a farmer in Waterloo, Iowa; Hester A., born Feb. 4, 1855, died Sept. 30, 1860; Harriet E., born Aug. 5, 1857, married Daniel Smouse, a farmer in Eden Township: George C. F., born May 30, 1861, married Eva L. Cantonwine, of Vinton. Mrs. Stewart died Dec. 20, 1885.
Mr. and Mrs. Stewart were members of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ for forty-five years, in which church Mr. Stewart has served as local minister for forty-four years. He was a member of the Virginia Conference while residing in that State, and of the Iowa Conference since coming to this State.
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. 282.
Transcribed by: Sue Soden. Submitted to the Benton County IAGenWeb Project on February 10th, 2009. Copyright © 2009 The IAGenWeb Project.
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