JOSEPH PROBASCO

PROBASCO

Posted By: Jake Tornholm (email)
Date: 4/20/2020 at 14:23:00

JOSEPH PROBASCO first came to Adams county in 1872, since which time he has been an honored citizen, with the exception of a few years spent in the State of New York. He was born in Sussex county, New Jersey, March 6, 1823, and is the oldest of a family of twelve children born to Jacob and Mary (Shay) Probasco, also natives of the State of New Jersey. Jacob Probasco was a son of Joseph Probasco, Sr., who was born in New Jersey; the great-grandfather was a native of Paris France, of Polish descent; he came to America previous to the Revolutionary war, and the grandfather of our subject served during that great conflict. The mother of Joseph Probasco, Jr., was a daughter of John Shay, whose father, Timothy Shay, came from the North of Ireland, and settled in New Jersey, where he died at the advanced age of ninety- eight years.

When our subject was seven years old his parents removed to Geneva, Ontario county, New York, where the father engaged in farming until his death which occurred in his eighty-fourth year; the mother died ten years earlier at the age of sixty-nine years- Joseph was reared amid the scenes of farm life, and remained under the rule of his parents until he attained his majority.

He was married, September, 1848, to Miss Mary A. Myers, a daughter of Isaac and Lydia (Craiger) Myers, natives of New Jersey and Maryland respectively. Mrs. Probasco was born and reared in the State of New York. After his marriage Mr. Probasco bought fifty acres of land in Ontario county, New York, which he cultivated until 1855; he then removed to Knox county, Illinois, and purchased 100 acres of wild land on which he lived until 1872. In that year, as before stated, he came to Adams county, Iowa, and bought the farm on which he now resides.
It consists of 160 acres, is well improved, and under cultivation. The chief industry of this farm is the raising of Poland-China hogs, in which Mr. Probasco has been remarkably successful. In 1880 he rented his farm and returned to the State of New York, where he lived for a period of eight years; it was during this time that his wife died, February 23, 1887, at the age of sixty-four years. She was a consistent member of the Baptist Church, and was deeply mourned by all who
knew her.

Mr. and Mrs. Probasco had born to them two children: Jacob was born December 14, 1854; he has always remained with his father, and is now connected with him in business; he was married, September 14, 1884, to Miss Lizzie Hays, a native of Ontario county, New York. They have three children: Susie, Katie and Joseph. The second child of our subject, Catherine, is
the wife of Martin Cramer, of Corning.

In his political opinions Mr. Probasco affiliates with the Republican party. He is a member of Construction Lodge, No. 275, A. F. & A. M.