Re: Lawrence Homer Fife
FIFE, WAGERS, HALEY, MASON, BOYD, THOMAS, SHAFER, MITCHELL, CRIDER
Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email) In Response To: Lawrence Homer Fife (Craig Dillon)
Date: 11/30/2014 at 17:16:24
It appears that Lawrence Homer Fife was still alive in October, 1885, but deceased by 1892. Since Mary Elizabeth (Wagers) Fife remarried on September 1, 1886 in Stewartsville, DeKalb County, Missouri to John [not James] Haley, Lawrence most probably died between October 1885 - August 1886 and most likely in DeKalb County.
The sources were a biographical sketch of his father, James T. Fife written in 1892 which stated "He and his wife were the parents of eight children: Lawrence H., Andrew V., Arthur S., Olive O., Michael T., James M., Bertha I. and Clara E. His wife died in October, 1881. Lawrence and Bertha are also dead." and the DeKalb County, Missouri Probate file codicil for Mary Elizabeth's father, Simpson Wagers dated October 8, 1885 [Simpson died the next day on October 9, 1885] in which was written "Mary E. Fife wife of Larance"; She is not listed as a widow nor is Lawrence listed as deceased. Have you been able to get a copy of the James Mason adoption file in DeKalb County?
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Biographical History of Montgomery and Adams Counties, Iowa; Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1892.James T. Fife, a farmer and stock-raiser of section 24, Jasper township, was born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, March 3, 1829, a son of William Fife, who was a descendant of John Fife, of Fifeshire, Scotland. John Fife was born in 1721, and removed to county Tyrone, Ireland; in 1756 he came to Winchester, Virginia, and in 1766 to Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, where he purchased 1,000 acres of land of the Indians and there he died November 19, 1800, and this land still belongs to his descendants. William Fife, the grandfather of our subject, a son of John Fife, Jr., was born in 1751, and died July 25, 1818, and served as a soldier during the Revolutionary war. His wife was Margaret Boyd. The father of our subject was reared on the old Fife homestead, and married Mary Thomas, of Nodaway township, Washington county, Pennsylvania. The maternal ancestors of our subject were among the first settlers of Washington county, and were of Welsh descent. In 1835 William Fife sold his interest in the old homestead and removed to Washington county, Pennsylvania, where he died when our subject was fourteen years of age, leaving his widow and twelve children but limited means.
It became necessary for those that were able to do anything to go to work; our subject commenced work on a farm at $4 per month and never received more than $7. In the summer of 1847 he attended Washington college; in the fall of the same year he engaged in the sale of books and in this business he obtained means to pursue his studies until the spring of 1850, when he left school and went to Salem, Columbiana county, Ohio, and there purchased a property of Rev. A. G. Kirk, for $800; $50 cash, 4100 in three months, $150 in six months; balance in two equal yearly payments with interest. He gave his mother the free use of this property whilst she remained a widow and with the assistance of a brother and sister provided for her and the younger children.
He was married, November 25, 1852, to Miss Elizabeth H. Shafer, a native of Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, and daughter of Michael Shafer, a soldier of the war of 1812. In 1853 he rented a farm in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, and farmed in the summer and sold books in the winter. In 1855 he removed to Seneca county, Ohio, and for $10 per acre he purchased 240 acres of land in a branch of the Black swamp; the land was considered worthless by the citizens; he ditched a portion of it and put it in a good state of cultivation and divided it into four lots, and in 1860 sold the same at a price ranging from $20 to $30 per acre and moved to Marshall county, Indiana, where he continued to farm until 1872.
In the last year of the civil war he served the Government in the capacity of a detective. When our Government was at war with Mexico he was a member of the Jefferson Grays, and with the company offered his services to the Government, which received orders to be ready on notice to go, but the war coming to an end they were not called for. He also served as a detective and broke up a gang of thieves headed by John Mauler, in the vicinity of Tyner City, Indiana. In 1872 he removed to Adams county, Iowa, purchased 240 acres of raw land and improved it.
He and his wife were the parents of eight children: Lawrence H., Andrew V., Arthur S., Olive O., Michael T., James M., Bertha I. and Clara E. His wife died in October, 1881. Lawrence and Bertha are also dead. He was again married in August, 1883, to Mrs. Mary A. Mitchell, a native of Brown county, Ohio; by this union they had one child, born in November, 1887, and died in March, 1888. March 17, 1886, his house and household goods and barn and farming utensils were destroyed by fire; they were partly covered by insurance in the AEtna and it was promptly paid to a cent; he rebuilt in good shape; here he lives and intends to stay and enjoy all he can of life.
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DeKalb County, Missouri Probate
96-100 Wagers, Simpson M.
Will written August 28, 1883
Codicil written October 8, 1885
Will proved in court October 15, 1885
Heirs: Mary J.; Coleman B.; John T.; Owin G.; Mary E. Fife wife of Larance; Armilda Crider wife of Frank E.; grandson Authur son of James L. now deceased;
Others listed: Joseph Chrisman, A. J. Culbertson, H. W. Haynes, Isaac V. More/Mors, Newcom Dyer Executor: son Coleman B
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