George H Lawton

LAWTON

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 4/21/2010 at 14:16:45

George H Lawton has lived in Boone county for fifty-eight years and is the owner of a well improved farm of 80 acres on section 20, Yell township. His birth occurred in Elizabethtown, Ohio, on Septeber 10, 1852, his parents being Alfred and Jane (Stewart) Lawton, who were natives of New York and Ohio respectively. The father a blacksmith by trade, conducted a shop in Ohio until 1856 and then, because of impaired health, came west to Boone county, Iowa, purchasing a farm in Marcy township. He improved the property and began its operation, also conducting a blacksmith shop on the farm for six years. On the expiration of that period he disposed of the place and bought 120 acres of land in Yell township part of which is now in possession of our subject. He likewise improved the latter tract and was busily engaged in its operation for many years or until he put aside the active work of the fields and took up his abode in Ogden, where he lived retired until his death in October 1896. The period of his residence in this county covered four decades and he had gained enviable recognition as one of its substantial agriculturists and esteemed citizens. The demise of his wife occurred in October 1890.
Georeg H Lawton, who was but four years of age when he came to this county with his parents, attended the district schools in the acquirement of an education. When twenty-four years of age he purchased 80 acres of the home farm on section 20, Yell township, and has since devoted his time and energies to its further culitvation and improvement with the exception of a period of five years spent as the proprietor of a meat market in Boone. As porgressive ideas have guided him in his work, and industry has been the force which has put them into constant practice, it has but in the natural course of events that Mr Lawton should be accounted one of the prosperous farmers of the community.
On April 5, 1881, Mr Lawton was united in marriage to Miss Rosa Wilkins, her parents being George and Sarah A (Osmer) Wilkins, both of whom were natives of England. They emigrated to the United States in 1867, locating in Sterling, Illinois, where Mr Wilkins followed farming until 1880, when he came to Boone county, Iowa. Here he operated a farm for two years and on the expiration of that period returned to Illlinois, purchasing a tract of land near Sterling which he cultivated during the remaineder of his life. His demise occurred on March 7, 1909, while his wife was called to her final rest in November, 1912. Unto Mr and Mrs Lawton were born eight children, as follows: Oscar, who passed away in 1882, Henry Owen, whose demise occurred in 1884, Pearl who died in the year 1892, Anna Mabel who passed away in 1894, one who died in infancy in Janaury 1897, George A a Methodist minister of Evanston, Illinois, Edgar at home and Olive who is attending school at Ogden.
In politics Mr Lawton has always been a stanch republican. The cause of education has ever found in him a stalwart champion and for five years he served as secretary of the school board. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church. His entire career has been characerized by high ideals and noble principles and in every relation of life his record has ever measured up to a high standard of honorable manhood.

1914 Boone County History Book