Norton Benjamin Brunning

BRUNNING

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 5/14/2010 at 21:52:49

A valuable farm of 160 acres on section 10, Colfax township, is the property of Norton Benjamin Brunning and its neat appearance testifies to this ability as an agriculturist. His birth occurred Sherbrooke, Canada, on August 1, 1, 1846, but most of his life was passed in this country, as he was taken to Glover, Orleans county, Vermont, at the age of five. The family home was maintained three for six years, after which a removal was made to Boone county, Iowa, the family arriving here in 1857. They settled on the present site of Boone and remained there until 1860. The father, Benjamin Brunning was born in England, but came to the United States at the age of fifteen with his mother and brothers and sisters. His father, John Brunning also a native of England passed away on the voyage to the new world. He married Mary Howe, a native of England and they had seven children of whom Benjamin is the oldest. One son, William, was a soldier in the Civil war and now lies in retirement at Barton, Vermont, having reached the age of seventy-four years. The mother of our subject was in her maidenhood Electa Sophia Norton. She was born in Glover, Vermont, in 1824, a daughter of Nathan and Rachel (Atwood) Norton, And passed away in Elmirea, New York, on may 30, 1888. The father later married Miss Lavina Wetmore. He is still living at the venerable age of ninety-three years, making his home at Mansfield, Pennsylvania. His education was acquired almost entirely at home as he never attended school but three days in his life, but he studied at night under the direction of his wife and became a well informed man. During his active life he was a Universlalist minister and held charges in many parts of the country. In his family were the following children: Randall who died in the Civil war while serving the Fourth New York Regulars, having been wounded in the battle of the Wilderness, Norton Benjamin of this review and Maria now Mrs Adelbert McCullum.
Norton B Brunning was educated in Vermont, Iowa and Wisconsin. While living in the last named state he enlisted March 18, 1865, in Company G, Fifty-first Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Tuttle and Colonel West. At the end of the war he received his honorable discharged and removed to Lake county, Illinois, where his marriage occurred. In 1869 he came again to Boone county and here rented land for thirty years,, at the end of which tie he purchased the farm on which he now resides. He has met with many misfortunes as for instance when his team was killed by lighting, but has never allowed himself to become discouraged and his perseverance has brought him to prosperity.
On December 25, 1868, Mr Brunning was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Murrie, of Lake county, Illinois, a daughter of John and Jane Murrie. Mrs Brunning died July 17, 1905, mourned by many friends. Of the seven children born of his union five died in infancy, the others being Mrs Nellie May Coil, who lives on a farm in Minnesota and has three children, Everett B, Ralph W and Otis Murrie, and Randall W who married Pearl Brown and also has three children, Orville Norton, Harold L and Benjamin E.
Mr Brunning is a member of the Napier Methodist Episcopal church, which he helped to build and of which he served as trustee for some years. He has been a leader in township affairs and has been particularity interceding eh cause of education, having served on the school board. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party, and keeps alive the memories of the days of the Civil war through his membership in Post No 40, G A R , located in Ames.

1914 Boone Count History Book