Jesse Wroten

WROTEN, NICHOLS, DERR, METHALER, VAN GERPEN, ANDERSON, VAN EMAN, BANTZ, GATES

Posted By: L Polok (email)
Date: 4/10/2007 at 16:17:06

The Conservative, Independence, Iowa, Wednesday December 23, 1925

PIONEER UNION VETERAN JOINS SILENT BIVOUAC - Jesse Wroten Died at Daughter's Home

Resident of county since early fifties, had spent 75 years in county with exception of years spent in Union Army.

Another pioneer has fallen. The last call came for Jesse Wroten about midnight, December 22, 1925. Old time residents all remember Jesse, who was so familiar with all the streets of our town and all the roads of our county. The younger generation did not know this man so well, as he had been an invalid for several years-the last two or three years becoming completely shut in at the home of his daughter, Mrs. John Derr, two miles east of Independence. Jesse Wroten's biography, written out in full detail, would be almost a history of Buchanan county. He wsa (sic) born in Tippecanoe county, Indiana may 27th 1840. He trekked it across Illinois to Iowa, crossing the Big River at Dubuque when he was 11 years old. His children have often heard of that "covered wagon". His parents, Robert and Nancy Wroten, were of hardy Hoosier stock, and settled in the woods up the Wapsie about four miles north of Littleton. They were charter members of Pleasant Gove Presbyterian church and formed the pioneer back ground for all the Wrotens, who have since lived in the county. When that early log cabin was hewn out of the wilderness in 1850, Independence was made up of less than a dozen families. Mail came from Dubuque on horse back and then by Democrat wagon. Mr. Wroten at the time of his death, had the distinction of being the longest time resident of the county, barring his sisters, who are younger. 75 years in Buchanan county, Iowa! The first school built in his neighborhood was not until 1853. It was two miles away and the term was during winter months, when a thirteen year old lad could not be useful clearing up a homestead. Grubbing the trees and burning the brush made a strong man of him, and in his early twenties he was considered the equal of any man in the Wapsie valley. It was a long trip with oxen to the mill at Quasqueton, mostly over a blazed trail. Indians infested the forests and both prairie and woods were full of wild game. His children have frequently heard of the deep snow of one of these winters when it crusted over after a rain and rendered deer so helpless that venison was plentiful. They made trips to Dubuque by wagon - no market was nearer. It was some years before the railroad reached Independence, and was later extended to Waterloo and Ft. Dodge. The call came in the early sixties to join the Union Army and Mr. Wroten enlisted at Dubuque for three years or until the end of the ware. Company C, 27th Iowa Reg. U.S. Inf. Vol.. He was scarcely a year in the army before he was stricken down and came near to death in a hospital at Jackson, Tenn. From that place he was discharged and invalided home, greatly damaged in health for the rest of his life. He has been a G.A.R. man from the earliest days of the organization. After the war he met Philena Nichlos, another pioneer of Buchanan county, and they were married by Judge Barton at the old Court House in Independence, in November 1869. 56 years down the pathway of life these two have traveled together, and his widow will surely be lonely for the rest of the journey. This married life was blessed with seven children, one of whom died in infancy and another, Chas. Wroten died in 1912. Those living are: Homer Wroten, Clear Lake, Ia.; Mrs. John Derr of Independence, Ia.; Miss Harriet Wroten, Janesville, Ia.; Mrs. A.J. Melthaler, and Mrs. D.J. Van Gerpen of Earlville, Ia. there are 12 grandchildren. Mr. Wroten never acquired much of the world's goods but he leaves a memory that is precious to his children. His integrity was never questioned by his neighbors nor by those who had business relations with him. He had many misfortunes in life, broken bones, loss of an eye, was betrayed in a business partnership early in life, but he always struggled along in that uncomplaining fashion that makes one admire and love a man. We must not forget in this brief life history to mention the fact that he brought the first threshing machine into this county. It was as far in advance of the flail as the present outfit is in advance of the one he introduced. This rig was shipped to Prairie du Chien, ferried across to McGregor and drawn by six horses down through Elkader and Fayette into this county. There were four brothers and four sisters in the Wroten family. The brother are all gone and the sisters remain. They are: Mrs. Jane Anderson, Mrs. Rachel VanEman, Mrs. Almida Bantz, of this community, and Mrs. Lida Gates of Chicago. The funeral will be conducted Thursday, Dec. 24, at 2 p.m., from the M.E. church of which deceased was a long time member and will be taken care of by the pastor, R.L. Smith. The Grand Army of the Republic, with which he was so closely affiliated, will be present and will also officiate, with interment at Littleton, Iowa.