Emory Osgood THOMPSON

THOMPSON, HILDRETH, WILLIAMS, RICHARDSON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 2/25/2011 at 01:11:53

1883 History of Franklin and Cerro Gordo Counties, Iowa

EMORY OSGOOD THOMPSON

Emory Osgood THOMPSON has been a prominent citizen of Cerro Gordo county since 1866. He was born in St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., Aug. 22, 1814. He was brought up on a farm and received an excellent education in an academy. In 1836 he went to Wisconsin and was there engaged eighteen months in surveying. In 1838 he returned to New York and was married to Lucinda HILDRETH. In 1853 he again went to Wisconsin, where he followed farming, in Green Lake county.

He enlisted in the Union services in 1861, enrolling in the 57th Illinois regiment, Volunteer Infantry, and after serving a year was discharged on account of physical disability. He was under fire at the battles of Shiloh and Fort Donelson.

Mrs. THOMPSON died in 1880, leaving eight children - Julius, Julia, Alice, Lucy, Emma, Rozella, Mary and Nellie.

Mr. THOMPSON was afterwards married Dec. 2, 1882, to Mrs. Nancy WILLIAMS.

He has been actively interested in local and county politics most of his life. He has acted as county supervisor and has held several township offices. Among other positions of prominence, he has occupied that of postmaster at Rockwell for fourteen years. In religious sentiment he has been a Baptist from youth.

Ira WILLIAMS, the first husband of Mrs. [Nancy] THOMPSON, was the second settler in Lincoln township. He was born in Montgomery Co., N. Y., in 1809, and was reared on a farm. He was married in 1834 to Nancy RICHARDSON, and emigrated, in 1845, to Illinois. In 1855 he came to Cerro Gordo Co., Iowa, and lived one year on the west bank of the Shell Rock river, in Falls township, and then took up his residence on section 24, Lincoln township. He was a soldier for the Union three years. He died in 1877. Mr. and Mrs. WILLIAMS reared nine children, seven of whom are living - Cynthia, Reuben, Ellen, David, Lemuel, Mary and Gilbert.

SOURCE: History of Franklin and Cerro Gordo Counties, Iowa. p. 886. Union Publishing Co. Springfield IL. 1883.

Transcription by Susan Steveson