Ousley, Isaac 1822 - 1908

OUSLEY, BUNSTON

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 11/19/2019 at 12:19:00

Elkader Register & Argus, Thur., 10 Sept. 1908. Clayton column.

The grim roll call of the supreme power has again been responded to last Sunday evening, August 23rd, by one more of our pioneer settlers which claimed to its endless ranks our old friend and neighbor, Isaac Ousley, of this township, who sank into that peaceful, eternal slumber that knows no waking, there to rest on his oars after many years of toil through his journey of life. Isaac Ousley was born at Fenham, Somersetshire, England, August 6, 1822, and was married to Miss Sarah Bunston in Charde in the church of England in 1845, a year later in 1846 he emigrated to the United States in search of a home for his bride, remaining in this country about a year working at his trade as moulder, he returned to England but returned to this country in 1848, locating at Sandusky, Ohio, where he resumed his vocation in a large foundry in that city and where he was joined by his young wife and two children for whom he had prepared a home where they continued to reside until 1850, when he brought his little family to Dubuque where they remained but a few months, moving to Clayton the same year finding work in completing the erection of a large stone flouring mill for Whitman, Rogers & Co. Purchasing a small house and a couple of lots near the Frank Smith saw mill site in East Clayton, then called Goosetown, where he continued to reside, working at everything that offered legitimate earnings and during the summer months was employed as cook on the large float rafts of lumber from this point to St. Louis and later worked in the stave factory for Douglass and DeLorimer which was located on the grounds of the Frank Smith saw mill which was destroyed by fire. In 1868 he sold his little property and moved onto a small farm which he had purchased about five miles southwest from Clayton, which by the aid of his growing sons was cleared up for crop raising, doing all the work with one yoke of oxen with which he marketed hundreds of cords of wood and thousands of hoop poles from this land. In 1882 he sold the land and purchased the John Galagher place near Clayton, where he continued to reside to the time of his death, which was welcomed by him that he might be reunited with his good and faithful wife who had preceded him across the dark river to that shining shore about two years ago, where he found peace and welcome to her side once more and forever there to wander hand in hand in that beautiful and glorious sphere where all is happiness and grief and partings are no more. In the sacred union of Mr. and Mrs. Ousley six children were born to them, three of whom preceded them to that narrow home, they were, an infant, Marian, wife of John Schroeder, and George, who died about thirty-four years ago. Three sons survive to mourn the loss of a kind and loving father. The survivors are James, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, who was a soldier from 1862 to 1865, Daniel, of Oshkosh, Wis., and Frank, of this place, with whom he has made his home for over sixteen years past. During his life deceased was ever in robust health and scarcely suffered many ills, being ever hearty despite his declining years, up to a couple of days of his demise, when a serious change was experienced by him, lasting until Sunday, when he suffered a stroke of apoplexy from which death relieved him. The remains were laid to rest beside his wife and children on the family lot in Clayton cemetery. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. Sandford, of Guttenberg. The survivors wish to thank their many friends for their kind assistance in their bereavement by the death of their father.