ESTEY, Cephas B.

ESTEY, LAWRENCE, SODON, WADE, EMMERSON, WALTERS, TAFT, ATKINS, PULSIFER, OBER, NICHOLS, TRACHER, VAN WORT, GRIGGS, DUDLEY, HOWELL, LUCE, KINRADE, DOTY

Posted By: Nettie Mae
Date: 1/18/2003 at 23:00:14

Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.

CEPHAS B. ESTEY.

Cephas B. Estey, a well-to-do farmer of Delmar, Iowa, was born in the town of Peru, Clinton county, New York, on the 9th of March, 1827, and is a son of John D. and Charlotte (Lawrence) Estey. His paternal grandfather also bore the name of John, and was born in Connecticut of English ancestry. The father was a native of Massachusetts, and when quite young accompanied his parents on their removal to Crown Point, Essex county, New York, where they both died. When about twelve years of age John D. Estey was detailed to take charge of the horses at Plattsburg during the war of 1812, and take them to Crown Point. From that time until he attained his majority he was bound out to a farmer. A year later he was married at Bridgeport, Vermont, to Miss Charlotte Lawrence, who was born in Monkton, that state, and for a short time they made their home in Peru, New York, but in 1829 removed to Plattsburg, where the following two years were passed. They next made their home in Moores, Clinton county, New York, where in the midst of the timber the father cleared and improved a farm, his home being a log house. In the spring of 1855 he sold his property in the east and came to Iowa, locating at Maquoketa, Jackson county, where he continued to follow farming. He was born June 11, 1801, and died in October 1872, his remains being interred in the Maquoketa cemetery by the side of his wife, who died in 1864, at the age of sixty-two.

This worthy couple were the parents of eight children, namely: (1) Sylvanus first married Margaret Sodon, and after her death wedded a Miss Wade; the first wife died in Clinton county, New York; he died March 12, 1901, at the age of seventy-five years. (2) Cephas B., our subject , is the second in order of birth. (3) Harriet married William Emmerson, who died in 1889, and she now lives in Denver, Colorado. (4) Jonas M., who married Elizabeth Walters, enlisted in the Twenty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, but soon after the battle of Young’s Point he was taken ill, and later served as assistant surgeon in the hospital at Keokuk, Iowa, and was guard at the rebel prison at Camp Douglas, Chicago, for a time. He died at Maquoketa, where his widow still resides. (5) Charlotte died at the age of twenty-two years. (6) Sarah died at the age of eighteen. (7) John W., who served three years in the Second Iowa Cavalry during the Civil war, is now a resident of Des Moines. He first married Mary Taft, and second Alice Atkins. (8) Caroline E., deceased, was the wife of James Walters.

During his boyhood Cephas B. Estey attended the common schools of his native state, and assisted his father on the farm and in the lumber woods. At Moores, New York, on the 3d of December, 1848, he was united in marriage with Miss Lucinda Pulsifer, who was born in Essex county, that state, August 26, 1829, a daughter of Amos and Sarah (Ober) Pulsifer, natives of Connecticut and New York, respecitively. In the Pulsifer family were the following children: Henry lived and died in Vermont, Leonard, who came to Iowa with our subject in 1854, wedded Mary Ann Elliott, resided in Maquoketa for a time and then moved to Lansing, Michigan, where both died, and are there buried, their two sons being residents of that city. Ansel married T. Nichols, and died at the home of our subject. Jane married George Tracher, and both died in Essex county, New York. Lucinda is the wife of our subject, and died April 27, 1901. Lorenzo married a Miss Van Wort, now deceased, and he lives in Essex county, New York; Lorinda, deceased, was the wife of Philander Griggs. Philander died in Essex county, New York, at the age of twenty-two years. Lavina is the wife of Alonzo Dudley, of Jamaica, Iowa.

In the spring following his marriage Mr. Estey returned to Clinton county, New York, and purchased fifty-two acres of timber land near his father’s farm, twenty acres of which he cleared and erected thereon a log house and barn. In the fall of 1854, with his brother-in-law and their respective families, Mr. Estey came west. With a horse and democrat wagon he drove to Ogdensburg, New York, while the others went on the cars. There they all embarked on a vessel and sailed to Lewiston, where they took the train for Buffalo, New York, with the exception of our subject, who drove again. From Buffalo they went by water to Toledo, Ohio, and on to Adrian, Michigan, and from there over the Michigan Southern Railroad to Chicago. There his family took a passenger train for Rock Island, while he went with his horse and wagon on a freight train to that city. Crossing the Mississippi river at Davenport, the women and children in the party proceeded by wagon to Maquoketa, Jackson county, Iowa, while the men walked arriving there on the night of September 12, 1854. There Mr. Estey spent eight years working at the carpenter’s and stone mason’s trades, and at other occupations by which he could earn a livelihood. At the end of that time he removed to Clinton county and rented a farm where the village of Delmar now stands, but at that time it was only a cornfield. This property belonged to a Mr. Williams, who was then in the army. After spending three years on that place Mr. Estey purchased one hundred and sixty acres of raw land on section 14, Bloomfield township, which he placed under cultivation, and to which he subsequently added another tract of one hundred and sixty acres. He has recently sold a part of this property, but still owns two hundred and thirty-four acres of well-improved land. He is now practically living retired in the village of Delmar, where he owns a nice home.

Unto Mr. And Mrs. Estey were born eleven children, namely: Lurinda, born May 5, 1850, died April 12, 1863; Zada A., born June 15, 1852, died October 27, 1865; Mary A., born June 3, 1854, died July 27, 1855; Sarah E., born August 26, 1856, died March 26, 1863; Harry C., born February 12, 1859, died March 19, 1863; Louisa, born March 1m 1861, married David E. Howell, who died October 2, 1900; Loretta, born April 20, 1864, is the wife of B. W. Luce, of Woodbury, Iowa; Loren, twin brother of Loretta, married Mary A, Kinrade, who now lives with our subject, while he die November 24, 1890; Marshall, born March 21, 1866, was married February 15, 1888, to Rosa Doty, and died March 29,1888; Willie S., born July 14, 1868, is at home with his father; and Minnie L., born June 12, 1874, is the wife of Thomas Kinrade, of Bloomfield township. The mother of these children died April 26. 1901, aged seventy-two years and eight months, after a happy married life of nearly fifty-two years and a half. Her remains were interred in the Delmar cemetery.

Mr. Estey is an active and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Delmar, to which his wife also belonged, and he has filled the offices of steward, trustee, class-leader and superintendent of the Sunday-school. The Republican party finds in him a stanch supporter of its principles, and he has served as village trustee and mayor for one year each. He is one of the representative men of his community—one who commands the respect and confidence of all with whom he comes in contact either in business or social life.