STONE, Rev. Wilson

STONE, FORD, SCOTT, SAMUELS, DUNN, BOZARTH, HAMILTON, WILLIS

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 2/14/2014 at 14:39:36

Biography ~ Rev. Wilson Stone

"Biographical and Historical Record of
Ringgold and Decatur Counties, Iowa"
(Lewis Publishing Company (1887)), Pp. 701-02.

REV. WILSON STONE, section 2, Hamilton Township, was born in Crawford County, Indiana, August 7, 1822, a son of JOHN and NANCY (FORD) STONE, natives of New York. He is the fourth of a family of seven children and the second son. He spent his early life on a farm, receiving only such education as were afforded by the common schools. In the spring of 1854, he left his native State, and with a wife and two children came to Iowa, and located in Marion County, but the following June came to Decatur County and bought a tract of wild land in Hamilton Township and built a plank shanty, 10 x 12 feet in demention. On this land he has since made his home, but the state of wildness in which he found it has disappeared and he now has one of the best farms in the county. Of his 200 acres, 100 are rich bottom lands of the Grand River. His residence, a good story-and-a-half frame, is surrounded with shade and ornamental trees. His improvements are all in good repair and have been made with a view of furnishing a pleasant and comfortable home for his family. Mr. STONE has been twice married. His first wife, to whom he was married November 17, 1844, was Miss ELIZA SCOTT, a native of Crawford County, Indiana, daughter of MARTIN and ELIZABETH (SAMUELS) SCOTT. Of their eight children, but two lived till maturity – EMILINE, now Mrs. WILLIAM DUNN, of Kansas, and ADALINE, now deceased, who married SAMUEL BOZARTH. THOMAS, FRANCIS, MARION, MARIA, ISABELLA, DIANTHA, and two unnamed are deceased. Mrs. STONE died September 7, 1874, and May 25, 1875, Mr. STONE married ARVESTA ANN HAMILTON, a native of Tennessee, daughter of WILLIAM and SUSAN HAMILTON, the township of that name being named for her father, who was one of its first settlers. In politics Mr. STONE is a Democrat. He has served his township as trustee and as a member of the School Board. He is a member of the Missionary Baptist church, and was licensed a local preachers in 1874.

NOTE: Rev. Stone died April 16, 1897, Pleasanton IA. Arvesta was born November 25, 1835, Tennessee, and died November 10, 1902, Pleasanton IA. They were interred at Hamilton Cemetery, Pleasanton IA.

Arvesta's father, William Alexander Hamilton, was born September 1, 1801, Rutledge TN, and died September 17, 1854, Pleasanton IA. William founded Hamilton Cemetery when he buried his freed slave, Dudley Mathis, the first burial in 1849. Arvesta's mother, Susanah (Willis) Hamilton, was born September 13, 1800, and died November 22, 1869. They were interred at Hamilton Cemetery, Pleasanton IA.

Submission by Sara LeFleur, Decatur County Historical Society Museum, January of 2014

Note by Sharon R. Becker, February of 2014