Bedier, F. F.

BEDIER

Posted By: Mary H. Cochrane, Volunteer
Date: 6/27/2019 at 19:17:44

F. F. BEDIER

F. F. BEDIER, section 33, Grand River Township, is one of the successful and enterprising men of Decatur County. He is a native of Sur-Oise, France born October 2, 1838, a son of JOHN FRANCIS and MARY (BAUCHERON) BEDIER, who reared a family of four children – HERCULES, LOUIS L., FRANCIS F. and LOUISA, FRANCIS being the third child. When he was ten years of age his parents came to the United States and located in Hancock County, near the old Mormon town of Nauvoo, and there his youth was spent on a farm, receiving a limited education in the common schools. When but a lad of sixteen years he started out alone in the world and first located in Kansas in what is now Coffee County, and was there during the wild and troubulous times of the JOHN BROWN raids and border ruffians. In 1857 he returned to Hancock County and remained four years, when he went to St. Louis, and was there at the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion. Being a young man in the flush of manhood he determined to do battle for the cause of his adopted country and flag, and in response to the call of President LINCOLN for 75,000 men was one of the first to volunteer. He enlisted April 23, 1861, in Company G. First Missouri Infantry, Colonel F. P. BLAIR’s noted regiment. He was in the engagement at Camp Jackson, and after serving his time was honorably discharged, and returned to Hancock County. August 14, 1862, he again enlisted and was assigned to Company C, One Hundred and Eighteenth Illinois Infantry, Colonel J. G. FUDA commanding. He was with SHERMAN at his attack on Vicksburg, Arkansas Post, Chickasaw Bayou, Champion Hills, Black River Bridge, with General GRANT at the siege of Vicksburg, and in many other severe engagements and skirmishes. He was mustered out at Baton Rouge, October 1, 1865, and discharged at Springfield, Illinois, and returned to Hancock County, where he remained until 1870, when he moved to Iowa and located in Decatur County, three and a half miles northwest of Leon, in Center Township, where he lived until 1880, when he exchanged his farm for the one where he now lives, known as the Sankey farm, which is considered one of the best stock farms in Southern Iowa. It contains 740 acres of land, well improved, with a good tow-story residence, built on a natural knoll, surrounded with shade and ornamental trees, commodious barn and other farm buildings, orchard, feed lots, stock scales, and all the necessary conveniences for raising, feeding and handling stock. The farm is well watered with springs and running streams. Blue grass grows luxuriantly, and there is an abundance of shade and shelter for stock in hot or cold weather. Mr. BEDIER was married January 2, 1867, to Miss ROSETTA SCHENCK of Hancock County, Illinois. They have a family of nine children – JULIA, FLORENE, LOUIS, FRANCIS, EMMA, VICTOR, EUGENIA, JESSIE and FRED. In politics Mr. BEDIER is a Republican. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Leon Post, No. 251.