William Sandy 1834 - 1910

SANDY, DURSTON, GREER, JARVIS, STEBBINS, SHERMAN

Posted By: J. Nicks (email)
Date: 6/28/2005 at 11:16:32

William Sandy

Submitted by Nadine Coles

Source - Obituary March 24, 1910 The Rolfe Reveille

Another Old Settler Has Gone
Wm. Sandy Was a Resident of This County Nearly Half a Century

William Sandy was born in South Brent, England, April 14, 1834 and departed this life at this home in Rolfe, Iowa, March 16, 1910, in his 76th year, leaving a widow and five grown children to mourn the loss of a kind husband and father. In the spring of 1856 deceased came to the United States with his sister, the late Mrs. William Jarvis, and her husband. After remaining about a year in America he returned to England and came back to America in 1858. In company with Jack Stebbins, now of Curlew, Palo Alto County, he crossed the plains to California, making the trip there on horseback, which took some four months in 1859. Returning to this state he on August 11, 1863, was united in marriage with Charlotte Durston, then of Dubuque, Iowa, but also of South Brent, Eng. About a year after this marriage they came to this county and bought the northwest quarter section 1, 92, 31, and built thereon. This place has been the birthplace of their children, and is owned by the deceased. To this union seven children were born; the first and fifth died in infancy, but here are five surviving. In order of birth, Minnie M. Sherman, born in 1865, and now wife of F. H. Sherman of Rolfe; Mary Alice, James W., single; George H., married and has wife and one child;Frank A., wife and one child. All these reside in or near Rolfe and were often present during the last sickness and at funeral of deceased. Many years ago deceased was overcome by heat whilst shocking grain after a selfbinder driven by the writer and owned by us as partners. This so impaired his health that it compelled him to buy a house and move to town in 1890. Many of the early settlers who knew the deceased for almost half a century were at the funeral. His brother-in-law, David Greer, of Curlew and wife (Mary Ann Durston-added) were at the funeral, as was his old California partner, John Stebbins.