Charles Ogilvie

OGILVIE, GILBERT, BUNT, DUTTON, SPRINGSTEEN

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 3/5/2011 at 07:07:36

Charles Ogilvie conducted a grocery business in Armstrong until November, 1916, when he retired. He was born in Forfarshire, Scotland, November 2, 1832, a son of William and Susan (Gilbert) Ogilvie. The father was a laborer and neither he nor his wife ever came to the United States. They were the parents of two daughters and three sons, of whom Charles was the one to emigrate to America, coming here when sixteen years of age. He attended school in his native land until fourteen years old and during the intervening two years until his emigration to this county he was employed as a clerk in a dry goods store. After remaining for a year in New York City he went to the province of Ontario, Canada, where he worked on a farm for some time. At length he removed to Iowa and for a period engaged in teaching school south of Algona during the winter months and during the summer seasons worked on the farm of James Mitchell, with whom he made his home. At that time conditions in this state were largely those of the frontier and the schoolhouse in which he taught was made of sod. It was known as the Carroll school and was one of the first established in that section.

A year before Armstrong was platted Mr. Ogilvie removed to this locality and became one of the first merchants of the new town, carrying a well chosen general stock. He was thereafter continuously connected with the business interests of the town and conducted an up-to-date and well patronized grocery store until November, 1916. He is enjoying good health at the age of eighty-four years.

In 1899 Mr. Ogilvie was married to Mrs. Laura (Bunt) Dutton, a daughter of Reuben and Eunice (Springsteen) Bunt, natives of New York, who were among the first settlers of Estherville, Iowa. They drove from Winnishiek county with an ox team and knew by experience all the hardships of frontier life. Both are buried in Seneca, this state. Mrs. Ogilvie was first married to Ed Dutton, of Armstrong, and by that union had six children: Ella, who is the widow of E. P. Wood and with her five children is residing in Armstrong; Eunice, who married James Huff, of Armstrong; Lucinda, deceased; Edna, at home; Carrie, also deceased; and Alice, now Mrs. Harold Atwood, of Armstrong.

Mr. Ogilvie is a democrat in politics and although never an office seeker has always discharged to the fullest the duties of a good citizen. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Armstrong and is highly esteemed by all with whom he has come in contact as he has consistently ordered his life in accordance with high ethical standards.

Source: History of Emmet County and Dickinson County Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, The Pioneer Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1917.