River, Abram 1820 - 1906

RIVER, STENHOUSE, JAMES

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 5/22/2024 at 16:07:26

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Dec. 18, 1906, FP, C6

Abram River, one of Howard county’s oldest and most respected citizens, passed away at 8:45 Monday evening, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Wm. James, who resides northwest of Cresco. He was past 86 years of age. The funeral occurs at 2:30 o’clock tomorrow afternoon at the Congregational church.

Source: Twice-A-Week Plain Dealer Dec. 21, 1906, LP, C5

OBITUARY
RIVER.
Abram River was born near St. Bruno, Canada, Nov. 10, 1820, and was the fourth child in a family of seven children, and was the last remaining member of that family. He lived in Canada until he was seventeen years of age. From there going to New York and remained there two years. He then joined the tide of emigration going westward and settled in Wisconsin. Here he spent several years. A part of this time he was in the employ of the Hudson Bay Fur Co.
He was married to Agnes Stenhouse Dec. 11, 1845. Seven children blessed this union, two dying in infancy, five are still living. William, Edward and Mary living in Howard county, Alexander and Lincoln in Seattle, Wash.
In 1852 he joined the gold seekers in an overland trip to California, taking six months to make the trip, and spent nearly two years in California, returning home by water via Isthmus of Panama and thence to New York and back to his home in Wisconsin where he remained until 1858. The west still called him and he once more responded to the call moving with his family to Howard county, Iowa, settling on a farm about two miles from Cresco. This farm he owned at the time of his death.
Coming to Howard county nearly fifty years ago he endured all the hardships and privations of frontier life. But what a pleasure it was to visit at his hospitable home and no truer friend or kinder neighbor ever lived than Abram River and few men could more clearly and accurately describe the scenery and places of interest that they had visited, yet so plain and unassuming was his manner that only his nearest friends realized the vast store of information he possessed.
On account of failing health, about nine years ago, Mr. and Mrs. River went to live with their only daughter, Mrs. Mary James. Mrs. River passed away nearly five years ago.

Oak Lawn Cemetery
 

Howard Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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