Re: Alexander C Best
BEST, KINZLER, KNAACK, CROSS, JORDAN, BELL, SHEPARD, FURNEY, VAN HORN, MERCER, RANDALL, TUCKER, MOWRY, ROBINSON, KING
Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email) In Response To: Alexander C Best (Lorrie Marsh)
Date: 1/12/2014 at 20:29:56
Here is what I found for you. Alexander Best appears to have been raised in Butler County, Pennsylvania; Matthias Best was raised in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. Matthias was born in 1830 and was the eldest of his siblings. Alexander Best was born in 1826. They do not appear to be brothers. What source do you have that says differently?
Alexander C. Best
May 26, 1826 -- January 28, 1903
Buried in the IOOF Cemetery in Marengo, Iowa
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=best&GSiman=1&GScid=2191601&GRid=115078952&*******
Nettie Best, age 20, born in Lincoln Twp., Iowa County, Iowa to George Kinzler, age 22, born in Marine City, Michigan; Married on March 20, 1890 in Ladora, Iowa County, Iowa. His parents were Mathew Kinzler and Minnie Coon.Nettie Best Kinzler, age 37, widow, to Ernest Knaack, age 44, single, born in Germany; Married on November 12, 1907 in Marengo, Iowa County, Iowa. His parents were Ernest Knaack and Augusta Cross. Iowa County, Iowa Marriage - page 528, license 111.
She states she is a widow. However, her first husband, George Kinzler, born in Marine City, Michigan to Matthias Kinzler and Wilhelmina Kuhn lived until 1968. [3 January 1869 -- 7 April 1968]; In addition, their son, Roy, is living with his divorced father, George Kinzler in 1910 in Pennington County, South Dakota;
Children:
Alva Alexander Kinzler
August 21, 1890/1891 - August 1977
Roy Harlen Kinzler
November 8, 1893 - May 1987*********
Delphia Best, age 19, born in Iowa County, Iowa; parents: A. C. and Martha Best; to William R. Jordan, age 23, born in Noble County, Ohio; parents: S. G. Jordan and Emily Bell Jordan; Marriage: July 24, 1892 in Millersburg, Iowa, Iowa;Delphia (Best) Jordan
October 1, 1872 - August 27, 1905
IOOF Cemetery - Marengo, Iowa
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=115079269William Riley Jordan
December 13, 1869 -- June 5, 1941Children:
Floyd Sidney Jordan
8 January 1894 -- 31 July 1971
William Ferris Jordan
20 September 1896 -- 3 December 1984*********
Source:
The History of Iowa County, Iowa... Published: Des Moines: Union Historical Company, Birdsall, Williams & Co., 1881, page 760.BEST, A. C. -- Farmer and stock-raiser, Lincoln Township, Sec. 33, P. O. Victor, Iowa Co., Iowa. Was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, May 26, 1826, and was raised there; and, in 1848, removed to Brown county, of that State, and after a residence of two years went to Adams county and thence to Champaign county, Illinois, and after living there one year came to Davenport, Iowa. From this place he went to St. Louis, and remained there until 1861, and then returned to Davenport and enlisted in company E, Second Iowa cavalry. He was a non-commissioned officer and served as clerk of the forage department for four regiments and two batteries. He was afterward promoted to chief forage master and held this position until the expiration of his term of service. After a short residence in Davenport and Memphis he came to this county, in 1865 (Iowa Co., IA), and owns a farm of 292 acres of land and is giving considerable attention to the raising of Durham cattle, and Poland-China and Berkshire swine. He married Miss Lillie Shepard in 1861. She died in 1867. He married for his second wife Martha Furney in 1869. They have two children: Nettie and Delphia.
**********
Source:
1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, page 653Matthias V. Best
June 4, 1830 - July 20, 1902One of the best remembered men of a past generation in Shelby County, Iowa, is Matthias V. Best, who came to this county in 1873. He took an active part in every phase of the life of the county and frequently held various official positions. In fact, he was a leader in Shelby Township from the time he arrived here in 1873 until he retired to Harlan in 1900, and during that period of more than a quarter of a century, he gave his enthusiastic support to every movement which he felt would benefit his township in any way. He was an active worker in all worthy measures and was interested in educational, religious and civic development. He and his good wife reared a large family of children to lives of usefulness and honor, and no better monument can a man leave behind him than this.
Matthias V. Best, son of Robert and Margaret (Van Horn) Best, was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, June 4, 1830. He was one of nine children, being the eldest in the family, and was reared to manhood in his native state and later went to Ohio, where he met his wife, Mary Mercer. She was born in Belmont County, Ohio, October 4, 1832, and was the daughter of Elias and Mary (Randall) Mercer, both of whom were natives of Ohio and descended from old Virginia families. Mr. Best and Mary Mercer were married at Cadiz, Ohio, on New Year's Day 1852, and in 1854 this young couple came to Muscatine County, Iowa, where they rented land until 1873. In that year they came to Shelby County and bought 160 acres of unimproved land. They were among the first pioneers of the county and endured all of the hardships incident to life in a new country. They built a home and made many improvements and as the years went by they found themselves prospering. Children came to bless their union, and while Mr. Best was giving his attention primarily to his own interests, yet he never failed to take an active part in the life of the community about him. He held one township office after another and such was his efficient administration of the duties of these various offices that the citizens, regardless of party, re-elected him time after time to township offices. His health became impaired and in 1900 he moved to Harlan in order to be relieved of all work on the farm. Two years later, he sold his home in Harlan and moved to Shelby although he lived but two years after locating in the latter city.
Mr. Best was married January 1, 1852, to Mary Mercer, and to this union were born thirteen children, seven sons and six daughters: Mrs. Ella B. Tucker, deceased; Mrs. Sarah A. Robinson of Shelby, Iowa; Mrs. Jennie I. Mowry of Shelby, Iowa; Mrs. Nissai King at home with her mother; Harry of Manning, Iowa; Archie M., living at home; Alvin S., who is in Colorado; Ernest L., whose history is given elsewhere in this volume; Frank C. of Omaha, Nebraska; Arthur M. whose history is also given elsewhere in this volume; Charles W. of Shelby County; Martha B. and Mary A., both deceased.
The fine farm of Mr. Best is now managed by his son, Ernest L. Mrs. Best has a beautiful residence in Shelby where she is now living with her two children. She is a member of the Home Missionary Society and an active worker in all missionary movements. Mr. Best was an active worker in the Presbyterian Church and was a generous contributor to its support. The Best family have always been on the right side of all good movements and their influence has always been cast for good government and the highest ideals of American Citizenship. Such people render valuable service to the community in which they live by the clean and wholesome method of their living.
Matthias V. Best departed this life at his home on July 20, 1902, aged 72 years, 1 month, 16 days, and interment followed on July 23. The funeral services were held in the Presbyterian church. He was sincerely mourned by a large concourse of friends. An original poem follows in memory of this good man:
Dearest husband you have left me,
And my heart is sad tonight;
Oh! that I again could see you,
All my dreams would be so bright.Father, dearest, thou hast left us,
And with thee our joys have fled;
Oh! tis hard to think our father,
Good and kind and true, is dead.
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