LOWRY, George

LOWRY, PRATT, MATTOX, PLASS, CURTIS

Posted By: Annette Lucas (email)
Date: 5/27/2021 at 14:36:04

SOURCE: History of Buchanan County Iowa And Its People, Vol. II, The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1914

George Lowry, one of the venerable and respected citizens of Jesup, where he is now living retired after a period of connection with agricultural interests of Buchanan county, dating from 1869, was born in Underhill county, Vermont, March 16, 1825. He is a son of James and Rebecca (Pratt) Lowry. The father was likewise a native of the Green Mountain state and was a soldier in the War of 1812. In early life he followed the carpenter's trade, but in later life engaged in agricultural pursuits. About 1835 he removed to Cass county, Michigan, making a location in the village of Adamsville, where he continued to work at his trade until 1856 or 1857, when he came to Iowa and secured a soldier's grant of land of one hundred and sixty acres in Jackson county, which he improved and to which he later added a tract of one hundred and twenty acres. He cultivated this land until the time of his demise, which occurred when he had reached the advanced age of seventy-seven years. His wife survived and subsequent to his death made her home in California with a daughter, and there her death occurred. In their family were nine children, but only two are living. The record is as follows: Ann, deceased ; George, of this review ; Oliver, Jane, Myron, Elia and Emily, all of whom have departed this life; Harriet, now making her home in California; and Frank, who has also passed away.

George Lowry was reared under the parental roof and accompanied his parents on their various removals during the period of his boyhood and youth. He later learned and worked at the carpenter's trade, being thus engaged until 1850. He was married about this time, but his wife died in 1853 and he subsequently went to California by the overland route, making the journey as far as Salt Lake City with horses, but at that point he traded his horse team for a yoke of oxen and continued his journey to Bidwell's Bar, Oroville and Spanish Town. He then hired a man to drive his team and haul freight, while he spent three years at Bidwell's Bar, California, working at his trade. He was also interested in a mine, but eventually sold his interest therein for five hundred dollars. He spent five years there working at his trade and then, disposing of his team and other interests, returned to Michigan, where he purchased a farm, operating the same some seven or eight years. In 1867 he came to Iowa, operating his father's farm in Jackson county two years, on the expiration of which period he made a permanent location in Buchanan county, purchasing land in Westburg township, his place comprising one hundred and sixty acres, on which had been erected a small house. He made many improvements on the farm and added sixty acres to his original holdings, operating the same until 1911, in which year he took up his abode in Jesup, where he has since lived in honorable retirement. His undertakings both as a farmer and carpenter were attended with a gratifying measure of success, and he has long been numbered among the prosperous and esteemed citizens of his community.

Mr. Lowry has been twice married. He was first married about 1850 to Miss Sarah E. Mattox, of Michigan, who died three years later, leaving one son, Charles Wallace, a resident farmer of Buchanan county. His second union was with Sarah E. Plass, who was born October 14, 1843, in Elkhart county, Indiana, a daughter of John and Eliza E. (Curtis) Plass. Her father was a native of New York and was a blacksmith by trade, following this line of work in Kansas, where he died at the age of seventy-eight years. His father, William Plass, was a native of Holland, while his mother was born in Germany. Mrs. Lowry's materal grandfather was a Scotchman and was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Her mother, Mrs. Eliza E. Plass, departed this life at the age of seventy-seven years. Mrs. Lowry spent her early life on the state line between Indiana and Michigan and by her marriage has become the mother of one son. James R., who makes his home in Jesup.

Mr. Lowry has always supported the men and measures of the democratic party, but has never consented to hold public office. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Although he has reached the advanced age of eighty-nine years, he still retains his mental faculties unimpaired and takes a keen interest in the happenings of the times. He has always been a steady, hard-working man and the course he has followed has commended him to the confidence and good-will of all and he has an extensive circle of friends throughout Buchanan county.