Hipsley, Thomas D.

HIPSLEY, DAVIS, JENKINS, WELSH

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/12/2009 at 19:37:29

Thomas D. Hipsley

Fairview Township, Jasper County, is the home of many intelligent, industrious and prosperous farmers, who from a small beginning have won a competence, securing a considerable amount of land and surrounding themselves with all the comforts and conveniences which heart can wish. Among this number may be mentioned Thomas D. Hipsley.

The gentleman above named was born in Fayette County, Pa., January 18, 1826, and is a son of Jonathan and Nancy A. (Davis) Hipsley, both natives of Maryland. Grandfather Hipsley was a native of Ireland, and Grandfather Davis was born in Scotland. The subject's father was a farmer in the Keystone State, and to him and his wife was born a family of seven children, namely: Betsey, Polly, Robert, Joshua, Caleb, Sarah A. and Thomas D. Mrs. Hipsley was connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and died highly respected by all who knew her. In 1840 the father of our subject settled on a farm in Knox County, Ohio, which was new country and necessitated hard work. He obtained but a limited education, but was a great reader and thereby kept himself well posted on the topics of the day. He was religiously a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and politically was a Democrat.

Our subject made his home with his parents until reaching his thirty-third year, when he was married to Mariah Jenkins, a daughter of Aleaser and Nellie (Welsh) Jenkins, both natives of Pennsylvania, and of Irish descent. Of this marriage, I four children were born: John 0., deceased; Clement L., who is married and resides on a farm; Iva A., who is also deceased, and David E., living at home with his parents. These children all received good educational advantages. The mother of this family is a native of Knox County, Ohio, and was there reared and educated.

The home estate of our subject consists of one hundred and seventy-nine acres of valuable and well-improved land. His first property comprised fifty acres in Knox County, Ohio, on which he lived until 1869, when be sold it and came to Iowa, and not until a year later did he purchase his present home, which then included but a few acres. He has worked very hard and has added to his original acreage as opportunity afforded, until now he is the happy possessor of the above named estate. He has made for himself and family such a pleasant home that he can now rest from his hard manual labors and enjoy with ease the many comforts which surround him. In his political views he is a strong Democrat. Portrait and Biographical Record, Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA Page 594.