Shelley, Vincent

SHELLEY, COUDREY, AARE, HIZER, HEMPHILL, CARTER, KIMMER, HAYES

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/15/2009 at 09:20:26

Vincent Shelley, a prominent and representative pioneer and well-known citizen of Palo Alto Township, Jasper County, follows farming on section 24, and claims North Carolina as the state of his nativity. He was born in Iredell County, April 1, 1818, and is a son of William and Prudence (Coudrey) Shelley, the former a native of North Carolina, and the latter of Virginia. His maternal grandfather was a soldier in the War of 1812. When Vincent was a lad of ten years, he removed with his parents to Henry County, Ind., the family becoming early settlers of Henry Township. Their first home was a log cabin with a clapboard door and a puncheon floor, built in the midst of the forest.

There amidst the scenes of pioneer life our subject was reared to manhood. He early became inured to the arduous labor of developing a new farm, and at the age of eighteen he began learning the blacksmith's trade, which he followed for a number of years. Since that time his entire life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits. He acquired the rudiments of an education in the old time subscription schools held in a log cabin. Its seats were made of split puncheons, resting on wooden legs, and a plank laid across wooden pins inserted in the wall served as a writing desk. The windows were of greased paper, and a huge fireplace occupied almost the entire end of the room. Mr. Shelley is truly familiar with all the scenes and experiences of frontier life.

On August 14, 1844, was celebrated the marriage of Vincent Shelley and Melinda Ware, a native of Ross County, Ohio. She was born March 7, 1818, and is a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Hizer) Ware. They were natives of Virginia, and became early settlers of Ross County, locating in the forest about sixteen miles west of Chillicothe. There Mrs. Shelley spent the days of her maidenhood, and at the age of twenty-six accompanied her parents to Des Moines County, Iowa, where the father and mother died. The members of the Ware family now living are Martha, the widow of Andrew Hemphill of Des Moines County, Melinda and John. To our subject and his wife have been born ten children: Louisa, wife of J. M. Carter, of Washington, Caleb, Harriet, wife of William Kimmer, Laura, wife of Nehemiah Hayes, Charles, John W., George W., Mary J., Martha and Ransom, the two latter now deceased.

In 1865, accompanied by his family, Mr. Shelley came to Iowa, spending a number of years in Iowa County. The year 1871 witnessed his arrival in Jasper County, where he rented land for a short time; he then purchased his present farm of eighty acres, all of which is now under a high state of cultivation. At that time not a furrow had been turned or an improvement made, but it is now one of the most highly improved places in the neighborhood.

Although he has led a busy life, Mr. Shelley has found time to serve his fellow-townsmen in public offices, having been Trustee and Clerk of Palo Alto Township. He has been twice nominated for Sheriff on the ticket of the People's Party, with which he is identified. He gives his support to every enterprise calculated to improve and up build the community, and is a strong advocate of the cause of temperance. He and his wife are consistent members and faithful workers in Mt. Zion Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Shelley bas led an honorable and upright life and has the confidence and regard of all who know him. Portrait and Biographical Record, Jasper, Marshall and Grundy Counties, IA (page number unknown)