Crawford, John H.

CRAWFORD, WALTERS, TRAMEL, BAKER, CROSS, HEFNER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/28/2009 at 09:59:38

Crawford, John H.

A history of the loyal native sons and representative citizens of Jasper county would not be complete should the name that heads this review be omitted. During a useful and successful life in his home community he has labored diligently, not only to promote the interests of himself and family, but also those of the general public, being one of those neighborly, altruistic, generous hearted men whom to know is to admire and respect. He has been devoted to the public welfare and in all his relations one of his ambitions has been to benefit the community and to advance its standard of citizenship. Personally, he is a man of pleasing address, approachable, unassuming and the number of his friends are, as the limits of his acquaintance, for the people know that all enterprises and movements for the public good find in him a zealous friend and a liberal patron. It is to such men that this locality owes its rise from the primeval prairies to one of the choice agricultural sections of the Hawkeye State.

John H. Crawford, of Ira, Jasper County, was born in Poweshiek Township, this County, on November 12, 1867, and here he grew to manhood on the old home place, where he worked when a boy in the summer time, and during the winter months attended the common schools in his neighborhood, and here he has spent his life successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits. He is the son of James B. and Eliza L. (Walters) Crawford, both natives of Ohio, where they grew to maturity and Were married, and comparatively early in life emigrated to Jasper County, Iowa, when the country was new, and here got a good piece of land, which they developed into an excellent farm and on which they established a comfortable home. In this County they spent the balance of their lives, the father dying on December 6, 1888, at the age of seventy-two years, the mother's death occurring ort March 19, 1893, at the same age.

Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. James B. Crawford, named as follows: Mrs. Hannah Tramel; Mrs. Jane Baker, deceased; Henry W., who lives at Lake City, Iowa; John H., of this review; and two others.

John H. Crawford was first married to Clara Crawford, a daughter of W. J. Crawford, a complete sketch of whom appears on another page of this work. Her death occurred on April 1, 1904, leaving three daughters, two of whom survive, namely: Florence, born October 24, 1894; Jennie, born August 16, 1896; Hazel, born August 24, 1898, died August 27, 1907. The two living daughters are now attending high school in Baxter.

On January 23, 1907, Mr. Crawford was again married, his last wife being known in her maidenhood as Lydia M. Cross, who was born in Independence Township, Jasper County, Iowa, on January 26, 1881, and here she grew to womanhood and received her education in the common schools. Mrs. Crawford is the daughter of Samuel W. and Melissa (Hefner) Cross, who are now residing in Baxter, this County. There were eight children in the Cross family, seven of whom are living at this writing. To Mr. Crawford and his second wife one child, a son, has been born, bearing the manly old name, John Henry, the date of his birth being July 9, 1910.

Politically, Mr. Crawford is a Republican, and while he is interested in public affairs, he has not been a seeker after the emoluments of office. Devoting his life to general farming and stock raising, Mr. Crawford has, through perseverance and good management, accumulated a competency. He was the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and eighty-eight acres in Poweshiek Township, which he placed under high-grade improvements, and on which is a modern, nicely furnished home. This place was sold to Perry Baker in October 1911. Mr. Crawford is the owner of five and one-third acres of valuable land in the outskirts of the town of Ira. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 1090