Craven, Amos B. – 1845-1941

BRUNSON, CRAVEN, DROWN, MORGAN

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:29

Amos B. Craven, Kellogg’s Oldest Pioneer, Dies At 95
Funeral Services Will Be Held in Newton at 2:30 Wednesday Afternoon
Kellogg – Amos B. Craven, 95, Kellogg’s oldest resident and one of its most distinguished pioneers, died Sunday afternoon at 12:40 p.m. at the Iowa Methodist hospital in Des Moines following an illness from a kidney ailment. He had been removed to the hospital from his home in Kellogg last Tuesday.
Funeral service will be held Wednesday at 2:30 o’clock at the Morgan Funeral Home in Newton and burial will be in Our Silent City Cemetery at Kellogg.
Mr. Craven had been staying with his daughter, Mrs. F. A. Drown at Kellogg for the past winter until about two weeks ago when the Drowns took a trip. He then was staying with another daughter, Mrs. Fred V. Morgan and a son, J. G. Craven in Des Moines at the time he became ill and was taken to the hospital.
Typical Pioneer Figure
Mr. Carven, a typical figure of the pioneer stock that came to Jasper county in the early 1860’s and carved out towns and communities in the rugged rolling prairie, came to Iowa in 1866 when a young man of about 20. He was born at Sodus, N.Y., on Nov. 24, 1845, one of a family of 14 children. All had preceded him in death. At the age of 18, he left Sodus for the oil fields of Pennsylvania and spent two years at Titusville and Pitthole, then the largest oil district in the world. From there he went to Whitside, Ill., and came the following spring to Iowa. That was in 1866.
The new Iowa home was located north of Kellogg in the Barrett settlement, which consisted of a schoolhouse and three empty houses, abandoned when the Barrett families had sold their land and returned to Ohio. Only two houses were located between Craven’s place and Kellogg. One was at the Roy Rhodes place and another just north of Glendale school.
Brings Folk West
Returning to New York in 1867, he persuaded his parents and brothers and sisters to accompany him back to Iowa where he and his brother D. H. Craven had definitely decided to make their homes.
Mr. Craven purchased his first land in 1869, walking to Newton to complete the deal. A house was built in 1872. He rented this for a time to his sister and later he “batched” there for a while when he took it over.
At the age of 34, he married Miss Nettie Brunson and they resided in this first house until 1889, when they moved to his new farm north of Kellogg, which later became known as the Simon Anderson farm. The Craven family lived on the farm until 1902 when they moved to Kellogg.
While still active on the farm, Mr. Craven engaged from 1890 to 1899 in the furniture and undertaking business. Later he entered the hardware business from which he retired in 1909. In 1913, he was named president of the Kellogg Savings bank, and held that position until 1927. Since then he had held the position of vice president.
Did Some Traveling
He had done considerable traveling in his time. He spent winters in California and Florida. And in 1900 he went to Paris to attend the world exposition there, spending three months in Europe.
Mrs. Craven died in September 1912.
Mr. Craven likewise was prominent in civic affairs. He served as rural assessor and school director, and after coming to Kellogg was mayor of Kellogg for a number of years as well as a member of the board of education. He also served as justice of peace. Later he became treasurer of the Meridan Lodge No. 280 of the A.F. and A.M., a member of the Royal Arch Masons and the Knight Templars of Newton, the Za-Ga-Zig Shrine of Des Moines.
Builds Own Home
He did considerable carpenter work and one of the things of which he was most proud in later years was his building of a bungalow in north Kellogg in 1920 himself as his home. Mr. Craven was 75 years of age then, and but for the plastering and a few odds and ends, he did it all himself. He lived there for a number of years.
Of recent years, the date Nov. 24 came to become a major event in his life. That was the time when the “Craven clan” gathered around for the annual birthday celebration. A big cake always featured. Sometimes there was a short program, always lots of visiting and plenty to eat. Messages came to him from far and near. On one occasion Vice President John Garner sent him greetings and on another Gov. George A. Wilson of Iowa extended greetings.
A colorful figure, his silvery hair and silvery mustache, predominating in any crown, Mr. Craven was known to all in Kellogg and throughout Jasper county. He was a member of The Daily News Three-Quarter Century club and on several occasions carried off the honors for being the oldest man present at the annual picnics.
He is survived by three daughters and four sons. They are Mrs. Fred V. Morgan of Des Moines, Miss Merle Craven of Chicago, Ill., Mrs. F. A. Drown of Kellogg, Carl B. Craven of Carrington, N.D., Dr. J. G. Craven of Des Moines, D. H. Craven of Minneapolis, and Horace V. Craven of Newton.
Photo captions: 1) Amos B. Craven, prominent Kellogg business man and retired farmer, dies at age of 95. 2) Pictured above is the attractive bungalow which Mr. Craven built in 1920 – when he was 75 years “young” – himself. He did the carpenter work himself and needed assistance only for the plastering and the foundation.
Source: Newton Daily News; Monday, March 17, 1941