Reasoner, Samuel 1822-1907

REASONER, PAXTON, PARNELL, GRAFFIS

Posted By: Barbara Hug (email)
Date: 2/20/2005 at 18:51:25

Funeral services for Samuel Reasoner, one of the pioneers of Jasper County, were held at the Methodist Church in Reasnor this morning at 11 o’clock, conducted by Rev. E. F. Gillis, of the United Presbyterian Church of this city, and Rev. Frye of Reasnor. Interment was in the Wild Cat Grove [Palo Alto] Cemetery where two children of the deceased lie buried.

Samuel Reasoner was a pioneer of this county and for forty-three years he has been a well known and highly respected resident. Death occurred Monday morning about nine o’clock at his late home in Reasnor.

Mr. Reasoner had reached the age of 84 years, having been born in Muskingum County, Ohio, July 28, 1822. His father, Joseph Reasoner, was from Pennsylvania, and his mother, whose maiden name was Mary Paxton, was from Virginia. His parental ancestors were French and German, while his forefathers on his mother’s side were of Irish descent.

When a lad of eleven years he left his native state with his parents, who moved to Indiana, where in Grant County, in that state, he grew to manhood. His boyhood education was what could be obtained in subscription schools, which were held in log cabins, where the seats were only rough oak slabs; the writing desks were boards, which rested on pins in the side of the wall and the windowpanes were greased paper. Naturally the methods of instruction were quite as primitive as were the furnishings of the schoolhouses.

Not satisfied with the school work he had had, when grown to manhood, arrangements were made whereby he attended Muskingum College at Concord, Ohio, for a year and a half. At the end of that period he taught school several terms and then for one year was a student at Hanover College in Jefferson County, Indiana.

He was always a good worker at whatever he undertook, and had been of much help to his father in clearing their farm in Indiana. When he left college he purchased a farm for himself in Grant County, Indiana, where he lived for several years after his marriage to Mary J. Parrell (Parnell?) in 1844. Twenty years after their marriage they left Indiana for Iowa, coming overland with a four-horse team and wagon filled with household goods and a mule team and light wagon in which the family traveled.

After being on the road for four weeks they landed in Buena Vista Township in Jasper County, but that winter moved to their farm in Palo Alto Township, where they have since lived.

Here they were surrounded by frontier life pure and simple at first, but a few years made a great change, for soon by industry and work they were surrounded by well cultivated fields and with luxuries and comforts such as in an early day only the very imaginative one ever dreamed of possessing.

The town of Reasnor was platted on their farm. By the way, although the place was named in his honor, by some mistake the name was spelled Reasnor instead of Reasoner, as the family name has always been spelled.

In this family there were twelve children, six of whom are living. William Reasoner of Denver, Col., Robert of Oberlin, Kansas, Henry, who makes his home in his brother Robert’s family, D. B. Reasoner, whose home is in Oregon, Mrs. Fanny Graffis and her sister, Nettie, who reside in California.

During his last illness the only children who were here with his good wife, who cared for him, were William and Robert, who arrived only a few hours before his death occurred. ~ The Newton Daily News, Tuesday, January 22, 1907, Page 1, Column 5