DAVIS, George Kreglow - 1912 Bio (1847-1931)

DAVIS, KREGLOW, VEACH, MURPHY, BOWERS, STIVER, COGER, SHARPE

Posted By: Debbie Nash - Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/17/2005 at 22:46:38

From the “History of Jefferson County, Iowa” – 1912, Volume II
Pages 299-301

GEORGE K. DAVIS

“George K. DAVIS, a retired farmer of Lockridge, Jefferson county, was born in Des Moines county, Iowa, on October 6, 1847, and is a son of George K. and Barbara (KREGLOW) DAVIS. The parents were natives of Martinsburg, Berkley county, Virginia, where the father engaged in tailoring. During the pioneer days they came to Des Moines county, locating in Burlington, where for some years he was in the retail meat business. Later he changed to farming, a venture which did not turn out over-successfully and soon thereafter joined a party of gold seekers bound for California. They drove across the prairie with an ox team, lured on, despite dangers and hardships, by the wonderful tales they heard of the country and its opportunities. He remained in California for ten years, at the end of which time he returned to Des Moines county, where he made a short stop, before he went on to Davis county, Iowa. He continued to reside there the remainder of his life, passing away in 1896. The mother early came to Jefferson county and purchased a farm in Round Prairie township. During her latter years, however, she resided with her son James B., in whose home she passed away in 1903, at the age of seventy-six years. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. DAVIS, six sons and two daughters.

George K. DAVIS was reared in the county of his birth, whose district schools he attended until he had mastered the common branches. He remained at home with his mother on the farm until he was twenty-four years of age when he was married and began for himself. For three years thereafter he farmed as a renter, with such lucrative results that at the expiration of that time he had sufficient means to enable him to become a property owner and he came to Jefferson county and purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land in Round Prairie township. Eighty acres of this tract was still in timber and at the end of the first year of his residence he had cleared it and placed it under cultivation. Upon locating there he erected a log cabin twelve by fifteen feet to which he later made an addition and this building continued to be the residence of himself and his family for twelve years. At that time he built a comfortable eight-room frame house, and later added to his holdings another twenty acres of land, making to aggregate of his acreage one hundred and forty. The operation of this place continued to engage his attention until 1907 when he sold out and moved to Missouri. There he bought a small tract near Memphis upon which he lived not quite a year, and when he returned to Jefferson county, purchasing his residence in Lockridge, where he has ever since lived in retirement. He has three lots here upon which he has erected a fine house, and now owns one of the attractive properties of the town.

In 1871 Mr. DAVIS was married to Miss Ellen VEACH, who passed away in 1880. She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Parnell (MURPHY) VEACH, natives of Delaware. They came to Iowa in the early days, settling in Des Moines county, where for many years the father was engaged in farming. There the mother died in 1850, but Mr. VEACH was living with a daughter in Iowa county at the time of his death in 1883. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. DAVIS: William, John F., and George, all of whom are agriculturists of Missouri; and Lewis E., who is a butcher of Memphis, Missouri. In 1881 Mr. DAVIS was again married, his choice on this occasion being Miss Rachel MURPHY, a daughter of Levi and Sara (BOWERS) MURPHY, the father a native of Ohio and the mother of Indiana. They moved to Illinois, during the early years of their life, locating in Fulton county. There the father when old enough began his career as a farmer, later going to Jefferson county, Iowa, where he purchased an improved farm in Round Prairie township. He operated this until his death in July, 1903 [sic - 1902]. The mother had passed away ten years previously, her demise occurring on the 29th of February, 1893 [sic - 1896]. Of Mr. DAVIS’s second union five children have been born: Mary B., the wife of Will STIVER, a farmer of Missouri; Ella May, who died on April 7, 1901, at the age of eighteen years; Della E., the wife of Lee COGER, a farmer of Lockridge township; Bertha, who married Elmer SHARPE, of Fairfield; and Arthur M., who is living in Lockridge.

Mr. and Mrs. DAVIS both affiliate with the Baptist church, while he gives his political support to the republican party. He has always taken an active interest in all municipal affairs, and has served as school director and while living in Round Prairie township acted as road supervisor for eighteen years. His residence in this county has covered a period of forty-seven years during which time he has noted the many changes and rapid advancement that has been made during the progress and development of a higher order of civilization. Mr. DAVIS is well and favorably known in the county, among those citizens he numbers many friends.”

I am copying this for genealogical purposes and am not related to said individuals.