STEPHENSON, Daniel 1823 - 1892

STEPHENSON, DODSON, MILLER

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/29/2006 at 10:44:39

"The Fairfield Ledger"
July 20, 1892
Page 3, Column 5

DANIEL STEPHENSON IS DEAD.

~~~~

"The Fairfield Ledger"
August 24, 1892
Page 3, Column 8

OBITUARY.

Daniel STEPHENSON was born at Millus Bridge, near Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, July 12th, 1823. His father and brothers were weavers, and he worked with them as a bobbin winder.

In 1840, at the age of seventeen, he and his father came to America. The first five years of his life in this country were spent in New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio. It took him and his father three years to earn the money necessary to bring the rest of the family. At an early day an uncle, Abel STEPHENSON, entered land in Lockridge Township, this county, and sent word to Daniel's father that if he would come to it he could have it. Daniel proposed to his father that if he would let him he would come to Iowa and find the land. This was agreed to and Daniel started, reaching this county in June, 1845. He came to Chicago by way of the lakes, and on inquiry there he found that it would take all the money he had to pay his stage fare to Iowa, leaving him nothing to live on. He had to live, so he walked the whole distance. The rest of his father's family came to this county in 1846.

Mr. STEPHENSON finished learning his trade of weaving after coming here, and worked at it a great deal after coming to Iowa, making a specialty of coverlets and carpets. In 1852, in Van Buren County, he was married to Mary Ellen DODSON, who died in February, 1879 (sic - 1880). They had seven children, three of whom died in childhood; the others are still living -- George and Lovina M. in this county; Frank and Grant in Colorado.

In November, 1881, he was married to Rachel Jane MILLER, who survives him. Last year he and his daughter Lovina visited his old home in England, spending some time there. Mr. STEPHENSON was a well informed man, of positive ideas, and a good citizen. He died at his home, three miles northwest of this city, July 19th, 1892, after a protracted illness caused by cancer of the stomach, and was buried in the Evergreen (sic - Old Fairfield) cemetery, this city, Rev. E. L. Schreiner conducting the funeral services.

[Also posted to the Van Buren County Obituaries board]

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Buried in Old Fairfield City Cemetery, Fairfield, IA, in Lot 130. The notation of Evergreen Cemetery above is incorrect. Both cemeteries are adjacent to one another and were occasionally considered to be the same; Old Fairfield is city-owned, and Evergreen by the Evergreen Cemetery Association. The confusion stems from the fact that there is no fence to separate the two cemeteries.