LEATHERS, Josiah 1837 - 1913

LEATHERS, ZEIGLER, BETTENDORF, GAINES

Posted By: Richard K. Thompson (email)
Date: 12/11/2011 at 09:06:35

Fairfield Ledger
Wednesday December 17, 1913
Pg. 6 Col. 3 & 4

Answered Last Roll Call.

Josiah LEATHERS died at the home of a daughter, Mrs. J. J. BETTENDORF, in this city Friday. He was a soldier of the Civil war, a member of Company C. Fortieth Iowa infantry, and saw three years of arduous service. Mr. LEATHERS was born in Indiana, November 30th, 1847 (sic - 1837), and came to Mahaska county with his parents when a child of five years. He was married to Amy ZEIGLER in this county December 26th, 1861, and the wife died here in 1895 (sic. Amy ZEIGLER LEATHERS, d. Dec. 10, 1895). They spent the greater part of their married life in this county. Mr. LEATHERS was the father of ten children, seven of whom survive him, all living in this county - S.S., J.H., W.S., J.F., and B.F. LEATHERS, Mrs. BETTENDORF and Mrs. Margaret GAINES. He was an excellent man and had many friends thoughout the county. The body was interred in this city Sunday. Rev. W. B. Ireland had charge of the funeral service and Geo. Strong post, G.A.R., paid the last rites to its dead comrade at the graveside.

* Transcribed for genealogy purposes. I am not related to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Josiah LEATHERS died on December 12, 1913. Buried in Evergreen cemetery, Fairfield, Iowa. 1st.046

Note: The obituaries for Josiah and Amy ZEIGLER LEATHERS differ on the number of children. Amy's obituary notes that she was the mother of seven children, while Josiah's obituary states that he was the father of ten children. Using known burials, and using various census reports, it appears that nine children can be accounted for (not in birth order): George M. LEATHERS, Samuel Sanford LEATHERS, William Sherman LEATHERS, Johnie LEATHERS, Jesse F. LEATHERS, Benjamin LEATHERS, Margaret LEATHERS GAINES (Mrs. Rolland GAINES). Also two girls, Flora and Lizzie, one of whom may or may not be the Mrs. BETTENDORF referred to in Josiah LEATHERS obituary. The identity of a tenth child is not known at this time. Any clarification would be appreciated.

It should be noted that on the 1st.046 lot at Evergreen cemetery the only specific names listed are for Josiah and Amy LEATHERS. There are notations in a plat listing of four children ("child"), without any names or dates of burials written down. Whether or not these would be children of or perhaps grandchildren of Josiah and Amy is open only to speculation.