Nathan Owens, Mexican War vet, died 1908

OWENS

Posted By: Iowa Old Press
Date: 3/10/2009 at 22:58:55

The Last Survivor - Pioneer in Mexican War

It is probable that the death of Nathan Owens at Cedar Rapids Wednesday morning removed the last veteran of the Mexican war in Iowa. Mr. Owens enlisted from Ohio and served through the war. Whether there were any other Mexican war veterans in Iowa at the time of Mr. Owens' death is not definitely known, but at most there are but very few others. Wm. Owens of this city, manager of the Western Union Telegraph office, states that he believes his father was the last Mexican war survivor residing within the Hawkeye state. He talked with his father concerning this matter some time ago, and at that time Mr. Owens explained he was about the last survivor of that early conflict in this state.

Mr. Owens first settled in Iowa City in 1856, and remained here for a couple of years. Then he removed to Penn township near North Liberty where he made his home until a few years ago when old age led him to removed to Cedar Rapids to live with his youngest son. Nathan Owens was a man well known and highly regarded by his neighbors. An evidence of the high esteem in which he was held is the fact that for over a quarter of a century he was justice of the peace of Penn township. He was familiarly known as 'Squire Owens.'

~source: Iowa City Citizen
May 15, 1908
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*transcriber note: The Mexican or
'Mexican-American' war was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 following the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas. A search of the articles on Iowa Old Press website (link below) shows that Mr. Owens was not the last veteran of the Mexican war in Iowa, or even in Johnson co. Among later survivors were:
-Stephen P. O'Brien, Johnson co. pioneer, died in Cedar Rapids, 1912
-John Hefley, Emmet co. was still living in 1916
-Alden Antrim died in Traer, 1917
-Daniel R. Gonder, was still living in Rippey, 1925

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