BENSCHOTER, OLIVER

BENSCHOTER, KEMP, CROSE

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/3/2005 at 13:25:18

Biography reproduced from page 517 of the History of Kossuth and Humboldt Counties, Iowa published in 1884:

Oliver Benschoter was born Oct. 21, 1816. In the latter part of 1817 his father removed to what is now Erie Co., Ohio, where he resided until death called him away to a better land. Oliver continued to live with his mother until 1833, when she too passed away into a better world. The subject of our sketch remained in Erie county until 1856, when he started west. He stopped in Delaware Co., Iowa, that winter, and in the spring of 1857 came to Kossuth county and located in Algona. He immediately started a blacksmith shop, being the pioneer blacksmith of the county. He run his shop in Algona for several years. In 1861 he preempted the farm in Portland township, where he now lives, section 32, township 96, range 28. He has 160 acres of land, he also has twenty-four acres of timber on his place. He held the office of sheriff of Kossuth county from 1860 to 1866.
In 1836 he was united in marriage with Martha Kemp, of Ohio. She was born in Vermont, in 1819. She died in 1859, leaving six children—William, Alice, Polly, George, Grant and Evaline. On Dec. 11, 1862, Mr. Benschoter was married to Sarah Crose, born in Indiana, June 30, 1841. By this union there were ten children—Frank, Nel and Nellie, twins, Jennie, Herbert, Olive, Louise and George. One of Mr. Benschoter’s sons enlisted during the War of the Rebellion and died at Little Rock, Ark., in 1863. Mr. Benschoter is a republican. He is truly a pioneer of Kossuth county, and is most highly respected by his fellow citizens and neighbors.