John Boden Oldham

BODEN, DUFF, HENKLE, KLINGMAN, OLDHAM, STANLEY

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 8/27/2004 at 13:44:14

John B. Oldham, who has resided in Madison county for fifty-eight years, was actively identified with agricultural pursuits throughout his entire business career and now makes his home in Winterset, where he has lived retired since 1909. His birth occurred in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, on the 22d of August, 1844, his parents being Andrew and Catherine (Boden) Oldham, who were born, reared and married in the Keystone state. In 1847 they removed to Muskingum county, Ohio, and a decade later came to Madison county, Iowa, making the journey by water to Keokuk and thence by teams to their destination. Andrew Oldham purchased a tract of raw prairie land in Madison township and with characteristic energy began the development and improvement of the property. As the. Years passed success attended his efforts and at the time of his demise he owned four hundred acres of productive and valuable land. He died when seventy-eight years of age, while his wife was called to her final rest when sixty-eight years old, both passing away in the faith of the Missionary Baptist church. In his political views Mr. Oldham was a stanch republican.

John B. Oldham was one of a family of five children and a youth of thirteen when he came to this county with his parents. He attended the public schools in the acquirement of an education and remained under the parental roof until twenty-six years of age, when he was married and established a home of his own. During the following ten years he rented a portion of the home farm and when his mother died took up his abode thereon and managed the property until the time of his father's demise, when he fell heir to one hundred and sixty acres. The operation thereof claimed his time and energies until 1909, when he put aside the active work of the fields, rented the farm to his son and took up his abode in Winterset, where he has since lived retired, owning a pleasant home.

On the 6th of October, 1870, Mr. Oldham was united in marriage to Miss Buena Vista Klingman, who was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, December 22, 1850, her parents being John and Elizabeth (Sims) Klingman, the former a native of Center county, Pennsylvania, and the latter of Muskingum county, Ohio.

Mr. Klingman followed the trade of wagon making in the Buckeye state but in 1867 came to Madison county, Iowa, and purchased land in Madison township, where he carried on farming until his death at the age of eighty-nine years. Both he and his wife were devoted members of the Methodist church and the latter passed away in that faith when in the sixty-seventh year of her age. They had eight children, of whom six came to the west and two were born in this county, Mrs. Oldham being seventeen years of age when she accompanied her parents on their removal here. By her marriage she has become the mother of five children, as follows: Elmer, who died when three years old; Bertha, who is the wife of S. W. Henkle, Jr., a farmer of Madison township; Leslie A., who rents the old homestead farm; Cora, the wife of Clyde Duff, who also follows farming in Madison township; and Josephine, who gave her hand in marriage to Chester B. Stanley, of Earlham, Iowa.

Mr. Oldham exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party but has never sought nor desired the honors and emoluments of office. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Methodist church, to which his wife also belongs. He has passed the Psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten and enjoys the veneration and respect which should ever be accorded one who has traveled thus far on life's journey and whose career has been at all times upright and honorable.

Taken from the book, “The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1915”