Jasper Strander Devault

BANKER, DEVAULT, FIFE, ROWE, SHENEMAN, STEVENSON

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 10/19/2004 at 21:39:15

Among those who have made valuable contribution to the agricultural prosperity of this county is Jasper S. Devault, a farmer living on section 9, Jackson township. He is a native of Johnson county, this state, born in 1857, of the marriage of Jonathan and Malinda (Stevenson) Devault. The father was born in Kosciusko county, Indiana, in 1822, and the mother in the same county two years later. Mr. Devault farmed for a time in his native state after arriving at years of maturity, but in 1850 went to California by way of New York and the water route. He was there for four years, and in addition to working a placer mine owned about thirty dairy cows, which he pastured in the valley, selling the milk to the miners and transporting it to the camps on burros. In 1854 he returned to Indiana with considerable gold, but after remaining in the Hoosier state for a short time went to Johnson county, Iowa, removing his household effects in an old linch-pin wagon. The Mississippi was crossed on the ice. He homesteaded land in Johnson county and became one of its leading pioneer citizens. He was school director there for many years, and both he and his wife were active in the prohibition ranks, although in his early manhood he was a democrat. He owned about four hundred acres of land in Johnson county and followed general farming successfully. Subsequently he removed to this county, settling in Penn township, and acquired four hundred and eighty acres of land here. He passed away upon his farm in 1897 and was survived by his wife until 1910. To them were born eight children, four of whom are living in this county. Our subject is a twin to Sarah Jane, who is living upon the home farm with her brother John.

Jasper S. Devault was given better educational advantages than fall to the lot of the average boy, as he was a student in Cornell College at Mount Vernon. When twenty-one years of age his father gave him his "time" and he began shucking corn. The following spring he commenced farming for himself upon land belonging to his father in Penn township. After seven years, or on the 13th of March, 1886, he took up his residence on an eighty-acre tract in Jackson township, which he owned. He has since lived there and has added to his farm as his resources have increased, and now holds title to three hundred and twenty acres of land. He raises Black Angus cattle for commercial purposes, and also raises, feeds and ships hogs. He finds that his farm work leaves him little time for outside interests, but he feels that he is rewarded for his labors in the good financial return that he derives from his farm and also values the independence of farm life.

On the 9th of April, 1882, Mr. Devault married Miss Hattie Rowe, who was born in German township, Holmes county, Ohio, and is a daughter of Andrew and Susan (Sheneman) Rowe, the former born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, in 1815, and the latter's birth occurring on the 21st of September, 1812. Both the Rowe and Sheneman families removed from Cumberland, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, to Holmes county, Ohio, at a time when there were many Indians in that section. Henry Sheneman, the grandfather of Mrs. Devault, was a soldier in the War of 1812. Mr. Rowe became the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land which his father preempted from the government in Holmes county, and continued to operate his farm until his demise, which occurred in 1863. He was proud of his German descent and manifested those excellent traits of character that have made the German-Americans such a valuable factor in the life of this country. He took quite an active part in public affairs and was especially interested in the welfare of the public schools, serving for some time as school director. His wife died on the 24th of February, 1884. They were the parents of ten children, of whom Mrs. Devault is the youngest. She attended the district schools near her home and later was a student in Shanesville College at Shanesville, Ohio. She taught school first in the country and later in Baltic, Ohio, specializing in German and English. From the age of seventeen to the present time she has been a Sunday school and church worker. In her girlhood she was a member of the German Reformed church but now belongs to the United Presbyterian church. To Mr. and Mrs. Devault have been born two children. Arthur C., whose natal day was the 9th of February, 1883, is a farmer of Scotland, South Dakota. He was given fine educational advantages, as he attended both the Dexter Normal and the Iowa State Normal at Cedar Falls. He taught school for a time but decided that farming would be more congenial and profitable. He married Miss Isa M. Banker and they have a son, Franz B. Jonathan Clifford Rowe, who was born November 29, 1892, is operating a portion of his father's farm. He was married February 24, 1915, to Miss Bessie Fife, a native of Winterset, Iowa.

Mr. Devault is a democrat in his political belief, and fraternally is connected with the Masonic lodge of Earlham. He was a member of the Pitzer lodge until it surrendered its charter, and held the offices of junior warden and senior warden. His life has been guided by honorable principles and he has not only won a fair measure of material success but has also gained the unqualified respect of his fellow citizens.

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