James Henry Black (1913)

BLACK, BROWN, MCGEE, PURDY, SHAFFER

Posted By: Treva Patterson
Date: 3/2/2007 at 15:20:44

The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Wednesday, June 4, 1913
Page 2

Obituary - J. H. Black

James Henry Black was born in Carlisle, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1827 and died at his home in Winterset, May 31, aged about 86. His death was the last of a family of nine children, five sisters and three brothers.

He came from Pennsylvania to Carthage, Ill. in 1854 and 1855 he went farther west, seeking a location for his future home on a farm. He walked and rode across southern Iowa, so as to carefully see the country and then went as far west as Denver, Colo. On his return east, he came to Douglas township, Madison county, hunting land. He was so well pleased he at once selected and purchased the farm he still owns paying $11.00 per acre, cash, in gold, which he carried in a buckskin vest he wore on all of his journeys. On the quarter section, there was a log house and five acres broken, which he fenced with rails he split and hauled with an ox team.

In early days he outfitted six mule teams, with which he gathered from Warren and Madison counties, farm produce that he freighted to Denver, fording the treacherous Missouri and other streams, going across the plains infested with savage Indian tribes and great herds of wild buffalo. When the C.R.I.& P Railway was built into Winterset, he was not only personally interest in the success of the road but a liberal contributor of his money. He was greatly interested in all the enterprises incident to the settling and improvement of a new country, such as building bridges and locating roads, erecting school houses and churches to which he contributed. He has seen and noted with pride all the growth of Winterset and surrounding country from the pioneer days.

He came to town to live seven years ago, moving into the house where he spent all of his last days quietly and peacefully.

Mr. Black was married near Winterset in July 1857 to Miss Charlotte Shaffer, who remains to mourn his death. To them seven children were born. Those living are; Abner Black, Geo. W. Black, Harry Black and Mrs. C. W. Brown of Winterset; Mrs. O. E. Purdy of Minneapolis, Miss.; Mrs. Jennie McGee of Denver, Colo. Frank died in Winterset Dec. 9, 1911.

Mr. Black was an industrious, frugal citizen, a man who had the confidence of his friends, genial in spirit and greatly loved by his children. He enjoyed the calls of ministers and their fellowship. In recent years, he was a constant reader of his Bible which increasingly delighted him. He was buried from the home on East Green, the funeral services conducted by Rev. W. G. Hohanshelt, pastor of the M. E. church on Monday afternoon at 2:30.

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