James Iler (1905)

FOSTER, ILER, REED

Posted By: Mary Welty Hart
Date: 2/16/2009 at 19:57:38

The Winterset News
Winterset, Iowa
Friday, December 29, 1905
Page 4

JAMES ILER

James Iler, publisher and founder of the first newspaper in Madison county, died at his home in Pleasant Dale, Nebraska, December 10th.

Iler came to Winterset from Ohio in 1856 and founded the Winterset Pilot. He lived in Winterset several years, finally surrending his newsaper plant to Henry Ewing. He moved from Winterset to Palmyra, Nebraska and for two years freighted to Pike's Peak, joining the 2nd Nebraska regiment in 1862.

He turned spiritualist in late years and gave up his time to writing spiritualistic articles. His first wife, who was a Foster, was killed by the Indians on the Platte river. He was married again in 1861 to a Miss Reed. He had several children.
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The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, January 4, 1906
Page 1

James Iler was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, May 1, 1822, and died December 10, 1905, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Kate Stahn, three miles south of Pleasant Dale, Neb.

Mr. Iler was reared in Ohio and followed the trade of a printer. In 1845 he was married to Sarah Foster. After remaining in Ohio a number of years they removed to Winterset, Ia., where he became the founder of the first newspaper published in Madison county. It was called the Iowa Pilot and entered the newspaper field in the summer of 1856.

From Winterset he removed his family to Palmyra, Neb., and took up farming. In 1860 he freighted westward to Pike’s Peak, Colo. On his way homeward his wagon was attacked by a band of Indians. His wife was pierced by an arrow, but lived to reach home, where she died, leaving her husband and four small children, of which three are still living. James W. resides at Tacoma, Wash., Ira at Sand Point, Idaho, and Mrs. Mary Newton at Waco, Neb. Five other children blessed this union, but died when they were small.

In 1861 Mr. Iler was married to Sophrina Reed. By this union came seven children, Mrs. Nettie Newton of Pleasant Dale, Neb., Libbie Hall of Falls City, Neb., Lucy Pratt (deceased) of Ottumwa, Ia., Orree Vierson (deceased) of Holyoke, Colo., Kate Stahn of Pleasant Dale, Neb., and Johnny and Ire----, who died when infants.

On November 3, 1862, Mr. Iler showed his patriotism by joining Co. F., 2d regiment, Nebraska volunteers. After serving faithfully for his country he was honorably discharged December 10, 1863.

After returning home he removed his family to Pleasant Dale, where he was appointed postmaster and served from 1871 to 1878. Later he moved to Crete, Neb., and again took up the printer’s trade. He became a firm believer in spiritualism, and after giving up the printing office wrote articles on spiritualism for the newspapers. He also wrote spiritualistic manuscripts which he was preparing to have printed and presented to the world. When he wrote this manuscript he took up a solitary abode on a little farm in Kansas, often returning to visit his family. He was very active until the last few years.

Last Easter he held a reunion of the remnants of his family. Returning from Kansas to his daughter, Mrs. Stahn, last September, he began to fail in strength, growing weaker until at last he passed into the spirit world, leaving a wife and four daughters and two sons to mourn him.

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