THOMAS E. ROSE

ROSE, RIDLEN, STEPHENS, PHELPS, GLENN, WILLIAMS, GREGORY

Posted By: Nancee Seifert (email)
Date: 8/26/2008 at 16:30:58

#11009: The History of Marion County, Iowa; John
W. Wright and W. A. Young, supervising eds. 2
vols. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1915. Thomas E. Rose - page 11.

Thomas E. Rose is a representative farmer of
Liberty township, living on section 7. He was
born on the adjoining section - the old homestead
farm of the family - February 24, 1856, a son of
Richard and Matilda (Glenn) Rose, the former a
native of Kentucky and the latter of Brown
county, Illinois. They were married in the latter
district and as the years went on six children
were added to the household, as follows: Thomas
E., of this review; Catherine, who is the wife of
Frank Williams, of Clay township, this county;
Sarah, who gave her hand in marriage to Tim
Gregory; Elizabeth, who died at the age of
eighteen years; Charles I., who is a resident of
Harvey county, Kansas; and George H., living on
the old home place. In October, 1855, the family
home was established in Marion county, on a tract
of land, two hundred and forty acres of which Mr.
Rose had preempted a few years before. The father
bent his energies to the development and
improvement of the old home place and as they
became old enough his sons assisted him in the
farm work, and there Richard Rose passed away
April 6, 1896, at the age of about seventy-five
years, his birth having occurred June 1, 1821.
His wife, who was born November 2, 1829, died in
1906, and they were laid to rest in Liberty
cemetery. During the long years of their
residence in this county they had become widely
and favorably known and their memory is yet
cherished by many. The father was a veteran of
the Mexican war. He always carried on farming and
stock-raising and his energy and determination
enabled him to so successfully conduct his
business that he provided a good living for his
family. In politics he was a democrat and served
as township trustee. He was much interested in
public affairs, took a helpful part in advancing
the welfare of the community and was among those
who laid broad and deep the foundation upon which
has been built the present progress and
prosperity of the county. Both he and his wife
were members of the Christian church and their
lives constituted an example that any might well
follow. Thomas E. Rose was educated in one of the
old-time log schoolhouses of the pioneer days and
he shared with the family in all of the hardships
and privations incident to pioneer life. He
assisted in the arduous task of breaking the sod
and developing new fields and as the years passed
on his labors were attended with substantial
success and brought to him the experience that
enabled him to carry on his own farm work in a
most capable manner. In March, 1884, he located
upon his present place and is today the owner of
two farms comprising one hundred and fifty-nine
acres. He cultivates the cereals best adapted to
soil and climate and also successfully engages in
raising stock. On the 17th of March, 1878, Mr.
Rose was united in marriage to Miss Nancy E.
Stephens, her parents being Cumberland and Sarah
J. (Ridlen) Stephens, who came to this county in
the '50s and spent the remainder of their lives
in Liberty township. They had thirteen children,
six of whom survive. To Mr. and Mrs. Rose have
been born six children, as follows: Myrtle, who
passed away in 1906; Seth; Lena, who gave her
hand in marriage to Roy Sherman, of Oglesby,
Illinois; Ruth, the wife of Worth Phelps,
residing in Lyon county, Minnesota; Dwight; and
Arminta. Mr. Rose exercises his right of
franchise in support of the men and measures of
the democratic party but the honors and
emoluments of office have had no attraction for
him, as he has always preferred to devote his
attention to his farming interests, with the
result that success is now his in creditable
measure and he ranks with the leading and representative farmers of the county.