Thomas, Reason R.

THOMAS

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 11/28/2007 at 22:28:48

Reason R. Thomas

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.86, Center Twp.)
Reason R. Thomas, farmer, P. O. Oakland, was born in Nelson County, Ky., August 28, 1828. He is the son of Eleazur and Ann (Garrett) Thomas. His father was born in Virginia (as near as can be ascertained) in 1780, and died in Nelson County, Ky., when our subject was ten years of age. His mother was born in Spencer County, Ky., and died in Nelson County, of the same State, of cholera, in 1833. Our subject received a common school education, but his father's death compelled him to look out for himself. He lived with an uncle in Shelby County, Ky., for seven years, after which he worked out by the month for some time. In the fall of 1848, he went to Spencer County, Ind., where he worked at farming in the summer and cut cord-wood in the fall, making several trips on flat boats down the Ohio River. In the fall of 1852, he went to Henderson County, Ill., where he was married August 2, 1855, to Mary C. C. Wright, born in Nelson County, Ky., April 17, 1839. She is the daughter of James and Lucretia (Hammond) Wright, both natives of the latter county, he born Febraury 17, 1812, and she March 30, 1814. The parents left their native State and settled in Henderson County, Ill., in the spring of 1848. They came to this county in the fall of 1867, and are still living in Center Township. After the marriage, our subject commenced farming for himself in Henderson County, Ill., where he lived till the fall of 1871, when he came to this county,, locating on Graybill Creek, in Section 16, Center Township. In the spring of 1873, he came to the place he now owns, purchasing the same in 1875. It consists of 120 acres, located in Section 17, Township 75, Range 39. He also farms eighty acres besides, and raises principally grain. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have twelve children, eight of whom are living - John Franklin, born August 25, 1857, died in November 1861. Cyrena Adella, born October 25, 1859, married January 1, 1878 to Sumner Palmer; James Amos, born December 10, 1861; McClelland, born June 15, 1864; Margaret Ellen, born October 26, 1866; Lucretia Ann, born January 28, 1869; Sarah E., born March 11, 1871, died in August of the same year; Reason R., born July 20, 1872; died September 6, 1873; Ira, born May 20, 1875; Era, born May 1, 1877, and Isaac Madison, born July 19, 1879. In politics, our subject is a Democrat.