Convers, William

CONVERS

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 11/5/2008 at 16:10:45

William Convers, farming, P. O. Hancock, was born in Crawford County, Penn., October 20, 1831, son of Erastus and Elizabeth Convers, he born in Vermont, died March 12, 1848, she born October 10, 1813, in Pennsylvania. Our subject came to Iowa when he was nine years old, and never had the advantages of school to any extent; he was raised on a farm and started in life as a farmer and veterinary surgeon. When he, with his parents, came to Iowa and settled in Iowa County, the nearest store was at Burlington, seventy miles distand, and Indians were so common that Mr. Convers became quite conversant with their language, speaking it quite well. He lived in Iowa County, Iowa, for thirty years, except one year spent in Minnesota with the regular army; he was not enlisted, but in 1848, when only seventeen years old, he drove teams in winter and cooked in summer, while Fort Gaines was building in Minnesota. he had three brothers in the war of the rebellion and only one came out. Mr. Convers is one of six children; his only sister died many years ago; he has one brother in Lyons County, Iowa, and one in California. Mr. Convers is a Good Templar, Mason, Odd Fellow, a member of the A. H. T. A.; he has been a temperance worker for twenty-three years, and took a very active part in working for prohibition in Iowa. His father died when he was only fourteen years old, but his mother is still living. Mr. Convers was married, May 23, 1851, to Miss Jane C. Henry, born in Pickaway County, Ohio, May 24, 1836. Subject came to Pottawattamie County, iowa, in 1870, and bought his present place, which was not improved. He has a farm of 325 acres of land, upon which he has sixteen acres of groves and orchards, and has erected good buildings. Mr. Convers has always followed farming and dealing in stock; also practicing as a veterinary surgeon. hHe has one son - Charles H. - in California, teaching school; another - John - in Avoca, Pottawattamie County, as baggage master; he has also four daughters - Mary, Emma, Ella and Clara. Mr. Convers has filled various township offices, and in politics is a Republican. (From the 1882 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa)