LAKE E. DAVISSON

DAVISSON, BOOZEL

Posted By: IAGenWeb History Project
Date: 9/3/2005 at 14:14:49

A Narrative History
of
The People of Iowa
with
SPECIAL TREATMENT OF THEIR CHIEF ENTERPRISES IN
EDUCATION, RELIGION, VALOR, INDUSTRY,
BUSINESS, ETC.
by
EDGAR RUBEY HARLAN, LL. B., A. M.
Curator of the
Historical, Memorial and Art Department of Iowa
Volume IV
THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc.
Chicago and New York
1931

LAKE E. DAVISSON, county clerk of Story County at Nevada, Iowa, is a disabled veteran of the World war, and he comes of a long line of patriotic ancestors who rendered their full duty to the country in time of war.

Mr. Davisson was born at Earlville, Illinois, May 23, 1892, son of Murlin J. and Grace E. (Boozel) Davisson. His great-great-grandfather, Josiah Davisson, was a captain in the American army in the Revolutionary war. The great-grandfather died as a result of wounds received in the War of 1812. His name was Jesse Davisson. Mr. Davisson's grandfather, Alexander H. Davisson, was a Virginian. Although his sympathies were with the Union side of the Civil war, he was not a participant of it. He was an early settler at Earlville, Illinois, where he died in 1921, at the great age of one hundred and five years. Murlin J. Davisson was born at Earlville, Illinois, married there an din 1894 moved to Des Moines, Iowa. He was a merchant in that city and since 1898 has lived at Nevada, where he located on a farm. His wife died in 1912.

Lake E. Davisson attended public schools in Des Moines and the Zearing High School. As a young man he entered the railroad service, becoming a locomotive fireman for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, and after four years was promoted to engineer. He was in Montana, on duty as a railroad man, when American entered the World war.

On September 22, 1917, he enlisted in the One Hundred and Sixty-third Montana Infantry and in November, 1917, went overseas to France, being transfered to the One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Infantry. He was three times wounded, by bayonet, by hand grenade and high explosive shell, and was left on the field for two days and was reported as dead to his father by the war department at Washington on August 5, 1918. He still retains the official death certificate issued by war department as killed in action. After a long time in hospital, slowly recovering, he was discharged while on crutches, March 4, 1920, being rated 62 per cent disabled.

Mr. Davisson in March, 1920, was made county clerk of Story County and referee in probate matters, and has served consecutively, with credit to himself, in that position for the past ten years. Mr. Davisson married at Geneva, Illinois, July 13, 1923, Mary Imo Barber. They have a daughter, Virginia Imo, born June 29, 1927.

Mr. Davisson is a Scottish Rite Mason and Shriner, member of the Knights of Pythias, and Easter Star. He belongs to the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans of World War, is president of the local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, member of the Iowa State Historical Society. He still has a card of membership in the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fireman and Engineers, and is a member of teh Episcopal Church.