William Handsaker (1828-1907)

HANDSAKER, WYATT, DAY, HYNES

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 4/25/2017 at 22:37:43

From Nevada Representative April 3, 1907

OBITUARY

WILLIAM HANDSAKER

William Handsaker was born in Staffordshire, England, April 6, 1828, and died at Nevada, Iowa, March 31, 1907, aged 78 years, 11 months and 25 days. He was reared in England near the place of his birth and remained there until 1863, when he came to America stopping first in western New York. In coming over and in stopping where he did he imitated George Hyden, who was his friend in Staffordshire and who had preceded him to the same locality in western New York two years before. In 1855 the two young men came west together, looking for government land. Some friends directed them to Story county and with the help of Peter Martin, who was one of the earliest pioneers in Nevada township, they located a quarter section in what is now Richland township. Hyden went to Des Moines and entered the land, which was divided between them, and the two eighty acre pieces became their respective homesteads. Mr. Handsaker, however did not personally occupy his piece until after his marriage to Miss Emily Wyatt, which occurred in Nevada township December 25 1858. Having married, however, he soon settled upon his piece of ground and proceeded to develop it and add to it. From the start the was an enterprising and successful farmer. Good management always characterized his farming, a lusty set of boys that came along in good time helped in the farm work, while a pair of girls helped Mrs. Handsaker similarly with the housework. Gradually his interests expanded, until in the end he was the owner of nearly a thousand acres of choice Iowa land all of it highly improved. Mr. Handsaker was the second land owner in the county to enter seriously and systematically on the work of tiling out a farm, but he kept at it and is supposed to have spent all of ten thousand dollars in properly draining his land. As a natural consequence his farms are highly productive; and through his good management and foresight he became what is an agricultural community is fairly to be considered a rich man.

By 1893 Mr. and Mrs. Handsaker found that their family, which had been large, had through the scattering of the children to set up for themselves, become small again; and so they gave up their active farm life, moved to Nevada, bought a desirable piece of property and lived here quietly and most happily up to the time when Mr. Handsaker was so suddenly stricken less than a week ago. He never ceased, however, to observe keenly the conditions affecting the work upon the farms, and it was only sometime in the fore part of last week that the writer met him in the door of the post office and got from him considerable information as to how the exceedingly warm weather was affecting and likely to effect the agricultural situation.

Mr. Handsaker was, all things considered, one of the most admirable men among the many who came to Story county in the early day, grew up and prospered with the county and lived out their allotted span of life amid the pleasant conditions and surroundings that they had done so much to bring about. He was affable, business-like, strictly upright, a believer in whatever was good for the community, a supporter of right men and measures, an example of industry and thrift, a wise head of a family. He was a man of the sort by whom states are built and good institutions established, and he was esteemed accordingly. When a man of his age and life so quietly and quickly drops away, one may think that perhaps the end had come as he would have had it; but his loss will be felt none the less, and he will be and is mourned as such a good man should be mourned.

Mr. Handsaker is survived by his wife, with whom he lived for more than 48 years and by his sons Jno. T., William H., Horace G. (usually referred to as "Greeley"), and J. Harvey; his daughters, Mrs. Sabina Day and Mrs. Noma Hynes, all of whom are residents of Story county and have families of their own; by the family of his son David, who died in 1894, and by numerous grandchildren.

The funeral of Mr. Handsaker was conducted at the Lutheran church Monday afternoon by Rev. J. O. Simon, assisted by Rev. W. P. Payne and was very largely attended by friends from town and country. For many acts of kindness done by friends and neighbors at the time of Mr. Handsaker's death his widow and children wish to express thanks and appreciation.