Otis Briggs, Sr. (1838-1903)

BRIGGS, ALLEN, DUNKLEBARGER, DUTTON

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 12/4/2011 at 13:12:23

From Story County Watchman December 11, 1903

ANOTHER PIONEER GONE
OTIS BRIGGS SR. DEAD.

Mr. Otis Briggs, Sr. depated this life at Santa Ana, California, Dec. 9, 1903, after but a few days illness indident to the infirmities of old age.

Mr. Briggs was born in the State of Massachusetts, Dec. 24, 1838, making his age at the time of this death a little short of seventy-six years.

His parents moved west with the early tide of emigration and located in Ohio in 1835, and thirteen years later young Otis pushed foward on his own account and arrived in Des Moines, Iowa, in the year 1846, he being then twenty-one years of age. He made the journey from Akron, Ohio, to Des Moines, Iowa, with a horse and buggy and being of an ingenious turn paid his way by tinkering clocks and doing other mechanical jobs. By his industry and thrift he was soon able to start a small jewelry business and then to make some investments in real estate which proved profitable, but during th depressed times of 1857 and 1858, he chose Nevada, as a good trading point and settled here permanantly in 1858. Mr. Briggs' first enterprise here was that of a general merchant which was succeeded in 1870, by his establishment of the Farmers Bank of Nevada, with which he remained identified till his death.

Mr. Briggs married Miss Eliza Allen of Des Moines in 1854, from which union were born W. F. Briggs, now a resident of Nevada, Iowa, and Dayton D. Briggs, Edward S. Briggs and Mrs. Nettie Dunklebarger, who are now deceased.

Having become a widower by the death of his first wife, Mr. Briggs married her sister, Miss Jennie Allen in 1867, who survives him, and from which marriage were born Otis F. Briggs and Mrs Lida B. Dutton, of Nevada, and Clarence P. Briggs who for the benefit of his health was with his parents in California.

Mr. Briggs was generous and public spirited in all matters pertaining to the welfare of Nevada, and it was a no small regret with him that his health necessitated his remaining the last year of his life away from the surroundings and friends that pleased him best. He was always generous and thoughtful in his family and spent much of his time with them.

While he enjoyed and was fond of the society of men, he never became a member of any secret society of church organization. He was much inclined towards religious thought and tendancies to which he added a conscientious application of moral principles.