THATCHER, Jonathan

THATCHER, SAYRE, RABB

Posted By: Volunteer: Sherri
Date: 8/8/2015 at 14:21:28

JONATHAN THATCHER.

Jonathan Thatcher was born April 8, 1824, in Berkeley county, West Virginia. In 1826 he went with his parents to Wayne county, Ohio, then to Clinton county, Ohio, then, in 1839 to Van Buren county, Iowa, settling with his parents at Mt. Sterling. He died of paralysis at the home of his daughter in Seattle, Washington, Nov. 20, 1901, aged 77 years, 3 months and 16 days. Mr. Thatcher was married to Miss Malinda Sayre, of Scotland county, Missouri, January 30, 1847. That year they moved to a farm near Keosauqua where they resided until the death of his wife in 1884. In 1862 he enlisted in Company E, Fifteenth Iowa Infantry. The following year he was detailed as engineer on the tug boat Rollins in the Mississippi river, and later transferred to the Pioneer Corps and participated in the siege of Vicksburg, also with Sherman's army in its march to the sea. At the close of the war he returned home and was elected by the republicans as representative of the Eleventh session of the Iowa legislature and served as postmaster of the Twelfth session. Six children were born to his first marriage, four of whom are living. About 1885 he was married to Mrs. Samuel Rabb who died about 1890. The body of the deceased reached Keosauqua yesterday morning and at 1:30 o'clock funeral services were held in the Odd Fellows hall, conducted by the members of that order both at the hall and at the grave, in accordance with his request made several years ago. The burial was in the Purdom cemetery by the side of his first wife.

Source: Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Obituary Book E, Page 121, Keosauqua Public Library, Keosauqua, IA