Harding, Thomas

HARDING, BRANNON, SEARS

Posted By: mjv (email)
Date: 5/24/2021 at 16:09:07

Thomas Harding, farmer and stock-raiser, resides on section 3, Oregon Township. He was born April 7, 1828, in Morgan County, Ohio, and is a son of Lewis G. and Mary (Brannon) Harding, the former a native of Virginia, and of English descent, and the latter of Pennsylvania, and of English and German descent. They reared a family of ten children, nine of whom are living. His parents came this this county in 1861, and settled in Oregon Township, where they died, this father in 1878, aged eighty-two, and the mother in 1884, at the age of eighty-two.

The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm, and in 1850 was united in marriage, in Morgan County, Ohio, with Miss Alvira J. Sears, daughter of William A. and Margaret Sears. She was born in Morgan County, Ohio, in 1830. Seven children have been born unto them, six of whom are living: Browning H. married Mary Miller, by whom he has three children – Thomas L., Jennie and Gracie; Mary J. married Thomas Glaze, of Johnson County, and has one child, Irene; Minnie is the wife of Fred Jackson, and has two children – Charles T. and Jennie e.; Ella, Lewis W. and Maggie are at home. Mr. and Mrs. Harding, together with their entire family, are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically, he is a Republican.

In 1861 Mr. Harding concluded it would be better for him and his family to leave his native State and come to one where land was much cheaper and where a poor man would have a chance to better himself in this life. He therefore, came to Washington County, Iowa purchasing eighty acres of land where he now resides, to which he has since added forty acres, and has now a fine farm of 120 acres which is well improved in every respect. His residence was erected in 1875, at a cost of $1,400; his barns and other out-buildings are in good condition, well and substantially made. For some time Mr. Harding was compelled to rent land, but having succeeded by the most rigid economy in saving a little, purchased a farm, and is now regarded as one of the most enterprising citizens of Oregon Township, and none are more highly respected.

Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington County, Iowa (1887). Excerpt from Biographical Sketch of Thomas Harding, pages 185-186.