Hart, Ambrose

HART, BUSHNELL, BRIER, WEST

Posted By: mjv (email)
Date: 5/25/2021 at 14:24:05

Ambrose Hart resides upon section 23, Clay Township, where he is engaged in farming and stock-raising. He was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, Jan. 20, 1824, and is the son of Amos and Sophia (Bushnell) Hart, both of whom were natives of Connecticut, Amos Hart moved from Connecticut to Ohio about 1818, and there engaged in business as a merchant. Forming the acquaintance of Miss Sophia Bushnell, they were united in marriage Nov. 20, 1820. They became the parents of seven children: Dennis, deceased; Ambrose, the subject of this sketch; Louisa, the widow of William Pringle, now residing in Clay Township; William, a farmer residing in Harrison County, Mo., Seth, a farmer in Clay Township; Austin, deceased; Huldah, the widow of G. W. Draper, resides in Colfax, Whitman County, Wash. Ter. The father died Sept. 27, 1885, at the age of eighty-eight, and the mother Dec. 24, 1878. She was a member of the Congregational Church at Brighton. While not a member of the Church himself, Amos hart was a liberal giver to all Church work, and was a charitable man in every respect. In 1840 the family settled in Clay Township, where both parents died.

Ambrose Hart, the subject of this sketch, was reared on a farm, and until eighteen years of age attended the common schools during the winter months, and did his share of the farm work during the summer. When eighteen years of age he pre-empted eighty acres of land in the name of his father, not being old enough to procure a title. This land was purchased for him by his father, and to the original purchase he has since added eighteen acres, making a farm of ninety-eight acres of fine land, with all the necessary improvements for a well-regulated farm. He was united in marriage, Feb. 11, 1851, with Miss Elizabeth Brier, a native of Ohio, born March 12, 1826, and daughter of John and Demarias (West) Brier, the former a native of Pennsylvania and of Irish descent, and the latter a native of South Carolina. They were the parents of ten children, six of whom are yet living: James and John reside in Brighton; Mary is the widow of Stephen Hermon, and resides in Ringgold County, Iowa; William is a resident of Kansas; Elizabeth is the wife of our subject, and Julia A., the wife of L. I. Washburn. Mrs. Brier died in January, 1846, and Mr. Brier about 1855. She was a member of the Baptist Church, and took great interest in all Church work.

Mr. and Mrs. Hart have had six children: Sophia J., born Jan. 24, 1852, is the wife of James Robin, and resides at Hedrick, Keokuk Co., Iowa; Ira A., born April 25, 1855, resides in Nebraska; Anna M., born May 3, 1858; Mary E., July 29, 1861; Austa, born Feb. 26, 1865, died May 25 1869; Lucy A., born Nov. 26, 1867. Mr. and Mrs. Hart, together with their entire family, save one, are members of the Congregational Church. They are highly respected in their neighborhood, and live in obedience to the Golden Rule. Politically his is a Republican, and has held many of the township offices.

Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Washington County, Iowa (1887). Excerpt from Biographical Sketch of Ambrose Hart, page 368.