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David Bonar

BONAR, GRAY, RAGEN, FILTER, YOHN, MEYER

Posted By: Peter Gausmann (email)
Date: 1/20/2010 at 04:04:32

DAVID BONAR

David Bonar, a retired farmer residing in Forest City, has made his home in Winnebago and Hancock counties since 1862 or for a period of fifty-five years. His birth occurred in Noble county, Indiana, November 12, 1854, his parents being Jesse and Martha Ann (Gray) Bonar, the former a native of Ohio, while the latter was probably born in Indiana, where their marriage was celebrated in 1848. The mother died two weeks after the birth of our subject and in 1855, the father came to Iowa and filed on both a homestead and a timber claim in Winnebago county. His brothers, Matthew and James Bonar, accompanied him and they, too, homesteaded, the former securing land in Winnebago and the latter in Hancock county, both remaining on their respective claims. The same year Jesse Bonar returned to Indiana, where he later wedded Gemima Ragen. It was not until 1862 that he took up his abode in Iowa and in the meantime his homestead claim had been jumped, but he succeeded in holding the timber claim. The summer of that year was spent in Hancock county and the following fall he removed to Forest City, buying a farm that is now within the city limits, being the present site of the Catholic church. He resided upon that place until 1878, when he became a resident of Harrison county, Iowa, where he continued to make his home until his death which occurred when he was in his eighty fourth year.

David Bonar was reared under the parental roof and was a little lad of but eight years when he came to this state. His educational opportunities were those afforded by the common schools, but as his father was in humble financial circumstances he was obliged to forego the privilege of attending school to a considerable extent after he reached the age of ten years, for he then became a wage earner, working as a chore boy and farm hand. He thereby assisted his father in maintaining the home and he continued to contribute to the support of the family until he reached his twenty-fifth year. In 1880 he began farming on his own account, cultivating a tract of land in Hancock county, and the second year he began fanning in Winnebago county. For seven years he cultivated rented land, but carefully saved his earnings, and during the third year of his renting he purchased a tract of one hundred and twenty acres in Hancock county, on which he took up his abode in the winter of 1886-7. With the exception of a period of four years spent in Forest City, he then resided continuously upon that farm until the spring of 1916, when he retired from active business life and again removed to Forest City, where he now makes his home in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. In the past year he has erected a handsome residence and is now most comfortably situated.

In early manhood Mr. Bonar was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Filter, a native of Germany, who accompanied her parents on their emigration to the United States in 1872, when a maiden of fourteen years. The family home was established in Forest City, where Mr. and Mrs. Filter spent the remainder of their lives. To Mr. and Mrs. Bonar have been born four children, three of whom survive, namely: Ernest E., who follows farming in Hancock county, Iowa; Ruth, the wife of Elmer Yohn, of Klemme, Hancock county, Iowa; and Mary Edith, who gave her hand in marriage to Henry Meyer, of Garner, Iowa.

Mr. Bonar exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party and has served in various township offices, the duties of which he has discharged with promptness and fidelity. He is one of the highly esteemed and substantial residents of Forest City, his well spent life having won for him the good will and confidence of all with whom he has come in contact. He has contributed much to the agricultural development of this section of the state and his life record shows what can be accomplished when determination and energy lead the way.

Source: History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, Vol. II. Pioneer Publishing Company (Chicago), 1917. pp. 182-183.


 

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