Charles Brown

BROWN JOSLYN WEST

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/19/2010 at 19:11:12

Woodbury County History 1984

Charles and Minerva Jane (West) Brown
By Loraine E Washburn

Charles Brown was born 28 January 1833 in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, the son of Samuel and Susan (Joslyn) Brown. His father died in 1879, his mother in 1890 and both are buried at Climbing Hill, Iowa. Charles was among the first settlers of Grange Township, and constructed a dugout to live in which was the first dwelling of a white man in the township. He came to Sioux City in 1864, moved to Smithland the following year, and after three years bought a farm in Grange Township. The first meeting of the Townships of Willow, Westfork and Grange was held at his home. He was married in 1857 to Minerva Jane West.

Minerva Jane West was born 8 June 1836 in Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Rachel Munks and Mr. West, and a step daughter of Mendall Metcalf. Since Minerval’s first two children were born in New York, she was evidently married there and came to Woodbury County with her husband and children several years after her mother and stepfather. She died 4 September 1901 and is buried at Climbing Hill.

Charles and Minerva were parents of seven children. Viola, born about 1858 in New York, died 29 October 1875, after their move to Woodbury County. Emma was born about 1861 in New York. In 1880, she was living in the home of her Uncle William Metcalf. She may be the Emma Brown who married Lewis Colby in Woodbury County on 23 June 1881.

Alice was born about 1866 in Iowa; she married Oluff Olson and had a daughter, Gladys, who married a Mr Sadler. Rachel was born about 1868 in Iowa, and married E D ‘Ted’ Anderson. They had three children: Everett, Mildred and Lawrence.

Samuel, born about 1872, may have been the Samuel Brown who married Martha Larive in Woodbury County, 23 February 1897. He had four children: Effie, Evone, who married Mr Broome, and was living in Sioux City in1978; Vida Brown; and Adolph Brown, who was born at Bronson, Iowa, and married (1) Lucille Wolfgang and (2) Mrs. Agnes Condron in 1971; he died 3 April 1978 in Ontario, California, and is buried there. Adolph had three children, Samuel, Bonnie and Mrs Leo ‘Betty’ Gideon, all of California.

Tilly, the sixth child of Charles and Minerva was born about 1876 in Iowa. Married on 1 February 1897 in Woodbury County to Samuel James Cady, she died in 1923. Edith, the seventh child of Charles and Minerva, married a Mr. Cobb.