Jacob & Catherine Onstot

ONSTOT MARQUART HUFFMAN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/13/2010 at 17:35:10

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Jacob and Catharine (Marquart) Onstot
By Marjorie Heath Ellis

Jacob Onstot was born April 19, 1845 in Muskingum County, Ohio, son of Jacob and Mary Huffman Onstot. He had one brother, John. Although it has not been documented at this writing, family researchers agree that Jacob descended from George Onstot of Pipe Creek, Maryland, who died there in 1778, through George Washington County, Pennsylvania, and his son, Jacob, whose wife was Margaret. Mary Huffman Onstot died when her sons were small and Jacob married a Delilah Huffman, possibly Mary’s sister. One son, William Henry, was born to that marriage. The father died shortly after William Henry was born, and John and Jacob were raised by relatives. Jacob lived in Cedar County, Iowa, with uncles and cousin who came to Iowa from Muskingum County.

Catharine Marquart, daughter of Philip and Barbara Raimund Marquart, was born in Crawford County, Ohio, April 14, 1848, near Galion. She was the sixth child of Philip and Barbara, and their first child to be born in America. Their Marquart line can be traced to Hans Marquardt, born 1617 in Winkel, West Germany. As of this writing there are still Marquardt’s living on the farm in Winkel.

Jacob and Catharine were married in Tipton, Iowa, November 30, 1875. It as a second marriage for both of them. Jacob had married Mary Jane Onstott on January 28, 1873, in Muskingum County, Ohio. Their daughter, Lena, was born in Green County, Iowa, where Jacob and John owned land. Mary Jane’s death date has not been established but shortly after her death, Jacob returned with his baby daughter to Cedar County where his relatives lived.

Catharine had been married to Peter WIller, son of George and Julia Tess Willer, and they had three sons: George Michael, Charles Herbert ‘Bert’, and Willie. Willie died March 28,1 872, and Peter died November 22, 1872. They are buried in Hebron Cemetery south of Tipton.

Jacob and Catharine ‘Kate’ came to Floyd Township, Woodbury County, Iowa, in 1876, together with another family. They had traded a mill near Rochester, Iowa, for land in Woodbury County. It is said that on the trip they hid their money in flour barrels for safety’s sake. The Onstots built a house on a farm southeast of Bronson where they raised their combined families plus five children of their own: Phillip Leander, born July 26, 1876; Howard H, born December 25, 1877; Caroline Maude, born September 26, 1884; Addie Pearl, born September 7, 1889; and Jettie Mae, born November 30, 1891. They also opened their home to Alfred Willer when his adoptive parents died.

Jacob was one of a group who organized a Reformed Church near the family farm. He had been raised a Baptist as a boy in Ohio and he was a strict, religious man. He allowed no work of any kind to be done on Sunday. The Onstots had a small store in their farm home. Jacob would haul farm produce to Sioux City to sell and drive home with merchandise for the store. The trip would take a full day, from early morning until late at night. On one trip to Sioux City he hauled a wagon load of potatoes t sell. However, potatoes were so cheap that there was no market for them so rather than have his team haul the load back home, he dumped the potatoes in the Floyd River. Besides helping to build the church, Jacob also built the Floyd school house on his property.

When Jacob and Catharine retired from the farm, they built a house in Bronson where they were living when Jacob died on March 8, 1907. After his death Catharine had a new home built in Lawton where many of her relatives lived and where she lived out her life. She died April 30, 1919.

Jacob and Catharine are buried in Graceland Park Cemetery in Sioux City, Iowa. Their children all married and many of their descendants still live in Woodbury County.

Jacob’s daughter, Lena, married Robert Marshall and their children were: Roy, who died as a child, Frank, Harold, Dorothy, Bertha, and Geneva.

Catherine’s son, George Willer, married Ida Bolton and they had six children: Verda, Carl, Avery, Russell, Eva, and Chester. Her son, ‘Bert’ Willer married Marian Johnson and their children were: Arch, Cliff, Pierre, Reed, Esther and Maude.

Phillip Onstot married Minnie Catherine Rasmussen; two daughters died as children and they raised three sons, Everett, Donald, and Herbert.

Howard Onstot married Matie Clark and they had two sons, Edward and Howard. The family moved to Texas when the boys were young and lived out their lives there. Neither of their sons had any children.

Maude Onstot married Reed Padel and their five children were: Jettie, Luella, Joyce, Robert and Carol.

Addie Onstot married Alfred Molstad and they had four boys and one girl: Wayne, Howard, Irving, Lloyd and Mary.

Jettie Onstot married Elmer Heath and they had one daughter, Marjorie.