Stephen WILCOX

WILCOX, HARRISON, STRYKER, ORR, HANSON, REYWAIT

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 10/20/2007 at 20:41:13

Stephen Wilcox
Born: 3 March 1824 in Mercer Co., Pennsylvania
Died: 27 January 1901, Wright County, Iowa

Passing away of Stephen Wilcox, the earliest settler in Troy Township, Wright Co., Iowa, on January 27, 1901. Stephen Wilcox, age 76 years, 10 months, and 24 days. Mr. Wilcox was born in Mercer Co., Pennsylvania, March 3, 1824. His parents moved to Lagrange Co., Indiana, while the subject of this sketch was still young, and at the time he was seventeen, they moved again and settled in Bureau Co., Illinois, where he grew to manhood. He married there to Miss Sabrina Harrison in 1845 where three children were born to them. He and his brother-in-law, William Stryker, concluded that they could do better in the then new state of Iowa, so they sold out and started the 7th day of June, 1854, by teams overland bringing quite a drove of cows and young stock with them. They arrived in Wright County on July 5th the same year. Mr. Wilcox bought 100 acres of land at government price and went to work to make a home for himself and family and by judicious management he has added 233 acres, so that when he died he had possession of almost 400 acres of good land worth in the neighborhood of $20,000.

Mr. Wilcox was strictly honest and no man was the worse for his gain as his property was increased by judicious investments of money honestly earned in his chosen occupation of farming. On the 20th day of May, 1887, Mr. Wilcox was deprived of his faithful wife. To them had been born twelve children (10 boys and 2 girls) all who are still living. Henry I, Mary E., wife of J.B. Orr, who are residents of Eagle Grove also Job Wilcox and Benjamin, Alexander, James H., Frank, Wesley, Sarah, wife of John Hanson, Nathan, Walter, and Joseph all of whom reside in Troy Township. In 1891, Mr. Wilcox was married to Mrs. Harriet Reywait who survives him.

The funeral services were conducted by Reverend Ephram Robins of Alden, an old neighbor and friend of the departed, at Troy Center Methodist Church. It was well filled by friends and neighbors who came to pay their last respects to one of the pioneer settlers of Wright Co., Iowa. Five of the pallbearers were sons of J.B. Orr and consequently grandsons of the deceased. The other one, Walter Orr, being a nephew of Mr. Orr. The above excellent sketch is from the pen of Mr. John Stryker, our Troy correspondent. It needs no additions or diminishing.

Excerpted from "One of the Pioneers" by John Stryker -- obituary: