A valuable and well kept farm of one hundred and sixty-seven acres in Center township is the visible expression of the success which has come to E. S. Armstrong as the legitimate and logical result of well directed efforts and intelligently applied labors. He is one of Cedar county’s native sons, his birth occurring in Fremont township on the 31st of May, 1874, his parents being Thomas and Nancy E. (McAfee) Armstrong. The former, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 2, 1843, was a son of James and Bessie (Moffit) Armstrong, both natives of Ireland, where they were reared. Later, however, they came to the United States and were married in Philadelphia, where both passed away, their deaths occurring in 1849 but three weeks apart. Their son Thomas was but six years of age when left an orphan, and with his sister Lucinda, then four years old, was brought to Cedar county in 1850, where he spent the period of his boyhood and youth in the home of his grandparents. The sister is now a resident of Napa City, California.
Thomas Armstrong remained with his grandfather until eighteen years of age, when, in 1861, at the outbreak of the Civil war, he enlisted from Cedar county as a soldier in Company E, Eleventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry, for three years. Later he reenlisted for another term of three years, or until the close of the war, thus serving throughout the entire period of hostilities. With his regiment he was present at all of the principal engagements of the war, was dispatch carrier for a time and throughout his term of service was never wounded nor in the hospital. He accompanied Sherman on the famous march to the sea which proved the weakness of the Confederacy, and participated in the grand review at Washington, the greatest military pageant ever witnessed in this country. He was finally mustered out with a splendid record, and, returning to Cedar county, Iowa, devoted the rest of his life to agricultural pursuits. For eight years he resided on a farm two miles south of Mechanicsville, and then, selling that property, purchased a farm in Mason Grove, Cass township, consisting of three hundred acres. This he operated for twenty years, after which he again sold out and removed to a farm in Center township, three miles west of Tipton, which is now owned by his son E. S. Armstrong, who operated it for the father until the latter’s death, which occurred November 20, 1900. Thomas Armstrong was a stanch supporter of the republican party, although he never sought nor desired public office, and was a faithful and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Bethel. He belonged to the Loyal Legion and also to the Modern Brotherhood of America, while he maintained pleasant relations with his old army comrades through his membership in the Grand Army of the Republic at Tipton.
Thomas Armstrong was married in 1868 to Miss Nancy E. McAfee, a native of Perry county, Pennsylvania, where her birth occurred February 7, 1846. She was a daughter of Daniel and Margaret (Wilson) McAfee, who were also born in the Keystone state and were the parents of four sons and six daughters. They came to Iowa about 1853, Mr. McAfee preempting a quarter section of land three miles northeast of Cedar Bluff, and there the family resided for twelve years, after which a removal was made to Mechanicsville. In the latter town Mr. McAfee and his wife both passed away, the former’s death occurring in October, 1873, at the age of seventy-five years, while the latter was seventy-two years old at the time of her demise in 1880. Their daughter Nancy E. was but seven years old when she accompanied her parents to Iowa, and she remained a resident of Mechanicsville until her marriage, while two years after her husband’s death she became a resident of Tipton, where she now resides.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Armstrong were born eleven children, who were as follows: Bessie, residing in Davenport; Jessie, the wife of E. G. Filson, of Burlington; William Moffit, of Red Oak township; Nellie McAfee, a twin sister of William M., who became the wife of C. A. Smith, of Tipton; Edward S., of this review; one who passed away when only twelve days old; Frank B., also residing in Red Oak township; Lucinda, the wife of Charles Cottrell, of Tipton; John T., making his home in Tipton; Arabell, the wife of A. P. Hebstetter, residing in Tipton with the widowed mother; and Ursula B., the wife of Lester Blackman, of Tipton. All of the children were born in Cedar county.
E. S. Armstrong, whose name introduces this review, was reared amid the busy activities of rural life and in the work of the home fields gained a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the occupation which he was to follow as a life work. He also learned many lessons concerning the value of industry, perseverance and self-reliance which well prepared him for an independent business career. The age of twenty years found him eager to enter the business world, which he did in the capacity of farm hand, remaining as such for one year. He then rented a farm for three years, at the expiration of which time, in connection with his brother William, he purchased two hundred and sixty acres in Cass township, which they operated in partnership for seven years. The brothers then sold their interests, after which E. S. Armstrong bought his present farm from his father, consisting of eighty-seven acres located on section 28, Center township. Three years later he purchased an adjoining tract of eighty acres on section 27, and is now operating both farms. He has greatly improved both places, erecting substantial barns and outbuildings, and is devoting his attention to general farming and stock-raising. He has been most successful in both branches of his business—the raising of grain and the raising of stock—and his wise management, close application and unfaltering industry have been important elements in the attainment of a prosperity which now ranks him among the progressive and substantial farmers of his section of the county.
On the 25th of November, 1896, Mr. Armstrong was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Lahmon, who was born in Red Oak township on the 25th of January, 1874, her parents being John and Harriet Lahmon, of Linn township. Unto this union have been born five children, Donald, Pearl, Bertie, Lulu and Genevieve.
Mr. Armstrong holds membership with the Modern Woodmen of America at Tipton and is widely known throughout the locality in which his entire life has been spent. His life has ever been honorable and upright, governed by high principals, and the fact that many of those who know him best are numbered among his warmest friends is an indication that his salient characteristics are such as inspire confidence and respect in his fellow citizens.
