ANTHONY FULWIDER

Anthony Fulwider, an honored veteran of the Civil war and a retired farmer now living on section 16, Sugar Creek township, was born in Greenbrier county, now West Virginia, on the 15th of August, 1828. His parents were John and Sallie (Kincaid) Fulwider, also natives of the Old Dominion. The father’s birth occurred in Augusta county in June, 1797, and the mother’s in Bath county, March 15, 1801. Extended mention is made of the family in the sketch of J. H. Fulwider on another page of this volume.

Our subject is second in order of birth in a family of eight children and during his boyhood accompanied his parents on their removal to Missouri and later to Cedar county, Iowa, arriving here in 1839. On reaching manhood he commenced farming for himself and continued to follow that occupation until his retirement from active labor. He became the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land, which he improved by the erection of good and substantial buildings, and also placed the fields under a high state of cultivation. When the Civil war broke out he put aside all personal considerations and at the first call for three years’ men he enlisted in Company K, Thirty-fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and remained in service until honorably discharged at the end of that period, serving as teamster all of the time.

In 1849 Mr. Fulwider was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Ridenour, who was born in Greene county, Ohio, March 22, 1832, and came to Cedar county, Iowa, in 1843. Her parents, Daniel and Elizabeth (Brewer) Ridenour, were natives of Maryland, who died in this county. In the Ridenour family were six children, four sons and two daughters. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Fulwider are as follows: Sarah, now the wife of Frank Smith of Warren county, Iowa; Cyrus, who died leaving a widow and four children; Malinda, the wife of Freeman Haines of Warren county, Iowa; Eliza, who first married William Nebergall and after his death wedded Kirk Leverich of Rock Island; Wilhelmina, the wife of J. W. Rochholz of Sugar Creek township; Margaret, the widow of August Dallega and a resident of Sugar Creek township; Martha, the wife of Charles S. Weber, who is represented on another page of this volume; and Hattie, the wife of Charles Nauman of Sugar Creek township.

For over sixty-one years Mr. and Mrs. Fulwider have now traveled life’s journey, sharing each other’s joys and sorrows, and today they are probably the oldest couple living in this county. From pioneer days down to the present they have made their home in Cedar county and have not only witnessed its wonderful development but have aided in its growth and prosperity. It is sufficient to say that no couple in the community are held in higher esteem or have more warm friends than Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Fulwider.