John Bunn
Transcribed by: Cindy Maher
JOHN BUNN, fifth son of James Bunn and Mary A[nn] Seabrook, was born 2
January 1850 in Berkhampstead, Staffordshire, England, and came to this
country while an infant, with his parents; was educated in country
schools, and was a carpenter in early life, has been a farmer, insurance
agent and merchant. He built the first house in Ida Grove, Iowa, and
many rural school houses in Ida and Cherokee Counties, of that state;
purchased 40 acres of land in Ida County, at $4.80 per acre, and engaged
in farming for a time; moved from this farm to Washta, Cherokee County,
in 1917; was at one time mayor of Washta, and carries a bullet in his
neck, received while in discharge of his duty. He was County Supervisor
of Ida County about six years and of Cherokee County nine years; was a
hardware and machinery merchant, and long served as justice of the
peace; has built two homes, and purchased his present residence in
Cherokee. He has been a member of the I.O.O.F., since 1889; joined the
order at Holstein, Iowa; transfered [sic] to Quimby, Iowa; is a charter
member and first Noble Grand of Spruce Lodge, No. 284 of Washta, where
he still retains membership; is a member of Cherokee Encampment, No.
147. In the great blizzard of January 1888, Mr. Bunn had a memorable
experience, becoming lost on the way from his place of business at
Washta to his home in Ida County; he was accompanied by a neighbor,
riding in a sleigh which was followed by a dog; fortunately, they came in
contact with a haystack, and men and dog found some protection under
the hay; the warmth of the dog's body kept the men's feet from freezing
and, by using their fists on each other they kept awake and thus escaped
from fatal freezing. Mr. Bunn married 17 February 1874 near
Worthington, Dubuque County, Iowa, Rebecca Parrott, daughter of Leven
and Cornelia (Shawhan) Parrott now deceased.
From: History of the Bunn Family of America, edited by James Alfred
Ellis, Many Years Member of New York Genealogical and Biographical
Society, Long Island Historical Society and New England
Historical-Genealogical Society. Chicago: Published by [signed] Romanzo
Norton Bunn, 1928 (First Reprint by Gary Bunn, Escondido, CA, 1984
Contributed by Michael J Griffith, Oxford, OH
