Barr Family
David
Barr and his wife, Sarah MULHOLLAND emigrated to Dundee, Canada, CA
1840, from Londonderry, Ireland. David died in 1881 in Perth County,
Ontario here he and his family lived on the farm next to George WARD,
Sr. It was there that their second daughter Sarah, married George WARD,
Jr. Both Wards are included elsewhere in this book. Six of their
children, including Mrs. George WARD, came to Amherst Township in the
early 1870's and were among the most well-known of the early pioneers.
The eldest, Margaret BARR, had married John BRADLEY in Canada, where
the older three of their seven daughters were born. They purchased a
farm in Section 23, Amherst Township, in 1883 from Samuel HORNIBROOK;
selling it in 1895 to Christopher GRAUER, when the parents moved to
Springfield, MO. Their oldest daughter, Sarah Ann, married William
ROSS, an early Marcus grocer.Most well-known was daughter Elvira, who
became the second wife of Andrew RAE, father of Don RAE. Rae families
are partially reviewed in the 1971 Marcus book. Three of the sons left
Ontario at about the same time that their Ward in-laws came to Iowa,
and went to the gold fields of California. They came to the Marcus area
in the early 1870's having sent George WARD money to buy land for them.
One of the brothers, John BARR, married Elizabeth CAMPBELL in Cherokee
County, where they established a large landholding, and had several
children. Of these, Jessie married J. Clarke FREEMAN, David took up
land in Saskatchewan, Canada, and Robert we have not found.
The
other two, David and Gabe were early merchants in Marcus, known as Barr
Brothers. Gabe was one of the signers of the petition for incorporation
of the town of Marcus; David moved on to Sioux City and Nebraska, where
many of his descendants continue to follow the practice of medicine at
the Barr Clinic at Tilden, NE. Gabe BARR married Margaret WARD, sister
of George, Jr. Gabe was well-know as auctioneer and entrepreneur. He
and Margaret had six
children--two daughters dying young. One
daughter, Maude, remained single, teaching school. Our last report had
her in Sac City in 1932, where her mother lived with her. Robert BARR
also became a school teacher. Our last information had him and his
family living at Jefferson, IA in 1925. Son Melvin BARR moved to
Richmond, VA. The remaining survivor was daughter Sadie.
BARR,
who lived in Marcus as a single lady until following the death of her
cousin Mrs. David GOWAN (Mary WARD), she married Dave GOWAN of Cleghorn
in 1922. They moved to Orange County, CA prior to 1932.
Two
members of the older generation remained in Canada. Charles and wife
Lizzie lived in Cutknife, Alberta, Canada. The youngest brother,
Robert, stayed in Canada, buying the home farm in Perth County, Ontario
from his siblings, following the death of their father David in 1885.
Jim
Radcliffe, the great-great-grandson of David, who submitted this, would
like to ask for help in adding to his records of these folks.
Source: Marcus, IA Book 1996 - Page 302; Submitted by Jim Radcliff and transcribed by Arlene Steffen
Jim Radcliffe
P.O. Box 2497
Ruidoso, NM , 88345
Phone: 505-257-4987
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