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Bographies Beginning with the Letter V

 

VALE, JOHN

WILLIAM VANDEVER was born in Baltimore, Maryland, March 31, 1817. He was educated in the schools of Philadelphia. In 1839 he went to Rock Island where he engaged in surveying public lands. For several years he was editor of the Northwestern Advertiser. In 1851 he removed to Dubuque and was employed in the office of the Surveyor-General. He afterwards became a partner of Ben M. Samuels in the practice of law. In 1856 he was a delegate to the convention which organized the Republican party of Iowa. In 1858 he was nominated for Representative in Congress in the Second District and elected over his former law partner, B. M. Samuels. He was reelected in 1860 but resigned his seat in 1861 to enter the military service and was appointed colonel of the Ninth Iowa Infantry. Mr. Vandever commanded a brigade at the Battle of Pea Ridge and won promotion to Brigadier-General. He served through the war with distinction in the armies of Grant and Sherman and was brevetted Major-General. Some years after the close of the war he removed to California where he was again elected to Congress. He died on the 23d of July, 1893.

~Source: History of Iowa, Vol IV, 1903

Van WINKLE, ISAIAH
Clearfield Enterprise
Clearfield, Iowa
September 16, 1915
 
Isaiah Van Winkle was born in Ohio on March 4th, 1845; died September 10th, 1915; age, 70 years, 6 months, 6 days. In 1850 he, with his parents moved to Washington County, Iowa, where he grew to manhood. He enlisted for service August, 1861, in Company K, 25th Iowa Infantry. He was honorably discharged from service in 1863 on account of disability.

He was united in marriage to Miss Marinda E. Blackman in Wapello County, Iowa, November 13, 18G6. To this union were born six children, all of whom survive him except Mrs. Ada M. Jackson, who died 23 years ago, and Roy E. who died in infancy.
Those present at the funeral services were Mrs. Cora B. Smith of Tingley; Mrs. Grace L. Ray, who live near Maloy; and one son, Fay F., who lives at the parental home in Clearfield, Iowa; also five grandchildren; his three brothers, Perry C. of Washington, Iowa; Henry of Mount Ayr, Iowa; and William of Lamoni, Iowa; and one sister. Mrs. L. Sands of Webster City, Iowa.

Two sisters, Mrs. Alice N. Edwards of Ellinsville, Illinois, and Mrs. Mary Robinson of London Mills, Illinois, could not be present.

He moved with his family from Wapello Co. to Ringgold Co. in 1885 and lived on his farm 8 miles southeast of Clearfield until September 7th, 1905, when he moved to his present home in Clearfield where his final summons came on Friday, September 10th, at about 3:20 p. m. While at manual labor he had a stroke of apoplexy from which he never regained consciousness, and lived only a few minutes.

He was converted while yet a young man and joined the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he was a faithful member until death. He believed in a Christ that could save from all sin.

He was a kind and faithful husband, a loving father, and an obliging neighbor, ready to lend a helping hand at all times. He had convictions of what he believed to be right and acted upon them, yet was, like others, not faultless.

Funeral services were held in the Methodist church Sunday afternoon September 12th, at 2:30 p. m.; conducted by W. D. Merryman. The scripture lesson was Psalm 91 and I Corinthians 15:34-57; text, 49th verse.[POEM]

~Source: Transcription by Lorelei Rusco, June of 2011
Link to gravestone photo: http://iowagravestones.org/gs_view.php?id=27605


FRANCIS VARGA, a Hungarian noble and patriot of the Revolution of 1849, was for more than fifty years a resident and citizen of Iowa. When the Hungarian procisional government under Louis Kossuth was established Mr. Varga and Judge Advocate-General, serving until that government was overthrown by the combined armies of Austria and Russia. Then he with other patriots came to America and forty of them under the lead of Louis Ujhazy, a distinguished officer under Kossuth, came to Iowa and founded a colony in Decatur County which was named New Buda. Other Hungarian patriots who were compelled to leave their own country joined the colony and became citizens of Iowa. Here Mr. Varga and his companions made their permanent home and took a deep interest in the freedom of a republican government which welcomed them as citizens. When the Civil War came they were a unit in support of the Government which wiped out the blot of slavery. Mr. Varga and many of the Hungarian patriots joined the Union army and again fought for freedom. He held many official positions in his new home and was a great admirer of the American Government. He had been admitted to the bar in Hungary in 1840 and practiced his profession for sixty-one years. He died at Leon on the 5th of April, 1902.

~Source: History of Iowa, Vol IV, 1903