Edward Dewey
At the venerable age of eighty-five years Edward Dewey is now living retired at his home in West Side, Crawford county, Iowa, where he is enjoying the income derived from his former investments in agricultural lands.
He was born November II, 1826, in Deerfield, Oneida county, New York, a son of Zelolas and Mehitable (Roberts) Dewey, in whose family were seven children, namely: Albert and Leander, both deceased; Edward, of this review; Truman, a resident of Buffalo, New York, who died in 1911; Maria, the deceased wife of James O'Brien, of Oneida county; Mary, who wedded James Rawley and made her home in Chicago, but is now deceased; and Charles, also deceased. Both parents died in New York.
When twenty-two years old Edward Dewey rented a part of the old homestead, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres in Oneida county, New York, which he continued to cultivate until the death of his parents when, their property being divided among the children, he sold his share and moved to Huntley, Illinois. There he bought eighty acres of land, upon which he lived for several years, and then, in 1876, he came to Crawford county, Iowa, and purchased two hundred and sixty acres, where he continued to be actively engaged in general farming and stock-raising until his retirement in 1904. In that year he sold his farm and came to West Side, where he purchased a lot and erected the comfortable home in which he now resides.
Mr. Dewey has been twice married, his first wife being Roxanna Coffin, a native of Herkimer county, New York, to whom he was united March 4, 1847. By this union three children were born, two of whom survive, namely: Maurice, who lives in West Side, Iowa; and Clifford, who makes his home in Florida. Roxanna, the third in order of birth, is deceased.
In March, 1859, Mr. Dewey was married to Miss Mary Smith, of Huntley, Illinois, who was second in order of birth in a family of four children, the others being Henry, a resident of illinois; Caleb, deceased; and Adeline, who married Henry Transue, of Dundee, Illinois. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Dewey, namely: Eugene, who located in South Dakota; Harriet, who married Frank Wagner, of Boone, Iowa; Lily, who became the wife of James Roxborough and resides in Council Bluffs; Georgia, the wife of Herman Mum, of Bellingham, Washington.
Politically Mr. Dewey has always been a stanch republican and in religion he was reared in the faith of the Universalist church. He is now enjoying a well earned rest after a long period of intense activity, his energy and perseverance making possible the success which now enables him to live in ease and comfort.
Source: History of Crawford County, Iowa. Vol. II. Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1911.