Joshua Avery West, son of Samuel and Mary Ann West, was born in Knox County, Illinois, near Maquon, August 21, 1847. He had a sister Betty, and three brothers, John, Dan and Phil. They lived on a farm. The children were very young when Samuel went off to war, and Mary Ann had to raise the family.

Joshua was united in marriage to Lydia Ellen Clawson on March 21, 1873. Ellen was born in Anglaze County, Ohio, November 23, 1855, and emigrated with her parents to Illinois in 1856. She had four brothers, Alfred and Frank lived in Decatur County, Iowa.

Joshua felt land was too high to buy in Illinois. He wanted to be a livestock farmer and have land with timber for fence posts, lumber for buildings and wood for fuel. On April 1, 1881, Joshua bought one-hundred-and-sixty acres in Decatur County, Iowa, for two thousand dollars from F. W. Johnson and wife E. J. Johnson of Clarke County, Iowa. He gave a eight-hundred dollar downpayment, with a mortgage of one-thousand, two-hundred dollars. The warrenty Deed shows that he owned the "South half of the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section One, also the east half of the east half of the northeast quarter of Section Two - all in Township Seventy, north of Range Twenty-Seven West containing one-hundred-and-sixty acres more or less."

The forty-one acres owned today by ...... was where the homestead buildings were located. The only building left standing is the hay barn. Joshua had large orchards and raised cattle, hogs and horses. He had a blacksmith shop for his own use.

In 1881, Joshua, Ellen and their three children-Oscar, Asa and Amos-came to Iowa. Three children were born in Decatur County: Samuel, Huldah and Everett. There were now five living sons and one daughter. Frank died in infancy. The children attended District No. 1, rural school in Richland Township, known as the Brick School.

Joshua and Ellen joined the Mt. Zion Christian Church on February 20, 1887, and both were baptized May 21, 1888. Joshua taught a Sunday School class; and Ellen was ordained a deaconess in January, 1911.

Joshua and Ellen attended the World's Fair at St. Louis in 1904, which celebrated the one-hundred year of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The family went back to Illinois for visits, and Joshua took several trips alone.

All of Joshua's children were farmers and lived in Decatur and Clarke Counties. On September 20, 1899, Asa was married to Ellen Ramsey and they had three children: ....... Oscar was united in marriage to Blanch Fullerton in 1900, and they had ten children:....... Amos married Nellie Ramsey on September 3, 1902, and they had three children: ..... On September 9, 1908, Samuel was married to Bertha Woods; and they had three children:..... Everett was united in marriage to Pearl West on October 12, 1916, and they had four children: .......Huldah married Perry Emily on October 8, 1904; and they had two children.... On December 15, 1916, Huldah was united in marriage to William Adams and they had three children......

Ellen passed away at her home near Grand River, Iowa, on January 12, 1919. Joshua then made his home with his son Amos, near Grand River, and died there on November 17, 1922. Joshua and Ellen were buried near the Mt. Zion Christian Church in the Wheelis Cemetery, known as the Tennessee Cemetery.

At the time of his death Joshua & Ellen owned seven-hundred-fifty-four and one-third acres of land. This was valued at thirty-one-thousand, three-hundred-and-fifty-four dollars. The land passed on into the second generation.

Amos West was born October 12, 1879. Amos was united in marriage to Nellie Nevesta Ramsey, daughter of Thomas Benton and Mary Ellen Boles Ramsey, September 3, 1902, at Osceola, in Clarke County, Iowa. Nellie Ramsey was born in Decatur County, Iowa, July 1, 1884. She had four sisters--Olive, Ellen, Farrie and Addie-and three brothers--James, Fred and Alex.

Amos and Nellie began their married life in a small house owned by Joshua, one-half mile north of the place ....... now live. They started housekeeping with a round oak table, six matching chairs and a mantel pendulum, eighty-day clock. Amos cleared wood from the farm and sold it at Murray. They later moved to the place ...... now live. They added onto the old house that was there and in 1915, built the barn which is still standing. Nellie was a good cook; and they had a large orchard, garden and truck garden. She did sewing for the family.

Nellie joined the Mt. Zion Christian Church on January 26, 1908, and Amos joined on January 23, 1911. Nellie had taken music lessons as a girl and played the piano at the church. Amos and Nellie bought an upright piano from W. A. Alexander in Leon for their home.

The roads were dirt and they had to go many places by horse and buggy. Amos and Nellie's first car was a black 1917, touring Model T. Ford. In 1928, they bought a dark gray Whippet 6.

Three children were born, the oldest dying in infancy, February 6, 1905, and Lowell Audrey passed away at the age of four years. He was born July 7, 1906 and died August 7, 1910. .........

Amos and Nellie went through W. W. I., the Depression and the drought years of the 30's; but there were also good times. They took an excursion trip on the Missippippi River in a steamboat, went back to Illinois for visits, and the family camped overnight at the Iowa State Fair.

If you want to read more of this Family Biography please email Stacey Dietiker