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Delaware County, Iowa

 

 Biography Directory

Frank S. Harris

Farming

Coffins Grove Township

 

 

      Frank S. Harris owns and operates seventy eight acres of land in Coffins Grove township, this place being the old homestead of the Harris family. He was born in Wisconsin, March 10, 1852, a son of Reuben P. and Elizabeth S. (Seymour) Harris, both natives of New York, whence they removed to Wisconsin in the early '50s. In 1867 the father came with his family to Delaware county, Iowa, and located on the farm which is now the home of our subject. The mother died on this place in 1905 but the father is still living and is now in his ninety first year. He makes his home on the farm with his son.
      Frank S. Harris was a youth of fifteen years when the family removed from Wisconsin to Delaware county, so that much of his life has here been passed. He received his early education in the common schools of Wisconsin and after the family home was established in Iowa, he continued his studies here. He gave his father the benefit of his services until he reached his majority, at which time he assumed the management of the home place and with the exception of seven years, spent in North Dakota, he has lived on the homestead continuously to the present time. He now owns the property, comprising seventy eight acres, which is located on section 28, Coffins Grove township, and here he makes a specialty of dairying and stock raising.
     Mr. Harris was united in marriage in 1878 to Miss Augusta Ward, who was born in New York, a daughter of John and Catherine (Dockstader) Ward, who were likewise natives of the Empire state but in 1870 came to Iowa, where the father followed agricultural pursuits. Later they removed to Wisconsin and there Mr. Ward passed away. His wife, however, died in her native state. They had a family numbering ten children. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Harris has been blessed with five children: Reuben W.; Walter F.; Archie; Sadie, the wife of Joseph Singer; and Elizabeth, the wife of A. Thomas.
     Mr. Harris is a republican in politics and for twenty two years served as township clerk, while for twenty years he was a member of the school board. His fraternal relations connect him with Ebenezer Lodge, No. 587, I. O. O. F., in which he has filled all the chairs. Both he and his wife are highly esteemed in the community where they have so long resided and where they have a host of warm and admiring friends.

 

 

~ source: History of Delaware County, Iowa and its People, Illustrated, Volume II. The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1914, Chicago. Page 105-106.  Call Number 977.7385 H2m; LDS microfilm #934937.

~transcribed and contributed by Constance Diamond for Delaware County IAGenWeb

 

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