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ROBERT
HUNTER, a veteran of the Mexican war, and now a prosperous
farmer of Delaware county, Iowa, was born in Watertown,
Jefferson county, N. Y., March 30, 1825, and is a son of James
Hunter, who was born near Belfast, Ireland, and when a young man
came to the United States and settled in the county where our
subject was born. He was a linen weaver by trade, which
vocation he followed in Ireland, but later became a farmer and
removed to Rockford, Ill., where for a number of years he served
as school treasurer of his congressional township district, an
office similar to that of county treasurer of the present day.
He died in Rockford in 1869 at the age of seventy-six years,
beloved and respected by all who knew him. Robert Hunter, the
father of James, came to the United States a few years after the
arrival of his son, and died in Jefferson county, N. Y. Sarah
(Gillett) Hunter, the mother of our subject, was a native of
Columbia county, N. Y., and died in Boston, Mass., whither she
had gone for medical treatment. She was the mother of two
children: Robert, the subject of this sketch, and Mary Ann,
deceased. To the second marriage of James Hunter were born seven
children, viz.: David, James, Joseph, Benjamin, Sarah, Jane and
Isabella, their mother having borne the maiden name of Sarah
Akin.
Robert Hunter, our subject, came West with his father and
stepmother in 1845, and in April, 1847, enlisted for the Mexican
war in Company A, Sixteenth United States infantry, at Rockford,
Ill., and was sent to the Rio Grande to serve in the army of
occupation under Gen. Taylor, remaining until the close of the
war. He received his discharge at Newport, Ky., in August, 1848,
and at once returned to Rockford, where he was married, and
where he lived until 1853, when he brought his young bride in a
two horse wagon to Delaware county, Iowa, where he located a
land warrant for 160 acres in section 25, township 90, range 4
west, on which he has his present residence. Of his first tract
he has since sold forty acres and has purchased forty acres of
timber land in section 3.
The lady whom Mr. Hunter chose for his life companion
was Miss Mary H. Cummings, a native of Geauga county, Ohio, but
at the time of marriage a resident of Rockford. She was born in
1833 and is a daughter of Nehemiah Cummings. She is
a lady of culture and refinement, having been educated at the
Female seminary at Rockford, and her wedded life has been a
most happy one, although the couple have met with some very
discouraging drawbacks, among the most serious of which was the
breaking of Mr. Hunter's leg a few months after his arrival in
this county, which mishap caused his confinement to his bed for
five long months. Mr. Hunter had had some experience in running
threshing machines before moving here. A neighbor employed him
to take charge of one, but he had run it only a short time when
he accidentally got his leg caught on the tumbling shaft in such
a way that the leg was broken, the ends of the bones being
driven into the ground; his ankle, also, being thrown out of
place. There were no surgeons in Delaware county at that
time, but the best effort possible was made by local doctors to
set the bones. The effort, however, was a failure, and Mr.
Hunter lay for weeks suffering the most excruciating pains. But
his faithful wife, to whose unceasing care the preservation
of his life was due up to that time, believed he could recover,
and she placed him in a two-horse wagon, and returned to their
old home at Rockford, Ill., where, under more
skillful treatment, he got well. Immediately on his recovery
they returned to Iowa, and again took up their residence in Elk
township, on the place they had procured, and there they have
lived since. Mrs. Hunter, to whom is due the credit of saving
the life of her husband, as here related, and whose sad
experiences during those times of trial words can hardly tell,
is a lady possessing many excellent virtues, and the change from
happy school life to the rough and rugged life of the West was a
great one, but she as proven herself equal to the emergency and
has adapted herself to her surroundings. The first church Mr.
and Mrs. Hunter attended in Delaware county was in a small
building made of logs, covered with heavy boards and floored a
with thick slabs. The pulpit was a rude affair, and there were
only two rows of benches, one on each side of the building, the
men occupying one row and the women the other, facing each
other.
There was much wild game in the
country then, and it was no uncommon thing for deer to come up
to within a few steps of their house.
Mr. Hunter has always been a farmer and stock-raiser, but
the esthetics of life are by him nowise neglected. He takes
great interest in school matters, and for several years has been
school director. His children have received careful school
training, and his daughters are highly accomplished.
In politics he was formerly a
Whig, but on the formation
of the republican party he cast his lot with the new
organization, and has adhered to it ever since. He has never
sought public office, but has always been willing to render such
service to his fellow townsmen that might be expected from a
good citizen, and has willingly given his time and attention to
the duties of the position of township trustee, socially, the
family occupy a very high position, and the skill and sound
judgment displayed by himself in the management of his farm and
herds are the admiration of his neighbors. The children born to
Mr. and Mrs. Hunter are five in number, and named Addie, Minnie
and George, all living; and Omri and Robert, deceased. |
