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Isaac Homewood

Isaac Homewood, one of the successful farmers of Westfield Township, residing on section 35, was born in County Kent, England, December 5, 1829, and is a son of Thomas and Mary (Munn) Homewood, both of whom were natives of that county. They crossed the Atlantic to this country, but after several years' residence in the United States returned to their native land where Mr. Homewood is still living at the advanced age of ninety years. He made farming his life occupation. His wife died at the age of seventy-seven, and like her husband, was a professing Christian. Their family numbered six sons and seven daughters.

Isaac Homewood was the third child and under the parental roof he was reared to manhood, working for this father until twenty-four years of age, when he became foreman for a landlord, which position he resigned on his emigration to this country. On the 26th of December, 1854, he married Sarah A. Dean who was born in County Kent, May 6, 1836. Two years later they sailed for the New World, landing at New York on the 4th of June after a voyage of six weeks. They continued their journey across land to Cherry Valley, Winnebago County, Ill., where upon a rented farm Mr. Homewood engaged in agricultural pursuits for about ten years, when, in 1866, he crossed the Mississippi into Iowa, becoming a resident of Fayette County. After eight years he rented part of his present farm and subsequently purchased three hundred and five acres, paying $7,500. In order to pay one-third down he had to borrow $600. Possessed of untiring energy, perseverance and exceptional business ability, he has not only paid off all indebtedness, but has since added to his landed estate until his property now aggregates four hundred and sixty-five acres, all in one body, constituting one of the best farms in the county. It has all the modern improvements and appurtenances, and is well stocked with high grades of horses, cattle and hogs.

In 1890 Mr. Homewood was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife who died on the 27th of January. They were the parents of the following children, the two eldest of whom were born in England, namely: George T., now a farmer of South Dakota; and Thomas G., a resident farmer of Westfield Township. The remaining children were born in this country - Leila M., wife of Perry Potter, a resident of Smithfield Township; David I., who is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Westfield Township; Henry H., a farmer of Smithfield Township; Ira D., Eliza A., Ada M., Amy J., Alfred J. and Sarah A. Anna S., deceased, was the wife of Ernest McGee; Isaac D. and Silas H. died in childhood; and Ida J. died at the age of twenty-two years.

Mr. Homewood cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln and has since been a stalwart Republican. He keeps himself well informed on the leading issues of the day but has never aspired to official position, desiring rather to devote his entire time and attention to his business interests. He is remarkable for never having belonged to any social order. He is one of the most highly esteemed citizens of the community, and without this sketch of one of its most prominent citizens the history of Westfield Township would be incomplete.