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1907 Past and Present Biographies

Isaac Dwight Howard

Isaac Dwight Howard, deceased, was for many years one of the leading lawyers practicing at the bar of Greene county, his home being in Jefferson, where he passed away on the 11th of January, 1906, revered and honored by all who knew him. He was born in Colerain, Franklin county, Massachusetts, July 10, 1834, and there spent the first seventeen years of his life. He then removed with his father to Ohio, where he made his home until coming to Iowa in 1853, and from that time until February, 1860, made his home either in Boone or Decatur counties. We next find him a resident of Cherokee county, Kansas, but in June, 1860, he returned to Iowa, taking up his abode in Greene county, where he continued to live throughout the remainder of his life.

Having been admitted to the bar, Mr. Howard engaged in the practice of law until the fall of 1864, when he was elected clerk of the district court and served in that capacity for eight years, retiring January 1, 1873, when he resumed the practice of law in partnership with James A. Henderson, Sr., with whom he was associated about four years. From that time until 1886 he was connected with I. J. McDuffie and upon the dissolution of that partnership was associated with Perry D. Rose until January 1, 1890, when his son Arthur D. became a member of the firm. After the latter went to Montana in 1893 he was alone in practice until the admission of his son Ralph G. to the bar in 1896, when they entered into partnership. This connection was continued until February, 1903, when Arthur returned to Jefferson and both sons were associated with the father under the name of Howard & Howard. The senior partner occupied an enviable position in legal circles, being recognized as one of the ablest attorneys of this part of the state and throughout the years of his connection with the bar enjoyed a large and lucrative practice. Besides his two sons already mentioned several other young men were students in his oflice at different times and under his able instruction became capable lawyers, including Hon. Norris Brown, formerly attorney general of Nebraska and now United States senator from that state; W. F. Meecham, a prominent judge of Douglas, Wyoming; and E. Frank Brown, of the firm of Whipple & Brown, at Vinton, Iowa.

On the 20th of March, 1855, Mr. Howard was united in marriage to Miss Eliza J. Kinney, at Boone, Iowa. Unto them were born eight children, namely: Brainerd K., who died in infancy; Mrs. N. Elvira Davison, who resides in Idaho; Mrs. Margaret A. Dorcas, a resident of Tipton, Iowa. Mrs. Mary J. McKinney, of Washington; Alice R,. who died in infancy; Arthur D., who resides in Jefferson; Rufus J., who died when thirteen years of age; and Ralph G., whose sketch follows this. The mother of these children died in Jefferson on the 4th of May, 1897, and Mr. Howard was again married February 13, 1898, his second union being with Anna M. Bigger, who survives him.

Taking an active interest in public  affairs, Mr. Howard was called upon to fill offices of honor and trust, the duties of which he most faithfully discharged. In 1874 President Grant appointed him register of the land oflice at Del Norte, Colorado, and in December of that year he went to Colorado to assume his duties, but not wishing to remove his family to that new country, he resigned and returned to Jefferson after about one month’s service. In 1883 he was elected mayor of Jefferson and served one year. In early life he joined the Presbyterian church in Massachusetts and united with the church of that denomination in Jefferson, continuing his connection therewith until 1868, when he joined the Baptist church, remaining one of its active members up to the time of his death. He was a faithful and consistent Christian and was an untiring worker in church and Sunday school, filling the oflices of treasurer, trustee and member of the finance committee and also as deacon.

As a lawyer and citizen he richly merited the high regard in which he was uniformly held and we cannot better end this article than by quoting the resolutions passed by the bar of Greene county at his death, for he occupied an enviable position in the esteem of his professional brethren:

“The bar of Greene county, Iowa, in the passing of our brother and fellow member, 1. D. Howard, taking this opportunity of giving testimony of an honest, upright life lived in our midst.

“At his decease Mr. Howard was the oldest member of the bar of Greene county. He has been long known and cordially esteemed by us all and now that he isgathered to his fathers and as his voice is stilled in death, so ours are hushed in sorrow and in sympathy with those who, because of their nearness to him in life, now sit in the shadow of great bereavement.

“By reason of the many years of his practice at the bar of Greene county, there has sprung up in his fellow members of the profession, a strong and lasting respect for his sound and careful judgment and his dignified and stainless conduct as a lawyer; esteem for his virtue as a citizen and love for his sterling virtues as an honest, upright man.

“His presence will be missed, the want of his friendly co-operation in worthy causes will be felt by us whose lot it has been to labor in the same field with him. But his life shall have its influence with us and the memory of him shall make us more thoughtful of the things that make for the higher life and better aims.

“To his family we extend our heartfelt sympathy, bidding them find solace in the thought that the ending of the earth’s work of a good man has in it a note of victory and the foreshadowing of better things at the hands of the All-Wise and the All-Loving Judge, who regards his faithful servants well.

“Our president, Hon. G. S. Toliver, was appointed a committee to make all necessary arrangements for a meeting of the members of this association to be held in memory of our departed brother.

“By order of the bar of Greene county, Iowa.

E. B. Wilson,
J. A. Henderson,
Committee.


Transcribed from "Past and Present of Greene County, Iowa Together With Biographical Sketches of Many of Its Prominent and Leading Citizens and Illustrious Dead,"
by E. B. Stillman assisted by an Advisory Board consisting of Paul E. Stillman, Gillum S. Toliver,
Benjamin F. Osborn, Mahlon Head, P. A. Smith and Lee B. Kinsey, Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1907.


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