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1907 Past and Present Biographies
Gideon OrchardGideon Orchard was reared under the parental roof. In his boyhood he accompanied his parents on their removal from Ohio to Indiana and later he came with them to this state, settling on section 10, Kendrick township, Greene county, on the 16th of June, 1857. His father engaged in farming for a number of years, after which he retired and for a time lived in Jefferson, Iowa, but eventually returned to the farm and spent his last days in the home of his son Gideon. No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for our subject in his boyhood and youth. He worked in the fields and early became familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. The occupation to which he was reared he has made his life work and as the years have passed he has met with prosperity. He started with only forty acres of land and today he owns one hundred and forty-two acres, constituting one of the valuable farm properties of this portion of the state. Heremoved to his present place in 1881 and has developed and cultivated it until he now has a fine farm. He suffered all the inconveniences, hardships and privations incident to pioneer life, such as going to Panora for mill products and to Des Moines for mail, groceries and other supplies. The roads were in poor condition, making travel difficult, and only a comparatively few highways had been laid out. The farm machinery, too, was very crude as compared to the modern farm implements and much of the labor now done by machinery was then done by hand. On the 26th of October, 1878, Mr. Orchard was united in marriage to Mrs. Rebecca (Auld) Conway, a native of Ohio, born September 16, 1847, and a daughter of John L. and Jane (Hanna) Auld. Her father was born in Pennsylvania, August 5, 1814, and died on the 2d of April, 1882. He was long survived by his wife, a native of Belmont, Ohio, born in April, 1820. She reached the age of almost eighty-six years, passing away in March, 1906. In their family were twelve children, of whom eight are still living: John A., a resident of Kansas City; Mrs. M.J. Dew, who is living in Jefferson, Iowa; James T., who is located in Scio, Ohio; Mrs. Orchard; I. L., a resident of Eldora, Iowa; Mrs. Ella Armstrong, whose home is in Kalamazoo, Michigan; Mrs. N. E. Hare, of Neodosha, Kansas; and Mrs. R. K. Baker, of Primghar, Iowa. The parents of Mrs. Orchard removed from Ohio to Franklin county, Iowa, in 1865, and in 1867 came to Greene county, settling in Kendrick township, where the father was actively engaged in farming until a few years prior to his death, when he went to Gowrie, Iowa, where his last days were spent. His wife died in Jefferson, this state. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Orchard has been blessed with two sons: Silas G., who is now operating his father’s farm; and Jesse A., who wedded Mildred White, of Greene county and has two children, Orlo and Helen. Mr. and Mrs. Orchard attend the Baptist church. He has always given his political support to the republican party and has served as road supervisor and as school director for a number of terms. He has now reached the seventy-fourth milestone on life’s journey and a review of his record shows that he has at all times been a diligent man, faithful in business and loyal in citizenship. |
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.  Site Terms, Conditions & Disclaimer |