Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 689
THOMAS J. BERKLEY

Thomas J. BERKLEY, who is now living at Woodbine, has for years been an active business man of Harrison County, and his two sons are thus engaged at this time. Mr. BERKLEY was born in Frederick County, Va., June 10, 1826. He is the son of Samuel and Tacy (FURR) BERKLEY, natives of Kentucky and Virginia, respectively, and of English origin. The first fifteen or sixteen years of our subject's life was spent in Virginia, when the father moved to Beverly, Ohio, and there purchased a mill and a farm. He was one of the leading millers of Muskingum Valley. After the death of his parents our subject, Thomas BERKLEY, while yet a young man learned the milling business, which he followed most of the time since, with the exception of two years he was in trade at Lowell, Ohio, and about one year in Magnolia, Iowa. He rebuilt a saw and grist mill at Maxburg, Ohio, and in 1870, they moved to Virginia lived four years and then emigrated to Iowa, in 1875, and located at Magnolia. After one year's residence there he erected a flouring-mill in company with his brother, S. L. BERKLEY, which they subsequently removed to Missouri Valley. The same was destroyed by fire in October, 1879, and rebuilt and operated until July, 1882, when our subject removed to Woodbine and is still engaged at his trade.

He was married December 26, 1851, to Nancy DELONG, daughter of Isaac and Nancy (LANCASTER) DELONG, who were natives of France and Pennsylvania, respectively, both of whom are deceased and buried in the Maxburg Cemetery. The father was an extensive tanner. Mrs. BERKLEY was born in Maxburg, Ohio, May 29, 1832, where she was reared and educated, as well as married, the ceremony being performed in the same house in which she was born.

Mr. and Mrs. BERKLEY were the parents of ten children--Isaac N., born September 5, 1853; Charles L., born March 22, 1855, died December 22, 1877; Tracy V., born January 7, 1857, wife of F. M. MILES, who is general foreman of the machine shops at Missouri Valley; Mary Ella, born September 29, 1858, the wife of C. L. ROBERTS, a jeweler of Tacoma, Wash.; Martha L., born February 24, 1860, wife of J. M. CHEEVER, a hardware merchant of Sheldon, Iowa; Sallie T., born September 8, 1862, the wife of J. S. COOK, a railroad man, of Tacoma, Wash.; Samuel L., born March 30, 1864, a druggist, of Woodbine, Iowa; Lottie E., born December 29, 1867, the wife of W. F. SHULER, a clerk at Woodbine; Emma M., born August 19, 1869, wife of M. H. PELTON, a carpenter at Woodbine; Grace E., born January 22, 1872, still at home. The children were all born in Ohio except the youngest.

Mr. BERKLEY was an old-line Whig, and when the Republican party was formed, identified himself with that and was a firm believer in its principles. He died December 29, 1891, and was buried at Missouri Valley.

Our subject and his estimable wife were members of the Baptist Church, and had always been active in every good moral and christian work in the various communities in which they lived.

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