Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 603
JASPER WALTER BONNEY

Jasper Walter BONNEY, a native of the Empire State, came to Harrison County in 1856, and is now a resident of Little Sioux Township. He was born in Genesee County, NY, April 22, 1833, and is a son of Benjamin and Betsy (JINKS) BONNEY, who were natives of New York. The parents are both deceased. Our subject is the second of a family of seven children, six of whom are still living. His early life was spent in Pennsylvania, the family having located in Crawford County, NY in 1835. Jasper received his education at the common schools and two terms at the High School, and when he became of age went ot Dane County, Wisconsin, where he rented a farm for one season and returned to Pennsylvania, where he purchased some horses, and then came back to Wisconsin, remained onesummer, and that fall came to Buchanan County, Iowa, his first trip in the State consequently being made in 1854. He remained during the winter in Buchanan County, and drove two yoke of oxen from there to Harrison County in the spring. On the roadWest he overtook A.H. GLEASON and a Mr. PHILLIPS, together with their families, and as none knew their destination they kept together and passed through Cherokee County, and from there down the Little Sioux Valley and finally took claims on the north and west side of the river, on sections 12 and 13.

In the spring of 1857 Mr. BONNEY bought one hundred and sixty acres east of the village of Little SIoux, on section 24, and laid out forty acres in town lots, the same being known as Jinks and Bonney's addition. Subsequently he traded with his father for the land he now lives upon, on section 24, the same consisting of eighty acres of well improved land.

On July 23, 1861, he enlisted at Little Sioux in Compnay B, of the Fourth Iowa Infantry, and was assigned to the Army of the West, and participated in the following battles: Pea Ridge, Helena Ark., Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post and Young's Point, and remained there until after the siege of Vicksburg. At the battle of Jackson, after the surrender of Vicksburg, our subject was taken with typhoid fever, resigned and came home August 11, 1863. He entered as private and returned as First Lieutenant. He remained in Pennsylvania until 1864, and then came to Harrison County, Iowa, but returned to Pennsylvania for his father and mother and brought them out the same year, driving the entire distance from Pennsylvania to Iowa.

Our subject was married in 1865 at Little Sioux to Hannah ELLIS, the daughter of John and Hannah ELLIS, of Ohio, who came to Harrison County in 1854. By this marriage union two children were born -- Aggie and Guy. Mrs. BONNEY died in 1870, and was buried in the Little Sioux Cemetery. Seven years later, in 1877, our subject married Addie FULLER, of Little Sioux, the daughter of Russell and Caroline FULLER. By this marriage six children were born -- Gaile, Mary, Carl, Ray, Pern, and Lynn. Mary, Ray and Pern are now (1891) deceased.

Mr. BONNEY has been a Republican for many years, but now favors the third party movement. Mrs. BONNEY is a consistent member of the Latter Day Saints Church.

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