Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 753
WILLIAM S. BURCH

William S. BURCH, has been a resident of Harrison County, since January, 1878. He located on section 30, of Lincoln Township, in 1881, having rented three years in Allen township, and in 1880, purchased eighty acres of the farm he now occupies, which was then wild land. Here he built a frame house, 12x16 feet, with a wing 10x12 feet and did the general amount of farm improvement necessary to make a good place, including a barn 28x32 feet, a tool-house 12x14 feet, and a granary the same size. He also provided three good wells of water, set out an orchard, and planted out an artificial grove. He has since added to his landed estate, until he now has two hundred and seven acres, all fenced into four lots, and one hundred and ten acres under the plow, while the balance is in meadow and pasture land. Our subject was born in Loudoun County, Va., June 8, 1845, and is the son of James S. and Anna L. (BUTTER) BURCH, natives of Virginia, who reared a family, of five children, our subject being the fourth. The children were---Emaline, John T., James E., William S., and Grafton.

Our subject lived with his parents in Virginia, when the family moved to Macon County, Mo. He was reared to farm life, attended school winters, but assisted on the farm during the summer months. Later in life he attended the High School in Virginia, as well as in Omaha, Neb. From Missouri he moved to Omaha, worked on a farm two years, then moved to Sarpy County, Neb., rented land there, which he worked in the summer, teaching school during the winter until the spring of 1871, when he went back to his native State, and attended the High School at Hamilton, above referred to. After six months in that school we find him in Washington, D. C. where on his own account he was conducting a green grocery. He operated this a year, and followed clerking for the next eighteen months, and then went back to Virginia, and worked as an overseer, on a plantation, remaining there one year, after which he came to Harrison County, Iowa. In the fall of 1891 he sold and is contemplating moving to Stanton County, Neb., where he owns a farm.

He was united in marriage, January 15,1878, to Nancy J. HARPER, the daughter of John and Eliza HARPER, natives of Kentucky who had a family of fourteen children, named as follows; William H., Lot., Susan C. and Sarah E., (twins), Nancy J., Mary A., Abbie F., Allen F., Elisha and Elias (twins), John, Ella E., Elbert, and Levi B. Ten of these children still survive, all living in Harrison County, Iowa.

Mr. and Mrs. BURCH, are the parents of eight children, born as follows; Violet M. May1, 1879; Florence V., June7, 1880; Pearlie E., January 20, 882; Elma, born November 27, 1884; Ralph R. April 12, 1886; Creola J. December 26, 1887, and Vivian V. July 14, 1889.

Politically, Mr. BURCH is not in full sympathy with either one of the great parties of this country but on the contrary believes in the principles as set forth by the Farmers Alliance and Industrial Union.

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