Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 857
JOSEPH A. DEAL

Joseph A. DEAL, a representative farmer of St. John's Township, came to Harrison County before its organization. He accokmpanied his father's family from Putnam County, IN, in 1862. They came overland, the trip consuming twenty three days' time. The train consited of three wagons. The father leased land on section 35, until he bought a claim held by a Mormon family. Our subject was a man nearly grown when he came to Harrison County, and in 1861 he purchased forty acres of land on section 26, known as County Swamp Land, upon which he built a small frame house. His place now consists of two hundred and forty-four acres, one hundred and sixty being under the plow, while the remainder is in meadow and pasture land. During the winter of 1856-57, the family were living on the old homestead, and were snowed in (that being the hard winter allover Iowa). They had very little flour and meal, and their nearest mill was where Logan now stands. About two weeks after the snow came he started to mill with an ox-team, which trip required four days' time.

Mr. DEAL traces his ancestry back to William DEAL, the grandfather, German by descent, but a native of North Carolin. He was married and had five children�John, the father of our subject; Joseph, Levi, Mar, (Mrs. ZAHNER); and Eliza, (Mrs. GROVEN). John DEAL, the father of our subject was born in North Carolina in 1800, and in 1822, accompanied his parents to Putman County, IN. His father was a blacksmith and also followed farming. John worked with him in his blacksmith shop and when he grew to manhood married Sarah BARNETT, the daughter of James and Betsy BARNETT. They were the parents of eleven children, eight of whom still survive. The children were as follows�William, deceased; Mary Ann, (Mrs. COX) now living in Allen Township; James, of St. John's Township; Peter, deceased; Barbara, (Mrs. A. R. COX), of St. John's Township; Rachel, (Mrs. KIRKLAND), of St. John's Township; Sarah, (Mrs. Barnett), of Missouri, Eliza, (Mrs. CASE), of this county; Joseph; our subject; John, who lives with our subject and Eli, deceased.

Joseph, our subject, was born June 11, 1836, in Putnam County, IN, where he spent his early life and attended the district schools of that county, coming to Harrison County, in 1852. In 1859, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary SMITH, the daughter of Andrew and Lucinda (WALKER) SMITH. The paternal grandfather, James SMITH, married Mary SCARBURY, of Tennessee, who was of Scotch descent. She came to Harrison County in 1857. On the mother's side, James and Sarah (WHITE) WALKER were her grandparents. Eight children have been born to our subject and his wife, seven of whom are still living�James, now of Harrison County, born May 10, 1860; Sarah, (Mrs. JONES), of this county, born November, 17, 1861; Jane (Mrs. MULLNIX), of this county, born March 12, 1863; Martha, (Mrs. HARDER), born April 19, 1865, residing in St. John's Township; Elizabeth born April 15, 1867, died April 14, 1868; Lida, at home; born July 71, 1871; Nettie, (Mrs. VARNS), of this county, born October 4, 1873; and William at home, born May 14, 1875. Politically, Mr. DEAL affiliates with the Democratic party. He is a member of the School Board, to which he has belonged for several years.

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