Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 287
JOSEPH H. M. EDWARDS

Joseph H. M. EDWARDS, proprietor of the "County Seat Nursery," came to Harrison County in April, 1878, to become a permanent settler. He had been in the county, however, during the summers of 1876-77. He located on section 17, of Jefferson Township, where he planted out the Logan Nursery, having for a partner F. W. HART. After two years, he sold to Mr. HART, and located on his present place, on Section 18, where he has ten acres in a fine growing nursery, in which is found a great variety of hardy fruit and ornamental trees. He grows everything in the line of apples and small fruits, making a specialty of grapes.

Mr. EDWARDS was born in Rockingham County, Va., July 26, 1844, and is the son of William and Susannah (GONGWAR) EDWARDS, and in the fall of 1851, came with his parents to Cedar County, Iowa, making the trip by horse teams, his father becoming a pioneer in that section of Iowa. The mother died in April, 1880, and the father still resides in that county at the advanced age of eighty-one years.

The Government's call for troops, to put down the Rebellion, aroused our subject's patriotism, and July 18, 1862, he enlisted in what was known as the "Methodist Regiment," but properly speaking Company B, of the Twenty-fourth Iowa Infantry, serving until May 26, 1865, receiving his discharge at Philadelphia, when he came back to Cedar County, and remained until October, 1873, and then went to Brooklyn, Poweshiek County, Iowa, remaining there two years, then went to Mt. Vernon, Linn County, Iowa, and from there to this county in 1878.

He was united in marriage at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, October, 1873, to Mary E. POWERS, a native of Des Moines County, Iowa, Born December 6, 184. She was the daughter of Garrett and Eliza A. (KYNETT) POWERS. Six children have blessed their home--Royal W., Frank W., Rose L., Ninorch B., Effie E., Josie E., all of whom are living at this time.

Our subject is politically a Republican, and in his religious belief independent. During his residence in Harrison County he has won for himself, both through his business and social relations, a good reputation and stands high as a citizen.

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