Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 699
DRUSUS N. HARDY

Drusus N. HARDY, a farmer residing on section 14, of Calhoun Township, was born in Harrison County, February 8, 1856. He is the youngest son of James and Minerva (TOMLINSON) HARDY, hence his history runs parallel to and is identical with that of the county. His father came to the county in 1852, a year before it was organized. He was a native of Pennsylvania, born April 19, 1813, and when twenty years old started West.

Our subject was married May 28, 1879, to Flora C. OVIATT, a native of Illinois, born July 25, 1858, and the daughter of William and Albina (TUPPER) OVIATT, and was the youngest child of a family of four children. The family came to Harrison County when she was five years of age, and the father died in 1864. Mr. and Mrs. HARDY have had their marriage union sealed and made more sacred by the birth of five children: Bertha A., Kate M., Edna M., Ray D. and Mary J.

Politically, our subject is identified with the Democratic party. From his boyhood days, to the present time, the eye of our subject has indeed witnessed a great transformation in Harrison County, and the West in general.

James K. HARDY, brother of our subject was born in LaGrange County, Ia., March 27, 1846, and accompanied his parents to Harrison County, when he was three years of age. He was married March 30, 1869, to Minnie L. OVIATT, by whom four children have been born: Mabel M., born January 27, 1870; Bertha A., January 17, 1872, died March 21, 1879; Berta, June 7, 1880, died April 30, 1882; and Susie J., May 19, 1883.

Our subject remained at home, attending his father's mill until after he was married, having his present home on section 15, ready to move into. In the autumn of 1878, our subject, with his family, went to Furnas County, Neb., where they took a homestead, and remained three years, when he sold his improvements, and came back to Iowa and moved into the hotel at Magnolia, which had belonged to his wife's mother. After two years of hotel life, he sold and went to Eureka Springs, Ark., and there built a hotel, which he conducted five years, and then moved to Tennessee, and worked in a sawmill, where he was quite successful financially. After nine months he returned to Eureka, spent the winter, and in March 1889, started for Colorado, arriving at Canyon City, and was there but a few days, and retraced his steps to Greenwood County, Kan., where he conducted a restaurant at Madison until the fall, of this year, when he came back to Harrison County. All of this traveling has been done by team on account of his health.

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