Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 542
ORSON H. STOKER

Orson H. STOKER, a farmer and stockraiser of section 32, Washington Township, came to Harrison County in the spring of 1863. He came in with William SPEARS, from Pottawattamie County, Messrs. STOKER, SPEARS, William A., and A. J. GRAYBILL, had bought three hundred and twenty acres of land in a body in company. Mr. STOKER and Mr. SPEARS came up and broke sixty-five acres of this land in 1864. Mr. STOKER remaining until the autumn of 1865, and then returned to Pottawattamie County, remained until 1868, then came to Washington Township, locating on the farm he now occupies, which comprises three hundred and sixty-two acres, but in all, he is the owner of six hundred and eighty-two acres within Harrison County. His first improvement was the erection of a house 16 feet square which he erected in the autumn of 1867, and in which he lived until 1879, when he built a frame house 16x36 feet, two stories in height, together with an addition 14x21 feet. In 1875 he built a barn 24x30 feet, and in 1883 another 32x34 feet together with machinery sheds. This provided him with sufficient barn room until 1889, when he erected a barn 30x50 feet, with an annex 20x28 feet. He also has a hog house, built in 1887, in which he has an engine and boiler costing $1,000. He is engaged in breeding, making a specialty of Poland-China hogs and Short-horn cattle; and is quite an extensive feeder throughout the year. He generally feeds about fifty head of cattle, and from one to two hundred head of hogs. Of the three hundred sixty-acre home farm two hundred acres are under cultivation, eighteen in timber land and the balance in pasture and meadow. Of the three hundred and twenty acres he owns in Union Township, two hundred and forty are in pasture, and the remainder under the plow.

Our subject was united in marriage, in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, January 8, 1868, to Miss Elizabeth OMEN, the daughter of Perry and Hannah OMEN, who were the parents of two children. Mrs. STOKER was born November 12, 1847, and when a child, removed to Pottawattamie County with her mother, with who she lived until the time she was married. By this marriage ten children have been born: Jessie F., born November 8, 1868; Margaret H., February 8, 1869; Emily C., April 27, 1871; Nettie, May 26, 1874; Kate A., April 12, 1879; Bettie A., December 6, 1881; Mary L., March 15, 1883; Ettie L., November 2, 1885; Floyd H., November 5, 1888; and Julia, August 9, 1890. Margaret H., died March 28, 1875, and Mary L., December 29, 1889.

Our subject was born in Hancock County, Ill., January 25, 1843, and came with his parents to Pottawattamie County, where he remained until 1863. His father was Eller STOKER, and was born in Ohio about 1815, and died in Pottawattamie County, in July, 1855; she was one of the pioneers of that county, coming there as he did, in 1846, when Iowa first became a State. His wife, the mother of our subject, was Margaret (JUDD) STOKER, and was a native of North Carolina, born in June, 1822, and is still residing in Pottawattamie County, Iowa.

When Mr. STOKER came to this county in 1868, there were but four families in his neighborhood, in Washington County. Politically our subject exercises his right of franchise by voting with the Republican party. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and belongs to Agate Lodge, No. 423, at Neola, Iowa.

Mr. STOKER is in possession of a most excellent stock farm, which is provided with an abundance of good water, numerous barns and outbuildings well arranged for the keeping of lie stock, which he breeds and handles in a general way with much success.

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