Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 512
JONATHAN HOLETON

That life is the most useful and desirable that results in the greatest good to the greatest number and though all do not attain the goal toward which they reach, yet in some measure each can win a certain degree of success and make life a blessing to his fellow men. It is not necessary that one should occupy eminent public positions in order to do this, for in the humbler walks of life there remains much good to be accomplished and many opportunities for one to exercise talents and exert an influence which will benefit the lives with which one comes in contact. Our modern civilized life is so complex that many avenues are open for public and private service and that man who gives the best of his ability toward the betterment of community life, whether along social, moral, material or educational lines, is in his way a public benefactor. Jonathan HOLETON, to a short sketch of whose career the reader's attention is now directed, has given much of his time and ability throughout recent years to the betterment of public highway conditions and probably no man in this section of the country is better versed than he in matters of that kind.

Mr. HOLETON is a native of the state of Ohio, born in Champaign county on November 4, 1850, a son of Mahlon and Sarah (HARBER) HOLETON. Both parents were natives of the same state, where they grew to years of maturity and were married, coming to Iowa City, this state, when the immediate subject of this sketch was but a young child. That was in 1853 and in the fall of 1855 they came to Harrison county, locating in Boyer township, where they carried on farming until the close of the father's life. He died December 10, 1902, at the age of seventy-six years. Mr. HOLETON's mother still lives in Woodbine at the advanced age of eighty-nine years. He is the eldest of a family of seven children, the others being: Jesse, Frank H., Nancy, Hannah (deceased), Mary and Charles.

Jonathan HOLETON received his school training in the common schools of Boyer township and from his earliest boyhood was trained by a careful father in the secrets of successful husbandry and it was but natural that upon coming to years of manhood he should choose agriculture as his life work. He gave his attention to this work until 1910, when he came to Woodbine to make his home for the balance of his life. For the last ten years of his farm life, he devoted special attention to the raising and breeding of Red Poland cattle, meeting with enviable success in his undertaking. He still retains his ownership in two hundred and forty acres of land all located in Boyer township and which is under the actual management of a son.

Mr. HOLETON was first elected county supervisor in 1907 and served continuously up to 1915. For twenty years he was township trustee of Boyer township and was chairman of the board of county supervisors the year the new Harrison county court house was built. In the discharge of all these various duties, he has met with high approval on all sides. He is at present chairman of the joint board of drainage supervisors of Harrison and Pottawattamie counties, taking his seat on that board on January 1, 1914.

On November 24, 1870, Mr. HOLETON was united in marriage with Isabella THOMPSON, daughter of Thomas and Agnes (SHARP) THOMPSON, both of whom were natives of Scotland. They were united in marriage on the day they embarked for America and after six weeks spent in a tiresome voyage they reached their destination. They first located in Indiana, locating in Harrison county, where they passed the remainder of their lives. To Jonathan and Isabella (THOMPSON) HOLETON were born eight children, namely: Grace, who married S. S. CADWALLADER, of Cherokee, Iowa; Agnes, the wife of J. O. HUMPHRIES, of Oklahoma; Olive, who is Mrs. E. P. SHEIBE and lives in Nebraska; Charles W., who lives on the home farm in Boyer township; John R., living in the same vicinity; Hannah married Guy FURMAN and lives at Marathon, this state; Harry H. remains at home and Hazel, the youngest of the family, is the wife of W. E. BAURLEY.

Mr. HOLETON holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, being an active member of same, and his political support is given to the Republican party.

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