Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 774
JOHN H. SHARPNACK

One of the pioneer citizens of Harrison county, Iowa, is John H. SHARPNACK, who was born in this county three years before the opening of the Civil War, and has spent his whole life here, with the exception of two years when he lived in Oklahoma. He has been a general farmer and stock raiser all of his life and now owns a fine farm, on which he raises as good crops as any farmer in the county. Mr. SHARPNACK has many interesting stories to tell of pioneer days in the county. When a mere youth he began to learn to play the fiddle and he recalls the times when he and J. H. Tuffley played for the country dances. He has always been fond of music and still plays his fiddle with his old-time vigor.

John H. SHARPNACK, the son of Henry and Elizabeth (ANDERSON) SHARPNACK, was born on April 18, 1858, in Clay township, Harrison county, Iowa. His parents, who were natives of West Virginia, in the spring of 1857 came to Harrison county, where they bought eighty acres of land for one dollar and a quarter an acre, and lived in this county the remainder of their lives, with the exception of two years, 1889-90, during which time they resided in Oklahoma. Henry SHARPNACK was a Democrat and an enthusiastic supporter of his party. He never held a county office, although he was a township official for many years.

John H. SHARPNACK was one of six children born to his parents. He received his education in Clay township and lived on the parental farm until he was married. From the time he was nineteen years of age his father always gave him a share of the crops. The same year in which he was married, 1889, he went with his YOUNG wife and parents to Oklahoma, where he entered one hundred and sixty acres of government land. They lived there two years in order to prove up their claim and then returned to Harrison county. Mr. SHARPNACK at once bought three hundred and twenty acres of land in sections 25, 26, 27 and 30 of Clay township and has lived on this farm ever since. He later sold all but forty acres of the farm and bought one hundred and sixty acres in sections 23 and 26. He also has disposed of his Oklahoma land. His farm is well improved, and under his skillful management yields satisfactory returns year after year.

Mr. SHARPNACK was married on March 20, 1889, to Agnes YOUNG, who was born on March 23, 1861, in Omaha, Nebraska, a daughter of William and Lydia (LEE) YOUNG, natives of Ayrshire, Scotland, and Tompkins county, New York, respectively.

It is thought that William YOUNG came to America about 1856. He was a farmer and went to Knox county, Illinois, after coming to this country and later removed to Minnesota. The parents of Lydia LEE moved from Tompkins county, New York, to Wyoming county, New York, and lived there until she was fifteen years of age. They then moved to Knox county, Illinois, where they spent the remainder of their lives. After the death of her parents, Lydia LEE went to Fillmore county, Minnesota, with her brother and sister, and there met William YOUNG. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. YOUNG started to Pike's Peak, but only got as far as Omaha, Nebraska, where they decided to forego their trip on account of the trouble with the Indians in the west. In 1864 they came to Harrison county and located where the present town of Modale is now located. A year later they moved on to a farm in Cincinnati township, where they spent the remainder of their lives. To Mr. and Mrs. SHARPNACK were born three children, two daughters and one son, all of whom died in infancy.

Mr. SHARPNACK has been a life-long Democrat, and has held various official positions. He was trustee of Clay township for many terms, giving universal satisfaction in the discharge of the duties connected with this important position. He and his wife are members of the Spiritualist church. Mr. SHARPNACK is a man of genial disposition and one of the real pioneers of the county, having been a witness of its growth from the earliest days. He is highly regarded in the township where he has spent practically his whole life, and few citizens are better acquainted throughout the county.

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