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         JAMES MADISON VANDEVORT, who is residing in the village of Grand View, was born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1816, and is the fourth in a family of twelve children born to James and Rachel (Peters) Vandevort, the father a native of Virginia and the mother of Pennsylvania. James Vandevort was a pioneer settler of Ross County, Ohio, becoming a resident when the country was yet a Territory, and there engaged in farming. In that county our subject was born, and in 1839 removed to Morgan County, Ill., where they resided until 1841, and then became residents of Louisa County, Iowa, settling upon an unimproved farm. The husband immediately began the cultivation of the land, but subsequently sold it, though immediately purchasing another farm, upon which he resided until his death, which occurred in January, 1851, at the age of sixty years. His excellent wife survived him until 1867, her death occurring in Morgan County, Ill., when eighty-four years of age.

Our subject was reared to farm life and received his education in the district schools of his native State. On the 15th of February, 1838, in Pike County, Ohio, his union with Sara Jane Dunehoo, a native of Virginia, was celebrated. This lady is a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Smith) Dunehoo, who were also born in that State, where the father followed the occupation of farming until his death, which occurred in 1825. His wife survived him many years, coming to Louisa County, Iowa, in 1851, where she was again married, and here resided until called to her final home, in 1860, at the age of sixty-five.

After his marriage Mr. Vandevort engaged in farming in Ohio for two years, then came West, making his home in Morgan County, Ill., until his migration to Louisa County, in 1844. He purchased a small and partially improved farm of forty acres, upon which the family located, though they afterward lived upon several different farms in Grand View Township, and also resided in the village of that name on several occasions. He kept a hotel in Grand View for eight years, and also resided in Wapello for three years, one year of which time he engaged in the hotel business. In 1881 he became a permanent resident of Grand View, here purchasing property. During the past he has been an active worker in political affairs, and is a supporter of the Republican party.

Mr. and Mrs. Vandevort are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and to them has been born a family of nine children, seven of whom are living: Charles, who is married, and is the car inspector for the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad, with headquarters at Burlington, Iowa; . . .

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. . . Elizabeth, now Mrs. Riley, resides in Columbus Junction; Rachel died Jan. 1, 1866, aged twenty-two years; John is married, and makes his home in Nemaha county, Neb.; Marietta, who is living at Grand View, is now Mrs. Guthrie; Clay died in 1853, at the age of three years and six months; Evaline, now Mrs. Gipple, whose home is near Grand View; Christina is the wife of H. L. Smith, of Wapello, and Ella, now Mrs. Thompson, is a resident of Wapello Township.