J. A. SWAN

Pg 107

The late J. A. Swan, who for over forty years was engaged in agricultural pursuits in Louisa county, was born in Preble county, Ohio, on the 7th of December, 1837, being a son of James M. and Nancy A. (Rouse) Swan. The parents, who were both natives of Pennsylvania, came to Iowa in 1846, locating on a farm in Louisa county.

         J. A. Swan, who was only a lad of nine years when his parents settled in Iowa, acquired the greater part of his education in this county. He attended the first school established in Morning Sun township, which was held in a log house, poorly ventilated and inadequately lighted, but little provision having been made at that period for educational facilities. His boyhood and youth were very similar to those of the majority of farmer lads of that period, much of his time, when not in school, being devoted to the work of the fields. He remained a member of the parental household until the breaking out of the Civil war in 1861 at which time he enlisted and went to the front with the . . .

Pg 108

. . . Eighth Iowa Cavalry. Although he served for three years, during which time he participated in some of the most hotly contested battles of the war, Mr. Swan never sustained an injury. He was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, following which he returned home and again engaged in farming, continuing in that occupation until his demise on the 6th of July, 1900.

         On January 31, 1867, he was married to Miss Anna E. Paisley, who was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, in 1848. She is a daughter of S. M. and Sarah Ann (Savage) Paisley, also natives of the Buckeye state. Her mother died near Athens, Ohio, in 1855, and in 1862, her father married Sarah Skinner, near Winfield, Iowa. He came to Louisa county in 1859 and resided here for fifteen years, when he removed to Adair county, Iowa, going from there to Taylor county, Iowa. His second wife died in Lenox, Iowa, and he was living with his daughter, Mrs. J. A. Swan, at the time of his demise, which occurred January 28, 1911, when he had reached the venerable age of eighty-nine years. Mr. Paisley had twelve children, six by each marriage.

         Mrs. Swan, who is living in Morning Sun, where she owns a nice residence, continues to hold the title to one hundred and twenty acres of the original Swan homestead, which was entered from the government over sixty years ago and has ever since been in the family. It is well improved and under a good state of cultivation, being considered one of the valuable properties of Morning Sun township.

         Mr. Swan was a member of the Presbyterian church, with which Mrs. Swan is also affiliated, and always took an earnest and helpful interest in its work and administration. He was a member of the board of trustees for over forty years and during more than half of that period he was also an elder of the church. Mrs. Swan has always taken a prominent and active part in the work of the Missionary Society and for more than a quarter of a century she has been a teacher in the Sunday school. She has many warm friends in Morning Sun, whose regard she has won and retained through her kindly helpful nature and thoughtful ministrations in time of trouble.