Mills County, Iowa
Family History Stories

Amanda Ellen Buckingham

The fitness and capability of women to discharge the duties thrust upon them with efficiency is amply demonstrated in the case of Amanda F. Buckingham, who, since the death of her husband, has successfully managed her ranch and has become recognized as among the successful almond and peach growers of Sutter County. She was born near Glenwood, Mills County, Iowa, December 23, 1855, the eldest of six children of Thomas and Phoebe (Gilliland) Conner, both natives of Indiana. Thomas Conner was a plasterer and followed his trade until he was twenty-five years old. When he removed to Mills County, Iowa. There he settled on government land; and for many years he served as justice of the peace in Mills County, where both he and his wife passed away.

Amanda E. Conner attended the first grade, in a log-cabin schoolhouse in the woods of Mills County, Iowa, continuing until she completed the district school. Her marriage occurred in Mills County, on January 1, 1872, and united her with John L. Buckingham, a native of Virginia, but reared in Kentucky. He owned a ranch in Mills County, which he later sold. They then removed to Holt County, Mo., and there four of their ten children were born. Mr. and Mrs. Buckingham returned to Iowa, and at Pacific Junction conducted a general merchandise store for some seven years. Two more children were born there.

They then sold their property in Missouri and in Mills County, Iowa, and removed to South Dakota, locating near Hermosa, where they acquired 1,800 acres of land. After ten years' residence in South Dakota, where four more children were born to them, they sold out and came west to California, locating five miles southwest of Yuba City, where they purchased thirty acres, the present home place of Mrs. Buckingham. Mr. Buckingham passed away in San Diego, California, at the age of seventy-eight years. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Buckingham: Margaret is the wife of W. C. Richie and resides in San Diego; Thomas resides in Sutter County; Zachariah is a rancher in the vicinity of Bogue; Annie is now Mrs. Perfield, of Sacramento; Strother is a rancher near Oswald; Lester C. is deceased; Henry is ranching at Tudor; Chauncey is ranching near home; Elsie is now Mrs. Howard, of Oroville; and Marjory is Mrs. Klingensmith, also farming near the old home. Mrs. Buckingham is very proud of her family of nine children, twenty-eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

SOURCE: "History of Yuba and Sutter County, California,: by Peter J. Delay, Historic Record Co., Los Angeles, Calif., 1924, pages 563, 564