Biographies
For
Muscatine County Iowa
1889



Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 387

GEORGE DEMING, a leading farmer, residing on section 7, Fulton Township, was born in Berlin, Conn., March 27, 1812, and is a son of William R. and Eunice Strong ( Fenn ) Deming. His paternal grandfather, Lardner Deming, was born in Berlin, Conn., March 21, 1765, and on the 5th day of April, 1787, was united in marriage with Mary Dunham, who was born Oct. 25, 1768. His death occurred Dec. 6, 1855, at the advanced age of ninety years, and his wife departed this life Feb, 5, 1815.

William Deming, the father of our subject, was a country trader at Berlin, Conn., but afterward engaged in farming in that community. Accompanied by his family he removed to Rome, Ohio, in 1831, there residing until 1838, when he continued his journey westward, locating at Naperville, Ill. Until 1843 he remained a resident of that town, when he returned to New Lyme, Ohio, where he passed the remainder of his days, his death occurring May 23, 1851, at the age of sixty-four years. His wife survived him until May 24, 1862, when she too was called to her final home, dying at the age of seventy-five. They were the parents of eleven children : Nathan Fenn, who was born Dec. 3, 1819, and in 1832 wedded Elizabeth Blackburn, was a machinist in Cincinnati, Ohio, in which city his death occurred June 10, 1833 ; George, of this sketch, was the second in order of birth ; Hon. William Strong, born born Nov.4, 1813, was for many years merchant and Postmaster of New Lyme, Ohio, after which he was Associate Judge of the County Court with Hon. Benjamin F. Wade, and in and in 1856 and 1858 represented his district in the Ohio Legislature. For several years past he has been connected with a mercantile firm in Cincinnati and New Orleans, but resides in New Lyme. He was married May 26, 1834, to Mary Ann Brown, who was born Aug.11, 1815, and is a daughter of Elijah and Serapta Brown. Martha, the fourth child of William R. Deming, born June 29, 1815, died Nov. 9, 1842 ; John, born Feb. 21, 1817, married, Oct. 15, 1849, to Angeline Sarah Brown, who was born Aug. 21, 1827, at Martinsville, Pa., is a resident of Salem, Ohio, where he engaged in the manufacture of hub-boxing, tenowing, and other machines, especially wagon-maker's tools, and meat-choppers for butchers; Laura, born April 9, 1818, and on the 18th of July, 1858, wedded Sylvender Miller Wadley, a cabinet-maker of Toledo, Iowa, who was born April 29, 1810, and died Oct. 22, 1887, from disease contracted while in the army ;Mary Jane, born Nov. 7, 1820, was united in marriage, Jan. 1, 1840, with Robert Hill, of Woodstock, Vt., who afterward engaged in farming near Naperville, Ill., but since 1853 has been engaged in building fanning-mills at Aurora, Ill. She died Oct. 3,1841, leaving one child, Walter R., born Jan. 17, 1841, who is now engaged in farming in Dakota ; Emily, born July 1, 1823, became the wife of Richard R. Frazee, Oct.22, 1868, her husband, who was born Jan. 23, 1823, being now engaged in the jewelry business at Toledo, Iowa ; Halsey, born Oct. 9, 1825, died Dec.3, 1842, in Naperville, Ill.; Walter Williams, born Sept.3, 1827, died in 1828; Eunice Adelia, born Aug. 21, 1830, died Nov. 1, 1862, in New Lyme, Ohio.

When thirteen years of age our subject left his home in his native city , Berlin, Conn., and went to live with a man by the name of Steele, for whom he worked at various occupations for three years. At the expiration of that time, when sixteen years of age, he began learning the trade of brass founder with the firm of Shipman & Co., serving an apprenticeship for five years. He then worked as a journeyman for about two months, after which he took a vacation and went to Ohio to visit his parents, who had previously removed to that State. From Hartford Conn., he made the journey by stage to Albany, N. Y., where he took the train for Schenectady, traveling over the first railroad which was ever built in the United States. After a short stay in Ohio he returned to Southington, Conn., where he continued to work at his trade for a time.

On the 6th day of May, 1834, our subject was united in marriage with Cornelia Rachel Gregory, daughter of Alfred Gregory, and a resident of Cheshire, Conn. Her father was a native of Lanesboro, Mass., and had a family of nine children : Adelia, who died in infancy ; Ira, Sidney A. and Adelia N., who are all deceased ; Grace N., also deceased ; Cornelia R., wife of our subject ; Maverick B., who went to California about 1850, and is probably deceased ; Hulda F., deceased ; and Alfred, who is engaged in farming in Connecticut.

By the union of Mr. and Mrs. Deming have been born one son and four daughters : G. W., who was born April 1, 1836, in Southington, Conn., has been twice married, he having been married Dec. 29, 1859, to Caroline Heinley, a daughter of Peter Heinley. She died Jan. 3, 1861, leaving one child, Carrie Cornelia, who was born Dec 29, 1860, and was married on the 8th of March, 1883, to Mr. T. P. Ritchie, of Hudson, Ohio, and is the mother of three sons : James Clayton, born March 9,1884 ; Leland, born March 26, 1885 ; and Carleton, born Sept. 12, 1886. His second marriage which occurred Sept. 7, 1862, was with Laura Minerva Cole, of Wilton Township, a daughter of James Cole, who is now deceased. To them were born four children ;Charles Strong, born Oct. 27, 1867, cast his first vote in 1888 for Benjamin Harrison ; Arthur Le Roy, born Sept. 14, 1872 ; William Henry, born Dec. 11, 1875 ; and Walter, born Sept. 30, 1885.

Mary Flavilla, the second child of our subject, was born jan. 16, 1842, in Naperville, Ill., and Sept.6,1860, became the wife of Alpheus M. Persons, a farmer of Wilton Township, born in Windham, Vt., May 17, 1831, and their union was graced by two children : Mary Leona, born July 18, 1863, and Edna Ruth, born March 22, 1880. The former is the wife of Oakley G. Norton, of Wilton Township, and is a mother of two children : George W., born Jan. 1, 1887, and Mary, born Jan 18, 1889. Ellen Adelia, born, March 23, 1845, became the wife of Henry Calvin Loomis, of Onondaga County, N. Y., their union haveing been celebrated Nov. 17, 1863. He was formerly a merchant of Durant, Cedar County., Iowa, and to them have been born four children : George C., born Feb. 24, 1865, died on the 14th day September following ; Merta, born Jan. 1, 1872, died Aug.9, same year ; Ella C. ,born June 22, 1875, and Harry, born Nov. 2, 1879. Emily Cornelia, a twin sister of Ellen Adelia, was united in marriage Nov. 30, 1865, with Darius Pingrey, who was born April 6, 1836, is a son of Jacob Pingrey, of Mt Holly Vt., and is now a leading merchant of Durant, of which town he was Postmaster for twelve years. Five children have been born of their union : May Olive, Born Oct. 3, 1866 ; Frank D., born May 13, 1869 ; Cora, born May 23, 1872 ; Eva Grace, born Aug. 28, 1876 ; and Linn R., born Dec. 8, 1878. Josephine Marian, the youngest daughter of Mr. Deming, born June 24, 1849, on the 28th day of November, 1867, became the wife of Henry Kettell, who was born in Buckinghamshire, England, Aug. 21, 1840, and is the son of Joseph Kettell. He is a plasterer of Grand Junction, Iowa, and to them were born three children : Nellies E., born May 24, 1869, died July 16, 1870 ; William H., and Emily L., who reside with their father in Grand Junction. The mother departed this life Sept. 30, 1880, her death occurring during a visit to the home of her parents, since which time Mr. Kettell has again married.

For a few years after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Deming resided at Southington, Conn., where he worked at his trade until the fall of 1837, when they came West to Rome, Ohio, where they spent the winter, and in the summer of 1838 removed to DuPage, Ill. He took up his residence within thirty-three miles of Chicago, on land which was then unsurveyed, there residing for about three years. After staking out the land which he wished to comprise his farm, Mr. Deming contiinued its cultivation, but when the land was surveyed he found that he had only 103 acres left, as the remainder came within that portion which was set aside for school purposes. In true pioneer style their days were spent, enduring all the trials and hardships of frontier life. As he had an ox-team of his own, he was obliged to give a day's labor for the use of one horse for two days with which to cultivate corn. He subsequently purchased for $400 a claim to 200 acres, upon which the only improvement was a little log cabin, but as time passed his farm was transformed into one of the most highly cultivated tracts of land in that region, many useful and ornamental improvements were made, and the little log cabin was replaced by an elegant residence which was erected at considerable cost. In 1854 Mr Deming left his Illinois home, and came to Iowa, locating in Fulton Township, where he has since continued to reside. He is engaged in farming and stock-raising, and is the owner of 255 acres of land, which is highly cultivated.

In early life Mr. Deming was a Whig in politics, and has been a supporter of the Republican party since its formation. He is an unassuming man, who has not sought public distinction as a politician, though he has held the offices of Trustee and Assessor in his township, and has been active in the promotion of any enterprise for the public good. For nearly half a century Mr. and Mrs. Deming have been consistent members of the Christian Church, and have been instrumental in promoting the cause of Christianity. In 1884 their golden wedding was celebrated in a quiet manner by the members of their own family. This worthy couple have endured life's cares and trials, and shared each others joys and sorrows, for nearly fifty-five years, and are now spending the evening of their lives in quiet retirement in their pleasant country home, where they have resided for thirty-five years. It is with pleasure we give in this album a place for this brief sketch, and the portraits of these worthy pioneers.


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