For
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911, page 618
J. W. WEAVER....In a beautiful home at Wilton Junction, Iowa, lives J. W. Weaver, retired, having accumulated a competence for himself and family. He was born in Leitersburg, Maryland, January 11, 1841, a son of James and Anna ( Swisher ) Weaver, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. The father moved to Maryland from Franklin county, Pennsylvania, in 1832. Nine years later he came west to Ogle county, Illinois, and in 1865 came to Iowa, where he bought land. He then returned to Illinois for his family, and there died. Before coming west he was engaged in business as a druggist and was also in the hotel business. He was of German lineage, his father having been born in Germany. The parents of our subject were married in the Keystone state. The mother died in Ogle county, Illinois, in 1859. There were nine children in the family, four of whom grew to maturity : Christian R., deceased ; J. W.,our subject ; Charles A., also deceased ; and Lydia A., the wife of George Kaiser of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The father of these children was twice married, his second wife being a Mrs. Sandford, whose maiden name was Osterhaut. There were no children by this marriage.J. W. Weaver received his education in the district schools and continued at home until 1865, when he moved with the family to Iowa. After arriving at this state he worked for two years at the carpenter's trade and then farmed on rented property until 1872, when he began purchasing land in Cedar county for himself. As time advanced he prospered until now he is the owner of one hundred and seventy acres, all of which is under a high state of cultivation. He has lived in Wilton Junction since 1906, when he acquired one of the finest residences in town.
In 1868 Mr. Weaver was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Keiser and eight children were born to them : Carrie A., now the wife of Robert Wilkerson, a contractor and builder of Wilton Junction ; Margaret A., on the home farm ; Charles Franklin, also on the home farm ; Alice M., deceased ; Etta S., the wife of William Leach, a farmer of Cedar county ; Minnie E., deceased ; Emory A., a farmer of Cedar county ; and Myrtle V., now teaching school in Cedar county. The mother of these children having been called away, Mr. Weaver was married in July, 1905, to Mrs. Susan Kite, of Cedar county, her maiden name being Susan Keiser. She was born in Page county, Virginia, a daughter of Reuben and Margaret Keiser. Her father came to Cedar county in 1849 and lived there until his death, which occurred in 1871. Mrs. Weaver was married in 1861 to Oliver Kite, a farmer, who was born in Page county, Virginia. There were six children in their family : Isabel Margaret, now the wife of George Mosier, Spokane, Washington ; Mary Frances, the wife of Frank T. Smith, who lives near Sioux City, Iowa ; William Harvey, deceased ; Anna E., now Mrs. Samuel Smith, of O'Brien county, Iowa ; Amanda Melissa, the wife of Curtis Shiry, of O'Brien county ; and John F., of Sioux City, Iowa.
Politically Mr. Weaver is independent. He has not been a seeker for public office, but he held all the offices in his township except those of clerk and justice of the peace. He has since his youth been a close observer and has traveled extensively in the United States, visiting all the principal points between New York and San Francisco. He is a man of broad views, not only in politics but also in religion. While a believer in Christianity, he is an advocate of unity in work for all churches, the Golden Rule being his standard of conduct and life.
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