with malarial fever and died July 19, 1863, being buried near Black River Bridge. During his entire business life he had followed merchandising as the proprietor of a general store in the village of Midway and was also a local preacher of the Methodist Episcopal church. He also engaged occasionally in land surveying as a recreation and pastime.
Unto Vincent and Eleanor Allen were born seven children : Josephine E., now deceased, married James S. Core, who was a member of the same company as Vincent Allen and who died in less than two months after the death of his father-in-law. Madison C. is the second of the family. Creighton was killed at Lookout Mountain, November 24, 1863, when but eighteen years of age, while defending the Union as a member of Company D, Fortieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Lucretia P. married George R. Hill and is now deceased. Samuel W. passed away after having reached his majority. Sarah M. is the widow of Cornelius Tway and now resides near Dudley, Wapello county, Iowa. Frances A., now deceased, married Charles E. Holt.
To the public school system of his native village of Midway, Madison C. Allen is indebted for the educational privileges which he enjoyed and which qualified him for life's practical and responsible duties. He was but eighteen years of age when, on the 20th of September, 1861, he offered his services to the government and became a member of Company D, Fortieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, at Camp Chase, Ohio, his younger brother Creighton enlisting with him. The company was commanded by Captain James Watson. Mr. Allen served for eight and one half months, when he was honorably discharged for physical disability June 3, 1862. He then took up the study of law with ex-Congressman R. A. Harrison of London and was admitted to the bar at Delaware, Ohio, June 21, 1864. During the fall and winter of 1864-65 he taught a five months term of school in the first district north of Midway and in the spring and summer of 1865 he taught a four months term in Midway.
On April 6, 1865, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Ann Beers, of London, who was born November 7, 1845, in Tippecanoe county, Indiana, and went to Ohio when but two years of age with her parents, James G. and Hannah D. (Littleton) Beers. They made their home in Midway until the 19th of October, 1865, when they left London, Ohio, for Nevada, Iowa, and arrived there on the 21st, where they have since continuously resided. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Allen five children were born: Jessie M., the wife of Harry A. Stutson, of Dayton, Ohio; Fred B., who died at the age of two years; Mamie L., the wife of B. F. Ambrose of Nevada, Iowa; Arthur C., also of Nevada ; and Mattie Louise, a graduate in the class of 19o8 of Cornell College at Mount Vernon, Iowa, and now teaching school.
For the first two years in Story county Mr. Allen filled the position of deputy surveyor under his uncle W. G. Allen, who had been elected to the office of county surveyor. For the next two terms Madison C. Allen was elected to that office and later, by appointment and election, he filled the