JOSIAH BURGETT
Josiah
Burgett has been an interested witness of the growth and
development of Lucas county from pioneer days to the present. Fifty-six years
have come and gone since the Burgett family arrived in this
state, and when they took up their abode in Lucas county the
Indians were still numerous, while wild game of all kinds was
plentiful. Great
indeed have been the changes which have since occurred, and
the Burgett family have ever borne their part in all the work
which has wrought the present prosperity and development of
the county.
Josiah
Burgett was born in Johnson county, Indiana, March 14, 1856. His father, William
Burgett, was born in Ohio, April 3, 1812, and in early manhood
wedded Hannah Leach, a native of Kentucky. The Leach family
was also one of the pioneer families of Lucas county. It was in the year
1857 that William Burgett brought his family to Iowa, taking
up his abode in Union township.
He remained a portion of the first year with Joe
Mundell of that township and the following year purchased land
of Mr. Skidmore lying partly in Liberty township. It was upon that
tract that he took up his abode. It was raw prairie and there was little
evidence of development and civilization to be seen in this
part of the state. It
was not an unusual thing for the Indians to call at the homes
of the settlers, nor was it difficult for one of these pioneer
men to go into the forest with his gun and return with an
abundance of wild game.
The houses for the most part were built of logs, as
were the schoolhouses, and the methods of instruction were
equally primitive. Mr.
Burgett carried on farming for many years and passed away in
Liberty township, November 14, 1897, having for almost a
quarter of a century survived his wife, who died April 17,
1873. Their
children were thirteen in numbers, as follows: Mrs. Sarah E.
Callon, who was born August 16, 1835, and resides in Liberty
township; Mrs. America Fread, who was born on the 15th
of January, 1837, and has passed away; Mrs. Anne Richardson,
born July 15, 1838, who is also deceased; Jacob, born March 9,
1840, who was a veteran of the Civil war and is now deceased;
Aaron, whose birth occurred on the 19th of October,
1841, and who passed away June 14, 1903; Preston, who was born
August 2, 1843, and has passed away; Mary Jane and Hannah, who
died in infancy; Mrs. Mahala Lee, who is deceased; William H.,
born January 2, 1852, who is a resident of Oakley; James,
January 29, 1854, who died May 16, 1897; Josiah, of this
review; and Mrs. Sophrona Browning, who was born on the 16th
of February, 1860, and is a resident of Liberty township. Only the youngest
member of the family was born in Iowa, the other children
being all natives of Johnson county, Indiana.
The usual experiences of the lad reared upon the frontier came to Josiah Burgett in his boyhood and youth. He assisted in the arduous task of developing new land and bringing the fields under cultivation, and throughout his entire life he has carried on general agricultural pursuits. He still owns a part of the old homestead and his holdings include two hundred acres of choice land on sections 20, 21 and 28, Liberty township. There are good buildings and an attractive, well furnished home where good cheer and hospitality reign supreme. As the years have gone by Mr. Burgett has won success and is now in possession of a comfortable competence.
In
this county was celebrated his marriage to Miss Cynthia Malone
on the 17th of April, 1886. She was born in
Liberty township, January 23, 1865, was reared to womanhood
here and has always been a resident of the county where her
parents located at a very early day. Her father, William Malone, was born in
Ohio, February 16, 1835, and died in Liberty township, June
27, 1910. Her
mother, Mrs. Malinda (Webb) Malone, was born in Indiana,
January 3, 1840, and passed away in Liberty township, May 18,
1911. Her
father, Joseph Webb, was one of the earliest settlers of Lucas
county, arriving in 1854. Unto
William and Malinda (Webb) Malone were born thirteen children,
namely: Joseph,
who was born in Ohio, on the 2d of August, 1859, and has
passed away; John A., whose birth occurred in Ohio on the 13th
of April, 1861, and who is a resident of Oklahoma; Nola J.,
who was born in Ohio on the 18th of June, 1863, and
is now deceased; Mrs. Cynthia Burgett; William I., born April
18, 1866, who passed away in Missouri; James P., who was born
on the 2d of July, 1868, and is a resident of Coin, Iowa;
Charles W., whose birth occurred February 18, 1869, and who
has passed away; Thomas W., who was born November 15, 1871,
and is deceased; David C., who was born on the 22d of
November, 1873, and makes him home near Chariton; Maurice C.,
whose birth occurred on the 4th of November, 1875,
and who is living near Oakley; Lewis H., born March 12, 1877,
who has passed away; Mrs. Mary A. Lancaster, who was born on
the 15th of April, 1878, and resides near Chariton;
and Andrew D., who was born on the 4th of March,
1880, and resides at Lacona.
The ten last named were natives of Lucas county and
here all of the children were reared.
Unto
Mr. and Mrs. Burgett have been born nine children, as follows: Mrs. Zora B.
Johnson, whose natal day was December 21, 1887, and who is now
a resident of Oregon; Mrs. Grace G. Ketchum, who was born on
the 31st of July, 1889, and is a resident of
Chariton; Mrs. Gay Mauk, who was born on the 2d of April,
1892, and makes her home west of Chariton; May, twin sister of
Mrs. Mauk, who is still at home; Lloyd S., born September
29,1894, who is yet under the parental roof; Ross D., whose
birth occurred on the 15th of October, 1896;
Raymond O., whose natal day was October 28, 1901; Myrtle O.,
born May 23, 1903; and Truman J., whose birth occurred on the
13th of March, 1906.
All the above named are natives of Liberty township.
Mr. Burgett has always given his political allegiance to the democratic party and has made an excellent record as a public-spirited citizen, loyal to the best interests of the community, yet he has never sought nor desired office, although he has served as a member of the school board. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church, whose doctrines he strongly believes, and their religious faith is the guiding spirit of their lives. Both are widely known in the county and have a circle of warm friends almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintance.