Carrel, Sylvester (Wesley)

CARREL, ALEXANDER, DUNLAP, MCCONNELL, MORGAN, JONES, CLARK, NEEDHAM, LAMB, HANSON

Posted By: Mary H. Cochrane, Volunteer
Date: 6/28/2019 at 19:11:10

"Reflections of Grand River, Iowa 1881-1981", p. 177
Sylvester (Wesley) Carrel
Sylvester Carrel was born Dec. 25, 1822, in Jackson County, Indiana. He was the son of Samuel and Betsey (Alexander) Carrel. He married Druesilla Dunlap in 1854. They left their native state of Ind., coming to Keokuk Co., Ia., where their son, James Carrel was born in 1855. They then migrated to Decatur County where Sylvester bought his first land in Richland Twp. in 1856. Druesilla died 1857 in childbirth. On Oct. 13, 1858, he married Keziah (Morgan) McConnell, widow of Thomas McConnell, who had come by wagon train from Ind. in 1855 with the Milsteads and Brammers. Keziah raised James, along with her children: Samuel, John T., Melissa, Mary, Abigail, Rachel, Sarah, Nancy and Thomas P. McConnell. She died July 17, 1882. Sylvester then married Keziah's daughter, Melissa Jones, widow of Libert Jones, Dec. 28, 1882.

A river boat pilot until his move to Ia., he built a house on his homestead, hauling lumber from Ottumwa by ox team, and continued farming until his untimely death on Nov. 9, 1896, when he died of a gunshot wound. While preparing to help his son James butcher a hog, he took his gun from above the bedroom door, had his mouth over the muzzle of the bun, blowing into it to see if the tube was open, when his foot suddenly slipped off the chair causing the gun to discharge.

James Carrel was born June 3, 1855, in Keokuk Co., Ia., coming to Decatur Co. as a baby with his parents Sylvester and Druesilla (Dunlap) Carrel.

As a young man, he was raised on his father's farm and lovingly cared for by his step-mother, Keziah. On Dec. 20, 1877, he married Laura Alice Clark, who was born May 30, 1859, and was the daughter of William and Margaret (Wallace) Clark at Appanoosa Co., Ia.

They owned and farmed 154 acres of land in Richland Twp., building a two story home, quite modern for its day. To this union were born five children: Stella Druesilla (b. Nov. 28, 1878) md. George Needham; Ira (b. Feb. 21, 1882) died in childbirth; Margaret Grace (b. Aug. 2, 1888) md. Casper Lamb; Ellnora (b. Dec. 26, 1891) md. Axel Hanson; and Golda Gladys (b. Mar. 1, 1895) md. William M. Jones.

James resided on the family farm until his death Sept. 23, 1939, and Laura eventually sold the farm, residing with her daughter, Nora Hanson, until her death on April 8, 1949. Both are buried at Westerville Cemetery.