WILLIAM PEDIGO

PEDIGO, HILL, YOUNG, BEEM, STORM, GRAY

Posted By: Nancee (McMurtrey) Seifert (email)
Date: 2/15/2009 at 12:40:03

#10992: A Memorial and Biographical Record of
Iowa; Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1896.

William Pedigo, of Lucas county, was born in
Barren county, Kentucky, August 24, 1825, a son
of John Pedigo, a Virginian by birth. His father,
Edward Pedigo, was also a native of that State.
John Pedigo was reared on a Virginia plantation,
and afterward removed to Barren county, Kentucky.
He was married there to Frances Hill, a daughter
of Clementine Hill. John Pedigo and family left
their Kentucky home for Indiana in 1827, locating
in Lawrence county, and subsequently settled near
Worthington, Greene county, that State, where the
parents died, - the mother at the age of seventy
years and the father at the age of eighty years.
He was a carpenter by trade, but later in life
also followed agricultural pursuits. Politically
he was identified with the Democratic party, and
religiously was a member of the Baptist Church.
Mr. and Mrs. Pedigo were the parents of nine
children, as follows: Elijah, Greenville, John,
Elizabeth, Mary, James, William, Edward, and one
deceased in infancy. William Pedigo, the subject
of this sketch, was reared to farm life in
Indiana. In 1856, in company with his
brother-in-law, John Young, he came with ox teams
to Iowa. A short time afterward he returned to
Indiana, and again came with ox teams, four cows
and some household goods to Iowa, locating in
Otter Creek township, Lucas county. Six months
afterward Mr. Pedigo settled near Marysville, in
Nodaway county, Missouri, where he remained
eighteen months, after which he returned to
Indiana on a business trip. He enlisted for
service at the opening of the late war, entering
the Ninety-seventh Indiana Infantry, Company C,
but was honorably discharged three months
afterward on account of weakness of the eyes; he
has never fully recovered his sight. Mr. Pedigo
has resided in Otter Creek township, Lucas
county, since the war. September 1, 1850, in
Indiana, our subject was united in marriage with
Elizabeth E. Beem, a native of Owen county, that
State, and a daughter of Neely and Leah (Storm)
Beem, natives of Kentucky and both now deceased.
They were the parents of six children, namely:
Cynthia Ann, Mary, Rich, John, William and
Elizabeth. To Mr. and Mrs. Pedigo have been born
four children: Jesse W., of Monroe county,
Indiana; Molly J. Gray, an accomplished musician,
is at home; Rich E., also at home; and John C.,
formerly a clerk at Woodbine, Iowa, who died at
the age of twenty-eight years. Mr. Pedigo
originally voted with the Democratic party, but
was a strong Abolitionist, and since the war has
been identified with the Republican party. He
served with honor and credit as Township Trustee
two terms. Mrs. Pedigo is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.