Brown, William (1858-1932)

BROWN

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/16/2019 at 11:59:23

William Brown
Aug 8, 1858 - 1932

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.348)
WILLIAM BROWN, one of the substantial farmer of James Township, is the son of Nathan Brown, who was born in Pike County, Ohio, in 1813. He was from an old American family, and was reared to farm life. In 1839, at the age of twenty-six years, he came to Bloomington, Iowa, where he settled on a tract of wild land, remaining on the same farm for thirty years. In the spring of 1872 he came to Pottawattamie County, where he bought a farm of 640 acres in James Township, which he improved. From the effects of blood-poisoning occasioned by a wound from a needle of a self-binder running through his hand, he died, in 1879, at the age of sixty-six years. Religiously both Mr. and Mrs. Brown were United Brethren. Mr. Brown was a hard-working and industrious man, and accumulated a handsome fortune. He was of a quiet disposition and took but little interest in politics, but was a stanch Democrat. He had the respect of his fellow-citizens and had served as Trustee of his township. He took an active interest as School Director, and built the school-house at District No. 6. He was married to Filinda Odell, daughter of Thomas Odell, and to them were born eight children, of whom the two eldest, Johnnie and Sarah, died in infancy; Alvira died at the age of twenty-six years; Hattie is the wife of Dr. James Welsh, a mining expert of New York city, and they have one child, Bertie; Johnson is still unmarried; Minor Married Fannie Parker, of James Township, and they have two children, Eva and one unnamed; William, our subject; and Jessie, who married Henry Crommett, deceased, formerly a real-estate dealer in Omaha.

William Brown, a son of the above and the subject of this sketch, was born in Muscatine, August 8, 1858, and was reared to farm life. He was but sixteen years of age when his father came to James Township, Pottawattamie County. In 1882 he married Allie Irwin, daughter of J. D. and Emily (Downs) Irwin, and they have had four children: Leslie, Ira, Jessie and William. Since the death of his father, Mr. Brown has been managing the farm. He is a practical farmer and stands deservedly high as one of the young and enterprising citizens of Pottawattamie County. He owns 240 acres of good farm land. Politically he is a Democrat.