Burckhalter, John W.

BURCKHALTER

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 9/16/2019 at 12:20:27

John W. Burckhalter
born in Boone County, Ind. Sep 23, 1845

(From the 1891 Biographical History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, p.352)
JOHN W. BURCKHALTER, one of the prominent farmers of Lincoln Township, is of an old American family of German descent. Abraham BURCKHALTER, his grandfather, came from South Carolina to Ohio about 1811, and then removed to Union County, Indiana, then to Boone County, same State, in 1831. When he first came to Ohio his wife rode a horse and he walked. He was the father of nine children, viz: Cason, Jeremiah, James S., Joseph, Thomas, Fannie, Rebecca, Sarah, and a daughter whose name is unknown, who married and reared a family. Abraham BURCKHALTER lived to the age of seventy years, and died in Boone County, Indiana. He was a prominent farmer of that county, and was able to give each of his children eighty acres of land. James S., the son of the above and the father of our subject, was born in 1818, on a farm in Union County, Indiana, and was married in Boone County to Leah BELLES, daughter of William and Mary (HOFF) BELLES. The father was born in New Jersey, and is said to have royal blood in his veins. He was married in that State at an early day, and then moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, when that city was a small village, and where he worked at the carpenter's trade. He afterward settled in Boone County, Indiana. He was the father of ten children, all of whom lived to years of maturity, namely: Isaac, Elisha, Eliza, Catherine, Jacob, Peter, Ann, Leah and two others. Mr. William BELLES died in Boone County, at the age of sixty-two years and his wife, nee Mary HOFF, lived to the great age of 104 years, dying in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, in 1888. To Mr. and Mrs. James BURCKHALTER were born eight children: Daniel A., John W., Thomas W., Abijah C., Eliza J., Cynthia A., Mary F. and Laura A. Mr. BURCKHALTER remained in Boone County until the year 1854, when he came to Marion County, Iowa, and settled on a fine farm of 300 acres. At the age of forty-four years he enlisted in the war, serving one year, but died on the steamboat on his way home, and was buried at St. Louis. His son Daniel was also in the war, and served three years in Company K, Third Iowa Cavalry, and was in the battle of Salina, Arkansas; was taken prisoner by the Confederates, but soon made his escape.

John W. BURCKHALTER, our subject, was born September 23, 1845, and at the age of nine years he came with his father to Marion County, Iowa, where he has grown to manhood. In 1873 he came to Lincoln Township, where he remained one year, and next removed to Cass County, where he also resided one year, returning to Marion, where he resided four years. In 1879 he returned to Lincoln Township and settled on his present farm, then consisting of eighty acres of wild land, but to which he has since added until he now owns 240 acres of improved land. Politically he is a Republican. He was married in Marion County, Iowa, February 25, 1872, by Rev. C. M. BINGHAM, pastor of the Congregational Church of Otley, Marion County, Iowa, to Sabinah ROBERTS, daughter of Simon S. and Nancy (DONNELL) ROBERTS. Simon S. ROBERTS was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, October 9, 1808; taken when ten years of age by his parents to Ohio; at twenty-one learned the trade of carpenter and millwright; moved to Indiana, thence to Missouri, where he was building water mills for ten years. Then he returned to Ohio and was married, to Miss Elizabeth CONRAD, in 1844, and they were the parents of three children: James P., George and Charles. They removed to Iowa in 1846. He was again married, to Nancy M. DONNELL, daughter of John C. and Nancy (McROBERTS) DONNELL, September 22, 1850, and they had the following children: Orin, Sabinah, Eva, Ethel, Millie, Mary E., Sarah, Elsie, Edwin and Maggie. To Mr. and Mrs. BURCKHALTER have been born seven children, all of whom are still living, namely: Thomas W., born February 11, 1875; Simon R., August 28, 1876; James H., January 22, 1879; Mary E., November 1, 1882; Bertha E., April 27, 1885; George C., May 28, 1888; and an infant, Eva Irene, born September 22, 1890.

Nancy M. DONNELL was born in Seneca County, Ohio, February 12, 1828, came with her parents to Marion County, Iowa, in 1848, and married Mr. ROBERTS, as above mentioned. The grandparents of Nancy M. DONNELL, on her mother's side, were McROBERTS. Her grandfather, of Scotch descent, was a Revolutionary soldier, was at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, and saw the British stack their arms. Mrs. McROBERTS, nee Nancy HYLAND, was born in Virginia in 1757.