REV. E. J. LOCKE
Rev. E. J. Locke came to this county in 1870, and settled on section 31, of Brighton township, where he owns a fractional eighty. This place he purchased from James Pantier, who had made some little improvement. When it became the property of Mr. Locke it was in poor condition, and what little improvement there was seemed considerably dissipated. The present condition of the place indicates thrifty and good management. Here as well as elsewhere the home of Mr. and Mrs. Locke will be remembered, as a welcome place for travelers and strangers, and the number who can testify to their kindness and hospitality is legion. In addition to this land Mr. Locke owns forty acres in Pottawattamie county. He is a native of Rhode Island, born November 27, 1809, and is a son of Joshua R., and Waity (Sheldon) Locke, who were natives of the same State. He is of Scotch extraction, his great grandfather having been born in that country. He was brought up on a farm, and as his parents were in limited circumstances his youth was spent in hard work, and his opportunities for obtaining an education were such as the common schools afforded. When thirty-three years old he entered the ministry of the Baptist church, and his success as a preacher and religious teacher is evidenced by the fact that he preached in one place for a period of twenty-five years. In 1868 he went to Illinois and stopped at Stonington, Christian county, where he continued in the useful work, to which he seemed so well fitted something more than a year, when his health failed, and being unable to prosecute the important work with his old time vigor and feeling the necessity for a change, he left the ministry and came to Iowa. He was married October 27, 1833, in Rhode Island, to Chloe Woodmansee, a native of that State, and daughter of John and Joshua Woodmansee. They have seven children now living...Waity A., born April 18, 1855; Pardon T., born October 10, 1839; Hannah W., born April 2, 1842; Almon A., born April 11, 1845; Charles H., born March 26, 1848; Sarah J., born May 8, 1852; and John E., born June 21, 1855.
Transcribed by Gloria Goltiani from "History of Cass County, Iowa. Together With Sketches of its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens." Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Company, 1884, pg. 592-593.
