LORENZO D. MARSH
Lorenzo Dow Marsh, one of Cass county's pioneers, was born January 1, 1818, in Gurnsey county, Ohio, where he lived until he reached manhood. He removed with his parents, Jesse and Rachel Marsh, to Indiana, where they (the parents) died, near Marion, Grant county. There the subject of this sketch and Hannah Moore, were married, October 28, 1841. She was born January 4, 1823, near Dayton, Ohio. Her parents, Isaac and Rachel Moore, moved to Wayne county, Ohio, and later, to Indiana. They both died in Bear Grove, their last years being spent with Mr. and Mrs. Marsh, who removed hither in 1860, thus becoming pioneers of what is now Cass county. Mr. Marsh says, "then we had no near neighbors except wolves." The first year he rented land and built a house and broke a little ground upon his present farm. His purchase was three hundred and sixty acres of land, to which they removed during the first winter. Mr. Marsh died on the anniversary of his birth, at his home here, aged fifty-five. His widow retains the homestead, and one hundred and twenty acres, the balance of the land was divided among their children, of whom there were ten, eight are now living--Isaac, of Villisca, Iowa; Enoch W., of this township; Eveline, wife of Ephraim Martin, of Lewis; James, of Davis county, Iowa; William, living in Holt county, Nebraska; Rachel, wife of J. McFadden; Ray, of this county; Lorenzo Dow and Almeda, at home. Mr. Marsh was a member of the Second Iowa Cavalry, company D. He was discharged in consequence of injuries received by being thrown from his horse. He remained in the hospital six months previous to his discharge. Enoch W. Marsh, second living son of L. D. and Hannah Marsh, was born October 8, 1846, and came with his parents to this county in 1860. He remained with them until his marriage to Catherine Underwood, daughter of Jesse and Mary Underwood, of Pleasant township, Cass county, formerly of Ohio. She was born May 4, 1851, and they were married April 28, 1875. They have two children--Laura Emily, born March 8, 1878, and Willis Woodward, born October 29, 1882. Mr. Marsh resides on section 19, upon one hundred and sixty acres, part of his father's original purchase.
Contributed by Lisa Varnes-Rex 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. 717.
