E. WILLARD
Among the foremost members of the bar of southwestern Iowa is the subject of this sketch, E. Willard. He is a native of Wyoming county, New York, and was born on the 21st of December, 1841, being the son of Rossell and Phoebe (Rich) Willard, both natives of Vermont. While the subject was quite young his parents removed to Williams county, Ohio, and from there to Indiana. In April, 1861, he enlisted in company C, Ninth Indiana Infantry for three months service; at the expiration of which time he returned home and the company reorganizing, he again enlisted and served till March, 1863, when he was discharged for disability, having been wounded at Shiloh. He enlisted as a private, was afterwards appointed second lieutenant, and after the battle of Shiloh was appointed adjutant of regiment and first lieutenant. After his discharge he- returned to his home in Elkhart, Indiana, remaining there till April, 1864, when he removed to Adel, Dallas county, Iowa. He commenced the study of law in 1858, while attending school at Notre Dame, Indiana, where he received his education. He studied law in the private office of Albert Heath for some three years, and was admitted to the bar in the spring of 1861. After going home from the war he followed his profession for one year before going to Adel, Iowa, where he remained until 1876, when he removed to Dallas, Texas, and practiced there till June, 1881, then returning to Iowa and settling in Atlantic, Cass county, where he still resides, and has built up a reputation second to none in southwestern Iowa. He was married in Elkhart, Indiana, in August, 1861, to Miss Harriet Hopper, a native of Michigan, and the sister of Isaac Hopper, his partner. Mr. and Mrs. Willard have been blessed with one child, Edward M., who graduated from the Atlantic high school in June, 1884. Mr. W. is a member of the Royal Arch Masons, I. O. O. F. and the G. A. R. His residence is on the corner of Sixth and Linn streets.
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, pp. 384-385.
