William Ingraham Lovejoy was born on February 20, 1819 at Sharon township, Windsor county, Vermont. His parents were Thomas and Susan (Spaulding) Lovejoy. He was the oldest of seven children. His siblings

William Ingraham Lovejoy

were Jason Lovejoy (married Frances Walcott), Charles Dodge Lovejoy (married Laura Jane Wood), Thomas Henry Lovejoy (married D. Maria Weston), George Brooks Lovejoy (Mary J. Skinner), Eliza May Lovejoy (married John D. Fales),

Imogene Irene (Bryant) Lovejoy

and Daniel Webster Lovejoy (married Mary Evelyn Wood).

William spent his first twelve years on the farm in Sharon township which his grandfather, Daniel Lovejoy, had settled on prior to the Revolutionary War. In 1831, William moved with his parents and siblings to farm in Branch Brook in Royalton township, Windsor county, Vermont where they lived on the Robinson farm, part of which was originally part of his great grandfather, Robert Haven’s farm. His father is noted to have become unusually successful on the farm in Royalton on which William’s two youngest siblings were born.

William married Miss Martha Whitcomb in 1843 at Stockbridge, Windsor county, Vermont. They 1850 census shows them living in Warren township,

Albert J. and Harriet Lovejoy and children

Windsor county, Vermont with their three sons – Albert J. Lovejoy, Daniel Webster Lovejoy, and Charles Thomas Lovejoy. Some accounts claim Albert J. and Daniel Webster Lovejoy were twins. William and Martha’s fourth son, William Gates Lovejoy, was born on August 1, 1855 at which time, Martha

Cornelius Henry Lovejoy

died of complications during childbirth. William Gates Lovejoy died in 1862 at seven years of age. Albert J. and Daniel Webster would later serve in the Civil War with the Union Army. Daniel Webster Lovejoy was killed in action on September 23, 1864 at Bermuda, Virginia. Albert J. Lovejoy survived the war, married and seems very likely to have been the one to convince his father and his family to move from Vermont to Illinois to Iowa.

William married his second wife, Imogene Bryant on December 26, 1858 at her home in Warren township, Washington county, Vermont. Imogene Irene Bryant was born on May 27, 1839 at Warren township, Windsor county, Vermont

Ida May Susan Lovejoy Mrs. Harry Bingham

to Samuel and Belinda Bryant. She had a brother, Cornelius Bryant, who served in the Civil War but according to records, he is listed as a deserter. Imogene’s obituary lists her name as Emma Jane Bryant and some records list her as Emogene Lovejoy.

William and Imogene began their married life together on a farm in Warren township, Washington county, Vermont. Imogene did her best to raise Williams four sons – Albert J., Daniel W., Charles T., and William G., as her own. William and Imogene were blessed with the births of twelve children. The first four children – Luella Eliza, Cornelius Henry, John Shephard and Joseph Allard - were born in Warren township. The next two children, Ida May Susan, and Mattie Sally, were born in Granville township,

Luella Eliza Lovejoy Mrs. Fred W. Jeffries

Addison county, Vermont. The next three children, William Benjamin and three infants were born in Hancock township, Addison county, Vermont. The last two children, an infant and Myrtle Belle, were born in Custer township, Will county, Illinois.

In 1878, William and Imogene and seven of their children – Luella, Cornelius, John, Joseph, Susan, Sally and William moved from Vermont to Illinois where they settled in Custer township, Will county, Illinois near the town of Braidwood where they farmed. It appears that William’s oldest son, Albert J. and his wife, had settled in Braidwood a couple of years prior.

In 1887, William and Imogene and their two youngest children, William and Myrtle moved to Mitchell county, Iowa where Albert J. Lovejoy and his family and his brother, Cornelius H. Lovejoy and sister, Luella Lovejoy had settled in 1882. William and Imogene immediately took residence on the old

Ida May & Mattie Sally Lovejoy

George B. Lovejoy farm, section 22 in Rock township. Albert J. Lovejoy and his was living across the road on a farm on section 23 in the same township. William served several years as the Rock Creek postmaster. It is of interest to note that three of William’s brothers – Jason, George B. and Thomas H. Lovejoy - were early settlers in Mitchell county.

William had confessed his faith in Christ while in Illinois where he and his wife were baptized. Upon settling in Mitchell county, he and his wife united with the Baptist church in West Mitchell. William suffered from

John Shepard Lovejoy

epileptic fits which was thought to have been brought on by over working himself while farming in Vermont. He passed away on January 9, 1899 partially caused by epilepsy. Funeral services were held at his son, Albert J. Lovejoy’s home in Osage, Iowa and burial was in the Osage cemetery.

After William’s death, Imogene lived the rest of her life in Osage with her oldest son, Cornelius Henry Lovejoy and his family. She did spend one year living in Kansas City, Missouri with her step-son, Charles T. Lovejoy and his wife. Since her birth, Imogene was a member of the Methodist church and after moving to Mitchell county, she convert to the Baptist faith with her husband of which she remained a loyal member until her death. Her obituary states that she was a sufferer for about a year prior to her death on February 28, 1904 in Osage at the home of her son, Cornelius Lovejoy.

A few of William Lovejoy’s children remained in the Osage area, namely Albert J. Lovejoy (married Harriet Root); Cornelius Henry Lovejoy (married Sarah Stires); Luella Eliza (married Fred W. Lovejoy); and Myrtle Belle (Married John W. Gibeaut / Albert L. Butters). Others moved back east, namely John S. Lovejoy (married Grace Horn) who lived in Hyde Park, Massachusetts., Ida May Susan (married Harry Bingham) who lived in Royalton, Vermont, and Mattie Sally (married Harvey Wilder) who lived in Wallingham, Massachusetts. Another son, Joseph A. Lovejoy lived in Seattle, Washington and Charles T. Lovejoy (married Mary Dixon) lived in Long Beach, California.