S. J. BOTTS

    Sidney Jasper Botts was born April 20, 1843 in Hancock County, Illinois; the son of William Oscar Botts and Mary Ann Driscoll Botts. He served in the Civil War, enlisting in 1862. He was a prisoner of war in Andersonville, Georgia; and was released and mustered out of service June 17, 1865.

    He was married to Miriam Alice Coke Jan. 14, 1866.  Five children were born in Hancock County, Illinois: Olive M., (died in infancy), Lyman J., b. Jan. 1, 1868-d. April 4, 1959, Red Oak, Iowa; Valeria, b. Nov. 27, 1869, d. Oct. 18, 1971, Atlantic, Iowa; Ivan, b. Oct. 18, 1871, d. Nov 29, 1959, Wood River, Nebr.; and Homer, b. Aug. 5, 1873, d. Beevile, Texas, date uncertain.

    He and his father, William, came to Iowa in the fall of 1870 and purchased land, a part of which is now Pilot Grove Park. He moved his family to Iowa in 1874, by covered wagon. A log cabin was erected just west of what is now Pilot Grove Park. Another son, Elmo, was born Nov. 14, 1876. He died Sept. 5, 1877. In the same log cabin, Clyde F. Botts was born Dec. 26, 1884.  He died May 2, 1977 at Elliott.  Miriam died Oct. 31, 1895.  

    During the year of 1896, he sold his land and stock in Iowa, and he and Clyde moved in Ord, Nebr., where he had purchased a good deal of land in Valley County.

    In 1898 Sidney married Nellie Maiden, a native of Valley and Maiden County, Nebr.  He served as State Representative (Democrat) in Lincoln, Nebr. in 1909-1910.

    In 1911 he sold his farm in Nebr. to son Ivan, and he and his wife and Clyde moved to Corpus Christi, Texas; where he purchased land.  He moved several car loads of stocks and household goods to Texas.

    A daughter Helen, was born January 25, 1913. She died in 1978 in California.

    He died in Corpus Christie, Texas in March 1921.  He was buried at Lowman Cemetery, Elliott, beside his first wife, and son Elmo. 

    Many funny stories were told to me by my father Clyde, about my grandfather Botts. When he came home from the Civil War, his mother had fixed up his room with a new feather bed and new quilts. When his mother went to waken him for breakfast, he was asleep on the floor, wrapped up in a blanket. He said he had been so used to sleeping on a dirt floor with very little cover, while in prison, that he couldn't get to sleep on a soft clean bed. My dad also told me the reason he made a good politician was because he loved to argue. He would start an argument just for the fun of it, and even argue against what he believed, just for the sake of a good argument.