Home > United States of America > Arkansas > Logan County > Prairie View > Prairie View Cemetery > James Sylvester Dewell

James Sylvester Dewell

View larger map

Birth	:	16 Jun 1857 Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa, USA
Death	:	24 Oct 1932 Rochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA
Burial	:	Prairie View Cemetery, Prairie View, Logan County, USA
Coordinate	:	35.3347800, -93.5312590
Plot	:	section 6
Description	:	JAMES S. DEWELL, an attorney at law at Missouri Valley, has been identified with the interest of Harrison County since the month of September, 1883. He is a native of the Hawkeye State, and was born at Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa, June 16, 1857. He is the son of Nathaniel and Winnie (McComb) Dewell. John Dewell came to America from France in 1766, having been born in 1743. He was engaged in the Revolutionary struggle, and after its close settled near Annapolis, Md. This person was our subject's great-great-grandfather, who laid down the burden of... Read More	JAMES S. DEWELL, an attorney at law at Missouri Valley, has been identified with the interest of Harrison County since the month of September, 1883. He is a native of the Hawkeye State, and was born at Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa, June 16, 1857. He is the son of Nathaniel and Winnie (McComb) Dewell. John Dewell came to America from France in 1766, having been born in 1743. He was engaged in the Revolutionary struggle, and after its close settled near Annapolis, Md. This person was our subject's great-great-grandfather, who laid down the burden of life about 1803. His son Benjamin was a farmer in Maryland, and in stature was six feet and a half high. Solomon Dewell, the son of Benjamin, was a carpenter by trade, and moved to Ohio in the early part of the present century, settling in Jefferson County, and was among the early pioneers of that region. Our subject’s father, Nathaniel Dewell, was born in Wayne County, Ohio, January 13, 1830, and followed farming for a livelihood. He died at Clarence, Cedar County, Iowa, March 13, 1890; having moved to Indiana in 1833, and to Iowa in 1855. Winnie McComb, the mother of our subject, the daughter of John McComb, was born in Kosiusko County, Ind. The mother died March 21, 1865. Their family consisted of six children, of whom our subject was the fourth in number, five living. William Dewell, brother of our subject, was drowned July 4, 1868, at Logan, Iowa; Hiram lives in Cedar County, Iowa on a farm; a sister, the wife of Silas Silsby, lives in Cedar County, Iowa; Frank is a farmer in Ida County, Iowa and George lives in Woodbury County. Our subject received his education in the common-schools of Cedar County; at the High Schools at Clarence, Iowa, and later took a regular course at the Iowa Agricultural College, graduating with the Class of '81. In 1882 he began the study of law at the State University at Iowa City, completing his course in June, 1883, shortly after which he came to Missouri Valley, where he has since practiced his chosen profession. Politically, Mr. Dewell is an ardent supporter of the Republican party, believing its fundamental principles to be just and true. Since living in Missouri Valley he has been Secretary of the School Board for seven years; was Mayor of the city in 1885; City Clerk in 1884; City Attorney four years, and County Attorney for the years 1889 and 1890. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias fraternity, and in conclusion it may be added no man stands higher in the community than the man for whom this notice has been written. source of biographical sketch: "History of Harrison County, Iowa", 1891, pages 685 - 686 ******************************************************************************************* JAMES S. DEWELL A man of exceptional legal and business ability is James S. Dewell, who has been a resident of this county since 1883. He has not only been active in legal circles but has taken a prominent part in the business life of his county. As a public-spirited citizen he has held a large number of offices of various kinds and has never failed to give his hearty support to such measures as he felt would benefit the community at large. He has been secretary of the Missouri Valley board of education for more than thirty years, a record which has probably never been equaled in the state. In addition to his various interests in the city of Missouri Valley he has extensive land holdings in many different states. James S. Dewell, the son of Nathaniel and Winnie (McComb) Dewell, was born at Tipton, Cedar county, Iowa, June 16, 1857. His father was a native of Ohio and his mother of Indiana, and they came to Iowa after their marriage, locating in Tipton, Cedar county, in 1855, where they lived until their death, the mother dying in 1865 and the father in 1890. Nathaniel Dewell was a prominent citizen of Cedar county, Iowa, during all the time he was a resident of Tipton. He was a member of the board of supervisors in Cedar county and held many other offices. He was married three times. To his first marriage to Winnie McComb were born eight children, four of whom are living, M. F. Dewell, of Ida Grove, Iowa; George A., of Sioux City, Iowa; Mrs. Silas Silsby, of Sedalia, Missouri, and James S., of Missouri Valley, Iowa. Hiram W., the eldest son of this marriage, served in the thirty-second and thirty-third sessions of the Iowa Legislature from Cedar county. The second wife of Nathaniel Dewell was Mrs. Anna Wilkins, and to this marriage two children were born, Mrs. Ella Westfall, wife of Jerome Westfall, of Trenton, Missouri, and Mrs. J. A. Madden, of Council Bluffs, Iowa. His third wife was Amanda Bixler, and to this union two children were born, Harman, the superintendent of the electric light plant at Clinton, Iowa, and Fred B., a farmer of Clarence, Iowa. Mrs. Amanda Bixler Dewell is now living in Clinton, Iowa. James S. Dewell was reared on a farm near Clarence, Cedar county, Iowa, where he remained until he was twenty-one years of age. He was educated in the high school at Clarence, and at Iowa State College at Ames. He was graduated from the scientific course in 1881 and then entered Iowa State University, being graduated from the law department in 1883. In September of the same year he came to Missouri Valley, where he has been living since. Mr. Dewell has been very active in the life of Missouri Valley. In the spring after he located in the city he was elected city clerk, and the following year was elected mayor, holding this position for one term. He was city attorney for several years, and in 1888 was elected county attorney. He was elected secretary of the board of education of the city in 1884, and has held this position continuously since that time. He has always taken a prominent part in Republican politics and was chairman of the Harrison county Republican central committee for several years. He has been a delegate to nearly every state convention of his party since locating in the county. He was a district delegate to the national Republican convention in 1908. He has served on the state central committee, and in fact, has been one of the leaders of his party in this section of the state for more than a quarter of a century. Mr. Dewell is vice-president of the State Savings Bank of Missouri Valley, and a director in the Missouri Valley Ice and Cold Storage Company. He has been attorney for the City Electric Light Company since its organization, and for many years was attorney for the Northwestern Railway Company. He served for a number of years as president of the Capital and Merchants and Bankers Insurance Company, of Des Moines, Iowa, until they recently retired from business. In company with W. A. Smith he built a thirty-thousand-dollar opera house in Missouri Valley in 1895, in which he maintained an interest until it was sold in 1909. He has two farms in Harrison county, one of which he leases to a responsible tenant, while he operates the other himself. He also owns a one-third interest in one thousand acres of land in Monona county, Iowa, and has other real-estate holdings in eight different states throughout the Union. Thus it is seen that Mr. Dewell is a man of extensive interests, and a man deeply concerned in the welfare of his city and county. Mr. Dewell was married October 18, 1893, to Emma Joy, a daughter of Samuel Joy, who was born in New York state. To this union has been born one daughter, Joy, who is now eighteen years of age. Mr. Dewell is a thirty-second degree Mason, and a Shriner, holding membership in the Consistory and the Shrine at Des Moines. His other fraternal affiliations are with the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mr. Dewell is a man of broad sympathies and keenly interested in all measures which are promoted for the general advancement of the community where he makes his home. In all things he has acted as the true American citizen, and thus merits inclusion among the representative men of Harrison county. source of portrait and biographical sketch: “History of Harrison County, Iowa: its people, industries and institutions, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families”, biographical sketch on pages 624 - 626, portrait on the page facing 624 ***************************************************************************************** obituary and portrait are available in Council Bluffs Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa), October 25, 1932, page 1 ***************************************************************************************** funeral notice is available in Council Bluffs Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa), October 26, 1932, page 1 ***************************************************************************************** memorial article is available in Council Bluffs Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa), October 26, 1932, page 4 ***************************************************************************************** funeral notice is available in Council Bluffs Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa), October 27, 1932, page 1 ******************************************************************************************* JAMES S. DEWELL was born on a farm in Cedar County, Iowa, June l6, 1857, and died in a hospital in Rochester, Minnesota, October 24, 1932. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery, Missouri Valley, Iowa. His parents were Nathaniel and Winnie (McComb) Dewell. His boyhood was spent near Clarence, Cedar County. He was graduated from the Clarence High School, from the Iowa Agricultural College in 1881, and from the Law Department of the State University of Iowa in 1883. He then began the practice of law in Missouri Valley in partnership with John S. McGaveren. In 1884 he became city clerk and in 1885, mayor. In 1888 he was elected county attorney of Harrison County and served two years. He was city attorney several years and achieved a large general practice. From l884 until 1923, thirty-nine years, he was secretary of the Missouri Valley School Board. He had several important business connections, one being with the State Savings Bank, of which he was president several years. He was prominent in the Republican party, and was a delegate to the National Convention of 1908. His ability and high character led to his appointment by Governor Kendall October 17, 1923, as a judge of the Fifteenth Judicial District to succeed Judge George W. Cullison, deceased. He was elected for the balance of the term at the next general election, 1924, and was re-elected in 1926 and again in 1930, and wan serving in that position at the time of his death. source of obituary: “Annals of Iowa”, third series, volume XVIII, no. 6, October, 1932, pages 556 - 557

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is James Sylvester Dewell's memorial?
James Sylvester Dewell's memorial is located at: Prairie View Cemetery, Prairie View, Logan County, USA.
When did James Sylvester Dewell death?
James Sylvester Dewell death on 24 Oct 1932 in Rochester, Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA
Where are the coordinates of the James Sylvester Dewell's memorial?
Latitude: 35.3347800
Longitude: -93.5312590

Family Members:

Parent

Nathaniel Dewell

(1830 - 1890)

Winifred Ann “Winney” McComb Dewell

(1831 - 1865)

Spouse

Emma Florence Joy Dewell

(1855 - 1955)

Siblings

William N Dewell

(1851 - 1868)

Daisy W. Dewell Madden

(1870 - 1938)

Harmon B. Dewell

(1880 - 1952)

Fred Albert Dewell

(1883 - 1950)

Children

James Joy Dewell

(1895 - 1895)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Prairie View Cemetery
Prairie View, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3347800, -93.5312590

2. Guthrie Cemetery
Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3353004, -93.5449982

3. Saint Meinrads Cemetery
Prairie View, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3344002, -93.5117035

4. Saint Ignatius Cemetery
Scranton, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3591995, -93.5271988

5. Stoney Point Cemetery
Scranton, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3608017, -93.5077972

6. Ellsworth Cemetery
Subiaco, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3074989, -93.5642014

7. Butler Cemetery
Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3046989, -93.5714035

8. James Buchanan Wright Cemetery
Midway, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.2854333, -93.5208167

9. Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery
Morrison Bluff, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3869019, -93.5286026

10. Blair Cemetery
Scranton, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3732986, -93.5744019

11. Horn Cemetery
Midway, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.2821999, -93.5344009

12. Ragon Cemetery
Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3896750, -93.5269240

13. Pleasant Grove Cemetery
Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3400002, -93.6010971

14. Howard Cemetery
Subiaco, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.2914009, -93.5772018

15. Wright Cemetery
Midway, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.2839012, -93.5708008

16. Saint Scholastica Sister's Cemetery
New Blaine, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3034010, -93.4635980

17. Ware Chapel Cemetery
Cane Creek Township, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3745295, -93.4696293

18. Saint Scholastica Cemetery
New Blaine, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3032660, -93.4603800

19. May Cemetery
Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.2821999, -93.4689026

20. Salem Cemetery
Ozark, Franklin County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3149000, -93.4449000

21. Hickory Grove Cemetery
Midway, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.2607994, -93.5246964

22. Mount Carmel Cemetery
Subiaco, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.2863998, -93.6004028

23. Frietsche Cemetery
Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3003006, -93.4464035

24. McKendree Cemetery
Subiaco, Logan County, USA
Coordinate: 35.3463500, -93.6312810