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James William Messenger

Birth	:	19 Dec 1867 New Virginia, Warren County, Iowa, USA
Death	:	17 Mar 1948 Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, USA
Burial	:	Woodbine Cemetery, Woodbine, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate	:	41.7466316, -95.7143936
Plot	:	2nd addition, block # 2
Description	:	married Jennie ISOM on February 3, 1891 at Logan, Harrison County, Iowa ********************************************************************************************* JAMES W. MESSENGER The histories of some men read like a romance and few men in Harrison county, Iowa, have had a more romantic career than James W. Messenger, now one of the largest and most substantial farmers and stock raisers of Douglas township. Several years ago he walked into this county with a dollar and a half in his pocket, and all of his possessions consisted of the clothes which he wore on his back. Today,... Read More	married Jennie ISOM on February 3, 1891 at Logan, Harrison County, Iowa ******************************************************************************************* JAMES W. MESSENGER The histories of some men read like a romance and few men in Harrison county, Iowa, have had a more romantic career than James W. Messenger, now one of the largest and most substantial farmers and stock raisers of Douglas township. Several years ago he walked into this county with a dollar and a half in his pocket, and all of his possessions consisted of the clothes which he wore on his back. Today, this same impecunious youth, who came into the county several years ago, owns three hundred and forty acres of land, for which he would not now take one hundred and fifty dollars an acre. It takes no vivid imagination to show that Mr. Messenger must have employed his talents to good advantage. It is small wonder that his broad acres are such a pride to him. He has made everything he has by his own individual efforts. James W. Messenger, the son of Edward and Eva (Lantz) Messenger, was born in Warren county, Iowa, December 19, 1867. His parents were born either in West Virginia or Pennsylvania, and located in Warren county, Iowa, in April, 1865. Edward Messenger served three years and a half in the Civil War. James W. Messenger was fourth of eight children born to his parents. He received a limited common-school education and, when sixteen years of age, came to Harrison county alone and hired out to work on a farm in Allen township for fifty cents a day. He worked by the month for seven years, in both Harrison and Monona counties. He found that he was not able to make much success while working for other farmers and determined to have a farm he could call his own. With this idea uppermost in his mind, he came to Harrison county and, although he only had a dollar and a half in his pocket, he rented a farm and saved his money with the intention of buying land for himself. For twelve years he rented and, during all of this time, lived frugally and with one idea in mind and that to own a farm of his own. He bought his first one hundred and sixty acres in sections 17 and 18, in Douglas township in 1902, paying forty dollars an acre for the land. He moved on the farm a year later and has since been working for himself. He bought one hundred and eighty acres of land in 1910, for which he paid ninety dollars an acre, and now has one tract of three hundred and forty acres, all in sections 17 and 18, of Douglas township. Some idea of the value of this land may be gained from the fact that he has refused an offer of one hundred and forty-five dollars an acre for it. He makes a specialty of feeding cattle and hogs for the market and is one of the largest feeders in the county. He feeds and ships about ten carloads of cattle and five carloads of hogs every year, which averages about two hundred head of cattle and four hundred head of hogs. His farm is well improved and everything about the place shows that he is a man of thrifty habits. Mr. Messenger was married on February 3, 1891, in Logan, Iowa, to Jennie Isom. To this union have been born four children, all of whom are living at home: Ralph, born on July 25, 1892; Jessie, born on October 5, 1896; Floyd, born on December 19, 1903; and Ethel, born on October 29, 1909. Mrs. Messenger was born on November 8, 1874, in Fremont county, Iowa, and is a daughter of William H. and Sarah A. (Daugherty) Isom. Her parents were natives of Alabama and Missouri, respectively. Her father served in the Confederate army for a time. Mr. Messenger and his family are active workers in the Methodist Episcopal church. The Republican party receives his support, but, on account of his extensive farming and stock raising interests, he has never been active in political matters. He has never been a candidate for public office, feeling that there are others who are probably better qualified to hold an official position. He is a man of pleasing appearance, genial in his manner and is rightly classed among the most progressive farmers and stock raisers of Harrison county. source of 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”, 1915, pages 913 - 915 ***************************************************************************************** J. W. Messenger. James William Messenger, 80, 130 Benton street, a retired farmer and local resident for 32 years, died Wednesday at his home. Surviving are two daughters, Mrs. Ethel May of Council Bluffs and Mrs. Jessie Fischer of Woodbine; two sons, Ralph of Woodbine and Floyd of Malvern; two brothers and a half sister. The funeral cortege will leave Woodring’s chapel at 9:30 a. m. Friday for Woodbine, where services will be held in the Methodist church at 2 p. m., the Rev. J. S. Woods officiating. Burial will be in the Woodbine cemetery. The body is at the Woodring funeral home. source of obituary (verbatim transcription): Council Bluffs Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa), March 18, 1948, page 18, column 8 ******************************************************************************************* MESSENGER, James William, aged 80, 139 Benton, died Wednesday. Funeral Friday, 2 p. m. at the Methodist church at Woodbine, Iowa, with burial in Woodbine cemetery. The body will be at Woodring funeral home until 9:30 Friday morning and then taken to Woodbine to lie in state at the church prior to the funeral. source of obituary (verbatim transcription): Council Bluffs Nonpareil (Council Bluffs, Iowa), March 18, 1948, page 18, column 8

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is James William Messenger's memorial?
James William Messenger's memorial is located at: Woodbine Cemetery, Woodbine, Harrison County, USA.
When did James William Messenger death?
James William Messenger death on 17 Mar 1948 in Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, USA
Where are the coordinates of the James William Messenger's memorial?
Latitude: 41.7466316
Longitude: -95.7143936

Family Members:

Parent

James Edward “Edd” Messenger

(1831 - 1916)

Eva Eliza Gertrude Lantz Messenger

(1836 - 1879)

Spouse

Jennie Isom Messenger

(1874 - 1958)

Siblings

Benjamin Franklin Messenger

(1865 - 1939)

Lewis Messenger

(1870 - 1953)

Bertha Messenger

(1879 - 1879)

Bessie Verdena Messenger James

(1893 - 1966)

Children

Ralph Lynn Messenger

(1892 - 1961)

Jessie M. Messenger Fischer

(1896 - 1999)

Ethel Faye Messenger May

(1909 - 1983)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Woodbine Cemetery
Woodbine, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7466316, -95.7143936

2. Biglers Grove Cemetery
Woodbine, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7327995, -95.7786026

3. Benjamin Purcell Cemetery
Allen, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7694328, -95.7794523

4. Mefferd Cemetery
Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7132200, -95.6576200

5. Cowan-Pardee Cemetery
Woodbine, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6976500, -95.6765000

6. Greenwood Cemetery
Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6729660, -95.7257690

7. Silver Hill Cemetery
Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6897011, -95.7919006

8. Jesse Purcell Cemetery
Woodbine, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7431000, -95.8232000

9. Logan Cemetery
Logan, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6487579, -95.7843170

10. Ellison Cemetery
Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6561012, -95.6260986

11. Hawkins Cemetery
Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6458800, -95.6355000

12. Bethel Cemetery
Logan, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6239014, -95.6999969

13. Henderson Cemetery
Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6257000, -95.6794000

14. Pleasant Hill Cemetery
Dunlap, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8446999, -95.5939026

15. Valley View Cemetery
Crawford County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8647003, -95.6252975

16. Magnolia Cemetery
Magnolia, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6903000, -95.8799973

17. Saint Bridgets Cemetery
Magnolia, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6915660, -95.8812480

18. Manteno Cemetery
Shelby County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8343964, -95.5367355

19. Doyle Cemetery
Earling, Shelby County, USA
Coordinate: 41.8051000, -95.5087000

20. Harris Grove Cemetery
Beebeetown, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.5782928, -95.7262192

21. Washington Township Cemetery
Panama, Shelby County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7305984, -95.4867020

22. Saint Mary's Cemetery
Portsmouth, Shelby County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6519012, -95.5233002

23. Calhoun Cemetery
Calhoun, Harrison County, USA
Coordinate: 41.6391983, -95.8938980

24. Saint Marys Cemetery
Panama, Shelby County, USA
Coordinate: 41.7332993, -95.4811020