JOSIAH P. LATIMER

LATIMER

Posted By: Jake Tornholm (email)
Date: 4/23/2020 at 14:24:16

JOSIAH P. LATIMER, one of the prominent farmers of section 14, Lincoln township, Adams county (Carbon post-office), was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, November 7, 1831. His parents were James and Catherine Latimer, both natives of Ohio. The father was a farmer by occupation. He moved from Jefferson to Harrison county, Ohio, in 1832, and settled on a farm. He lived there until 1855 when he came to Washington county, Iowa, and settled on land a large portion of which he improved. From there he moved to Whiteside county, Illinois, in 1869, and lived there until his death June 3, 1870, at the age of sixty-six years, one month and twenty- one days. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church and an elder in the same. His wife died in 1885, aged eighty-three years. She also was a member of the Presbyterian Church.

Out subject is the second in a family of five boys and two girls; he was educated in the public schools of Ohio and began for himself at about the age of eighteen years, at which time he went to learn the harness maker's trade; he worked at that trade for three years, then farmed until the war opened. During the war he worked on Government contracts in the harness business in Pittsburg and Allegheny City. This he continued until 1864, when he came to Iowa and worked in the shop at Burlington for two years; then he went to Whiteside county, Illinois, and settled on a farm. He followed this occupation for seven years before coming to Iowa. He came to Adams county in 1875 and settled on the farm where he now resides. It was wild land then, and he first owned eighty acres, to which he has since added another eighty acres. He now has a beautiful farm of Adams county's rich soil. His farm is well adapted both to stock and grain; the land is well improved and divied off into fields of convenient size. He has a nice grove of maple and willow trees and an orchard. His house is 18 x 26, one and a half stories, and an L 16 x 22 feet, also one and half stories high. He has a new and convenient barn and sheds for the shelter of stock.

Mr. Latimer was married December 31, 1868, to Miss Mary Wycoff, daughter of Abram Wycoff of Des Moines county, Iowa.

The home of our subject and wife has been cheered in the birth of four children, viz.: William F., Nicholas P., Stewart E. and Lydia Pearl. The parents are members of the United Brethren Church.

In politics our subject is Republican. He is an honored citizen and worthy of the esteem in which he is held.