1890 Buchanan and Delaware Counties History pgs. 583-585
JOSHUA O. BUSHNELL is
one of Delaware county's representative farmers
and a comparatively early settler of the locality where he lives. He is a native of New York, but a descendant
of New England born parentage, his father, Joshua Bushnell, and his mother, Zervia Fillmore, both having been born in the State of
Connecticut. The elder Bushnell moved to New York when a young man and settled in Oneida county,
where he afterwards lived and where he also died. He was a farmer throughout
life, a man of means, and successful in all his undertakings. He took an active
part in the settlement of his adopted county and was prominent in local
politics, being an adherent of the school founded by the great democrat,
Jefferson. He was a captain in the State militia of New York, and in
those times, when muster days were events of importance, he occupied a
conspicuous position in the eye of the populace, participating in and directing
the military interests of his locality, and serving as master of ceremonies
upon those great ginger-bread and apple-cider occasions. He died in 1865 at the
age of eighty-seven, sincerely mourned by all who had known him.
The mother
of Joshua O. Bushnell, our subject, was a member of one of the early settled
families of Oneida county, N.
Y. She was an industrious housewife, a devoted mother and a pious,
exemplary, Christian woman. She and her husband were both zealous members of
the Presbyterian church and lived lives consistent
with their profession.
Joshua and Zervia Bushnell were the parents of nine children, two of
whom died in infancy, and seven of whom reached maturity, our subject being the
youngest of the seven. The eldest, Sarah, is the wife of Justus Tremain and resides in Michigan. Lucius died
some years ago in Kansas. Harriet died in Albany, N. Y. Annis
is the wife of David Tremain and resides in Oneida county, N. Y. Fillmore resides at
the old homestead in Oneida county.
Aaron is a farmer residing at Vienna, Oneida county. Clarissa,
the wife of Abram Fox, and Artimissia, the wife of
William H. Lohens, both reside also in Oneida county.
The subject
of this notice was born in the town of Lee, Oneida county, N.
Y., January 22, 1822. He was reared on the old
homestead, being trained to the habits of industry and usefulness common to
farm life. He received such educational advantages as were offered by the
common schools in the locality where he grew up.
In 1841 he
married, settled to farming on the old homestead, taking charge of his father's
affairs, and resided there till after his parents' death, caring for them in
their old age. After his father died in 1865, he purchased his brothers' and
sisters' interests in the estate, but sold this out in 1868 and moved West,
settling in Delaware county, where he now lives. On
moving to this county, Mr. Bushnell purchased a tract of one hundred and sixty
acres of land in section 14, Delaware township,
then in an unimproved condition, on which he located and on which he has since resided.
Mr. Bushnell has put many lasting improvements on his farm, having broken most
of it out, fenced it, erected substantial buildings, and planted out three
acres in timber. In 1884 he built a creamery on his place, which he has since
operated and which is now in a prosperous condition. He milks from twenty to
twenty-five cows himself and buys milk in varying
quantities from his neighbors. Everything on his farm gives evidence of the
thrift, order and good management that prevail there. Mr. Bushnell also owns a
farm of one hundred acres in Oneida township,
which he has in a good state of cultivation, and which also yields him a fair
revenue.
Mr,
Bushnell married October 13,1841, taking to share his life's fortunes
a young lady of his native county, Miss Esther E. Shear. Mrs. Bushnell was born
at Floyd, Oneida county, N. Y., January
3, 1823.
She is a daughter of Isaac and Eunice Shear, who were also natives of Oneida county. Her
parents always resided in their native county and there also died, the father
at the age of seventy-two and the mother at the age of seventy-three. Isaac
Shear was a soldier in the War of 1812, and his father, Silvanus
Shear, who came with his parents from Germany, fought in the Revolution upon the
colonists' side.
Mrs.
Bushnell is one of seven children. Her eldest brother, Asa
C., died at the age of seven; Mary J. now resides at Spirit Lake, Iowa; Sarah
C., who is the wife of Albert Washburn, resides in Buffalo county, Nebr.;
George W. died in infancy; Isaac, Jr. is a retired farmer living at Spirit
lake, Iowa, and one child died in infancy, not named.
Mr. and
Mrs. Bushnell have had born to them a family of five children, four sons and
one daughter, these being-Myron T., Isaac N., Chauncy
O., Mary J. and Joshua D.
The eldest,
Myron T. was born December 17, 1842. He is a farmer residing now in Delaware county. He
married Miss Cedelia Aucutt,
a native of Oneida county, N.
Y.
Isaac N.
was born September 16, 1848, and is a farmer now residing in Delaware county. He
has been twice married, marrying first Miss Alice Coon, of Delaware county, by
whom he had three children- Lucius R., Herbert
R. and Mary A. She died, and he married Miss Annie Draper, also of Delaware county, by
whom he has one child-Henry.
Chauncy
O. was born January 10,1852, and resides with his father in Delaware township. He has been twice married,
taking to wife the first time Miss Hattie Coleson, of
Delaware county, and second, Miss Julia Atchison, also of this county. By the latter
marriage he has had two children-Hattie E. and Myron.
Mary J. was
born July 7, 1855. She was married to Russell Aucutt, of Delaware county,
and died June 28, 1885.
Joshua D.
was born September 10,1858 married Susan D. Cornell, of Delaware
county, and by this marriage had one child-Loran
W. His wife died, and he married Miss
Florence Z. Saddler, of
Chickasaw county, Iowa. One child has
been born to this union-Wayne C.
Upon his
farm, surrounded by the substantial fruits of his many years' labor, his
children all grown, married and settled off in life, his good wife still by his
side bearing him the faithful companionship which he sought with her hand
nearly fifty years ago, the life of Joshua O. Bushnell presents a picture
pleasant for contemplation, and one which is not without a valuable and useful
lesson. It is a life of duty well clone, beginning with his early manhood, when
he courageously and affectionately accepted the charge of caring for his aged
parents, and extending through all the years of maturer
manhood, even up to the present time. His life has not been marred by even a
neglected duty; and it is pleasant to know that the four sons whom he has
raised have dutifully followed in his footsteps, and are all now respectable
citizens of the county of his adoption, leading the lives of industry and
usefulness to which they have been trained, and in which he has been their
faithful counselor and most conspicuous example.
Only one
son remains at home, Chauncy O. He stands somewhat in
the same relation to his parents that his father stood to his, having taken
upon his shoulders the responsibility of his father's affairs, and trying, so
far as lies in his power, to rid his parents' declining years of the cares and petty
annoyances of old age.
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