CHAUNCY W. MEAD is one the early settlers of
Delaware township, Delaware county, having moved into the locality where he
lives, three miles north of Manchester, in the spring of 1853. Mr. Mead is a
native of Indiana and was, born in St. Joseph county, February
8, 1835. He
comes of pioneer ancestry, his grandparents in both lines having settled in Indiana about the year 1800. His father,
Allen Mead, was, however, a native of New York, born in Oswego county, and accompanied his parents
when about eighteen years old to Indiana. He lived in that state, mainly St.
Joseph county, till 1853, when he moved to Iowa and settled in Delaware county,
where he resided till his death, which occurred in 1865, in the sixty-eighth
year of his age. He was a farmer throughout life, an industrious, unpretentious
one, reasonably successful and well respected for his abilities and success as
such. He was three times married and was the father of four children, only one
of whom now survives, the subject of this sketch. His first two children were daughters,
the result of his first marriage. They both reached
maturity, were married and at their deaths left children surviving them. The
second two children were sons, born to the second marriage. The elder of these,
Milton E., was for many years a citizen of Delaware county and
died here in 1870, leaving a family, some of whom are now among Delaware county's best citizens. The younger
son is our subject. The second wife's maiden name was Rhoda Crouch, who was a
native of Indiana and died when our subject was an infant.
Chauncy
W. Mead was reared mainly in St. Joseph county, Ind., being eighteen years old
when he left there to accompany his father to this state. He was brought up on
the farm, and has followed farming and other pursuits connected with farming
all his life. In earlier years, on coming to this county, he was engaged
exclusively in agricultural pursuits, later he branched out somewhat into
stock-raising as his means would allow, and as that industry became profitable
and still later he engaged in the dairying business. He now has a good farm lying
on Honey creek, about three miles north and east of Manchester, and a creamery also in the same vicinity.
He has turned his farm over in a general way to his sons, giving his personal
attention to his creamery interests. His creamery was among the first in the
county, and was originally built as a partnership establishment and started on
a limited scale. It has grown steadily from the beginning and in recent years
has passed into Mr. Mead's hands as sole owner. To this and his other pursuits
of a private nature, Mr. Mead gives his entire time, and the success he has met
with, reasonable in amount, has been due to this fact. He has never taken any
part in public matters, but has filled the usual number of local offices, and
has been identified in a general way with the best interests, industrial,
social and otherwise, of the community where he lives.
Mr. Mead
married, July 29, 1860, taking to wife a young lady of Delaware county, Miss
Ruth A. Eaton, a daughter of Edmund and Ruth Eaton, natives of Allegany county,
N. Y., in which county, in the town of Cuba, Mrs. Mead was born, February 24,
1843, coming to Delaware county with her parents when she was a girl about
thirteen years old. After Mrs. Mead's parents moved to Delaware county they
resided here until their deaths, the father dying in 1869, at the age of
fifty-five, and the mother in September, 1881, aged sixty-eight.
Mrs. Mead
is one of a family of five children, all of whom reached maturity and are now
living. The eldest, Helen, is the widow of Frank Wilcox, a former patriotic
citizen of Delaware county,
who gave up his life on the battle-field for the preservation of the Union. The next, Carrie A., is the wife
of Hassell Munson, of Delaware county.
Then, in the order of their ages, come Mrs. Mead, and following her Mary F wife
of J. F. Gates, of Hebron, Nebr., and Charles E., now residing in Montana.Mr. and Mrs. Mead have had born to them a family of
six children. Their eldest, Rhoda E., was born May 20,
1861, and
died unmarried December 8, 1879. Franklin A. was born June
24, 1863,
and May 2, 1888, married Lillie Skelley. William
D. was born August 25, 1865, and November
20, 1889, married
Mary Snider. Cora B. was born May 9, 1870, and died February
2, 1871.
Carrie May was born October 16, 1871; and Charles D. was born November
14, 1877.
While it is
true, as already stated, that Mr. Mead has never taken an active interest in
partisan politics, he nevertheless has kept up with the political discussions
of the day, and like every intelligent man, has his preferences as to public
men and measures, giving expression to these as occasion may demand. He has
always affiliated with the republican party, and is
been a stanch supporter of its principles. Being a man of quiet habits and
strict views on the subject of the liquor traffic, he cheerfully gave his
support to the cause of prohibition when that was an issue in politics in Delaware county.
Mr. Mead is also a member of the Modern
Woodmen of America and of the Iowa Legion of Honor, in each of which fraternities
he takes much interest, not only in their secret workings, but in the broad and
benevolent purposes on which they are founded. He has shown great zeal in his
advocacy and support of local organizations looking to the improvement of the
condition of agriculture, aiding these by all reasonable means, believing, as
others do, that on agricultural and kindred pursuits depends the entire welfare
of the county. Mr. Mead is large of stature, is of a kindly disposition, warm in
his friendships, charitable towards the needy, and sympathetic towards the
suffering. He possesses very liberal views in matters of religion, and, indeed,
in all other matters, giving a hearty reception to the thoughts of others, and
according cheerfully to others all that he claims in
this respect for himself.
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