Untitled
Surnames: Wills, Morely, Kittoe, Lukey, James, Thomas, Brandon, Oatey, Rindlaub
From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin, publ. 1901 - page 62-63
JAMES JEFFERY, one of the prominent business men of Georgetown, Grant county, who is also the popular and accommodating postmaster at that place, was born in Cornwall, England, Jan. 29, 1842. His parents, Francis and Emma (WILLS) JEFFERY, were born in England, the former in 1810, and the latter in 1816. In 1848 the JEFFERY family came to Wisconsin, and settled at Hazel Green, where Mr. JEFFERY engaged in lead mining. In 1849 he migrated to California, where he worked in the gold mines for two years, and being fairly successful, on his return bought a farm in Lafayette county, near Benton, where his son Thomas now resides. Until within a few years prior to his death Mr. JEFFERY followed an agricultural life. He then moved to Jefferson, where he lived retired, dying in 1880, his wife surviving until 1899. Both were consistent members of the M. E. Church, in the work of which Mr. JEFFERY took a leading part. Politically he was a stanch Republican all his life, and held a number of local offices in the town of Benton, where he was a popular and leading man, although the town was strongly Democratic. Mr. and Mrs. Francis JEFFERY reared a family of seven sons and one daughter, our subject being the eldest. William, born in Cornwall, England, in 1844, grew up on the farm, married Emma MORLEY, of Lafayette county, and has one daughter; he resides in Hazel Green, where he is engaged in dealing in agricultural implements; he was a soldier in the Civil war. Francis, born in Cornwall in 1845, grew up in Lafayette county, married in Colorado, where he now resides, a successful miner, and has one daughter, Stella. T. J., born in Lafayette county in 1847, married Elizabeth KITTOE, and resides on the old homestead, which he owns; he has three children, Edwin, John and May. George, born in Lafayette county, in 1849, married Charlotte LUKEY, of Hazel Green, where he died in 1898, leaving three children, Frank, Charlotte and Maud. Emily, born in Lafayette county in 1850, is the wife of John R. JAMES, of Hazel Green, and has two children, Lottie A. and Henry. Edwin, born in 1851, was educated in a business college of Dubuque, and when still a young man entered the employ of the Marquette & Mackinac Railway Co., of Michigan; in a short time he was promoted to the position of auditor of this road, but his health failing he removed to Colorado, where he died Jan. 6, 1888, regretted by his employers and all who knew him. Joseph P., born in Lafayette county in 1853, went to Michigan, and engaged in hotel-keeping in the Iron Mountains there until one year ago, when he moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The early education of James JEFFERY, our subject, was obtained in the district schools in Benton, Wis., where he remained on his father's farm until the age of twenty-one. About this time he was engaged as a clerk in the store of William THOMAS, at the "12-Mile House" in Grant county, remaining four years, and finally becoming a partner with Mr. THOMAS. Coming to Georgetown, our subject entered into a partnership with Joseph BRANDON, in the mercantile business, the latter retiring in 1883. Mr. JEFFERY has continued the business up to the present time.
In December, 1869, our subject was married to Miss Alice OATEY, the estimable daughter of William and Jane (THOMAS) OATEY, old and prominent residents of Jo Daviess Co., Ill., where they remained until their deaths. Mrs. JEFFERY was born in England Nov. 20, 1847, and was educated in Illinois. She and her brother Samuel, who lives in Franklin county, Iowa, are the only survivors of a family of eight children. John R., the oldest brother of Mrs. JEFFERY, was a corporal in Company F, 96th I.V.I., and was killed at the battle of Chickamauga, on Sept. 20, 1863. To Mr. and Mrs. JEFFERY have been born two sons: William T., born in October, 1870, was educated at the Platteville Normal school, and was graduated at a Dubuque business college. He married Miss Addie STEVENS, of Cuba City, and now resides in Hampton, Iowa, where he is engaged in a store. G. L., born in Georgetown Oct. 22, 1872, was a student of the home schools until seventeen years of age, when he entered Mr. RINDLAUB's printing office in Platteville, learned the printer's trade, and is now a compositor in the government office at Washington, D.C., where he holds a responsible position.
Politically Mr. JEFFERY has always been identified with the Republican party, and he has held a number of local offices in the town; he is at the time of this writing a member of the town board, and has been a member of the school board. In 1875 he was elected to represent his district in the Legislature, where he served with satisfaction to his constituents. Mr. JEFFERY's services have been recognized by his appointment as postmaster, which position he now holds. Mr. JEFFERY stands high among the people of Grant county, where he ha been well known for many years, and commands the respect of all the citizens, irrespective of party. Socially he is a charter member of Masonic Lodge No. 185, Georgetown, of which he has been secretary some ten years. His wife is a member of the M. E. Church, of which they are cheerful supporters.
This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck