*

CONTRIBUTED BY JIM ALBANESE
As promised, here's a rather boring profile of my great-great grandpa Benedict Houvenagle that appeared in a book about prominent people in Muscatine County, published around 1885.
 

BENEDICT HOUVENAGLE

BENEDICT HOUVENAGLE (or Houvenaghel) , a prominent and influential farmer of Montpelier Township, residing on seciton 2, was born in Belgium on the 4th of May, 1815, and was the seventh in order of birth of a family of eight children, who were as follows: Catherine, Martin, Carletta, Louis, John, Charles, Benedict and Seighbring.

 Benedict spent the days of his boyhood in his native land, but on attaining his majority left the parental roof to make his own way in the world. Going to Lisle (Lille), France, he was there employed as head hostler in a livery stable for about your years, after which time, in 1844, he became a resident of Paris, where he was engaged as a driver of an omnibus, receiving only sixty cents per day as compensation for arduous labors.

 Continuing in that employment until 1852, he then removed to Bordeaux, in the south of France, where he then drove a stage for about four months.

 Thinking he could better his fortune inthe New World, on the 19th of April, 1854, he sailed for America, reaching the harbor of New Orleans May 25, after being thirty-six days on the water. He at once took a steamer for Davenport, Iowa, arriving in that city on June 11, but after a short residence came to Muscatine County, where he has since continued to reside.

 In 1866 he reoved to his present home on section 2, Montpelier Township, where he now owns eighty acres of fine land, which pays tribute to his care and cultivation.

 On the 11th of October, 1855, Mr. Houvenagle was united in marriage with Percy Deanna*, a native of Virginia, and six children graced their union, five of whom are yet living: George, the eldest born in 1856, married Belle Chatterton** , and to them have been born two sons and daughter; he is engaged in farming in Montpelier Township. Louis, born in 1859, wedded Tima (Fatima) Berryman***and they have one child; Frank born in 1862 is the husband of Martha Franklin, and resides in Black Oak, Scott County; Charles, born July 14, 1863, resides at home and has the management of his father's home; Roxalema, born in 1865, is the wife of Henry Drumm, a farmer of Wilton Township, and to them have been born two children; Steven for in February, 1869, died in 1884, and was laid to rest in Blue Grass Cemetery.

 Politically, Mr. Houvenagle has always been a staunch supporter of the Republican Party, and is numbered among Muscatine County's best citizens. His life has been one of industry, and, though beginning life's battle in limited circumstances, his perserverance and enterprise have gained him a comfortable competency, and he is numbered among the well-do-do farmers of Montpelier Township.

 During his long residence of thirty-five years in this community he has witnessed almost the entire growth of Muscatine County, and in the work of transformaton has borne a prominent part.
 

#######################
 

NOTES: * sic. Correct name is Deanna or Dianna Percy
** Harriet Isabell Chatterton, my great-grandparents
*** sic. Correct surname is Berriman

My Muscatine kinfolk
by Jim Albanese
683 Park St.
Salinas, Calif. 93901-1352
[email protected]

Here are my direct ancestral lines which passed through Muscatine, Iowa at one point or another.

 PURCELL LINE
(Note: There is at least one other totally distinct Purcell family. The patriarch, Michael Purcell is said to have come to Muscatine directly from Ireland. He also was a Union Army veteran.)

 1. David PURCELL b. Aug. 1660 in England, d. 1692 in Richmond Co., Virginia. Spouse: Belinda BRAITHWAITE (1665-1730).
2. William PURCELL b. 1688 in Rappahannock Co., Virginia, d. 1745 in Prince William Co., Virginia. Spouse: Jane GLASCOCK (1700-1770).
3. William PURCELL b. 1720 in Prince William Co., Virginia, d. 1785 in Prince William Co., Virginia. Spouse: Sarah DOWELL (1730-1800).
4. George PURCELL b. 1750 in Prince William Co., Virginia, d. 1804 in Maysville, Kentucky. Spouse: Margaret (Peggy) RANDOLPH (1763-April 19, 1854).
5.Alfred PURCELL b. 1804 in Maysville, Kentucky, d. Dec. 16, 1878 in Muscatine, Iowa. Spouse: Elizabeth PARVIN (1821-March 8, 1914 in ____
6. Charles PURCELL b. 1848 in Muscatine, Iowa, d. 1918 in Bolivar, Missouri.Spouse: Ida Connor, b. Oct. 11, 1855 in Muscatine, Iowa, d. April 1, 1932 in Bolivar, Missouri.
7. Aden Louis PURCELL b. July 13, 1884 in Muscatine, Iowa, d. April 13, 1977 in Modesto, California; Spouse: Minnie Irene HOUVENAGLE, b. Nov. 12, 1886 in Muscatine, Iowa; d. Aug. 22, 1936 in Salinas, California.
8. Lois Blanch PURCELL, b. Feb. 3, 1917, in Custer City, Oklahoma; spouse: Robert Ray Turner, b. Aug. 3, 1914 in Lavaca, Arkansas.
9. Jimmy Dale TURNER, b. July 23, 1948 in Salinas, California. (Adopted in 1955 by Albanese family; name changed to James Anthony ALBANESE); Spouse: Christine MITCHELL, b. June 10, 1949 in Salinas, California.
10. Brandon C. ALBANESE, b. Jan. 4, 1977 in Portland, Oregon.

PARVIN LINE

 1. John PARVIN, b. 1604 in Morton-on-Swale, Yorkshire, England, d. 1670; Spouse: unknown.
2. Francis PARVIN b. 1626 Foxton, Northallerton, Yorkshire, England; d. 1690 in Dublin, Ireland; Spouse: Margaret SIMPSON (1630-1720).
3. Thomas PARVIN (March 25, 1663 Hornby, Great Smeaton, Yorkshire, England, d. Aug. 28, 1743 in Fairton, New Jersey; Spouse: Rebecca PARVIN (1675-1740).
4. Josiah PARVIN (1700-1761). Spouse: Susanna HOLMES (1705-1770).
5. Josiah PARVIN b. 1734 in Cumberland County, New Jersey; Spouse: Sarah STRATTON (1735-1805).
6. Daniel PARVIN b. Jan. 10, 1770 in Hopewell Township, New Jersey, d. March 13, 1857 in Fairfield Township, New Jersey; Spouse Elizabeth SUTTON (1774-1859).
7. William PARVIN b. Oct. 19, 1797 in New Jersey, d. Dec. 13, 1882 in Muscatine, Iowa; Spouse: Hannah Wescott b. Feb.21, 1797 in New Jersey, d. March 10, 1882 in Muscatine, Iowa.
8. Elizabeth PARVIN (See PURCELL line, No. 5)

CONNOR LINE

 1. Hezekiah CONNOR (1790-1855); spouse: Rhoda BULL (1795-1860)
2. George W. CONNOR b. 1826 in Orange County, New York, d. Feb. 18, 1886 in Muscatine, Iowa. Spouse: Melina A. CONNOR b. 1827 in Orange County, New York, d. Nov. 17, 1885 in Muscatine, Iowa.
3. Ida CONNOR (See PURCELL line, No. 6)

HOUVENAGLE LINE

 1. Benedict HOUVENAGLE b. May 4, 1815 in Belgium, d. July 15, 1894 in Montpelier, Iowa; Spouse: Deanna PERCY b. 1836 in Virginia, d. Sept. 22, 1891 in Montpelier, Iowa.
2. George HOUVENAGLE b. Nov. 7, 1854 in Montpelier, Iowa, d. March 15, 1922 in Bloomington, Iowa; Spouse: Harriet Isabell (Belle) CHATTERTON, b. June 22, 1853 in Muscatine, Iowa; d. Feb.19, 1906 in Bloomington, Iowa.
3. Minnie HOUVENAGLE (See PURCELL line, No. 7)

CHATTERTON LINE

 1. Thomas CHATTERTON b. May 16, 1783 in New York, d. July 24, 1867 in Scott County, Iowa; Spouse: Catherine QUETTE b. April 7, 1790 in New York, d. Jan. 23, 1865 in Scott County, Iowa.
2. John M. CHATTERTON, b. 1818 in New York City, d. Nov. 3, 1894 in Blue Grass, Iowa; Spouse: Eliza WILLIAMS b. June 18, 1833 in New York; d. Feb. 12, 1900 in Blue Grass, Iowa.
3. Harriet Isabell (Belle) CHATTERTON (See HOUVENAGLE line, No. 2)

OTHER SURNAMES

 In addition to aunts, uncles and cousins in the lines mentioned above, I have numerous other cousins and relatives in the general Muscatine area. Here are the surnames if you'd like to take a look:

 BEIL, BERRIMAN, CAMPAIN, DOTY, DRUMM, EIGHME, FREERS, GABBERT, HETZLER, HOLMES, KRANTZ, LONGFELLOW, MEEKS, MIDDLETON, MILLER, NASH, PETERSON, RIPLEY, RUGGLES, SCHMIDT, SHOEMAKER, STRETCH, TOUSSAINT, WACHS, WEIERSHAUSER.

For more info, e-mail me: [email protected]
 

BACK to Muscatine County Pioneers Page

 Last updated : 05 May 2000