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From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette Wisconsin, publ. 1901- age 909-910
JOSEPH PINCH (deceased). One of the prominent and successful men who assisted materially in the development of Smelser township, Grant county, was Joseph PINCH, who passed out of life in January, 1891, when he had reached his sixty-fourth birthday. He was born in Cornwall, England, in January, 1827, a son of Joseph and Nancy PINCH, both of whom were reared in England, where the former died. The mother decided to remove to America, and with her six children took passage and finally located in Grant county, Wis., in 1849, where she remained until her demise. The family is not a large one now, two daughters dying in New Jersey, where the widowed mother first located, two (Elizabeth and Maria) in Wisconsin, and Elias, the survivor, lives in Iowa.
Joseph PINCH was reared in his English home, and was given educational opportunism there, and in 1851 married Miss Ann JANE, who was born in 1829, a daughter of Thomas and Nancy (KNIGHT) JANE, who were residents of England until 1868, when they came to America and settled in Galena, Ill., where they made their home until they died, some years ago, leaving Mrs. PINCH as the only survivor of the family. After our subject came to America he settled on a farm at Dover, N.J., in that State. In 1852 he removed to Cherry Valley, Ill., making the trip by rail and boat, with teams and wagon, thus taking all means of travel at that time possible. Mr. PINCH later moved to Jamestown, Wis., and bought a farm and improved it, upon which his family lived for fourteen years, until he purchased his farm in Smelser township, where he resided until his death. This event called forth many expressions of sorrow and regret form the whole community, for Mr. PINCH had lived a life of honesty, industry and good works and was highly esteemed. Religiously Mr. PINCH was a member of the M. E. Church, and had been since boyhood, always taking an active part in the religious work in his neighborhood. Politically he was identified with the Republican party. To himself and wife were born: John, born in New Jersey in 1852; Anneta, born in Grant county in 1854, married James JANE, of Idaho Springs, Colo., and has four children, Frederick, Albert, Mable, and James; Marqueta, born in Grant county in 1857, married William KETTO, and went to Colorado, where she died in 1889, leaving seven children, William, Walter, Joseph, Frank, and Harry (twins), Jennie, and Millie, who are residents in the home of their grandmother; Joseph, a farmer here, born in 1862, married a Miss HEIL, of Smelser, and has six children, Frederick, Frank, Henry, Elmer, Bessie, and Estella; Jennie, born in 1867, married Sylvester FLORINE, a mining engineer of Smelser, and has four children, Walter, James, Lillie and Etta; and James, born in 1872, married Estella FINNIGAN, and resides on the home farm in Smelser.
The widow of our subject resides among her children and old friends enjoying the comforts provided by her husband during life, and is known throughout the community, as a lady deserving the sincere affection and respect which she inspires. For very many years she has been a consistent member of the M. E. Church, and is one of the leading spirits in charitable work, within the circle she is able to reach. The family is respected, and none in Grant county are more highly entitled to it than the children of the late lamented Joseph PINCH.
This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck