Farmer, James P., Long Beach, Los Angeles County, CA
Submitted by Floyd Farrar on behalf of Raymond Jackson from Bedford PA.
18 Sep 2004

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Obituary
James P. Farmer, aged 78, passed away Tuesday evening, May 8, at his home, 
274 Obispo Avenue, Long Beach, Cal. Surviving members of the family are the 
widow and two daughters, Mrs. Harry Elliott of Los Angeles and Mrs. Myrtle 
Collins of Long Beach. He came to California seventeen months ago from 
Sherburne, Minnesota, where he went as a pioneer after the Civil War, and 
where he served nearly four years, enlisting in May, 1861, in Co. B, 59th 
Volunteer Infantry, and later in Co. F, 1st New York Veteran Cavalry. He was 
married to Miss Celestine M. Bailey on June 21, 1869.


BIO
James Farmer

Pioneer merchant of Sherburne, Minnesota, was born in Redfield, Oswego County, 
New York. At the age of 12, he and his family moved back to Jefferson County, 
New York where he remained at home with his parents until the outbreak of the 
Civil War. He enlisted from Adams, New York in August 24, 1861, in company B, 
59th New York Volunteer Infantry. He mustered in Sept. 2, 1861 for three years 
in New York.  Company descriptive book gives age 23, height 5’ 6 1/2” tall, 
complexion light, eyes blue; hair dark; occupation farmer. He was actively 
engaged in the battles of South Mountain, Malvern Hill, Second Bull Run, and 
Antietam. He was wounded Sept 17th, 1862 at Antietam in the left hand by a ball, 
the second finger being lost. This necessitated his doing hospital service for a 
time, and 24 January 1863, he received an honorable discharge and mustered out 
from the hospital at Baltimore, MD, and returned to his New York home. The 
following August he enlisted in company F, First New York Veteran Cavalry, and 
began service immediately in Maryland and the Shenandoah Valley.  Among the many 
engagements in which he participated before the close of the war were the battles 
of Piedmont and Winchester.  He was finally mustered out of the service at 
Charleston, West Virginia and discharged at Rochester, New York in August 1865.

The war over, he visited home again for a short time and in January 1866, in 
company with an old army friend, W. B. Stedman, set out for the West. Reaching 
Owatonna, Steele County, Minnesota, they stopped and worked for wages until the 
following April.  It should be noted that his first cousins, Samuel W. Farmer 
and Amasa Farmer and D’Esting Farmer, sons of his uncle Phillip, were already 
living in Owatonna and he likely stayed with them during this time. James then 
moved west to Teneassen, Martin County, Minnesota and with his friend opened a 
small store. Two years later he purchased his partner’s interest and continued 
merchandising there till 1871. The following year he moved his business to 
Owatonna, but returned a year later to Teneassen and continued to do business 
until 1879, when he moved to Sherburne and opened the first store there.  

On June 21, 1869, he married Miss Clestine Bailey, daughter of Henry Bailey of 
Jefferson County, New York. While at Teneassen, James served as Postmaster for 
ten years and was later the first Postmaster of Sherburne. He was a republican 
and attended the Congregational Church.