Carroll County IN Archives Biographies.....Grantham, Joseph L. 1832 - 
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Author: John C. Odell (1916)

JOSEPH L. GRANTHAM.

   Joseph L. Grantham, a widely-known retired farmer of Delphi, Indiana, is the
scion of a prominent family of Carroll county. His father, John Grantham, was
judge of the probate court of Carroll county from 1842 to 1850. From his mother,
who was a native of Wales, Mr. Grantham has inherited perhaps his enterprise and
thrift, which have been important factors in his most successful career. Having
inherited a part of his father's farm of two hundred and sixty acres in Adams
township at the death of his father, on October 25, 1851, he purchased the
interest of the other heirs and still owns the old homestead, today one of the
most magnificent farms in Carroll county.

   Born in Carroll county, March 29, 1832, Joseph L. Grantham has been a
resident of the county all of his life. He was born in Deer Creek township about
four years after his father had emigrated to Carroll county from Virginia.
Having lived at home until twenty years old, he worked at farm work at thirteen
dollars a month for two years, saving his money and accumulating a good-sized
"nest-egg." In two years he not only had considerable money laid aside but also
had good clothes, which he had bought and paid for. In the meantime he had
purchased a two-year-old colt on credit, but he was soon able to pay for it and
later sold the colt for seventy-five dollars, making a profit of thirty-eight
dollars. He then bought another horse for seventy dollars and sold it for one
hundred and two dollars, making a profit of thirty-two dollars. This was Mr.
Grantham's start in life. Shortly afterward he began farming on the old home
place, to which he succeeded by inheritance, and purchase at his father's death
and was continuously engaged in farming until 1913, when he rented out the farm
and moved to Delphi, where he purchased a nice home.

   Mr. Grantham's parents were John and Sarah (Jeffries) Grantham. Judge John
Grantham was born in Berkeley county, Virginia, and his wife in Wales. The
father died on October 25, 1851, at the age of fifty-one, and the mother on
March 15, 1840. They were the parents of five children, William, deceased; Sarah
Ann, deceased, who married Simon Swalle; Joseph L., the subject of this sketch,
and two who died early in life.

   Mr. Grantham's paternal grandfather was the father of six children, Joseph,
Louis, John, Moses, Eliza and Polly. His maternal grandfather, who had come to
America from Wales, served in the Revolutionary War and was killed in the battle
of Bunker Hill, leaving two daughters, Sarah and Lydia, the former of whom was
Mr. Grantham's mother.

   On October 25, 1855, Joseph L. Grantham was married to Rachel A. Shaffer, the
daughter of George and Lorraine (Edmunds) Shaffer. Four children have been born
to this union, Emma Belle, Mary Ella, Lewis and Anna. Emma Belle died when a
little more than a year old. Mary Ella died in 1897 and was the wife of Wilson
Coble. Anna was born on March 25, 1865, and died on August 7, 1880. Lewis is a
well-to-do farmer and lives in Delphi. He married Elizabeth Million and has two
children, Luther and Wilbur. Mrs. Grantham was born on January 22, 1834, and
died on March 8, 1914, at the age of eighty years.

   Mr. and Mrs. Grantham lived together for fifty-eight years. They were both
members of the Church of God. Mrs. Grantham was a native of Carroll county,
having been born in Deer Creek township. Her parents had come to Ohio in pioneer
times.   They were the parents of eleven children, Lavina, Charlotte, Martin,
John, Rachel A., Sabina, George, Alonzo, Laura, James and one who died in infancy.

   Although Mr. Grantham is an ardent Democrat and has served as justice of the
peace for one term, he has never been an office seeker. As a matter of fact,
Joseph L. Grantham has been too busily occupied with the business of farming.
Moreover, he has been too keenly interested in home and domestic life and has
never especially cared for a public career. Today he is one of the most highly
respected citizens of Carroll county.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Biographical Section of
HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY INDIANA

ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS
BY
JOHN C ODELL
With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and
Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families

ILLUSTRATED
1916
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc.
Indianapolis, Indiana


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