Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....DeLair, David 1848 - living in 1917 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ks/ksfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com July 21, 2005, 6:10 pm Author: B. F. Bowen DAVID DELAIR. The Dominion of Canada has given to the United States some of her best citizens and most progressive men, who have come to this country where they have met with singular success and have become recognized as among the progressive and substantial people of the community in which they located. The greater number of these people who left their native clime, to seek a home in a new country, came with the determination to make good, and obtain a home worthy of the name, for themselves and those dependent upon them. With this determination and the inborn spirit to succeed these people are today among the substantial and influential residents of the various states of the Union. Among the number who were natives of Canada and later came to Kansas, is David DeLair, who came to the United States when a young man, and has risen to a place of influence and prominence. He was born in Haldimand county, Ontario, Canada, on March 16, 1848, and is the son of John and Rachel (Hodge) DeLair. John and Rachel DeLair were natives of Canada, the former having been born on April 29, 1799. and the latter on March 26, 1800. John DeLair was the son of French parents, who came to Canada. Rachel's forefathers were of New England descent. Mr. and Mrs. DeLair received their education in the schools of Canada and there they grew up and were later married. To them were born the following children: Edmund, whose birth occurred on April 11, 1830; Mary, who was born on March 31, 1831; Francis, July 22, 1832; Samuel, September 13, 1834; Peter, February 4, 1837; Matilda, May 24, 1839; Nancy, April 5, 1841; Jane, born in 1845; David, March 16, 1848, and Clement, August 20, 1849. Of these children all are now deceased with the exceptions of Nancy, Jane and David. Samuel died in 1865; Matilda Kronk died at Tacoma, Washington, and Clement died in the mountains of Colorado. Nancy Williams lives at Tacoma, Washington; Jane Murdy is a resident of Dunville, Canada. Mr. and Mrs. DeLair were highly respected people and were of the farming class in their native country, where they lived their lives and where they were prominent in the social and the religious life of the community. David DeLair received his education in the schools of Canada and there grew to manhood. At the age of twenty, in 1868, he decided to seek a home in the United States. He at once came to Kansas and here he established himself on a homestead in section 18, Balderson township, Marshall county. He was accompanied to this country by his brother-in-law, Mr. Kronk, who also homesteaded in the township. Mr. DeLair for ten years lived by himself on his homestead, which he developed and improved, and where he met with much success on his new claim, in the pursuit of general farming and stock raising. In 1880 David DeLair was united in marriage to Margaret Cameron, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 18, 1848, the daughter of John and Margaret Cameron. Her father died in the native land. Mrs. DeLair received her education in New York City. She came over as a child and spent her younger days partly in Illinois and Nebraska. Some time after the death of the husband and father, the mother with her daughter and sons decided to come to the United States. They located in the city of New York, where they remained for some years, and in 1871 they left their home in that city and came first to Illinois and then to Nebraska, where they bought a homestead on Mission creek. There the mother made her home until the time of her death some years ago at the age of eighty-three years. To John and Margaret Cameron were born the following children: Robert, Ellen, John, James, Peter and Margaret. Robert died at the age of eighty-two years; Ellen Chapman died in the state of Massachusetts in 1916 at the age of eighty-two years; John died at the age of seventy-eight years: James departed this life at the age of seventy-six years, in Furnas county, Nebraska, and Peter lives on Mission creek, Nebraska. After having selected his claim to a homestead, Mr. DeLair at once proceeded to build for himself a cabin. He cut the logs for his house, on Indian creek. The building was twelve by fourteen feet and was boarded up and down, and in this he made his home during the time he developed his farm. In 1884 he disposed of his homestead and moved to Nebraska, where he lived for nine years, when he returned to Kansas and established his home on the farm, on section 17, Balderson township, this county, which he had purchased before he moved to Nebraska. On his return to the farm he made many additional improvements and put the farm under a high state of cultivation. Here he engaged in general farming and stock raising until December, 1915, when he retired from the activities of farm life and became a resident of Oketo. He is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land in Marshall county and one hundred and sixty acres in Stephens county, Oklahoma, and is today one of the substantial and highly respected citizens of the county. Mr. and Mrs. DeLair are the parents of four children. Lillie, the wife of C. J. Swanson, of Leadville, Colorado. She was born on May 31, 1881, and grew to womanhood on the home farm; Claude was born on December 4, 1883, and is on the home farm; Clyde, a twin of Claude, died at the age of seventeen years, and Russell, who was born on June 10, 1885, is a farmer of Wakefield, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. DeLair are active members of the Baptist church, and Mr. DeLair is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Additional Comments: Extracted from: History of Marshall County, Kansas: its people, industries, and institutions by Emma E. Forter Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co. (1917) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/marshall/bios/delair40bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ksfiles/ File size: 6.3 Kb