Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Harper, John F. 1858 - ************************************************ 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@yahoo.com May 31, 2007, 4:27 pm Author: Emma E. Forter (1917) JOHN F. HARPER. John F. Harper, a well-known and substantial farmer of Marshall county, an extensive landowner in Vermillion township, who formerly and for years was engaged in the grain business at Vermillion, but who for the past fifteen years or more has made his home on his well-kept farm in the township of that name, is a native of Virginia, but has been a resident of this county since the days of his' young manhood. He was born in that section of the Old Dominion which since the days of the Civil War has been known as West Virginia, October 3, 1858, son of Thomas and Margaret Jane (Ferguson) Harper, natives of Scotland, who became pioneers of Marshall county and here spent their last days. Both Thomas Harper and Margaret Jane Ferguson, though born in Scotland, were reared in the neighborhood of Belfast, in the north of Ireland, their respective parents having moved there during the days of their childhood, and there both were orphaned. When about sixteen years of age they both came to this country with kinsfolk and settled in New Jersey, not far from the city of Philadelphia, where they grew up and were married, later settling in western Virginia, where they lived until 1876, when they moved to the state of Illinois. Three years later, in 1879, they came to Kansas and located in Vermillion township, this county. There Thomas Harper bought a farm and there he made his home until 1890, when he retired from the farm and moved to the village of Vermillion, where his last days were spent, his death occurring in 1900, he then being seventy-six years of age. His widow survived him but two years, her death occurring in 1902, she then being seventy-eight years of age. They were the parents of five children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being as follow: Mrs. Elizabeth Hough, of Norton county, this state; Mrs. Howard Schaefer and Mrs. Isabelle Oliver (twins), the former of whom lives at Vermillion, this county, and the latter in Norton county, and Thomas, a substantial farmer, of the neighborhood southeast of Frankfort. John F. Harper was reared on a farm in West Virginia and was about eighteen years of age when his parents moved to Illinois. There he completed his schooling, attending school a couple of terms after going to that state, and was about twenty-one years of age when the family came to Kansas and settled in this county in 1879. Two years later, in 1881, he rented a tract of land and began farming, on his own account, at the same time engaging in the live-stock business at Vermillion, and was thus engaged for twenty years, at the end of which time he bought his present home farm of three hundred and twenty acres in Vermillion township and has since made his home there, he and his family being very comfortably and very pleasantly situated. In addition to the farm of three hundred and twenty acres here referred to, Mr. Harper is the owner of a farm of one hundred and ninety-eight acres north of there and is quite well circumstanced. Mr. Harper has been twice married. In 1883 ne was united in marriage to Hattie Dilley, who died in February, 1889, leaving two sons, Glenn and Harry, both of whom are now living at Caddoa, Colorado, the former being there engaged in the lumber business and the latter farming. On May 3, 1893, John F. Harper married, secondly, Rosa Crawford, who was born at Cottage Hill, in Jackson county, West Virginia, December 16, 1863, a daughter of James and Jane (Dudgeon) Crawford, the latter of whom died in 1874 and the former of whom, born in November, .1831, is still living in West Virginia. Rosa Crawford came to Kansas in October, 1888, and it was here that she first met Mr. Harper, whom she married in 1893. To this union three children have been born, Armour, who is now attending the Salina Business College; Mabel, a student at the State University at Lawrence, and Justin. The Harpers have a very pleasant home and take a proper part in the general social activities of their home community. Mr. Harper is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to political affairs, but has not been a seeker after office. He is a Mason, a member of the local lodge of that ancient order at Vermillion, and is also a member of the local lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America, in the affairs of both of which organizations he takes a warm and active interest. 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/harper538gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ksfiles/ File size: 5.2 Kb