Bio of Underwood, Joseph Merritt (b.1845) Wabasha Co., MN
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Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm and Carol Judge
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This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1884.
Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab1.htm
There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some 
of the bios on her pages.

Underwood, Joseph Merritt, of the Jewell Nursery Co., was born in Wayne
county, New York, November 10, 1845, and is a son of Daniel and Chloe
(Durfee) Underwood, natives of the State of New York. In 1854 his parents
removed to Illinois, and settled on a farm near Morris in Grundy county,
where he passed from childhood to manhood under the influences of good
educational as well industrial advantages. He came to Lake City in 1868
with his brother-in-law, Dr. P. A. Jewell, who about that time started in
the nursery business, which was superintended by Mr. Underwood up to the
time of the doctor's death, in 1878, when it became the property of the
superintendent. In this business enterprise Mr. Underwood has demonstrated
a higher order of intelligence and executive ability than is usually found
among the business men of the time. To him is largely due the credit of
building up to its present prosperous standing the "Jewell Nursery," and
to his strict business principles and honest integrity is due his high
standing among his fellow men. He was married May 4, 1871, at Winona,
Minnesota, to Miss Anna B. Sargeant, a daughter of M. Wheeler Sargeant,
prominently connected with and well known in the early settlement of
Winona. She was born in Hampton, New York, December 9, 1847. They have but
one child living, Roy, born August 15, 1867 (?). Mr. Underwood's parents
sold their farm in Illinois in 1873, and came to Lake City, where the
former died in 1881, aged seventy-nine years. The latter, though feeble in
health, is in the seventy-sixth year of her age, and is tenderly cared for
by her son above named.