Joseph J. Volin Biography


	This biography appears on page 637 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	JOSEPH J. VOLIN .- With the pioneer conditions of South Dakota 
Joseph J. Volin is entirely familiar and he has been an important 
factor in the upbuilding and development of Yankton county. He was born 
near Montreal, Canada on the 17th of December, 1838, and is a son of 
Charles and Mary (Bornier) Volin, who were also natives of the 
Dominion, where the father was engaged in farming in early life. In 
1848 he removed with his family to Dubuque county, Iowa, and bought 
forty acres of land near the city of Dubuque, making his home there 
until called to his final rest at the age of fifty-two years. 
Throughout his active business life he continued to engage in general 
farming. Politically he affiliated with the Democratic party and 
religiously was a communicant of the Catholic church. In his family 
were thirteen children, seven of whom are still living.  

	During his boyhood Joseph J. Volin accompanied his parents on 
their removal to Dubuque county, Iowa, and there grew to manhood. In 
1866 he married Miss Amanda Taylor, a daughter of Lamb and Margaret 
(Cornell) Taylor, whose early home was in North Carolina. Leaving there 
in 1853, when Mrs. Volin was quite young, Mr. Taylor and his family 
came north and settled in Decatur county, Iowa, where he resided until 
1865, which year witnessed his arrival in Vermilion, Clay county, South 
Dakota. He, too, was a farmer by occupation. His death occurred in 
1873, and his wife died in 1880. They had twelve children and six of 
the number are still living. Both he and his wife were earnest members 
of the Methodist Episcopal church and in politics he was a Democrat. 
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Volin have been born eight children, as follows: 
Mary, now the wife of Charles Devoe, a farmer; Gertrude, deceased; 
Hattie, the wife of Samuel Good. a farmer; Estella, the wife of George 
Hanney, also a farmer; Nellie, the wife of James Devine, a farmer; and 
Edward, Lyda and Ray, all at home. The children have been provided with 
good educational privileges, all attending the common schools, and Ray 
is now a student at Yankton College.  

	Mr. Volin is now the owner of a fine farm of four hundred acres, 
all under cultivation, though his early life here was fraught with many 
hardships. For twelve years he lived in a dirt house, his present 
comfortable frame residence being erected in 1880. For four years the 
grasshoppers destroyed nearly all his crops, and in 1881 and 1882 he 
lost over one thousand dollars in the damage by the floods, but he has 
steadily overcome all obstacles in the path to success and is now a 
prosperous and substantial farmer. In 1873 he helped to organize the 
first school in his district, which was conducted in a log house for 
five years, and for twenty years he most efficiently and satisfactorily 
served as school trustee. He generally supports the men and measures of 
the Democratic party but at local elections votes for the candidates 
whom he believes best qualified for office regardless of party ties. 
Religiously he is an active member of the Congregational church and is 
held in high regard by all who know him.