Percy Wilson Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 959-960

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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PERCY WILSON, one of the pioneer settlers of Hand county, and a 
successful agriculturist and sheep raiser, is one of the extensive land 
owners of this section of the state. His home is located on section 4 
in Greenleaf township. 

Mr. Wilson was born in Marion county, West Virginia, March 13, 1830, 
the son of William and Rachel (Lynch) Wilson, both natives of Virginia. 
His father was a farmer by occupation and one of the first settlers of 
Marion county, where he resided until his death. Our subject is the 
only one of twelve children, nine sons and three daughters, who resides 
in Dakota. He was reared and educated in West Virginia and there 
enraged in farming and stock raising, confining himself to sheep 
culture until 1874, when he removed to Seneca county, Ohio, engaging in 
the same vocation until he went to Dakota in 1882, where he resumed his 
former occupation. He was the first settler in Greenleaf township, and 
he and his sons now own eight quarter-sections of land, and deal 
extensively in sheep and cattle, choosing the Shropshire breed. His 
judgment in this line is of the best and he was chosen sheep inspector 
for that district, his lifelong experience aiding him in obtaining the 
most pleasing results. 

Our subject was married in 1849 to Louisa Davis, a native of West 
Virginia, and daughter of John W. and Cynthia (Lancaster) Davis. Eight 
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, as follows: Elmer, 
Allie O., now Mrs. Howard Parker; John F., who married Eva Woolworth, 
and has a daughter, Goldie M.; Fannie L., now Mrs. L. Klodt; Charles 
L., Rose A., now Mrs. I. J. Hopkins; Wanda, now Mrs. Charles Stoddard; 
Earnest H., the leading dentist of Miller, South Dakota. 

Our subject and wife are members of the Congregational church of 
Greenleaf township, of which Mr. Wilson was one of the founders and 
builders, and is one of the deacons. He has always taken an active 
interest in educational matters, and for several years was a member of 
the township school board. In political sentiment he is a Democrat.