David Stewart 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, 1898. Pages 430-433 Scan, OCR and editing by Joy Fisher, jfisher@sdgenweb.com, 1999. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm DAVID STEWART, one of Brookings county's most prominent and prosperous farmers, lives in section 22, Windsor township. He was born in New York City, September 7, 1841, of Irish parentage. His father, William Stewart, was born in 1804, at Bally Kelly, Ireland, and died March 14, 1856, at Chili, Monroe county. New York; and his wife, who bore the maiden name of Margaret Aull, was born February 4, 1816, at London Derry, Ireland, and died September 28, 1887, at Chili, Monroe county, New York. William Stewart was engaged in the shoe business in New York City when David was born, the third child in the order of birth of his family of ten children. Soon after, he located on a farm near Chili, Monroe county, and on this farm David made his home until the breaking out of the Civil war. On the 7th of November, 1861, he enlisted in Battery L, First New York Light Artillery, and served in that capacity until discharged in June, 1865. During this time Mr. Stewart was engaged in over twenty-five pitched battles and skirmishes, among them being: Gettysburg, Fredericksburg, Cold Harbor, Spottsylvania, Chancellorsville and the battles of the Wilderness. At the battle of Chancellorsville he received a scalp wound but it did not cause serious injury. After the close of hostilities he lived for a short time in Michigan and then in Illinois where he worked on a farm in Winnebago county. From thence he moved to Mitchell county, Iowa, and was there engaged in farming until 1879 when he moved to Brookings county, South Dakota, and filed a homestead claim to the southwest quarter of section 22, township 111, range 52. He has since added to his original quarter section by purchasing three hundred and twenty acres of farming land and now has the entire farm nearly all under cultivation. Mr. Stewart and his family are members of the Pleasant Valley church of Christ which was organized March 12, 1893, by Rev. George W. Elliott, with a membership of eighty persons. He is also a member of the Arlington Masonic lodge, and of the G. A. R., Devine post No.68, serving as commander of the latter during the year 1897. He takes a wholesome interest in local public affairs, is a Republican in politics and has held the offices of township treasurer two terms and of school treasurer one term. He is held in high esteem as an exemplary citizen and a man of high character and strict integrity. Mr. Stewart has been twice married; his first wife, who bore the maiden name of Miss Isabella Stuart, died within a year after her marriage. Mr. Stewart subsequently married Miss Mary J. Oliver, who was born October 9, 1853, and the family circle has been completed by the presence of ten children, viz: William A., born December 16, 1873; Robert D., February 13, 1876; Isabella M., Apri1 28, 1878; Margaret A., March 8, 1881; Sarah N., March 8, 1881; Alice W. M., January 18, 1883; George E., October 29, 1884; Nettie E., September 19, 1886; Irene E., October 14, 1889; and Harrison Blame, November 20, 1891.. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart are members of the Eastern Star and Mrs. Stewart is a member of the Woman's Relief Corps, at Arlington. A portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Stewart will be found on another page of this work.