Union County, SD Biographies.....Dais, Theodorus January 11, 1836 - 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 February 13, 2022, 4:14 pm

Source: MEMORIAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD OF Turner, Lincoln, Union and Clay Counties, South Dakota. (1897)
Author: Geo. Ogle & Co.

THEODORUS DAVIS, one of the well-to-do and enterprising farmers of the southern part
of Union county, whose well improved farm is situated in section 5, of Civil Bend
township, is a native of Macoupin, Co., Ills., and was born January 11, 1836. He is
a son of Beden and Mary (Hodges) Davis, the latter a daughter of Seth Hodges, who at
one time owned the land on which the city of Carrollton, Ills., now stands. Shortly
after their marriage they moved to Illinois, and in 1836 went to Iowa, settling in
Van Buren county, where they resided for seventeen years. From Iowa they went to
Texas, where they spent one year, and then located near Gallatin, Mo., in Daviess
county. There Mrs. Davis passed away, and Mr. Davis subsequently came to live with
his son, the subject of this sketch, in Dakota, where he also died in 1891. They
were the parents of eleven children, six of whom are still living, viz.: Seth,
Theodorus, Sarah Jane Griffith, Thomas, Beden and John.

Theodorus was raised a farmer, his father being engaged in that occupation, and
remained with his parents until he attained his majority. In May, 1856, he was
united in marriage to Miss Sarah Ann James, a native of Johnson county, Mo., where
she was born April 3, 1837. She was a daughter of Jeremiah and Eliza (Turner) James,
both natives of Tennessee, who settled in Johnson county, Mo., at a very early date,
and one of a family of ten children, nine of whom are alive, viz.: Calvin, Rail,
David, Miller, Alvis, Rachel Ray, Sarah Ann Davis, Berilla Barker, and Catherine
Hale. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Davis continued to reside in Daviess county
till the war, when Mr. Davis, and four of his brothers - Seth, Thomas, Beden, and
William - enlisted, all of whom subsequently returned home when the war was over.
Our subject became a member of company F, Col. Hale’s regiment, Missouri militia,
and was assigned to guard duty on the Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad. He served till
the expiration of his term in 1864, when he returned to Daviess county, Mo., and in
October of the same year came with his family to Union county, Dak. Ter., locating
on a homestead of 160 acres, where he still resides. When he arrived in Union county
settlers were very scarce, and no improvements of any kind had yet been made. During
the first seven years of his residence he saw some pretty hard times, the
grasshoppers ruining his crops and destroying the fruits of his labor; but he was
equal to the emergency and kept steadily on. Mr. Davis is engaged exclusively in
general farming and stock raising, and owns, or has an interest in 590 acres of fine
land. He has taken an active interest in the development of the locality, and
heartily supports any measure which tends to result to the public good. Much of his
time also has been given to school matters, and he has been treasurer of the school
district for ten years. Politically he is a Republican] anti cast his first vote for
President Lincoln in Daviess county, Mo. He has never interested himself actively in
politics, school positions and road overseer being the only public offices he ever
held.

Mr. and Mrs. Davis have been blessed with a family of eleven children, eight of whom
still survive, viz.: Eliza, the wife of S. Eslick, of Elk Point township; Thomas
married Hattie Lilly and resides in Union county; George W. married Lizzie Eslick,
and lives in Nebraska; Laura Belle, wife of Thomas Eslick, a resident of Union
county; Jeremiah B. married Anna Cowell, and resides in Union county; Alpha O., wife
of John Yusten, of Civil Bend township; Martha Ann, wife of William Will, resides in
North Dakota; and Dorisa Ann, wife of Robert E. LeGro, lives in Union county.


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