Biographies from The History of Columbia County,
Wisconsin, 1880 


Contributed by Carol carolann612@charter.net
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm


From The History of Columbia County, Wisconsin, 1880,
publ. by Western Historical Company, Chicago, Page 939

ABSALOM BROWN (deceased), died at his residence in
Springvale, Columbia Co., Wis., March 23, 1880, 77
years old.  He was born in Cecil Co., Md., Nov. 5,
1803, being the third son of Josiah and Margaret
BROWN; six years after this, his father and finally
crossed the Susquehanna River into Harford Co., Md.,
where he bought a large tract of land lying between
Bellair and Abingdon, on the Baltimore road; his
father sickened and died in a few days after he went
there, leaving his mother and six children in a part
of the country poisoned with slavery; care and hard
work soon wore on his mother, and seven years after
his father's death, his mother died; Abaslom was then
put to the hatter's trade, and being misused, he left
there and went to Brown Co., Ohio, where he had
relatives, where he married, at 21 years of age, Miss
Abby, daughter of Tobias WOODS, of Allen Co, Ohio; she
was born Aug. 27, 1810, in Brown Co., Ohio, and died
June 6, 1874.  They had five daughters and one son, as
follows: Mary Ann (married Mr. LEATHERMAN), on Sec.
31; Josiah, born Oct. 7, 1828, and died in California
thirteen years ago (married there and lost his wife
and had no children); Maria M., born July 5, 1832,
(married Seth ALLEN, of Wyocena); Adaline M., born
Aug. 28, 1837 (widow, with one son, Howard STOKES),
and now on the farm; Martha Jane, born Oct. 4, 1840
(Now Mrs. Wm. STOKES); Elvira (unmarried), on farm
with her sister who is also sister-in-law.  Mr. BROWN
bought a farm in Brown Co., Ohio, and lived there a
few years; being an adventurous spirit, he sold his
farm and moved to Allen Co., Ohio, in a very early
day, where he helped lay out a town, built the first
house on it, and called its name Lima - it is the city
of Lima, Ohio, now; then, thinking he would like to
see more of the Far West he and his family, in the
year 1847, came by land with team to Wisconsin, where
he again bought a new farm.  His son went to
California and died there.  Mr. BROWN was a good
husband, a beloved farther and kind neighbor; always
benevolent, he was ever ready to help the poor; always
cheerful and happy, he had a good word for everybody,
and he died a sincere Christian.  His family reside on
the farm on Sec. 30; P.O. Rio.

Page 939-940

ROBERT CLOSS, farmer, Sec. 11; P.O. Cambria; was born
Feb. 4, 1803, at Llanberis, Carnarvonshire, North
Wales; son of Robert and Ellen (HUGHS) CLOSS.  (Robert
CLOSS, Sr., was born Nov. 12, 1766, and Ellen HUGHS
was born in 1769.)  He came to America in 1845, and
was married Feb. 10, 1832 at Llanbeblig Church, near
Carnarvonshrie, by Rev. Wm. Bailey WILLIAMS, to
Eleanor EVANS, who was born March 10, 1810, daughter
of Evan and Eleanor (EVANS) EVANS.  Eleanor EVANS was
born near Dinorwig, and died March 20, 1866, on Sec.
11; she had twelve children - Ellen, born Jan. 15,
1833 (and was married Feb. 10, 1860, by Rev. Griffith
JONES, to Wm. J. ROWLAND, who died in May 1864,
leaving three children, namely, John C. ROWLAND, born
in 1860, Nellie ROWLAND, born in 1861, and Mary
ROWLAND, born in 1863 and died in 1864; she was then
married, May 1, 1870 by Rev. Rees EVANS, to Robert
THOMAS, by whom she had one son, Llewellyn; see
biography of Robert THOMAS); the second daughter,
Elizabeth, was born Jan. 18, 1835, and is home
(unmarried); Robert R., born July 28, 1836; John, born
Sept. 13, 1838 (married Jane ROBERTS Jan. 6, 1871),
and living on Sec. 11; Humphrey, born July 20, 1840
(married Ellen HUGHS Nov. 27, 1867), and living at
Blue Springs, Neb.; Evan, born Nov 5, 1842, and died
at thirteen weeks of age; Jane, born Oct. 9, 1845, and
died the same year; Ann and Evan, twins, born April
17, 1847, Evan died in 1853, and Ann is now at home
(unmarried); Jemina Amelia, born Sept. 16, 1849
(unmarried); Thomas, born Dec. 16, 1851, and died at
nine months of age; Thomas Baldwin, born Sept. 3,
1854, and is at home (unmarried).  The CLOSS estate is
very productive and well managed, with one of the
finest residences in the town.  Mr. CLOSS was a whole-
souled, generous gentleman; had held, at different
times, all the offices in town, and some of the time,
two or three at once; was a Magistrate before the
formation of the town; he had long contemplated
publishing a history of the Welsh settlement, which
enterprise was necessarily abandoned by reason of his
death.  The following notice, from the Wisconsin State
Register, dated Dec. 21, 1872, will be read with
interest by surviving friends: "Many will regret to
learn of the very sudden death of Robert CLOSS, Esq.,
of the town of Springvale, which took place on Sunday,
8th, instant.  As he was returning home from the
afternoon meeting, he was struck with palsy, which
terminated his life in less than thirty minutes from
the time he first complained.  Mr. CLOSS and his
family emigrated to this country in the summer of 1845
and settled in Springvale in the fall of the same
year.  He at once took an active part in looking after
the welfare of his town, took the lead in its
organization, and, undoubtedly, great credit should be
given him for the strong Republican opinion formed,
especially among the Welsh elements therein.  He was
elected to two, if not three, offices at the first
town meeting held in the town, and since, he has
filled every office in the town for more or less time,
with one exception.  He possessed a great stock of
what is called "roundabout common sense."  Honesty and
integrity were his motives in all his dealings.  He
shared the sufferings of the pioneer without a murmur,
and also greatly enjoyed the many funny incidents of
the early settlement.  A large circle of friends and
acquaintances will greatly miss him.  He died in the
69th year of his age, leaving quite a considerable
amount of property to a family of grown-up children.
Peace be to his dust."  Mr. CLOSS' farm consisted of
600 acres.

Submitted by Carol