Mrs. Margaret A. Grindell Biography - Grant County Wisconsin ***************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ***************************************************************************** Submitted by David W. Taft, dtaft @ cowtown.net Commemorative Biographical Record of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette Counties, Wisconsin J. H. Beers, 1901 Pages 504-6 (Photo/sketch of William Grindell on Pg. 505) MRS. MARGARET A. GRINDELL, widow of William Grindell, late a leading furniture dealer in Platteville, Grant county, was born in Quincy, Ill., in 1830, a daughter of John and Mary McMurray. JOHN MCMURRAY was a native of Kentucky, born in Washington county in 1801. He was a young man when he migrated to Illinois, was there married, and located near Springfield, later moving to Quincy, where he purchased several hundred acres of land, and followed farming and stock raising until 1847. He then brought his family to Lafayette county, Wis., where he purchased another farm, on which he resided until his death, in 1858. His widow was left with six children: Valentine, who migrated to California, engaged in mining a few years, then embarked in mercantile trade, and was so engaged when he died, in 1897, leaving a widow and three children, who still reside in the Golden State; Mary is now the widow of Ephraim Fletcher, of Galesburg, Ill., and has had two daughters, Louisa (deceased) and Lizzie (wife of F. Turner, of Quincy. Ill.); Margaret A. is the subject of this biographical review; Caroline is the wife of A. Potter, a leading grocer of Platteville; George is in business at Evansville, Wis.; and Peter is a stockman of Parker, Mo. Mrs. Grindell was educated in the higher schools of Platteville, there followed teaching for eight years. In 1857 she was married to William Grindell, the leading furniture dealer of the city. WILLIAM GRINDELL was born in Ireland in 1819, came to Platteville in 1845, and here at once engaged in cabinetmaking and the manufacture of household furniture in general, using the material cut by the local sawmills. In this business he continued until his death, which occurred in 1895. Mr. Grindell was twice married, and by his first wife had three sons: Wesley, now a businessman in Platteville; William, who was killed by the cars when a young man; and Samuel, now a resident of St. Louis, Mo. To his marriage with Miss Margaret A. McMurray were born six children, in the following order: Lydia J., born in 1858, was a teacher in the Platteville schools for about six years, and later a teacher in Nebraska; she is now the wife of William Kepner, of Osceola, Neb., and the mother of one daughter, Marguerite, and one son, William R. J. Fred, born in 1860, married Margaret Eastman, in Montfort, moved to Arkansas, where he followed lumbering until his health failed, and then returned to Platteville, and here died in 1897, leaving a wife, but no family. Clara L., born in 1863, was educated in the State Normal School at Platteville, and has been a teacher in the Milwaukee schools for the past eleven years. Mary, born in 1866, was also educated in the State Normal, taught school one term, later graduated in music at the Dixon (Ill.) College, and for ten years has been a successful music teacher. Thomas, born in 1869, was graduated from the Platteville State Normal in 1890, later attended the University of Wisconsin, at Madison, and was a professor of mathematics in the Territorial Normal School, at Tempe. Ariz., which position he resigned to become one of Roosevelt's "rough riders" in the war with Spain; being mustered out he was appointed deputy United States marshal of Arizona, and he is now clerk of the supreme court of that Territory; he is unmarried. Edward, the youngest of this family of six, born in 1873, was also educated at the State Normal, but on account of failing health went to Arizona in 1897, and is there living on a ranch; he is unmarried. William Grindell, the father of the above named family, was a man of sincerely religions convictions, and in early manhood united with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he was class leader and Sunday school superintendent, to which he was a liberal contributor, and in which his work was ever zealous, faithful and active; he was charitable in thought and act, and no needy or suffering one sought his aid in vain. In 1848 he became an Odd Fellow, and in 1856 was made a Mason, was ardent in his work in both brotherhoods, and constantly filled some office in each, having served seven years as Worshipful Master in the latter, and many times as Noble Grand in the former. In politics Mr. Grindell was a stanch Republican, and, although he never had ambition for public office, served on the school board thirty years as a matter of public duty. He left behind him a pure and spotless name - a legacy to his estimable widow and her children more precious than his wealth, and one which will be honored as it endures in the memory of the residents of Platteville.