Obituary of James SEARGEANT 1801-1889 Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives September 17, 2000 by Penny Kresl < kresl@elknet.net > *********************************************************************** *********************************************************************** Surnames; Sergeant, Sargent, Sergent, Hale, Reynolds, Bailey, McClure, Wilson, Baldwin, Culver, Sanford, Clothier, Hutchins, Moore, Porter, Fay, Fox, Torry, Case, Munroe, Wilcox, Folts, Reynolds, Parker, Garlock, Green, Crittenden, Westphall, Grant, Clark, Jackson, Burnham, Powers, Willard, Ritter ************************* James Seargeant 1801-1889 James Seargeant was born in the town of New Berlin, Chenango Co., NY, 1801 and died at the residence of his son Andrew in the township of Bradford, Chickasaw Co., Iowa, Dec. 13, 1889. He married Miss Fanny Hale in 1823 and they had three sons and two daughters; Emily, the wife of Simon W. Bailey died in 1874. For five years before his death he groped his way in darkness, having become totally blind. In 1845 he moved to Wisconsin from NY and settled in the town of Bark River (Hebron) (Jefferson Co., Wi) on the farm now owned by John Saur, then literally in the woods for only a small patch had been cleared, and a rude house erected by John Ritter whose claim he purchased. A few years after his settlement the forest gave way to cleared and productive fields; the log house to a roomy and comfortable frame one; the cattle hovel to a large Barn and other out buildings. It required industry and fugality to bring about results so marked. During the year 1876 he sold his farm to his son Andrew, and retired from the active pursuits of life and from thence on his home was with his son Andrew, and retired from the active pursuits of life and from thence on his home was with his son, and in his family. His wife Fanny died in 1875. They had for immediate neighbors living in the same school district (No. 1) in 1845: Stephen and Johnson McClure, Robert Wilson, Billings Baldwin, Corydon Culver, Abraham Sanford, Samuel T. Clothier, Edward F. Hutchins, William Moore, John Porter, B.F. Fay, and Sylvester Fox. Stephen McClure and wife are sole survivors of the neighborhood of forty-five years ago. Of the number that were living in town forty-five years ago - heads of families - and are yet living, I can only recall the following names: Marshall Torry, William K. Case, H.J. and Mary P. Munroe, David Wilcox, Mrs. Emily Wilcox, Mrs. Sally L. Folts, Adin Reynolds, Mrs. Rufus H. Parker, John J. Garlock, and Mrs. Polly Green, C.S. and Louisa Crittenden, Henry C. Westphall and wife, Willard and Sarah P. Grant (Stella, Nebraska), Orin Clark (Kansas), John Jackson and wife (Eau Claire), John Burnham (Fort Atkinson), Albert Burnham and wife, (California), Hon. Joseph Powers (Michigan), Harrison P. Willard (Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin). There are but few left of the old settlers and the large gathering at the funeral testified to the fraternal feeling that still exists among those who struggled for a home in the woods back in the forties (1840s, and his early friends bore him to the cemetery and tenderly laid him beside his companion with whom he had lived for forty years. Sebastian Hebron, Dec. 25, 1889 Source: Jefferson County Union Newspaper, Dec. 27, 1889. Note: While James Sergeant is buried in Hebron, WI, he died in Chicaksaw Co and many of his descendant's continued living there after his death and burial in WI. *********************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation. 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. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.