Obituary of James SEARGEANT 1801-1889
Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives September 17, 2000 by
Penny Kresl < kresl@elknet.net >
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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
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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.
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