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ROBERT BERRY, a retired farmer of Urbana, was born in Ohio, December 30, 1827, and is a son of Joshua and Anna (Thorpe) Berry, of Galena, Ohio, the former a native of North Carolina and his wife of South Carolina.
Robert Berry had but a smattering of education, and left Ohio with his parents when very young, spending his childhood in Boone county, Indiana, until twenty years of age. In 1852 he came to Benton county, Iowa, and there entered one hundred and twenty acres of land. He traded part of it for other land, and here made his home for a number of years. In 1862 he went to Pike's Peak and other parts of the Rocky Mountains in search of gold, and was successful; returning home, he sold his land and returned to the mountains for some time. He went west again in 1880, but in his last two trips did not meet with success, and he again took up farming on his place of one hundred and twenty acres in Polk township which he continued until he retired from active life. He takes an active interest in public affairs, and is a Democrat in his political views. He is supervisor of roads and a member of the city council, of Urbana. He is a prominent and useful citizen, and well known in the community, where he enjoys universal esteem. He belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church of Urbana,
In 1856 Mr. Berry married Annie, daughter of David Jewel, of New York, and they had four children, Alice, wife of Alexander Fetherkile; Jennie, wife of John Fetherkile; Welthe, who died when five years old and John who died when three years old. The mother died in 1865. In 1866 Mr. Berry married Mrs. Martha (Brown) Cox, and they had two children, James W., now employed in the store of Fred Burrell, of Urbana, and Martha, who died when four years old. The second Mrs. Berry died in 1871. Before making his last trip west Mr. Berry contracted his third union, marrying Mrs. Sarah (Cagley) Culver, who had then four sons, namely: Howard, of Arizona; James, of Polk township, Benton county, Iowa; William, of Nevada, and Elihu, who is employed in a store in Urbana. By his third marriage Mr. Berry had one daughter, Ida, wife of Fred W. Burrell, of Urbana.
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