D B Vernon

VERNON

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 6/1/2010 at 18:46:28

D B Vernon has followed farming and stock raising throughout the greater part of his life and is now living upon an excellent tract of land in Dallas county. He has always lived in this part of the state and was born in Cass township, Boone county, July 7, 1858. His father Jesse Garwood Vernon, was a native of Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and died at Ogden, Iowa. His wife who bore the maiden name of Melvina Peoples, was also born in the Keystone state and died at Ogden. Both represented pioneer families of Boone county and the mother’s maiden name as use dint eh christening of Peoples township. Conditions of pioneer life were to be seen on every hand during the boyhood of D B Vernon and he can recall vividly the killing of buffalo near Woodward, as well as running with is grandfather Peoples to a high ridge form which he could see a herd of sixteen buffalo with were swiftly passing over the prairie. There were five children in eth Vernon family as follows: Mrs Anna May Donaldson, deceased, Eva who died at the age of sixteen years. D B of this review, Mrs Della Howe whose home is in Boone, and Myra who died at the age of nine years.
Having arrived at years of maturity D B Vernon was united in marriage in this township to Miss Clara Smith, who was born near Sycamore, DeKalb county, Illinois, December 18, 1860, and came with her parents to Iowa in 1871. Her father A C Smith was born in Windsor, West Vermont, May 27, 1838 and with his parents went to DeKalb county, Illinois, traveling by stage to Whitehall, thence on the Erie canal and by way of the Great Lakes to Chicago, from which point the party proceeded by wagon to DeKalb county, being on the way for four weeks. Mr Smith has now long been a resident of this county and resides in a comfortable home in Woodward. His wife who bore the maiden name of Maria J Holcomb, was born in Cattaraugus county, New York, in 1841 and died in Ogden, Iowa, in November 1879. The children of that marriage were: Mrs Vernon, Marson L who was born January 25, 1864, and now resides in Texas, Mrs Cora Herdman, who was bon December 31, 1866, and is living in Thompson, Iowa, and Mrs Nora B Preston who was born October 30, 1873, and is living in Woodward. Having lost his first wife MR Smith was married in Boone to Miss Emily A Phipps, who as born at Monroe, Wisconsin, April 24, 1850, and the children of that marriage are daughters Mrs Helen G Grimm and Ellen I. They were both born July 5, 1887, and both are residents of Woodward.
Unto Mr and Mrs Vernon were born the following children: Jesse Miles, who is now a resident of Woodward, Raymond Asael, living in Cambridge, Iowa, William a whose home is in Dallas county, Frank B a resident of South Dakota, Mrs Ethel Winslow living in Woodward, Hallie M deceased, and Mrs Edith Dockum, whose home is in Worth county, Iowa. All of the children were born and reared in Boone county and the four youngest attended schools of Woodward.
In starting out in business on his own account Mr Vernon took up farming and stock raising, which he has followed during the major portion of his life save for a short period devoted to the draying business in Woodward. In 1900 he removed to Dallas county, where he is now located. He has a productive and valuable tract of land immediately south of Woodward and he has brought his fields to a high state of cultivation, for his methods are at once practical and progressive.
Mr Vernon gives his political allegiance to the republican party, and he belongs to the Woodward Lodge No 460, I O O F, while he and his wife are members of the Knights and Ladies of Security at Woodward. They are also members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and their well spent lives have gained them high regard, establishing them firmly in the good will and confidence of those with whom they have been associated.

1914 Boone County History Book