John Dundas

DUNDAS, GIBBON, LEWIS, CARROLL, JAMES, HIRTH

Posted By: Emmet County IAGenWeb Coordinator (email)
Date: 2/13/2011 at 20:08:31

For many years John Dundas was actively identified with the agricultural interests of this section of the state but his last days were spent in retirement in Estherville, where he passed away on the 6th of July, 1915, honored and respected by all who knew him. He was born in Ireland, May 1, 1838, a son of James and Anne Dundas, who emigrated with their family to the new world when John was only four years of age. They first located near Quebec, Canada, where the father engaged in farming for a few years, but in 1861 removed to De Kalb county, Illinois, living there for five years. At the end of that time he came to Emmet county, Iowa, and took up a homestead in Armstrong Grove township, where he followed farming until his death. The mother is also deceased and both were laid to rest in the Armstrong cemetery.

John Dundas accompanied his parents on their various removals until the family came to Emmet county, when he took up a homestead just over the line in Kossuth county. There he successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1893, when he retired to Estherville and built a home on the west side. He lived there until 1913, when he removed to another residence on the same side, it continuing to be the place of his abode until called from this life.

On the 7th of April, 1868, Mr. Dundas was united in marriage to Miss Jane Gibbon, a daughter of William and Jane Gibbon, who were born in England and on crossing the Atlantic settled near Montreal, Canada, but later came to Iowa, the family becoming residents of Winneshiek county when Mrs. Dundas was quite small. Mr. Gibbon took up a homestead in Kossuth county, ten miles from Armstrong, about the same the Dundas family located in that neighborhood. Fifteen years later, however, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbon removed to Oregon, settling in the Williamette valley, near Salem, where both died and were buried. All the brothers and sisters of Mrs. Dundas still live in that locality.

Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dundas, namely: Frank H., now a resident of Armstrong; Anna, the deceased wife of Arthur Lewis of Armstrong; Jane, now the widow of James Carroll of Kossuth county and a resident of Armstrong; Carrie, the wife of U. V. James of Estherville; William, who died in infancy; Mina, who died at the age of nine years; and Dora, now Mrs. William Hirth, living near Armstrong.

Source: History of Emmet County and Dickinson County Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement, The Pioneer Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1917.