William F. Yearous has been
a resident of Highland township from the time of his
birth to the present, has here exemplified
progressiveness and enterprise as a substantial
exponent of agricultural and live stock industry and
is a popular scion of one of the honored pioneer
families of Clayton county.
He was born in Highland
township on the 8th of September, 1867, and is a son
of Charles and Catherine (Peters) Yearous, the former
of whom was born in Baden, Germany and the latter of
whom was born in Ohio, of German ancestry. Charles
Yearous established his home on a pioneer farm in
Highland township in the year 1854, and with the
passing years he developed and improved a productive
and valuable landed estate. He was one of the well
known and highly esteemed pioneer citizens of Clayton
county at the time of his death, which occurred
January 7th, 1905, and his venerable widow resided
near Fayette, Fayette county, until her death in
August, 1916. Of their children the eldest is Aaron,
who is now a resident of Wright county, this state;
Jacob S., is a farmer in Fayette county and Jerome
N., of Page county; Martha is the wife of Frank
Kimpston, of Fayette county; Christian A., resides at
Potosi, Grant county, Wisconsin; Charles now
maintains his home in South Dakota; Ulysses G., is
deceased; William F., of this review, was the next in
order of birth; John W., is a resident of Fayette
county; and Andrew is a prosperous farmer of Highland
township.
William F. Yearous
supplemented the discipline of the district schools
by the completion of an effective course in a
business college at Fayette, and thereafter he
continued to be associated with his father in the
work and management of the home farm until he had
attained to the age of twenty-five years. He then
rented eighty acres of his father, from whom he later
purchased one hundred and ten acres, in Section 9,
Highland township, where he has since given his time
and attention to well ordered operations along the
lines of diversified agriculture and the raising of
excellent grades of live stock. He has made excellent
improvements on the farm, including the erection of a
modern residence of two stories, and he is known as
one of the vigorous and resourceful farmers and
influential and popular citizens of his native
township. He has served in minor township offices,
was secretary of the school board of his district for
ten years, is a staunch supporter of the cause of the
Republican party, and is affiliated with the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen
of America and the Ancient Order of Gleaners, in
which last named order his wife likewise holds
membership.
On the 23d of October, 1892,
was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Yearous to Miss
Blanche Chesley, who was born and reared in Volga
township, this county, and who is a daughter of
Norman and Lucy (Phillips) Chesley, the former a
native of Canada and the latter of the state of
Illinois. It is worthy of note that Mrs. Yearous'
maternal grandmother, Mrs. Louisa Ann (Geer)
Phillips, was a neighbor and friend of the historic
and eccentric patriot, John Brown, concerning whom
she had many interesting reminiscences, she having
lived to the remarkable age of ninety-eight years.
Mrs. Yearous was but one year old at the time of her
father's death and she and her twin sister, Belle,
were the youngest of a family of three children. The
eldest child, Isadean, is the wife of Hiram R.
Palmer, of Hawkeye, Fayette county, and Belle is the
widow of Dr. James McGregor, her home being in the
city of Denver, Colorado. For her second husband Mrs.
Lucy (Phillips) Chesley wedded Frank Goodwin, and
both are now deceased. They became the parents of
five children, of whom the firstborn was Grace, now
deceased; Rhoda is the wife of Edwin Howe, of
Knoxville, Illinois; Ernest resides at Volga, Clayton
county; Hattie is the wife of Robert Duff, of
Highland township; and Louis is a successful teacher
in the public schools of Watson, Colorado.
Mr. and Mrs. Yearous have
but one child, Justin Paul, who was born September
17, 1896.
source: History of
Clayton County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical
Times Down to the Present; by Realto E. Price,
Vol. II; pg. 453-454
-OCR scanned by S. Ferrall
