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Israel Beare

Israel Beare a pioneer of Iowa of 1854 and now a leading farmer of Jefferson Township, Fayette County, was born and reared in Westmoreland County, Pa. His birth occurred on the 3rd of June, 1831, and his parents were John and Mary (Sober) Beare. His father was born in York County, Pa., February 28, 1791, and died April 9, 1851. The mother, who was born in Pennsylvania August 13, 1801, and was a daughter of George and Margaret Sober, departed this life on the 7th of September, 1863. On both sides Mr. Beare's ancestors are of German origin and date their settlement in Pennsylvania back to Colonial times, several generations remote from the present. They are a long-lived race and ninety years or more is not an unusual age among them. Mr. Beare's maternal grandfather died at the age of ninety-eight years, eight months and twelve days, and on the father's side the grandfather was nearly as old.

The subject of this sketch is the eighth child in a family of eleven, the eldest of whom, George, was born December 28, 1817, married Margaret Howard and died March 13, 1864; Catherine, who was born September 21, 1819, died in infancy; Susanna was born May 3, 1821; Daniel, born December 27, 1822, married Margaret Ashbaugh and resides on the old homestead in Pennsylvania; John, born November 28, 1824, died at the age of twenty-four years; Simon, born October 6, 1826, died at the age of thirty-three years; Margaret, born May 17. 1829, was the wife of Samuel Howard and died aged fifty-four years; Israel is the next younger; John Henry, born September 13, 1833, died in infancy; Elizabeth, born June 21, 1835, is unmarried and lives in the Keystone State; William, born February 5, 1841, died in childhood. All were born in Pennsylvania.

Israel Beare, whose name heads this sketch, was reared to agricultural pursuits and received a common-school education. On attaining to mature years he was married in his native county January 21, 1860, to Miss Susannah Younkins, a daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth (Frederick) Younkins. The lady was born in Westmoreland County, January 31, 1838. But four of the ten children born of their union are now living: Anna Mary, the eldest, born May 22, 1861, is the wife of Luther Jipson, of Jefferson Township; Daniel born January 6, 1863, died September 22, 1865; Cordilla, born October 16, 1864, is the wife of Daniel S. Hillman, a resident of Jefferson Township; William, born October 17, 1866, died on the 13th of September, 1868; Everett, born December 22, 1868, is at home; Jay, born March 27, 1871, died January 25, 1878; Ray, born March 21, 1873, died November 4, 1876; Ida, born August 23, 1875, died January 18, 1877; John, born July 17, 1878, died August 5, of the same year; and Nettie, the youngest, who was born February 8, 1880, is a student in the Oelwein city schools.

Mr. Beare emigrated to Iowa in 1854, arriving at his destination on the 1st of March of that year. He located near Mechanicsville, Cedar County, and thence subsequently removed to Lisbon, Linn County, in 1858, adjacent to his former place of residence. On the 1st of January, 1861, he settled on his present farm, where he has resided continuously since. He now owns a finely improved tract of two hundred and two acres situated on section 22, Jefferson Township, conveniently near Oelwein, where he receives his mail. On account of impaired health Mr. Beare went to the mountains of Montana and Idaho in April, 1864, and also visited British America. He was engaged in gold and silver mining and returned home in June, 1865, much improved in health. In politics he is an independent Democrat. He was brought up under the auspices of the Lutheran Church, but is rather liberal in his religious views. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Beare is well known as an industrious and successful farmer, a man of superior intelligence and of unblemished character. He is social and friendly in disposition and no man's enemy through any fault of his.