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Isaac Dwight Howard
Isaac
Dwight Howard, deceased, was for many years one of the leading lawyers
practicing at the bar of Greene county, his home being in Jefferson,
where he passed away on the 11th of January, 1906, revered and honored
by all who knew him. He was born in Colerain, Franklin county,
Massachusetts, July 10, 1834, and there spent the first seventeen years
of his life. He then removed with his father to Ohio, where he made his
home until coming to Iowa in 1853, and from that time until February,
1860, made his home either in Boone or Decatur counties. We next find
him a resident of Cherokee county, Kansas, but in June, 1860, he
returned to Iowa, taking up his abode in Greene county, where he
continued to live throughout the remainder of his life.
Having been admitted to the bar, Mr. Howard engaged in the practice of
law until the fall of 1864, when he was elected clerk of the district
court and served in that capacity for eight years, retiring January 1,
1873, when he resumed the practice of law in partnership with James A.
Henderson, Sr., with whom he was associated about four years. From that
time until 1886 he was connected with I. J. McDuffie and upon the
dissolution of that partnership was associated with Perry D. Rose until
January 1, 1890, when his son Arthur D. became a member of the firm.
After the latter went to Montana in 1893 he was alone in practice until
the admission of his son Ralph G. to the bar in 1896, when they entered
into partnership. This connection was continued until February, 1903,
when Arthur returned to Jefferson and both sons were associated with
the father under the name of Howard & Howard. The senior partner
occupied an enviable position in legal circles, being recognized as one
of the ablest attorneys of this part of the state and throughout the
years of his connection with the bar enjoyed a large and lucrative
practice. Besides his two sons already mentioned several other young
men were students in his oflice at different times and under his able
instruction became capable lawyers, including Hon. Norris Brown,
formerly attorney general of Nebraska and now United States senator
from that state; W. F. Meecham, a prominent judge of Douglas, Wyoming;
and E. Frank Brown, of the firm of Whipple & Brown, at Vinton, Iowa.
On the 20th of March, 1855, Mr. Howard was united in marriage to Miss
Eliza J. Kinney, at Boone, Iowa. Unto them were born eight children,
namely: Brainerd K., who died in infancy; Mrs. N. Elvira Davison, who
resides in Idaho; Mrs. Margaret A. Dorcas, a resident of Tipton, Iowa.
Mrs. Mary J. McKinney, of Washington; Alice R,. who died in infancy;
Arthur D., who resides in Jefferson; Rufus J., who died when thirteen
years of age; and Ralph G., whose sketch follows this. The mother of
these children died in Jefferson on the 4th of May, 1897, and Mr.
Howard was again married February 13, 1898, his second union being with
Anna M. Bigger, who survives him.
Taking an active interest in public affairs, Mr. Howard was
called upon to fill offices of honor and trust, the duties of which he
most faithfully discharged. In 1874 President Grant appointed him
register of the land oflice at Del Norte, Colorado, and in December of
that year he went to Colorado to assume his duties, but not wishing to
remove his family to that new country, he resigned and returned to
Jefferson after about one month’s service. In 1883 he was elected mayor
of Jefferson and served one year. In early life he joined the
Presbyterian church in Massachusetts and united with the church of that
denomination in Jefferson, continuing his connection therewith until
1868, when he joined the Baptist church, remaining one of its active
members up to the time of his death. He was a faithful and consistent
Christian and was an untiring worker in church and Sunday school,
filling the oflices of treasurer, trustee and member of the finance
committee and also as deacon.
As a lawyer and citizen he richly merited the high regard in which
he was uniformly held and we cannot better end this article than by
quoting the resolutions passed by the bar of Greene county at his
death, for he occupied an enviable position in the esteem of his
professional brethren:
“The bar of Greene county, Iowa, in the passing of our brother and
fellow member, 1. D. Howard, taking this opportunity of giving
testimony of an honest, upright life lived in our midst.
“At his decease Mr. Howard was the oldest member of the bar of
Greene county. He has been long known and cordially esteemed by us all
and now that he isgathered to his fathers and as his voice is stilled
in death, so ours are hushed in sorrow and in sympathy with those who,
because of their nearness to him in life, now sit in the shadow of
great bereavement.
“By reason of the many years of his practice at the bar of Greene
county, there has sprung up in his fellow members of the profession, a
strong and lasting respect for his sound and careful judgment and his
dignified and stainless conduct as a lawyer; esteem for his virtue as a
citizen and love for his sterling virtues as an honest, upright man.
“His presence will be missed, the want of his friendly co-operation
in worthy causes will be felt by us whose lot it has been to labor in
the same field with him. But his life shall have its influence with us
and the memory of him shall make us more thoughtful of the things that
make for the higher life and better aims.
“To his family we extend our heartfelt sympathy, bidding them find
solace in the thought that the ending of the earth’s work of a good man
has in it a note of victory and the foreshadowing of better things at
the hands of the All-Wise and the All-Loving Judge, who regards his
faithful servants well.
“Our president, Hon. G. S. Toliver, was appointed a committee to
make all necessary arrangements for a meeting of the members of this
association to be held in memory of our departed brother.
“By order of the bar of Greene county, Iowa.
E. B. Wilson,
J. A. Henderson,
Committee.
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