Henry TODD, of Mount Ayr, was born in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, April 12, 1833, a son of Alexander and Sarah (STEVENS) TODD, the father a native of Maryland, born in 1787, and the mother born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, in 1792. The father was twice married, having four children by his first marriage. By his second marriage he had twelve children, our subject being the fifteenth child. Thirteen of his children lived to maturity, and at his death, which occurred in 1860, his descendants numbered eighty.

Our subject lived on the farm where he was born until his father's death, and there he was reared to agricultural pursuits. He was married in 1854 to Miss Mary J. ELLIOTT, a native of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, by whom he had eight children, of whom four are yet living. Mrs. TODD died in 1881, and in 1882 Mr. TODD married Miss D. A. JARVIS, a native of Ohio, and to this union has been born one child.

Mr. TODD followed farming in his native county until March, 1865, when he removed to Henry County, Iowa, remaining there till the fall of 1868. He then came to Ringgold County and located on a farm near the village of Goshen, where he purchased eighty acres to which he added till his farm contained 180 acres, and there he followed farming and stock-raising until he was elected treasurer of Ringgold County, assuming the duties of that office January 1, 1876, and in 1877 was re-elected to the same office. On retiring from the treasurer's office he began dealing in stock and real estate. In 1879 he was elected secretary of Ringgold County Agricultural Society, which office he has since filled with the exception of one year.

In his political views Mr. TODD is a Republican. He has held several offices of his township with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of his constituents. He was justice of the peace of Mount Ayr for three years, and is at present serving as treasurer of the city of Mount Ayr. His wife is a member of the United Presbyterian church, his former wife having been a member of the same church.

NOTE: Henry TOOD died in 1910 with interment at Diagonal Cemetery, Ringgold County, Iowa. Mary J. (ELLIOTT) TODD died at the age of 19 years, 8 months and 11 days on November 14, 1881 with interment at Bethel Cemetery near Diagonal, Ringgold County, Iowa. Delila A. (JARVIS) TODD was born May 20, 1858, Hocking County, Ohio, and died June 27, 1891 with interment at Bethel Cemetery near Diagonal, Iowa.

John H. TODD, son of Henry and Mary J. (ELLIOTT) TODD, died at the age of 26 years, 2 months and 14 days on August 17, 1885 with interment at Bethel Cemetery near Diagonal, Ringgold County, Iowa.

Minnie May TODD, daughter of Henry and Mary J. (ELLIOTT) TODD, was born in Henry County, Iowa, March 30, 1868, and died at age nineteen at her father's home in Mount Ayr, December 10, 1887 with interment at Bethel Cemetery near Diagonal, Iowa.

HENRY TODD PIONEER FAMILY IN IOWA

Henry TODD was born in 1833 in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, the son of Alexander and Sarah (STEVENS) TODD. His father had two wives. The first was the mother of four children and the second wife the mother of twelve. Henry, the subject of this sketch, was the fifteenth child of his father's family of sixteen children. All four of the first wife's children died in infancy. He lived on the farm where he was born until his father's death. He had been raised to agricultural pursuits.

Henry was married to Mary J. ELLIOTT in 1854. She was also a native of Pennsylvania. They were the parents of nine children, four dying in infancy.

In 1868 Henry located on a 180-acre farm near Goshen, Ringgold County. On January 1, 1876, he assumed the duties of county treasurer. He was elected to the office in 1877. After retiring from that office, he dealt in stock and real estate. In 1879 he was elected secretary of the Ringgold County fair association, which office he held for several years. Also, he was city treasurer [Mount Ayr] for several years.

Of the five surviving children, John was never married. Jim married Ola RIDER and they were the parents of one child - Tell TODD, who married Myrtle STEWART. They were the parents of two sons; both are married.

Henry TODD's son William had four children, Edith, Myrtle, Guy, and Fred. Edith married Earnest HUGHES; they had one child. Myrtle married Guy IMUS; they have five children. Guy TODD married Maud DUGAN; they had three children: Lila, Howard and Louise. Lila married William KELLEY; they have no children. Howard married Gretchen FREIDRICKSON; they had one child but it died. Louise is not married.

Fred was Guy's twin brother and lived in Los Angeles. His is married and has one child.

Henry TODD'S daughter, Matilda, married Al RUSH and has three or four children. Henry TODD'S son, Herman, married a Miss FLUHARTY; they have two children.

Henry TODD'S wife died in 1881 and in 1882 he married Delia JARVIS and they had three children: Harry, Sadie, and one dead.

All of Henry TODD'S children are dead by Matilda who lives in Nebraska and maybe his last wife's child. I [Mrs. LESAN] cannot find out about them.

Guy and family all live in or near Mount Ayr and belong to the Christian church. The rest all live away from here [Mount Ayr].

SOURCES:
Biography & Historical Record of Ringgold County, Iowa, p. 311, 1887.

WPA Graves Survey

LESAN, Mrs. B. M. Early History of Ringgold County: 1844 - 1937 Pp. 181-82. Blair Pub. House. Lamoni IA. 1937.

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2009; updated June of 2010

Biographical Sketches Pages Index: A - F,   G - L,   M - R,  S - Z

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