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James Everett Richards

There is great difference as to how property is acquired; sometimes it is obtained by slow degrees and hard toil, sometimes by suddenly making it in one or a few lucky ventures, or by inheriting it from successful and thrifty ancestors. One important fact will not be disputed: That if a man puts forth the proper effort long enough and adheres closely to the time-honored principles he is bound to reap satisfactorily. Thrift should characterize the efforts of everyone, as it does in James Everett Richards, a Fairfield township, Fayette county, farmer. He was born in this county, August 19, 1860, and is the son of James and Cordelia (Andrews) Richards, natives of New York, who came to Fayette county, Iowa, in 1853, and located on a farm now owned by Mr. Richards, the subject. The mother is still living. The father was born at Warsaw, Wyoming county, New York, July 8, 1828, and died at his home in Arlington, Iowa, June 3, 1893, aged sixty-four years, ten months and twenty-five days. Paul Richards, grandfather of the subject, was the first judge of Wyoming county, New York, and it was through his efforts that the county was organized and the first officials elected. He also served on the committee that selected the site for the first public building in the county. Hon. Paul Richards was one of the foremost legislators of the Empire state. It is not know exactly when he died. He came to Iowa shortly after his son came here and was buried at Edgewood, Clayton county, Iowa. His wife died in New York and was buried there. James E. Richards received a common school education and grew to maturity on the home place. He was married April 1, 1886, to Almena Rice, daughter of Samuel and Elmira Rice, natives of New York, who came to Iowa in August , 1859, and purchased a farm just south of Taylorsville, on which he lived many years, engaged in general farming. He was a Mason and a Republican in politics, and at one time was assessor of his township. He and his wife were the parents of four children, namely: Adaline married J. M. Flower; Almena married James E. Richards, of the review; Susan C. and Bertha died when young.

Samuel Rice, the father of these children, was born December 12, 1822, and died December 6, 1904, and is buried at Taylorsville. The mother makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Richards. Mr. and Mrs. Richards began their married life on their present farm, his father’s old homestead, and , with the exception of three years spent in Arlington, he has lived continuously on this place, which he has kept well improved. He completed in 1910 a new, modern and attractive residence, at a cost of four thousand dollars. His place lies in one of the choicest farming sections of the county and by hard work and good management Mr. Richards has been very successful in his operations as a general farmer and stock raiser, always keeping a good grade of stock; however, farming constitutes his principal life work. His place is a model one in every respect and is one of the most desirable in the county. Fraternally, Mr. Richards is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he is a liberal supporter. One son, Glen W., a young man of more than average business ability, has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Richards, his birth having occurred on September 6, 1888. He received a good education in the common schools of this county, in which he graduated from the business college at Des Moines, and he is at present very acceptably filling a position as bookkeeper and stenographer for a lumber firm at Des Moines, Iowa.

~transcribed for the Fayette Co IAGenWeb Project by Mary Aldrich