O.
K. BOOTH.—Among the well-known and highly respected citizens of
Sac county [Iowa], who settled in Delaware township in 1885, occurs the
name of the subject of this short biographical sketch. He was born in
Mercer county, Pennsylvania, March 14, 1840, the son of Jesse and Anna
(Richards) Booth, both natives of the same place. The grandfather of
our subject, Edwin Booth, was a native of Ireland, while the father of
Mrs. Booth, William Richards, was a native of England, who came in an
early day to Mercer county, Pennsylvania. Our subject was a boy of four
years when the family removed to Henderson county, Illinois. Later they
removed to Hancock county, and finally settled in McDonough county,
same State. The mother died in Henderson county at the age of
thirty-seven, while the father’s demise occurred in 1870, when he was
fifty-six years old. He and his wife reared a family of five children,
four sons and one daughter, three of the sons serving in the late war,
namely: James, in the Tenth Illinois Infantry for over three years, now
resides in Cherokee county, Iowa; Harvey, in the Ninety-first Illinois
for two years, now resides at Albion, Marshall county, Iowa; our
subject; Rufus E., the youngest son, lives in Cherokee county, Iowa;
Vang A., married J. E. Lyon and lives in Henderson county, Illinois.
Our
subject, after being reared to farm life, receiving his education in
the public schools, enlisted April 27, 1861, in the Tenth Illinois
Volunteer Infantry for three months. At the expiration of his term of
service he reenlisted as a veteran, and participated in the battles of
Stone River, Missionary Ridge, Atlanta, Bentonville, Corinth and in the
Carolina campaign. He was wounded while in North Carolina by a minie
ball in his left knee, being confined for a short time in the hospital
by it, at Beaufort, South Carolina. Later he was taken on shipboard and
conveyed to Long Island, where he remained four weeks, then went to
Alexandria, Virginia; later joining his regiment at Washington,
District of Columbia. He participated in the grand review on crutches,
and was honorably discharged July 4, 1865, with the rank of Corporal.
After
his discharge he returned to his home, and in 1871 removed to Putnam
county, Missouri, where he remained three years, after which he located
in Marshall county, Iowa, near Gilman, where he made his home until
February, 1880. At that date he settled in Ida county, Iowa, near Ida
Grove, remained there a short time then removed to Cook township, Sac
county, and remained there until his removal to Delaware township,
which has remained his home ever since.
Mr. Booth was married
April 16, 1867, at Burlington, Iowa, to Miss Nancy E. McClure, born in
Greenbrier county, Virginia, daughter of Arthur and Fannie (Cosebult)
McClure, the former born in Greenbrier county, Virginia, the latter a
native of Pocahontas county, same State. Both were reared, educated
and married in Virginia and the mother died in Greenbrier county, at
the age of twenty-four, leaving two children: Vang E. and Susan C. The
father survived her until he reached the age of sixty-six, dying in
Putnam county, Missouri. To our subject and wife eleven children have
been born, namely: Stella M., wife of Prof. C. H. Jump, of Early; Leroy
G.; Nevada Irene, a dressmaker of Early; Harry W., Minnie Myrtle, Vinta
Fay, Nellie F., Ross E. and Bessie Men. Their last two children, James
H. and Leora C., died, the former, September 30, 1872, aged two years;
the latter, August 10, 1880, aged three years. Mr. Booth takes an
active interest in politics, casting his vote for the Democratic
candidates. Socially, he is a member of the G. A. R. Post at Newell,
Iowa, although he was formerly connected with the McDowell Post at
Schaller. He is also a member of the I. 0. 0. F. Mrs. Booth is an
earnest worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which she is much
respected. Mr. Booth is one of the representative citizens of Delaware
township and enjoys the respect and esteem of all who know him.
Source: (Biographical history of Crawford, Ida and Sac Counties, Iowa, Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1893, p 520-521)
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