> Hi, Sharon, Ken and all, > > It's me again, Marsha with the orphan Van Arsdales Levi and Nathaniel. > > In the interest of accuracy, I have been wanting to share with you the two > errors in this biography from the Harrison County History. (I guess they > didn't have SpellCheck in those days! :-}) Ken has already corrected > "Norris County" to "Morris County" but the most misleading one is the > maiden name of Levi's second wife: she was Ann(a)Eliza Horton of the > prominent Deacon Nathaniel Horton family. > > Ken, I must also apologize for sending you mixed up information. It is > Nathaniel whose death certificate I have and which lists his cause of > death as diabetes, not his father, Levi. > > Marsha > > > On Thu, 17 Aug 2000, Ken Keller wrote: > > > Hi Sharon, > > > > This is your old buddy, Ken. I had always assumed that you had > > seen the attached. Apparently not. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > BIOGRAPHY: From The Heritage Collection - History and Biography of Harrison > > Co, Iowa,1891 > > > > Nathaniel H. Vanarsdale, of Reeder's Mills, Jefferson Township, who has > > been a resident of the county since February 1, 1866, will form the subject > > of this notice. > > Mr. Vanarsdale was born in Morris County, N.J., March 8, 1838. He is the > > son of Levi and Anna Eliza (Horter) Vanarsdale. The father was a > > blacksmith by trade. He was born in 1800, and died in the county in which > > he was born, April 14, 1862. The mother died in the same county, July 27, > > 1867, aged sixty years. Their only child was Nathaniel H., our > > subject. He has a half brother, by his father's first wife, named Abner > > G., a resident of Binghamton, Broome County, N.Y. When thirteen years of > > age, Nathaniel H. commenced learning the blacksmith trade of his father, > > with whom he worked until he was seventeen years old, when he was bound out > > one year to his half brother, to complete his trade, after which he worked > > for the Yellow Bird Omnibus Line, doing job work in New York for them > for > > six years. He then followed his trade, as a government blacksmith, for one > > year and eleven months, and then came by rail to Keokuk, Iowa, and crossed > > the State of Iowa by stage to Council Bluffs, arriving February 14, 1864, > > were he remained until February, 1866, and then came to Harrison County, > > and built a shop at "Hard Scratch" (Reeder's Mills). The first fire was > > built in his forge February 4, 1866. He continued to work at the trade > > until October 1, 1873, when he moved to Logan and operated a shop until > > March 1, 1877, at which date he returned to Reeder's Mills, and in 1879 > > rebuilt his shop, and is still wielding the sledge at that point. > > > > He was united in marriage in Morris County, N.J., May 11, 1862, to Margaret > > Sanford, a native of Sussex County, of the same State, born December 7, > > 1835. She is the eldest child of a family of three sons and three > > daughters, of Garrison M. and Mary J. Sanford. Mr. and Mrs. Vanarsdale are > > the parents of three children: Mary Jane, born October 1, 1863; Nettie, > > December 10, 1867; and Hattie, February 21, 1870. > > > > Politically, Mr. Vanarsdale believes in the principles of the Democratic > > party, and in religious matters he and his wife favor the teachings of the > > Methodist Episcopal Church. > > > > When he came to Harrison County his earthly possessions consisted of $5 in > > money and a few household goods. Being in possession of a good trade, oft- > > repeated blows upon the anvil he forged for himself and family a > > comfortable home in the "Kingdom of Harrison" now one of Iowa's banner > > counties. > > > > DEATH: Levi died of diabetes [src: Sharon Tate, who has his death cert]. > > > > Ken Keller > > krk@ma.ultranet.com > > > > > > > > ==== VanArsdale Mailing List ==== > > GenConnect USA Visitors Center <http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/usaindex.html> > > GenConnect Global Surname Search <http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi?search> > > > > > >