GEORGE GUTCHES, one of the early settlers of Clarke County,
and a prominent farmer of Osceola Township, was born near the city of Columbus,
in Franklin county, Ohio, November 29, 1821, his parents, John and Nancy (Waits)
Goetchius being natives of New York, the father being born in Dutchess County.
They moved to Ohio when quite young, remaining in that State till their death.
John Goetchius died in 1875, aged eighty-two years and five days and Nancy in
1835, aged forty-four years. They had a family of nine children of whom four
yet survive. George Gutches, our subject, passed his youth on a farm, and in
attending the common schools, remaining with his parents till twenty-four years
of age. He was united in marriage in
1844 to Miss Alcinda Armstrong, after which he rented a farm and engaged in
agricultural pursuits on his own account, continuing to reside on rented land
till 1854. He then came to Clarke County, Iowa, and entered 120 acres of land
from the Government, on which he erected a small log cabin, and in the fall of
the same year removed his family to his new farm, where he has since made his
home. His wife died in 1858, leaving five children – William W. and George,
both living in Columbus; Emeline, wife of George Briggs, now of Colorado; Sarah
A., married to W. R. Jones, who is engaged in the stock business in Colorado;
Anna, wife of Harry Teller, a merchant, of Colorado. For his present wife he
married Mrs. Ellen J. Owen, a daughter of Thomas and Christena Taylor, natives
of Scotland, both of whom died in Jefferson County, Indiana. Mr. Gutches entered the service of his country
in 1861, enlisting in Company F, Sixth Iowa Infantry, as a fifer, and
participated with his regiment in twenty-seven hard-fought battles, among which
were the following: Shiloh, siege of Vicksburg, Mission Ridge. He re-enlisted
as a veteran, and took part in all the battles of his regiment, and was with
Sherman on his march to the sea. He was mustered out at Louisville, and sent to
Davenport, where he received his pay. He then returned to his home in Clarke
County, where his wife had carried on the farm and cared for the family while
he was at the front. He now has eighty
acres of well cultivated land in his farm which is located on section 24 of
Osceola Township. His property has been acquired by years of hard toil and
industry, he having commenced life for himself without capital. In his
political views Mr. Gutches is a staunch Republican. He has been a member of
the Methodist Episcopal church for many years, uniting with that denomination
when a boy.
SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Record of Clarke
County, Iowa, Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1886 p. 352
