JOHN KERR, son of Arthur and Hannah (Bellers) Kerr, is a
native of Carroll County, Ohio, born May 11, 1836. In 1853 he accompanied his
parents to Clarke County, Iowa. His father took up a claim in Knox Township,
but soon exchanged it and entered 200 acres of land in Liberty township, and
eighty acres in Warren County. The father died October 19, 1882, and the mother
now makes her home with her son John. Their family consisted of nine children –
James, John, Margaret, Mathias, Isabel, Isaac, William, Ellen and Marion. In August, 1862, our subject enlisted in
Company D, Thirty-ninth Iowa Infantry, and served his country three years,
participating in numerous skirmishes, but no important battle. He was for some
time wagon-master of the Fourth Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, Captain
Benjamin being Quartermaster. After the
war he returned home, and has since engaged in agricultural pursuits. He is the
owner of 525 acres of finely improved land, all under cultivation, his
residence being on section 27, Fremont Township. He is one of the
representative citizens of the county, and a self-made man, accumulating his
property by his own exertions. He hauled the first run of burrs that ever was
brought to Clarke County, with a team of oxen, and assisted in building the
first sawmill in the county, located in Osceola. Mr. Kerr has taken an active
interest in the local affairs of his township, and has served fourteen
consecutive years as trustee. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Osceola
Lodge, No. 32. In politics he is a Republican.
He was married October 17, 1858, to Miss Elizabeth Glenn, and to them
were born eight children –Thomas A., Dora B., Cora D., Lon C., Marion P. Abe
C., Annie H. and John H. Thomas married Miss Ida Rackley, and Dora is the wife
of Lafayette Harlan. Mrs. Kerr died December 24, 1879.
SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Record of Clarke
County, Iowa, Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1886 p. 240-1
