Josiah FRY

                   Ref. Obit. History of Muscatine County Iowa page 719 and 720. MuscatineCounty Iowa. m/cer. d/cer.  Notes from History of Muscatine County bookas follows;  His father came to Iowa in 1855 and later purchased land inMuscatine county, becoming one of the prosperous farmers of this regionand at one time owning 420 acres of valuable farming property.  JosiahFry came with his parents to Iowa when he was a boy of 13.  He was justpreparing to enter upon the active duties of life when the Cival Warthrew its shadow over the land and responding to the call for defendersof the Union, he enlisted in August 1862 in Company F., 35 Iowa VolunteerInfantry.  The regiment was soon sent to the front and Private Fryparticipated in many of the great movements of the war.  He was presentat the celebrated siege of Vicksburg and took part in the battles ofJackson, Mississippi, Henderson Hill, Pleasant Hill, Kenesaw Mountain,Yellow Bayou, Old River Lake, and Tupelo Mississippi, and Spanish FortAlA.  He valiantly preformed his duties at all times, as his heart was inthe cause, but no man was happier than he when peace was declared and thegreat armies were disbanded.  He received his honorable discharge August.9, 1865, and returned to Muscatine County where he began farming uponpart of his father's place.  Here he continued for two years and thenpurchased 40 acres, the nucleus of the beautiful farm of 190 acres whichhe now owns and which is located on section 24, Cedar township, andsection 9, 76 township.  He has succeeded admirably in raising grains buthas devoted a great deal of time to live stock, being a successfulbreeder of black polled cattle, Percheron Norman horses and Chester Whitehogs.  In 1866 Mr. Fry was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Jane Epperly,who was born in Indiana and came to Iowa with her parents when she wasabout 7 years old.   Mr. Epperly entered land in Muscatine county whichhe cultivated until 1868, being then called to his final rest.  Mrs.Epperly the mother of Nancy departed this life in 1873.  Their remainswere interred in Wagoner cemetery, Muscatine county.  The family of Mr.and Mrs. Epperly included 10 children six of whom are now living namely,George of St. Paul, Minnesota, John of Portland OR, Mary the widow ofLevi Ellison of Letts Iowa, Albert of OR, Nancy Jane now Mrs. Josiah Fry,and William of Muscatine.  Five children came to brighten the home of Mr.and Mrs. Fry; Gertrude May born June 3, 1867, now the wife of FrankRunyon of Muscatine county, Phenia B. born April 9, 1869 the wife of JudEpperly of OR, Estella Furnace of Louisa county Iowa, Grace who was bornDecember 8, 1874 and died July 14, 1883, and Rolly C. now in charge ofthe homestead, who was born December 1, 1880 and was married December 12,1900 to Opal Wells of Muscatine county.