ILCARROL-L Archives

From: Lynnea Dickinson <>
Subject: Elijah H. Dyson
Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2001 16:24:35 -0700

Posted on: Carroll County Biographies
Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Il/CarrollBios/10032

Surname: Dyson, Smith, Hubbard, Bristol, Ashby, Gaar, Sherwood, Shoemaker,
Gar, Meddles, Griswold, Martindale
-------------------------

Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and the History of Carroll County
Munsell Publishing Co. 1913

DYSON, Elijah H.

A retired farmer living at Thomson, Ill., and one of the best known men
of Carroll county, was born in this county on section 8, York township,
March 20, 1841, a son of William and Lavina (Smith) Dyson. William Dyson
was born in Taylor county, Va., September 17, 1812. In 1819 he went to
Bartholomew county, Ind., and there, on September 17, 1835, was married
to Lavina Smith, who was born February 2, 1814, and they came to Carroll
county, Ill., October 19, 1838. Lavina Smith was born in Ohio and died
at Thomson, Ill., on February 4, 1911, two days after celebrating her ninety-seventh
birthday.

William Dyson, the grandfather of Elijah H. Dyson, came to Carroll county
in 1837, with his wife, Betsy (Hubbard) Dyson, accompanied by four sons:
Eli, Charles, Hezekiah and William. Eli and Hezekiah both died in York
township and were buried near their parents, in the old Baptist burying
ground. Charles Dyson died in Wisconsin. The Dysons were well known people
and in a measure maintained the reputation for hospitality that belongs
to Virginia people. They were pioneers in every sense of the word.

William Dyson, father of Elijah H. Dyson, engaged in farming as an occupation,
and to a large degree was one of the men who assisted in the development
of this part of Carroll county. When he came to section 18, York township,
Savanna was but a hamlet of a few houses and one store. During the later
years of his life, he was a devout member of the Christian church. In politics
he was a Republican. In earlier days, he enjoyed hunting the wild game
that was yet plentiful all through this part of the country.

To William and Lavina Dyson the following children were born: Serena, James,
Elijah H., Mary, Nancy, William, Amos [sic - shown as two names] and Matilda.
Mary died at the age of four years. James died in 1906, having served in
the Civil war for four years as a member of Compnay C, Ninety-second Illinois
Volunteer Infantry, a brave man all through this long period. His widow
survives and lives at Thompson [sic], Ill. William Amos is a retired farmer
living at Davenport, Ia., married Alice Smith and they have two children,
Louis and Tina. Serena J. is the widow of Henry Bristol, who left six children
and she resides at Elk Point, S. Dak. Nancy is the widow of David Ashby
and lives at Red Oak, Ia.

Elijah H. Dyson had such school opportunities as were afforded in York
township in his boyhood but while still young, began to take part in the
farm industries, probably his first real work being plowing with an ox-team,
when about ten years old. He remained at home until his marriage, which
occurred when he was about twenty-two years old, and then settled on the
old hhomestead of his grandfather, on section 18, York township. This land
the grandfather had bought from the government for $1.25 per acre, the
patent bearing the signature of President James K. Polk. On this farm Mr.
and Mrs. Dyson remained until March, 1902, and then moved to Thompson [sic]
where they enjoy every comfort of modern life, still retaining the ownership
of 153 acres of fine land.

On July 26, 1863, Mr. Dyson was married to Miss Malissa L. Gaar, by Rev.
C. W. Sherwood. She was born in York township, October 27, 1845, a daughter
of John P. and Elizabeth (Shoemaker) Gaar. The father of Mrs. Dyson was
born in Kentukcy, September 15, 1809, and the mother in Ohio, December
25, 1812. In May 1839, they were married at Marion [Co.], Ind., and in
1843 came to Carroll county and settled on a farm two miles east of Thompson
[sic], on which they spent the rest of their lives. John P. Gaar was a
relative of Abraham Gaar, of the Gaar-Scott Threshing Machine Co., of Richmond,
Ind. Mrs. Dyson can trace her genalogy back to John Gar, as the name was
then spelled, who came to America from Bavaria, Germany, in 1651, after
which the family was well known in Virginia, North Carolina and Kentucky.
[My note: The Gar family arrived in Philadelphia 25 Sep 1732, to Virginia
in 1734.]

To Mr. and Mrs. Dyson the following children were born: Cora A., born June
15, 1864, married John Meddles, a farmer in Clay county, S. Dak., and they
have five children - Frank, Etta, Lizzie, Pearl and Dyson. Lizzie, born
March 13, 1866, died at the age of seventten years and six months; Robert
B., who was born March 18, 1868, lives at home; Harry L., who was born
June 17, 1875, married Loretta Griswold, and they have three children -
Wilbur, Wilmot and Sylvia. Mr. Dyson operates the old home farm in section
18 for his father; Walter, who was born October 14, 1878, married Rosa
B. Martindale and they live at Lyons, Ia., now lives in Thompson. They
have six children - Clifford B., Cora M., Mary L., Thelma M., Myrna M.,
and Bernard Gaar.

Mr. and Mrs. Dyson have met with few personal bereavements and their long
period of married life has been one of real companionship. For over fifty
years they have been members of the Christian church, for forty-six of
these Mrs. Dyson being a teacher in the Sunday-shcool, and for twenty-six
years Mr. Dyson has been a deacon in the church.

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