My Genealogy Hound

BERRY, GEORGE, far., Sec. 8; P. O. West Point; the fourth son of John and Jenny Berry, natives of Bath Co., Va., where he was born Jan. 16, 1805; at 12 years of age, having lost both his parents, he made his home with his elder brothers and sisters, until 18 years of age, and having acquired a good common-school education with a few terms at a select school, he engaged in teaching; this he engaged in for seven years, when, his health having failed, he traveled. Nov. 18, 1834, he married Isabel, daughter of James and Elizabeth Given, nee Graham; she was born in Nicholas Co., Va., Jan. 8, 1816; in the fall of 1836, they removed to Peoria, ILL., and in the spring of 1837 became pioneers of Lee Co., Iowa; poor in purse, he rented what was then the Edson farm, and, at the land-sales of 1838, purchased his present property, consisting of 165 acres of land, now valued at $40 per acre. In 1846, Mr. Berry was a Delegate to the Convention for the purpose of reframing the Constitution made that year; in 1849, he was made Deputy United States Surveyor, and the same year, had ten townships assigned him west of Dubuque for surveying, and held the office of County Surveyor for fifteen years; he was one of three members who organized the townships into school districts. Mr. and Mrs. Berry have had ten children, seven of whom are living — Elizabeth J., born Feb. 5, 1836, died Sept. 22, 1840; Christopher A., June 6, 1838, an attorney at law at Casey, Iowa; Rachel L., June 13, 1840, the wife of Thomas Anderson, a farmer of Harrison Tp.; James G., Nov. 4, 1842, an attorney at law at Casey, Iowa; Rebecca J., Jan. 5, 1845, died Aug. 21, 1871; Arthur G., Oct. 6, 1847, died Jan. 17, 1851; Thomas G., June 25, 1850, at home, managing the affairs of the farm; Mary E., May 17, 1852, a teacher at Fort Madison; Maggie J., Feb. 16, 1857, and Charles E., March 13, 1859. Democratic; Mr. and Mrs. Berry have, for nearly fifty years, been members of the M. E. Church, in which he holds the offices of Steward and Class-Leader.