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Below is a family biography included in History of Union County, Iowa published by S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., in 1908.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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J. N. NISELY.
The family of which our subject is a representative were among the early settlers of Ringgold and Union counties, settling on the county line in 1863 and opening up a farm of four hundred acres, which was located in both counties. J. N. Nisely was born in Warren county, Illinois, November 14, 1856, a son of Samuel Nisely, who was a native of Medina county, Ohio, and was there reared to the pursuits of the farm. He was also married in that county to Miss Katherine Hauntsman, by whom he had two children. After her death Samuel Nisely was joined in wedlock, in Medina county, Ohio, to Miss Eliza Williams, a native of Virginia. In the year 1853 they removed to Warren county, Illinois, where Mr. Nisely carried on agricultural pursuits for ten years, when he came to Iowa, purchasing land located partly in Ringgold and partly in Union counties. In his farming interests he met with a gratifying measure of success and operated his land until the time of his death, which occurred in October, 1896, when he had reached the age of seventy-two years. His wife had died two years before, having attained the age of seventy-three years. By his second marriage the father had four children, of whom J. N. of this review is the third in order of birth.

J. N. Nisely remained under the parental roof until the time of his marriage, assisting his father in the work of the home farm during the summer months and attending the common schools in the winter seasons. On the 26th of November, 1879, he wedded Mary Clem, a native of Platte township, Union county, and a daughter of Henry Clem, who is mentioned on another page of this work in connection with the sketch of C. H. Clem.

Mr. Nisely then bought the two hundred acre farm on which he now resides but rented the place and continued to live on the old homestead until 1896, when he removed to his own farm, on section 17, Platte township, Union county. He has erected a good two story house, two large barns, cribs and other outbuildings necessary for the shelter of grain and stock. He also has a windpump on the place and in fact his farm is lacking in none of the accessories of a model property of the twentieth century, for he has always kept abreast with modern methods of agriculture and has therefore met with a gratifying measure of success in the conduct of his business interests. In addition to the work of general farming he is also engaged in raising good graded stock and is widely recognized as one of the enterprising and prosperous agriculturists of the county.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Nisely have been born three children: Lyman B., who resides at Spokane, Washington; and Roy and Lola, who are both at home and are students in the public schools. In his political views our subject has always stanchly supported the principles of the democratic party where state and national issues are involved but at local elections casts an independent ballot. He is somewhat prominent in local political circles, having held a number of minor township offices, the duties of which he has discharged in a prompt and efficient manner. Fraternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Kent. He also attends the Christian church at that place, of which his wife is a member, and throughout the entire community they are highly esteemed by reason of their genuine personal worth and sterling traits of character. Mr. Nisely has resided in this county for forty-five years and has therefore witnessed its transformation from a wild, uncultivated and unsettled region into a rich agricultural district inhabited by a prosperous and enlightened people, who enjoy all the advantages of a modern civilization. He broke prairie here in the early days and thus assisted in the arduous toil which brought about this wonderful change, while throughout all the intervening years he has been an active factor in the work of development and improvement here. Moreover, the success which has come to him is entirely attributable to his own well directed labor and business management and wherever known he commands confidence and regard.

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This family biography is one of 247 biographies included in The History of Union County, Iowa published in 1908.  For the complete description, click here: Union County, Iowa History and Genealogy

View additional Union County, Iowa family biographies: Union County, Iowa Biographies

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