James was the son of Levi Jennings and Abigal Cory. He married Almira Riley Barnard on June 2, 1850. They were the parents of Melissa, Sophronia, Abigail, Helena, Levi, John, Minnie, Arthur, & Elizabeth.

James Jennings, who was a prosperous and substantial citizen residing on section 29, Rochester township, claimed Ohio as his native state, his birth occurring in Montgomery county on the 29th of October, 1829. He was only three years old, however, when he removed to Tippecanoe county, Indiana, with his parents, Levi and Abigail (Corey) Jennings. They had two children who died when small and our subject is the only one of the family who lived to years of maturity.

After residing in Indiana for some years, Levi Jennings brought his wife and child to Cedar county, Iowa, in 1852, and here the parents of our subject continued to make their home until death. The family located on the farm now owned and occupied by our subject.

On starting out in life for himself Mr. Jennings became the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 29, Rochester township, but at his death, which occurred August 18, 1910, he owned two hundred and forty acres in the home place. This is a valuable and well improved property, having two sets of farm buildings upon it. He also owned another farm of two hundred and one-half acres in Rochester township; fifty acres of timber land on section 12 near Rock Village; and thirty-seven acres of timber on the Cedar river, section 31, Rochester township, making a total of five hundred and twenty-seven acres in that township. He was ever a hard-working, energetic farmer until about four years ago, when he was compelled to retire, owing to a stroke of paralysis. In business affairs he was always systematic, progressive and reliable and to these characteristics as well as to his industry may be attributed his success.

In 1850 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Jennings and Miss Almira Barnard, who was born in Washington county, Indiana, March 21, 1832, and continued a resident of that state up to the time of her marriage. She died here on the 18th of November, 1889.

The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Jennings are as follows: Melissa L., now the widow of George Adams, a resident of Rochester township; Sophrona, the wife of Gilpin Wilkinson of Iowa City, Iowa; Eunice A., the wife of Jeff Carney of Iowa township, this county; Helena, who is on the home farm; John Francis, a resident of Sugar Creek township; Minnie O., the wife of Charles Pieper of Iowa township; Arthur E., of Rochester township; and Elizabeth B., the wife of Vernon Walton of Sugar Creek township.

Mr. Jennings never let his business interests interfere with his religious duties and for over fifty years he served as a local preacher in the Christian church but retired from the ministry ten years ago. He also took a very active and commendable interest in public affairs, being identified with the greenback party in early life and later with the republican, but subsequently voted independent of party ties, supporting the men whom he believed best qualified to fill the office. For several terms he served as justice of the peace and his decisions were always pronounced without fear or favor. He was a prominent member of Rochester lodge, A.F. & A.M., and throughout all his life was identified with all progressive movements which he believed calculated to advance the interests of his fellowmen or promote the welfare of his adopted county and state.

Contributed by Jacie - Source: History & Genealogy of the James Jennings Family - Obituary: James Jennings was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, October 29, 1829, and died at his home near Wilton Junction, Iowa August 18, 1910, aged 80 years, 9 months and 19 days.

He was the son of Levi and Abigail (Cory) Jennings, early settlers in Ohio. The family moved to Tippecanoe County, Indiana, when he was three years old, where he grew to manhood, receiving his education in the country schools and in the public school at Lafayette, Tippecanoe County.

He was married June 2, 1850 to Miss Almira Barnard. To this union were born 10 children, eight of who are living, and all of whom were present at the funeral. One daughter died in infancy and one son, Levi O. at the age of eleven years.

The family, including his father and mother (Mr. Jennings was an only child) came to Iowa in 1852, driving overland, crossing the Mississippi River at Bloomington, now Muscatine, October 2. They located at what is now known as Lime City, or the Kilns, in Cedar County. The following spring they located on the place, which has ever since been his home and where all his busy and blessed life has been spent, surrounded by his children and children's children.

He was united with the Christian church at the old Pleasant Grove in Indiana in 1849, and was one of the farmer-preachers almost from the time he became a member. He was formally set apart to the work of the ministry by A.G. Lucas, at the Rock Creek church, near Rochester, Iowa, December 9, 1860. Thereafter he was active in the work for forty years, going hear and there and everywhere, as opportunity offered, while continuing to carry on the work on his farm. He was a co-worker with many of our pioneer preachers in Iowa, including Aaron Chatterton, A.G. Lucas, N.A. McConnell, J.K. Cornell, John C. Hay, J. Mad. Williams, J.H. Painter, N.E. Cory, and others.

His wife was a cousin of the last named. While lacking in the polish of the schools, he was a vigorous preacher of the old gospel and won many to the faith once for all delivered to the saints. He was a man of deep abiding convictions, a large reader, always learning and always ready to receive the truth. He was brotherly in spirit, fraternal in his greetings and given to hospitality. He was an especially fine conversationalist, frank and friendly, blunt at times, but never unkind, and was widely known and loved for his genial ways and generous good will. He was truly a good man, without pretense or hypocrisy. He loved the truth as it was given him to see it and preached it with earnestness and power. Being a pioneer preacher, much of his work was of the hardest kind, the result of which cannot be put on paper, but which is written in the lives of great numbers now widely scattered to the ends of the republic. But of him it may be truly written, as of other of the pioneers of the race and of the true religion, "Being dead, yet he speaketh."

His wife died November 18, 1889, since which time he continued to reside on the old homestead, tenderly and faithfully cared for by his daughter, Lena, and held in affectionate regard and reverence by all his children and secure in the esteem of the community where he spent almost fifty-eight years of his life. His active work in the ministry ended about ten years ago, with general decline of his health. Being a man of excellent judgment and great industry, he prospered financially, acquiring altogether about five hundred acres of good Iowa land. He continued to personally look after his farm until stricken with paralysis in February, 1906, since which time he was almost helpless and unable to speak, though able to recognize his family and friends almost to the last. His sufferings during the last two weeks were great and his release came, no doubt, as a blessed relief from the weakness and pains of the body.

And so he slept with his fathers survived by the following children: Mrs. Melissa L. Adams, Mrs. Saphronia Wilkinson, of Iowa City, Mrs. Eunice A. Carney, Miss Helena Jennings, John F., Mrs. Minnie O. Pieper, Arthur E., and Mrs. Elizabeth B. Walton. There are twenty grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

The funeral was held on Sunday, August 21, 1910, at 11 o'clock a.m., in Trinity Reformed Church, near his old home, conducted by the Rev. Charles Blanchard, of Des Moines; burial by the side of his wife and father and mother in the Rochester cemetery. It was one of the largest funerals ever held in Cedar County, with the line of teams being over three-quarters of a mile in length. It was a fitting testimony to the real worth of a good Christian man and citizen. "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; yea from henceforth, saith the Spirit; for they rest from their labors and their works do follow them."