John Ira MATHEWS Married Nancy Jane FEATHERSTON on 30 OCT 1884 in Wilbur, Wayne County, Nebraska, USA.

Obituary:
Printed in the Benkelman, NE Post, May 1934

John Ira Mathews

John Ira Mathews was born October 30, 1857 and departed this life May 17, 1934, at the age of 76 years, 6 months and 17 days.

At the age of 13 years he moved with his parents from Marysville, Indiana to Saline county, Nebraska. On the 30th day of October, 1884 he was united in marriage to Nancy Jane Featherston at DeWitt, Nebraska. To this union eleven children were born. They are: Mrs. Elva Louth, Mrs. Martha Loscher, Mrs. Doris Willams, Roy, Clifford, Charley and Willard of Benkelman; Mrs. Ola. E. Hampton of Canyon City, Colorado; Mrs. Grace R. Cain of Ramah, Colorado; Mrs. . Florence Strobridge of Colorado Springs, Colorado and Joseph E. who preceded him in death in 1915 at the age of 21.

In 1888 he left Saline county with his wife, coming to Dundy where he filed on a hômestead near Hiawatha where they resided until the spring of 1925 when they moved to Benkelman, Nebraska. In the spring of 1933 they moved back to the old homestead to live with their son Roy until death ensued. He was a respected citizen of Dundy county and classified as one of the pioneers, living in Dundy county for 46 years, meeting the hardships of early pioneer life, living in a sod house and surviving the drouth year of 1894 when nearly the entire inhabitants of the community moved away. Many have been the words of commendation by his old friends and neighbors.

He was converted to the Christian faith at the age of 21 years uniting with the United Brethern church later changing his membership to the Friends church at Hiawatha, Nebraska in 1889. When the old Hiawatha work was discontinued, he moved his membership to the PIeasant Valley Friends church of which he was a faithful member until death.

He leaves, to mourn his departure his aged companion and ten children, thirty grandchildren, twelve great grandchildren and one sister, Mrs. Laura Artist of Benkelman, Nebraska, and many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held at the Pleasant Valley church Saturday and were conducted by Rev. John Bowen, assisted by Rev, J. C. Faster and interment was in the Hiawatha cemetery.
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John Ira Mathews and Nancy Jane Featherstone

By Roy Mathews

John Ira Mathews was born in Marion, Indiana on October 30, 1857 and Nancy Jane was born in Des Moines, Iowa on April 25, 1866. John Ira moved with his family, John Henry and Martha (Cole) Mathews, when a young boy from Indiana to De Witt, Nebraska. Nancy Jane moved with her family, Thomas and Matilda (Carmichael) Featherstone, from Iowa to De Witt, Nebraska as a young girl. John Ira Mathews and Nancy Jane Featherstone were married at Wilbur, Nebraska October 30, 1884. While living at De Witt, Nebraska two daughters were born. Elva May on September 21, 1885 and Olia Edna on February l4, 1887. In the spring of 1887 John Ira Mathews and Mike Hendrix came to Dundy County and filed on their homesteads. The Mathews place was two miles west and 1 Vz miles south of Hiawatha, Nebraska (Post office, store, school and church were built later). Mr. Mathews built a house which was half dugout half soddy. That same fall, after completing this, he returned to De Witt and moved his wife and two daughters and their livestock to the homestead where the following children were born: Charles Emory December 15, 1889; Grace Rebecca Februaryl6, 1892; Joseph Elmer June 9, 1894; Roy Thomas, September 27, 1896; Willard Henry, June 14, 1899; Florence Eliza, May 7, 1901; Clifford Ira, March 24, 1903; Dorris Evylin, August 3, 1905 and Martha Matilda, February 10,1908. Of the eleven children born to union all grew to adulthood. Joseph Elmer passed on from gangrene caused by a ruptured appendix at the age of 21 years. During the dry years of 1893/94 many of the people returned to the places where they had previously lived. John Ira said to his wife Nancy Jane-"Should we leave and go back also?" and her reply was -" No, we have our home here and no one can take it away from us. We'll get along some way." And so they stayed. He farmed and broke out more of his 160 acres each year. When the Kincaid law came in he homesteaded another 320 acres and in later years bought 160 acres adjoining on the west- giving them a total of 920 acres. In 1901 he built a nice seven room square frame house. With his fanning he had milk cows and hogs. In 1917 he built a large horse barn with leaning cattle sheds on either side and a large hay mow which would hold several tons of hay. In April 1920 it burned to the ground destroying thirty five head of cattle and horses plus the hay and grain stored in it. Cause of the fire, which started at night, was never determined. In early years the Friends Church was organized at Hiawatha. They built an academy 1 1/2 miles northeast of the Hiawatha store and we attended church there. John Ira and his family were active there. In later years they disorganized and sold the building. It was torn down and moved away. The Miller Chapel (Church of Christ) was located 1 1/2 miles southwest of the Mathews homestead which the family attended. This building was later moved to Hiawatha. John Ira and Nancy moved from the farm in 1925 to Benkelman, Nebraska. Their two youngest children, Doris and Martha, were still living a home. They had taken their 9th grade of school in the country at District # 73. Upon moving to Benkelman they attended the Benkelman High School. Also at this time they began attending the Pleasant Valley Friends Church. Roy Thomas Mathews moved onto the homestead in the spring of 1925 when his parents moved to Benkelman. Roy and family lived there and farmed the place until 1938. John Ira and Nancy Jane made their home with Roy and Edna from 1932 until May 17th, 1934, when John Ira passed away there at the home place. Nancy continued to make her home with Roy and Edna until her passing on August 26th, 1952, at McCook, Nebraska. Marriages of John Ira and Nancy Jane Mathews children: 1. Elva May/Albert Louch-May 1904 2. Olia Edna/Walter Hampton-March 1908 3. Charles Emery/Ruth Hampton-March 1914 4. Grace Rebecca/Fred Cain-March 1914 5. Roy Thomas/Edna Strobridge-April 1917 6. Florence Eliza/Harvey Strobridge-July 1917 7. Clifford Ira/Florence Nelson-February 1926 8. Willard Henry/Inez Williams-May 1936 9. Doris Evylin/Cecil Williams-August 1926 10. Martha Matilda/William Loescher-1932 All ten of the children and families lived most of their lives in Dundy and Chase Counties in Nebraska except Fred and Grace Cain and Harvey and Florence Strobridge who lived in Kansas, Colorado and later in California. These families have kept close contact and still have reunions. In June 1987 a reunion was held in Benkelman, Nebraska and the next one is to be in 1990. We had many reunions while living at the home place. Roy Mathews, the middle child of the family, is the only surviving member. He is ninety-one years old and living in McCook, Nebraska and has been able to attend each reunion and it is due to his excellent memory and records that this family history is submitted.

Copied from the History of Dundy County Nebraska 1880-1987) Submitted by Pat Bernard