Son of Alexander and Mary Jane (Soash) Barr

Published in the Arcadia Champion, Arcadia, Nebraska, Friday, January 16, 1920, Page 8, Col. 3

HENRY WALLACE BARR

Henry Wallace Barr was born in West Grant County, Wisconsin, February 21, 1853, and died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Bessie Fox at Vinton Iowa, January 3, 1920, aged 66 years, 10 months and 12 days, burial being made at the Shell Rock, Iowa, cemetery.

In infancy he moved with his parents to Dubuque county, Iowa, and in 1863 to Butler county, Iowa, where he grew to manhood.

In 1876 he was united in marriage to Ella Jones, daughter of E.M. Jones of Shell Rock, Iowa, who died December 21, 1895.

To this union was born eleven children - seven daughters and four sons. One of the sons died in infancy and two of the daughters in early life. The remaining children are: Mrs. Jennie Lybarger of Arcadia, Neb.; Mrs. Mary Elt Jenks, Laport, Iowa,; Mrs. Bessie Fox, Vinton, Iowa,; Guy Barr, Arcadia,; Stephen Barr of Shell Rock Iowa; Harvey Barr of Arcadia; and Mrs. Mona Bowker of Kearney.

In the fall of 1885 he with his family moved to Ord, Neb. On January 10, 1894 he united with the church of the Brethren in which he remained until death. In the year of 1897 he was married to Dilieh Hasur at Edison, Neb., who also preceded him to the grave in 1904.

He leaves to mourn his loss eight children, twenty-two grandchildren, two sisters, two brothers and a host of relatives and friends.

Obit provided by Kathy Burr

From Compendium of History, Reminiscence & Biography of NEBRASKA:

Henry W. Barr, who was one of the earlier settlers of Valley county, Nebraska, is well and

favorably known in his part of the county, where he has been prominent in all movements for progress and advancement. Mr. Barr is an intelligent and progressive farmer and is successful in his operations.

He was born in Grant county, Wisconsin. February 21, 1853 and is a son of Alexander and Mary (Soash) Barr, third in a family of seven children. Of his brothers and sisters some are deceased; one brother and two sisters live in Iowa and one brother resides in Minnesota.

The Barr family is of Irish extraction and the father was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, and died in Jackson county, Iowa in 1863. The mother of Mr. Barr was of French and German descent, born in the state of Pennsylvania, and she died in Butler county, Iowa, in April, 1875.

In April, 1853, Mr. Barr's parent's moved to Dubuque county, Iowa, and ten years later to Butler county, that state, and there the boy, Henry, received a common school education. As a young man he engaged in farming, and was married at Shell Rock, Iowa, July 16, 1876 to Miss Ella Jones, a native of Ohio and daughter of Edward M. and Louisa (Sement) Jones. In 1885 Mr. Barr, with his wife and five daughters removed to Valley county, where he secured a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land nine miles northeast of Arcadia which was the home place many years, and where he began developing a farm. In 1904 he purchased a half section of land, the northeast quarter of section four, township seventeen, range fifteen, and the southwest quarter of section thirty-four, township eighteen, range fifteen, to which he moved in March, 1909, having erected a comfortable dwelling and other buildings and otherwise improved the place.

Mrs. Barr died on the home farm December 21, 1894, survived by her husband and ten children, namely: Ethel L., died January 1, 1903, leaving her husband, Alfred Royal, and one daughter; Maud, died in December, 1899; Jennie married A. L. Lybarger, of Valley county, and they have two children; Mary married Frank Jenks, of Iowa, and they have three children; Jessie married F. H. Lybarger, of Valley county, and they have three children; Bessie, wife of Charles Fox, lives in Iowa and has two children; Guy H., at home, Stephen C., of Iowa; Harvey R. at home, and Mona. Mona was but seven hours old when her mother died, and was adopted by J. B. Mowery and wife, who later moved to Kearney, and she is attending the city schools.

Mr. Barr has shown helpful interest in the cause of education and was one of the organizers of school district number fifty-nine, having been the first director of the board. He has since been a member of the board most of the time, and at the present time is serving as moderator.

On Febrary 25, 1898, Mr. Barr married (second) at Edison, Nebraska, Mrs. Delila Hosier, who was born in Illinois, a daughter of Jesse and Melissa (Searle) Hoskins.

Mr. Barr has developed his land into an excellent stock and grain farm and is provided with

modern machinery and equipment for carrying on his work. He is actively engaged in farming, and is considered one of the substantial, desirable citizens of Valley county.

From 1892 to 1898, Mr. Barr lived in a dugout with a frame front. In the year of drought,1894, he harvested a third of a crop of twenty-nine acres of wheat and one hundred and twenty five acres of corn. The blizzard of January 12, 1888, caught him just as he had hitched the team to a wagon to get a load of hay; he had difficulty in getting them to the barn and in finding his way to the house.

Mr. Barr is a member of the Church of the Brethren (formerly known as the Dunkards) and is independent in politics.