William Henry Bell emigrated to the United States in 1851, when he was about sixteen years of age, joining himself to an uncle in Rochester, New York as a carpenter's apprentice. Armed with the skills of his new trade, the young carpenter then struck out on his own. Working his way west, he somehow lost communication with his uncle in Rochester and his family in England. He reached Chicago and went on to Boone County, Illinois where he worked around Belvidere, Poplar Grove and South Grove. He became a naturalized citizen, Nov. 4, 1864 at Sycamore, Illinois, DeKalb County.
It was Poplar Grove that young William met Sarah Elizabeth Cornwell, the girl he married. The daughter of Gabriel E. Cornwell and Phoebe Coleman Cornwell, Sarah had been born at Brantford, Canada May 16, 1843 and was brought as a two year old child to Poplar Grove where her parents settled.
William and Sarah were married April 24, 1865 in the Methodist parsonage at Poplar Grove. The Rev. William Shaw performed the ceremony. Melvin E. Cornwell and Miss Emma Cornwell were witnesses and signed the marriage certificate. The newly-weds lived for a short time on a farm near Cherry Valley, Illinois. It was here that their first child, Phoebe Ellen Bell, was born on April 28, 1866.
Several relatives and friends, among them Coleman, Cornwell and Matthews families, had moved on west to Iowa, sending back good reports of the land there. In 1867 the young Bells gathered up their infant daughter, their few possessions, and moved by covered wagon to Delaware County, Iowa. They stopped to visit friends in Earlville who persuaded them they would do well to purchase a farm in that area. William and Sarah bought a farm of about eighty-two acres in Oneida Township, six miles north of Earlville and two and a half miles from the little settlement of Almoral. This was the end of William's trek across his new country. He and Sarah built a small frame house and other farm buildings. Here two daughters and a son were born: Emily Jane on April 11, 1868; Frank Edward, September 1, 1873 and Sarah Wilhemenia (Sadie) on November 7, 1879.
A family deeply committed to spiritual things, the Bells attended the little Congregational Church in Almoral and made it the center of their social life and their loyalties. Mrs. Bell was not destined to live long, succumbing to cancer Jun 4, 1890 at the age of forty-seven years. Her husband survived her by twelve years; the date of his death February 5, 1902. The couple is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Earlville, Iowa. (Excerpt from Bell/Cornwell Family Record, March 1972, Page 1, Section 1)
It was Poplar Grove that young William met Sarah Elizabeth Cornwell, the girl he married. The daughter of Gabriel E. Cornwell and Phoebe Coleman Cornwell, Sarah had been born at Brantford, Canada May 16, 1843 and was brought as a two year old child to Poplar Grove where her parents settled.
William and Sarah were married April 24, 1865 in the Methodist parsonage at Poplar Grove. The Rev. William Shaw performed the ceremony. Melvin E. Cornwell and Miss Emma Cornwell were witnesses and signed the marriage certificate. The newly-weds lived for a short time on a farm near Cherry Valley, Illinois. It was here that their first child, Phoebe Ellen Bell, was born on April 28, 1866.
Several relatives and friends, among them Coleman, Cornwell and Matthews families, had moved on west to Iowa, sending back good reports of the land there. In 1867 the young Bells gathered up their infant daughter, their few possessions, and moved by covered wagon to Delaware County, Iowa. They stopped to visit friends in Earlville who persuaded them they would do well to purchase a farm in that area. William and Sarah bought a farm of about eighty-two acres in Oneida Township, six miles north of Earlville and two and a half miles from the little settlement of Almoral. This was the end of William's trek across his new country. He and Sarah built a small frame house and other farm buildings. Here two daughters and a son were born: Emily Jane on April 11, 1868; Frank Edward, September 1, 1873 and Sarah Wilhemenia (Sadie) on November 7, 1879.
A family deeply committed to spiritual things, the Bells attended the little Congregational Church in Almoral and made it the center of their social life and their loyalties. Mrs. Bell was not destined to live long, succumbing to cancer Jun 4, 1890 at the age of forty-seven years. Her husband survived her by twelve years; the date of his death February 5, 1902. The couple is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Earlville, Iowa. (Excerpt from Bell/Cornwell Family Record, March 1972, Page 1, Section 1)
William Henry Bell emigrated to the United States in 1851, when he was about sixteen years of age, joining himself to an uncle in Rochester, New York as a carpenter's apprentice. Armed with the skills of his new trade, the young carpenter then struck out on his own. Working his way west, he somehow lost communication with his uncle in Rochester and his family in England. He reached Chicago and went on to Boone County, Illinois where he worked around Belvidere, Poplar Grove and South Grove. He became a naturalized citizen, Nov. 4, 1864 at Sycamore, Illinois, DeKalb County.
It was Poplar Grove that young William met Sarah Elizabeth Cornwell, the girl he married. The daughter of Gabriel E. Cornwell and Phoebe Coleman Cornwell, Sarah had been born at Brantford, Canada May 16, 1843 and was brought as a two year old child to Poplar Grove where her parents settled.
William and Sarah were married April 24, 1865 in the Methodist parsonage at Poplar Grove. The Rev. William Shaw performed the ceremony. Melvin E. Cornwell and Miss Emma Cornwell were witnesses and signed the marriage certificate. The newly-weds lived for a short time on a farm near Cherry Valley, Illinois. It was here that their first child, Phoebe Ellen Bell, was born on April 28, 1866.
Several relatives and friends, among them Coleman, Cornwell and Matthews families, had moved on west to Iowa, sending back good reports of the land there. In 1867 the young Bells gathered up their infant daughter, their few possessions, and moved by covered wagon to Delaware County, Iowa. They stopped to visit friends in Earlville who persuaded them they would do well to purchase a farm in that area. William and Sarah bought a farm of about eighty-two acres in Oneida Township, six miles north of Earlville and two and a half miles from the little settlement of Almoral. This was the end of William's trek across his new country. He and Sarah built a small frame house and other farm buildings. Here two daughters and a son were born: Emily Jane on April 11, 1868; Frank Edward, September 1, 1873 and Sarah Wilhemenia (Sadie) on November 7, 1879.
A family deeply committed to spiritual things, the Bells attended the little Congregational Church in Almoral and made it the center of their social life and their loyalties. Mrs. Bell was not destined to live long, succumbing to cancer Jun 4, 1890 at the age of forty-seven years. Her husband survived her by twelve years; the date of his death February 5, 1902. The couple is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Earlville, Iowa. (Excerpt from Bell/Cornwell Family Record, March 1972, Page 1, Section 1)
It was Poplar Grove that young William met Sarah Elizabeth Cornwell, the girl he married. The daughter of Gabriel E. Cornwell and Phoebe Coleman Cornwell, Sarah had been born at Brantford, Canada May 16, 1843 and was brought as a two year old child to Poplar Grove where her parents settled.
William and Sarah were married April 24, 1865 in the Methodist parsonage at Poplar Grove. The Rev. William Shaw performed the ceremony. Melvin E. Cornwell and Miss Emma Cornwell were witnesses and signed the marriage certificate. The newly-weds lived for a short time on a farm near Cherry Valley, Illinois. It was here that their first child, Phoebe Ellen Bell, was born on April 28, 1866.
Several relatives and friends, among them Coleman, Cornwell and Matthews families, had moved on west to Iowa, sending back good reports of the land there. In 1867 the young Bells gathered up their infant daughter, their few possessions, and moved by covered wagon to Delaware County, Iowa. They stopped to visit friends in Earlville who persuaded them they would do well to purchase a farm in that area. William and Sarah bought a farm of about eighty-two acres in Oneida Township, six miles north of Earlville and two and a half miles from the little settlement of Almoral. This was the end of William's trek across his new country. He and Sarah built a small frame house and other farm buildings. Here two daughters and a son were born: Emily Jane on April 11, 1868; Frank Edward, September 1, 1873 and Sarah Wilhemenia (Sadie) on November 7, 1879.
A family deeply committed to spiritual things, the Bells attended the little Congregational Church in Almoral and made it the center of their social life and their loyalties. Mrs. Bell was not destined to live long, succumbing to cancer Jun 4, 1890 at the age of forty-seven years. Her husband survived her by twelve years; the date of his death February 5, 1902. The couple is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Earlville, Iowa. (Excerpt from Bell/Cornwell Family Record, March 1972, Page 1, Section 1)
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