Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 1101 - 1102  

JOSEPH L. STUCKEY is among the enterprising, progressive farmers of Waco Township, where he is engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 22. He is a native of Berkeley County, W. Va., and was born Nov. 5, 1853. His parents were David and Susan (Grantham) Stuckey, both of whom also were natives of West Virginia. The father was born April 30, 1821, and died Oct. 12, 1862. The mother, whose birth occurred Jan. 20, 1825, is still a resident of her native State. They were the parents of six children, who are recorded as follows: Susan Catherine was born July 15, 1852, and married Taylor Catrow, a resident of West Virginia, where he carries on a farm; Joseph L., the subject of our sketch; an infant daughter, deceased; Laura and Alice, twins, born Aug. 26, 1856, the former the wife of T. Cushwa, of Martinsburg, W. Va., and the latter died Jan 4, 1875; and Smith Grantham, born April 23, 1861.           

            Little is known of the Stuckey family by any of the descendants now living farther back than Lewis Stuckey's great-grandfather. The first of the family, it is known, were emigrants from Germany, and, it is supposed, came to Pennsylvania. It is known that three brothers - Jacob, Simon and another whose name is not known - made settlements: Jacob, in Berkeley County, W. Va.; Simon, in Pennsylvania, and the other brother went to Ohio at a very early period in the history of that State. Jacob Stuckey, the great-grandfather of Lewis, lived in his youth near the line of Pennsylvania, in Maryland, and married a Miss Cline, of the State of Pennsylvania, and moved to Berkeley County, W. Va., then Virginia, about 100 years ago. When he came to Berkeley County he was very poor, but by dint of honesty of purpose, industry and economy, was enabled to settle each one of his children on a farm of no mean proportions, besides reserving quite a competency for himself. He lived to the age of eighty-four years, and his wife also lived to about that age. They had born to them five sons and three daughters, all of whom are now dead.         

            Charles, the grandfather of Lewis Stuckey, was born in the State of Maryland, but shortly afterward his parents removed to Berkeley County, W. Va. As before stated, he lived with his father until he was married, which was about the year 1818, to Miss Susannah Bowman, of Franklin County, Pa. Their children were five in number - Daniel, David, Margaret Anne, Charles and Joseph. The father was a man of strong mind naturally, and lived the life of an unpretending farmer, noted for an honest, industrious man, and passed away in the seventieth-year of his age. The mother was a woman of rare virtues and strong powers of mind, and died without an enemy after attaining her seventy-fifth year. Two of their sons, after having families, have passed away — David and Daniel; three other children survive: Charles, in Berkeley County; Joseph, in Ohio, and Margaret Anne, in Missouri. Charles has held the office of Justice of the Peace in Berkeley County for nearly twenty years; David Stuckey married a Miss Grantham, of this county, and she still survives and lives in the county.                       

            Three brothers of the Grantham family emigrated from Scotland to America, and settled near Charlestown, Jefferson Co. (then Berkeley), W. Va., the exact date of their settlement not being known, though it was at an early period history of our country. The characteristics of the present generation of these people lead us to believe that they are Welsh people whose ancestors crossed the line into Scotland. The Grantham family trace their descent back to a remote period, as the eldest of that family is now seventy years of age, and is of the fourth generation from the first settlement of their ancestry in America, of whom we will only speak of the present and the late generations. Moses S. Grantham and Lewis, his brother, resided in the county of Berkeley during the whole of the life of the latter, he having died several years ago, at the age of eighty years; Moses S. still survives at seventy years of age. The mother of Lewis Stuckey was Lewis Grantham's daughter. The aphorism that a prophet is not without honor save in his own country does not apply to these two men. Starting in life in indigent circumstances, they accumulated large properties, and were greatly honored among their countrymen. Much of the business affairs of the country around has been entrusted to their care, besides they have been several times elected to Legislative and Senatorial honors, and were of the Democratic school of politics. Lewis Grantham was twice elected to the Legislature of the State, when his county was evenly divided, or rather the opposing party was in the ascendancy, and could have been returned, but refused to serve a longer time in that capacity. At the same time his brother Moses S. was elected, at the age of twenty-five years, to the State Senate, from his district, then Virginia, and also served one session in the State Senate of West Virginia since the war.           

            The subject of our sketch was reared amid the towering mountains and lovely valleys of his native State, receiving his education in the common schools of that locality. Like all dwellers among the mountains, he breathed in that spirit of native independence and freedom which is so characteristic of him, and which is the underlying principle in his nature. He remained at home enjoying all the influences of that hallowed spot until 1876, when, receiving a capital of $850 from his parents, he started out to battle with the world for himself. He was then but twenty-two years of age, but endowed with a strong constitution, a powerful will and an energetic mind, he determined to seek in a new country a location and a home of his own. The tide of emigration ever setting westward, he joined the mighty throng, and came to Kansas in its early days. He located in Sumner County, where he rented a farm and raised one crop, but in 1877 he came to Sedgwick County and settled on his present farm. He has now a property of 120 acres of as fine land as any within the boundaries of the county, a handsome and  commodious residence, and an orchard of young and thrifty trees, covering an area of some seven acres. His land is brought to a high state of culture, and is exceedingly productive.           

            The ceremony which united the destinies of Joseph L. Stuckey and Miss Jane Elizabeth Lowry took place Jan. 4, 1875. The lady is a native of Berkeley County, W. Va., where she was born April 3, 1857, and is the daughter of Samuel S. and Sarah C. (Manor) Lowry, a sketch of whom is given elsewhere in the pages of this ALBUM. By this union were born to them a family of eight children, as follows: David S., born April 10, 1876; Alice S. C., born Aug. 26, 1877, and died Nov. 13, 1878; Willis L., born April 8, 1879; Lillie F., Feb. 1, 1881; Charles A., Sept. 22, 1882; Grover, Jan. 21, 1885; Ella Rose, Nov. 7, 1886, and an infant son, unnamed, March 21, 1888.           

            In his political faith, Mr. Stuckey owes allegiance to the Democratic party. He and his wife are members of the United Brethren Church, and are active in all religious and moral work. He has held the office of Clerk of the School Board of the district some three terms, and is quite prominent in the improvement and progress of educational matters.

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