Sedgwick County KSGenWeb
Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.
Chapman Brothers 1888
Pages 498 – 502
ISAAC D. STOVER. This gentleman occupies no unimportant position among the leading citizens of Garden Plain Township. He came here during the days of its early settlement, after having previously assisted in the organization of the adjoining township of Attica, which is indebted to him perhaps more than to any other individual for his assistance during the time it was striving to gain recognition as a community of people, ambitious and enterprising, and alive to the necessity of being duly governed as a regular township. There were school districts to be organized also, and in these as well as the establishment of other enterprises, Mr. Stover was one of the most active men.
Our subject removed from Attica to Garden Plain Township in 1876, and taking up a tract of 240 acres on section 36, has since devoted his time and attention to the building up of one of the most desirable homesteads in. the township. He has always been fond of horticulture, and one of the most attractive features of his premises is the fine young orchard of over 400 trees, which are just commencing to bear. He has a handsome and commodious residence, a good barn and other out buildings necessary to the complete country home, and is now enabled, as he fully deserves, to take life in a comparatively easy manner.
Montgomery County, Pa., was the boyhood home of our subject, where he first opened his eyes to the light on the 16th of January, 1839. His parents were Henry O. and Rachel (Delp) Stover. The father, it is supposed, was a native of Pennsylvania or Virginia, and the mother of Juniata County, the former State. Henry Stover, during his early manhood, was employed as a general mechanic, but when about forty years of age began dealing in lumber. His death took place in 1877 in Montgomery County, Pa. The mother died in the same county in April, 1888.
The parental household of our subject included ten children, nine of whom lived to mature years. The eldest son, John, during the late war, enlisted in the naval service and participated in the bombardment of Ft. McHenry; he died unmarried, in 1884, in Pennsylvania. Jacob M. is a resident of Montgomery County, Pa.; Joseph died in infancy; Isaac D., of our sketch, was the third son; Elizabeth married Samuel Rosenberger, and died leaving six children; Mary became the wife of Charles Hendricks, and died leaving one child. a daughter, Alice, who is now a resident of Montgomery County, Pa.; Abraham served as a Union soldier one year during the late war, and is now a resident of Philadelphia; Catherine, Mrs. John Kratz, was also a resident of the Quaker City; Barbara, Mrs. Jacob Kulp, died when a young woman, leaving two children; Sarah, Mrs. Joseph Detwiler, lives in Montgomery County, Pa.
The early life of Mr. Stover was spent after the manner of most farmers' sons, in a comparatively uneventful manner, and during which he attended the common school, and made himself useful around the homestead as his years increased. At the age of twenty he commenced learning the carpenter's trade, but in his labors was interrupted three years later by the outbreak of the Rebellion, and was constrained to enter the Union service, becoming a member of the 27th Pennsylvania Infantry. He served three months, and while out on a foraging expedition received a gunshot wound in the leg. Later, at Carlisle, Pa., and after nightfall, being ordered to fall into line upon leaving a train, young Stover walked out of a box car down a steep embankment, which so disabled him that he suffered from the effects for nearly twenty years. In consequence of this he received his honorable discharge in September, 1863.
A few weeks later, on the 5th of December, the marriage of Isaac D. Stover and Miss Elmina Kindig was celebrated at the home of the bride, in Montgomery County, Pa. Mrs. Stover was born Sept. 9, 1845, in Montgomery County, Pa., and is the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Ruth) Kindig, who were also natives of that State, together with their family, for several generations back. Mrs. Stover was the youngest of a family of six children. Her eldest sister, Catherine, became the wife of Omar Reese, and died leaving five children; Mary, Mrs. Joel Rosenberger, is a resident of Montgomery County, Pa.; and also Sarah, the wife of Samuel Althouse; together with Susannah, Mrs. Jacob Johnson, and Jacob, the youngest brother. Eliza died at the age of sixteen years.
After his marriage Mr. Stover was variously occupied—some of the time at his trade and later as an employe of the Northern Pennsylvania Railroad Company. By the latter he was promoted first to conductor and then as confidential messenger, carrying large sums of money from one point to another. He left the Keystone State in 1870, and crossing the Father of Waters, arrived in Kansas during the month of May. He was comparatively without means, but succeeded in obtaining work in Leavenworth, where he remained until 1872, then coming to this county pre-empted a tract of land in Attica Township. Upon this he operated until 1876, then sold out and purchased 240 acres of school land, to which amount he subsequently added at different times, until he is now the owner of 560 acres, which are devoted to the raising of grain and stock.
Eight children came to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Stover, seven of whom are now living: Henry was born in the city of Philadelphia, Feb. 27,1865; Joseph, in Montgomery County, Pa., Oct. 9, 1867; Edward, born on the 25th of November, 1870, at Leavenworth, Kan., died when ,two years and eight months old; William was born in this county, April 12, 1873; Clara, Nov. 19, 1875; Charles, June 26, 1881; Sarah, Oct. 29, 1883; and Cyrus W., Sept. 1, 1885.
Mr. Stover, politically, votes the straight Republican ticket. Notwithstanding his busy and active career as connected with the general welfare of his township, he has never sought office, content alone to see the people around him steadily advancing socially, morally and financially. A lithographic view is shown on another page of Mr. Stover's residence.
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