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Notes on William Green Gregory

From the Oelwein Register, December 1913.

WM. G. GREGORY, OLD SOLDIER LAID TO REST

          William Green Gregory, son E. S. Gregory, was born at Genoa, Ill., on May 12, 1845, where he grew to manhood. In 1868 he was united in marriage with Margaret Sackville. To them were born three children of whom one died in infancy and two grew to be strong healthy man and woman, they are Mrs. Will Davis and Guy C. July 3, 1893, his wife Margaret was laid to rest in Otsego cemetery.
          February 19, 1894, he was united in second marriage to Alice L. Baker and to them was born one child, Carl. Mr. Gregory was a hard working, industrious man and in February 1864, at the age of 19 when our government was engaged in one of the most important wars, when its soldiers were being killed in battle by the thousands he offered his life and services to the government and enlisted as a private in Co. B., 8th Ill. Cavalry and served till he was honorably discharged at Benton Barracks, Mo., July 17, 1865. His life long occupation had been farming, and in 1871 he located near Nebraska City, Neb., where he resided until 1875 when he located near Genoa, Ill.
          In 1882 he removed to a farm east of Oelwein, Iowa, residing there until the spring of 1891. On account of poor health he decided to sell his farm and retire from the farming industry. He located on 2nd Avenue East in the city of Oelwein where he lived at the time of his departure from this world. Since December 1912 he has been confined to the house, and through these twelve months of illness he was convinced that it was the beginning of the end and with patience waited for it. He went to sleep at 4:30 p.m. December 5, 1913, at the age of 68 years 6 months and 23 days. He leaves to mourn his loss a wife, two sons and one daughter. One brother S. C. Gregory, of Granard Colo., three bothers and sisters in law besides many distant relatives and friends.
          Funeral services were held from the family residence, 220 2nd Avenue E., Oelwein, Iowa, at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, 1913. The services were in charge of the Pastor of the Baptist church, Rev. A. H. Nickell. The G. A. R. Post and W. R. C. attended in a body to attest the esteem in which a departed brother was held by them. The body was laid in rest in Otsego cemetery. The bereaved family have the sympathy of a large circle of friends in their hour of sorrow.

From "Biographical Sketches of Genoa Twp. Pioneer Families", by Shelila Larson. Genoa Twp. is in DeKalb County, Illinois.

GREGORY FAMILY


          Joseph Gregory, was born in 1782 and died 5 Aug 1844 at Rochester, New York. His wife, Sarah Cozier, was born in 1783 and died in 1834 at Johnstown, New York. They had a son Ezra Starr Gregory.
          Ezra Starr Gregory, son of Joseph and Sarah (Cozier) Gregory, was born 3 Apr 1803 in Danbury, Connecticut; and died in Genoa 23 Jan 1887, age 84 years. He married Jane Brown, a native of Buxton, Maine, who was born 25 Oct 1802 and died 18 Feb 1873. Jane was the daughter of Benjamin and Ann Ruth Libby Brown {See Brown Family}. Ezra and Jane were married in Hope, Hamilton Co., New York, 17 Jan 1828 by Ezra Starr Cozier of Utica, New York, and then moved back to Johnstown, New York. They remained in New York State until 1837 when they came to Genoa township with the family of Jeremiah L. Brown in a prairie schooner. Their seven children were: William James, born 21 Jul 1829, died 23 Aug 1829; Ann Mariah, born 9 Aug 1831, died 23 Aug 1831; Mary Jane, born 24 Dec 1832 in Johnstown, New York, married John Patterson {See Patterson Family}; Judith, born 5 Feb 1835, died 18 Feb 1835; Phebe Ruth, born 5 Jul 1838, died 23 Sep 1846; Starr Cozier, born 21 Aug 1842, married 12 Feb 1865 to Mariah M. Tibbets {See Tibbets Family}; and William Green, born 12 May 1845, died Dec 1913 at Oelwein, Iowa, married Margaret Sackville 31 Dec 1868, children Gertrude and Guy.
          In 1840 Ezra Gregory cast the first and only ballot for the abolition of slavery. Mrs. Gregory was one of the charter members of the First Methodist Church organized in Genoa in 1854. The first services were held in 1837 and these were under the Methodist Circuit of Sycamore. Ezra Gregory's name is on one of the stained glass windows in the old Methodist Church on Sycamore Street, now the Four Square Gospel Church. He served as township treasurer for twenty years; was one of the first shoemakers in Genoa, with Jeremiah L. Brown; and was a delegate for the Free Soil Party in 1854 in Aurora, Ill., which was the first organizational meeting of the new Republican Party.
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