Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-03-25
william ARN[Y,
PIONEER, Is DEAD
ONE OF FIRST SETTLERS or
IOWA TOWNSHIP DIES ON
HOMESTEAD NEAR ALBION.
HAD LIVED ON ONE
FARM SlxTY-THREE YEARS
Was Only Man Who Ever Owned the
Land, He Having Homesteaded From
tho Governm ent-With Others OF
Family He Came From Indiana and
Founded the Arney Family.

William Arney. one of the founders
of the Arney family of this and other
counties, and one of the very first
settlers Of Iowa township. died at 1870
this morning on the farm q mile north
west Of Albion, where he bad lived for
sixty-two years. Death Vas caused by
ailments Of old age and was fastened
by an injury sustained few weeks ago.
when the aged man fell, fracturing his
hip. Mr.. Arney's age, 81 years was
greatly against his recovery, and he
began to decline quite rapidly following
the misfortune.
Load Family From Indiana.
Riding on horse back from Indiana.
all the way into Iowa. William Arney
and his brother law came in 1919 TO
spy out the land and see if it We're mt
for new home for the Arney family.
They returned in the fall. and the next
year saw the exodus of the family from
Owen county. Indiana. where William
Arney was born March 9. 1881.
Heading the family was John Arney
and his sons. William. Andrew and
Solomon and his daughters and their
families a party of twenty or more.
Tney headed straight foc Iowa town
ship. where they settled. and from
where the most Of them remained. altho
some Went TO live IN Hardin county,
We're Among First Whites.
The Arney party was among the first
whites to rea Oh the county. and especi-
ally the Albion neighborhood. Extreme
privation was the lot of the settlers the
first year. Having DO mill they pounded
their corn in a hollow stone Their
clothes We're made of fax grown on
the farm, spun and woven in the
houses. Iowa City was their nearest
market. and there they took their
dressed pork and wheat, the journey by
wagon requiring four or FIVE days.
Only Owner of Farm.
William Arney had the peculiar. and
in that day very unusual, distinction,
of having been the only man who ever
owned the farm on which he lived. He
homesteaded the land from the govern
ment in 1s4s, and lived on it from that
time until his death.
Mrs. Arney, who died Aug. IL, 1897,
was Elizabeth Boyles. She married Mr..
Arney Sept. %, 1919. They We're the
parents Of eight children, four of whom
are dead.
=.
wards, of California: Mrs. Hannah Wi
ley, who lives on the old home place
with her father; w. w. Arney, of near
Albion, and Elcanie 3. Arney, Of Whit
ten. Three daughters anc one son are
dead. They We're Sarah j.. Mrs. Nancy
A. Hullett, Julia z. -A,ney, and Elm CT
S. .Arney.
OF the seven brothers and sisters
only one, Mrs. H G. Neff, Of Albion, is
living. The others were Sorcnon and
Andrew Arney Mrs. John Havser.
Mrs. Jacob Hauser end Mrs. Martha
Elsbury. All of them We're members of
the Arney party that came QUE from
Indiana Mrs. John Hause- died only
last fall. P. F. Arney. q this city, and
c. E. Arney, of Albion, and Senator
". II. Arney, are all nelhews OF VII
liam Arney.
The funeral will be held from the
Bethel church Wednesday afternoon a.
2:3o. Eurial will De in the church
cemetery.