Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 481 - 482 

REV. JOHN C. SEVY, an old soldier of the Union army, in which he held all the offices of his company, did chaplain duty, and honorably mustered out, settled in 1876 on the homestead which he now occupies, and where for the last twelve years he has been contentedly engaged in agriculture. He is a gentlemen of more than ordinary intelligence, has traveled extensively, and has made the most of his opportunities to see the world and become acquainted with the different phases of life.

            Mr. Sevy was born and reared in the State of New York, where his birth took place Dec. 13, 1828. He is the son of Joseph and Sarah (Drake) Sevy, natives respectively of Massachusetts and New York, and who are now deceased. Joseph Sevy was a miller by trade, which he followed mostly in the celebrated Rochester Mills, Oswego County, N. Y., and after a worthy and useful life departed from the scenes of his earthly labors in 1880. He was a Republican politically, and the mother was a member in good standing of the Christian Church. John C. was the eldest of their four children, the others being named Amanda, Laura and William. The latter is a blacksmith by trade and a resident of Ft. Scott. The two sisters are deceased.

            Our subject in 1830 went to Illinois with his father, where he remained until twenty years of age, then crossed the Mississippi and for twenty-eight years thereafter followed farming and stock-raising in Appanoose County, Iowa. He left the Hawkeye State in 1876, locating first in Stafford County, Kan., where he continued farm life for five years, and at the expiration of this time took possession of his present homestead. He commenced his labors in the ministry in Appanoose County in 1860, and now devotes his time entirely to the service of the Master, having charge of the churches at Andale, at Pleasant Hill in Coffey County, and the Union Chapel in Reno County. For the past six years he has also been the preacher in charge of the church at Mt. Hope.

            The marriage of our subject with Miss Mary Swallow was celebrated at the home of the bride in Appanoose County, Iowa, March 22, 1850. Mrs. Sevy is the daughter of Robley and Eliza (Spence) Swallow, natives of Vermont and New Hampshire respectively, and the father during his early life was a member of the Baptist Church. Subsequently he united with the Christian Church, together with his excellent wife. They spent their last years in Appanoose County, Iowa. Their seven children were named respectively: Edwin ; Mary, now the wife of our subject, Enoch, deceased ; Dennie, John, Martha and Timothy.

            Mr. Sevy, during the progress of the late war, enlisted in 1864 as a private in Company F, 13th Ohio Infantry, and served during the following winter in the Provisional Division of the Army of the Tennessee under Gens. Thomas and Francis Meager. He was present at the battle of Nashville, met the enemy at Kingston, N. C., and at Goldsboro, and was the first man in the city before the surrender, assisting in trying to save the stores to which the rebels had applied the torch. He was mustered out of service in the fall of 1865 at Davenport, Iowa, and, although his army life was comparatively brief in duration, he has reason to be proud of his record.

            Of the five children born to our subject and his inestimable wife, two sons, Charles and Frederick, are deceased; Alice is the wife of T. J. Anderson, and lives in Hutchinson, this State; Mattie, Mrs. John McComb, is a resident of Stafford County, where Marshall, who is married, also resides. Mr. Sevy belongs to Joe Hooker Post, G. A. R., at Hutchinson.

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