Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 585 - 586 

LEWIS BOYER came to Sedgwick County from Tazewell County, Ill., in 1879, and bought 164 acres of land, a fractional quarter of section 30, Eagle Township, and was there successfully engaged in farming until 1883. He then sold that land to John and Will Jacobs, and bought his present farm on section 25, of Nathan Allspan, and has since paid attention to general farming, to raising corn and to rearing cattle of a common stock, keeping from six to ten head. His farm is very pleasantly located and is under a good state of tillage. He is a practical, intelligent, and methodical farmer, paying careful attention to the details of his business, making his farming pay well for the labor and time expended, and steadily and surely acquiring thereby a competency.

            Mr. Boyer was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, Dec. 27, 1852, and his parents were Jacob and Racinda (Day) Boyer, natives respectively of Germany and Ohio. Jacob Boyer's people migrated from Germany to this country in an early day, when he was quite young, and located in Baltimore, Md. They were farmers by occupation, and afterward left Baltimore for Ohio to pursue their calling, and there spent the remainder of their lives. Jacob was reared on his parents' farm in that State, and was industriously engaged in agricultural pursuits there until his death, which occurred in 1883, he having reached the advanced age of ninety-seven years. He was fifty years of age when he was married, and he and his good wife reared a family of four girls and five boys, all of whom are living, namely ; Andrew Jackson, Ellen, Julia Ann, James, William P., Lewis, Lucinda, Minerva Jane and Jacob Seymore; of this family three brothers and one sister are now living in Kansas.

            The subject of this sketch was a bright, intelligent lad and acquired a good, practical education in the common schools. At the age of thirteen he left home to live with his uncle, William Boyer, in Tazewell County, Ill., remaining with him about ten years. He was afterward employed in farming for himself in Illinois, and as he was active, strong and willing to work, in a few years he had laid by money enough to establish a comfortable home. Accordingly, Sept. 10, 1879, he married Miss Margaret Wilson, who was likewise a native of Muskingum County, Ohio, where she was born on the 12th of September, 1861. She was one of the thirteen children, seven girls and six boys, born to Jesse and Nancy (Fink) Wilson. Her mother died in Ohio in 1865, and her father in Illinois in 1874. The names of their children are as follows; Jesse Manuel, Solomon, Jacob R., Henry, Francis Marion, Jasper, John Sherman, Christina, Sarah, Jennie, Minnie, Delia and Lavina.

            After marriage our subject and his wife came to Kansas to make their home in the beautiful valley of the Arkansas River, where they could enjoy the advantages of the fine climate, and the wonderfully productive soil. They have established themselves very pleasantly here, and have won the respect and friendship of the entire community by their upright conduct, their diligence, and by numerous acts of neighborly kindness. Three children have been born to them -- Addie May, Howard Leroy and Mary Myrtle.

            Mr. Boyer belongs to the Union Laborers. As a man he is always honest in his dealings with others, and as a citizen heartily co-operates in any movement for the improvement of the township or to promote its growth.

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