Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 1035 - 1036 

JASPER N. CROUCH, a reliable and energetic member of the sturdy sons of toil who are engaged in tilling the soil of these Kansas plains, is engaged in general farming and stock-raising on section 15, in Illinois Township. He was born in Kosciusko County, Ind., March 19, 1847, and is the son of James and Melinda (Groves) Crouch.

            The father of our subject was the son of Joseph and Amy Crouch, and was a native of Ohio, born July 25, 1798, and died in 1857. He was a farmer and stock-raiser, and was in politics a Republican. He had married in early life Miss Melinda, the daughter of William and Elizabeth Groves, who was born Oct. 31, 1805, and departed this life Jan. 13, 1881. They were the parents of the following children: Eliza, born May 25, 1823, married Benjamin Vancuren, and died Aug. 4, 1886, in Kosciusko County, Ind.; Eli, born March 31, 1825, married for his first wife Charlotte McNeal, and after her death, Mrs. Elizabeth Firestone, nee Elder, and died Nov. 29, 1867; William was born Dec. 27, 1827, and died Oct. 4, 1857, leaving a widow, who was formerly Mary Dustin, and one child; Elizabeth was born April 9, 1830, married Samuel Kelly for her first husband, and after his death John Keith, and is a resident of Indiana; Amy was born Sept. 8, 1832, and married Joseph Largent, a Kansas farmer; Dorcas was born Jan. 20, 1835, and died Oct. 3, 1857; Margery, born March 7, 1837, and died in infancy; Lucinda, who was born Dec. 29, 1838, married William Otenford, who was a miller by trade; Daniel Webster, whose birth took place Jan. 18, 1843, died at Danville, Ky., Oct. 29, 1862, while a member of Company A, 74th Indiana Infantry; Sarah W., the widow of Jacob Bibbler, was born April 9, 1844; the youngest child was Jasper N. Crouch, of whom this sketch is written.

            Mr. Crouch remained at home with his widowed mother, his father having died when the former was but ten years of age, until he was about twenty-five years of age. He received his education in the district schools of his native State, and assisted in carrying on the farm labors. He was united in marriage, March 19, 1872, with Miss Rosette Stinson, a native of Kosciusko County, Ind., who was born Aug. 31, 1850, and is the daughter of James T. and Margaret (Collins) Stinson, who were both natives of Ohio. Her father was born Sept. 4, 1818, and died May 25, 1887, in Indiana, and her mother, born Jan. 19, 1826, died Nov. 27, 1856. They were the parents of six children, as follows: Angeline, born May 27, 1845, died June 3, 1846; Margaret, Rosette, Charles, Blanche and Lulu. Margaret, Mrs. Wilson Hoover, born Aug. 8, 1847, is a resident of Indiana; Rosette is the wife of the subject of this sketch; Charles was born Feb. 1, 1853, married Miss Emma Brown, and is a carpenter in Augusta, this State; Blanche, whose birth occurred Jan. 7, 1855, married Finley McMillan, a blacksmith at Douglas, Kan.; Lutitia was born March 15, 1856, and died May 19, 1858; Angeline died when about two years old. Mrs. Crouch's mother dying while a young woman, her father married Mrs. Elizabeth Moore, nee MacIlvain, who became the mother of six children, as follows: Alice and Daniel, deceased; John, in Indiana; Ulysses and an infant unnamed, deceased; and Mark, in Indiana.

            Mr. Crouch remained a resident of Indiana, where he was engaged in farming, until 1876, at which time he came to Kansas and located in Butler County, where he remained about three years, he then returned to his home in Indiana, and having disposed of his property in that locality, came back to Kansas in the spring of 1884, and settled in this county, on the farm where he now resides. He has a place which embraces 160 acres of land, 135 of which are in a condition of excellent culture, the balance being in grass. He has an excellent orchard of young and thrifty trees and an abundance of small fruit. The buildings on the property are of an excellent and substantial character, and the whole surroundings betoken thrift and prosperity. In his political views our subject coincides with the Republican party, has held the office of Constable for two years, and is the present School Treasurer. Both he and his wife commune with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are sincere and Christian people.

            To Mr. and Mrs. Crouch there have been born four children, viz.: Pearl, whose advent took place March 22, 1873, is at home, and is quite an excellent musician; Charles, who was born Oct. 1, 1875, died April 11, 1876; Bertha E. was born Sept. 29, 1877, and Chester, whose birth occurred April 1, 1880. The entire family enjoy the warmest regard and esteem of the whole community, and are valuable members of society.

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