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Uriah Barr
Born 12 September 1846


For more than fifteen years Uriah Barr has cultivated his farm of one hundred acres on section 23, Greenfield township, and has found no reason to regret that he has devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits or that he chose Greenfield township as the scene of his labors. He was born in Fairfield, Ohio, where his parents spent their entire life. They were Jacob and Sarah (Spohn) Barr, both now deceased, in whose family were five children: Uriah, Lizzie, Jacob, David and George. Lizzie and George have passed away; David is living in Colorado; while Jacob remained in Ohio, the state of his birth.
Uriah Barr was born September 12, 1846, and remained in his native state until twenty-six years of age, when he sought the prairies of Iowa and the opportunities they afforded. For eight terms he devoted himself to teaching, to instructing boys and girls, some of whom almost men and women, who could be spared from their home. He had already had some experience in teaching in the schools of his native state, for when his own education was completed he was determined to improve upon his early training. It was not until 1893, that he bought the farm he now owns in Greenfield township. He paid fifty dollars an acre for it at the time but it has almost doubled in value because of the natural advance in land and the many improvements he has placed upon it.
In 1866 Mr. Barr married Miss Mary E. Coplin, who died June 25, 1868, leaving one daughter, Lizzie. The latter became the wife of Fred Pieper and they had a son, Uriah, born April 17, 1891. Three days after his birth Mrs. Pieper died and the baby was taken by his grandparents, with whom he has always made his home. On the 11th of October 1870, Mr. Barr was again married, his second union being with Miss Elizabeth A. Lamb. Her mother died in Ohio, in 1881 and her father came with his youngest daughter to Iowa and made his home with Mrs. Barr till his death. Mrs. Barr is one of a family of eight children, four sons and four daughters: Mary and Clara, both deceased; Ella, who makes her home with Mrs. Barr; Hiram, who lives in Ohio; Jonas, of Grundy Center, Iowa; Henry, deceased; and J. M., of Dickinson county, Iowa. Anna, the only child of Mr. Barr's second union, was born July 20, 1874. On the 14th of December 1893, she married Ed Henderson, of Cedar county, Iowa, and is now the mother of four children: Harry, Harlan, Vera and Verna.
Mr. Barr is a stanch adherent of the democratic party and has always displayed a sincere interest in public affairs. This has been appreciated by his fellow citizens, who during a period of thirteen years chose him as their assessor. He has also served on the school board since he took up his residence in Iowa, and his influence has ever been given to advancing the interests of education. Reared in the Methodist faith, he and his family are devout members of the local church of that denomination and have ordered their lives in accordance with its doctrines.

Source: History of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, R. M. Corbitt, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910, p. 559.
Note: Charlotte Dittmar saw the bio here and writes: "I have very little information on Uriah Barr. Only a birth record and a note written in a family bible that Uriah Barr died May 1, 1921. His sister, Elizabeth (Lizzie) was my great grandmother who married William Crist and died November 10, 1905. His brother Jacob married Mabel Friend and died January 17, 1929. These two remained in Fairfield co., Ohio. I have no record on his brother, George."

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