Seventh Generation

528. Thomas Bedwell²⁰⁴ was born on 14 Oct 1826 in Morgan County, Illinois. He died on 11 Oct 1879 in Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa.¹²⁷ He was buried in Ottumwa Cemetery, Wapello County, Iowa.¹²⁷

• The History of Wapello County, Iowa (1878), p. 404, shows Thomas Bedwell as having been elected as a County Supervisor in 1861, 1862, and 1863. The same book, on p. 405, shows him elected Sheriff in 1867.

• The History of Wapello County, Iowa (1878), p. 603, has this biography: "Thomas Bedwell, Sec. 18; born in Hamilton Co., Ohio, Oct. 14, 1826; parents moved to Morgan Co., Ill., in 1827; Oct. 6, 1843, he came to Sec. 24, Agency Tp., in this county; in the livery and grocery business until 1875, when he moved to the farm which he now carries on. While a resident of Agency, was years a member of the County Board of Supervisors; held various other township offices. Married Eleanor DeFord Oct 12, 1848; born in Indiana; had six children -- one son died in infancy; five living -- George T., Emma, Charles E., Brepilda and Rachel Eleanor. Mrs. Bedwell is a member of the First M.E. Church. Mr. Bedwell owns a fruit farm of forty-four acres on Sec. 18, in common with John Gray; 440 acres in Keokuk Tp., and Ottumwa City property -- all valued at $9,000."

• Diane Holland writes: "Died of complications of typhoid fever. From the Democrat and Times newspaper, 16 Oct 1879: 'His funeral was attended by the largest concourse of people that has ever attended the funeral of any individual in this county, as he was thoroughly loved and respected by the whole community....Mr. Bedwell was most emphatically, one of nature's truest and purest nobleman, a kind and obliging neighbor, an indulgent father and most devoted husband. We believe it is not saying too much when we claim that the deceased was one among the very best citizens that ever cast his lot among the citizens of Wapello county and his loss is keenly felt.'

• 1850 Census for Wapello County, Iowa shows Thomas Bedwell, 25, a farmer born in Illinois; Ellenor, 20, born in Indiana; and George, 1, born in Iowa.

• 1860 Census for Agency Township, Wapello County, Iowa shows Thomas Bedwell, 34, a farmer with $3000 real estate and $500 assets; Ellenor, 30; George T., 10; Emma, 9; Charles E., 1; and Mary Watkins, 13, a domestic servant. Thomas and Ellenor were born in Ohio, the others in Iowa.

• 1880 Census for Center Township, Wapello County, Iowa shows Ellen Bedwell, 49; daughter Brehilda, 19; and daughter Rachael E., 9.

Thomas Bedwell and Eleanor DeFord were married on 12 Oct 1848 in Wapello County, Iowa.²⁰⁴ Eleanor DeFord²⁰⁴ (daughter of Thomas DeFord and Eleanor Cline) was born on 20 Oct 1830 in Illinois.²⁰⁴ She died on 25 Nov 1894 in Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa.²⁰⁴ She was buried in Ottumwa Cemetery, Wapello County, Iowa.^65,127,204

Obituary posted on the Bedwell message board on ancestry.com
(http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/nED.2ACIB/195)
Date and newspaper unknown

DEATH OF MRS. GRAY.

An Old citizen of Wapello County Passes Away.

Mrs. Eleanor Deford Gray, wife of L. E. Gray, who has been suffering from a severe case of congestion of the kidneys, died at her home November 25th, at 12:20 a. m.
Mrs. Gray was born in Illinois on October 20, 1830, and came to Iowa with her parents while still quite young. On October 12, 1848, in Wapello county, she married Thos. Bedwell, who was afterward twice sheriff of this county, being first elected in 1867 and afterwards appointed in 1878 to fill the unexpired term of D. W. Stewart. Mr. Bedwell died on October 14, 1879. On June 10, 1884 Mrs. Bedwell became the wife of L. E. Gray, who was also a sheriff of this county during war time, and at the time of her death they were living at the family residence on East Main street in this city.

Mrs. Gray, by her first union, became the mother of six children, one of whom died in infancy, the five surviviing her being Geo. T. Bedwell; Emma, wife of Chas. Connelly; Charles E., member of the whoesale drug firm of E. E. Bruce & Co., Omaha; Brehilda, wife of John B. Dennis, of the firm of Sam'l Lilburn & Co., and Rachel Eleanor, wife of James D. Gray. All are residents of this city except Charles E. Bedwell, who lives in Omaha. All were present attending at the bedside of their sick mother during this fatal illness. Mrs. Marie J. Waltman, of Bushnell, Ill., a sister of Mrs. Gray, was also present.

Funeral services will be held at the family residence, No. 1628 East Main Street, on Tuesday, November 27th, at 2 o'clock p.m., Rev. W. G. Wilson, of the First M. E. church, officiating. Mrs. Gray had been an earnest and consistent member of the Methodist church from her early girlhood and her death is a sad, sad loss to the community, and the church and an irreconcilable one to the immediate family.

Thomas Bedwell and Eleanor DeFord had the following children:

+1720
i.
George Thomas Bedwell.
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ii.
Emma (Emmie) Bedwell.
1722
iii.
Adoniram Judson Bedwell²⁰⁴ was born on 20 Dec 1855.²⁰⁴ He died on 27 Aug 1857.²⁰⁴
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iv.
Charles Edgar Bedwell.
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v.
Brehilda Bedwell.
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vi.
Rachel Eleanor (Nellie) Bedwell.