Asahel Ward ¹²

  General Notes:

Asahel Ward, retired farmer, son of Phillip and Margaret (Brown) Ward, was born in Belmont county, Ohio, December 13, 1819. He was ninth in a family of ten children, and is the only one now living. His parents died in Ohio, his father living to the advanced age of ninety-six years.
Mr. Ward is a self-educated man, having attended school but sixteen days, and that after his twenty-first year; he learned the shoe cobblers' trade and later taught school in both Ohio and Iowa. In 1850 he went to Iowa, where he lived for twenty-one years.
On December 13, 1862, Mr. Ward was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Hagan, who was born in Pennsylvania. In 1871 he came with his wife and five children to Howard county, Nebraska, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres about eight miles northwest of St. Paul, living on same for four years. Mrs. Ward died June 6, 1875, on the home farm, survived by her husband and six children: Harriet A., widow of Richard Todhunter, who died in 1904, resides in California and has six children; Ella, wife of Joseph McCracken, has eight children, and resides in California; Margaret, died May 22, 1876, her husband, Woodford Evans, dying June 8, 1911, leaving one son, Chester; Mary E., died in Iowa in 1885, and her husband, George Blatenberg, died December 25, 1892, leaving four children; William W., died March 7, 1890, and his wife some time later, leaving two children; and Abigal, who died.
In 1876, at Grand Island, Nebraska, Mr. Ward was married to Miss Amanda J. Honnold, of Belmont comity, Ohio, one of a family of twelve children, ten sons and two daughters. In 1876 Mr. and Mrs. Ward came to Valley county, Nebraska, living on one hundred and sixty acres of land in section twenty-eight, township eighteen, range fourteen, which was homesteaded by Mrs. Ward before her marriage. This remained the home place until November, 1909, when Mr. Ward retired from the farming and moved to Ord, purchasing a good home, where they now live. The homestead he retained until 1910, when he sold it and purchased one hundred and sixty acres, fourteen miles north of Ord.
Mr. Ward served as commissioner of Howard county during his residence there; and while residing in Warren county, Iowa, he filled the office of county treasurer; he has been justice of peace in Nebraska for many years; postmaster at Cotesfield for four years, and also filled a like office at Mira Valley for twenty-two years; he has also done some United States government survey work. Mr. Ward was instrumental in organizing school district number ten, and served on the board of directors for a number of years; indeed, since his majority, Mr. Ward has always been directly identified with school interests.
Mr. and Mrs. Ward have three children: Flora A., wife of Charles J. Nelson, lives in Ord, and has three children; Jessie M., who is married to S. W. Roe, lives in Howard county, Nebraska, and they have three children; and John L., who is given a more extended notice on another page of our work.
Mr. and Mrs. Ward are numbered among the earliest settlers in this part of the state, and have passed through the usual hard experiences of pioneer life. They are well and favorably known. Although very advanced in years, Mr. Ward is still a progressive man of affairs, interested in all effecting state and county. He has been a member of the Odd Fellows lodge since 1857; and with his wife is a member of the Rebekah degree. He is also a member of the Grand Army of Republic, Foot Post number forty. Mr. and Mrs. Ward both are members of Ord Circle number six, Ladies' Grand Army of Republic.
While living in Iowa, in May of 1862, Mr. Ward enlisted in Company K, Seventeenth Iowa infantry; he raising thirty-six men for the company; shortly after enlistment Mr. Ward was discharged on account of illness. In 1864 he raised one hundred and fourteen men for the one hundred day service, and two hundred and three men for three-year service. On February 22, 1864, Mr. Ward again enlisted in Company A, Forty-eight Iowa Infantry as first lieutenant, and received his discharge October 20, 1864, in Davenport, Iowa.

Asahel married Amanda Jane Honnold, daughter of John Pitt Honnold and Ann Mercer, on 16 Nov 1876 in St. Paul, Howard County, Nebraska. (Amanda Jane Honnold was born on 10 Apr 1842 in Ohio and died on 1 Nov 1930.)

Asahel next married Sarah Hagan on 13 Dec 1862 in Iowa. (Sarah Hagan was born in Pennsylvania and died on 6 Jun 1875 in Howard County, Nebraska.)