James A. Stephenson, born January 16, 1862, in St. Lawrence County, New York, was a successful farmer in Nemaha County, Nebraska. He owned 120 acres and rented an additional 175 acres, where he grew corn, wheat, and oats, and raised high-grade livestock. His grandparents, Robert Stephenson and Miss Hutchison, emigrated from Ireland. James’ father, William Stephenson, settled in New York in 1831 and married Helen Watson in 1839. James married Louise Watson on February 3, 1884, and they had four children. Active in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Methodist Episcopal Church, James was also a Republican and served as school director.
James A. Stephenson, one of the premier farmers of Nemaha County, with a fine farm in Nemaha precinct, Nemaha City post office, has the hustling qualities which bring success in any vocation, and give him a leading place among the men of his calling in this county. He owns one hundred and twenty acres of land, on which is located his nice home, and on this and one hundred and seventy-five acres of rented land he does general farming. He keeps ten or twelve horses, some high-grade cattle and hogs, and each year grows about seven thousand bushels of corn, fourteen hundred bushels of wheat and thirteen hundred bushels of oats, and last year sold two hundred and fifty dollars’ worth of fruit. He is thoroughly devoted to his pursuit, and his enterprise is gaining its reward.
Mr. Stephenson was born in St. Lawrence County, New York, January 16, 1862, and had a fair education in the district schools and was reared on the old farm where his parents settled in 1840, on two hundred and five acres, now owned by W. G. Stephenson, his brother. His grandparents were Robert Stephenson and a Miss Hutchison, and the former was a cousin of the great engineer, Robert Stephenson, son of the inventor of the locomotive, all of whom came from the north of Ireland. Grandfather Robert was a weaver of Irish linen in the old country, and came to this country, with his wife and children, on money sent back by his son William, who had preceded the rest of the family to America. He had the following children: William, the father of James A. Stephenson; Robert, in North Dakota; Joseph, who was in the government employ in Washington, and died there leaving sons and daughters; Ann, who was the wife of Milo Boutwell and who died in St. Lawrence, New York, at the age of seventy, leaving two daughters and a deceased son; Miss Mary was a veteran school teacher in New York, and on the completion of her fifty-sixth term, because of the introduction of drawing into the curriculum, lost her place, and in brooding over this lost her mind and is now in the insane hospital at Ogdensburg, New York. The mother of these children died in 1865, in Russell, St. Lawrence County, New York, at the age of seventy-five. Her husband died one month later, at the age of seventy-six, and within the same month their son Robert, who was in the army, died of disease, and is buried in the government cemetery at Wilmington, North Carolina.
William Stephenson, the father of James A. Stephenson, who is an octogenarian living in Edwards, St. Lawrence County, New York, was born near Belfast, County Antrim, Ireland, in 1816. In 1831, a lad of fifteen, he ventured alone across the Atlantic, and during the voyage of eight weeks thirty-two of the passengers and crew died of cholera. In 1839 he married Helen Watson, who was born in Ballston Springs, New York, August 21, 1825, a daughter of Robert and Helen (Kerr) Watson, and of this union there were born twelve children. The eldest, a son, died in infancy; Robert, born June 1, 1842, died May 16, 1865, as mentioned above; Ammire, born March 25, 1844, is the widow of Lester Winslow and the wife of J. C. Curtis, of Embarrass, Wisconsin; Rachael, born September 3, 1846, is the wife of Edgar Reed, in Russell, New York, and has one son; William G., born June 9, 1849, is a farmer in St. Lawrence County, and has a wife and two daughters living, having lost two; Charles W., born July 16, 1851, is a commercial traveler at Potsdam, New York, and has a daughter living and lost one; Helen, born August 28, 1853, is the wife of Frank O’Neil, in Herman, New York, and has two sons; Theodore P., born December 16, 1855, in Edwards, New York, a miller, lost his only child; a child born July 8, 1857, is deceased; Lucina E. is the widow of William Webb, in Watertown, New York, and has one daughter; James A. is the eleventh child; and Roberta, born June 5, 1866, is the wife of Frank Raymond, owner and proprietor of the largest hotel in Adams, New York. The mother of these children died March 28, 1896. Their father is still living with his children, and has made three visits here to his son in Nebraska, making the last one alone and when he was eighty-four years old. He is a man of self-acquired education, and is still a great reader and bright correspondent. He stands erect and is agile for his age, and with powers of body and mind still intact would pass for twenty years younger than he is. He had charge of the recruits at Malone, New York, during the Civil War, having the rank of colonel.
James A. Stephenson was married February 3, 1884, at Corning, Missouri, to Miss Louise Watson, who was born in Edwards, New York, February 14, 1859, and was the daughter by adoption of John and Sarah (Flack) Watson, her father being a brother of Mr. Stephenson’s mother. Mr. and Mrs. Stephenson first met in New York, while she was on a visit there in 1882. She came at an early day to Nebraska. She was educated in the Brownville high school and at the Peru normal, and began teaching at the age of eighteen, which she continued for five years in Nemaha and Lancaster counties. Mr. and Mrs. Stephenson have four children: Robert W., born on Christmas Day of 1885, also the birthday of his grandfather and great-grandfather, graduated in 1901 from the Nemaha high school at the head of his class, and is still a student; John M., born April 23, 1888, is in the district school; Floyd J., born January 8, 1897, and Warren W., born June 13, 1899.
Mr. Stephenson affiliates with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in which he has passed the chairs and is noble grand. Mrs. Stephenson is vice grand and past noble grand in the Rebekahs. He is also a member of the board of managers and a trustee in the Odd Fellows. He affiliates with the Woodmen of the World, and in politics is a Republican, having served as school director. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he has been steward.
Source: Lewis Publishing Company, A Biographical and Genealogical History of Southeastern Nebraska, 2 volumes, Lewis Publishing Company, 1904.