Occident, Indiana

Irish, and the latter of Enghsh extraction. They were united in marriage in Fayette County, Ind., and came to Rush County when it was a wilderness, and have resided here ever since. Our subject, John W. Kirkpatrick, was reared amid the scenes of farm life, and received a fair education in his youth. At the age of twenty-two he began life on his own responsibilit}', by engaging at farming. In March, 1861, he chose for his life companion Miss Margaret E. Dill, daughter of Isaac and Poll_y A. (Gilson) Dill, who were among the pioneer settlers of Rushville Township. The former was called to eternal rest in 1872. Mrs. Kirkpatrick was born near Rushville in 1843, and has resided here ever since. Thev have five children: Sylvester C, Alcestis, who at present is the wife of Francis M. Smith, and a resident of Grant Count\', Ind., Flora B., Pendleton and Maude A., all of whom are living. Sylvester is married and resides hear Occident. Mr. Kirkpatrick is a staunch Democrat, and firmly upholds the principles of that party, and held the office of Trustee of Jackson Township four years. He began life with $1,000, a present from his father, and has had many reverses, but by dint of industry- and perseverance, has been eminently successful. He now owns a fine improved farm in Section i, and a large store building in Occident, where he owns and controls a large and well selected stock of general merchandise. In 1884, he was appointed Postmaster of Occident. He is a: member of the I. O. O. F. of Knightstown.

Passage source: History of Rush County, Indiana, from the Earliest Time to the Present : with Biographical Sketches, Notes, Etc., Together with a Short History of the Northwest, the Indiana Territory, and the State of Indiana, published 1888.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Jackson Township.