Gardner Darius b. 01 APR 1818 Connecticut, USA d. 01 MAR 1879 Union Township, Worth, Iowa

1818 - 1879

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Birth 01 Apr 1818 Connecticut, USA [1, 2, 3]

Gender Male

_UPD 02 OCT 2009 23:08:45 GMT-5

Died 01 Mar 1879 Union Township, Worth, Iowa [4, 5]

Buried Oakwood Cemetery, Falls, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa [3]

Person ID I450 Alan Donald Vibber

Last Modified 08 Dec 2009

Father Gardner Azel or Azabel, b. 05 Aug 1780, d. 14 Nov 1868, Bozrah, New London, Connecticut, USA

Mother Rogers Amy, b. 01 Aug 1786, Montville, New London, Connecticut, USA , d. 21 Jan 1866

Family ID F141 Group Sheet

Family Butts Lucretia F., b. 28 Feb 1819, Connecticut, USA , d. 25 Jan 1894, Iowa, USA

Married Y [1, 2]

Children

	1. Gardner Leni Lillian, b. 28 Jul 1857, Iowa, USA , d. 30 Jan 1945, San Diego, California
	2. Gardner Henry C., b. Jul 1861, Iowa, USA

Family ID F196 Group Sheet

Notes	His mother in law Sarah (???) Butts was living with his family during the 1850 Census (ADV 9/27/09). He is listed as R. Gardner in the 1870 Census which seems odd (ADV 10/2/2009). Although History of Montville and Gardner History say he was born March 31, 1818, the Iowa Cemetery records say April 1, 1818 (ADV 10/2/2009). The first child born in what is now Union township, was Lena, daughter of Darius and Lucretia Gardner, whose natal day was July 28, 1857. The next to appear upon the scene, was Darius Gardner, who in November, 1856, settled down upon section 21, out on the prairie. During that terrible winter he and his family dwelt here in their humble cabin, but not so lonely and cheerless as might be supposed Mrs. Gardner, in speaking of their experience says "There was a constant stream of travel from Bristol, in Worth county to Osage, Mitchellcounty all winter on the crust that had formed on the deep snow. This crust was some two inches thick. At that time, as there was only one other house on the road between these two points, a distanceof forty miles, travelers made it a point to stop over night with us. Our cabin was often full to overflowing. We often hung lights on the roof and at the windows to guide the luckless traveler who was overtaken by night on these trackless and dreary prairies, to help guide him to warmth and safety. As our nearest neighbors was four miles off, the travel made life endurable, which otherwise, would have been a desolate and dreary existence." What a picture of the trials and endurances of the pioneer families arises before us as these words are scanned, given as they are, by one of that noble band of women who followed their husbands into the trackless wilderness and helped to make it blossom as the rose. Mr. Gardner, however, lived to see the country settle up and his family surrounded by friends and neighbors and reaping the just reward of indefatigable labor. The family still occupy the original homestead. OBITUARY OF DARIUS GARDNER. To the Old Settlers Association of Worth county : In memory of Darius Gardner, who died March 1, 1879, at his residence in Union township, aged sixty years and eleven months. Twenty years ago next fall, in moving to this county, Mr. Gardner was the first man whose acquaintance I formed, and with your permission I will give a short sketch of his life, and also of his residence among us. He was born in the town of Bozrah, New London Co., Conn. He was for several years a resident of Norwich, Conn., where he was engaged in trade as a merchant: receiving injuries which resulted in severe spinal affection and poor health, he sought a home and health on the prairies, of the then far west. He arrived in Worth county the 5th day of April, 1856; being, as near as I can learn, the first permanent settler in the whole southeast quarter of the county. He lived the first summer in a cabin in the southeast corner of what is now Lincoln township. During the summer, he built the house in which he lived and died ; it being on the old Statf road and main thoroughfare through the county to Osage, the then land office for this and several adjoining counties. He moved into this house on the 10th day of November, but a few days before the noted hard winter of 1856-57 closed in upon him, a cripple, and four, "miles from the nearest neighbor, which was J. M. Molsberry, and who had during the summer built and moved wliere he now lives, thereby becoming the first and Gardner the second settler of Union township. During this unparalelled hard winter he soon found himself without fuel and three miles from timber. It being impossible to get a team to the woods, he had to haul his fire-wood on a hand-sled on the crust, with no company but his faithful dog; and Mr. Gardner himself informed me that he had no doubt but the dog saved his life by leading him home during the many storms and blizzards of that terrible winter. Living on the main road to the land office, his cabin was frequently crowded to its utmost capacity, and "Gardner's" was soon almost as well and far known as the Astor House of New York city, and the string was always found hanging on the outside of the door. And this was truly emblematic of the man; the latch-string to his heart always hung on the outside, and instead of grasping for the last penny of the poor settler and homsteader, he always more ready to give than to receive. For the past few years he has moved among his fellows with great pain and difficulty, seldom leaving his home. About one year ago he visited us for the last time, staying over night, and remarking that he was not going to be in a hurry, as it would likely be his last visit. He left a wife, son and daughter to mourn his loss. And true to the fact that the mind makes the man, instead of money, and also that "education forms the common mind," he denied himself the much-needed help and company of his children in order that they might obtain an education; his daughter having graduated and his son well advanced at the Cedar Valley Seminary be he left them. He was buried near Plymouth, and the large audience attending his funeral obsequies gave evidence tothe esteem in which he was held by his friends and neighbors. By his friend, S.P. Cravath

Sources

[S7] Gardner History and Genealogy, Lillian May & Charles Morris Gardner, (Name: The Erie Printing Company;), 156 (Reliability: 3).
[S2] History of Montville, H.A. Baker, (Name: Press of The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company;), 551 (Reliability: 3).
[S327] Iowa Cemetery Records (Reliability: 4).
[S327] Iowa Cemetery Records (Reliability: 3).
[S329] History of Mitchell and Worth counties, Iowa ... and biographies of representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, and a brief review of its civil and military history .. (1884), Union Publishing Company, Springfield, Ill, (Name: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company;), 688-689 (Reliability: 3).