Joshua Wheeler (1827 - 1896)

Born 12 Feb 1827 in Olney, Buckinghamshire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Maria (Reynolds) Wheeler — married about 1850 in Farmington, Fulton County, Illinois

Descendants

Died 15 May 1896 at age 69 in On Farm near Nortonville, Jefferson, Kansas, United States

Biography

^[1]

Joshua Wheeler, son of George Rose Wheeler and Hannah Robinson, was born on the 12th February 1827 in Olney, Buckinghamshire, England.^[2][3]

^[2]

^[4]

Joshua married Maria Reynolds about 1850 in Farmington.

Children of Joshua and Maria:

1. George Thomas Wheeler 1852-1853
2. Charles Greeley Wheeler 1854-1915
3. Sarah Isabella Wheeler 1856-
4. Adeline R. Wheeler Randolph 1857-1944

Joshua passed away on the 15th May 1896 while on neighboring farm near Nortonville, Jefferson, Kansas.^[3] He had a Kidney disease, but his actual cause of death was heart failure^[5]

Kansas State Senator, 1863, 1864, 1866; Farmer, Pardee.

HON. JOSHUA WHEELER, Section 6, P. O. Nortonville, is prominent among the men of mark in Kansas, who have figured conspicuously, and to the State's interest. He is a native of England, and was born in Buckinghamshire, February 12, 1827. His father, George R. Wheeler, was a watchmaker, and Joshua adopted and learned the trade.

When 17 years of age he came to the United States, taking up his abode in New Jersey, where he principally worked as a farm hand until 1848, when he came to Illinois, locating in Fulton County, where he was identified as an agriculturist until the autumn of 1857, when he became a resident of Kansas, pre-empting the claim which is now a portion of his large estate. The country tributary to where Mr. Wheeler located was in its crude state, and he has seen it develop into what is now one of the garden spots of the State. He has been closely associated with the educational and religious progress of the county, and has always been found ready to lend his support in all commendable enterprises.

Politically, he has always been found in the Republican ranks, voting for Fremont in 1856. In 1859, he responded to the first call made for the organization of the Republican party in Kansas. From 1862-65, he was State Senator, being elected by that party, and also held the office of Regent of the State Agricultural College. In 1874, he was elected member of the State Board of Agriculture, and has been re-elected three consecutive terms, holding the position at the present time, 1882. He is thoroughly conversant with Kansas politics, and is a great reader, has an excellent memory and an easy but not loquacious way of expressing his opinions and conveying his ideas. He is one of the most companionable and entertaining gentlemen.

He was married in Fulton County, Ill., in 1850, to Miss Maria Reynolds, a native of England. They have had four children- Charles Greeley and Adeline R. are living, two deceased. Mr. Wheeler and family are members of the Seventh Day Baptist Society.^[6]

Obituary

Joshua Wheeler's death ends the earthly career of one of Atchison county's most esteemed Citizens; esteemed for his intellectual ability, his sincerity, his honesty, and for his general worth as a man. There were the most universal expressions of regret a few weeks ago when it was announced that he was fatally ill from an attack of neuralgia of the heart. From his out of the way home in the southwestern portion of Atchison county, tidings of his condition came very slowly, but they occasionally brought hopes of his ultimate recovery. A change for the worse resulted in his demise at 8 o'clock Thursday evening.

Joshua Wheeler, whose physical condition indicated a younger man, would have been 70 years of age had he lived until his next birthday. He was born in Buckingham, England, February 12, 1827. At the age of 17 he came to America, locating in New Jersey, and worked on a farm until 1848, when he removed to Fulton county, Illinois. He lived in Illinois until 1857. In 1850 he was married to Miss Maria Reynolds, also a native of England, who survives him.

Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler came to Kansas in 1857 with a colony of Seventh Day Baptists, and pre-empted a claim near Pardee, which is now a portion of the Joshua Wheeler estate on Seven Day lane. Joshua Wheeler, in 1859, responded to the first call for the organization of a Republican party in Kansas, and was always an intelligent and consistent advocate of the principles of Republicanism. For more than 20 years he was a member of the Kansas state board of agriculture, and his papers on questions pertaining to agriculture and the farm, whenever read or published, attracted attention.

Governor Harvey appointed him a regent of the state agricultural college in 1871, and upon being reappointed by Governor Martin in 1888, he served until 1894. He was treasurer of the board of regents for several years, and was a great worker in the interest of educational advancement. He practiced what he preached, and he kept books on his farm, making entries of receipts and expenses. He could tell you the price he got for wheat or corn each year, whom he sold his crop to, and what it cost to produce it. It goes without saying that he was successful.

The farm on Seven Day lane, which was shared with Chas. Wheeler, a son of the deceased, comprises 353 acres, is a model. Joshua Wheeler had twice served this section of Kansas in the state senate, and had he lived he would have been elected for a third time. There was a call for him to become a candidate to fill the vacancy which will occur next fall, and as Jackson county had conceded the office to Atchison county, Joshua Wheeler would probably have been the choice of the people. His last appearance in politics was at the late Republican state convention in Wichita, to which he was a delegate.^[7]

FindAGrave Memorial #43833841

Sources

1. ↑ Joseph Wheeler Photograph - courtesy Wheeler Genealogy (Melanie Tucker)
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Non-Conformist Non-Parochial Registers
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/43833841/joshua-wheeler : accessed 13 July 2021), memorial page for Joshua Wheeler (12 Feb 1827–14 May 1896), Find a Grave Memorial ID 43833841, citing Nortonville Cemetery, Nortonville, Jefferson County, Kansas, USA ; Maintained by Mayflower Pilgrim 332 (contributor 47081711)
4. ↑ Non-Conformist Non-Parochial Registers
5. ↑ Death information - cs
6. ↑ History of the State of Kansas (A.T. Andreas, Chicago, Illinois, 1883), pages 260 - 262 and 409
7. ↑ Obituary published in an unidentified newspaper dated May 21, 1896 --courtesy Mark Smith

Acknowledgements

Special Thanks to: Naomi Koehn and Alice Soller

• WikiTree profile created through the import of Thomas Sheffield Descendants.ged on Dec 21, 2011 by Michael Sheffield