Josiah B. Straw

  General Notes:

Civil War Pension Index of South Dakota and Dakota - Josiah and Joanna Straw

www.familysearch.com - marriage record - 22 June 1848 - Jonah Straw of Manchester to Joanna Wyman of Lowell, MA by Elder Paul Chase. [recopied on June 1906 by a clerk in Plymouth]

Per "History of Dakota Territory" by Kingsbury Josiah and wife Joanna were natives of NH..Josiah born in Plymouth, NH and Joanna born in NH (possibly Dover? per IGI files. In 1857 they rem. to Wisconsin, locating in Manitowoc Co. where he engaged in the lumber business. In 1870 the family moved to So. Dakota, locating on a farm three and a half miles northwest of Canton. Here he worked for 30 yrs until retirement when he took up res in Canton, SD and died here 29 March 1911 at 84 yrs. His widow outlived him and made her home with her son Ernest.

research of P H Thompson on www.rootsweb.com - [Lincoln County History Book--1985] Josiah Straw was born September 14, 1827, in Plymouth, N. H. He was a lumberman. The Straw family later moved to Manitowoc County, Wis. He married Johanna Ham July 4, 1847. Josiah enlisted in the Union Army and belonged to the 22nd Wisconsin Infantry. In the spring of 1869, Mr. and Mrs. Straw with their family came to South Dakota. They located on a farm three and one-half miles northwest of Canton. They were pioneers of this state and resided in Lincoln County 41 years. There were four sons born to this family: LeRoy, Walter, Ernest J., and another son who died in infancy. In 1898, they left the homestead and moved into Canton on North Broadway Street. Josiah was an active member of the Methodist Church for many years. He lived through the terms of twenty-four presidents and died April 29, 1911. He is buried in the Forest Hills Cemetery in Canton.
Johanna Ham Straw was born at Great Falls, Mass., June 11, 1827. Johanna is credited with being one of the first members of the Methodist Church, having joined in 1869. She worked many years in the Canton Church Ladies Aid which she organized in 1882. She was a Charter Member and held several officers. After the death of her husband, she made her home with her son Ernest J. Straw in Canton for several years; then she moved to Long Beach, California, to live with another son Walter and family. She died June 10, 1923, and is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Canton.
Josiah and Johanna Straw are the great-grandparents of Betty Hamilton Dammeier of Canton, the only living relative of the Straw family today, 1984.

1870, 1880, 1885 census he is res of Lincoln Co.

census 1880 Dakota territory
Josiah B. age 53; born MA as were his parents
Johanna F. age 52 born MA as were her parents
Walter F. age 20; single; born WI
Ernest J. age 13; born WI
Carrie L. age 9 ; grand daughter born Dakota (d/o Leroy)
Oren Johnson age 25 born WI (nephew - s/o James & Elizabeth (Ham) Johnson?) father b. Can and mother born MA

Jan 1881- He bought 160 acres of land in Lincoln County, SD

1900 Canton, Lincoln SD
Josiah c1828
Johanna c1828

1910 Canton, Lincoln SD (living with son Ernest)
Joseph (Josiah)c1827
Johanna

SD death index DOD POD


obit of Josiah Straw
Died, at 9 p.m., Saturday, April 29, 1911, Josiah Straw, aged 88 years, seven months, and fifteen days.
Mr. Straw was born at Plymouth, New Hampshire and was one of the early pioneers of South Dakota, having resided in Lincoln county forty-one years. He has been a very active man until a year ago, when he was stricken with paralysis, since which time he has been very feeble. He and his wife came to Hartford ten weeks ago to visit at the home of their son, L. B. Straw, where he died.
He was a very active member of the M.E. church for many years, always taking an interest in its work and cause and being a loyal supporter of it. He was also a member of the G. A. R. having served in the Civil War.
He leaves an aged wife and three sons: L.B. Straw of this city; Walter T. Straw of Sioux Falls; and E. J. Straw of Canton. He was respected and loved by all who knew him. His family feel deeply the loss of a loved father and a devoted affectionate husband. He passed away so peacefully and trustingly, with the assurance of a heavenly mansion awaiting him prepared by his blessed Savior. He bore his affliction uncomplainingly and without murmur, always submitting himself to the will of his Heavenly Father.
The remains were taken to Canton Monday and the funeral was held there at 2 'clock Monday afternoon.

Josiah married Johanna R. Ham, daughter of Seth W. Ham and Hanna Layton, on 4 Jul 1847 in Plymouth , Grafton, New Hampshire. (Johanna R. Ham was born on 11 Jun 1827 in Great Falls, Massachusetts, died on 10 Jun 1923 in Long Beach, California and was buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Canton, South Dakota.)