Bio: Spencer, Daniel (History - 1841)

Contact: Janet Schwarze

Surnames: SPENCER YOUSEY SERLS OVERTURF

----Source: "Biographical History of Clark Jackson counties, WI" Lewis Pub., Co., 1891 p. 175 - 176.

DANIEL SPENCER, superintendent of the D. J. Spaulding farm, section 22, Warner Township, Clark County, was born in Martinsburg, Lewis County, New York, January 16, 1841, the son of Alvin and Barbara (Yousey) Spencer the former was also born in Martinsburg, June 28, 1816, and the latter in Germany, August 15, 1820, but came to the United States when eighteen years of age. They were the parents of nine children, all of whom are now living namely: Daniel, Lewis, Thomas, Henry, Lucetta, Etta, Charles M., Levina and Alvin. All are married and have families. The parents celebrated their golden wedding May 3, 1890.

The subject of this sketch, was reared to farm life and educated in the common schools. He was a soldier in the late war in Company H, Thirteenth New York Heavy Artillery. He enlisted December 28, 1863, and was discharged in August 1865. He assisted in the capture of Petersburg and Richmond, and his battalion was the last to leave after the taking of the latter city. After the war Mr. Spencer continued farming until 1868, when he came to Jackson County, Wisconsin, settling in Garden Valley, and in the fall of 1869 he entered the employ of Merrill Ice, and ran their farm in the town of Hixton for eight years. He then went to Block River Falls and farmed it until the fall of 1885, when he sold out and came to his present place, in March, 1887. Besides his general farming and stock raising, he was foreman in the pineries two winters, one for Merrill and Ice and one for Spaulding.

Mr. Spencer was married November 7, 1865, to Mary A. Serls, who was born in Lewis County, New York, August 12, 1844, the daughter of Clark Searles, deceased. Of their five children four are now living: Julia E., Lizzie A., Major V. and Ethel M. Julia married Hans Syverson, of Nelson County, North Dakota, and has two children May and Guy. Mrs. Spencer was killed by lightning at Black River Falls, August 11, 1882, during an electric storm, and her eldest son, Clark W., died May 30, same year, of scarlet fever, at the age of fourteen years. Mr. Spencer was again married, March 9, 1884, to Mr. Maria Overturf, the widow of Thomas H. Overturf, and daughter of Charles Owens, deceased. Mr. Overturf was a native of Illinois, served in the Union army in an Illinois regiment, and died from the effects of a shell wound September 6, 1877, in the Soldiers' Home at Washington, District of Columbia. Mrs. Spencer was born in Potter County, Pennsylvania, October 1, 1851. She had four children by her first husband, three of whom still survive: Delia M., George H. and Emma B. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer have one child--Bessie. Mr. Spencer is a member of the G. A. R. and I. O. O. F. fraternities, and also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Greenwood. Politically he is Prohibitionist. He had two brothers in the late war: Thomas was in the Fifth New York Artillery, and Henry was in the same company with Mr. Spencer.

SPENCER YOUSEY SERLS OVERTURF