C. R. BAILEY, one of the prominent and representative citizens of Delaware township, P. O. Lesta [Iowa], has made the township his home since 1880. He was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, May 16, 1851, the son of Joab and Pleasant Jane (Roberts) Bailey, natives of Greene county, Pennsylvania, where they were reared, educated and married. A family of four sons and the same number of daughters blessed their union, six of whom attained maturity, two dying previously at five years of age. Our subject was only a few months of age when his parents removed to De Witt County, Illinois, in the fall of 1851, becoming pioneers of that county. The father died in De Witt County April 26, 1869, but the mother survived until April 18, 1876, when she, too, died in the same county. His father was a prominent farmer, and taught a number of terms of school. He was a prominent member of the church until death. He enlisted in the Union army in 1862 at De Witt, Illinois, and was mustered in at Camp Butler, Springfield, Illinois. He served two years and eleven months, and was honorably discharged at Camp Douglas, Chicago, Illinois, July 8, 1865.
Our subject was reared in De Witt county, Illinois, to farm life, receiving his education in the common schools of the county. He can remember having seen deer and wolves in droves on the wild prairies of Illinois in his childhood days. He remained in Illinois until 1880, engaged in farming. At that date he removed to Buena Vista county, Iowa, remained a short time, and then went to Sac county, and in 1881 purchased his farm, which was partly improved, consisting of 108 acres, situated six and one-half miles from Newell, Iowa. He has now brought it to be a good state of cultivation, well improved; the residence is a comfortable two-story one, 14 x 24 feet, with a one-story L, the yard being surrounded by a small orchard and a fine three-acre grove. On this fine farm our subject carries on dairying and general farming.
The marriage of our subject occurred December 17, 1885, with Miss Eva S. Cushman, born in Fayette county, Iowa, a daughter of H. A. and Esther M. (Clark) Cushman, the former residing in Newell, Iowa, the latter, deceased, in January, 1891, at the age of sixty-seven years. They had a family of five children, two sons and three daughters, all having lived to maturity, Mrs. Bailey having been reared and educated in Fayette and Buena Vista counties, Iowa. She was a teacher in Buena Vista county for thirteen years prior to her marriage, and also taught for one term in Sac county. Two children have been born to our subject and his wife, namely: Homer E., born November 30, 1886; and Essie M., born June 6, 1890. Mr. Bailey takes an active interest in politics, being connected with the Third party. He is a prominent man in his township, and has served as Justice of the Peace. He is still in the prime of his life, and his frank manly manner wins for him friends wherever he chances to be. He is actively interested in whatever tends to be of benefit to the township and county.
Source: Biographical History of Crawford, Ida and Sac Counties, Iowa (Chicago: Lewis Publishing Co., 1893), pp. 300-301.