BROCKWAY, Hon. H.N. [Harvey Nelson]
BROCKWAY, MITCHELL
Posted By: Sharon R. Becker (email)
Date: 11/9/2017 at 21:33:54
Obituary ~ Hon. H[arvey]. N[elson]. Brockway
December 26, 1836 ~ June 07, 1906HARVEY NELSON BROCKWAY was born in Mottville, Mich., Dec. 26, 1836; he died at Garner, Iowa, June 7, 1906. He attended the common schools as boys in his walk of life are wont to do, but his real education was no doubt due to his habit of omnivorous reading and to his own untiring industry and perseverance.
He was living in Webster City in 1857, remaining there and in that vicinity, studying law, in the meantime, with, Granville Berkley, the pioneer lawyer of old Webster county, until 1862, when he enlisted in Co. B, 32d Iowa Infantry, of which he became orderly sergeant, and later captain.
During the years he spent at Webster City the people of northwestern Iowa saw their hardest times. The panic of 1857 left business of all kinds at its lowest ebb. Little was raised on the farms in 1857, and 1858 was an unproductive, wet year. The three following seasons crops were better, but there were no markets, no prices for anything. Corn was burned for fuel, and more money came into the northwestern quarter of our State for mink skins than for all that grew from the soil. It was hard work for even such a self-reliant law student as Harvey Brockway to live. But he struggled on till he entered the military service.
His first real battle was that of Pleasant Hill, La., April 9, 1864. The end of the fight found him with two painful wounds — the ranking officer of his company, his Captain having fallen and the two lieutenancies vacant, either by death or resigiiation. He was promoted to the Captaincy of Co. B, in which rank he was mustered out at the end of his service.
He came home, was happily married to Miss Sarah Mitchell, of Washington, Iowa, and settled in Hancock county. He engaged in buying and selling real estate, in which he accumulated a handsome fortune. The year of his marriage he was elected treasurer of his county, and re-elected at the end of his term. He was elected circuit judge in 1868, serving four years most creditably, declining a re-election. His remaining years were spent in private life, honored as a man who had "done the State some service." He was a member of' the Grand Army of the Republic, and of the Iowa Commandery of the Loyal Legion. He was beloved and honored in his own town and county, where his memory will long abide.
[Interment was made at Concord (a.k.a. Garner) Cemetery, Hancock County, Iowa.]
"Harvey Nelson" Brockway". The Annals of Iowa. Pp. 556-7. 1906.
Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2017
Cerro Gordo Obituaries maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen