When he felt his country had need of his services, Mr. Byerly enlisted September 12, 1862, in Company K, Sixth Iowa Cavalry, at Marion Iowa, and was sent up the Missouri river to look after hostile Indians. He was in seven skirmishes with them and participated in the battle of White Stone Hills, North Dakota, September 3, 1863. On October 1, 1865, he was mustered out at Souix City, Iowa, with the rank of sergeant.

After these exciting experiences, Mr. Byerly returned home and resumed his farming operations. On August 28, 1862, he married Emarilla Beam, who was born in Indiana in 1845, and was brought to Jones county by her parents, Joseph and Barbara Ann (Fall) Beam. On May 28, 1871, Mr. Byerly went to Wilson county, Kansas, and had the misfortune to lose his wife September 13, of that year. He returned home and in 1873 married Ella Mary Armitage, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1853, and was also brought to Iowa by her parents.

By his first marriage Mr. Byerly had three children, namely: Jennie Josephine, who married M. T. Flemming, of Maquoketa, Iowa, and has three children, Mabel, Parke and Joseph Dale; Joseph Michael, a resident of Jackson township who married Carrie Benadom and has two children, Ina and Alvin; and Mora May, who married John Landis, of Jackson township, and has two children, Miles and Jennie. There are four children by the second union: Roy, a lumber dealer of Parsons, Kansas, who married Daisy Tarr and has three children, Harold, Keith and Doris; Mabel Imogene, now the wife of Frank Clifford Carter, of St. Paul, Minnesota; Bessie, a photographer at Freedonia, Kansas; and Clifford J., a printer living in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Mr. Byerly came to Anamosa in 1846 when there was but one log house here, known as the Lexington Tavern. He returned to Kansas in 1875 and located in Wilson county at a time when Freedonia, now the county seat, was but a post office. Several years ago he sold his farm and removed to that city, where he is now enjoying a well earned rest, although, for some time he was a dealer in queensware but has now retired from all active business. Like the other members of his family, he is a strong democrat and served as deputy sheriff for four years. Mr. Byerly is a Mason, joining that order in Anamosa in 1872. Although he no longer lives in Jones county, he has a tender spot in his heart for his old home and is always interested in anything that tends toward advancing the interests of his relatives and old neighbors.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, R. M. Corbitt, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910, p 529.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 608.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Western Historical Company, Chicago, 1879, page 600.

John Byerly, who for more than forty years has been a member of the agricultural community of Wyoming township, was born in Pennsylvania, August 25, 1825, and is the son of Michael and Mary (Lookabaugh) Byerly. The family is one of remotely German ancestry, for about five generations back one of the name left the fatherland when the fever of colonizing the new world was just invading the countries of northern Europe and settled in the vicinity of Philadelphia about 1635. His descendants have, therefore, in turn been connected with the history of this country from its earliest years, participating in all its struggles, from the conflicts with the Indians to the last great war which so nearly destroyed the nation that has been built from the colonies. Michael Byerly and his wife remained in their Pennsylvania home throughout their lives and there reared their family of ten children, only four of whom now survive: John, of this review; Hannah, who lives in Pennsylvania; Rachel, who is the wife of William Bolton and lives in her native state; and A. J. Byerly, of Anamosa, Iowa.

John Byerly received such an education as the public schools of his period afforded and remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-five years of age, when he married and started in life for himself. He bought a farm in Pennsylvania on which he lived and worked for about fifteen years, when won by the stories of opportunities in this state he disposed of his property and crossed the mountains and made his way to Jones county. Here 1805 he purchased the farm on which he now lives. It is one hundred and eighty-five acres in extent devoted to general farming which Mr. Byerly has pursued it for more than two score of years. In this period he has had opportunity to witness the many improvements which have simplified and lightened the work of the farmer, a progress marked enough since he has taken upon life here but even greater if he looks back over the whole span of his life.

At the age of twenty five years, just at the dawn of the second half of the last century, Mr. Byerly wedded Miss Catherine Klingensmith, who accompanied him along the highway of life for more than thirty years when she died and was buried in South Mineral cemetery, Wyoming township. Seven children were born to them: Mary E. and Florence, both deceased. Elizabeth E., wife of William White, of Olin, Iowa; Ida B. who lives in Wall Lake; Emma J., who is the wife of Thomas Hood of this county; Franklin P., who resides in Anamosa; and John H., who lives on his father's farm. On the 10th June 1880, Mr. Byerly married again, his second wife being Mrs. Jeannie Boyle—nee Edwards, the widow of R. D. Boyle, a native of Jackson county.

Mr. and Mrs. Byerly are devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church, but politically Mr. Byerly owes allegiance to no party. All his life he has been accustomed to regard questions of local or national concern from many angles and being a man who has taken an interest in such matters and has kept himself informed, he feels that he would rather exercise his right of franchise in accordance with what he believes to be right and the better policy than to accept the guidance of an organized party. This independence of judgment and his acquaintance, not merely superficial, with important issues, makes his opinion of value in the community where he lives. He has served in various township offices, both in Pennsylvania and as school director in Wyoming township and has been a peacemaker and arbitrator in the disputes of his neighbors to such an extent that his services have been of great value in that regard and have met with the full appreciation which they so well merited.

FromHistory of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, R. M. Corbitt, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910, p 615.

In 1846, the Byerly family cane to Jackson township, Jones county, Iowa, and this has ben the home of John W. Byerly ever since. He received a common-school education and after he had finished school, he taught for five winters in Jones county and during the summer farmed for his parents until he assumed the management of the home place. He now owns this farm, which consists of two hundred and ten acres on sections 20, 21 and 29, Jackson township. It is in excellent condition and all of the present improvements have been made by Mr. Byerly. He makes a specialty of stock raising and feeding and has met with gratifying results in his work. This farm was entered by his uncle John Byerly. When the family came here they had no money but plenty to eat and their home was always open to those less fortunate than themselves. So hospitable were they that many times they boarded whole families upon their arrival here, and could never be induced to accept a cent. No one was ever turned away hungry. Mr. Byerly and his brother Milton are the only ones now residing in Jackson township who were here when Iowa was admitted to the Union.

The Byerlys have always been democrats and our subject follows in the steps of his forbears and supports the candidates of that party. He has been called upon to fill the offices of school director and road commissioner and has made a good public official.

On March 7, 1873, Mr. Byerly married Susie M. Johnson, who was born in Lenawee county, Michigan, June 21, 1848, and was brought to Jones county by her parents in 1856, having since made it her home. She is a daughter of James and Maria (Whaley) Johnson, natives of England, who came to America after their marriage in 1838, and located in Michigan. The father's death occurred in Crawford county, Iowa, and the mother's in Clinton county, same state. Mr. and Mrs. Byerly have had two children: Eva Mary and Earl Russell. Miss Eva Mary is now at home and is a very well educated lady. After taking a high-school course she attended the Iowa State Normal School where she was graduated and she also secured the degree of A.B. at Ann Arbor Michigan and the degree of A.M. at Columbia University in 1908. she has been a teacher in the high school of Cedar Rapids. Earl Russell was educated in the Anamosa high school and is now a farmer of Jackson township.

Perhaps no family is better known than the one bearing the name of Byerly. Its representatives have done much to develop and improve their part of the county and all have become well-to-do, have born their part in public activities and always led law-abiding lives.

From History of Jones County, Iowa, Past and Present, R. M. Corbitt, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, 1910, p 343.