Biographical Sketch (1881):3080 "William Focht, farmer, section 27, P. O. Grant; when about twelve years old his parents emigrated to Allen County, Ohio, known now as Auglaize County, Ohio. In 1857, he emigrated to Montgomery County, Iowa, and located in Pilot Grove township. In 1858 he located on the farm he now lives on. Was married to Miss Rebecca Williams, June 25, 1853, a native of Champaign County, Ohio, and married in Auglaize County, by Jospeh Bidwell, justice of the peace. They have seven children; Persifer S., born June 26, 1855; John Q., born December 26, 1856; Melvin, born March 3, 1858; James M., born March 8, 1860; Samuel W., born October 12, 1861; Homer, born November 25, 1867; Oscar, born November 17, 1872. Six children dead: Hulda, Adam, William, Andrew J., Mary A., Laura M. Mr. Focht enlisted in the Mexican war in the year 1847, serving twenty months. Was discharged on Governor's Island, in New York. Served under Stonewall Jackson as his captain. When he came to this county he had one thousand dollars, and now owns four hundred acres of land, three hundred acres under cultivation and balance in timber. He is a member of the Masonic order at Milford and helped to organize the first lodge at Red Oak."

1826 Birth:1387 Birth year of 1826 estimated based on age (24 years) in 1850 census enumeration.

1850 U.S. Census:1387 William Focht enumerated in the household of his sister and brother-in-law James Bitler and Matilda Focht in Union Township, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania as a male, age 24, born in Pennsylvania.

1853 Marriage:2803 William Focht married Rebecca Williams on 25 June 1853 in Auglaize County, Ohio.

1860 U.S. Census:2799
Montgomery County, Iowa (Douglas Township)
Enumerated 1 June 1860
William Focht •• 33, male, farmer, real estate value $1,400, personal property value $550, born in Pennsylvania
Rebecca •• 30, female, born in Ohio
Persifer •• 5, male, born in Ohio
John Whitman •• 3, male, born in Ohio
Melvin •• 2, male, born in Iowa
James M. •• 2 months, born in Iowa

1870 U.S. Census:2800
Montgomery County, Iowa (Douglas Township, Grant Post Office)
Enumerated 23 July 1870
William Focht •• 44, male, white, farmer, real estate value $2,500, personal property value $125, born in Pennsylvania, male over 21
Rebecca •• 40, female, white, keeping house, born in Ohio
Percifer S. •• 15, male, white, farm laborer, born in Ohio, attended school within the year
John •• 13, male, white, at home, born in Ohio, attended school within the year
Melvin •• 12, male, white, at home, born in Iowa, attended school within the year
James •• 10, male, white, at home, born in Iowa, attended school within the year
Samuel •• 9, male, white, at home, born in Iowa, attended school within the year
Homer •• 2, male, white, at home, born in Iowa
Franklin Bailey •• 21, male, white, carpenter, born in Indiana, male over 21
Robert Black •• 22, male, white, carpenter, born in Ireland, father and mother foreign born, male over 21

1880 U.S. Census:2801
Montgomery County, Iowa (Douglas Township)
Enumerated 24 July 1880
William Focht •• white, male, 52, married, farmer, born in Pennsylvania, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Pennsylvania
Rebecca •• white, female, 49, wife, married, keeping house, born in Ohio, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Pennsylvania
Melvin •• white, male, 22, son, single, farmer, born in Iowa, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Pennsylvania [!]
James •• white, male, 20, son, single, farming, born in Iowa, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Pennsylvania [!]
Samuel W. •• white, male, 18, son, single, farming, born in Iowa, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Pennsylvania [!]
Homer W. •• white, male, 12, son, single, at school, born in Iowa, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Pennsylvania [!]
Oscar •• white, male, 8, son, single, at school, born in Iowa, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Pennsylvania [!]

1900 U.S. Census:2802
Montgomery County, Iowa (Douglas Township)
Enumerated 15 June 1900
Wm. Focht •• head, white, male, born January 1827, age 83, widowed, born in Pennsylvania, father born in Pennsylvania, mother born in Pennsylvania, landlord, can read, write, and speak English, own home without mortgage
Ida •• niece, white, female, born February 1881, age 19, single, born in Iowa, father born in Iowa, mother born in Illinois, at school, can read, write, and speak English
Sons James, Oscar, and Melvin were enumerated in nearby households.

1909 Obituary:2797 William Focht. Was Mexican War Veteran. William Focht, early Montgomery County settler and one of its best citizens, is dead at the age of nearly 83 years. William Focht, veteran of the Mexican War, Iowa pioneer, and one of the oldest and most respected of Montgomery County's early settlers, died at the home of his son, James M. Focht, 14 miles north of Villisca, Thursday, Dec, 9, 1909, at 4:10 in the afternoon. He was 82 years, 11 months and 8 days of age. His death followed kidney and heart affliction lasting about one year. Mr. Focht, all his life, had enjoyed remarkably good health, and even a few days prior to his demise had not been confined to his bed.

He was active, sturdy, honest, square dealing farmer, and his entire life, practically, was spent tilling the soil. Although not attaining a degree of wealth to distinguish him from other members of the community in which he lived, yet he enjoyed success and acquired considerable property.

Coming to Montgomery Co., with his wife and two little sons, in the year 1857, he brought about $1,000, and after a years residence on the McCracken farm, then belonging to his younger brother, Jacob, in Pilot Grove twp., bought a farm of 160 acres north of Villiaca which he owned, and on which he lived the rest of his life. At the time of death he owned 520 acres and with money and notes leaves an estate valued at about $60,000. The site of the home of which he died is the same one on which he settled, when land was cheap and neighbors were few. Today the land is worth probably $100 an acre and the neighborhood is settled up by a most progressive and congenial class of farmers. The house in which Mr. Focht died is the second that has been built on the place, but Mr. Focht made his home within its walls for a period of about 38 years.

William Focht was born in Schuylkill Co., PA., Jan. 1st, 1827. In 1839 he moved with his parents to Lima, OH., Allen, now known as Auglaize Co. There on the 26th day of June 1853, he was married to Miss Rebeca Williams, and two sons, Persifer and John, were born to this union. Four years after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Focht came to Iowa and cast their lot among early pioneers of Montgomery Co. They were the parents of a family of thirteen children, but six of them, three boys and three girls, died in infancy. The wife and mother passed to the better home on Aug. 6, 1897.

The surviving children are all boys, and are as follows, P.S., John, Melvin, who lives at Lincoln, NE., James M., Samuel of Ole Elm, Washington, and Oscar. One son, Homer, lived to maturity but was accidentally killed in an initiation ceremony of the M. A. lodge at Hepburn, May 27, 1899.

With the exception of Melvin, who visited his father a short time ago, and Samuel, the children and a great many friends and other relatives attended the funeral, which was held Sunday afternoon at one o'clock at the memorial Chapel, north of Villisca, conducted by the Rev. R. E. Snodgrass of Des Moines, the pastor. The obsequies were in charge of the Masonic lodge of Grant, of which Mr. Focht was a charter member. The pall beares were Fred Bourck, B.F. Mercer, Porter Osborn, W. A. Becker, C.E. Leonard, and R.T. Bacon. S. E. Smith read part of the ritual, and interment was made in the Memorial Cem., by the side of the deceased wife and other members of the family. William Focht served in the Mexican War as a Captain under Stonewall Jackson, enlisting in 1847, and serving his country well and faithfully for twenty months. He received an Honorable Discharge on Governor's Island, New York, and walked from New York City to his home in Ohio.
Toward the close of the Civil War he headed a company of Home Recruits who went down from Arlington into northern Missouri to do guard duty.

Mr. Focht was a member of the A. F. & A. M. before coming west, and after his removal to the county, helped to organize a Masonic lodge at Red Oak, being one of the charter members of that organization, as well as the one in Grant, to which he afterward took his membership.

All through his life Mr. Focht was an earnest and staunch Democrat and was a subscriber to the first issue of the Red Oak Sun.

1909 Tombstone:2798 Memorial Cemetery, Douglas Township, Montgomery County, Iowa
William Focht
1 Jan 1827 - 9 Dec 1909

Descendant Information

Persifer Focht:3081 Persifer S. Focht, farmer, section 26, P. O., Grant; born in Auglaize County, Ohio, June 26, 1855, and when three years old his parents emigrated to Montgomery County, Iowa. He lived with his parents until December, 1879, when he was married to Miss Harriet E. Moates; were married under a large tree two miles east of Red Oak, near the residence of W. W, Merritt, December 22, 1879, by Mr. W. W. Merritt, minister of the Universalist church. Mr. Focht and lady resided with her parents for the last year, but now have moved on to his father's farm in Douglas township. They have one child: Rescal J., born September 24, 1880. Mr. Focht is a member of the Mayflower Lodge of the Farmer's Alliance in Douglas township.