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File contributed to the Fulton County ILGenWeb Project
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Source: Portrait and Biographical Album of Fulton County
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890

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The Biography of Rev. Ephraim W. IRONS 

Pages 848-850, transcribed in full by Karen CRANE Goggin 

[Surnames: ATKINSON, HIBBARD, IRONS, JONES, KLEIN, MILTON, RANDALL, RIST, SCHAFER, SNYDER, WATKINS] 

    
REV. EPHRAIM W. IRONS. A great work is being done in this county by the various ministers of the Gospel who labor here, but a yet grander record is that of the pioneers in the Gospel work, who labored arduously in establishing churches, riding long distances between services, and often being obliged to perform severe manual labor to supply their families with the necessaries of life. The record of the Rev. E. W. Irons is that of an untiring, faithful, and conscientious worker, who has followed closely in the footsteps of his divine Master and has gone about doing good. A careful perusal of this simple record of a life well spent will afford lessons of zeal and Christian devotion worthy of the emulation of all believers. 
   
Rev. Mr. Irons was born near Parma, Monroe County, N. Y., February 4, 1826, and lived in the village until ten years old. The schools were very good and he obtained a fine start in education. In the fall of 1836 he came to Illinois with his father, crossing the lake to Cleveland, sailing on the canal to Portsmouth, and on the rivers to Peoria. The father was twenty-five cents behind when he reached that town. He came to Ellisville, located on a farm in the vicinity, and the little lad immediately began to assist in building up the fortunes of the family. He drove oxen, and at the age of twelve or thirteen years was able to manage four yoke in breaking prairie at $7 per month. He also worked at the carpenter's trade with his father, and had no school privileges for several years. Fortunately his father was an educated man and at the fireside the members of the family were taught by him during the few hours that could be spared from the work of supplying the wants of the family. 
   
Our subject remained at home until he was of age, then found employment elsewhere for a year. His father was taken sick and he returned to the homestead to take his place at the head of affairs there. After the recovery of the parent he again set out for himself, renting a farm in Fairview Township, and in 1852 began farming in Young Hickory Township. Two years before he had joined the new Light Christian Church and spent all his spare time in preparing himself for the ministry. In 1857 he joined the Conference and since that time has missed but two of its annual sessions. On one occasion the river was so high that he could not cross and on the other he was too ill to leave home. He and the Rev. John R. Jones are all who are left of the original members of that body. When licensed to preach, Mr. Irons received appointments at Coal Creek and Bushnell where he officiated two years. He then went to Dyers Grove and Pleasant Valley for seven years, then added the Yates City Church to his charge. In the last named city he organized the congregation and finally had charge of it alone five years. 
   
The Franklin Church in Deerfield Township was organized by Mr. Irons, an edifice built, and there he labored for eleven years. For three years following he was pastor of the Smithfield charge, then labored at Pleasant Ridge two years, returning to Smithfield for a twelvemonth. His next field of labor was Mason City, where he remained two years and then assumed the pastorate of the Olive Church at Avon. After four years there he took up the work at Mt. Zion, Knox County, remained there two years, then spent three years in charge of the Harvard congregation. In 1885 he organized the Marietta Church, built a house of worship and reorganizing the society at Fayette, built a church there also. About the same time he organized a congregation in Delunda, Knox County. 
   
During much of this time Mr. Irons preached to from two to three congregations, having pastoral care over each, but making what might be called his headquarters with the one specially noted. He has organized nine societies, built five houses of worship, and has been the means of adding fourteen hundred members to the church. It is doubtful if any man living is able to present as perfect a record of the faithful keeping of appointments. Not only in his attendance at Conference, but at his various services, the showing is remarkable. During eleven years of ministerial labor at Franklin he missed but two appointments. When we consider that he has always followed farming, has reclaimed raw land from its primitive condition and made a good home, this fact is the more astonishing. In 1867, he bought sixty acres on section 22, Young Hickory Township, which is watered by everlasting springs and very productive. Clearing, grubbing and preparing the soil for crops, he set out orchards and groves, made the various improvements which make the place valuable and homelike, and laboring very hard in so doing. 
   
The Rev. Mr. Irons displayed excellent judgment in his choice of a life companion and fortunately secured a wife whose prudence and wisdom in the management of home affairs has been a valuable aid. Sympathizing fully in his ardent desire to convert sinners, she relieves him as much as possible of home cares and has been largely instrumental in training their children in the walks of usefulness. She bore the maiden name of Caroline Rist, being a daughter of Jacob and Mary Rist of whom mention is made in the sketch of Mr. Schafer. She was born near Connellsville, Fayette County, Pa., April 16, 1830, and lived there until eight years old. She then became a resident of the Prairie State and grew to womanhood in this vicinity. She enjoyed but limited school privileges but gained much domestic knowledge and developed the graces of character which win the lasting regard of her acquaintances. 
   
The marriage of Mr. And Mrs. Irons was solemnized in Young Hickory Township January 16, 1851. They are the adopted parents of eleven children and have an adopted daughter, Daisy. The oldest child, George W., is a Christian minister at Bernadotte; William H. is in the agricultural business at Ellisville; Jacob is farming in Taylor County, Iowa; Millard is a Christian minister at Sharpsburg, Iowa; Marty J. was killed in 1879, when nineteen years old, by being thrown from a horse which broke through a bridge; Lewis Milton is a carpenter in London Mills; John E. is in the agricultural business at Ellisville; Albert E. is a farmer in Young Hickory Township; Jackson D. still resides with his parents; Ella is the wife of John Hibbard of the same township; and Charles died when three years old. 
   
Our subject was President of the Conference four years and Vice President eight years and is always a member of the Executive Committee. His time and money have ever been devoted to the interests of Christianity, his life proving that he considers the salvation of the world paramount to every consideration of personal ease and comfort. For years he has been serving as School Director. His vote is given to Democratic candidates and he has been a delegate to various conventions. 
   
Our subject is a grandson of Daniel and Maria (Atkinson) Irons, the former of whom was born in Connecticut and the latter in Ireland. Grandfather Irons was a colonial soldier under Washington during the war for independence. He was a shoemaker by trade and an early settler of Orleans County, N. Y., where he followed his occupation until death. 
   
The father of our subject was Eseck Irons, a native of Orleans County, N. Y., and a carpenter by trade. He became a contractor and builder in his own State. After coming west he bought eighty acres of land in Union Township, this county, and built thereon the first frame house in the township. He improved and carried on his farm and also worked at his trade, finally becoming quite well-to-do and owning one hundred and twenty acres of land. This property he sold, removing to Clinton County, Iowa, in 1876 and there remained with a son until his death in 1883. His first religious fellowship was with the Baptist Church, but he afterward joined that in which his son labors. His first wife was Lydia Randall, who bore him but one child, our subject. His second marriage resulted in the birth of eight children, as follows: Stephen E., a resident of Clinton County, Iowa; Mrs. Lydia J. Watkins, of Knox County; Jesse, of London Mills, this county; Mrs. Mary A. Snyder, of Preston, Iowa; Daniel, of Haddom, Kan.; William, of Nebraska; Mrs. Augusta Klein of London Mills; Mrs. Amanda Randall, who died in Abingdon. Jesse, Daniel and William enlisted in 1861 in the Forty-third Illinois Infantry and served until the close of the war. 
   
The maternal grandfather of our subject was Joseph Randall, a native of Rhode Island, who took to the sea when a boy, became a Captain and was in command of a vessel for forty years. He sailed on every sea and visited nearly every port then known to the commercial world. He finally located in Monroe County, N. Y., and turned his attention to farming. In the spring of 1838 he came to Illinois, bought one hundred and sixty acres in Union Township, this county, and lived there until death. His father had also been a sailor and spent his entire life on the high seas. The mother of our subject was born in Monroe County, N. Y., and spent her entire life in her native State.