Thursday, August 20, 2009

Ira W. Lyon - updated 1/18/2016

Ira W. Lyon was born in 1813 in New York.

Ira W. Lyon was born in January of 1819 in New York, the son of Aaron (1781-1858) and Eunice (Stockwell, 1796-1842). Ira married New York native Mary E. Woodbeck (b. 1834) in January of 1849, and they had at least two children: Nelson (b. 1852), Ella (b. 1859), Frank (1862-1919).

Ira and Mary settled in Michigan by 1853 and by 1860 Ira was living with his family and working as a farmer in Lyons, Ionia County, Michigan. Also living with Ira were his younger brother Andrew and two young children named Shoemaker: John (b. 1855) and Christina (b. 1859), both born in Michigan. (They were probably related to the Shoemaker family living near Ira and his family in Pewamo in 1870.) By 1858 his father Aaron was living in Lyons, Ionia County when he died in November of that year.

Ira was a 49-year-old farmer possibly living in Lyons when he enlisted in Company A on September 26, 1862 at Lansing. (There is no service record found in the 3rd Michigan records at the National Archives.) He was discharged on May 8, 1863, at Detroit on account of a disabled right arm.

Ira eventually returned to Michigan and by July of 1863 he was back in Lyons, Ionia County.

By 1870 he was working as a farmer and living with his brother Andrew and his family on a farm in Lyons. By 1880 Ira was a widower and living with his brother Andrew and his wife Jane and their family in Pewamo, Ionia County.

There is some confusion between the 1860 and 1870 census records. In 1860 Mary is listed right after Ira's name followed by their "two children," and Andrew, Ira's brother is listed after the children and right before the Shoemaker children. In 1870, however, Andrew is listed as head of the household followed by Mary and the children and Ira is listed last.

No pension seems to be available.

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