Biography from Jackson County, Iowa Historical Society
Published in 1989My great Greandfather John D. Furman was born December 1, 1819 in Strattonville, Pennlsylvania the son of Sarah (Howe) and Jonathan Furman. He was ninth of 12 children.
He married Eunice Budd (abt 1843), who was born about 1820 in Trumble County, Ohio, (there are some records that say that she was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania). She was the the daughter of Eunice (Riggs) and John Budd, they had five (5) children born in Pennsylvania: Sarah; Elinore who married James Robinson; Budd; Henry Alva who married Fannie C. Taylor; and Mary Jane who married 1) Clint Henry 2) M. V. "Doc" Robinson. Bud died September 19, 1850; and Henry died September 20, 1850 apparently from some plague. They are buried beside their grandparents in Presbyterian Cool Cemetery, Mercer County, Pennsylvania. After the boys died John D. Furman is rumored to have said he had enough of that place and they were going someplace new.
The family moved to Jackson County, Iowa sometime after January 1853 and they settled in Washington township where he bought a farm in April 1855 and sold it to Charles Barroil in May 1871 where the following Children were born; William Howe Furman (my grandfather) he married Francis Augusta Seymour, Amy Ann Ciara Furman who married Edward Carrey; Rosa Jerusha Furman; James Thomas Furman who married Mary A. Pierce, they are both buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Anita, Iowa and Judson D. Furman who moved West and in the 1880's Census they were in Eureka Township, Adair County
Eunice died August 22, 1885 and John D. Furman died June 11, 1891 and they are buried in Lincoln Center Cemetery Cass County about 2 1/2 miles south of Anita, Iowa. Gene F. Furman.
Some records indicate born in Mercer Co., Pennsylvania.
From DeLoris Main Tharp 1978 sent to Gaylyn Davis Gorman, sent to Larry Anderson Feb 2012
Blake Herod Swaim was hte son of Michael Swaim who was in turn the son of William Swaim born about 1745 in Stokes County, NC, his will written in 1811. he died in 1812. He was married to Ann Nancy Robbins on the 4th of April 1765. She died about 1822. Her father thought to be Jonathan Robbins. She had a sister Isabella and named two of her children Isabella and Jonathan. William was the son of John Swaim born 1719. We do not konw if John was born in Hampshire Counyty, West Virginia or Staten Island, New York. William's mother was Charity Teague born 1722. Charity died in North Carolina. A land deed wasn't signed by her in 1771 but Charity is thought to have been living in 1802. And so Charity was a daughter of william Teague and Isabella ------ Teague.
The mother of Blake Swaim is thought to have been Miriam Herod but not enough research has been done on her at this time. he had a half brother William L. of Winston-Salem, NC born 10, August 1817 and died January 4, 1914. We have a letter from him written to W. G. Swaim of Herod, saying he was 90 years old in 1909 last August 10, so we were ale to trace him and his children through his death certificate and other papers. From his death certificate we found that the father of William and Blake was Michael.
From the Archives of the Moravian Chruch in Winston-Salem, NC we find htat Anna Rosina Lanius married Michael Swaim July 1913 and she died 27 Nov 1817 having two children, Carlina b. Sept 30, 1815 and William L. born August 10, 1817. Although Michael was not a Moravian and Anna Rosina was, she is buried in the Moravian Cemetery at Friendland. Micheal born 1783 we think and Anna Rosina Lanius daughter of John and Catherine Lanius born 30 September 1795.
From the Friendland Cemetery Records we find that Catherine married David Smith who was born 28 July 1820 and died 1965 while catherine died October 28, 1854.
We do not know hte details of the two sisters of Blake. One was called manny or Nanny and married a Newman and hte other sister married Hamilton Goodman. We expect that there may have been other children. (of Goodwin)