JOSEPH A. BUNNELL a substantial farmer of Pottawattamie County owning one of the largest farms in Knox Township is of English descent. His grandfather Barlow was a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and was a traveling salesman through the West. He bought land and mill property, and established his brother Abner on a tract of land at Maumee City, Indiana, at a very early day. Charles Bunnell, the father of our subject, was born in Ontario County, New York, near Rochester and was married in that county to Margaret M. Barlow, a well educated lady, and the daughter of an old Revolutionary soldier, who were pioneer settlers in the old colonies of Massachusetts and New York. Mrs. Bunnell taught her husband to read and write, and he became a well-informed man. They were the parents of twelve children, seven sons and five daughters: Charles B., Alby, deceased at forty years of age; Joseph A., William T., Byron L., George, deceased at two years; Susannah M., Josephine M., Mary, Sarah, and the first and last born died in infancy. The father settled on a farm in Portage County, Ohio, where he was among the pioneer settlers. He resided there about twelve years, then moved to Winnebago County, Illinois, remaining seven years; in 1851 he came to Clinton County, Iowa, an settled on wild land, where he lived until he came to Shelby County. His wife and son Byron died, and after two years he went to the state of Washington where he still lives, at the age of eighty-five years. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he was for many years a deacon, class and leader, trustee, and has always made the Methodist ministers at home in his residence. His wife was a devout church member since twelve years of age, and she was a woman of high character, and instilled the lessons of integrity and honesty into the minds of her children, and she is still remembered with affection.

Politically Mr. Bunnell is an old time Whig and Republican, and has always been a hard working and upright man. He had two sons in the civil war: Byron L. and Joseph A. The former was in the Twenty-Sixth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and was in Sherman's first and second battles of Vicksburg, and also in the severe battle of Arkansas Post, where he was badly shot in the hand, and was in the hospital at Memphis. He afterward returned to his regiment and drove an ambulance from Chattanooga to Atlanta, and was with Sherman on his march to the sea. He was also on the return march to Washington and was present at the grand review. He was engaged three days in heavy skirmishing at the battle of the Clouds at Lookout Mountain.

Joseph A. Bunnell, our subject, was born January 10, 1836 in Portage County, Ohio, and received a common school education. In 1852, at the age of sixteen years, he came to Clinton County, Iowa, where he worked on his father's farm, and then came to Shelby County with his uncle, Truman R. Barlow, a blind man but of excellent education. Mr. Bunnell took up wild land before it was in market, on March 9, 1853, which he has since improved. October 14, 1863, he enlisted in Company M, Ninth Regiment Volunteer Infantry, and was in the battle with Shelby's force near Duvall's Bluff. His regiment was guarding the Memphis & Little Rock Railroad, and was in very dangerous service and was engaged in many skirmishes. Mr. Bunnell escaped without wounds and served to the close of the war, and was honorably discharged at Davenport, Iowa, in February 1866. After the war he settled on his farm in Shelby County, which he afterward sold and bought his present farm, then consisting of 120 acres of wild land, for which he paid $1,800. By energy and perseverance he has added to this until he now owns 600 acres of the finest bottomland in Pottawattamie County, and also 280 acres in Adams County, this state. In his political views he is a strict Republican. He is a member of U.S. Grant Post, No. 123, Avoca, Iowa. He has held the office of School Director and Trustee for fifteen years, and has also been secretary, supervisor and assessor.

Mr. Bunnell was married in 1856 to Sarah J. Headlee, a sister of Joseph Headlee, who sketch appears in this volume. To Mr. and Mrs. Bunnell have been born nine children: Amanda J., George E., Annis D., Walter E., Albert E., Charles S., Ola G., Emma V. and one who died in infancy.

Contributed by: Darlene Vergamini