John Edward Barrett was born in Center township, Hancock county, January 1, 1851, a son of Isaac and Sarah Ann (Wilson) Barrett, the father a native of Virginia and the mother of Decatur county, Indiana, her place of birth being Greensburg, Indiana. The grandfather was James Barrett, probably of Irish nativity. He first located in West Virginia, but came to Indiana in early days and settled in Green township near Milner's Corners, Hancock county. There he entered government land and engaged in farming for the rest of his days.

Isaac Barrett was reared and educated in West Virginia and spent his early life working on his father's farm. Coming to Indiana he engaged in farming an also in the nursery business. His farm was located in Center township, where he had one hundred and twenty acres, and there he made his home until his death, which occurred at the age of forty-nine years. His children were: Margaret M., Ann E., William A., John E., Nancy I., Mary E., Cyrus O and Howard E. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

John E. Barrett was educated in the schools of Center township, supplementing his elementary education by studies in the local normal school. He was then engaged in teaching for five years prior to his marriage. After marriage he located on a farm in Green township, Hancock county, where he has since lived. He has a farm of seventy-six acres, on which he put up his residence and other buildings and made all the improvements on the farm. In addition to general farming, Mr. Barrett devotes a good deal of attention to stock raising.

On July 30, 1874, John Edward Barrett was married to Laura Henry, of Green township, a daughter of George Henry, a farmer, living at that time on a farm adjoining the one at present owned by Mr. Barrett. George Henry started on a journey to Pike's Peak, at the time of the excitement about the gold discovery, and lost his life on the way by drowning. Mr. and Mrs. Barrett were the parents of the following children: Arminta and Minnie E., who died in infancy, and Atta Wray, Ila Albert, Margaret E., James Blaine, Wilmer H., Charles H., Flossie B. and Thomas R. Wilmer H. has been a soldier in the United States army for nine years. He is now a sergeant and is with his regiment stationed t Texas City, Texas. These children were by Mr. Barrett's first wife, who died in 1902. He was married, secondly, on September, 1904, to Anna Eliza Newsom, born at Carthage, Indiana, the daughter of John G. and Margaret E. (Gates) Newsom, of Rush county, Indiana. To this union two children were born, of whom Ada Mildred is living, and Ruth Caroline is deceased.

John E. Barrett is a "stand-pat" Republican, without any prefixes affixes, or any qualification or apologies, whatsoever. He is a member of Eden Lodge No. 477, Free and Accepted Masons; is also a member of the chapter of Royal Arch Masons at Eden, and Lodge No. 101, Order of the Eastern Star.

Transcribed from History of Hancock County, Indiana, Its People, Industries and Institutions by George J. Richman, B. L., Federal Publishing Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, 1916. Page 938-939.

Submitted by Sylvia (Rose) Duda, Laingsburg, MI October 9, 2001.

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