James W Huleress “Hugh” Fawcett (1848-1935)

James W Huleress Fawcett was born on 12 Aug 1848 in Belmont, Ohio, as the second child of Simeon Fawcett and Margaret Woods. He had seven siblings, namely: Nathan Emmett, Euclid B., Charles Noble, Orlando Nefagus F. R., Reno C., Hannah Tursey, and Utah. He was called Hugh. When he was very young, his parents relocated the family from Ohio to Iowa. During his childhood he lived in a variety of places. In 1850, the family lived in Newport, Johnson County, Iowa. In 1860, they lived in Washington, Washington County, Iowa.

When he was 20, Hugh married Helen Lucina Baldwin, daughter of Philander Baldwin and Charlotte Johnson, on 02 Feb 1869 in Poweshiek, Iowa.

James W Huleress Fawcett and Helen Lucina Baldwin had the following children:

1. Ralph C. Fawcett was born on 29 Oct 1870 in Jasper, Iowa. He died on 19 Dec 1885 in Harrison, Adair, Iowa.
2. Harry Allen Lawrence Fawcett was born on 04 Feb 1872 in Jasper, Iowa. He married Barbara Mary Meyer on 03 Aug 1899 in Sac City, Sac, Iowa. He died on 05 Feb 1956 in Austin, Mower, Minnesota.
3. Franklin A. Fawcett was born on 19 Jun 1876 in Jasper, Iowa. He married Ida J. Miller on 28 Dec 1895 in Stuart, Adair, Iowa. He died on 15 Sep 1951 in Casey, Adair, Iowa.
4. George Emerson Fawcett was born on 29 Sep 1877 in Jasper, Iowa. He married Elizabeth Mauer on 14 Sep 1901 in Clinton, Sac, Iowa. He died on 22 Jan 1959 in Lake City, Calhoun, Iowa.
5. Ida Rena Fawcett was born on 12 Oct 1881 in Iowa. She married James Fred Hill on 30 Nov 1899 in Adair, Iowa. She died on 21 Oct 1951 in Poweshiek, Iowa.

As an adult, Hugh moved his family around a bit too. In 1870 and 1880, they lived at Richland, Jasper County, Iowa. In 1885 they lived at Harrison, Adair County, Iowa. Hugh was listed as a farmer in the census records. Then, in 1900, Hugh and Helen lived on Davis Avenue in Grinnell, Poweshiek, Iowa and worked as a gardener. They continued to live on Davis Avenue at least through 1925.

By 1930, Helen had moved back to Adair County, Iowa and was living with their son, Frank. In 1932, she died and was buried there in Fairview Cemetery, Arbor Hill, Adair County, Iowa. She is buried with the son, Frank. Meanwhile, Hugh, at about age 82, was an inmate in the County Home at Jackson, Poweshiek County, Iowa.

During the last months of his life, Hugh was committed to the Mount Pleasant State Hospital. The facility was originally known as the Iowa Lunatic Asylum. During those times, it was not uncommon for elderly people to end up there if they showed signs of senility. In his admission papers to the hospital, it was commented that Hugh was “disoriented, confused, babbling, childish, hard of hearing, ordinary conversation impossible, restless at night and inclined to be noisy.” In more modern times he would likely have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Hugh Fawcett died on 02 Dec 1935 at the Mount Pleasant State Hospital in Henry County, Iowa at the age of 87. He was buried on 05 Dec 1935 in the Hazelwood Cemetery at Grinnell, Poweshiek, Iowa.

Where is he in the tree?

Where can I learn more?

The Fawcett Family

• Publication date: March 2020
• Pages: 716
• Formats:
  • Hard cover
  • Paperback
  • Digital (PDF)
• We can trace our Fawcett ancestry back to Thomas Fawcett who was born around 1683 in Ireland. This book starts with him and then traces his descendants. Detailed biographies are provided for our direct line from Thomas Fawcett to Harry Allen Lawrence Fawcett. Our Fawcett heritage is an interesting heritage of Early American Quakers, soldiers, homesteaders, and farmers. In the records, the name is found spelled many ways including Faucett, Faucit, Fawcitt, Fewcatt, Fawcatt, and Fawcet, but we know the name as Fawcett.