Notes for JOHN WESLEY MILLISACK:
John and Catherine came to Iowa in 1871 and lived on a farm at OldAshl and, Washington Township, Wapello County, Iowa, near Eldon. Hesold his f arm in 1913. He was quite a speaker, especially atreunions. He wore a h eavy gold watch chain across his chest, and wasformidable as an orator a nd also in appearance. His ideas were wellconceived and well expressed . John became a merchant when he was ayoung man. He was an abolitionis t and was regarded as a politicaldisturber, unreasonable and fanatic. H e defied the infamy of theFugitive Slave Law. It is said that he had s haken the hand of allthirteen Presidents from Lincoln and Wilson. At t he age ofeighty-five he took the trip alone in February 1913 from his h ome inIowa to the inauguration of President Wilson. He was very intere stedin him, and also wished to see the elevation of William Jennings Bryan to his cabinet position. It was too strenuous a trip for him, ando n his way home he became slightly paralyzed and never recovered.John a nd Catherine were not married until a year after the birth oftheir fir st son. Presumably his father Jacob threatened to disinherithim if he d idn't marry her.
