General Notes

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Joseph's family migrated to Ohio in 1816, and to Otter Creek Township, (Lafayette PO) Linn County, Iowa in 1859.  When Joseph was 21 years of age, he fell in love with one of the Andrews sisters.  The girls came from strict Quaker families.  According to the Quaker religion, its members are prohibited from marrying outside of the church.  Consequently, when Lucy Andrew was married Joseph Varner at the Methodist Church in Belmont County, Ohio, she was barred from her church.  Afterwards, she joined the faith of her husband and became a Methodist.

Joseph's occupation was that of a tenant farmer.  In 1837, Joseph made a contract with Joseph Berry of adjoining Wayne township, to lease Berry's 21 acres of land in exchange for certain improvements, to wit: "clear the land and plant 25 apple trees on it of grafted fruit and 15 cherry trees" and other fruit trees, and to "build a good cabbin house 16 by 22 feet,...inc luding two windows and one door...and find sash and glass to put in the windows..."  Joseph and Lucy later migrated to adjoining Monroe County.  In 1847, Joseph purchased two lots in the village of Lewisville, which he sold three years later.  In 1856, Joseph and his siblings sold their shares to the 80-acre tract of land inherited from their father, to their brother , Daniel, for $1400.  During the next four years, Joseph, Lucy and their children moved to Linn County, Iowa.  This was probably near the time Joseph's brothers, John and Isaac, also made the move to Linn County.  Joseph continued to work as a tenant farmer, as the 1860 census proves.  After the death of Lucy in 1874, Joseph was a storekeeper.  Joseph died in 1882, and was buried beside his dear Lucy at Center Point Cemetery, Linn County, Iowa.