From the Â“History of Huntington County Indiana 1914Â”
For upwards of half a century Isaiah Sours has steadily pursued his chosen vocation as a farmer. Mr. Sours is one of the old soldiers of Huntington county, having enlisted from this section in an Indian regiment, and bearing a wound away from his career as a defender of the Union. His home has been in one place in Huntington township, throughout most of his career, and along with material prosperity he has enjoyed the esteem of the county, and has often exerted himself in behalf of the general welfare of his home vicinity.
Isaiah Sours was born in Stark county, Ohio, December 18, 1840. The founder of the Sours family in America was grandfather Henry Sours, who came from Germany, first locating in Pennsylvania, where he married Catherine Harter, and then moved to Stark county, Ohio, which continued to be his home until his death. The parents of Isaiah Sours were Levi and Abigail (Weston) Sours. Levi Sours was seven years old when the family located in Stark county, and was reared and married in that vicinity. In 1847 he brought his family to Huntington county, locating in Jackson township. About 1855, he moved out to Iowa, but after a few years' residence again returned to Indiana, and located in Jackson township. Just a short time before the beginning of the Civil war he located on the farm where his son Isaiah now lives. That old homestead was the place where Levi Sours spent his declining years. There were ten children, six of whom are yet living, namely: A. H. Sours of Kansas; Rebecca J., wife of Wesley Knave, of Wellington, Kansas; Isaiah; Ruhamma, wife of Israel Ashbaugh; Phoebe C., widow of Frank Thrift, deceased; Lydia, wife of David Hoover, of Huntington.
As his father was seven years of age when the family moved from Pennsylvania to Stark county, so Isaiah was the same age when the family moved from Starke county to Huntington county. His education began in Ohio, was continued in the public schools of Jackson township, and as his early life was spent in the years before the thorough establishment of a public system of education in Indiana, his book training was somewhat neglected. Most of his preparation for life was acquired by actual experience in running the farm, and assisting his father. The war had come on before he reached his majority, and when he was twenty-three, on December 7, 1863, Mr. Sours enlisted in Company D of the One Hundred and Thirtieth Indiana Infantry. The regiment became a part of the Twenty-third Army Corps, and saw much service in the great campaign by which Sherman and other Union generals established the supremacy of the Union arms in Tennessee and Georgia. Mr. Sours first got into active fighting at Dalton, Georgia, and continued through the Atlantic campaign, until wounded at Kennesaw Mountain on July 1, 1864. He was disabled for some time, and on recuperating joined his regiment at Decatur, Georgia, and was with the command until after the close of hostilities, being mustered out in December, 1865. Returning home he resumed his duties as a private citizen, and applied himself with efficient energy to his career as a farmer. For many years Mr. Sours has been one of the honored members of the J. R. Slack Post No. 137, G.A.R.
On March 1, 1868, Mr. Sours married Margaret McNamara, who was born in Stark county, Ohio, and came with her parents to Huntington county when she was sixteen years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Sours have three children, namely: Aurelius G., who is unmarried and lives on the home farm with his father; Alice M, wife of John H. Stetzel, of Huntington township; Ida T.. of Fort Wayne.
The active political support of Mr. Sours has been given to the republican party ever since the war, and besides voting the ticket, he has served as delegate to county and district conventions. For many years the efforts of Mr. Sours were directed towards the improvements of local highways, and he did much good work as gravel road superintendent. Mrs. Sours passed away October 18, 1888.