Joseph William Austill was born in Piketon, Pike County, Ohio, on 15 Mar 1886, to George William and Sarah Ann Carskaden Austill.
He was the second of five Children: Mabel Evangeline was born 15 Feb 1885; Joseph; then Canzada Belle, 4 Oct 1889; and twin boys, Grover Clay and George Oren, 23 Dec 1892.
George and Sarah Austill brought their family to Kansas in 1893 and they settled on a farm in Johnson County, near DeSoto. George Austill was in poor health, and from an early age, Joseph, as the oldest son, had a large responsibility in giving financial help to his family. He was a highly intelligent person. He was required to drop out of school after the sixth grade to work, and several years later he completed grades seven and eight in one year, earning the highest grades in the county. He had a beautiful tenor voice and always loved music. He played a harmonica & Jew's harp and loved to sing, especially with a child on his lap.On 16 October, 1912 he married Ida Alicia Jewett, in Kansas City Missouri. To this couple were born four children: Maurice Albert on 10 October 1913; Margaret Frances on 5 September 1915; Juanita Belle on 23 July 1920; and Robert Joseph on 21 February 1928. (Robert was born after the family had moved to Lawence, Kansas.)
Joe spent many years working for the railroad, in Kansas. He became a section foreman. The family moved to Emporia, Kansas, in 1942 where they lived until Joseph retired at the age of 65, when they moved to Eugene, Oregon. In 1962, Joseph and Ida celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and lived to observe their 55th anniversary in 1967.
Joe remained in relatively good health until at the age of 82, he suffered a heart attack. He died shortly thereafter.
--From Research Notes by Juanita Austill Allen
(This article is condensed from a larger article on the life of Joseph; I have that article and an accompanying one on Ida Alicia Jewett Austill, Joe's wife. I can supply anyone interested in this family with a copy of both articles. Please E-Mail David E. Austill:deaustill@aol.com.)