Josiah Etheridge

Josiah Etheridge was born January 31, 1829 in
Woodmancote, Gloucestershire, England to 
Benjamin Etheridge and Mary Boulton. He was 
one of 11 children.  He came to America in 1848 
with his older brother, Benjamin who settled in 
the Janesville, Wisconsin area.  It took them 5 
weeks to cross the ocean. He was one of the
lived with Fredrick Barnes, also from 
Woodmancote, in the area near the current West 
Holden Church. He married Nancy Permelia 
Pease, daughter of Alanson Pease and Nancy 
Jeffers on Janauary 12, 1852 in Wautoma.  
They celebrated their 60th anniversary in a day 
when even 50th anniversaries were very 
uncommon. He grew flax and his wife wove it 
into homespun.  They had four children: 
Alanson, Mary who married Oren Jenks, 
Benjamin who died at 5 month, and Fannie 
who married Jerry Pierce.