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biography from Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
JAMES C. SELLERS, general fire and life insurance agent, at Oskaloosa, representing the Iowa State Insurance Company; Imperial, of London; Girard, of PhiIadelphia; Westchester, of New York; Traders', of Chicago, and five others, established his business in Oskaloosa in 1873, and has continued in the same until the present time, meeting with success. James C. Sellers was born in Garrard County, Ky., Jan. 14, 1828, and is a son of Nathan and Mary (Yowell) Sellers. He removed to Putnam County, Ind., with his parents in 1830, and continued to reside there, engaged in agricultural pursuits, until 1851. Hoping to better his financial condition in life he, during that year, pushed on further into the undeveloped West, and we find him located in Monroe County, this State, engaged in the labors of a pedagogue. After teaching in that county for one winter, he went to Chariton, the county seat of Lucas County, and taught the first school that was ever taught in that county. Returning to Monroe County he engaged in farming and teaching school until 1873, when he removed to Oskaloosa, and has since been occupied in the insurance business. On coming to Oskaloosa he opened a non-board agency, which excited the hostility of other agencies. He nevertheless made a good fight and kept it up for three years, and until the National Board was broken up, then for several years the business was run on sharp competition until the organization of the Local Board in 1878, which was one of the first in the State, and with which our subject has worked ever since. In February, 1882, Mr. Sellers organized the Iowa Life and Endowment Association, in company with Mr. W. H. Lowe, and of which our subject held the Secretaryship until his resignation, Jan. 1, 1886. He is still a member of the Board of Directors. Mr. Sellers was married, Dec. 29, 1853, at Albia, this State, to Miss Aby A. Read, daughter of Vincent K. Read. She was born in Putnam County, Ind., and has borne our subject seven childrenÄ one son and six daughtersÄof whom five survive: Eva is the wife of Dr. L. H. Dowling, of Albia; James C. resides at home; Fannie died at the age of twenty months; Alice is in the Ottumwa city schools, where she has taught for six years, and is at present Principal in Garfield building; Lela died aged eighteen months, and Dell and Carrie reside at home. Mr. and Mrs. Sellers and the two eldest daughters are members of the Christian Church. Mr. Sellers in early life was a Democrat, but has changed his political views and at present is a radical prohibitionist, voting, nevertheless, with the Republican party, as he believes that through it prohibition will be more speedily accomplished than by the supporting of an independent party.
Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy