John Soden, a prominent farmer of Otsego County, who has lived on his 
present farm for more than forty years, was born in Unadilla, NY, 
March 26 1824.  His father was Benjamin Soden, of Oxfordshire, 
England, who was born sortly before the beginning of the 
nineteenth century near Banbury, that shire, his father Joseph 
Soden, dying when he was a small boy.  Benjamin was one of three 
children, the names of the otherbeing John and Sarah.  All are 
now deceased.  Benjamin married Betsey Webb, of Otsego County, 
and they began life in humble circumstances, in an old log house 
on a farm, on the Susquehanna River, near Wells’ Bridge.  They 
later moved up Sand Hill Creek, and bought a tract of timber land 
of about 100 acres, at $4.50 per acre.  He was a strong believer 
in the doctrines of the Quakers or Friends, and was accustomed to 
go to meeting five miles away on horseback.  He made this farm 
his permanent home, adding to its acres and raising the 
necessities of life, including wheat in considerable quantities 
and also flax.  He also raised sheep.  The family made their own 
wearing apparel from the flax and wool.  Mr. and Mrs. Soden had 
three 
children – William, John and Joseph.  The father died when 
sixty-seven years of age, his widow surviving him some 
sixteen years, and dying at the age of eighty-two.  Their son 
Joseph died of paralysis, March 23, 1891, at Gilbertsville, aged 
sixty years, leaving a family.  He had never been a very strong 
man.  He was engaged in various kinds of merchandising, and was a 
sound business man, and also served as magistrate.  He left a 
fair estate.  William, the eldest of the family, is now a farmer 
in Morris, and is about seventy years of age.

John Soden was brought up on the farm at home, and secured what 
education he has in the district schools of his time.  He was 
very stout, and when but fifteen years old took especial delight in 
wielding the ax and felling the huge trees of the forest.  His labors 
were much needed, and there were few of his age his equal as a 
backwoodsman.  He was married in his twenty-first year to Miss 
Lucinda Furman, a native of Morris, Otsego County, and a daughter of 
William and Rhoda (Thorp) Furman.  He and his wife began their 
married life in Otsego County on rented land.  Mrs. Soden died on the 
farm upon which they first settled, and about eight years of married 
life, leaving one daughter, Mary, now the wife of William DeForest, a 
farmer of Rogers Hollow, in the town of Unadilla; she has one son.  
Mr. Soden was again married,  June 8, 1853, to Mary A. Furman, 
younger sister of his former wife; to them were born four children, 
only one of whom is now living, William B.  Lucinda was married when 
quite young to G. R. Hay, and died about two years later.  Charles 
died when three years old, and one son in fancy.  Mrs. Mary A. Soden 
died August, 4, 1876, aged forty-five years.  Mr. Soden was married 
the third time, to his present wife, Hannah E. Coppock, who was born 
in Ohio, daughter of Pleasant and Lydia (Cook) Coppock.  Her mother 
died July 1, 1873, at the age of fifty-four, leaving eleven children, 
four of them sons.  Of the seven daughters Mrs. Soden is the eldest.   
The father died in Ohio, March 23, 1891, at the age of seventy-six.  
Mr. and Mrs. Coppock buried a son and daughter in infancy.  Their 
daughter Almira, who was the wife of Elijah Stanley, of Iowa, is also 
deceased.  Mrs. Soden remained at home with her father until her 
marriage, and was married February 28, 1883, at her home in Ohio.

Mr. Soden has 140 acres of land in his home farm, and eighty acres in 
another farm adjoining.  He has always carried on general farming, 
and as also followed dairying and the keeping of thoroughbred Jersey 
stock, the latter having been a kind of specialty.  He usually keeps 
about thirty cows, and enough young stock to bring the aggregate up 
to forty head of horned cattle.  He has the finest large pear orchard 
in this section of the State.  He was formerly a Republican, but is 
now a Prohibitionist.  His son, William B. married Emma Butts, who 
died leaving one daughter.  He is a farmer in the immediate 
neighborhood, and is living with his third wife.  By his second wife 
he had two children, Grace, and Charles, and has one daughter, Mary, 
by his present wife.

Mr. and Mrs. Soden are firm believers in the faith and doctrine of 
the Quakers, and Mrs. Soden is an ordained minister, and preaches in 
Laurens.  Until recently disabled by a serious accident, Mr. Soden 
was one of the most thorough and intelligent agriculturists and 
horticulturists in this part of the State, but now his work has to 
be, for the most part, carried on by others.  He has always been one 
of the true, honest men of the county, and because of the sterling 
qualities of his character has hosts of admirers and friends.