Louis P. Vance, of Mankato, Jewell County, Kan., was born at Goshen, Elkhart County, Ind., December 9, 1837; removed at four and a half years of age to Jefferson County, Iowa, with his parents; was a farmer till his twenty-second year; spent two years prior to the war of the Rebellion in the Colorado mining regions. Enlisted in the service of the United States in March, 1862, as a member of Company B, Thirty-fifth Missouri Volunteer Infantry; was promoted from the ranks through the grades of non-commissioned and two of the commissioned offices of the line; was mustered out in July, 1865, with his company with the rank of Captain, which rank he occupied about ten months prior to the close of the war. Returned to Fairfield, Iowa, and was, by election, Treasurer of Jefferson County eight years, during the years intervening January 1, 1868, and January 1, 1878. Entered into private banking at Mankato, Kansas, with Case, Vance & Co., in September 1877; afterwards was engaged in brokerage, loan and other pursuits in Kansas. Was married May 6, 1868, at Fairfield, Iowa, to Miss Lizzie P. Heron. They had six children born to them – Minnie A., George C., Blanche L., Jessie May and Oscar Perry; the two latter died of scarlet fever, Oscar P. died April 1, 1879, aged two years, and Jessie M. died April 9, 1879, aged four years. Sibyl L., the junior member of the family, at the date of this compiling, was three years and six months old.
