History of Chickasaw and Howard counties, Iowa

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HISTORY

OF

Chickasaw and Howard
Counties, Iowa

ILLUSTRATED

VOLUME II

CHICAGO

THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY

1919

THE NEW YORK

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BIOGRAPHICAL

WILLIAM C. BROWN.

Not by leaps and bounds but by orderly progression did William C. Brown
advance from a humble position on a western railroad to the presidency of one of the
greatest railroad systems of the country. Today he is practically living retired
personally overseeing the operation of one of the finest farms of Iowa, situated
near Lime Springs, in a district in which his boyhood days were passed. He has
thus come to a fulfillment of one of the dreams of his life, his attention being
now given to improved and scientific agriculture. Mr. Brown was born in Norway,
Herkimer county, New York, July 29, 1853, his parents being the Rev. Charles E.
and Frances (Lyon) Brown. He comes of Scotch Irish ancestry, the line being
traced back to William Brown, who came from England in 1686 and established
his home in Massachusetts, where he became a leader in civic affairs of the colony.
He served as judge of the colonial court and was also a military officer. His son.
Captain John Brown, was born near Concord in 1703 and served as a soldier in the
French and Indian war, commanding a company in the Louisburg expedition of 17 45.
He became one of the prominent and influential citizens of his district and was a
member of the general court of the colony for twenty years. His son, Parley
Brown, born May 27, 1737, was one of the farmers who responded to the call of
Paul Revere on his famous night ride on the 18th of April, 1775. He was in the
fight at Lexington and was a member of the company commanded by Captain Seth
Washburn at the battle of Bunker Hill, in which engagement his brother, John
Brown, was badly wounded. Parley Brown carried his brother from the battlefield
and afterward went west with the American army under command of General
George Washington and was killed in the battle of White Plains, New York, on the
28th of October, 1776.

Nathaniel Brown, son of Parley Brown, was born in Leicester, Massachusetts,
November 5, 1767, and afterward became a resident of Vermont, from which state
he removed to New York, then a western wilderness. He died in Hamburg, New
York, in 1854. His son, the Rev. Philip Perry Brown, was born in Bennington,
Vermont, September 17, 1790 and was a Baptist missionary and preacher of central
New York to the time of his death, which occurred in Madison, that state, on the
23d of September, 1876.

Charles Edwin Brown, father of William C. Brown of this review, was born
February 23, 1813, in Augusta, New York, which at that time was situated on the
frontier. In a volume of personal recollections written in his eightieth year. Elder
Brown says "it was a new and heavily timbered country, and here, amid the priva-
tions and hardships of pioneer life with very limited means, we lived until my
eighteenth year." He was converted at a revival meeting in September, 1832, was
baptized by his father and joined the Baptist church. He became very strongly
impressed with the conviction that it was his duty to preach the gospel and, giving
up his employment, he entered upon a course of study preparatory for the ministry
at the Hamilton Literary and Theological Seminary. By working after study hours
and during vacation periods, in cutting timber in the woods and doing other jobs
of manual labor that he could get, he met the expenses of his college course and
was able to complete his studies in 1838. On the 20th of September of that year
he was regularly ordained to the ministry and on the 26th of September he was
married to Frances Lyon at Little Falls, New York. His bride was a school teacher,
a woman of marked refinement and liberal education, a devoted Christian, and i^^

5

6 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

once entered with earnestness upon the work of the church and Sunday school.
For almost fifty years she was a loving and devoted helpmate and companion to
her husband. Her happy, cheerful disposition made the cabin of the pioneer
preacher out on the frontier, as well as the more pretentious home of later years,
the abode of happiness and contentment. In a volume of recollections published
by Elder Brown near the close of his life, the title page bears the following: "In
loving remembrance of my wife, Frances Lyon Brown, who for nearly fifty years
shared with me the labor, trials and privations of pioneer missionary life, whose
cheery presence made the humble log cabin on the western frontier the happiest
of homes and whose sunny, hopeful disposition found for every cloud a silver lining,
these recollections are affectionately inscribed."

For four years the Rev. Charles E. Brown was minister of the Baptist church at
Norway and Warren, New York, both in Herkimer county, after which he had the
opportunity of carrying out a long cherished desire of becoming a home missionary
In the west. He was sent to the "forks of the Maquoketa river" in the territory of
Iowa and for nine years continued his missionary work, preaching in log cabins,
organizing new churches, making long journeys across the trackless prairies of that
western prontier, and then on account of impaired health was obliged to return to
the state of New York. He spent six years thereafter in preaching in various locali-
ties in central New York and was then again sent by the Baptist Home Mission
Society to Iowa, where he was permitted to select his own field of labor. In July,
1857, he arrived in Howard county, which became the field of his future life work.
In August, 1857, he located at Vernon Springs, organized the Baptist churches at
Vernon Springs and Lime Springs and was pastor thereof for many years. His
work extended all over Howard and adjoining counties and there are few of the
old pioneer schoolhouses in which he did not preach and organize Sabbath schools.
He was always deeply interested in the public schools and became the first superin-
tendent of schools in Howard county and was one of the early teachers in the
school at Vernon Springs. In the late '70s he was selected to represent his district
in the state legislature and was a leader in every movement for public improvement
and civic betterment. Throughout his life he was intensely loyal and patriotic, an
uncompromising enemy of the liquor traffic, and he advocated his religious and
political opinions with earnestness, sincerity and fidelity. He had the courage of
his convictions and when his conclusions were reached upon any subject they were
definite and positive. He was never known to compromise with what he believed
to be wrong. He passed away July 23, 1901, in his eighty-ninth year, and was
laid to rest by the side of his wife, who died in 1887, in the beautiful cemetery of
Lime Springs. The legislature during the session of the following winter passed the
following resolutions:

"WHEREAS Rev. Charles E. Brown, an honored member of the seventeenth
general assembly of Iowa from Howard county, died in Ottumwa, July 23, 1901, and,

"WHEREAS The life and character of the deceased were such as to command
our love and esteem, and his public services to the state and country were of such
distinction as to demand the respect and gratitude of his fellow citizens; therefore
be it

"Resolved, That in his death the state has lost an able, conscientious citizen, a
man who suffered the inconvenience and hardships of pioneer life in the cause of
religion, and state that we extend to his children our sincere sympathy in their
aflSiction.

"Resolved, That these resolutions be entered in the Journal of the House and
that chief clerk of the House be instructed to present engrossed copy thereof to
his sons."

Amid the environment of a Christian home upon the frontier William C. Brown
spent the days of his boyhood and youth, working on the farm in the summer months
and attending the district school in the winter seasons. From 1857 the home of the
Brown family was maintained in Howard county save for the years 1868 and 1869,
during which Elder Brown was pastor of the Baptist church in Thompson, Illinois,
and it was with keenest pleasure that William C. Brown returned to the scenes

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 7

of his boyhood after putting aside the arduous cares of railroad management.
While living at Thompson, when sixteen years of age, he began work with a shovel
as a section hand on the southwestern division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St.
Paul Railroad and while thus employed he took advantage of an offer of the station
agent of the privilege of learning telegraphy by studying and practicing nights in
the office. A year later, the family having returned to Howard county, he continued
his studies in the telegraph office at Lime Springs and in the summer of 1870 secured
his first position as an operator. In the summer of 1871 he was made night
operator in the train dispatcher's office at Minneapolis and a year later was offered
and accepted a position as train dispatcher for the Illinois Central at Waterloo, Iowa,
in which position he remained for two years. While there residing he returned to
Lime Springs and on the 3d of June, 1874, he was married to Miss Mary Ella Hewett,
a daughter of Squire C. C. Hewett, one of the early settlers and prominent citizens
of Howard county. Three daughters and seven grandchildren, all living in Chicago,
comprise the family.

In 1875 Mr. Brown was made train dispatcher at Wilton Junction, Iowa, for the
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, and a year and a half later secured employment
as train dispatcher on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, with which road
he remained for twenty-six years, being promoted from one position to another in
the regular line of service until he became general manager of the system east of
the Missouri river on the 1st of January, 1896, with offices in Chicago. On the
1st of July, 1901, he was offered and accepted the position of vice president and
general manager of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad and Lake Erie
& Western Railroad, with headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. On the 1st of March,
1902, he was made vice president of the New York Central & Hudson River Rail-
road, in addition to the lines west of Buffalo above mentioned, and on the 1st of
June, 1906, he was elected senior vice president of all the roads in the system of
the New York Central, comprising about twelve thousand miles of important rail-
road, extending from New York and Boston on the east to Chicago and St. Louis
in the west and from Montreal, Canada, and Mackinack City on the north to
Louisville, Kentucky, and, Cairo, Illinois, in the south. On the 1st of February,
1909, Mr. Brown was elected president of the New York Central System and con-
tinued in that position until he tendered his resignation in a letter addressed to the
board of directors which gave his reasons for desiring to lay down the heavy
burdens of official railway work, as follows: "I have for two years contemplated
asking to be relieved of the very exacting duties and responsibilities of the position
of chief executive of the New York Central Lines. I have been in railroad service
continuously for more than forty-four years, twelve years of this service with the
New York Central Lines, five years in charge of the operation and maintenance of
the property, two years as senior vice president and five years as president, and feel
that I have earned that freedom from care, hard work and responsibility which
can only be secured by retiring from active service. In addition to my desire to be
relieved of the burden and responsibility of my position, I am admonished by my
failing hearing that I cannot, without serious embarrassment, continue to perform
the duties of the position, either in the board room or in frequent important con-
ferences in which I must necessarily participate. For these reasons, I beg to
very respectfully tender my resignation as president, effective January 1, 1914. In
leaving the service, I desire to express my sincere and grateful appreciation of the
cordial cooperation which has always been extended to me by this board, and of
the loyal, intelligent and efficient support rendered by all the officers of the company.

Very respectfully yours,

W. C. Brown."

At a meeting of the several boards of directors held in New York on November
18th the resignation was accepted and the following resolutions unanimously
adopted.

At meetings of the boards of directors of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern
Railway Company, the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad Company, the

8 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Michigan Central Railroad Company and the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St.
Louis Railway Company, held at the general office building, Grand Central terminal,
city of New York, on Tuesday the 18th day of November, 1913, Mr. William C.
Brown having presented his resignation as president of the companies named,
effective December 31, 1913, the following was presented and adopted:

"This board accepts with regret the resignation of President William C. Brown.
When he joined our System he had been for thirty-two years in active railroad
work. He had risen from the bottom through every grade of operation and admin-
istration to the highest positions in the important lines with which he was con-
nected.

His demonstrated ability as vice president and general manager of the Lake
Shore & Michigan Southern Railway Company, led by rapid promotion to vice
president in charge of operation and maintenance of the New York Central &
Hudson River Railroad Company, vice president in charge of maintenance and
operation of all the railroads in the Central System; senior vice president in charge
of all the departments of the entire System, and president.

He had won all these positions through a wide and varied experience, hard
work and close study. He was unusually equipped for its great responsibilities
when he came to be the executive head of this System with its twelve thousand
miles of railroad, extending through nine states and into the Dominion of Canada,
and having in its employment one hundred and sixty thousand men. He has kept
in harmony while maintaining discipline and efficiency with this great working
force.

Under his administration the relations have been cordial between the railroads
and the people in the territory which it serves. The business of the system has
doubled in revenue and tonnage.

The vast construction and engineering work in the remodeling and remaking the
New York terminal and station has been uninterruptedly carried on, and railway
operators at home and abroad have expressed their admiration that difficulties have
been so overcome that train service has been maintained, and the electrification
of the Central in and about New York carried to completion without delaying or
retarding the engineers, architects and contractors.

Mr. Brown has been a pioneer in agricultural experiments for the increase of
the output of the farms, at the expense of and under the management of the rail-
road company. It brings the railroads and the farmers together for their mutual
advantage.

At three score, and after forty-four years of unremitting labor in his chosen
profession, Mr. Brown has earned the privilege of retirement from active and
exacting responsibilities. He leaves this company carrying with him our highest
respect for him as an official, and our warmest regard for him as a man. May he
enjoy long years of health and happiness.

Resolved that this minute be engrossed and attested by the officers of the
company and presented to Mr. Brown.

(Signed)

Chauncey M. Depew, Chairman,
D. W. Pardee, Secretary."

Since his retirement from active service Mr. Brown has continued as a member
of the board of directors of several of the roads and makes occasional trips to
New York to attend meetings and renew acquaintances of his many friends there,
both in the service and in other lines of business; but his chief interest is in his
farms and in the important subject of improved agriculture, to which he gave
much attention during his railway life. He owns farms in Iowa, Colorado and
California, the management of which gives him congenial and ample employment.
Oaklawn Stock Farm, located on the bank of the Upper Iowa river, one mile north
of the village of Lime Springs and the home of Mrs. Brown's grandfather, M. M.
Marsh, is perhaps his favorite, and a more beautiful location or a liner farm could
scarcely be found in the entire state. The farm residence is a solid, comfortable

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 9

stone house built by Esquire Marsh a half century ago, and there in the shade of the
fine oak trees on the lawn, under which they played as children, Mr. and Mrs.
Brown are spending the evening of life. They also have a home in Pasadena,
California, to which they go to escape the rigors of the northern Iowa winters.
Mr. Brown is most happy amid his present surroundings, as it has ever been the
dream of his life to return to the farm, for he is a lover of nature and the various
phases of outdoor life.

EDMUND GILLETTE.

Edmund Gillette is a valued and respected citizen of Cresco now living retired, al-
though for many years he was actively, prominently and successfully connected with
agricultural interests in Howard county, where he has a circle of friends almost co-
extensive with the circle of his acquaintance. He came to the middle west from the
Empire state, his birth having occurred in Benton Center, Yates county. New York,
October 9, 1828. He is a son of Jewel H. and Mabel (Bainbridge) Gillette. His father
was born in Orange county, New York, in 1789, while the mother was a native of
Seneca county, New York. They were married in that state, where the father en-
gaged in business as a miller, operating flour mills for a number of years. In 1843 he
removed westward with his family to Niles, Michigan, at which period that district
was wild and undeveloped. He purchased farm land and began the cultivation and
improvement of his fields, converting the farm into a very productive tract of land.
At the time of his arrival there was much wild game in the country and comparatively
little indication of progress and improvement there, but he took his part in the work of
bringing about changed conditions until death suddenly cut short his career, for he was
killed in a runaway accident in 1844. His wife survived until 1869 and was seventy-
two years of age at the time of her demise. In his political views the father was a
democrat. The ancestry of the family can be traced back to a very remote period, for
the first of the name came from France to the United States in 1634, making settlement
in New York, where successive generations of the family have resided. The grand-
father of Edmund Gillette was Jeremiah Gillette, a native of Orange county, New York,
his birthplace being on the Hudson river. He built the first mill at Penn Yan, New
York, and remained a substantial citizen of that place until his death, which occurred
in 1844. His wife also passed away there.

Edmund Gillette spent his boyhood days in the Empire state to the age of seventeen
years and then accompanied his parents on their westward removal to Niles, Michigan,
after which he spent two years upon the home farm. He then entered the employ of
the Michigan Central Railroad Company, assisting in building the road in the capacity
of labor foreman, and subsequently removed to Chicago, where he became identified
with the lumber business of Charles Mears, with whom he continued for two years.
He also managed a lumber camp for the company in northern Michigan and while thus
engaged did some trading with the Indians. Later he assisted in building the Michigan
Southern Railroad, doing contract work, and afterward he was connected as labor fore-
man with the Chicago & Galena Union Railroad on construction work. He next became
active in the construction of the Illinois Central Railroad and occupied the position of
paymaster with office at La Salle, Illinois. In the winter of 1854-5 he came to Iowa, es-
tablishing his home near what is now the town of Cresco, but the district was then a
wild prairie tract. He took up his present farm as a claim, securing one hundred and
sixty acres which he at once began to develop and improve. From that day to the pres-
ent he has been an active, valued and honored resident of Howard county. In the early
days McGregor was the nearest market and the unsettled condition of the country is
indicated by the fact that there were many Indians here. His labors have been of the
greatest benefit in promoting public progress and his enterprise made him one of the
foremost farmers of this section of the state. As the years passed his lands were
brought under cultivation and returned to hipa very substantial and gratifying harvests.

In 1856 Mr. Gillette was united in marriage to Miss Helen M. Barber, a daughter
of Horace and Elizabeth (Burbank) Barber, the father a furniture manufacturer of

10 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Laporte, Indiana, at which place Mrs. Gillette was born. To Mr. and Mrs. Gillette have
come six children: Nettie M., who died in 1891; Fred E.; Arthur B. ; Edmund C; Nellie
M.; and Gertrude E.

Mr. Gillette has taken an active part in public affairs as the years have gone on.
In 1855 he was elected clerk of the district court, which position he acceptably filled
for ten years, and he was also elected to the office of sheriff of Howard county. Foi
sixteen years he filled the position of justice of the peace and he has also served in other
offices of public honor and trust. His political support is given to the republican party
and his religious faith is that of the Congregational church. His life has ever been
actuated by high and honorable principles and his entire record is that of an upright
man and public-spirited citizen. He still occupies the old homestead farm on which he
has lived for so many years, but now having almost reached the ninetieth milestone on
life's journey, he is living retired and in fact for a number of years has enjoyed a well
earned rest.

TIMOTHY T. DONOVAN.

Timothy T. Donovan, banker, has spent practically his entire life in Iowa, having
been but two years of age when brought to Chickasaw county. The record of his
career therefore is as an open book to his fellow townsmen, who have watched
his continuous progress as the years have passed — a progress that has resulted from
close application, keen study of existing business conditions and a recognition of
opportunity. He is the vice president of the First National Bank of New Hampton,
the president of the First National Bank of Fredericksburg, president of the Alta
Vista Savings Bank of Alta Vista, Iowa, vice president of the Security National
Bank of Mason City, vice president of the Farmers' & Traders' Savings Bank of
Bancroft, Iowa, and a member of the board of directors not only of all these insti-
tutions but also of the Mason City Loan & Trust Company of Mason City, Iowa.

Mr. Donovan was born in New Market, Rockingham county. New Hampshire,
on the 8th of June, 1856, and is a son of Timothy and Abbie (Harrington) Donovan,
extended mention of whom appears elsewhere in this work. He was but two years
of age when brought by his parents to Chickasaw county, which was then largely
an undeveloped wilderness. His boyhood days were spent in one of the old pioneer
log cabins and his educational opportunities were limited to those offered by the
public schools and the Decorah Institute. During his boyhood and young manhood
he resided upon his father's farm and his early life was passed in a manner usual
to that of most farm-bred boys of the middle west. Early in life, however, his
ambition to make for himself a place in the business world was developed. He
likewise became keenly interested in politics in early manhood and on the 1st of
March, 1884, became deputy auditor and deputy clerk of the courts. On the 2d of
November, 1886, he was elected clerk of the district court and was re-elected to
that ofiice November 6, 1888. He served for four years as clerk of the district
courts, performing the duties of the office without the aid of a deputy.

On the 1st of August, 1890, Mr. Donovan was elected cashier of the First
National Bank of New Hampton but did not take charge of the work in the bank
until January 1, 1891, when he assumed the duties of cashier, in which responsible
position he continued to serve until the 11th of June, 1906, when he was elected
vice president of the bank and has since acted in that capacity. During this period
he has assisted materially in advancing and maintaining the high standards of the
institution and making it one of the strong financial concerns of northern Iowa.
In becoming connected with banking Mr. Donovan found the line of life for which
he evidently was best fitted, as his success from that time has been continuous.
Extending the scope of his activities, he has been instrumental in founding other
banks and has become identified with other financial institutions until his name
is today a well known one in financial circles of northern Iowa. He has also become
the possessor of heavy land holdings in Chickasaw county and his investments have

TIMOTHY T. DONOVAN

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 13

been most judiciously placed. His real estate interests .include one of the finest
homes in New Hampton.

Mr. Donovan is a member of St. Joseph's Catholic church, is a member of the
assembly of the Knights of Columbus and of the council of that organization. He
likewise belongs to Charles City Lodge, B. P. O. E. He has always been a stalwart
advocate of democratic principles and in 1895 was chosen a delegate to the demo-
cratic national convention in Chicago and was again elected a delegate to the
democratic national convention in St. Louis in 1917. He served on the democratic
state central committee for the fourth Iowa district for twelve years and was a member
of the city council of New Hampton for ten years, exercising his official preroga-
tives in support of many well defined plans and measures for the general good. He
Is now the president of the New Hampton library board and there is no phase of
the city's welfare in which he is not vitally interested. He is a charitable man and
yet his philanthropy is of a most unostentatious character. He is always courteous,
kindly and affable and those who know him personally have for him a warm regard.
A man of natural ability, his success in business from the beginning of his connec-
tion with banking has been uniform and rapid. As has been truly remarked, after
all that may be done for a man in the way of giving him early opportunities for
obtaining the requirements which are sought in the schools and in books, he must
essentially formulate, determine and give shape to his own character and this is
what Mr. Donovan has done. He has persevered in the pursuit of a persistent pur-
pose an»d gained a most satisfactory reward. His life is exemplary in all respects
and he has ever supported those interests which are calculated to uplift humanity,
while his own high moral worth is deserving of the highest commendation.

JOHN A. DOSTAL.

John A. Dostal, cashier of the Bohemian Savings Bank of Protivin, Howard county,
was born In Spillville, Winneshiek county, Iowa, on the 15th of 'July, 1871, a son of
John and Mary (Rihe) Dostal, both of whom were also of Bohemian birth. The father
came to the United States in his boyhood days — a lad of twelve years — in company with
his parents, the voyage across the Atlantic being made in 1854. The family home was
established in Davenport, Iowa, but after two years a removal was made to Spillville,
Winneshiek county, where John Dostal learned the wagon making trade. He developed
considerable efficiency in this connection and for many years conducted a wagon shop in
Spillville. He still survives and now resides with a daughter in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
His wife came to the United States in young womanhood, her parents remaining in Bo-
hemia. Mrs. Dostal has passed away, her death occurring in February, 1917.

John A. Dostal whose name introduces this review was reared under the parental
roof and is indebted to the schools of Spillville for his educational opportunities. He
passed through consecutive grades until he became a student in the high school and
when nineteen years of age entered upon an apprenticeship to the creamery business
and thoroughly learned the art of butter making, serving as apprentice in Manly,
Worth county, where he remained for a period of four years. He next becanie con-
nected with the Spillville Creamery, where he was employed as butter maker for six
years, and in 1899 he removed to Protivin and for ten years was butter maker in the
creamery at this place. In 1910 he became one of the active factors in the organization
of the Bohemian Savings Bank of Protivin and was made secretary on its organization.
The company owns a modern bank building, in which the doors were opened for busi-
ness on the 19th of September, 1910. Mr. Dostal was made cashier of the institution
and in that important position has since most efficiently served. He has thoroughly
acquainted himself with every phase of the banking business and the institution of
which he is now an active official has had a remarkably successful growth, its deposits
at the present time amounting to two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. He is
most sytematic, careful and reliable in the conduct of the business of the bank and is a
popular official by reason of his courtesy and obliging disposition.

14 CHICKASAW AXD HOWARD COUNTIES

In 1893 Mr. Dostal was married to Miss Mary Kuchar, of Worth county, Iowa, and
to them have been born five children, three of whom are yet living: William C, who is
assistant cashier of the Bohemian Savings Bank of Protivin; and Anna and Celia, both
at home.

In his political views Mr. Dostal is a democrat and is the present mayor of Protivin,
having filled that position for six years. His long continuance in the office is certainly
an indication of his marked capability and progressiveness in all municipal affairs. He
has introduced various needed reforms and improvements and exercises his official pre-
rogatives at all times on the side of order, progress and improvement. He and his
family are consistent members of the Catholic church and he belongs to the Catholic
Order of Foresters and to the Catholic Workmen and he is one of the leading and rep-
resentative men of Howard county whose activities have constituted an important ele-
ment in the business development and public progress of the northern section of the
state.

EUGENE JULIUS FEULING.

Eugene Julius Feuling, who since February 7, 1910, has been the publisher of the
New Hampton Tribune, was born in Ionia, Chickasaw county, October 8, 1881, a son of
Julius and Magdelena (Zimmer) Feuling, who are natives of Ionia, where the father
is engaged in the harness making business. He was born in Germany and came to
America in 1868, while his wife, a native of Luxemburg, crossed the Atlantic in the
same year. They established their home in Ionia in 1871 and have there since remained.

In the public schools of his native city Eugene J. Feuling acquired his early edu-
cation, which was supplemented by a course of study in the Iowa State Teachers' Col-
lege at Cedar Falls, from which he was graduated. He has since taken post graduate
work in Chicago University. He was reared to farm life but early turned his attention
to the educational field and taught school at Bassett, Iowa, for a half year. He was later
superintendent of the city schools of Marathon, Iowa, for three years and was superin-
tendent of the city schools of Lawler, Iowa, for a year and a half. On the 1st of Janu-
ary, 1909, he was called to the office of county superintendent of schools of Chickasaw
county and occupied that position four years, doing much to further the interests of
public education during that period, introducing many improved methods and advanc-
ing the general standard of the schools in the county. On the 7th of February, 1910,
he became the publisher of the New Hampton Tribune, of which he has since been
owner.

On the 31st of July, 1907, Mr. Feuling was married to Miss Edna Pearl Miller, a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Miller, auditor of the De Wolfe Grain Company and
residing at Marathon, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Feuling have two daughters and a son:
Lucile, Louise and John. The parents are members of the Roman Catholic church of
New Hampton.

Mr. Feuling's military experience covers three years' training in the battalion at
the Iowa State Teachers' College. His political endorsement is given to the demo-
cratic party and fraternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America
and with the Knights of Columbus. He also belongs to the New Hampton Club. He
is widely known in his section of the state, where his infiuence and efforts have ever
been of a character that have contributed to public progress and improvement.

A. J. CRAY.

A. J. Cray, president of the Exchange State Bank of Lime Springs, was born in
Howard county on the 1st of August, 1864, a son of Joseph and Matilda (Coombs) Cray,
of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work in connection with the sketch of their
son, John A. Cray. Upon the old home farm A. J. Cray was reared and in the district

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 15

schools acquired his education, supplemented by a short term at the Brekenridge
school in Decorah, Iowa, and also by study in the State Normal School at Cedar Falls.
Following the completion of his studies he taught for three terms in the district schools
and in September, 1886, accepted a position in the freight and passenger offices of the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad at Beardstowu, Illinois. There he continued
in office work for the road for eight years, leaving that employ in September, 1894.
He then returned to Lime Springs and purchased the lumberyards of G. G. Thomas and
for the following thirteen years was identified with the lumber business at Lime Springs
and in Bonair, Iowa. In 1905 he entered into partnership with F. M. Clark, his father-
in-law, and built the first modern elevator in Howard county, located at Lime Springs.
In 1907 he disposed of his lumber interests and the same year became one of the incor-
porators of the Exchange State Bank of Lime Springs and was made president of the
institution, in which capacity he has since served. Later he sold the elevator to the
Huntting Elevator Company and has since concentrated his entire attention and
efforts upon the conduct of the bank, the business which has steadily grown in volume
and in importance. He has thoroughly acquainted himself with every phase of the
banking business and his progressiveness is tempered with a safe conservatism that
wins the confidence of the general public. He has also acquired extensive land holdings
in Howard county and is one of the prominent and representative business men of the
district.

On the 5th of January. 1898, Mr. Cray was married to Miss Letitia Clark, a daughter
of F. M. Clark, the founder of the first bank in Lime Springs and one of Howard county's
most prominent and influential citizens. Mr. and Mrs. Cray have had no children of
their own but have reared three girls: Margaret, who has been adopted; and Laura
and Helen Palmquist, who still retain their parents' name. Margaret is attending
Principia College of St. Louis, Missouri, and Laura, was graduated from that
school in the class of 1917, and Helen in the class of 1919. Laura graduated from a
kindergarten course in Miss Wood's School in Minneapolis in the class of 1919, and
Helen is taking a course in domestic science at Bradley College, Peoria, Illinois.

In politics Mr. Cray is a republican and has served as town clerk and town treas-
urer of Lime Springs and has also filled the position of mayor. He belongs to Howard
Lodge, No. 244, A. F. & A. M., in which he has passed through all of the chairs and
has occupied the position of treasurer since 1907. He is interested in all those forces
which make for good in the community, which look to the betterment of civic conditions
and which uphold the legal and moral status. His business career has been character-
ized by a steady progression that has brought him from a humble place in the business
world to a position of leadership in his community as the head of one of the strong
banking institutions of Howard county.

HENRY T. REED.

Henry T. Reed, United States district judge for the northern district of Iowa, resides
at Cresco, Howard county, and has been identified with the Iowa bar since 1872. He
was born in the town of Alburgh, Grand Isle county, Vermont, in October, 1846. his
parents being George and Jane Reed. The father was born near Belfast, Ireland, and
was married to Miss Jane Sherry, also a native of that locality. They came to the
United States about 1830, settling in Vermont, where Mr. Reed devoted his time and
attention to the occupation of farming until 1855, when he brought his family to the
middle west, establishing his home in Albion township. Howard county, Iowa, in 1856,
near what is now Cresco, where he built his home and lived until about 1880, when
he moved to Cresco, where he died in 1897 at the advanced age of eighty-seven years,
surviving his wife who died in 1871 at the age of sixty-six years.

Judge Reed spent his boyhood days in the vicinity of Cresco upon his father's
farm, attending the public school and a private school; studied law and was admitted
to practice in 1872, and thereafter followed its practice until March, 1904, when he was

16 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

appointed United States district judge for the northern district of Iowa to succeed the
late Oliver P. Shiras of Dubuque, who retired November 1st preceding.

In 1868 Judge Reed was married to Miss Laura J. Webster, daughter of Julius F.
and Eliza J. Webster. Her father was a native of Laporte county. Indiana, and in
1857 removed westward to Howard county, Iowa, settling in Howard Center town-
ship. He died in August, 1892, at the age of seventy-four years, while his widow-
died at the home of her daughter Mrs. Reed in Cresco, in February, 1916, at the ad-
vanced age of ninety-two years.

Judge and Mrs. Reed have two children: Carl W., who is practicing law in Cresco;
and Kate C, who is now the wife of Dr. W. T. Daly of Cresco. The family is one of
prominence in the community. Carl W. Reed has carried forward the work begun by
his father, assisting in the upbuilding and development of this section of the state, and
is now a member of the Iowa senate for the Howard-Winneshiek district.

A. T. BROOKINS.

Perseverance and energy feature as salient factors in the business career of A.
T. Brookins and have brought him to the responsible position of cashier of the First
State Savings Bank of Ionia. He was born December 16, 1883, on a farm within three
miles of his present home, his parents being Franklin W. and Mary (Chamberlin)
Brookins, the former a native of the state of New York, whence he removed westward
to Wisconsin in young manhood. He was there married, in the town of Necedah, to Miss
Chamberlin and for some years thereafter he engaged in the lumber business and in
farming in Juneau county. Wisconsin. Subsequently he came to Iowa and purchased a
farm in Bradford township, Chickasaw county. About 1888 or 1889 he removed to
Ionia, where he resided until 1901. when he became a resident of Charles City, Iowa,
and later he and his wife took up their home with their daughter, "Mrs. Charles Gray,
of New Hampton. The mother's death there occurred about 1913. In subsequent years
the father has made his home among his children.

A. T. Brookins was educated in the town schools of Ionia and in the Charles City
high school before entering the Charles City College. He was graduated from high school
with the class of 1902 and following the completion of his studies he taught school for
eight years, during which time he was principal of the schools of Floyd, Iowa, and also
at Defiance, Iowa. He proved an able educator, having the happy faculty of interesting
the children and imparting readily to them the knowledge that he ha'd acquired. At
length, however, he gave up his educational work in the spring of 1910 and went upon
the farm. During the following six years he devoted his attention to agricultural pur-
suits and in September, 1915, he received his initial training in the banking business
by entering the First State Savings Bank of Ionia in the position of assistant cashier.
He made good in this connection and in January, 1919, was advanced to the- position
of cashier in which capacity he is now serving, having charge of the financial policy of
the bank.

In 1906 Mr. Brookins was united in marriage to Miss Ruth Alys Dodge, of Osage,
Iowa, by whom he has a son, Paul Dodge. In politics Mr. Brookins is a republican and
in the November election of 1914 was the nominee of his party for the position of
county auditor, running against Peter McGinn. He was nominated in the republican
convention but not through the primary, and the election board of the county, then
controlled by the democrats, ruled his nomination irregular and his name was not
placed on the ticket. Notwithstanding this fact there were enough who wrote his name
on the ticket to almost defeat his opponent, a fact indicative of his personal popularity
and the confidence reposed in him. He is now serving for the second term as justice
of the peace in Chickasaw township and through his influence and his counsel to
litigants he has succeeded in having all cases compromised and settled out of court, no
cases ever having come to trial in his court. This is certainly a notable record and the
influence of his work cannot be overestimated, as an amicable adjustment is far prefer-
able to litigation, which is sure to leave behind it a trail of unpleasant feeling. Mr.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 17

Brookins belongs to Nashua Lodge, No. 110, K. P., also to the Masonic lodge of Nashua
and has taken the Royal Arch degrees at New Hampton. He and his wife are con-
sistent and faithful members of the Congregational church and they are keenly interested
in everything that has to do with the uplift of the individual and the upbuilding of the
county. Their circle of friends is almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaint-
ances and throughout Chickasaw county Mr. Brookins is spoken of in terms of high
regard as a representative business man and citizen.

FRANK TETZNER.

There was an old belief that the success of the farmer depended upon his industry
and the weather, but it is a recognized fact today that there are other elements which
enter into his success. He must possess the sound judgment that is essential in any
undertaking and moreover, he must have an understanding of the scientific principles
which are basic elements in the production of crops. Well qualified in all of these par-
ticulars is Frank Tetzner, who is living on section 18, Howard township, Howard
county. He was born in Traer, Iowa, October 30, 1888, a son of John and Margaret
(Odson) Tetzner, both of whom were natives of Germany, where they were reared
and married. About 1884 they came to the United States, settling in Tama county.
Iowa, near Traer, where the father took up the work of cultivating rented land. He was
thus engaged until 1910, when he purchased his present farm and removed to Howard
county, where he has since lived. In 1915, however, he was called upon to mourn the
loss of his wife, who passed away on the 20th of May of that year. They were the
parents of twelve children, nine of whom survive, namely: Alvina, who is the wife of
Claus Solto, of Reinbeck, Iowa; Lena, the wife of Frank Manlick, who follows farming
in Oakdale township, Howard county; Minnie, the wife of Jacob Solto, of Bingham
Lake, Minnesota; Anna, who gave her hand in marriage to Henry Jebens, of Daven-
port, Iowa; John C, a farmer residing at Reinbeck, Iowa; Herman, a resident of Rein-
beck, Iowa; Frank, of this review; Dora, who is the wife of Martin Shoemaker, of
Waterloo, Iowa; and Albert, who for ten months served on the Alsace front in France
as a member of Company F, Three Hundred and Fifty-second Infantry, in the Eighty-
eighth Division, known as the Clover Leaf Division.

Frank Tetzner, whose name introduces this review, having acquired a fair edu-
cation in the district schools of Tama county, concentrated his efforts and attention
upon farm work on his father's place and thus gained the practical experience which
has constituted the basis of his later successful effort. In October, 1915, he was united
in marriage to Miss Ida Lambert, of Howard township, Howard county, and in the fol-
lowing spring he took charge of the home farm and has since cultivated it. He carries
on general agricultural pursuits and the progressive methods which he employs have
gained him place among the successful farmers of Howard township.

In his political views Mr. Tetzner is a republican and keeps well informed on the
questions and issues of the day, thus being able to support his position by intelligent
argument. Both he and his wife are consistent members of the German Lutheran
church and they are well known people of the district in which they reside, their sub-
stantial traits of character gaining for them the warm regard of those with whom
they have been associated.

FRANK E. HOWARD.

Frank E. Howard, editor and owner of the Elma New Era, one of the leading
weekly publications of Howard county, was born in Howard Center, Iowa, January 17.
1875, a son of Daniel and Margaret (Creamer) Howard, the former a native of County
Cork, Ireland, while the latter was born in Columbus, Ohio. The father came to the
United States when a lad of fourteen or fifteen years in company with his father, his

18 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

mother having previously died on the Emerald isle. They settled on a farm in Win-
neshiek county, Iowa, where the grandfather of Frank E. Howard passed away. The
marriage of Daniel Howard and Margaret Creamer was celebrated in Cresco, Iowa,
about 1870. The mother's parents had come to Howard county from Columbus, Ohio,
prior to the Civil war. Following their marriage the parents began their domestic life
upon a farm in Winneshiek county five and a half miles from Cresco and there resided
until 1893, when they removed to Howard county, establishing their home upon a farm
in Vernon Springs township six and a half miles northwest of Cresco, where the mother
passed away in 1900. The father is still living and now makes his home with his son
William in Sidney, Montana.

Frank E. Howard of this review was educated in the country schools of Winneshiek
and Howard counties and took up the profession of teaching in 1894, or prior to his
eighteenth year. He was engaged in educational work for four years and remained
upon the home farm until January, 1900, when he removed to Elma and became con-
nected with newspaper publication in partnership with A. R. McCook. They purchased
the Elma News Register, changing the name of the sheet to the Northern Iowa Demo-
crat. Both were ardent democrats in political faith, and imbued with a desire to ad-
vance the interests of the party, they applied themselves diligently to the task which
now confronted them. They did active campaign work in behalf of democratic candi-
dates, in addition to their earnest efforts in the publication of a democratic newspaper.
After three or four years the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Howard changed the
name of the paper to the Elma New Era, under which title it has since been published
as an independent organ. As a free lance he supports any political principle or candi-
date that he desires or seeks to advance the interests of any candidate whom he re-
gards as best qualified for the duties of the position which he seeks. He is himself
an able public speaker and has done very active campaign work in the interests of
candidates throughout his district. He is quoted as one of the best orators of northern
Iowa and also as one of Howard county's ablest writers.

On the 25th of June, 1901, Mr. Howard was married to Miss Maud 0. Rowley, of
Elma, a daughter of Charles W. and Amelia (Ronco) Rowley. Her father, now de-
ceased, was a prominent stock and grain buyer of Howard county. The mother sur-
vives and makes her home with Mr. and Mrs. Howard. In religious faith Mr. Howard
is a Catholic, and he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America. His business
career and public work have brought him a wide acquaintance throughout his section
of the state and while he has many political opponents, he has a very extensive circle
of warm friends.

THOMAS HOOPER.

The experiences and activities in the life of Thomas Hooper have been most
varied, bringing him wide knowledge of many things of intense interest. He has
witnessed much of the development of the west and in many ways has been identi-
fied with the work of progress and improvement, especially in connection with the
utilization of the natural resources of the country. He now makes his home at
Cresco, occupying an attractive residence at No. 434 North Elm street.

He was born at Chasewater, in Cornwall, England, March 1, 1842, and when
seventeen years of age ran away from home, prompted by the spirit of adventurn
so often found in the youth, and came to the United States. He worked his way
westward to Houghton county, Michigan, where he was employed in the old Quincy
mine for about a year. He afterward worked in the old Minnesota and National
copper mines at Rockland, Ontonagon county, Michigan, and subsequently he became
superintendent of the old Union mine in that county. Later he took charge of a
group of silver mines at Iron River but after a few years removed to Marquette
county, Michigan, where he took charge of the Champion iron mine. All through
the years he was making steady progress, assuming larger and larger responsibilities
as his powers developed through experience and study. In 1873 he again took charge

FOUR GENERATIONS OF THE HOOPER FAMILY

Vol. 11—2

CHICKASAW AND H(3\\'ARD COUNTIES 23

of the silver mines in Ontonagon county and after several years of prospecting and
mining, in which he met with little profit, the mines were closed down. Mr.
Hooper then took charge of the Nonesuch copper mine, but one year later, on
account of the death of the president, R. P. Wade, of Cleveland, this mine was closed.
Mr. Hooper afterward leased the mine for a period of seven years and completed
the railroad track extending from •the mine to Lake Superior. He also built a dock
on the lake shore and put in a small stamp mill at the mine. After a very suc-
cessful operation of this mining property for two or three years he located else-
where, owing to the fact that the mine was sold to a Milwaukee-Chicago syndicate.

It was then that Mr. Hooper removed to Baraga county, Michigan, where he took
charge of a slate roofing quarry. After seven or eight years the quarry was finally
closed owing to the scarcity of the product. During its operation that quarry fur-
nished the best slate found anywhere in the country. It was about this time that
the silver mines in Canada were receiving the attention of the public and some
excellent mines were discovered. Accordingly Mr. Hooper left Michigan to take
charge of the Beaver silver mine in the district of Algona, in the province of
Ontario. He there remained for eight years and at about the end of that period
silver mining slumped all over the country, so that Mr. Hooper left that district.
He then removed to Howard county, Iowa, and purchased the farm that is at present
being conducted by his son, Thomas J. Hooper, who is engaged in raising thorough-
bred cattle and horses. In 1902 Mr. Hooper was asked to take charge of the
Victoria mine in Ontonagon county, Michigan, but refused, stating that he was
through with all mines and mining. However, after some persuasion an arrange-
ment was entered into whereby he accepted charge of the mine. For two years he
there continued and completed one of the most startling engineering feats ever
accomplished in connection with mining history. Without the use of a pound of
coal or the turning of a wheel he was able to supply all the power needed to operate
the mine machinery and engines. By diverting the course of a river into one, two
or three large cylinders built in the rock sufficient air pressure is formed to run
all the necessary machinery by compressed air. In 1905 Mr. Hooper's son George
took over the superintendency of the mine and Mr. Hooper went to Goldfield,
Nevada, where he became superintendent and manager of a mine syndicate. He
there did considerable prospecting for four or five years but failed to find any bo-
nanza ground and shortly afterward suspended operations. Since leaving Goldfield
he has not been actively engaged in business, living retired at Cresco in the enjoy-
ment of a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves.

On the 4th of July, 1862, Mr. Hooper was married to Miss Henrietta Augusta
Firman, at Rockland, Michigan, a daughter of William Firman. Mr. and Mrs.
Hooper have become the parents of six sons and six daughters. The family attend
the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics Mr. Hooper gives his support to the
republican party. His has been a most active life, fraught with many interesting
experiences and much hard labor. He has worked diligently and persistently, mak-
ing the best possible use of his time and opportunities, and as the years passed he
became a well known figure in mining circles by reason of his ability and the
successful achievement of his purpose. He is now numbered among the highly
esteemed residents of Cresco, having a circle of friends almost coextensive with the
circle of his acquaintance.

ROBERT A. DUNCAN.

The home farm of Robert A. Duncan is pleasantly situated on section S. Deerfield,
township, Chickasaw county, and in its development and improvement Mr. Duncan
has displayed a progressive and enterprising spirit. He was born in Blackhawk county,
Iowa, August 27, 1857. and is a son of Robert and Margaret (Walker) Duncan, who
were natives of Scotland, the former born June 1, 1821, and the latter on the 11th of
May of the same year. They were reared in the land of hills and heather and were

24 CHICKASAW AXD HOWARD COUNTIES

there married in 1846, after which they came immediately to the United States. They
first settled near St. Charles, Illinois, where they resided for only a brief period and in
the spring of 1850 came to Iowa, taking up their home in Blackhawk county. In 1864
they removed to Chickasaw county, settling on the farm where their son, Robert A., now
resides, the father purchasing eighty acres of land on which he made his home until
his death in April, 1870. His widow survived him -for forty-five years and passed away
July 25, 1915, at the notable old age of ninety-four years, two months and ten days. In
early life both were devout members of the Presbyterian church but after coming to
Chickasaw county joined the Methodist Episcopal church. They ever lived consistent
Christian lives and their many sterling traits of character endeared them to all who
knew them. They were the parents of eight children: Jennett P.; Alice J.; John R.;
William W. and Robert A., twins; Mary A.; James E.; and Thomas A. Of this fam-
ily only three are living — Robert A., William W. and James E.

Robert A. Duncan has always been a resident of Iowa and his educational oppor-
tunities were those afforded by the district schools of Chickasaw county, to which his
parents removed from Blackhawk county during his early youth. He was but thirteen
years of age at the time of his father's death and for some years thereafter the culti-
vation of the home farm devolved upon him and his brothers, John and William, the
eldest of the three being then but fifteen years of age, while Robert A. and William W.,
twins, were thirteen. Rq^ert A. Duncan remained upon the home farm until about
1882, when he began farming on his own account, purcliasing eighty acres of his pres-
ent holdings on section 8, Deerfield township. In subsequent years he has bought more
land from time to time and has acquired the ownership of the old homestead. His
present holdings aggregate two hundred and eighty acres, constituting one of the ex-
cellent farm properties of Deerfield township. He is also a stockholder in the Colwell
Grain Exchange and in his business career has demonstrated what can be accomplished
through individual effort and perseverance. Steadily he has worked his way upward
and may well be classed with the self-made men of Chickasaw county.

On the 1st of January, 1895, Mr. Duncan was united in marriage to Miss Nellie New-
bury, a daughter of George Newbury, who was one of the early settlers of Floyd county,
Iowa, and is now living retired at Osage, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan have become the
parents of four children, namely: Gladys M., Margaret R., Ruth A. and Donald G.

In his political views Mr. Duncan is a republican, having supported the party since
attaining adult age. While he has never been an aspirant for public office, he has always
taken an active and helpful interest in public affairs and has been especially active in
support of educational work, serving for a number of years as a member of the school
board. He was active in the organization of the Colwell consolidated school district,
which includes the district in which Mr. Duncan resides, and he took a helpful interest
in building the schoolhouse. Fraternally he is connected with Charles City Lodge,
No. 65, I. 0. O. F., and he and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church, in which he is serving as steward and trustee. Deerfield township names him
as one of her most prominent and influential citizens — a man whose life has been of
worth to the community, while at the same time he has carefully directed his business
affairs so that he has advanced from a humble position in financial circles to one of
affluence.

THOMAS J. COROLAN.

Thomas J. Corolan is a successful agriculturist residing on section 5, Vernon
Springs township, Howard county, where he has owned and operated a farm of one
hundred and sixty acres for the past twenty-one years and also cultivates a rented tract
of similar size adjoining. His birth occurred in Winneshiek county, Iowa, on the 26th
of June, 1867, his parents being John and Johanna (Casey) Corolan, natives of Ireland,
who emigrated to the United States in young manhood and young womanhood. Both
were in straitened financial circumstances and after coming to America began working
by the month, being employed in New York and Ohio and journeying westward until

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 25

they reached Winneshiek county, Iowa, where they were married. They had become
acquainted while working in Ohio. After his marriage Mr. Corolan rented a farm in
Winneshiek county and so successfully operated the place that prosperity attended his
efforts and he was enabled to purchase property of his own, acquiring two hundred
acres of land which he cultivated throughout the remainder of his active business
career. Since his retirement he has made his home with a daughter.

Thomas J. Corolan obtained his education in the district schools and early became
familiar with the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist as he assisted
his father in the work of the fields. When twenty-three years of age he rented a tract
of land and began farming independently in Winneshiek county, where he remained
until 1898. In that year he came to Howard county, here purchasing his present home
place of one hundred and sixty acres in Vernon Springs township, where he has since
remained and has won well merited success in his farming operations. He likewise
cultivates an adjoining quarter section of rented land and his fields respond readily to
the care and labor which he bestows upon them, annually yielding rich and abundant
harvests.

In 1893 Mr. Corolan was united in marraige to Miss Margaret Drew, of Winne-
shiek county, by whom he had eleven children, nine of whom still survive, namely:
Agnes; Charles, who is in France with an Iowa infantry of the Eighty-eighth Division;
Mary; Francis; Thomas; Effie; Rosetta; Louis; and Margaret. All are still under the
parental roof.

In politics Mr. Corolan is a democrat, while his religious belief is that of the Catho-
lic church, to which his wife and children also belong. Fraternally he is identified
with the Knights of Columbus and the Modern Woodmen of America, as are also two
of his sons, Charles and Francis. The family is widely and favorably known through-
out the community and Mr. Corolan enjoys an enviable reputation as a substantial
agriculturist and representative citizen.

L. W. CLARK, M. D.

Dr. L. W. Clark located at Chester in September, 1913, and since then has been
actively engaged in medical practice. He and his wife also conduct a drug store there.
His birthplace was Maquoketa, Iowa, and his parents, Mortimer W. and Fannie (Evans)
Clark, still reside at that place. He acquired his education in the Maquoketa high
school, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Chicago, and the medical department
of the State University of Iowa at Iowa City, where he received his degree in medicine
in 1909. Subsequently he located at Onaka, Faulk county, South Dakota, where he
practiced medicine and conducted a drug store until the fall of 1913, when he came to
Howard county.

In 1910 Dr. Clark was united in marriage to Miss Ruble M. Richardson, of Maquo-
keta, and they are the parents of two sons, Richardson Evan and William Jerome. Dr.
Clark and his wife have ever the welfare of the public before them and believe in giv-
ing their time and energy to the betterment of the community in which they reside.

GEORGE E. WILKINS.

George E. Wilkins, county treasurer of Chickasaw county, Iowa, was born in Will-
iamstown on the 25th of September, 1867, but now makes his home at New Hamp-
ton. His parents were Charles and Eliza (Stubbins) Wilkins, natives of England, both
having been born in Somersetshire, in the town of Wookey, near Wells. They came to
the United States, the father in young manhood, and the mother when a girl with her
parents. They were married in Wisconsin and two or three years later removed to
Iowa, settling on a farm at Williamstown, making this removal immediately after the
close of the Civil war. The father purchased two hundred acres of land and subse-

26 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

quently added to the property until the farm, which he still owns, comprised three
hundred and twenty-seven acres. He resided thereon until about 1890, when he re-
tired from active business life and removed to New Hampton, where he still makes
his home. For several years, however, he has spent the winter seasons in California
His wife died in July, 1907. She was a lifelong member of the Methodist Episcopal
church and possessed many excellent traits of heart and mind.

George E. "Wilkins was educated in the district schools and in the New Hampton
high school and also pursued a commercial course in the Lincoln Business College at
Lincoln, Nebraska. There he became ill and afterward resumed his studies in the
Upper Iowa University at Fayette. He then went to Britt, Iowa, in April, 1889, and
entered the Citizens Bank in the capacity of bookkeeper, thus serving for two years.
Later he was made cashier of the institution and was identified with the bank for a
decade. In 1899 he returned to New Hampton and previously had become interested
with a brother in the drug business. After his return he spent almost two years in
the store and later was employed by the Deering Harvester Company as collector, his
field covering Iowa and Nebraska. He was thus engaged for three years, after which
he turned his attention to the jewelry trade in New Hampton and conducted a store for
seven years, when failing health compelled him to retire from that field of labor. He
was advised by his physicians to live an outdoor life and removed to the home farm
in order to recuperate, spending his time on the farm until his election in November,
1916, to the office of county treasurer. ' His first term's service received endorsement in
reelection in 1918, so that he is the present incumbent in the position.

On the 23d of November, 1892, Mr. Wilkins was united in marriage to Miss Clara
A. Morrison, of Britt, Iowa, a daughter of Horatio L. and Mary A. (Sawyer) Morrison,
both of whom were natives of New Hampshire but were of Scotch descent. On her
mother's side Mrs. Wilkins is a relative of the man who discovered Pike's Peak, which
was named in his honor. To Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins have been born a daughter, who is
deceased, and a son, George M., who is a sophomore in the high school at New Hampton.

In politics Mr. Wilkins has always been a republican and gives loyal and stalwart
support to the party and its principles. He belongs to Arcana Lodge No. 274, A. F. &
A. M., also to Adelphia Chapter, No. 115, R. A. M. Both he and his wife are members
of New Hampton Chapter, No. 75, 0. E. S., of which Mrs. Wilkins is a past matron and
is acting conductress. She is also grand representative for Vermont to the Grand Chap-
ter of Iowa. She belongs to the Christian Science church and is keenly interested in
all that has to do with the welfare and progress of the community. Both Mr. and Mrs.
Wilkins are held in high esteem and he has long occupied an enviable position in busi-
ness and political circles.

BARSNETTE DELL EVERINGHAM.

In a history of Howard county mention should be made of Barsnette Dell
Everingham, who for more than a half century was a resident of Cresco, where he
long carried on business as a contractor and builder. He was born in Niagara,
Ontario county, Canada, on the 18th of January, 1832, and passed away at Cresco
on the 15th of November, 1916, so that he had reached the notable old age of eighty-
four years at the time of his demise. He was a son of Jacob and Margaret (Dell)
Everingham. His father was of English descent and birth and after coming to the
new world established his home at Niagara, Ontario county, where he followed the
occupation of farming. He afterward crossed the border into the United States and took
up his abode at Freeport, Illinois, where he also carried on farming for some
time. Still attracted by the opportunities of the west, he later made his way to
Dubuque, Iowa, and subsequently became a resident of Wagner, Polk county, Iowa.
During the period of his residence there he lived retired, making his home with
his son, Barsnette D. Everingham. His wife died near Lawler, Iowa, at the home
of her son William. Mr. Everingham was a democrat in his political views and
in his fraternal relations was a Mason.

BARSNETTE DELL EVERINGHAM

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 29

Barsnette D. Everingham of this review spent his boyhood days in Canada,
and in Freeport, Illinois, to the age of fourteen years, when in 1846 he removed
to Dubuque, Iowa, and later became a resident of Wagner, where he continued
until after the outbreak of the Civil war. Aroused by the attempt of the south
to overthrow the Union, he offered his services to the government in 1862 and
joined the "Boys in blue" of the Thirty-eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, with which
he served until 1865. He was made a sergeant in 1864 and later was advanced to
the rank of second lieutenant. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg, in the
expedition to Jackson, Mississippi, in the pursuit of General Johnson, in the capture
of Brownsville, Texas, in the siege of Fort Morgan on Mobile bay and in the battle
of Blakeley, Alabama, which was the last engagement of the war. He was a brave
and loyal soldier, always faithful to his duties, performing any task that was assigned
him most capably and bravely. When the country no longer needed his aid he
returned to his home with a most creditable military record, making his way to
New Oregon, Iowa, where on the 29th of August, 1865, he was mustered out.
Through the intervening period to the time of death Mr. Everingham was engaged
in carpentering, first in the employ of others and later as a contractor. He was
very active in the building of the town of Cresco and of the courthouse. He put
up many of the public buildings and residences of the city and on all sides are to be
seen monuments to his skill and handiwork. In addition to his connection with
the contracting business he was engaged in agricultural pursuits, owning a farm
south of Cresco, comprising eighty acres of land.

In 1857 Mr. Everingham was married in Minnesota to Miss Elizabeth Moon,
who died some time later. There were five children of that marriage, Frank D.,
Helen M., Mamie, Emma and Ida. In 1873 Mr. Everingham was again married,
his second union being with Miss Helen D. Hunt, a daughter of Warren B. and
Mary Ann (Moon) Hunt. She was born in Chautauqua county, New York, of which
district her parents were also natives. They came west in an early day, settling
first at Janesville, Wisconsin, where her father was engaged in the restaurant
business. Later he removed to Iowa, establishing his home in Clayton county,
where he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which he owned and
cultivated for a number of years. He afterward removed to New Oregon, Howard
county, where he conducted a general store in connection with his brother-in-law,
M. M. Moon. His wife died in this county, after which he returned to New York
and spent his remaining days in the Empire state. To the second marriage of Mr.
Everingham there were born seven children, Effie F., Edith L., Mabel D., Bertha F.,
Alice E., William W. and Elias L. The last named was run over by a train on the
"Soo" Line and left a wife and two children.

The family circle was again broken by the hand of death when in 1916 Mr.
Everingham was called to his final rest. In politics he was a democrat and he
belonged to the Masonic fraternity, which found in him a worthy representative.
"As the day with its morning of hope and promise, its noontide of activity, its
evening of completed and successful effort, ending in the grateful rest and quiet
of the night," so was the life of this man. He lived to round out more than four
score years and his record was one of usefulness and honor.

JOSEPH CRAY.

Among the most prominent and influential pioneers of Howard county was Joseph
Cray, who came to this locality in 1857 and always took a very active part in the up-
building and development of this region. He was born on the 9th of March, 1825, at
Buckland. near Frome, Somersetshire, England, and was the third son in the family of
George and Ann Cray, who were the parents of seven children, five sons and two daugh-
ters. At the early age of seven years he began working for his father, who was the
owner of a lime kiln at Buckland, and continued with him until his marriage, delivering
lime at Frome with a horse and cart.

30 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

On reaching manhood Mr. Cray was married June 26, 1845, to Miss Matilda Coombes,
who was born at Graytown, near Frome, November 25, 1825. They had previously
planned to leave their native land and make a home for themselves in America. Ac-
cordingly on the 7th of July. 1845, they bade adieu to their home and friends and
embarked on a sailing vessel at Southamptpn bound for the new world. On the whole
the voyage was a very pleasant one, as they encountered but little rough weather and
at the end of six weeks landed at Quebec, Canada. They proceeded up the St. Lawrence
river by boat to western Canada and located thirty miles from London, in South Zora
township, where they made their home nearly twelve years. For some time Mr. Cray
was in the employ of a wealthy landowner from England as gardener, working with the
flowers and plants out-of-doors in the summer time and in the greenhouse during the
winter. He and his wife were both very ambitious and industrious and she, being an
excellent seamstress, found plenty of work to occupy all her spare time from her house-
hold duties. They saved their earnings for future investment. While residing in
that locality five children were born to them, namely: Frances Matilda, Rhoda Ann,
Mary Jane, George and John Austin. The first named died in January, 1850. at the
age of three years and two months, but the others reached years of maturity.

During his residence in Canada, Mr. Cray made several trips to the United States
and worked for one season at Ogdensburg, New York. In the spring of 1851 his youngest
brother, John, came from the "homeland" and lived with him for several years, working
at different points near-by. Finally the western fever gripped them both and in 1856
John made his way to Michigan and brought back favorable reports of that state and also
of the prairie lands of Iowa. During the winter of 1856-7 he again came west and settled
in Chester township, Howard county, Iowa, his plan being to take up homesteads for
both himself and brother. On the 1st of April. 1857, Joseph Cray, accompanied by his
wife and four children, started for Iowa, traveling by train to McGregor and by team
in a lumber wagon to Howard county, reaching their destination in Chester township
on Sunday afternoon late in April. On passing through Lime Springs they found only
one log house to mark the site of that town, this being the store of A. D. C. Knowlton,
and a buffalo robe was hanging on a rail fence outside to dry.

The two brothers filed on adjoining claims in Chester township and held the same
throughout the remainder of their lives. In the summer of 1857 this land was placed
upon the market and they bought it for the government price of one dollar and a
quarter per acre. The family found shelter in the home of an early settler, William
Munger, who had come to the district with his family from Illinois in 1856. After
staking off their claims Joseph Cray and his brother would start out every morning with
an axe in hand to cut down the poplar trees, which were the only kind of any size
that grew liear-by, to build a house in which to live. These logs were cut the desired
length and then hewed down to equal size. At the end of two weeks the house was
ready to occupy and the family moved in. During those early days they endured many
hardships and privations but without complaint. Their humble cabin was scantily
furnished, containing only three chairs made of young saplings cut from an adjoining
grove by a young man named Thomas Lewis, who lived on a claim a half mile away.
Several crude benches were made from poplar slabs, and besides these the house con-
tained a table bought from a family named Bovee, and a stove with a high elevated
oven common in those days. The winter of 1856-7 was very severe and the only means
of bringing wood from the groves was the home-constructed hand sled drawn by man.
No water was obtainable except melted snow and the principal food was corn meal,
which some of the early settlers ground in coffee mills. By economy and industry a few
comforts were gradually added to the home of Mr. Cray and the amount of cultivated
land was increased. He and his wife were instrumental in starting a school in the
settlement, it being opened in the spring of 1858 in a log house on the bank of Beaver
creek and taught by Mrs. A. A. Sage, the wife of one of the early settlers. For years
this was known as the Beaver Creek school. Mr. and Mrs. Cray also helped to organize
and maintain religious services, which were held in the homes of the settlers, some
having to travel many miles in order to enjoy the privilege of attending church. At
different times Mr. Cray filled nearly all of the various offices connected with the schools

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 31

and municipal affairs of his township. He was highly respected in the community for
his integrity and his honorable dealings.

For the first years during their residence in Howard county the family obtained
their supplies from Decorah, it requiring about three days to make the trip with oxen.
Mr. Cray always tried to lay in his supplies for the year between planting and harvest
time, generally going to market during the long, pleasant days of June, and in this
way he saved both time and money. In 1861, when the Civil war broke out and many
young men were called into the service, the early settlers were hard pressed, as help
was scarce and prices, especially for clothing, soared high, almost beyond the reach
of the poor man. Mr. Cray was never one to complain of conditions but worked early
and late on his own farm and then joined with neighbors in making a "bee" to help
the less fortunate, especially those where the husband or sons had been called to the
service of their country.

As the years Avent by. his family outgrew the little log house and he saw the need
of erecting a larger and better one. In the summer of 1863 he began getting together
material with which to build. This he bought at McGregor, about eighty miles away.
He would take a load of grain to market and then return with a load of lumber, it
requiring six or seven days to make the trip with oxen. A number of loads were on
the ground the first year and in June, 1864, more material was brought and in the fall
of that year the house was erected but not completed until the summer of 1865. All
the material and furnishings were hauled from McGregor with ox teams. In August,
1865, the family moved into their new home, which was thoroughly appreciated and
enjoyed by them. As time passed he kept adding to his stock until he was managing
one of the largest dairy farms in Chester township. In the summer of 1867 Mr. Cray
purchased his first team of horses, a span of sorrels, which were kept as long as they
lived. The buying of these horses was put off until he had the cash ready to pay for
them, one of his characteristics being never to go in debt, and this was well instilled
into the minds of the family. He owned the fi»st wagon that was made in Howard
county. It was constructed by Alvarado Jones and A. A. Sage in a little log workshop
on the bank of the creek, about a mile and a half from the farm, and was used for about
forty years.

One of the strong points in the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Cray was their strict observ-
ance of the Sabbath day, no unnecessary work being permitted. While the hum of
machinery and the voices of workmen were heard on adjoining farms, with the plea
of the crops spoiling, Mr. Cray always said there was nothing gained by that, believing
that both men and teams should rest for one day in the week. During the winter
months he would cut and haul timber from Root river, a distance of from fifteen to
twenty miles, for fencing and stove wood for the year. This was a hard and tedious
job, as the weather was often extremely cold and the snow deep. He would start out
long before daylight in the morning and often would not return until after dark, having
nothing but a cold lunch at noon and this sometimes frozen. None but those who have
experienced such things can realize the hardships endured by the early settlers in this
new country.

Five more children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Cray in their prairie home, these
being Rosa Matilda, William Washington, Eliza Emma, Albert Joseph and Seymour
Romeo, making a family of nine who grew to manhood and womanhood on the home-
stead. On the 18th of September, 1882, the wife and mother passed away and her loss was
keenly felt by all. Her life had been devoted to her home and family and much credit
was due her ior their prosperity. In early life both Mr. and Mrs. Cray united with the
Episcopal church in England and continued members of that denomination during
their residence in Canada but later joined the Methodist church at Lime Springs. They
were always interested and liberal in support of Christian work and faithful in their
attendance on church services. In December, 1884, Mr. Cray was again married,
his second union being with Mrs. Mary E. Searles, the widow of an early settler, and
they remained on the farm until 1892, when they removed to the village of Lime
Springs. From a small beginning in 1857, his farming interests grew until he became
the largest landowner in Chester township and one of the largest in Howard county.
The fact that his children were loyal and faithful to the home and farm made this

32 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

liossible. He was called upon to mourn the loss of his second wife, who died September
16, 1903, leaving him very lonely in his old age.

The last project in which Mr. Cray took special interest was the building of the new
Methodist church just across the street from his home in Lime Springs. This he watched
closely day by day and was privileged to be present at its dedication in December, 1894.
He was the largest contributor to its erection and thus helped make it posible to build
such a fine church. After a useful and well spent life he passed to the home beyond
February 21, 1906. Being a man of temperate habits, he always enjoyed good health.
As a citizen he desired to do his whole duty and all who knew him appreciated the
friendship of one who was upright in character and one who would value those things
which are for the good of the community and all mankind. His nine children were
ajl present at the funeral and all of them still live near the old home It was a source
of great satisfaction to him to see his children do well. His sons, when grown to man-
hood, began filling positions of responsibility and proved themselves worthy of such.
Today the sons and grandsons of this honored pioneer are among the most highly
respected business men of Howard county.

LIEUTENANT WILLIAM H. PARKER.

Lieutenant William H. Parker, deceased, was for many years one of Lawler's fore-
most citizens, actively identified with merchantile and banking interests and at all
times contributing through business and other channels to the upbuilding and develop-
ing of his section of the state. He was a native of New England, his birth having oc-
curred in Weathersfield, Vermont, March 20, 1S40. He came of Puritan ancestry. But-
ler's history of Groton, Massachusetts, and the genealogy of various Parker's e. g. Wil-
liam Thornton Parker, give Captain ^ames Parker as one of five brothers, founders of
the American branch of the family. James was born in 1617 and it is presumed he came
from Wiltshire. England, some time prior to 1640 as she was in Groton at that time. He
married Elizabeth Long of Charleston in 1643. He settled first at Woburn, then re-
moved to Chelmsford and later to Groton, of which place he and Joseph were the original
proprietors. James' tract was fifty acres. His house lot lying directly across the- prin-
cipal street near the center of town. He held many town offices and his name appears
in the town records as a member of various committees of a public nature. Isaac, the
grandfather of Lieutenant William H. Parker, (direct male line from James — Eleazer,
Zachariah) fought in the Revolutionary war with the Connecticut militia. He was in
(Captain Experience Storr's company, Colonel Israel Putnam's regiment. His father.
Dexter Parker was born at Weathersfield. Vermont, May 30, 1799, and married Esther
Piper, January 24, 1824. He was for years prominently identified with the cotton weav-
ing industry, serving as superintendent of mills in Lowell, Massacliusetts, with twelve
hundred operatives under his management. In May, 1844, he came west, settling on a
farm at Rutland, Dane county, Wisconsin, about fifteen miles south of what is now
Madison. The future capital city was then a hamlet of but four log cabins. Dexter
Parker died in May, 1853, his early death due to the treatment given by physicians at
that time for fever. The physician treating him for malaria, took blood from his sys-
tem three times. Mr. Parker was a foremost citizen of his community, serving in vari-
ous local offices. He was a county supervisor at time of his death.

Lieutenant William H. Parker was a boy of thirteen at the time of his father's
death and al) opportunity for education, thus far acquired in the country schools, ceased
at this time. He was a constant reader, however, and through his reading, study and
observation, became possessed of a good practical education and he was well informed
on subjects of general Interest. Following his father's death, he and his brother Amasa,
under the guidance of their mother, worked the home farm and in the fall seasons op-
erated a threshing machine. The mother passed away November 16, 1888, at the ad-
vanced age of ninety-one. Of the practical, capable, pioneer type, she was looked up to
by her family and held in high esteem by a large circle of friends.

After the death of his young wife (nee Louisa Smith) Lieutenant Parker enlisted

^.^,

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 35

February 20, 1864, as a private in the Union army, becoming a member of Company B,
Tiiirty-sixth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. When the company was mustered in he
Avas made second sergeant and was commissioned second lieutenant, June 27, 1864. On
the 10th of November, 1864, he was advanced to the rank of first Lieutenant of his
company, which he commanded in two engagements — one at Deep Bottom, Virginia,
and the other the battle of Ream's Station on the 25th of August, 1864, in which he
and the greater part of his regiment were taken prisoners, one hundred and forty-eight
of the one hundred and eighty-five who went into this battle being either killed, wounded
or captured. He was confined in Libby prison, also at Salisbury and Danville for a
period of six months, being paroled on the 22d of February, 1865. After arriving at
Annapolis, Maryland, he was granted a leave of absence (prison fare had left him weak
and emaciated) of thirty days. He rejoined his regiment at Burkville, Virginia, and
was offered a position on the brigade staff which he declined. He was also offered the
command of a division of the provost guard but declined this also, expressing himself
as preferring to remain with his men.

He participated in the battles of North Anna, Totopotomy Creek, Bethseda Church,
Cold Harbor, the charge over the Melon Patch, Jerusalem Plank Road, Deep Bottom,
Petersburg and Ream's Station. The thirty-sixth Wisconsin's percentage killed was
fifteen and four-tenths per cent as compared with the average loss of the whole
northern army of five per cent. This shows that its service of but one year and
two months was located where action was severe and incessant. Lieutenant Parker had
command of one company front, or twenty files, in the Grand Review at Washington,
D. C, on the 23d of May, 1865.

After his regiment was mustered out, July 12, 1865, Lieutenant Parker returned
to Dane county, Wisconsin, and engaged in the grain business at Brooklyn near his
old home. This, however, did not prove a financial success and he traded his ware-
house and stock of grain for a half interest in a mercantile business at Clermont. Iowa,
thus becoming identified with the interests of this state. His partner was Isaac Mason,
later, his father-in-law.

It was at Clermont, on the 30th of December, 1866, that lieutenant Parker married
Ettie Mason. In 1870 he removed with his wife and one daughter to Lawler, Chickasaw
county, where he resided at the time of his death, June 12, 1912. Following his re-
moval to Lawler he engaged in the implement business, which he continued seven
years. He then traveled for the Walter A. Wood Harvester Company for three years
through eight midwestern states. In 1887 he purchased the Bank of Lawler, afterward
the First National, and actively managed the business until the last six months of his
lifetime. He was a man devoted to his undertakings and carefully developed his in-
terests making his institution a valuable asset to the business interests of the com-
munity.

In politics. Lieutenant Parker was a republican and became a prominent factor in
liis party's councils in Iowa. He served repeatedly as a delegate to county and state
conventions and in 1896 was chosen an alternate delegate from the fourth congressional
district of Iowa to the republican national convention in St. Louis. From 1881 until
1886 he was postmaster of Lawler and again from 1890 until 1893, occupying that posi-
tion for nine and a half years. His interest in national affairs nevei abated. At noon
on the day of his death he walked to the telephone and asked that his daily paper be
brought to him that he might see "what they are doing in Chicago." The republicans
were in national convention and nominated Taft that day. He was town mayor and
a member of the school board at various times and served many years aij a member
of the town council. •

Mr Parker inherited the strong character and sterling integrity of his Puritan fore-
fathers. While he was ever kindly to his fellowmen, he held them to tlie strictest
accountability and gave honor only where it was due. He shunned the unworthy or
dishonorable. In works of charity, he was entirely free from ostentation but those fa-
miliar with his private affairs found repeated evidence that he wilfully let his heart
govern instead of his keen shrewd knowledge of human nature and loaned where he
Knew there would be no day of settlement. He enjoyed helping young men establish
credit and liked to recall that he seldom found his credit or confidence misplaced. He

36 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

was absolutely honorable in all his dealings with the public and this principle through
life gained him the confidence and esteem of the people. It also was an element in
his success, which was of a very substantial nature. He left a valuable estate in farm
lands, town properties and stocks. True to the habits of lifelong foresight, he conveyed
all his holdings to his family and no court procedures were necessary. Two daughters,
Cora A., aged eighteen, and Elizabeth Frank, aged twenty-seven, preceded him in death.
The four children left to mourn the loss of a devoted father are Louisa May, wife of
Andrew Z. Bailey, a substantial merchant of New Hampton, Iowa; Henrietta, wife of
Charles J. Martin, cashier of the Rock County Bank of Luverne, ^Minnesota: Fannie
Esther, wife of George E. Himes, cashier of the First National Bank of Lawler; and
Clifton Mason Parker, who as president of the bank has continued the business ca-
pacity and integrity of his father. Lieutenant Parker repeatedly expressed himself as
satisfied If permitted to continue his labors until all his children had received the bene-
fits of college education for it was his great desire to thus prepare them for the prac-
tical responsibilities of life. He succeeded not alone in doing this and leaving them a
substantial competence also but by his upright life left the priceless heritage of a good
name; his memory revered by all his associates. Mrs. Parker, a genuine helpmeet and
mother, now makes her home among her children. There are eight grandchildren, Cora
A. Martin-Benton, Fannie May Martin, Henrietta Elizabeth Martin, Esther Lenore
Martin, Charles Andrew Martin, May Himes, William Clapham Parker and Catherine
Parker.

BERT MILES.

Bert Miles, who follows farming on section 29, Saratoga township, Howard county,
has always made his home in this township, where his birth occurred September 22,
1871. He is a son of William and Jane (Arnold) Miles, the former a native of Indiana,
born March 10, 1837, while the latter was born in Ireland, January 11, 1835. The youth-
ful days of Bert Miles were spent in the usual manner of the farm lad. Through the
winter seasons he attended school and in the summer months worked upon the home
farm with his father and throughout his entire life he has carried on general agricul-
tural pursuits. He has followed farming independently for a long period and is now the
owner of one hundred and fifty-six acres of excellent land lying in section 29, Saratoga
township. This he has carefully developed and his fields are well tilled, returning
to him golden harvests as a reward for his labor. Mr. Miles was the trainer and owner
of Penica Maid one of Iowa's famous trotters, which was afterward sold for twenty-
five thousand dollars. She was the champion state trotter of 1909.

Mr. Miles was united in marriage to Miss Annie Koinek at Owatona, Minnesota.
October 7, 1903. They have one daughter. Gladys Leone, now attending school. In
politics he maintains an independent course, supporting men and measures rather
than party. He has never sought or desired political office but is recognized as a good,
substantial citizen and one whose cooperation can be counted upon at any time to
further the general welfare.

ADOLF ZAHASKY.

Adolf Zahasky is a farmer of Utica township, Chickasaw county, living on section
23, where he is engaged in the raising of registered Poland China hogs and tlioroughbred
black polled cattle, his activity and success along this line having numbered him with
1 he representative stock raisers of this section of the state.

He was born upon the farm which he now owns, his natal day being August 24,
1887. His parents were Frank and Catherine (Fisher) Zahasky, the former a native
of Bohemia, while the latter was born in Spillville. Winneshiek county, Iowa. The
father came to the United States about 1853, when a child of six years, in company

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 37

with his parents, who settled in Winneshiek county, Iowa, the Zahasky family being
among the earliest of the pioneers in that section of the state. Following his marriage
Frank Zahasky settled on a farm in Winneshiek county, where he continued to reside
until about 1879, when he removed to the farm upon which his son Adolf now lives.
He was quite successful in the conduct of his business affairs, was recognized as a
good manager and a progressive, enterprising and industrious agriculturist, and as the
I ears passed he acquired four hundred acres of land, thus leaving his family in
comfortable financial circumstances when, on the 2d of May, 1905, at the age of fifty-
eight years, he passed away. His widow is still living and resides at her own home
in Utica township.

Adolf Zahasky was educated in the district schools and in the Bohemian school
of Protivin. In October, 1908, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Klimesh. a
daughter of Frank J. Klimesh, an implement dealer and one of the leading business
men of Protivin. who is mentioned at length on another page of this work.

In the spring of 1909 Mr. Zahasky began farming on his own account on the old
homestead, having inherited one hundred and sixty acres of this land after his father's
death. He also owns twenty acres on section 3, Utica township, and he has the reputa-
tion of being one of the best farmers in the township. His methods are at once practical
and progressive. He rotates his crops, keeps his land in excellent condition and studies
the nature of the soil. He is careful not to exhaust his fields through over-cultiva-
tion and by reason of his sound judgment in business matters is meeting with well
deserved success. An important feature of his business is stock raising and he makes
a specialty of the breeding of Poland China hogs and thoroughbred black polled cattle,
which are eligible to registry.

To Mr. and Mrs. Zahasky have been born four children, namely: Beatrix. Edwin,
Majella and Emil. The family are communicants of the Catholic church. In politics
Mr. Zahasky is a democrat and for two years he served as a member of the school
board but otherwise has not sought nor filled public ofiice. His time and attention are
concentrated upon his farm work and in the management of his property he displays
his sound judginent and progressive spirit.

J. J. IRVIN.

J. J. Irvin is the owner of an excellent farm property situated on section 2, Afton
township, Howard county. His place comprises one hundred and sixty acres of land,
which is divided into fields of convenient size that produce substantial harvests annu-
ally. It was upon this farm that J. J. Irvin was born on the 30th of May, 1888, his
parents being Joseph and Diana Irvin, who came from Pennsylvania, having previously
lived in the vicinity of Erie. On removing to Iowa they settled in Afton township.
Howard county, and took up their abode fifty years ago upon what has since been
known as the Irvin homestead. They were among the earliest of the pioneers of the
township and met all of the hardships and privations incident to the settlement of the
frontier. With characteristic energy the father bent his efforts to the cultivation and
improvement of the land, which was a wild tract when it came into his possession.
For a long period he continued to till the soil but about twenty-three years ago left the
farm and rented the property for ten or twelve years. The father passed away Novem-
ber 20, 1918, and in his death the community lost one of the representative citizens
and pioneer men of Howard county. He was a republican in politics and at one time
was the republican nominee for the position of representative in the general assembly
but lost the election by a small vote. In public affairs he was keenly and deeply inter-
ested and gave his hearty aid and cooperation to all plans and projects for the general
good. For only a brief period he survived his wife, her death occurring on the 18th of
November, 1917.

J. J. Irvin of this review spent his youthful days under the parental roof and ob-
tained a public school education. In the summer months he worked in the fields and
thus early became well qualified to take up farming on his own account. In the spring

38 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

of 1919 he returned to the old homestead upon which he had been reared and is now
giving his time and efforts to tlie furtlier development and improvement of this prop-
erty of one hundred and sixty acres, situated on section 2, Afton township.

On the 6th of June, 1917, Mr. Irvin was married to Miss Verna Perry, a daughter
of Orin and Lucy Perry, who were natives of Madison, Wisconsin. Mrs. Irvin, how-
ever, was born upon a farm west of Riceville, Iowa. Her father is still living, making
his home in Minnesota, but her mother passed away about fourteen years ago.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Irvin are members of the Baptist church and guide their lives
according to its teachings. In politics he is a republican but has never sought or de-
sired office. He is, however, a progressive citizen whose cooperation can be counted
upon to further any plan for the public welfare. He was a liberal supporter of the Lib-
erty Loan, also contributed freely to the Red Cross and in fact did everything in his
power to uphold American interests during the great World war.

GEORGE KESSEL, M. D.

Dr. George Kessel is a prominent representative of the medical profession in How-
ard county, specializing in the practice of surgery. He makes his home is Cresco and
his birthplace was nine miles north of the city. The greater part of his life has been
passed in this county and it rs his spirit of progressiveness and enterprise which has
been one of the factors in the rapid development of northeastern Iowa. After master-
ing the branches of learning taught by the district schools near his boyhood home, he
entered Grinnell College at Grinnell, Iowa, from which he was graduated in 1S83, re-
ceiving the degree of Bachelor of Arts, thus acquiring a good literary education to serve
as a foundation upon which to build the superstructure of his professional learning.
Having decided upon the practice of medicine as a life work, he matriculated in Rush
Medical College of Chicago and is numbered among its alumni of 1885. He returned to
Cresco and entered upon the practice of medicine in that city. In 1889 he went abroad
for further study, spending several months in the University of Vienna, coming under
the instruction of some of the ablest representatives of the profession in the old world.
He aftprward did hospital study in Berlin, Germany, where he also took up the study of
surgery, and upon his return to the United States opened his office in Cresco, where he
has since engaged in practice.

In 1908 he purchased the residence of Mrs. Augusta Beadle, which was one of the
first and finest homes in Cresco. The property consisted of sixteen acres of land, in
the center of which stood this beautiful home. He converted the residence into a hos-
pital. In 1910 he gave the north half of the property to the Sisters of Mercy of the
Catholic faith. Assisted by public subscription, they immediately built a forty-five
thousand dollar modern brick addition to the hospital, which is now known as St.
Joseph's Mercy Hospital. Dr. Kessel has since acted as surgeon in chief and supervis-
ing head of the new institution.

In 1912 Dr. Kessel gave the lower half of his property to the city for park pur-
poses with the understanding that the city authorities should use the same to secure a
location for a Carnegie library. In accordance with this condition, the city immediately
took the necessary legal steps to secure a central location, and Mr. Carnegie was pre-
vailed upon to give seventeen thousand five hundred dollars with which to erect the
building. The Cresco public library is considered to be one of the finest libraries in the
state of Iowa. Dr. Kessel was honored with the presidency of the library board, which
position he is still filling.

The property given for park purposes is now being improved, and in the spring of
1920 will be put under the control of a park commission which will make further ex-
tensive improvements. Dr. Kessel has proposed to erect, at a cost of about ten thou-
sand dollars, a war memorial to the soldiers, sailors and marines who went from this
county, and who made the supreme sacrifice of their lives during the Great war. Work
on thi'= memorial will begin at the earliest opportunity.

At the beginning of the World war he entered the government service as a member

CiOY^ t> ^U^-6lJ

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 41

of the local exemption board and continued in that position throughout the entire period
of America's hostilities with Germany. His spare moments were spent in private work
and in speaking at public meetings for the furthering of the work of the various or-
ganizations to promote the morale, physical welfare and comfort of the army and navy,
and thus working for the speedy end of the war and the best interest of the United
States and her citizens.

On the 26th of May, 1886, Dr. Kessel was married to Miss Lila Truitt of Grinnell,
Iowa, who passed away in 1898 and was laid to rest in Cresco. They had four
daughters, Martha, Julia, Helen and Gertrude. The first named is now Mrs. Raymond
Haas of Eldora, Iowa. Julia became the wife of Allan D. Shackleton of Brooklyn, New
York, who enlisted at the outbreak of the war in the aviation service and died of in-
fluenza and pneumonia in December, 1918, at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Texas. Helen
was in the Y. M. C. A. overseas service as entertainer and spent many months in France,
entertaining the overseas troops. She and Gertrude are now at home with their father.

Dr. Kessel is a most public-spirited citizen and is constantly putting forth effective
effort for the welfare and progress of Cresco and Howard county. It would be difficult
to find anyone who has done more effective work for the city or whose public spirit is
manifest in tangible results to a greater degree. He cooperates heartily in all plans and
measures for the general good but gives the major part of his time and attention to his
extensive and important professional duties. He is a warm friend of the Mayo brothers
of Rochester, Minnesota. In fact they have worked together on a number of occasions
and he is thoroughly in touch with the advanced and progressive measures which those
eminent surgeons follow. His own work is conducted along the same lines and his high
standing is recognized by the leading surgeons throughout the country. He has member-
ship with several organizations and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
The general public attests the fact that he has no superior in surgical work in the state
of Iowa.

His political faith is that of the republican party. Fraternally he is connected with
the Masons and is continually finding opportunity to exemplify in his life the beneficent
spirit of the craft, which is based upon a recognition of the brotherhood of mankind and
the obligations thereby imposed. He belongs to the Congregational church and is con-
tinually extending a helping hand to fellow travelers on life's journey.

MATTHIAS KOBLISKA.

Matthias Kobliska, devoting his attention to general farming on section 23, Howard
township, has made his home in northern Iowa since 1884, in which year he took up his
abode in Chickasaw county. He was born in Bohemia, February 2, 1863, a son of
John and Rosa (Lukas) Kobliska, both of whom remained residents of Bohemia until
death called them. After acquiring a common school education Matthias Kobliska, then
a youth of seventeen years, bade adieu to friends and native land and came to the
United States in 1880, hoping to find better business opportunities in the new world.
He first made his way to Chicago, where he was employed at day labor for four years,
and in 1884 he came west to Iowa, settling in Chickasaw county, where he worked as
a farm hand for five years. During that period he carefully saved his earnings until
the amount was sufficient to enable him to buy a team of horses and the necessary
machinery with which to begin farming for himself. He also bought at this time forty
acres of land, for which he paid three hundred and fifty dollars. This he began farm-
ing and cultivated the tract for two years. He also worked out for others in the mean-
time in order to gain ready money and after two years he sold his forty-acre tract and
made investment in one hundred and thirty acres, for which he paid twelve hundred
dollars. The place was at that time said to be the poorest farm in Chickasaw county
and some of his friends told him that they would not have it as a gift; but with char-
acteristic energy he began to cultivate and improve the place and converted it into
an excellent farm property that is today worth one hundred and fifty dollars per acre.
He disposed of that place in 1901 and bought one hundred and sixty acres of his present

Vol. II— 3

42 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

home farm on section 23, Howard township. Six or seven years later he acquired an-
other eighty-acre tract adjoining the first purchase and now has an excellent farm
property of two hundred and forty acres. The land is rich and arable and his fields
annually bring forth large crops as the reward of his care and labor. He is practical in
all that he undertakes and his methods exemplify the most modern ideas of farming.

In 1886 Mr. Kobliska was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Kozebroctka, who
was also a native of Bohemia and came to the United States when a young woman of
seventeen years. To Mr. and Mrs. Kobliska were born seven children, as follows:
Barbara, who is the wife of Joseph Etzler, of Philbrook, Minnesota; Mary, the wife of
James Obat, who follows farming in Howard township; Anna, the wife of Prank
Kaderabek, a butcher of Alta Vista, Iowa; and Frank, Christina, Elizabeth and Joseph,
all at home. The wife and mother passed way January 29, 1917, her death being the
occasion of deep and widespread regret among many friends.

Mr. Kobliska and his children are communicants of the Catholic church and in poli-
tics he is a democrat, having supported the party since becoming a naturalized Ameri-
can citizen. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the new
world, for he has here found the opportunities which he sought and in their utilization
has won a most desirable place among the substantial farmers of Howard county.

HERMAN RADTKE.

Herman Radtke is one of Alta Vista's oldest business men. For a long period he
"was actively identified with blacksmithing and wagon making but is now living retired.
He was born in Germany, December 3, 1849, a son of Carl and Henrietta Radtke, who
came to the United States two and a half years after the arrival of their son Herman
in this country. The latter was reared and educated in Germany, attending the public
schools. His forefathers in both the paternal and maternal lines as far back as he has
any knowledge were blacksmiths and at the age of fourteen he was apprenticed to the
trade, serving a three years' term of indenture in his father's shop. He afterward
spent the usual five years as a traveling journeyman and in 1871 he came to the United
States, making his way first to Chicago. He arrived there at the time of the great fire
and was afterward employed in that city as a journeyman blacksmith for three years.
In 1874 he came to Alta Vista in search of a location, but the prairie country looked
desolate and lonely after life in a big city and he returned to Chicago. He remained
there, however, for anly a few months and then again made his way to what is now
known as Alta Vista. Here he made a permanent location in the fall of 1875 and es-
tablished a shop, which was the first building of the town. In the intervening period
he has conducted business and has become known as one of the most substantial and
progressive citizens of the county. He continued in blacksmithing and wagon making,
being accorded a liberal patronage, and as the years passed his unfaltering industry
and perseverance brought to him a measure of success that now enables him to live
retired.

In 1880 Mr. Radtke was united in marriage to Miss Anna Bauer, of Chicago, who
was born in Germany. They have become parents of three children, of whom two are
living: Harry L., a blacksmith; and Oswald C. who has followed the same business.
The latter was a member of the Fifty-fifth Engineers of the United States army, on
active duty in France during the great World war. The two sons are now conducting
the shop in Alta Vista which was long carried on by their father. Mr. and Mrs. Radtke
have also reared a daughter, Mamie, who became a member of their household when
two and a half years of age.

In politics Mr. Radtke is a stanch republican and became the first mayor of Alta
Vista after the incorporation of the city. He has also served repeatedly as a member
of the town board and has likewise been treasurer and member of the school board.
Fraternally he is connected with Alta Vista Lodge, No. 658, I. O. O. F. The son Harry
L. is a member of Maple Leaf Lodge, No. 528, A. F. & A. M.. of Elma, and a member
of Alta Vista Lodge, No. 658, I. O. 0. F., while the son Oswald also belongs to the Odd

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 43

Fellows Lodge at Alta Vista. Mr. Radtke was the first postmaster of Alta Vista, filling
that office for thirteen years. His wife is a member of the Lutheran church. The fam-
ily are widely and favorably known, having a circle of friends almost coextensive with
the circle of their acquaintance. Mr. Radtke has contributed in substantial measure
to the upbuilding and progress of the city, and his worth as a business man and citizen
is widely acknowledged.

JOSEPH P. PECINOVSKY.

The farm upon which he now resides, situated on section 12, New Oregon township,
Howard county, was the birthplace of Joseph P. Pecinovsky, whose natal day was Janu-
ary 5, 1887. His father is Joseph F. Pecinovsky, who is mentioned at length elsewhere
in this work. The son was educated in the public schools of Protivin, in the public
schools of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in the Breckenridge Institute at Decorah, Iowa.
After completing his education he returned home and was associated with his father
in the farm work up to the time of his marriage, which was celebrated on the 25th
of June, 1912, when Miss Anna M. Polashek, of Tama county, Iowa, became his bride.
Following the marriage of Joseph P. Pecinovsky his father removed to the town and
the son took charge of the old home farm, comprising three hundred and sixty acres
of rich and productive land. This place he has since cultivated and of this farm he now
owns one hundred and eighty-five acres, his father still retaining the balance of the
property. As the years have passed Joseph Pecinovsky has prospered in his under-
takings and has thus acquired his personal holdings, constituting one of the excellent
farm properties of this section of the state.

To Mr. and Mrs. Pecinovsky have been born two daughters, Adelia and Evelyn. In
his political views Mr. Pecinovsky is a republican and keeps well informed on the ques-
tions and issues of the day but does not seek nor desire office. He and his wife are
members of the Catholic church. He is regarded as one of the successful farmers and
leading citizens of New Oregon township, having devoted his entire life to agricultural
interests, so that he is thoroughly acquainted with the best methods of tilling the soil
and caring for the crops in this section of the country.

H. W. TANK.

On the roster of county officials in Chickasaw county appears the name of H. W.
Tank, who is filling the position of county auditor. He was born in Stapleton town-
ship on the 16th of January, 1877, his parents being Frederick and Ottelia (Drewelow)
Tank, both of whom were natives of Prussia. The father came to the United States
when a youth of nineteen years, while the mother crossed the Atlantic when a maiden
of fourteen years. For a year Mr. Tank remained in Wisconsin and in 1870 came to
Chickasaw county, Iowa. The mother had an aunt living in Chickasaw county, so that
she made her way direct to this section on coming to the new world. They were mar-
ried in New Hampton in 1873 and immediately afterward took up their abode upon a
farm of eighty acres in Stapleton township, which Mr. Tank purchased at that time,
and both he and his wife resided upon the farm until called to their final rest, his
death occurring February 2, 1907, while his wife passed away October 11, 1901.

H. W. Tank was educated in the district schools and as early as his fourteenth
year became a wage earner. He secured employment as a farm hand at a salary of
eleven dollars per month and continued to work for others until his twenty-third
year, when he bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Utica township. This
he at once began to cultivate and develop on his own account and for thirteen years
operated that farm. In 1914 he sold the property and removed to Lawler, where he was
engaged in business for three years, being associated with two brothers in the carpen-
ter's and painter's trades. In 1916 he was elected to the office of county a'dditor and

44 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

in 1918 was reelected to that position, in which he has since most capably served, prov-
ing one of the competent and popular officials of Chickasaw county.

On the 11th of February, 1902, Mr. Tank was united in marriage to Miss Minnie
Winkelman, of Boyd, Chickasaw county, a daughter of August Winkelman, who came
from Prussia to the new world about 1894, settling in Chickasaw county. He is now
deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Tank have been born two daughters, Esther and Melba.

In his political views Mr. Tank has always been a republican and keeps well in-
formed on the questions and issues of the day, while to the principles and candidates
of the party he gives stalwart support. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran
church and guide their lives by its teachings, ever proving loyal to the church and also
giving generous support to every cause or movement calculated to uphold public benefit.

L. E. EMMONS.

The consensus of public opinion places L. E. Emmons with the foremost citizens of
Cresco. For a long period he was identified with farming interests in Iowa but is now
living retired, enjoying a rest which he well merits owing to the enterprise and indus-
try which he displayed during his connection with the agricultural development of this
section of the state.

Howard county numbers him among her native sons, his birth having here occurred
on the 28th of November, 1860, his parents being Loren F. and Phoebe E. (Humphrey)
Emmons. The father was a native of Hartland, Connecticut, while the mother's birth
occurred in Chenango county. New York. They were married in the Empire state
and in 1856 the father came west to Iowa, his wife joining him here the following year.
Upon his arrival in Howard county, Loren F. Emmons settled upon the farm which
his son, L. E. Emmons, left in 1905. The father devoted his remaining days to agri-
cultural pursuits and wrought a marked transformation in the appearance of his place,
which he brought under a very high state of cultivation. He died upon the old home
farm March 11, 1905, having lived upon that place for a period of forty-nine years. His
widow survived him and passed away in Cresco on the 19th of January, 1910, having
made her home with her son, L. E. Emmons, following the death of her husband.
While never an office seeker, Loren F. Emmons served as county supervisor and filled
other local offices, taking an active interest in all affairs pertaining to the county's
progress and upbuilding. His worth as a man and as a citizen was widely acknowl-
edged and all who knew him entertained for him the highest respect.

L. E. Emmons, whose name introduces. this record, resided upon the home farm for
forty-five years. His early training was that of a farm-bred boy whose time is divided
between the acquirement of an education in the district schools, the pleasures of the
playground and the work of the fields. After he had attained his majority, owing to
the fact that he was an only son and his father in ill health and in debt, he felt it his
duty to remain at home and look after his parents, and through the following quarter
of a century he and his father conducted the farm in partnership, at which time L. E.
Emmons inherited the home place. The year following he retired and removed to
Cresco. Not long afterward he was made secretary of the Farmers Mutual Insurance
Company, in which capacity he is now serving. He is also representative of the Iowa
Tornado Insurance Company and is a well known figure in insurance circles, for he rep-
resents as well the Town Dwelling and the Home Mutual Fire Insurance Company of
Iowa. He is also a writer of automobile fire insurance and annually his policies repre-,
sent a large investment.

On the 8th of April, 1885, Mr. Emmons was married to Miss Susan Farley, a daugh-
ter of John J. Farley, who was one of the early settlers of Howard county, arriving here
from the state of New York in 1858, when the work of progress and improvement had
scarcely been begun in this state. Both he and his wife are now deceased.

In his political views Mr. Emmons is a republican and keeps well informed on the
questions and issues of the day but has never been a politician in the sense of office
seeking. He belongs to Cresco Lodge, No. 285, I. O. 0. F., and is a past grand in the

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 45

order. Both he and his wife are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church
and he is treasurer of the board of trustees in the church. He gives earnest support to
the church financially and otherwise, doing everything in his power to maintain the
legal and moral status of the community or to advance its social and intellectual inter-
ests. In a word his aid is always given on the side of progress and improvement and
he holds to high standards in civic affairs.

ANTHONY MILLER.

Anthony Miller, who carries on general farming on section 2, Chickasaw township,
in Chickasaw county, was born in Germany, January 6, 1864, a son of Peter and Anna
Mary (Langens) Miller. Both his father and mother remained residents of Germany
until their life's labors were ended in death. It was in 1883 that Anthony Miller, then
a youth of nineteen years, came to the new world, following his brother Gerhard, who
two years before had crossed the Atlantic. Anthony Miller first made his way to Jo
Daviess county, Illinois, where he joined his brother, and there he worked by the
month as a farm hand for six years. On the expiration of that period he removed to
I,owa in company with his brother Gerhard and together they bought ninety acres of
land in Dayton township, Chickasaw county, for which they paid eighteen hundred and
fifty dollars. They conducted their farming interests jointly for two years and at the
end of that time Anthony Miller bought his brother's share in the farm and continued
the cultivation of the place for eight years. He then sold the property and removed to
his present place on section 2, Chickasaw township, purchasing two hundred acres of
land, for which he paid fifty-six dollars per acre. This he has since owned and developed
and to his original holdings has added until his place now comprises two hundred and
eighty acres. The soil is naturally rich and productive and his labors have made
his fields very arable. Large crops are annually gathered and his success has been
the direct outcome of persistent and earnest labor intelligently guided.

On the 10th of November, 1890, Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Lena
Hauser, a daughter of John Hauser, who was one of the first settlers of Washington
township. Chickasaw county, where both he and his wife passed away. They died
upon the old homestead farm there about twenty years ago. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller
have been born four sons and a daughter who are yet living: Edward, Frank, William,
Leo and Anna, all at home. Their son Frank served in the American army during the
recent World war and at first was attached to the Eighty-eighth Division, while later he
v/as made first sergeant in a machine gun company and remained at Camp Dodge,
Iowa, for ten months as an instructor.

Mr. Miller and his family are members of St. Boniface Catholic church, at Ionia.
He has served as a school director for four years in Dayton township and for three
years in Chickasaw township. He was greatly interested in war work, acting as a
member of the Liberty Loan committee on the third, fourth and fifth loan drives in
Chickasaw township and doing effective work in this connection, aiding in putting
Iowa splendidly over the top, in the early part of the drive.

FRANK SHELHAMER.

Frank Shelhamer is one of the prominent and representative farmers of Afton
township, making his home on the northwest quarter of section 1. He is held in high
regard as a representative man of Howard county, belonging to that class of citizens
whose devotion to the public welfare is manifest in many tangible ways. He was born
in Virginia, October 2, 1861, his parents being Charles and Eliza Shelhamer, the latter
a native of Pennsylvania. In the year 1866, Charles Shelhamer came with his family
to Howard county, Iowa, and for a time was employed in a grist mill. He then pur-
chased one hundred and sixty acres of land aboiJt two miles north of the present farm

46 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

and took up the arduous task of developing the fields. The place was a tract of prairie
land upon which not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made. He con-
tinued to develop this farm for eight years, when he sold the property and removed
to Adams county, Nebraska, where he took up a homestead claim, residing there for
sixteen years. He then disposed of his property in Nebraska and returned to Howard
county, purchasing the present home place of two hundred and forty acres, of which
he became owner about 1883. At the time it came into his possession there was only
a small house upon it, sixteen by twenty-four feet, and no other buildings worthy of
mention. About thirty or forty acres of the land had been broken and he turned the
first furrows on the remainder. For two years he cultivated the farm and then sold it
to his son Frank, a young man of twenty-three years. Practically all the improvements
upon the place have been put there by Mr. Shelhamer of this review.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Shelhamer were married in Pennsylvania, but during the
early boyhood of their son Frank they removed to Iowa, so that he was practically
reared in this state and in Nebraska. His youthful experiences were those of the farm-
bred boy on the western frontier. On the 16th of March, 1886, he wedded Elizabeth
Young, a daughter of James and Margaret Young, who were farming people of Howard
county. They have become the parents of two children, Winnie and Vera. The elder
is now the wife of Daryl C. Grover, of Howard county, who is operating land belonging
to her father. Vera is the wife of Rev. William Bell, a minister of Howard county.
With Mr. and Mrs. Shelhamer resides his mother, the father having passed away in
February. 1897, upon the home farm.

In his political views Frank Shelhamer is a republican, always supporting the
party at the polls, and while he has never been a politician in the sense of seeking office
as a reward for party fealty, he stands as a stanch supporter of all plans and measures
for the general good. For a number of years he has served as school director and the
cause of education finds in him a warm friend His religious faith is indicated by his
attendance at the Baptist church of Riceville. He and his wife are widely and favor-
ably known in this section of the state, having an extensive circle of warm friends, and
everywhere they are spoken of in terms of high regard.

MAURICE F. CONDON.

Maurice F. Condon, attorney at law of New Hampton, was born in Chickasaw
county September 4, 1873, a son of Maurice and Elizabeth (Dorsey) Condon, who
were natives of Ireland. The father came to the United States in young manhood
and, his father having died on the Emerald isle, brought his mother with him to
this country. For four years he resided in Connecticut, near Hartford, and then
came to the middle west, making his way first to Racine, Wisconsin. It was there
that he married Elizabeth Dorsey, who came to the new world when eleven years of
age with a sister, her parents having previously passed away. Immediately after
their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Condon came to Chickasaw county, low-a, settling on a
farm in Washington township. This was in the year 1859 or 1860. Mr. Condon
purchased a farm and later owned and bought various properties but continued to
reside in Washington township up to the time of his death, which occurred on the
21st of June, 1894. His widow survived him for almost two decades, passing away
on the 24th of April, 1913, at the age of seventy-three years, while Mr. Condon
was seventy-five years of age at the time of his demise. They were of the Catholic
faith.

Maurice F. Condon was educated in the district schools and in the Decorah
Institute at Decorah, Iowa. He taught school for three years in order to earn the
money with which to pay his tuition in the institute. He also attended che New
Hampton Business College and afterward became a student in the law department of
the Iowa State University at Iowa City, winning his law degree from that institu-
tion on the 6th of June, 1899. He had previously read law and acted as stenog-
rapher in the law ofRce of Springer & Clary of New Hampton for a period of two

MAURICE F. CONDON

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 49

and a half years. He then entered the university and following his graduation
he returned to New Hampton, where he entered into partnership with his former
preceptors, thus becoming a member of the law firm of Springer, Clary & Condon.
In 1906 he was elected to the office of county attorney of Chickasaw county, in which
capacity he efficiently served for four years. During this time, or in 1909, the
Darrow Brothers Bank was converted into the Darrow Trust & Savings Bank and
Mr. Condon took a prominent part in its reorganization and was later associated
with the institution as cashier until 1914. In the meantime he retained his active
association with the law firm of Springer, Clary & Condon. In 1912 Mr. Springer
was elected to the bench and the firm became Clary & Condon, the association
being thus maintained until the death of Mr. Clary in 1916, since which time Mr.
Condon has practiced alone. He enjoys an extensive clientage and is one of the
best known members of the northern Iowa bar, his practice being of a most im-
portant character.

In 1914 Mr. Condon was united in marriage to Miss Ida Kelson, of New Hamp-
ton, a daughter of Ole and Belle Kelson, the former now deceased, while the latter
resides in New Hampton. Mr. Condon is a democrat in his political views and
served for a number of years as chairman of the democratic county central com-
mittee. He is now a member of the city council and has occupied that position
on several different occasions. He belongs to the Catholic church and is a member
of the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Order of Foresters. He likewise has
membership with the Modern Woodmen of America and with Charles City Lodge,
No. 418, B. P. O. E. Mr. Condon is a man of wide acquaintance in Chickasaw
county, occupying a prominent position at the bar, exercising considerable influence
in citizenship and at all times commanding the respect and confidence of those
with whom he comes in contact.

P. J. COMMERFORD.

P. J. Commerford, who is engaged in general merchandising at Jerico, Chickasaw
county, has for the past fifteen years served as treasurer of the Jerico Creamery Asso-
ciation and throughout his life has been an active and infiuential factor in the business
development of his section of the state. He was born in Chickasaw county, March
24, 1859, and is a son of Terrence and Mary (Galligan) Commerford. who were natives
of Ireland. They were married, however, in Wisconsin, both having come with their
respective families to the new world in early life, the father arriving in 1849 and the
mother in 1850. They continued their residence in Wisconsin until 1854 and then
removed to Iowa, settling in Utica township, Chickasaw county, at which period the
homes in the township were widely scattered, the inhabitants being very few in number
Terrence Commerford homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land, whereon he
built a log cabin and this continued to be the family residence for a number of years.
He did his marketing in and hauled his grain to McGregor by ox team, it requiring a
week to make the trip. The family shared in all of the hardships and privations in
cident to settlement upon the frontier and the father performed the arduous task of
developing the wild land and converting it into a good farm. As the years passed
he prospered and after some time he built a modern home and became owner of one of
the well improved farm properties of his township. He also extended the boundaries
of his place by additional purchase until he had two hundred and forty acres of land,
of which he afterward donated fifteen acres to the Catholic church, and upon that tract
has been erected the present handsome church edifice that now stands at Riley Ridge.
Mr. Commerford died at the comparatively early age of fifty-four years, while his
wife reached the very advanced age of eighty-five years.

P. J. Commerford was educated in the district schools, which he attended to the
age of twelve years. His father died about that time and he and his brothers took
up the active work of further cultivating and improving the home farm, upon which
he lived until 1892, when he removed to Jerico and established his present mercantile

50 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

business. In the conduct of the store he has been very successful and he now carries a
large line of carefully selected general merchandise, meeting all of the requirements
of the purchasing public. His business methods are thoroughly enterprising and relr
able and his success is the merited reward of persistent and earnest labor. In addition
to winning for himself a place among the substantial merchants of the county he has
made an excellent record as an office holder, having served for fifteen years as postmaster
of Jerico, or until the postoffice was abandoned. Mr. Commerford has also served as
treasurer of the Jerico Creamery Association for the past fifteen years.

In 1901 Mr. Commerford was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Welch, of Jacksonville
township. Chickasaw county. They have become the parents of four children: Gene-
vieve, who died of influenza while attending Mount St. Clare Academy at Clinton, Iowa;
and John. Mildred and Eugene, all at home.

In his political views Mr. Commerford has always been a democrat and has given
stanch support to the party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He
and his family are members of the Catholic church and he is identified also with the
Knights of Columbus, a fraternity which draws its membership only from people of
the Catholic faifh. He ranks with the well known citizens of Chickasaw county, his
personal worth, his progressiveness in business and his loyalty in citizenship winning
for him an enviable position in public regard.

BYRON P. NORTON.

The life record of Byron P. Norton indicates most clearly the possibilities for suc-
cessful achievement on the part of the individual, for by well directed efforts he has
worked his way steadily upward, becoming one of the prosperous business men of
Howard county. At all times he has been ruled by a progressive spirit that has been
manifest in everything which he has undertaken. He is now living retired, for his
possessions are such as bring to him a most substantial annual income, relieving him
from further necessity for labor and from all financial care.

Mr. Norton was born in Homer, Cortland county. New York, November 9, 1844, a
son of Solomon G. and Margaret Jane (Arnold) Norton. The father's birth occurred at
Scott, Cort'and ccunty, New York, on the 26th of January, 1815, and the mother was
born in the same locality April 4, 1821. They were married in that county and Mr.
Norton gave his attention to general agricultural pursuits and also carried on a livery
business at Scott until about 1855, when he removed with his family to the west, set-
tling first at Whitewater, Wisconsin, where they remained for a year. They next took
up their abode at what is now London, Jefferson county, Wisconsin, where the father
continued to operate a farm for several years. He next went with his family to Fort
Atkinson, Wisconsin, where he engaged in farming, and in the fall of 1863 arrived in
Howard county, Iowa, purchasing a farm three miles from Vernon Springs. He after-
ward sold that property and bought land south of Cresco, upon which he lived for four
years. His next nurchase made him the owner of the old farm of Byron P. Norton east
of Cresco, comprising one hundred and sixty acres of rich and productive land. Solo-
mon Norton passed away upon that farm June 24, 1893. He had for two decades sur-
vived his wife, who died in 1873 on the same farm. His political allegiance w^as given
to the republican party; his religious faith was that of the Congregational church and
it constituted a guiding force throughout his entire life.

Byron P. Norton spent his boyhood with his father on the various farms men-
tioned and continued his education in the public schools of Howard county, where he
arrived with the family when a youth of eighteen years. Throughout the period of
his minority he assisted his father in the development of the farm lands and early be-
came fpmiliar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He
afterward became a salesman and collector for the McCormick Machinery Company,
which position he acceptably filled for four years. In 1871 he was appointed deputy
sheriff and occupied that position for four years. He next took up his abode upon the
old faim near Cresco, purchasing the interests of the other heirs in the property and

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 51

then concentrating his attention upon dairying, later becoming state dairy commis-
sioner. As his financial resources increased he extended the boundaries of his farm
until it comprised three hundred acres. This he continuously cultivated and improved,
transforming it into a very valuable and productive tract. Upon his farm he erected
one of the finest homes in northern Iowa and also put up all new buildings for the
shelter of grain and stock. His equipment was of the most advanced type, as he was
at all times actuated by a progressiveness that manifested itself in every phase of his
farm. He had electric appliances to do all his threshing, churning and creamery work,
his house and barn were lighted with electricity and the farm was strictly modern in
every particular. He ground his own feed for his cattle, piped water to the barn for
his stock and for many years conducted a most profitable dairy business, first shipping
butter to Chicago, while later he shipped to New Orleans. In addition to the home prop-
erty he owned land in South Dakota, having an entire section in Sully county.

In 1874 Mr. Norton was united in marriage to Miss Stella A. Johnson, a daughter
of Parker and Mary (Lowrey) Johnson. Mrs. Norton was born in the town of Water-
loo, Jefferson county, Wisconsin, while her father and mother were natives of Massa-
chusetts, in which state they were married. In the spring of 1846 they removed to the
town of Waterloo, where the father took up government land and built a log house.
Soon afterward he sold that property and purchased a farm at the head of Rock lake.
Lake Mills, Wisconsin, upon which he built a good frame dwelling and then carried
on the work of improving his place. He operated his land until 1867 and then removed
to Chickasaw county, Iowa, settling near Bradford, where he purchased a farm of
eighty acres. To that he added at a later date and spent his remaining days upon that
place, his death occurring in 1877, when he was fifty-four years of age. His wife long
survived him and had reached the age of eighty-one years when she passed away June
24, 1907. To Mr. and Mrs. Norton has been born a daughter, Ida J., who is now the
wife of W. P. Bennett, of Austin, Minnesota.

In his fraternal relations Mr. Norton is an Odd Fellow and he belongs to the Con-
gregational church. His aid and influence have ever been given on the side of progress
and right and Howard county has long numbered him among its valued and progres-
sive citizens. Moreover, he is one of its pioneers, for there were only two or three
houses in Cresco at the time of his arrival and he has lived to witness the substantial
growth of the city and county as the years have gone by. In fact, he has borne a
most important part in the agricultural development of this section of the state and
at all times the course which he has followed has made him a man whom to know
is to esteem and honor. His memory forms a connecting link between the primitive
past and the progressive present and his name stands high on the roll of the valued
pioneer settlers of the community.

THOMAS J. DARGAN.

Thomas J. Dargan, a farmer living on section 28, Jamestown township, Howard
county, was born in Columbus, Wisconsin, November 27. 1868, and is a son of John
E. and Mary A. (Conlin) Dargan. The father is a native of Ireland, while the mother
was born in the Badger state. Both are living and Mr. Dargan is now filling the
position of postmaster in Riceville, Iowa.

Thomas J. Dargan spent his youthful days under the parental roof and acquired
a public school education. When he was quite young his parents came to Howard
county, settling in Jamestown township, where he was reared and where practically
his entire life has been passed. On the 23d of February, 1914, he was united in mar-
riage to Miss Mary H. Maruska, a daughter of Frank and Margaret (Rousch) Maruska,
the former a native of Bohemia, while the latter was born in the United States. They
are still living and make their home in Howard township, Howard county. Mr. and
Mrs. Dargan have become the parents of two children, Margaret M. and Thomas F..
aged respectively four and two years.

Mr. and Mrs. Dargan are communicants of the Catholic church at Riceville and

52 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

he is also identified with the Knights of Columbus, having membership in Council
No. 1168 at Oelwein, Iowa. His political allegiance is given to the democratic party
and for two terms he served as school director in Jamestown township. His atten-
tion, however, is chiefly given to his farming interests and he works diligently and
persistently in the cultivation of his crops and the improvement of his property, having
thus become the owner of an excellent farm in Jamestown township.

EZRA M. COLE.

Ezra M. Cole is one of the most venerable citizens of Howard county. He was born
April 11, 1839, in Du Page county, Illinois, and makes his home on section 2, New
Oregon township, in Howard county, Iowa. His father was born in Pennsylvania in the
year 1808 and spent his last days in Howard county, where he departed this life at
the age of ninety-two years. The mother was born in the state of New York and both
were members of old families of the east.

Ezra M. Cole was a youth of fourteen when he accompanied his parents on their
removal from Illinois to Howard county, Iowa, where the father, who had been educated
in the public schools of Pennsylvania and had lived for some time in the Mississippi
valley, now turned his attention to farming as one of the early residents of northern
Iowa. Ezra M. Cole pursued his education in the public schools of Pennsylvania and of
Howard county. Iowa, and through the periods of vacation worked upon the home farm.
He continued to assist his father until 1862, when he felt that his first duty was to
his country and he enlisted in defense of the Union. He went to the front and for
three years fought in the Civil war, taking active part in the battles waged in defense
of the Union until 1865, when victory crowned the efforts of the armies of the north
He was a private of Company I, Ninth Iowa Infantry, and on many a hotly contested
battlefield he proved his loyalty to the Union cause by devotion to the duty assigned
him.

Following his return from the war Mr. Cole was united in marriage to Miss Louisa
Duff, of Howard county, who passed away in the year 1902. They were the parents
of two song and four daughters.

Mr. Cole is a school director and was sergeant at arms in the Grand Army of the
Republic, a position which he filled for a number of years, while for the past eight
years he has been flag bearer. He has ever been a loyal supporter of his country's best
interests and manifests the same allegiance to every progressive movement that he
displayed when he marched with the armies of the north to the defense of the Union.
Those who know him, and he has a wide acquaintance, esteem him highly, flnding that
his life has ever measured up to the highest standards of manhood and citizenship.

ALF O. VAALA.

Alf 0. Vaala, county superintendent of schools of Chickasaw county, was born in
Saude, in the same county, on the 22d of April, 1885, a son of Ole and Carrie (Johnson)
Vaala. The father was born in Norway and came to the United States, as an infant but
a few months old, being brought to this country by his parents in 1849. The family
home soon thereafter was established in Chickasaw county, so that Ole Vaala was
numbered among the oldest of the pioneer settlers of this section of the state. The
grandfather of Alf O. Vaala homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in Utlca
township, on which he lived to the time of his death, converting the tract, which was
wild and undeveloped when it came into his possession, into rich and fertile fields.
This farm afterward passed into the possession of Ole Vaala and he resided thereon
until 1916, when he removed to New Hampton, where he is now living retired in the
enjoyment of a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves. He is a democrat
in his political views and he served for four years as a member of the board of county

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 53

supervisors, occupying the position from tlie 1st of January, 1910, until the 1st of
January, 1914.

A!f O. Vaala was educated in the Luther College at Decorah, Iowa, spending three
years in the preparatory department and four years in pursuing the college course,
after which he was accorded the Bachelor of Arts degree upon his graduation with
the class of 1907. Subsequently he took post graduate work in the Iowa State Uni-
versity. During his stay here he became a charter member of the Pi Kappa Mu, an
honorary educational society. In 1907 and 1908 he taught in the Orphans Home at
Twin Valley, Minnesota, after which he taught for two years in Grand Forks College
at Grand Forks, North Dakota. Later he spent three years as a teacher on the Fort
Peck Indian reservation at Wolf Point, Montana, while he filed on a homestead of one
hundred and sixty acres near the reservation, on the south side of the Missouri. He
still owns that property. In 1913 he returned to Chickasaw county and was chosen
superintendent of the Alta Vista city schools, where he remained five years. In April,
1918, he was elected county superintendent of schools for Chickasaw county, in wliich
capacity he has since served, making a most creditable record by his marked devo-
tion to duty. He has instituted various improvements in the schools of the county
and has maintained the highest standards. He is an enthusiastic supporter of his
profession and inspires teachers and pupils under him with much of his own zeal
and interest.

On the 12th of June, 1912, Mr. Vaala was married to Miss Ellen Natvig, of Saude,
and to them have been born two children, Ruth D. and Ovey N. The parents are
members of the Lutheran church and Mr. Vaala belongs to Alta Vista Lodge, I. 0.
O. F. His genuine worth entitles him to the warna regard of all who know him. Much
of his life has been passed in this county, so that his record is as an open book, and
in the educational field he has made for himself an enviable position.

PETER BROWN.

Peter Brown, who carries on general farming on section 14. Afton township, How-
ard county, is numbered among those citizens that Wisconsin has furnished to Iowa,
for he was born in Springdale township, Dane county, Wisconsin, August 6, 1853.
His parents were Michael and Margaret (Lynch) Brown. The father was born in
Queens county, Ireland, while the mother was a native of Canada.

At the place of his nativity Peter Brown was reared and the public schools of
the county afforded him his educational privileges. He was trained to habits of in-
dustry and thrift by his parents, who were sterling people of the community. The
father had come to the United States in 1847, landing at New York city, after which
he worked at Hoboken, New Jersey, until 1848. In that year he removed westward
to Wisconsin and secured employment on a farm in Dane county. Some time later
when his means justified he purchased land and began farming independently. In
Dane county he wedded Margaret Lynch and both remained residents of Wisconsin
until called to their final rest, the death of the father occurring in 1899, while tUe
mother passed away in 1918.

Peter Brown remained a resident of Dane county, Wisconsin, until he reached the
age of twenty-two years and then came to Howard county, Iowa, where he has lived
since 1875. He was first employed at farm labor here and about 1884 he purchased
land and began the development of his present home place, which comprises eighty
acres of land situated on section 14, Afton township. He has since carefully culti-
vated his fields, which yield to him golden harvests annually. His success has had
its root in his diligence and perseverance and his life record shows what can be ac-
complished through industry, intelligently directed.

In 1888 Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Mary Hogan, a school teacher
of Afton township and a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hogan, of Farley. Dubuque
county, Iowa, both of whom are now deceased. They came to the new world from
Ireland and for many years were worthy residents of this state. To Mr. and Mrs.

54 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Brown have been born five children but they lost their eldest, Nellie, at the age of
eighteen years. The others are: Mike, who is a dealer in hogs and wool; Louis, who
was stationed at Camp Dodge with the Field Artillery for ten months; Peter A., who
is now serving a four years' term in the United States navy; and Mary M.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and they belong
to the parish at Elma. In politics Mr. Brown is a democrat, having given stanch
support to the party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He served
as school director for three or four years and is regarded as one of the substantial and
valued citizens of the community in which he has made his home for more than forty-
four years. He has therefore witnessed much of the development and progress of
this section of the state and has contributed in no small measure to the advancement
of the county along agricultural lines.

M. H. JONES.

An outstanding figure in Lime Springs is M. H. Jones, who is now filling the
office of mayor and who is actively connected with its commercial interests as a
dealer in agricultural implements and hardware. Business enterprise and pro-
gressiveness in citizenship have brought him to the front and at all times his labors
have been of a valuable character to the community. Mr. Jones was born in Jeffer-
son county, Wisconsin, on the 6th of January, 1868, and is a son of Hugh T. and
Elizabeth (Pritchard) Jones, both of whom were natives of Anglesey, North Wales,
where they were reared and married. Immediately thereafter they came to the
new world, seeking the opportunities offered on this side of the Atlantic. They
arrived in America just after the close of the Civil war and for two years were
residents of Wisconsin. In April, 1868, they removed to Howard county, Iowa,
and for several years the father cultivated rented land, during which time he care-
fully saved his earnings until the sum was sufficient to enable him to purchase a
farm. He became owner of what is known as "the old Cook homestead," two miles
west of Lime Springs, and year after year he carefully cultivated his fields and by
his progressive methods enhanced the productiveness of the place. His wife passed
away there about 1896, but the father continued to reside upon the farm until
1912, when he retired from active business life and removed to Lime Springs. In
1914 he started on a visit to his native land and was on the ocean when the Euro-
pean war broke out. He remained in Wales for a year and then returned by way
of Canada to escape trouble, but the ship was chased by a German gunboat. How-
ever, it managed to elude its pursuer and Mr. Jones in time reached home in safety.
However, he passed away six weeks later, being then seventy-three years of age.

M. H. Jones is indebted to the public schools of Lime Springs for the educational
advantages he enjoyed in his youth. He had a sister who died at the age of eighteen
years, and as he has never married, he has not a relative in the world that he has
ever seen. As a young man he assisted largely in the work of clearing the old
home farm and grubbing up the stumps and on reaching his majority he took charge
of the farm work. He made a specialty of raising thoroughbred shorthorn cattle
for many years and developed one of the finest herds in the county. Year after
year he carefully and profitably cultivated his fields and conducted his live stock
interests until 1912, when he removed to Lime Springs with his father. Three
years prior to the establishment of their home in the town he had engaged in the
implement and hardware business at Lime Springs, purchasing the store of J. F.
Moore, who had conducted business here for twenty-eight years. During the three
years in which he remained upon the farm Mr. Jones drove back and forth each
day to his business. After his removal to the town he continued to operate the
farm until 1915, when he sold the property. The same year he admitted W. O.
Davis to a partnership in his mercantile business, under the firm style of Jones
& Davis, and they began the erection of a modern business block which is today
one of the best commercial houses in Lime Springs.

r./^.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 57

Mr. Jones is a republican in politics and has served as township assessor for
a period of eight years. For several years he was a member of the board of town-
ship trustees and was also township clerk. He likewise served as a member of the
township school board and has been secretary since he was twenty-one years of
age. He is now filling the office of mayor of Lime Springs for the second term,
his re-election coming to him in merited recognition of his able service during his
first term, in which he instituted various improvements in city management. He
belongs to the Welsh Presbyterian church and his has been a most upright and honor-
able life and useful career, placing him with the valued residents of Howard county.

JESSE MILES.

The farm property of Jesse Miles is situated on section 19, Saratoga township,
Howard county, and embraces three hundred acres of land which is naturally rich and
arable and responds readily to the care and labor which he bestows upon it. Mr. Miles
has always been a resident of Howard county, his birth having occurred in Howard
Center township in 1863. His parents were William and Jennie (Arnold) Miles, the
former a native of Indiana, while the latter was born in Ireland. The father still sur-
vives and makes his home with his son, Bert Miles, in Saratoga township, but the
mother passed away in the same township in 1916.

Jesse Miles throughout his entire life has been identified with agricultural inter,
ests. Twenty-four years ago, or in 1895, he purchased his present home farm, making
investment in one hundred and sixty acres of land, and the property that he bought
for fifteen dollars per acre is today worth from one hundred and seventy to two hundred
dollars per acre, owing to the improvements which he has placed upon it and the nat-
ural rise in land values, brought about through the settlement of the district. He has
carefully tilled his fields and has gathered good harvests. He has also been the presi-
dent of the Farmers Cooperative Creamery Company of Saratoga for the past two years
and is recognized as a man of good business judgment and of unfaltering enterprise.

In 1897 Mr. Miles was married to Miss Flora Watson, of Saratoga township, a daugh-
ter of A. A. and Mary Nellie Watson, the former now deceased, while the latter is liv-
ing with Mr. and Mrs. Miles. Two children have been born of the marriage of this
worthy couple, Alice and Nellie, who are still under the parental roof.

Mr. Miles was one of the directors of the school district as long as his daughters
were attending school, and passing through consecutive grades, they in due time were
graduated. Politically Mr. Miles maintains an independent course and is a member
of the Union church of Saratoga. From early pioneer times the family name has been
associated with the agricultural development of this section of the state and from his
youth to the present time Jesse Miles has borne his share in promoting the develop-
ment of the land, thereby adding to the material progress and prosperity of Howard
county.

T. F. LONG.

T. F. Long, who follows farming on section 28, Paris township, Howard county, is a
worthy representative of one of the pioneer families of this county. He was born,
however, in Fillmore county, Minnesota, on the 10th of March, 1859, his parents being
John T. and Mary E. (Ryan) Long, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of
Massachusetts. At an early day the family removed to Howard county and the parents
continued to make their home here until called to their final rest, the father dying
upon the present farm of our subject in 1889 and the mother passing away at a place
south of Lourdes several years ago. They experienced all of the hardships and priva-
tions incident to establishing a home in a new country and were numbered among the
representative citizens of their community.

Vol. II— 4

58 CHICKASAW AND HO\\'ARD COUNTIES

During his boyhood and youth T. F. Long secured a good practical education in
the local schools and acquired an excellent knowledge of agricultural pursuits under
the direction of his father. About forty years ago he purchased his present farm on
'section 28, Paris township, and has since engaged in its operation. He was married in
1899 to Miss Katherine Daley, a daughter of Martin and Bridget (Butler) Daley, who
were also early settlers of Howard county, having come to this country from Ireland.

Mr. and Mrs. Long are faithful and consistent members of the Catholic church of
Lourdes and he is also affiliated with the Farmers Equity of Elma. He gives his politi-
cal support to the men and measures of the democratic party and aids in all enter-
prises which he believes calculated to promote the general welfare.

JOHN LUSSON.

John Lusson is a successful farmer residing on section 10, Vernon Springs township,
where he has carried on general agricultural pursuits through the past sixteen years.
His birth occurred in La Salle county, Illinois, on the 28th of November, 1868, his
parents being Joseph and Catherine (Perry) Lusson, more extended mention of whom
is made on another page of this work in connection with the sketcli of their son, Theo-
dore Lusson.

John Lusson, who was but six years of age when the family home was established
in Fayette county, Iowa, was there reared to manhood under the parental roof and
acquired his education in the common schools. He was married when a young man
of twenty-four years and then began farming for himself as a renter. Five years later,
owing to his careful economy and untiring industry, he had acquired sufficient capital
to enable him to purchase property of his own and came into possession of a farm of
one hundred and sixty acres in Fayette county, which he continued to cultivate success-
fully through the succeeding five years. On the expiration of that period, in 1903, he
disposed of the place and came to Howard county, purchasing his present home farm in
Vernon Springs township, which was then an unimproved and undeveloped property.
As the years have passed his labors have wrought a marked transformation in the
appearance of the tract, for he has erected modern and substantial buildings thereon,
has also fenced the fields and has brought the land under a high state of cultivation, so
that his is today one of the excellently improved farms of the township. He annually
gathers good crops which find a ready sale on the market and is widely recognized as
one of the representative and prosperous farmers of Howard county.

In January, 1893, Mr. Lusson was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Robinet, of
Sioux county, Iowa, by whom he has seven children, as follows: Joseph, who follows
farming in Vernon Springs township; Susan, the wife of Edward Bouska, a farmer of
Vernon Springs township; and Matilda, Anna, Mary, Victor and Eleanora, all yet at
home.

Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Lusson has supported the
men and measures of the democratic party, believing firmly in its principles. Fraternally
he is identified with the Knights of Columbus and he and his family are communicants
of the Catholic church. His life has been upright and honorable in every relation, com-
manding the respect and esteem of all with whom he has been brought in contact.

RICHARD E. McCARVILLE.

The name of McCarville has long figured on the pages of Howard county's history
and Richard E. McCarville is now numbered among the representative farmers of Paris
township. He was born in Lafayette county, Wisconsin, November 3, 1865, a son of
Philip and Elizabeth (Woods) McCarville, who were natives of Ireland. In early life
they came to the ITnited States and for a time the father worked around the harbor of
the city of Now York. After a brief period, however, he left the eastern metropolis and

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 59

made his way into the interior of the country, settling in Darlington, Lafayette county,
Wisconsin, where he took up the occupation of farming. There he remained until 1870,
when he brought his family to Iowa and purchased a farm in Howard county. He then
bent his energies to the further development and improvement of that place, on which
he lived until his death on the 27th of September, 1884. His had been an active and
useful life, winning for him the confidence and respect of all who knew him.

Richard E. McCarville was reared under the parental roof and his educational
opportunities were those accorded by the public schools of Howard county. At the time
Ol his father's death he took over the home farm in connection with his brothers and
after a few years he purchased the interests of the other heirs in the property and began
operating the farm independently. The improvements upon the place at the present time
were put there by him and stand as monuments to his progressive spirit and enterprise.
He has ever been diligent and determined in carrying on his farm work and his labors
have been productive of splendid results.

On the 29th of August, 1891, Mr. McCarville was married to Miss Theresa Byrnes,
a daughter of Charles and Ann Byrnes, of Cresco, Iowa. She was born at Fox Lake,
Wisconsin, a daughter of Charles and Ann (Madden) Byrnes. Mr. and Mrs. McCarville
began their domestic life upon the farm which is still their home. To them have been
born six children: Raphael E., Florence C, Mary L., Gladys E., Regina A., and Margaret,
who died in infancy. The living children are all with their parents upon the home farm
and are being accorded good educational opportunities, the three oldest daughters being
graduates of the Cresco high school.

Mr. McCarville has been school treasurer for the past sixteen years and has other-
wise filled public office, serving as superintendent of road improvement for the last three
years. In politics he is a democrat. Mr. McCarville and his family attend the
Catholic church of Lourdes, and the son, Raphael E., is a member of the Knights of
Columbus, which fraternity draws its membership only from people of Catholic faith.
While born in Wisconsin, Mr. McCarville has spent almost his entire life in Howard
county and has been a witness of the rapid changes which have occurred as this district
has been converted from a wild and unimproved region into one of rich fertility, con-
stituting one of the excellent farming districts of the state.

SIDNEY W. LARRABEE.

Sidney W. Larrabee, who is engaged in general farming on section 33, Deerfield
township, Chickasaw county, was born near Rockford, Illinois, April 5. 1856, a son of
William H. and Esther (Tibbits) Larrabee, the former a native of Pennsylvania, while
tliC latter was born in the state of New York. They were married in the Empire state,
the father having removed to New York with his parents when a lad of nine years. After
his marriage he removed westward with his bride to Mentor, Ohio, where he lived for
a number of years, devoting his attention to farming during that period. He afterward
spent two years in Cleveland, Ohio, where he engaged in teaming and draying. He was
a resident there during the cliolera scourge of 1850. From Cleveland he went to Illinois,
settling on a farm near Rockford, and in 1856. when his son Sidney was but three weeks
old, he brought his family to Chickasaw county, Iowa, then a frontier district in which
the work of development and improvement had scarcely been begun. He secured a pre-
emption claim of forty acres on section 8, Deerfield township, for which he paid a dollar
and a quarter per acre, and upon that farm he lived for four years. He then sold the
property and made investment in eighty acres on section 33, Deerfield township, and
occupied that place throughout the remainder of his active business life. His wife passed
away in 1878 and after her death Mr. Larrabee took up his home with his son Sidney,
with whom he lived until called to his final rest in 1914, when eighty-seven years of age.

Sidney W. Larrabee acquired a district school education and spent his youthful
days in the usual manner of the farm-bred boy, early acquiring knowledge concerning
the best methods of tilling the fields that has been of great value and use to him in later
years. On the 11th of May, 1878, Mr. Larrabee was united in marriage to Miss Alice A.

60 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Granger, a daughter of Aaron F. Granger, who removed from Delaware county, New
York, to Chickasaw county, Iowa, in 1872, settling in Deerfield township. Subsequently,
however, he made his way to Minnesota and thence to Canada, in which country he
spent the remainder of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Larrabee have become parents of six
children, as follows: "William A., at home; Fred F., who is deceased; Nellie, the wife
of John North, of Alta Vista, Chickasaw county; Alice L., the deceased wife of Lee
Beard; Hettie A., the deceased wife of Glen Tedey; and Harry S., who went to France
with the United States forces and died four days after arriving in that country. Fred
F., Alice L. and Hettie A. all died of influenza within a week.

Subsequent to his marriage Mr. Larrabee began farming on the old homestead,
which he purchased at that time from his father. In later years he has bought other
lands and his holdings now comprise two hundred and forty acres. In 1894 he removed
to his present home farm and has thereon since resided. In 1914 he built upon this
farm the largest and one of the finest barns in Chickasaw county, the dimensions of
which are forty-four by one hundred and four feet. He has added all other buildings and
modern equipments, including the latest improved farm machinery, and everything about
his place indicates his progressive spirit and his indefatigable industry, which is one of
his dominant characteristics.

In his political views Mr. Larrabee is a republican and for many years he has served
as a member of the school board, proving ever a stalwart champion of the cause of
education. He has not sought or filled other public offices, however, yet his aid and
support can be ct)unted upon for any measure that tends to benefit the community in
which he lives or advance its upbuilding. While born in Illinois, practically his entire
life has been spent in Chickasaw county and his memory forms a connecting link between
the primitive pioneer past and the progressive present.

HON. CHARLES H. WALLACE.

Hon. Charles H. Wallace, member of the state legislature from Howard county, is
now living retired from business cares in Saratoga, although he is still the owner of
valuable farm property. He was born in the state of New York, November 15. 1858, and
is a son of Henry and Huldah Wallace. The mother died in the Empire state, after
v/hich the father removed to the west and spent his last days upon the farm now owned
by his son Charles.

It was in 1870 that Charles H. Wallace accompanied his father to Iowa, at which
time the latter purchased a farm on section 32, Saratoga township. Howard county.
Charles H. Wallace was a youth of but eleven years at that time. He pursued his educa-
tion in the public schools and worked with his father upon the home farm through the
period of his boyhood and youth. He is still the owner of this place, known as The
Oaks, which now comprises two hundred and forty acres of excellent land, and for a
long period he was active in farm work but is now living retired, leaving the care of
the place to his son. In business matters he was ever found reliable, and his straight-
forward dealing as well as his energy constituted a factor in his growing and substantial
success.

In 1881 Mr. Wallace was united in marriage to Miss Delia Miller, a resident of Sara-
toga township, where her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Miller, were well known farm-
ing people, then owning what is now known as the Alfred Miles farm in the town of
Saratoga. Two children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wallace: Grace H., who passed away
at the age of eighteen years, and Frank M., who was married in 1917 to Elsie Mae Kakac,
a daughter of Thomas Kakac, conducting a general store at Saratoga, and they now
have an interesting little son, Arthur Lee.

Fraternally Charles H. Wallace is connected with the Masonic lodge at Riceville,
Iowa, and also with the Modern Woodmen of America. His religious faith is that of
the Congregational church, and his wife is also a member of that church. In politics
Mr. Wallace is a democrat, giving earnest support to the party, and he has been called
upon to fill several local positions. For the past nine years he has been a member of

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 61

the board of supervisors of Howard county, and in 1918 higlier political honors came to
him in his election to the state legislature, of which he is now a member. Since taking
his place in the general assembly he has given earnest consideration to all the vital
questions which have come up for settlement and upon any important problem his posi-
tion is never an equivocal one. Howard county numbers him among her representative
and honored citizens.

GODLOVE G. LUKES.

Godlove G. Lukes, who follows farming on section 25, Utica township, Chickasaw
county, was born February 13, 1892, in the county which is still his home, his parents
being Joseph J. and Anna (Nohale) Lukes, the former a native of Winneshiek county,
Iowa, and a son of Martin Lukes, who at an early period in the development of that
section of the state took up his abode in Winneshiek county, coming to the new world
from Bohemia. Joseph J. Lukes after his marriage removed to Chickasaw county,
settling in Utica township upon a farm adjoining the town of Protivin. Here he acquired
two hundred acres of land, forty of which he owns and farms. The other one hundred
and sixty acres of the tract he has sold to his son, Godlove G. Lukes. For many years
he has been numbered among the progressive agriculturists of this district, where his
carefully directed labors brought to him the measure of success which now enables him
to live practically retired.

Godlove G. Lukes was educated in the public schools of Protivin, and his training
was that of the farmbred boy who divides his time between the work of the schoolroom,
the pleasures of the playground and the cultivation of the fields. When he had attained
his majority he was married on the 1st of October, 1912, to Miss Cecilia T. Novak, a
daughter of Louis Novak, a native, of Winneshiek county, whose father, Thomas Novak,
settled in that district when it was largely an undeveloped region, coming to this country
from Bohemia. Mrs. Lukes' father now lives retired in Protivin but for a long period
was identified with farming interests in this section of the state.

Soon after his marriage Mr. Lukes settled upon his present home farm of one hun-
dred and sixty acres, which he rented from his father that year. In the fall of 1913
he purchased the property and since buying the place has built thereon a large modern
barn and other farm buildings and made thoroughly up-to-date improvements, including
a wind brake and orchard. He now has one of the excellent farm properties of Utica
township and by the consensus of public opinion he is classed with the progressive
agriculturalists of this section of the state. He breeds polled Angus cattle and Duroc-
Jersey hogs and makes stock raising one of the important features of his business. At
the same time he annually produces large crops, conducting the development of his fields
along the most progressive lines.

To Mr. and Mrs. Lukes have been born four children, namely: Helen T., Robert L.,
Daniel J. and Joseph G. In his political views Mr. Lukes is a democrat and he has served
a^- a member of the school board but has never been ambitious to hold public office. He
and his family are of the Catholic faith and he has membership with the Modern Wood-
men of America. A well spent and useful life has gained him classification with the
representative citizens and successful farmers of Chickasaw county.

JAMES W. ROBERTS.

James W. Roberts, who successfully follows farming on section 17. Forest City town-
ship, Howard county, was born in Dodge county, Wisconsin, January 18, 1856. a son of
William and Jane (Doyle) Roberts, who were natives of Wales and came to the United
States in young manhood and womanhood. They settled in Dodge county, Wisconsin,
where they were married and resided until called to their final rest. The father devoted
his attention to agricultural pursuits and was the owner of a farm of two hundred acres.

62 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

preempted from the government, which he brought under a high state of cultivation.
Both he and his wife lived to reach an advanced age, the former dying at the age of
eighty, while the latter reached the eighty-second milestone on life's journey.

James W. Roberts was reared at home and pursued a district school education, while
later he attended the high school at Columbus, Wisconsin. When he had completed his
studies he devoted his entire time and attention to the work of the home farm until he
reached his twenty-eighth year. In the fall of 1884 he came to Iowa, settling in Howard
county. He had previously purchased his present farm, so that when he arrived he
took up his abode upon the place which has now been his home for thirty-five years. He
has carefully, persistently and intelligently carried on farm work and the results which
accrued have been very satisfactory. Year after year he has gathered good crops and
the wise expenditure of his time has brought gratifying results.

In February, 1896, Mr. Roberts was united in marriage to Miss Catherine Evans, of
Osage county, Kansas, and to them have been born seven children. Archie, the eldest,
now at home, was a member of the army, stationed at Camp Dodge with the Head-
quarters Troop of the Nineteenth Division of Cavalry. Dewey is also at home. Mabel is
a student in the Upper Iowa University at Fayette. Ruby, Pearl, Sidney and Catherine
are likewise under the parental roof.

In politics Mr. Roberts is a democrat, having always given his political allegian'ce to
that party. For the past fifteen years he has served as treasurer of the school board and
the cause of education finds in him a stalwart friend who is ever ready to champion the
interests of the schools. In fact in all things relative to the welfare and progress of the
community he stands on the side of advancement and his support is of a practical and
resultant character.

JOHN BURKE.

John Burke is a well known and prominent citizen of Riceville, where he is
conducting a hotel and is also engaged in the real estate business. He was born
January 1, 1859, in the city where he still resides, a son of Edward and Mary
(Mahoney) Burke. The father was born in Ireland, September 3, 1829, and passed
away in Mitchell county, Iowa, June 8, 1889, when sixty years of age. He had
come to the United States when a little lad of but four years, or in 1833, in com-
pany with his parents, the family home being established in the state of New York.
The mother was born in Canada and died in Mitchell county, Iowa, January 20,
1895. Edward Burke, removing westward to this state, established his home in
Jenkins township, Mitchell county, settling on the northeast quarter of section 36,
where in 1856 he built a log house. In that pioneer cabin he and his wife estab-
lished their home and upon the farm resided until within a few months of his
death. He was an enterprising citizen, taking an active part in the organization
of township and county and doing everything in his power to promote public prog-
ress and improvement. He brought the first team of horses into the township and
was otherwise connected with progressive affairs that indicated his interest in the
welfare and upbuilding of the district. His son, Thomas Burke, still occupies the
old homestead, which the father secured as a pre-emption claim. His other children
are: John, of this review; W. S., also a pioneer of Howard county but now a resident
of Chicago; Mary, the wife of E. C. Richmond, a druggist of Riceville; and Nellie,
the wife of William Roache, also a druggist of Riceville.

John Burke, spending his youthful days under the parental roof, was educated
in the public schools and after attaining his majority was married to Miss Kate
Conners, of Howard county, in the year 1884. Up to the age of twenty-six years ha
had worked on the old homestead farm and at that time turned his attention to the
further development of a farm in Douglas township, Mitchell county. He resided
upon that place until forty-one years of age and then engaged in the machine busi-
ness, to which he devoted two years. He next became connected with the operation
of an elevator and the conduct of a creamery, poultry, egg and produce business.

JOHN BURKE

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 65

which claimed his attention and brought to him a substantial measure of success
until 1909, when he and his son established a real estate office under the firm style
of John Burke & Son. Mr. Burke still continues in all of these enterprises and is
one of the alert and energetic business men, wide-awake to opportunities, which
he utilizes and improves to good advantage. Whatever he undertakes he carries
forward to successful completion, allowing no obstacles or difficulties to bar his
path if they' can be overcome by persistent and earnest effort. In addition to his
other interests he is the proprietor of the Burke Hotel and his social characteristics
as well as his business qualities have gained for him warm regard among all who
know him.

To Mr. and Mrs. Burke have been born six children: Raymond, who is married
and is engaged in the real estate business with his father; Mary, who is looking
after the hotel; Kittie, who works in the drug department of the Emporium at St.
Paul, Minnesota; Norbert, who enlisted in the navy May 6, 1917, and saw twenty-
nine months of service, making nine round trips across the Atlantic; and Florence
and Genevieve, at home.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and fraternally
Mr. Burke is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics l.e
maintains an independent course but is keenly interested in all matters of progres-
sive citizenship and was one of the very earnest workers in support of the Liberty
Loan drives, doing everything in his power to promote the bond sales. He also
served as food and fuel administrator of his township during the period of the
war. He is one of the most prominent and influential residents of Riceville and
without invidious distinction might be termed its foremost citizen.

JOHN C. WEBSTER.

John C. Webster who died May 2, 1918, was owner of farm lands and engaged
iH the sale of such property and in the abstract business in Cresco. He was born in
Crawfordsville, Indiana, in 1856, a son of William and Mary Ann (Todd) Webster.
The father was born in County Armagh, Ireland, as was the mother. The former
left the Emerald isle when a youth of fifteen years in company with his parents and
after reaching the United States they made their way westward to Montgomery county,
Indiana. After their marriage William Webster and wife removed to Fremont town-
ship, Winneshiek county, Iowa, where they arrived in 1856. It was a wild and un-
settled region at that time and Mr. Webster took up government land upon which
not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made. He built a log house upon
the place and began the improvement of his farm. At that date McGregor was the
nearest market and teaming to and from the town was done with oxen, so that the
journey was a long and tedious one. The family remained upon the farm until 1902.
at which time William Webster removed to a farm of forty acres adjoining the city
limits of Cresco and spent his remaining days there, passing away in 1901, when
seventy-six years of age. His wife had been brought to the United States by her
mother when a little maiden of thirteen summers, the family settling in Elgin, Illinois.
Her father had died in Ireland in 1837, after which the mother and her two daughters
crossed the Atlantic and from Illinois they removed to Fremont township, Winneshiek
county, Iowa. Three brothers of Mrs. Webster also became residents of this country.
Following the death of her husband Mrs. Webster became a resident of Cresco, where
she passed away in 1910. When Mr. Webster settled in Winneshiek county, the coun-
try was very new and wild — a tract of undeveloped prairie — and the Indians were
numerous in that section of the state. The most farsighted could scarcely have dreamed
of the changes which were to occur and bring about the present-day development and
progress. The religious faith of Mr. and Mrs. Webster was that of the Presbyterian
church and to it^ teachings they loyally adhered. In his political belief Mr. Webster
was a republican and stanchly supported the principles of the party. He served on

66 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

the school board and was ever interested in matters pertaining to general welfare and
progress.

John C. Webster spent his boyhood days upon the old home farm in Fremont
township and early became familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and
caring for the crops. He remained in Winneshiek county until he reached the age
of twenty-two years and during that period pursued his education in the district
schools, while for a time he was a student in the Breckenridge University at Decorah,
Iowa. Later he took up the profession of teaching at Granger, Minnesota, and for
a time was also a teacher in the country schools of Fillmore county, Minnesota, after
which he was elected to the position of superintendent of schools in Riceville, Iowa.
Later he became superintendent of the schools of Howard county and at a subsequent
period he turned his attention to the real estate business, handling farm loans and
also conducting an abstract business. He became president of the American Loan
& Investment Company at Cresco in. which connection an extensive business was built
up. His clientage was large and the interests which he conducted were most important.
Throughout his entire career Mr. Webster was actuated by a progressive spirit that
enabled him to make good use of his time, his talents and his opportunities and he
became well established in a profitable and growing business in Cresco.

In 1917 occurred the marriage of Mr. Webster and Miss Anna E. Trumbull, a
daughter of William H. Trumbull, of Howard county, Iowa, who was one of the early
merchants of Cresco and a representative pioneer citizen who aided in laying broad
and deep the foundation upon which has been built the present progress and prosperity
of the community. His widow still survives and is living in Port Townsend, Wash-
ington.

Mr. Webster was a stanch supporter of the republican party, always having voted
with it after attaining his majority. He was a Mason of high rank, having attained
the Knights Templar degree in the commandery, while with the Nobles of the Mystic
Shrine he crossed the sands of the desert. He held membership in the Congregational
church, to which his wife also belongs and they occupied an enviable position in those
social circles where intelligence and true worth are received as the passports into
good society.

JOHN TIETJEN.

On the roster of county officials in Chickasaw county appears the name of John
Tietjen, who was elected sheriff in 1918 and is now ably discharging the duties of
that position. The period of his residence in the county covers more than a quarter
of a century and prior to his election to public office he had been a prominent factor
in the business life of the community. His birth occurred in Jackson county, Iowa,
on the 25th of June, 1873, his parents being Albert and Marie (Timmerman) Tietjen,
both of whom were natives of Hanover, Germany. They crossed the Atlantic to the
United States as young people and took up their abode in Bellevue, Jackson county,
Iowa, where their marriage was celebrated. They began their domestic life on a farm
which the father purchased in that county and continued to reside thereon through-
out the remainder of their lives, Mr. Tietjen passing away in 1891, while his wife was
called to her final rest in March, 1900.

John Tietjen pursued his education in the district schools of his native county
and when twenty years of age started upon an independent career, coming to Chicka-
saw county and beginning the cultivation of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres
in Washington township which his father had purchased for him. He worked earn-
estly and untiringly to develop the property and the well tilled fields annually yielded
golden harvests in return for the care and labor which he bestowed upon chem. In
1911 he disposed of the farm and removed to Alta Vista, where he was engaged in
the hardware business for four years. On the expiration of that period he became
proprietor of a garage and also had the agency for the Oldsmobile, winning a gratify-
ing patronage in this connection. After seven years' identification with the business

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 67

interests of Alta Vista he was called to public office, being elected in 1918 to the posi-
tion of county sheriff, in which capacity he is making a most creditable and com-
mendable record.

On the 12th of November, 1895, Mr. Tietjen was united in marriage to Miss Mina
Glade, of Grand Island, Nebraska. They have a daughter, Hazel, who was educated
in the New Hampton high school and has also pursued a business course. Mr. Tietjen
gives his political allegiance to the republican party and fraternally is identified with
the following organizations: Decorah Lodge, No. 443, B. P. 0. E.; Maple Leaf Lodge,
No. 528, A. F. & A. M.; Adelphia Chapter, No. 113, A. & A. S. R.; and Alta Vista Lodge,
I. 0. O. F. Mrs. Tietjen and her daughter belong to the Order of the Eastern Star,
while the religious faith of the family is that of the Lutheran church. They are highly
esteemed in the community in which they reside and where Mr. Tietjen has long been
recognized as a representative, progressive and enterprising citizen.

JOSEPH W. WELLS.

Joseph W. Wells, who is carrying on general agricultural pursuits on section 34,
Albion township, Howard county, is accounted one of the enterprising and progres-
sive citizens of this section of the state and is now serving as a member of the board
of county supervisors. He was born on the 17th of September, 1866, a son of Jonathan
E. and Mary E. (Burgess) Wells, the former a native of Vermont, while the latter
was born in England. The mother came to the United States in childhood with her
parents and was married in Luana, Iowa, Mr. Wells having removed to this state
from Vermont at the age of eighteen years. He therefore cast in his lot with the
pioneer settlers who took up their abode in Clayton county in 1856. He was born
in Fletcher, Vermont, March 20, 1838, and was in the eighty-first year of his age when
on the 29th of January, 1919, he was called to his final rest. It was on the 25th of
September, 1861, in Luana, Iowa, that he was married and in 1866 he removed with
his little family to Howard county, settling on a farm six miles north of Cresco,
whereon he resided until 1898, giving his attention to the further development and
improvement of the property. In that year he retired from active business and re-
moved to Cresco, where he spent the last twenty years of his life. He was a loyal
member of the Masonic fraternity for more than forty years and was regarded as
one of the sterling men of Howard county.

Joseph W. Wells received his education in the district schools and after his school-
days were over remained at home, assisting his father in the further development
and improvement of the home farm until a year after his marriage. It was on the
12th of July, 1893, that he wedded Miss Lucinda Easier, of Fremont township, Winne-
shiek county, a daughter of David Easier, one of the pioneer settlers of the county,
who came to the United States from Alsace-Lorraine in 1838 and took up his abode in
Portage county, Ohio. In 1853 he arrived in Winneshiek county and therefore is
numbered among the pioneer settlers of this section of the state. In 1860 he wedded
the mother of Mrs. Wells and in that year took up his abode upon a farm, where he
resided to the time of his death, which occurred on the 6th of May, 1908, when he
had reached the age of seventy-six years.

In 1894 Mr. Wells located on a farm in Albion township which was deeded to
him by his father. In 1912 he sold that property and in 1913 removed to his present
farm, which also came into his possession through his father. This is a tract of one
hundred and sixty acres, which was improved when it came into his possession. He
has given his attention to its further development and progress and has made it one
of the best improved farms in the township, equipped with most attractive modern
buildings, while in the cultivation of the fields he utilizes the latest machinery and
follows the most progressive methods. To Mr. and Mrs. Wells has been born a son,
Leslie Edson, who is at home with his parents.

In his political views Mr. Wells has always been a republican since age conferred
upon him the right of franchise. He served for six years as a member of the board

68 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

of township trustees and for seven years as a member of the school board, while in
1916 he was elected a member of the board of county supervisors and in 1918 was
reelected to the board, his second term to date from January 1, 1920. He is most
loyal in the discharge of his public duties, recognizing fully the obligations that de-
volve upon him in this connection and actuated at all times by a progressive spirit
that has produced most substantial results for the public welfare. Mrs. Wells is a
member of the Baptist church and both are highly esteemed in the community in
which they make their home, having an extensive circle of warm friends in Howard
county.

BERNARD E. THORNE.

Bernard E. Thorne, station agent for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail-
road at Bonair, Iowa, was born in Schoharie county, New York, December 16, 1868,
a son of Reuben and Mary Ellen (Cole) Thorne. The father was a native of Albany
county. New York, while the mother's birth occurred in Schoharie county. They con-
tinued their residence in the Empire state until 1882, when they came west to Howard
county, Iowa, where the father took up the occupation of farming, continuing active
in agricultural pursuits to the time of his death. He rented the old George Webster
farm and was quite successful in its conduct. He died in 1911, having for a consid-
erable period survived his wife, who passed away in 1889.

Bernard E. Thorne was a lad of thirteen years when he came to Howard county
with his parents. He was educated in the common schools and at the Lime Springs
high school and also attended teachers' institutes. Through eight winter seasons he
engaged in teaching school and made an excellent record in that connection, impart-
ing readily and clearly to others the knowledge that Jie had acquired. On the 23d of
May, 1903, he was appointed station agent at Bonair, in which capacity he has since
served.

On the 23d of March, 1889, Mr. Thorne was married to Miss Mary Richards, a
daughter of Thomas J. Richards, one of the pioneer settlers of Howard county. He
is a native of Wales, born in 1840, and when a lad of twelve years came to the United
States with his parents, who settled in Ixonia, Wisconsin, where they remained until
called to their final rest. Their son, Thomas J., however, came to Howard county
in 1868 and purchased land near Lime Springs. He now lives retired and is enjoying
vigorous health, making his home in Lime Springs at the age of seventy-nine years.
To Mr. and Mrs. Thorne have been born two children: Donald, who is a graduate
of the Cresco high school of the class of 1918 and is now employed by the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad; and Dorothy, who is a sophomore in the Cresco high
school.

In his political views Mr. Thorne is a republican and fraternally he is connected
with the Modern Woodmen of America. He has become a splendid representative
of western enterprise and that he is a trusted railroad employe is indicated in the
fact that he has so long been retained in his present position at Bonair.

CHARLES COMMERFORD.

Chickasaw county enjoys a well deserved reputation as a great agricultural dis-
trict because of the fertility of the soil, which has been splendidly developed through
the efforts and enterprise of such progressive farmers as Charles Commerford. who
is living on section 1, Jacksonville township. He was born near Milwaukee, Wis-
consin, August 28. 1851, a son of Terrence and Mary (Galligan) Commerford, of whom
mention is made elsewhere in this work in connection with the sketch of their son.
P. J. Commerford.

Through his boyhood days Charles Commerford was a pupil in the district schools

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 69

and when his father died the former was a youth in his twentieth year and took
charge of the home farm in connection with his younger brothers. They cultivated
the old home place for some time and in 1874 Charles Commerford purchased one
hundred and forty acres of his present home farm on which he took up his abode.
He at cnce began the further development and improvement of this property and
subsequently he bought one hundred and eighty acres more, so that he is today the
owner of a valuable place comprising an entire half section of land. In the spring
of 1884 he left the farm and opened a meat market at New Hampton, which he con-
ducted for two years, but in 1886 he again took up general agricultural pursuits and
devoted the succeeding six years to general farm work. In 1892 he bought a general
merchandise store in Jerico and after a brief period was joined in the ownership
and conduct of this business by his brother, P. J. Commerford. Still later the brother
became sole owner of the business and Charles Commerford returned to the home
farm, whereon he has since resided. He has diligently and persistently developed his
fields, making his labors count for the utmost in the improvement of the property,
and is now owner of an excellent place.

In 1884 Mr. Commerford was- united in marriage to Miss Jennie Mullen, of Day-
ton township, Chickasaw county, by whom he had five children, as follows: Terrence
J., who is deceased; Marie, the wife of William Costigan, of Utica township, Chicka-
saw county; Nellie, who is the wife of James Carrigan, of Wenatchee, Washington;
Grace, who is the wife of John Shekelton, of Stapelton township, Chickasaw county;
and Olive, at home. The wife and mother passed away in 1896 and in 1912 Mr. Com-
merford was again married, his second union being with Miss Anna McBride, of
Jacksonville township, Chickasaw county.

Politically Mr. Ccmmerford is an earnest democrat and for a number of years
he served as a member of the board of trustees in Utica township, while subsequently
he filled the office of member of the board of county supervisors for a period of six
years or two terms. In public office he has been most loyal to the interests and wel-
fare of the community which he has represented and he is justly accounted one of
the foremost business men and officials of his section of the state. His religious be-
lief is that of the Catholic church. He is a man of resolute purpose and his efforts
have always been most intelligently directed. Aside from his farming interests he
was one of the organizers of the Jerico Creamery Association and for six or seven
years after the company was formed he served as its treasurer. He is now concen-
trating his time and thought, however, upon the further development of his home
place, which constitutes one of the attractive features of the landscape owing to the
care and labor which he bestows upon his fields.

FREDERICK MORTIMER CLARK.

Frederick Mortimer Clark, the founder of the first bank of Lime Springs and for
many years a most honored and influential citizen of Howard county, was born in
Oneida county, New Yoik, January 11, 1836. He was a youth of seventeen years
when in 1853 he accompanied his parents on their westward removal to Illinois, the
family home being established near Chicago. In 1854 he became a resident of Waukon,
Iowa, where he taught a term in a country school and then at the age of eighteen
entered the employ of L. T. Woodcock, who was engaged in merchandising at Waukon.
New York was then the market and Mr. Clark made trips to that city to buy goods
for the store. He afterward took up the study of law with his father, John T. Clark,
and on attaining his majority was admitted to the bar. The same year, on the 26th
of November, 1857, he wedded Laura Ann Tuell, of Waukon, Iowa, and they became
the parents of seven children.

In the year 1859 Mr. Clark removed to Decorah. Iowa, where he engaged in the
practice of law with his father until 1862. Feeling that his duty to his country was
paramount to all else, he then joined the army on the 4th of November, being mustered
in at Dubuque as a member of Company E, Thirty-eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry.

70 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

He went to the front as a sergeant and was afterward promoted to the rank of second
lieutenant. He was on detached service, en staff duty, as adjutant of the regiment
and again as quartermaster and commissary, occupying .these various positions most
of the time and proving a very efficient officer. He participated in the siege of Viclcs-
burg and on account of illness was honorably discharged July 25, 1863. For a year
after his return home he was unable to resume business. He then took up merchan-
dising which he followed for nearly two years in the old town of New Oregon, Iowa,
when he again became a resident of Waukon, where he conducted a store until 1879
with the exception of a period of four years spent in Postville, Iowa. In August,
1879, he removed to Lime Springs and was thereafter identified with merchandising
and banking. In 1882 he organized the Exchange Bank, of which he remained presi-
dent to the time of his death on the 18th of February, 1907. He was a man of ex-
cellent business ability, farsighted, energetic and determined, and the integrity of his
methods was above question. He was a consistent member of the Masonic fraternity
and his home lodge had charge of the funeral services when his remains were laid
to rest. In every relation of life he commanded the respect, confidence and good
will of these who knew him and he left to his family the priceless heritage of an
untarnished name, while in his business enterprise and progressive citizenship he
builded to himself an enduring monument in Howard county.

WILLIAM L. ASHLEY.

Historical records indicate the fact that the Ashley family have been identified
with the development and upbuilding of Chickasaw county from pioneer times. It
is of this family that William L. Ashley is a representative and he is now numbered
among the prosperous farmers of Deerfield township, making his home on section 30.
He was born in this township, April 11, 1865, his parents being Thomas and
Lucinda H. (Larrabee) Ashley, who were natives of Deerfield and of Greenfield,
Massachusetts, respectively. The mother was born June 7, 1882, and became the
wife of Mr. Ashley on the 13th of November, 1851. In 1854 they joined a colony of
Deerfield families that left Massachusetts for what was then the far west. They
came to Chickasaw county, Iowa, and the district in which they established their
homes they named Deerfield township in honor of their old home in Massachusetts.
From that time forward the father was identified with the farming interests of
Iowa. He was born in Deerfield, Massachusetts, January 18, 1822, and the schools
of his native town afforded him his early educational opportunities, while later he
was a pupil in Powers' Institute in Bernardston, Massachusetts. He was twice mar-
ried, his first wife being Miss Marietta Hoyt, whom he wedded in Bernardston, Oc-
tober 9, 1844. They became the parents of two children, both of whom died in
infancy, and the mother passed away in Deerfield, Massachusetts, August 18, 1849.
It was subsequent to this time that Mr. Ashley wedded Lucinda H. Larrabee and
started for the west. On coming to Chickasaw county he, like a few others who
had money, made extensive investments in land, which then sold at a very low
figure. However, grain brought but a small price and the farms were far distant
from market. Grain had to be hauled eighty miles, for there were no railroads.
After a few severe winters and a crop failure Mr. Ashley found himself with enough
land on which to establish a colony, but there was no sale for farm property and
no profit in farming. However, he continued to further develop and improve his
fields and managed to pass over this period of distress. As the years went by
and the country became more thickly settled he prospered in his undertakings and
continued to carry on farming to the time of his death, which occurred January
28, 1888. He was an honest, upright citizen, a devout Christian man whose life
was at all times characterized by high principles. He belonged to the Masonic
fraternity and was ever a loyal follower of the craft. His second wife died on the
17th of February, 1870. They were the parents of seven children, of whom four
are yet living: Charles Hart, a resident of Deerfield, Massachusetts; Mrs. Mary E.

O

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CHICICASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 73

Larrabee, of Fayetteville, Arkansas; Mrs. Fannie Beard, who is living on the old
Ashley homestead in Chickasaw county; and William L. of this review.

The last named has spent his entire life in Chickasaw county and in the district
schools obtained his education. He was married in Charles City, Iowa, March 15,
1894, to Miss Alice Louise Ferguson, a daughter of William Henry and Ida Joanna
(Snyder) Ferguson. The young couple took up their abode upon his present home
farm of one hundred and iifty-one acres, and he has since further developed and
improved the property, which is now under a high state of cultivation and is equipped
with all modern accessories and conveniences. Here Mr. and Mrs. Ashley have since
resided and here they reared their only son, George Dewey Ashley, who is now
farming the old home place. He wedded Etta Marie Rodamaker and they have one
son, Thomas Williams Ashley, who is of the fourth generation of the family to
live upon this farm. Mrs Ashley was a teacher prior to her marriage and devoted
seven years to educational work.

Mr. Ashley is a member of the Beaver Vallej' Farmers Equity Association. He
is also identified with the Modern Woodmen of America and gives his political
support to the republican party. He is widely and favorably known throughout this
section of the state and has long been regarded as one of the representative, progres-
sive and successful farmers of Deerfield township.

EDMUND DUGSTAD.

A spirit of modern business enterprise finds expression in Edmund Dugstad, a
dealer in lumber and building materials at Chester. He ranks with the foremost busi-
ness men of the town and his activities have been an element in its commercial de-
velopment. Mr. Dugstad was born near Spring Valley, Minnesota, on the 4th of
March, 1880, a son of Sever S. and Caroline (Johnson) Dugstad, the former a native
of Norway, while the latter was born on a farm near Harmony, Minnesota, her parents
having emigrated to this country from Norway. Sever S. Dugstad carried on general
farming near Spring Valley, Minnesota, up to the time of his death. In the spring of
that year he started on a visit to Norway and died in Liverpool, England, ere reach-
ing his destination. His remains were brought back home for interment. His widow
is still living and now resides in Spring Valley.

Edmund Dugstad was reared upon the home farm and early became familiar with
all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the farm-bred boy as he divides his
time between the attainment of a public school education, the pleasures of the play-
ground and the work of the fields. He attended the district schools and afterward
became a student in the Decorah (la.) Institute. When twenty-one years of age he
removed to Chester and during the summer months worked in the lumberyards of
Bratrud Brothers. In the winter seasons he continued his education in the Decorah
Institute and following the completion of his studies he gave his entire time to the
lumber business in connection with yards at Chester. On the 26th of December, 1903,
he formed a partnership with John Bratrud, a brother of the former owner, and pur-
chased the business of Bratrud Brothers. For six years they conducted the yards
under the firm style of Bratrud & Dugstad, but in 1910 Mr. Dugstad purchased the
interest of his partner and has since been sole owner of the business. He has a large
lumberyard, carrying an excellent stock of lumber and builders' supplies, and his
business has reached gratifying proportions.

On the 27th of June, 1906, Mr. Dugstad was married to Miss Harriett Halver, of
Chester, a daughter of William Halver, a well known stock buyer of the town. To
Mr. and Mrs. Dugstad have been born two children, Donald E. and Evelyn G.

In his political views Mr. Dugstad is a republican and has served as mayor of
his city and also as member of the town council, taking active interest in promoting
the welfare and upbuilding of the city through the exercise of his official duties. Fra-
ternally he is connected with Chester Lodge, No. 444, I. O. O. F., and also with the
Modern Woodmen of America. He belongs to the Lutheran church and is interested
Vol. n— 5

74 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

in everything that has to do with the welfare and upbuilding of his city and the
maintenance of its legal and moral standards. As the years have passed he has pros-
pered in his business undertakings and aside from the lumberyard is now the owner
of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in South Dakota. He is forceful and re-
sourceful, progressive and diligent, and deserves much credit for what he has accom-
plished.

CHARLES B. BOUSKA.

Charles B. Bouska is a representative farmer, residing on section 13, New Oregon
township, in Howard county. He was born December 31, 1886, upon the farm which is
still his home, and belongs to one of the representative old Bohemian families of this
section of the state, mentioned at length in connection with the sketch of John Bouska
on another page of this work. The family has always followed farming and Charles B.
Bouska worked with his father upon the old homestead until September 8, 1914, when
he was united in marriage to Miss Christina Kobliska, a daughter of Frank and Barbara
Kobliska, of Chickasaw county. Her parents were also pioneer settlers of Iowa, being
among those who settled in Winneshiek county when it was a frontier district. Her
father engages in farming and is today one of the leading agriculturists of Chickasaw
county, Iowa. Both he and his wife were educated in the public schools of Winneshiek
county, while Mrs. Bouska pursued her education in the public schools of Chickasaw
county.

Charles B. Bouska of this review is indebted to the public school system of Howard
county for the early educational opportunities which he enjoyed and he also spent two
seasons in pursuing a normal course at Decorah, Iowa, and for a brief period pursued
two short courses in the Agricultural College at Ames. His attention has always been
given to the raising of live stock as well as the production of grain. In September. 1914,
following his marriage, he took over the home farm from his father and has steadily
cultivated it. He has a thoroughly modern place and the indications for his future are
very bright. He is energetic and progressive and his dominant qualities promise further
success.

To Mr. and Mrs. Bouska have been born two daughters and one son, Evelyn C,
Agnes A. and Daniel C. The parents attend the Catholic church at Protivin and Mr.
Bouska gives his political support to the democratic party. For the past eight years he
has served as a trustee of his township and has made an excellent record in that office by
his loyalty to the public welfare. Practically his entire life has been spent in Howard
county but in 1907 and 1908 he was in the Imperial valley of California, residing upon
a ranch there. This experience was of great help to him in learning how to take care of
himself and become an enterprising business man. That he is such today is well known
and his prosperity is well deserved.

JOSEPH J. FRANTZEN.

Joseph J. Frantzen, who carries on farming in Washington township, Chickasaw
county, was born in Sioux county, Iowa, April 12, 1882, a son of Peter and Catherine
(Steichen) Frantzen, who are natives of Luxemburg. The father came to the United
States when twelve years of age and the mother crossed the Atlantic when but four
years old with her parents, who settled in Dubuque county, Iowa, where the Frantzen
family was also established. After reaching manhood Peter Frantzen removed to Sioux
county, Iowa, and there took up a homestead claim. It was in that county that he met
and married Catherine Steichen and he has since resided in Sioux county, yet occupying
the old homestead, which comprises two hundred and forty acres of excellent farm land.
Joseph J. Frantzen was educated in the public schools, was reared to the occupation
of farming and after his marriage began the cultivation of a tract of rented land in

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 75

Marshall county, on which he lived for three years. He then bought his present home
farm of one hundred and sixty acres and removed with his family to Chickasaw county,
since which time he has concentrated his efforts and attention upon the development
and cultivation of his farm. He has greatly improved the property by the erection of fine
modern buildings and has made his place one of the very attractive farms of Wash-
ington township.

In 1908 Mr. Frantzen was united in marriage to Miss Rose Stalzer, a daughter of John
Stalzer. of Marshall county, Iowa. They have become the parents of six children, five
daughters and a son, namely: Oliva, John, Marie, Dorothy, Frieda and Bernice.

Tn politics Mr. Frantzen is a democrat but has never been an office seeker. He was
one of the active supporters of war work and served on all of the Liberty Loan commit-
tees. In his business affairs he has ever been actuated by a spirit of progress and his
labors have found expression in the splendid development of his home farm. He has
been gradually tiling his land, putting in nine thousand tile in 1918 and fourteen thou-
sand in 1919, thus greatly enhancing the productiveness of his place. He and his family
are members of the Catholic church and their sterling worth is recognized by all with
whom they have been brought in contact.

J. P. WHELAN.

The spirit of business progress finds exemplification in the life record of J. P.
Whelan, the proprietor of the Whelan Produce Company at Elma. One of Iowa's native
sons, he was born in Chickasaw county on the 14th of March, 1869, a son of Thomas and
Mary A. (Reilly) Whelan. the former a native of Kilkenny, Ireland, while the latter
was born in Boston, Massachusetts. They were married in Boston, the father having come
to the new world in young manhood in 1845. In 1850 he removed westward to Iowa,
settling in Chickasaw county upon a farm. He was actively engaged in general agricul-
tural pursuits from that period until his declining years and contributed much to the
agricultural development of the district. He served in the oflSce of justice of the peace
for thirty-five years and for about the same length of time held the office of town clerk.
His death occurred October 9, 1903, when he had reached the age of seventy-seven years,
and his wife passed away in 1893, when fifty-seven years of age.

J. P. Whelan was educated in the district schools and remained upon the home
farm until his twenty-second year, when he accepted a position as helper with the
Jervice Creamery Company. He learned the butter making trade in that establishment
during the following two years and was then offered and accepted the position of head
butter maker by the creamery. He served in that important capacity for four years,
after which he became the manager of the creamery at Lourdes, Iowa, for W. R. Owen.
A year later he went to Blue Hill, Nebraska, where he managed a large creamery for a
year, and in 1902 he accepted the position of manager and butter maker with the Elma
Cooperative Creamery Company of Elma, Iowa, over which industry he presided for
fifteen years, resigning his position in 1917. In the fall of the same year he bought out
the business of 0. A. Dunton, a dealer in cream separators and gasoline engines and
also handling cream, poultry and eggs. He has continued the business under the name of
the Whelan Produce Company and in the spring of 1918 he equipped his plant with a
modern butter making outfit and has since conducted a creamery business in connection
with the handling of produce, his sales in both departments having reached an extensive
and gratifying figure.

In 1906 Mr. Whelan was united in marriage to Miss Ella G. Fitzgerald, of Elma, and
to them have been born four children, two sons and twin daughters, namely: Thomas
J.. John Gerald, Muriel and Miriam.

In his political views Mr. Whelan is a democrat and has served as mayor of Elma
for one term. At the present writing, in 1919, he is a member of the city council and has
occupied this position twelve years, his record being a most commendable one, marked
by faithful service and progressiveness. He is likewise a member of the Elma Board of
Education, in which capacity he has continued for a period of ten years. His religious

76 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

taith is that of the Catholic church. Elma justly accounts him one of her leading
citizens and most progressive business men, while the same spirit of advancement is
manifest in all of his relations to the public.

JAMES MUSEL.

James Musel, busily engaged in the further development of his farm on section 4,
Paris tovi^nship, Howard county, is a native son of Iowa, his birth having occurred in
Tama county, September 8, 1869, his parents being Albert and Ann (Herska) Musel, who
were born in Bohemia. They came to the United States in youth with their respective
parents, both families settling in Iowa. For a short period they were residents of Iowa
City and then made permanent location a year or so later in Tama county, being among
the first of the settlers in that part of the state. The first habitation of the Musel family
was a dugout in the side of a hill with a board lean-to. It was in Tama county that the
parents of James Musel were married and they are still residents of that county. They
have lived to witness many changes as the work of progress and improvement has been
carried forward and their present comfortable home bears no resemblance to the pioneer
dwelling which they occupied.

James Musel was educated in the district schools but his opportunities were some-
what limited, for from the age of ten years he assisted in the work of the fields. When-
ever there were tasks to be done on the home farm he had to remain to assist in the
work. The teacher, however, always boarded at the Musel home and James Musel was
given much help in his studies in the evening^ by reason of this fact. On the 2d of
January, 1894, he married Miss Fannie Upah, of Tama county, and following his mar-
riage carried on farming for a few years in that county. He afterward devoted four
years to general agricultural pursuits in Pocahontas county and on Christmas day of
1912 removed to Howard county, purchasing his present home farm, which is a valuable
tract of land of three hundred and four acres. This he has brought to a high state of
cultivation and the many modern improvements which he has added make it one of the
valuable farm properties of the district.

To Mr. and Mrs. Musel have been born eight children, namely: Charles, Carrie,
Albert, Edward, Lucille, Leo, Pauline and Joseph. The family are members of the
Catholic church, and Mr. Musel is a inember of the Farmers Catholic Workmen. His
political endorsement is given to the democratic party but he has never sought nor
desired office. His time and energies have ever been concentrated upon his business
affairs and his close application and unremitting industry constitute the foundation of
his growing success in business.

DIEDRICH LAUE.

There seems to be a considerable similarity in the lives of the farmers and yet
there are in each individual certain traits of character which set him apart from his
fellows — qualities and characteristics which he manifests that are the basic elements
of his success or his failure. Diedrich Lane is now busily engaged in farming on
section 5, Howard township, but has not devoted his entire life to agricultural inter-
ests, However, since taking up farm work he has displayed a ready adaptability that
has enabled him to steadily progress and he now occupies an enviable position on
the plane of affluence. He is also the secretary of the Maple Leaf Creamery Company
and one of Howard county's foremost business men. He was born in Germany. Janu-
ary 1, 1860, a son of Henry and Betha (Christopher) Laue, both of whom spent their
entire lives in Germany.

The son, however, when but fourteen years of age left that land and went to sea.
He followed a seafaring life for five years and first touched at New York in 1874.
In 1879 he determined to make permanent settlement in the United States and estab-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 77

lished his home in Brooklyn, New York, where he remained for two and a half years.
He then removed westward to Nebraska, where he was employed at farm labor for
a year and a half, and later he removed to South Dakota, spending about eight months
near Sioux Falls. The year 1882 witnessed his arrival in Iowa, at which time he be-
came a resident of Bremer county, where for a number of years he worked at the
carpenter's trade.

On the 14th of September, 1892, Mr. Laue was united in marriage to Miss Mary
S. Schrater, a native of Tripoli, Bremer county, Iowa, and soon after his marriage
he was appointed to the position of town marshal and night watchman of Tripoli,
in which capacity he efficiently served until March, 1902. He then came to Howard
county and took up his abode upon his present home farm of eighty acres, which he
had purchased two years previously. He has recently sold this farm, however, and
in March, 1920, will remove to the Maple Leaf Farm, comprising two hundred and
thirty-five and a half acres of rich and productive land, which he purchased after
selling the old home place. He has ever been very energetic and progressive in carry-
ing on his farm work and his labors have met with a substantial measure of success.
For fifteen years he has also served as the secretary of the Maple Leaf Creamery Com-
pany and has contributed in marked measure to the success of this undertaking.

To JNIr. and Mrs. Laue have been born eight children, all of whom are yet living,
as follows: Be ha, who is the wife of Louie Deterding, a farmer of Howard town-
ship; Minnie; Richard C; Paul J.; Herman H.; Arnold J.; Carl; and R. Ida. With
the exception of the married daughter, all are still under the parental roof.

In his political views Mr. Laue has been an earnest democrat since becoming a
naturalized American citizen. He served for eight consecutive years as township as-
sessor and has recently been reelected, so that he is the present incumbent in the
oflSce, serving for the eleventh year in that capacity. For a number of years he was
also a member of the school board and did everything in his power to advance and
uphold the standards of education. He and his family are members of the Lutheran
church and fraternally he is connected with Alta Vista Lodge, No. 658, I. O. O. F., of
which he has been a representative for twenty years. He is likewise a member of
the Modern Brotherhcod of America and the Modern Woodmen of America and is
held in the highest esteem not only by his brethren of these organizations but by
all who know him, for he is regarded as one of the most reliable and leading citizens
of Howard county.

R. M. THOMSON.

R. M. Thomson, owner of one of the most valuable farms in Howard county,
resides on section 22, Vernon Springs township, where he is actively and successfully
engaged in general agricultural pursuits. His birth occurred in Pittsburgh, Pennsyl-
vania, on the 24th of January, 1881, his parents being Robert and Eva (Tillson) Thom-
son, the former a native of Scotland, while the latter was born in Waukesha, Wis-
consin. The father came to the United States when eighteen years of age, locating
at Bay View, Wisconsin, where he worked in the iron mills. In 1886 or 1887, he
established his home permanently in Iowa and became the founder of the Cresco Union
Savings Bank, of which he has remained at the head throughout the intervening period
of one-third of a century. The institution has enjoyed a most prosperous existence
and Mr. Thomson has long been recognized as one of the leading and representative
citizens of Cresco.

R. M. Tbomfon pursued his education in the graded and high schools of Cresco and
after putting aside his textbooks turned his attention to general agricultural pursuits
on his own account, renting the farm which he now owns and still operates. He was
married five or six years later and at that time purchased the property, which com-
prises one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 22, Vernon Springs township,
constituting one of the most valuable and productive farms in the county. The neat

78 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

and thrifty appearance of the place indicates the progressive spirit of the owner, whose
capable management of his farming interests has resulted in well merited success.

In 1905 Mr. Thomson was united in marriage to Miss Jessie Steinman, of Vernon
Springs township, by whom he has a daughter, Evelyn A. Mr. Thomson gives his
political allegiance to the republican party. Fraternally he is identified with the
Masons, belonging to the lodge at Cresco. His religious belief is indicated by his
membership in the Congregational church, while his wife is of the Baptist faith. He
has lived in Howard county from early boyhood and has gained a circle of friends
that is almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance.

REV. B. H. FORKENBROCK.

A man of untiring zeal in behalf of his church, one whose labors have been
productive of splendid results. Rev. B. H. Forkenbrock is greatly endeared to the
people of his parish. He is in charge of St. Mary's Catholic church in New Hampton,
Chickasaw county, and the story of his life is an interesting one, displaying marked
devotion to the cause to which he has dedicated himself. He was born at New
Vienna, Iowa, October 17, 1865, and on October 19th was baptized by Rev. Anton
Kortenkamp, of Dyersville, Iowa. His early education was acquired in the paro-
chial schools at New Vienna and Dyersville, where the family moved in 1874 and
where the father died May 27, 1916, the dutiful mother having been called to her
eternal reward February 1, 1908. R. I. P. At the age of twelve he was sent to
St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There he attended school six years and
four months, eighteen months at St. Joseph's College, Dubuque, followed, and
three more years at St. Francois Seminary completed his college education. He
received his first Holy Communion May 12, 1878, in St. Francis church, Dyers-
ville, Iowa, and at St. Francis seminary, St. Francis, Milwaukee county, Wisconsin.
He was confirmed June 29, 1879, and received tonsure and minor orders March
17, 1888, and sub-deaconship and deaconship April 5 and 6, 1889, respectively.

On June 24, 1889, he was ordained priest by the Most Rev. Archbishop M. Heiss,
of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On July 2, the Feast of the Visitation, he read his first
Holy Mass at Dyersville, Iowa. Six months later he was appointed to assist Rev.
A. Sauter in work at Festina, where he made the friendship and won the affection
of the people, who still hold him in high esteem. He remained at Festina until
his appointment to St. Mary's Parish, July 2, 1894. On July 5, 1894, he drove
into New Hampton from Festina, being obliged to make the drive on account of the
.^reat railroad strike of that year. In 1906 he was elected president of the Catholic
Mutual Protective Society of Iowa, and in October, 1918, was elected for the seventh
successive term. On June 24, 1914, he celebrated his silver jubilee. The occasion
was made a memorable one, many representatives of the Catholic clergy arriving
to participate in the silver jubilee celebration. The building of St. Mary's church
was begun in 189 2 and it was but two years later when Rev. Forkenbrock was
appointed to take charge of the parish by the bishop of the diocese. Extensive
and fitting ceremonies marked the occasion of the celebration, solemn high mass
being observed at nine o'clock, with Rev. Forkenbrock acting as celebrant, while
Rt. Rev. G. W. Heer, P. A. M. R., delivered a sermon. At eight o'clock in the
evening a reception was held by the parishioners at the Auditorium, on which occa-
sion a most attractive program was rendered. St. Mary's parish dates back to 1890,
when an organization was perfected and steps taken to establish a parochial school,
a school committee being elected on the 18th of October. This committee selected
a beautiful site south of the business section of the city and work was at once
begun on the school building. Following the arrival of Rev. Forkenbrock in 1894,
he at once secured the services of the Franciscan Sisters, who had taught in the
school since September of that year. The school developed so rapidly that in 1897
a new and larger building was erected and still the school grew so that in 1908 a
large addition thirty-four by sixty feet was built, St. Mary's now having a fine

REV. B. H. FORKENBROCK

i

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 81

parochial school. The development of the church has been along similar lines, im-
provements being constantly made in the church property, which in 1914 was entirely
cleared of debt. The work of the church has been splendidly organized under Father
Forkenbrock and has long been a potent force for good in the community.

Rev. Forkenbrock is a genial, companionable man in social life, a thorough
business man in the administration of the business affairs of his church, a liberal,
tolerant man on religious and political questions and a conscientious Christian.
Since coming here he has demonstrated his fitness and ability and his rapidly grow-
ing congregation stands as an evidence of the fact.

L. J. HILDMAN.

L. J. Hildman is a leading merchant and representative business man of Ionia,
where he has successfully conducted a general store for the past eighteen years. He
was born in Germany on the 22d of September, 1869, a son of Cristoph and Catherine
(Grose) Hildman, who spent their entire lives in that country. His education was
acquired in the public schools of his native land and there he spent the period of his
minority. In 1890, when twenty-one years of age, he determined to try his fortune
in America, having heard many favorable reports concerning the advantages and op-
portunities to be enjoyed on this side of the Atlantic. After reaching the United States
he spent one month in Albany, New York, and thence made his way into the interior
of the country to Iowa, locating at North Buena Vista in Clayton county, where he
secured employment as a farm hand. In 1891 he removed to Dubuque county and
went to work as clerk in a general store at Holy Cross, where he remained for eleven
years and laid the foundation for his later business success. In the fall of 1901, feel-
ing that his capital and experience justified him in embarking in business on his own
account, he came to Ionia and established his present mercantile interests. He had
previously made a trip to Ionia in search of a business location, had purchased a
building and made other preparations for his later removal. During the eighteen
years of his connection with the town he has built up an extensive and gratifying
patronage as a general merchant, for he has gained a well merited reputation for
thorough reliability and spares no effort in meeting the needs and wishes of his cus-
tomers. His store is neat and attractive in arrangement and he carries a large and
well selected line of general merchandise at reasonable prices.

In 1897 Mr. Hildman was united in marriage to Miss Angela Gotto, of Holy Cross,
Iowa, by whom he has nine children, as follows: Emma; Raymond, who is acting
as assistant cashier of the First State Bank of Ionia; Leo; Mathilda; Olivaria; Flor-
ence; Clair; Matona; and John Louis. All are still under the parental roof.

In his political views Mr. Hildman is a democrat, loyally supporting the men and
measures of that party at the polls. He is a devout communicant of the Catholic
church and also belongs to the Roman Catholic Protective Society. He has never
had occasion to regret his determination to come to the new world, for here he has
found the opportunities which he sought and through their wise utilization has won
a place among the substantial and respected citizens of his community.

W. 0. DAVIS.

"W. O. Davis, of the firm of Jones & Davis, dealers in farm machinery and hardware
in Lime Springs, is a most alert and energetic business man who is ready for any emerg-
ency or for any opportunity. Working steadily upward along the legitimate lines of trade.
he now occupies an enviable position in commercial circles. Howard county numbers him
among her native sons, his birth having here occurred Set)temher 7, 1888. His parents
were John W. and Ann J. (Thomas) Davis, the former a native of Columbus county,
Wisconsin, and a son of William P. and Catherine (Davis) Davis, both of whom were

82 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

natives of Anglesey, Wales. They are mentioned on another page of this work in con-
nection with the sketch of their son, D. W. Davis. The father of W. O. Davis was born
November 27, 1850, and was therefore a lad of eleven years when his parents removed
west of the Mississippi, settling in Fillmore county, Minnesota. In 1869 he arrived in
Howard county, Iowa, with the family and soon after reaching his majority he began
farming on his own account on a tract of land five miles northeast of Lime Springs which
he purchased. He afterward added to his holdings as his financial resources increased
until he was the owner of two hundred and eighty-four acres of valuable farm land. He
also acquired a farm adjoining on the south, comprising one hundred and seventy-two
acres, and for many years he was actively identified with the agricultural development
of his section of the state. He carried on his farm work according to most progressive
methods and his enterprise and energy enabled him to overcome all difficulties and
obstacles in his path. At length he retired from active business and removed to Lime
Springs in 1912. There he spent his remaining days, his death occurring January 26,
1918. He was a republican in his political views and was an infiuential factor in the
local councils of his party.

W. O. Davis was reared upon the old homestead farm and the district schools
afforded him his early educational opportunities, while later he attended the Lime
Springs high school, from which he was graduated with the class of 1910. He remained
upon the home farm for two years thereafter and in 1912 became a resident of Lime
Springs, where he engaged in the pump and windmill repairing business, following that
trade until June, 1914, when he entered into partnership with M. H. Jones and pur-
chased the site of the store now occupied by the firm. They began the erection of their
modern brick block, which is the finest business block in Lime Springs. The firm of
Jones & Davis was organized in February, 1915, and in December, 1916, they removed into
their new building and have since enjoyed a large and growing trade, their establish-
ment being the expression of modern business enterprise.

Mr. Davis is a member of Howard Lodge, No. 214, A. F. & A. M.; Shiloh Chapter,
No. 65, R. A. M.; and Utopia Chapter, No. 379, 0. E. S. He is keenly interested in all
that tends to promote the interests of the fraternity or to upbuild the county in which
he has spent his entire life. He is actuated by a progressive spirit that prompts his
hearty cooperation in plans and measures for the general good and many tangible
evidences of his public-spirited citizenship may be cited.

CARL PRINZ.

Carl Prinz, engaged in general farming on section 19, Saratoga township, Howard
county, was born in Germany, May 28. 1850, and in that country his parents, Frederick
and Marie (Will) Prinz, spent their entire lives, both having now passed away. Under
the parental roof Carl Prinz remained until he had attained his majority. In fact
it was not until July, 1889, that he came to the United States, at which date he made his
way across the country and established his home in Saratoga township, Howard county,
Iowa. Here he began work as a farm hand and was thus employed for a number of
years. He likewise worked at the mason's trade. He was ambitious to engage in busi-
ness on his own account, however, and carefully saved his earnings until he was able
in 1901 to make investment in land and became the owner of seventy-six acres, con-
stituting his present farm. Through the intervening period of eighteen years he has
carefully, systematically and profitably cultivated his land and his fields now return
to him a gratifying annual income. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers Cooperative
Creamery Company of Saratoga and is constantly studying questions that have to do
with the welfare and progress of the farming community.

In 1876 Mr. Prinz was united in marriage to Miss Marie Schubir and they have
become the parents of six children: Ida, who is married and resides in Colfax, Wash-
ington; Charles Warren, who is married and makes his home in St. Paul, Minnesota;
Minnie, who is married and lives in Howard township, Howard county; Emma, at home;
Otto, who is married and resides upon the home farm; and August, who became a

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 83

member of the One Hundred and Eighteenth Infantry of the Thirtieth Division and
went to France for active service with the American army on the European battle front.
Mr. Prinz and his family are members of the German Lutheran church and his
political endorsement is given to the republican party. He is interested in all matters
of civic moment and supports various plans and measures for the general good, while
iu his farm work he so directs his efforts that his persistency and energy have gained
for him a comfortable competence.

REV. MICHAEL H. CAREY.

Rev. Michael H. Carey is the beloved pastor of St. Joseph's parish of the Roman
Catholic church at New Hampton, where he has thus labored with excellent results for
the past seven years. He is a native of Wisconsin, his birth having occurred in Shulls-
burg, that state, on the 5th of September, 1858. His classical education was acquired
in St. Marys College of St. Marys, Kansas, and later he took a philosophical course in
Dubuque College of Dubuque, Iowa, while his theological studies were pursued in Grand
Seminary of Montreal, Canada. On the 22d of December, 1900, he was ordained to the
priesthood by Archbishop Bruchesi of Montreal and his first assignment was as assistant
at the Cathedral in Dubuque, in which capacity he continued for five and a half years,
subsequently serving as pastor there for about six years. In April, 1912, he was trans-
ferred to New Hampton as pastor of St. Joseph's parish, over which he has since pre-
sided. The modern parsonage in which he resides was built under his direction in 1917
at a cost of thirteen thousand dollars, while the church and parochial school buildings
could not be erected at the present time for a hundred thousand dollars. He removed
and rebuilt the convent at a cost of five thousand dollars. St. Joseph's parish has
enjoyed splendid growth both in a material and moral sense and will celebrate its fiftieth
anniversary on the 2d of July, 1919. Father Carey is popular not only among his
parishioners but among people of all denominations in New Hampton, being uniformly
esteemed as a man of consecrated zeal whose efforts have proven a potent element in
the moral upbuilding of the community.

HENRY SCHWICKERATH.

Among the substantial citizens of Chickasaw county who have always lived within
her borders is Henry Schwickerath, who makes his home on section 17, Dayton township,
and who was born in Washington township, October 18, 1880, his parents being Joseph
and Katherine (Puitz) Schwickerath, both of whom were natives of Germany. The
father came to the United States when eighteen years of age — a poor boy with no capital,
but ere death called him he had won a place among the prosperous farmers of Iowa.
He first settled in Wisconsin but afterward removed to Washington township, Chicka-
saw county. In the meantime he had been married in Wisconsin to Miss Katherine
Puitz. Much of his life was devoted to general agricultural pursuits and he became a
prosperous farmer. He removed to New Hampton in 1900 and died there in 1914. He
is still survived by his widow, who yet makes her home at New Hampton.

The youthful experiences of Henry Schwickerath were those of the farm-bred
boy who attends the district schools and works in the fields. He continued to assist his
father until his marriage and then began farming on his own account. The years have
registered his substantial success as the result of his industry, enterprise and close
application. He is now profitably breeding registered Hereford cattle, to which busi-
ness he has directed his energies for seventeen years, being recognized as one of the
well known and successful stock raisers of this part of the state. His property hold-
ings now embrace three hundred and four acres of land in Dayton township, together
with a tract of twenty acres in Chickasaw township. His place is known as the Hereford
Stock Farm and is one of the most modern and best improved stock farms in Iowa,

84 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

pleasantly and conveniently situated about three miles northeast of Ionia. He has
splendid buildings upon the place, furnishing ample shelter to grain and stock, and the
equipment of his farm is up-to-date in every particular.

On the 25th of November, 1902 Mr. Schwickerath was united in marriage to Miss
Christina Diederich, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Diederich, the former now living
at North Washington, Iowa, while the latter passed away there in 1916. Mr. and Mrs.
Schwickerath have seven children, three sons and four daughters: Gertrude, Margaret,
Marie, Lucille. Clarence, Norbert and Jerome, all yet under the parental roof.

The family are adherents of St. Boniface Catholic church of Ionia. In politics Mr.
Schwickerath maintains an independent course, voting according to the dictates of his
judgment. He has recently joined the Knights of Columbus Council No. 1697 at New
Hampton and he has always given his aid and support on behalf of those projects and
interests which have to do with the common weal. In business affairs he is most alert
and energetic and his close application and unfaltering industry have resulted in the
attainment of very substantial success as one of the leading stock raisers of northern
Iowa. He is a member of the Chickasaw County Equity Cooperative Association of
New Hampton.

JOHN BOUSKA.

John Bouska is one of the conspicuous figures in connection with the history
of New Oregon township and the town of Protivin, his progressive spirit constitut-
ing a dominant element in the work of general development and upbuilding. He
has retired from farming, with which he was actively connected for many years,
but is still the vice president of the Bohemian Savings Bank of Protivin. He was
born in Bohemia in July, 1847, a son of Frank and Josephine (Kouldaka) Bouska,
who came to the United States in 1853 and after spending six months in Cleveland,
Ohio, continued their westward journey to Iowa. They took up their abode in Win-
neshiek county, where the father secured a homestead claim of eighty acres in
Sumner township. Later he preempted forty acres and subsequently purchased a
tract of eighty acres, thus owning two hundred acres in Winneshiek county. In the
'90s he purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land in How^ard county and
some time later in the same decade removed to his Howard county property and
remained thereon to the time of his death, which occurred in 1900, when he had
reached the venerable age of ninety years. His wife died in 1908 at the age of
eighty-eight years.

Mr. Bouska of this review was a lad of seven years at the time of the emigra-
tion of the family to the new world. He has since lived in Iowa, where he was
reared and educated, attending the district schools, although his opportunities in
that direction were somewhat limited, and his lessons of life have been largely
learned in the school of experience. It was only in the winter months when farm
work was practically over for the year that he found opportunity to attend school.
He worked in the fields from the time of early spring planting until crops were
harvested in the late autumn and he continued to assist in the further develop-
ment and improvement of the home farm to the time of his marriage, which was
celebrated in 1874. In that year he wedded Anna Fencl, a daughter of Frank
Fencl, who came to Winneshiek county, Iowa, from Bohemia in 1856. Immediately
following his marriage Mr. Bouska removed to Howard county, settling on land
which his father had previously purchased adjoining the townsite of Protivin, and
for forty years he was actively engaged in general agricultural pursuits. He was
very successful in his undertakings during that period and acquired as the years
passed extensive landed possessions, embracing over thirteen hundred acres in
Howard and Winneshiek counties. His investments were most judiciously made
and his holdings made him one of the prosperous men of this section of the state.
In late years he has divided his property among his children save that he retains
a twenty acre tract of land as his home place. Mr. Bouska was one of the founders

JOHN BOUSKA

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 87

of the Bohemian Savings Bank of Protivin and has been one of the officers of the
institution since its organization. He served for some time as president of the
bank and is filling the position of vice president and is also serving on the board
of directors. In all business affairs he has displayed sound judgment and sagacity
as well as unfaltering industry and enterprise and his dominant qualities have
brought to him a most gratifying measure of success.

To Mr. and Mrs. Bouska have been born thirteen children, nine of whom are
yet living. Frank W., who is a graduate of the State Agricultural College at Ames
and was at one time a member of its faculty, afterward became assistant state
dairy commissioner of Iowa, a position which he filled for two years. He is now
dairy expert for the National Dairymen's Association, with offices in Chicago. Mary
is the wife of Anton Blazek, a resident farmer of Chickasaw county. John A. follows
farming in Winneshiek county. Caroline is the wife of Frank Klimesh, a resident
farmer of Chickasaw county. Frances is the wife of Ludwig Ptacek, living at
Cresco, Iowa. Joseph D. is manager of the telephone and electric light plants at
Protivin, is also owner of a garage, is interested in farming and at the same time
is serving as a notary public. Louisa is the wife of Adolph Busta, who carries on
farming in Winneshiek county. Albina is the wife of John Swoboda, a farmer of
Howard county. Charlie B. carries on farming in Howard County and is the youngest
of the family.

In his political views Mr. Bouska is a democrat and a stalwart champion of party
principles. He has served for several years as a member of the board of town-
ship trustees and president of the school board. He is keenly interested in all that
has to do with the welfare and improvement of the district in which he lives. He
and his family are members of the Catholic church and he is justly accounted one
of the most progressive men and leading citizens of Howard county. He deserves
much credit for what he has accomplished as his success is the direct outcome of his
persistent and earnest labor. Step by step he has worked his way upward and each
forward step has brought him a broader outlook and wider opportunities.

DARYL C. GROVER.

Daryl C. Grover is actively engaged in farming on section 1, Afton township,
devoting his attention to the cultivation of the land belonging to Frank Shelhamer. He
has for a number of years been a substantial resident of Howard county but is a native
son of Minnesota, his birth having occurred in Fillmore county, October 7, 1889. He is
a son of Alvin B. and Emma L. Grover, who are likewise natives of Minnesota. The
father was a butter maker by trade, carrying on business along that line at Grand
Meadow, Minnesota, where he owned a creamery which he successfully conducted for
twelve years. He then disposed of his creamery and removed to Riceville, Iowa, in 1900.
There he also became identified with the creamery business and was a well known
butter maker of that place for about fourteen years. Eventually, however, he withdrew
from the creamery business to engage in the draying business to which he still devotes
his energies. He is still a substantial resident of Riceville, where he is widely and
favorably known. He has held membership with both the Modern Woodmen of
America and with the Masonic fraternity for a number of years.

Daryl C. Grover spent the first ten years of his life in his native state and then
accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa. His education was acquired in the
public schools of both states and throughout his business career he has followed the
occupation of farming. He now makes his home on section 1, Afton township, where ho
is devoting his time and energies to the further development and improvement of a
farm belonging to Frank Shelhamer, his father-in-law. He is diligent and determined
in the conduct of his business affairs and his labors have brought him substantial results.

On the 30th of December, 1915, Mr. Grover was united in marriage to Miss Winnie
Shelhamer, a daughter of Frank Shelhamer, who is mentioned at length on another
page of this work. They have become the parents of two sons, Paul Daryl and Franklin

88 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Robert. The family is well known socially, their friends in this section of the county
being many. In politics Mr. Grover is a republican and stanchly supports the prin-
ciples of the party, with which he has voted since age conferred upon him the right of
franchise.

CHARLES S. MULKS.

Charles S. Mulks, living on section 27, Jamestown township, Howard county, was
born November 14, 1872, in Whitewater, Wisconsin, a son of Daniel S. and Hanna J.
Mulks, who for many years made their home at Whitewater. The grandfather in the
paternal line went to Wisconsin in pioneer times and secured a homestead in that state,
obtaining a tract of government land upon which not a furrow had been turned nor
an improvement made. He devoted his energies to the cultivation of the land for a
number of years and after the grandfather retired the farm was taken over by his son,
Daniel S. Mulks.

It was upon this place that Charles S. Mulks was reared and he early became familiar
with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He attended the
public schools of his native county and when twenty-two years of age left home and
made his way to Howard county, Iowa, since which time he has been identified with
the interests and with the development of this section of the state. As he was in limited
financial circumstances at the time of his arrival he first rented a farm, which lie
cultivated on shares for about twenty years. He then purchased his present farm
property, which is situated on section 27, Jamestown township, and he now has a good
place, to the further development and improvement of which he is bending his efforts
and energies.

On the 14th of November, 1894, Mr. Mulks was married to Miss Julia E. Taft, a
daughter of Clarence R. and Frances M. Taft, of Whitewater. Wisconsin. They have
become the parents of two children, William Glendon and Dorothy, who are at home,
the son assisting his father in the further development of the farm. He saw service with
the United States army for four and a half months, being a member of Battery E of the
Coast Artillery, stationed in Florida and Virginia.

Mr. Mulks gives his political support to the republican party but the honors and
emoluments of office have had no attraction for him. He is a worthy representative of
the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Riceville Lodge, No. 119, A. P. & A. M. The teach-
ings of this fraternity he exemplifies in his life and he is regarded as a straightforward,
honorable and reliable man who enjoys and well merits the high esteem of those with
whom he has been associated.

DAVID J. FERRIE.

David J. Ferrie, the efficient sheriff of Howard county and a well known resident of
Cresco, was born in Howard county, on the 18th of December, 1873, his parents being
John and Esther (Ackerson) Ferrie. The father is a native of the state of New York,
while the mother was born near Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. John Ferrie left the Empire
state when a small boy in company with his parents, who removed to Wisconsin, from
which point some years later they made the trip to Paris township, Howard county,
Iowa, with ox teams. This was in the early '60s and there were many evidences of
frontier life in all this section of the state. The father took up government land,
securing a claim of one hundred and sixty acres which was wild and unimproved. He
built a log house upon it and at once began the arduous task of developing a new farm.
As the years passed he added many improvements to the property and extended the
boundaries of his farm until it comprised three hundred and twenty acres. Both of
the paternal grandparents of David J. Ferrie passed away on the old homestead in
Howard county. Their son, John Ferrie, spent his boyhood days here amid pioneer sur-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 89

roundings and conditions and later he homesteaded a tract of land a mile south of his
father's farm, thus securing one hundred and sixty acres of Iowa's rich and productive
land. He also built a log house and began the development of his fields. McGregor was
at that time the nearest market and travel in those days was mostly with ox teams, so
that it was a long and tedious trip to market. There were plenty of Indians in the
neighborhood and all of the hardships and privations of pioneer life had to be met by
the early settlers, but with resolute spirit they faced these conditions and lived to wit-
ness a remarkable transformation in the appearance of the county and in the conditions
existing here. John Ferrie remained upon his first farm for a number of years or until
the failure of the wheat crop, when he sold his place and rented another tract of land in
the same township. At a subsequent period he purchased the Ackerson farm, owned by
his wife's father, comprising one hundred and sixty acres of land, and upon that place
he resided until about twelve years ago, when he retired from active business life and
removed to Cresco, where he is now living at the age of seventy-seven years, while his
wife has reached the age of seventy-four years. Mrs. Ferrie had come to Howard county
with her parents in her girlhood days and her father, like the other early settlers,
secured a claim from the government and began the development of a new farm. His
home, too. was constructed of logs after the primitive manner of the times and for
twelve years he continued the development and cultivation of his land, after which he
removed to Cresco, where both he and his wife spent their remaining days. His son,
David Ackerson, was at one time sheriff of Howard county, filling the position for four
years.

David J. Ferrie, whose name introduces this review, was reared upon the old home-
stead farm amid the usual environment and conditions of pioneer life. The public
schools accorded him his educational privileges and on reaching the age of twenty-four
years he was married and removed to the old Thomas Dale farm, which he cultivated
and developed for two years. He next took up his abode upon the Robert Thompson
farm, where he lived for two years, and then upon the E. H. Jones farm, comprising a
half section of land in Center township, Howard county. There he continued to make
his home for six years, after which he removed to the A. A. Reynolds farm of four
hundred and eighty acres in Center township and continued thereon for six years. In
1913 he was elected to the office of sheriff and has since served in that capacity, making
an excellent record by the prompt and faithful manner in which he discharges his
duties. He performs every official service without fear or favor and his course has
won him high commendation.

In 1898 Mr. Ferrie was married to Miss Mary Walsh, a daughter of Thomas and
Mary (Kerns) Walsh and a native of Cresco. Her father is with the Milwaukee Rail-
road Company. To Mr. and Mrs. Ferrie have been born six children: Gerald, Irene,
Leland, Donald, Kenneth and Harold, all of whom are at home. Mr. and Mrs. Ferrie are
well known in Howard county, where they have long resided, both being representatives
of old pioneer families. Mr. Ferrie has spent his entire life here and the work which
was begun by his grandfather and continued by his father is being further promoted by
him.

JESS HAYES.

Jess Hayes has been a lifelong resident of New Oregon township, Howard county.
His present farm is situated on section 12, and it was here that he was born on the
20th of February, 1872. Through all the intervening years he has been identified
with the agricultural interests of the district and is a representative of one of the
oldest and best known pioneer families of this part of the state. He is the only son
of Jacob and Bettie (Malone) Hayes, who for many years occupied the farm, in fact
resided thereon until death called them about three years ago. The father, Jacob
Hayes, was one of the first settlers of New Oregon township, taking up his abode
within its borders when the work of progress and improvement had scarcely been
begun. He aided in the task of general development here and his labors were pro-
ductive of excellent results.
Vol. n— •

90 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Jess Hayes of this review spent the days of his boyhood and youth under the
parental roof and early became familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and
caring for the crops. As time passed he assisted more and more largely in the work
of the fields and eventually took charge of the old home place. On the 14th of March,
1894, he was united in marriage to Miss Ruth Money, a daughter of Harrison and
Florence (Mowry) Money, of Minneapolis. To Mr. and Mrs. Hayes have been born
the following children: Hulbert, who for nine months was connected with the Amer-
ican army and is now employed in Ord, Nebraska; Esther, at home; Paul, who is
now residing in Ord, Nebraska, with his father's sister; and Percy, Isabelle, Lucile,
Eva, Marion and Lawrence, all yet at home.

Mr. Hayes and his wife attend the Methodist church at Cresco. His political
allegiance is given to the republican party, which he has supported since age con-
ferred upon him the right of franchise. He has been keenly interested in educational
activities in the community and has served as a director on the school board for
four terms. He cooperates heartily in all plans or movements for the general good
and his work along various lines has produced results that have been most beneficial.
In a business way he has never dissipated his energies over a wide field but has con-
centrated his efforts and attention upon a single line and his close application has
been a salient feature in the attainment of his present day success.

D. A. PALMER.

D. A. Palmer is half owner and manager of the Cresco Creamery Company, in
which connection a successful business is being conducted in Cresco, Howard county.
He was born in Marquette, Michigan, July 20, 1856, and is a son of Benjamin H.
and Angeline (Taylor) Palmer. The father was born in Madison county. New York,
while the mother was a native of New Hampshire. They were married in the Empire
state, where Mr. Palmer followed carpentering and contracting until 1856. He then
removed to Forestville township, Fillmore county, Minnesota, where he homesteaded
land and built a log cabin, after which he began the improvement of his farm, doing
all of his work with ox teams. Many Indians still lived in the neighborhood and the
family met all of the experiences, hardships and privations of pioneer life. After
thirteen years a removal was made to Strawberry Point, Iowa, where Mr. Palmer
purchased a farm and again he concentrated his efforts and attention upon the further
development and improvement of his land, which he converted into one of the excel-
lent farm properties of the district. He died at the age of seventy-nine years and
eleven months, while his wife reached the notable old age of ninety-three years. His
political allegiance was given to the democratic party. He took an active interest in
promoting the welfare and progress of the district in which he lived and ranked with
the leading agriculturists of the neighborhood.

D. A. Palmer spent his boyhood days at Strawberry Point, Iowa, upon the old
homestead farm and pursued his education in the common schools. He afterward
learned the creamery business and subsequently went to Hayward, Minnesota, where
he was connected with a creamery for three years. He afterward spent a similar
period in the same line of business at Rochester, Minnesota, and for ten years was
located in Monticello, Iowa, where he also conducted a creamery. In 1906 he removed
to Cresco and entered into partnership with N. H. Nelson, now of Charles City, Jowa,
in purchasing the Owens creamery in Vernon township, Howard county. They pur-
chased the site where the present creamery now stands in Cresco and erected thereon
a fine brick building. Since then they have enjoyed a profitable and steadily Increas-
ing patronage, their business having now reached extensive proportions. They make
large shipments of butter to New York, Chicago and other points in the country. It
is their policy to pay cash for all cream purchased and they are developing a patron-
age which is most gratifying. Their business is carefully systematized and the most
sanitary conditions prevail in their creamery. Mr. Palmer also held the position of
dairy freight agent for the Wabash Railroad Company in his younger years.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 91

Mr. Palmer has been twice married. In 1880 he wedded Miss Clara King, a daugh-
ter of James and Ann King, who were natives of Indiana. Her father was a black-
smith by trade but at the time of the Civil war put aside all business and personal
considerations and responded to the country's call for aid, enlisting in 1861 as a mem-
ber of the Union army. He served for almost five years and participated in a number
of hotly contested engagements. With a most creditable military record he returned
to his home and took up his abode in Hopkinton, Iowa, where he continued to follow his
trade until his demise. His wife has also passed away. Their daughter, Mrs. Palmer,
died in 1902, at the age of forty-two years, leaving two children, Maud L. and Lorena.
Mr. Palmer has since married again, his second union being with Miss Jennie G.
Rensiek, a native of Wisconsin and a daughter of John Rensiek. Her parents were
natives of Holland and in early life came to the new world. The father was a farmer,
devoting his entire life to agricultural pursuits, and both he and his wife have now
passed away. Mr. Palmer is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and his
political allegiance is given to the republican party, which he strongly supports, yet
he does not seek nor desire office as a reward for party fealty. He prefers concen-
trating his energies and attention upon his business affairs and his well directed
efforts are bringing to him deserved and gratifying success.

JOHN KUBIK.

John Kubik, devoting his time and energies to general farming in Paris town-
ship, Howard county, has always resided within the boundaries of this county, his
birth having here occurred March 8, 1885. The record of his parents is given in the
sketch of Anton Kubik on another page of this work. No event of special importance
occurred to vary the routine of farm life for John Kubik in the days of his boyhood
and youth. He pursued his education in the public schools and when not busy with
his textbooks aided in the work of the farm, so that he was well trained to the labors
of the fields when he began farming on his own account. He worked diligently and
persistently and his land is now highly cultivated, bringing forth rich harvests.

On the 14th of June, 1909, Mr. Kubik was united in marriage to Miss Stella
Mrchek, of Chickasaw county, Iowa. They now have five children, namely: Clarence,
Raymond, Gertrude, Helen and Arthur.

Mr. Kubik attends the Catholic church of Protivin and he gives his political en-
dorsement to the democratic party. He is well known in Howard county, where his
entire life has been passed, and his energy and enterprise have stood him in good
stead in the development of his business affairs, while his sterling qualities have
gained for him the warm friendship and respect of many with whom he has been
brought in contact.

CHARLES KALISHEK.

Charles Kalishek is the proprietor of the High View Farm, a valuable property
situated on section 26, Utica township, Chickasaw county. He is numbered among
the native sons of Winneshiek county, Iowa, his birth having there occurred August
19, 1878. His parents, Martin and Elizabeth (Novotny) Kalishek, were natives of
Bohemia and came to the United States with their respective parents in childhood.
They were married in Winneshiek county and settled on a farm four and a half miles
southeast of Protivin, where the father still owns two hundred and twenty acres of
rich and productive land. He continued to reside upon that farm until April, 1918,
when he retired from active business life and removed to Protivin, where he now
resides. In the meantime he had acquired a substantial competence as the reward
of his industry and diligence and well deserved success has come to him.

Charles Kalishek was educated in the district schools and was reared in the usual

92 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

manner of the farm lad of northern Iowa. When he reached man's estate he resolved
to establish a home of his own and to this end was married June 17, 1902, to Miss Mary
Kovarik, of Winneshiek county. The following spring the young couple located on
their present home farm of two hundred acres, eighty acres of which was given to Mr.
Kalishek by his father. He afterward purchased eighty acres from his father and
subsequently invested in a forty acre tract, so that within the farm boundaries are now
comprised two hundred acres of rich and arable land that responds readily to the care
and labor which he bestows upon it, for his efforts have converted the place into pro-
ductive fields, from which he annually gathers large harvests. He is also a stockholder
in the Bohemian Savings Bank of Protivin, and Utica township numbers him among her
leading citizens.

To Mr. and Mrs. Kalishek have been born two children, Bennie C. and Marcella
C. The parents and children are members of the Catholic church and in his political
views Mr. Kalishek is a democrat, having supported the party since age conferred
upon him the right of franchise. He is now serving on the township board of trus-
tees and in all matters of progressive citizenship is deeply interested, aiding freely
any plan or project for the general good.

1

J. H. WHALEN.

J. H. Whalen has long been known in Chickasaw county, where he now makes
his home on section 25, Jacksonville township, while his birth occurred in Utica
township. His natal day was September 11, 1866, his parents being Thomas and
Mary (Reilly) Whalen, who were natives of Ireland. The year 1854 witnessed the
arrival of the father in the new world, at which time he took up his abode in Georgia.
He afterward removed to Iowa and established his home in Utica township,, where
for a time he engaged in farming. Later he removed to Jacksonville township and
settled upon the place which is now the home of his son, J. H. Whalen. Year after
year he carefully tilled the soil and brought his fields to a high state of cultivation,
annually gathering large crops as a reward for his diligence and his thrift. He
died upon the old homestead in 1903. His wife was born in Massachusetts and
came to Iowa with her parents, Sylvester and Bridget Reilly, who located in Utica
township, where Mrs. Whalen was reared and married. It was her father who donated
fifteen acres of land where the Catholic church of Reilly Ridge now stands, and upon
that tract a house of worship was erected. This tract was named in his honor and
the church stands as a monument largely to his generous spirit and devotion to
the cause of religion. Mr. and Mrs. Reilly were among the oldest of the pioneer
settlers of Utica township and in the work of development and progress there they
took an active and helpful part. In community affairs Thomas Whalen took a deep
and helpful interest and was regarded as a most public-spirited citizen. He served
as town clerk of Utica and Jacksonville townships for a period of thirty-six con-
secutive years and no higher testimonial of his efficiency and fidelity could be given
than the fact that he was so long retained in that office. Never for a moment did
he disregard his duty or hold it in slight consideration. He was likewise justice
of the peace for twenty-eight years and his decisions in that connection were strictly
fair and impartial, "winning him golden opinions from all sorts of people." In
educational matters, too, he was deeply interested and for a number of years served
as treasurer of his school district in Utica township. A life of great usefulness
and worth ended when he was called to the home beyond. His wife was a woman
of many admirable traits of heart and mind, and her death, which occurred Novem-
ber 18, 1893, was the occasion of deep and widespread regret.

J. H. Whalen, spending his youthful days under the parental roof, pursued his
education in the public schools of Jacksonville township and when his textbooks
were put aside he continued upon the home farm with his father until the latter's
death and remained throughout that period his father's active assistant. He was
reared as one of a family of ten children, having four sisters and five brothers, all

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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 95

of whom are yet living, namely: Mike, Sylvester, John, Charles, Roger, Mrs. Gus
Fox, Mary, Mrs. Cornelius Mulcahy and Mrs. Leo Mitchell. All of the members of
the Whalen family are identified with the Reilly Ridge Catholic church and loyally
follow its teachings.

In his political views J. H. Whalen has ever been a stalwart democrat, giving
unfaltering allegiance to the party since age conferred upon him the right of
franchise. He has served as constable and justice of the peace in Jacksonville town-
ship and, like his father, has made a most creditable record in public office. He
prefers, however, to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs
and now owns and cultivates the old home place of one hundred and twenty acres,
constituting one of the well developed farm properties of Chickasaw county.

FRANK A. ZAK.

Frank A. Zak, who carries on general farming on section 11, Howard township, has
spent the greater part of his life in Howard county, although born at Calmar, Iowa, in
September, 1883. His parents were Frank and Catherine (Horkey) Zak, both of whom
were natives of Bohemia, whence they came to the new world in young manhood and
womanhood. They became acquainted and were married in Winneshiek county. Iowa,
and settled on a farm near Calmar, Mr. Zak there renting land until about 1893 or 1894,
when he purchased the farm in Howard county upon which his son, Frank A., now
resides, acquiring title to one hundred and twenty acres of land. His attention was then
given to the further development and improvement of this property up to the time of
his death, which occurred in 1912. His wife had passed away two years after their
removal to Howard county.

Frank A. Zak began his education at the usual age, attending the district schools
and the parochial school at Spillville, Winneshiek county. Through vacation periods
he aided in the work of the home farm and after reaching his majority he remained
upon the old homestead and assisted his father in the further cultivation and develop-
ment of the place. About four years prior to his father's death he took over the opera-
tion and management of the farm as a renter and about a year prior to his father's
demise bought the home place, which he still owns and cultivates. He has worked dili-
gently and persistently as the years have passed on and his success is the direct result
of earnest labor. He is also a stockholder in the Maple Leaf Creamery Company.

In 1911 Mr. Zak was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Maravetz, a daughter of
Joseph Maravetz, who is now living retired in Cresco. They have become the parents
of three children: Ralph F., Jerome J. and Richard A.

In politics Mr. Zak is a democrat, but has never been an office seeker, preferring to
concentrate his efforts and attention upon his farming interests. He and his wife are
members of the Catholic church and in the community where they reside they have
become widely and favorably known. At an early age Mr. Zak realized that industry is
the basis of all honorable success and throughout his entire life he has been a most
industrious man, his labors bringing about the careful cultivation of his fields, resulting
in the gathering of golden harvests.

RASMUS R. OSWOLD.

On the list of Howard county's substantial farmers appears the name of Rasmus
R. Oswold, who is living on section 18 in Forest City township, where he is operat-
ing the Grant Jones farm, an excellent tract of land of three hundred and twenty
acres which is now under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Oswold is a native of
Norway, his birth having occurred in the land of the midnight sun October 13, 1877.
His parents were Rasmus and Carrie (Mallen) Oswold, who came to the United States
in the spring of 1892, establishing their home in Chester township, Howard county.

96 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Iowa, where the father's death afterward occurred May 12, 1912. The mother makes
her home at Elmore, Minnesota.

Rasmus R. Oswold was a youth of seventeen years when the voyage was made
to the new world. He acquired his education in the common schools of Norway and
after reaching Iowa started out to provide for his own support. In March, 1902, he
was united in marriage to Miss Anna Ness, a native of Fillmore county, Minnesota,
and in the spring of the same year he began farming for himself. He rented the
farm of Otto Olson, which he. continued to cultivate for five years, and in 1907 rented
the Grant Jones farm, upon which he has resided for the past twelve years. He is
classed among the most progressive farmers of Howard county, his labors being in-
telligently directed, while his energy is proving most resultant in the development
and cultivation of the crops.

To Mr. and Mrs. Oswold have been born three children, two of whom are yet
living, Bernice and Violet, and they have an adopted son, Wilbert, who is the eldest
of the three children of the household. Both .Mr. and Mrs. Oswold are members of
the Norwegian Lutheran church and their sterling worth has gained for them the
high regard of those who know them. In his political belief Mr. Oswold is a repub-
lican and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day but does not
seek nor desire ofllce, preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his busi-
ness affairs, which have brought him to a position among the men of affluence in
his community.

JAMES H. SEERY.

James H. Seery, who follows farming on section 7, Jacksonville township, has been
a lifelong resident of Chickasaw county and is a representative of one of its old and
honored pioneer families. He was born August 10, 1864, his parents being Thomas and
Mary (Donohoe) Seery, who were natives of Ireland. The father arrived in the new
world when a youth of twelve years and the mother was brought to America when a
maiden of sixteen summers. They were married in Lowell, Massachusetts, and three
children were born to them during the period of their residence in the east. In 1863
they came to Iowa, establishing their home in Chickasaw county, where Mr. Seery pur-
chased a farm of forty acres in Jacksonville township. As the years passed he prospered
in his undertakings and from time to time made other investments in land until his
holdings comprised three hundred and forty acres, making his property a very valuable
one. It is said by his many friends that he was one of the finest men who ever settled
in Chickasaw county. He was most charitable, freely aiding those who needed assist-
ance, and in manner was ever kindly and genial. His many substantial and admirable
traits of character won for him the love and friendship of all. He passed away January
10, 1910, at the advanced age of eighty-four years, and on the 11th of April, 1911, the
mother was called to her final rest, being then about eighty years of age.

James H. Seery is indebted to the district school system of Chickasaw county for
the educational opportunities which he enjoyed. After reaching manhood he worked
with his father upon the home farm until about 1894, when he began farming independ-
ently on his present place, which comprises one hundred and eighty acres of land that
>fas deeded to him by his father at that time.

In 1896 Mr. Seery was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Ralph, a daughter of John
Ralph, one of the early pioneer settlers of Chickasaw county who is now deceased. To
Mr. and Mrs. Seery have been born five children, three of whom survive, namely: Fran-
cis Ralph, James Virgil and Mary Viola.

At the time of his marriage Mr. Seery brought his bride to the home farm and
through the intervening period has remained thereon, devoting his energies and atten-
tion to the development and improvement of the place and by reason of his industry and
diligence winning an enviable position among the substantial men of Jacksonville town-
ship. He is also a stockholder in the Jerico Creamery Association.

Mr. Seery and his family are members of St. Joseph's Catholic church and are gen-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 97

erous contributors to its support. In politics he is a democrat but has never been an
office seeker, although he served for some years as a member of the school board. He
represents a substantial and honored pioneer family of Chickasaw county and for fifty-
five years he has resided in this county — an interested witness of its development and
improvement.

P. G. BUTTON, D. V. S.

Dr. P. G. Button, one of the best known veterinarians of northern Iowa, has con-
tinuously practiced his profession in Cresco for more than a quarter of a century and
throughout the past eighteen years has ably filled the position of assistant state veter-
inarian. His birth occurred in Ringwood, Ontario, Canada, on the 30th of March, 1864,
his parents being Newberry and Catherine (Bartholomew) Button, who spent their en-
tire lives in Ontario, where the father followed the occupation of farming.

P. G. Button acquired his education in the graded and high schools of Ringwood and
later, in preparation for his chosen life work, entered the Ontario Veterinary College,
from which institution he was graduated with the class of 1892. Crossing the border
into the United States, he made his way direct to Cresco, Iowa, where he began prac-
tice and has successfully followed his profession throughout the intervening period
of twenty-seven years. He has won a well earned reputation in this connection and
has become widely known in this part of the state. About 1901 he was appointed assist-
ant state veterinarian under Governor Cummins and has since continued in the posi-
tion, being reappointed by each succeeding governor. His long retention in the office
clearly indicates his professional skill and his faithfulness in the discharge of duty.

In 1893 Dr. Button was united in marriage to Miss Emma L. Crawford, of Cresco,
Iowa. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party and is now serving as a
member of the city council, making a most commendable record in that connection.
Fraternally he is identified with Cresco Lodge, No. 150, A. F. & A. M., and with the
Modern Woodmen of America and the "Woodmen of the World. His religious faith is
indicated by his membership in the Episcopal church, to which his wife also belongs.
They have become widely and favorably known in the community in which they make
their home, the circle of their friends being almost coextensive with the circle of their
acquaintances.

ADOLPH KAKAO.

Adolph Kakac is living on section 2, Howard township, in Howard county, and
is the owner of a farm of seventy-two acres. His parents are Joseph and Frances
Kakac, now residents of Saratoga, Iowa. They are natives of Bohemia and came to
the United States in 1883. They made their way westward to Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
and there resided until 1887, during which period Mr. Kakac worked at the shoe-
maker's trade, which he had previously learned in his native land. He then came
to Iowa and took up his abode in Saratoga township, Howard county, where he re-
sided for a period of two years. He next removed to Howard township and in 1892
purchased the farm upon which his son, Adolph Kakac, now resides. For seventeen
years he bent his energies to the development and improvement of that property, re-
siding there until 1909, when he retired from active business life and established his
home in Saratoga, where he and his wife now reside, enjoying in well earned rest
the fruits of their former toil. Mr. and Mrs. Kakac are the parents of three sons
and five daughters, the brothers and sisters of Adolph Kakac being as follows: Frank,
Joseph, Frances, Mary, Tillie, Rose and Josie. The daughters are all married.

When the father left the farm Adolph Kakac assumed its management. He was
born in Bohemia on the 9th of June, 1880, and was therefore but three years of age
when brought by his parents to the new world. When a lad of seven years he accom-

98 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

panied his parents on their removal to Iowa, where he was reared and educated. At
the age of thirty years he wedded Mary Kubichek, whose parents, natives of Bohemia,
are still living. It was in 1910 that Mr. and Mrs. Kakac were married and they have
become the parents of two children, Edward Adolph and Gladys Marie, aged respec-
tively five and two years.

Mr. Kakac and his family are members of the Presbyterian church and he belongs
to the B. Z. Y., a Bohemian society of Cedar Rapids. His political allegiance is given
to the republican party and he is keenly interested in the vital questions and issues
of the day but does not seek office as a reward for party fealty. His time and atten-
tion are given to his business affairs and aside from his farming interests he is identi-
fied with the Maple Leaf Creamery Company as a stockholder. He works diligently
and persistently in the development and improvement of his farm and his labors have
brought to him substantial returns.

E. W. KELLERSHON.

E. W. Kellershon, manager for the Northern Lumber Company at New Hampton and
an alert and progressive business man, was born in Germany, October 19, 1865, a son
of William and Catherine (Schmidt) Kellershon, both of whom spent their entire
lives in Germany. The son was there educated in the public schools and also spent a
term as a pupil in a district school in Wisconsin after coming to the new world. In
November, 1884, following the attainment of his nineteenth year, he crossed the At-
lantic and first made his way to Newark, New Jersey, where he spent the winter.
In the succeeding spring he traveled westward and for one year was a resident of
Hartford, Wisconsin. In the spring of 1886, however, he arrived in Chickasaw county,
Iowa, locating in Lawler, where he hired out to a farmer for the following summer.
In the fall of that ydar he took up his abode in New Hampton and began work in
the lumberyard of John Foley, in whose employ he remained until Mr. Foley sold
the business to the Northern Lumber Company on the 1st of November, 1902. At
that date Mr. Kellershon was made manager of the business at New Hampton and
has continued to fill this position of responsibility to the present time. For more
than thirty years he has been connected with the business and its growth and de-
velopment are attributable in no small measure to his close application, his energy
and thorough reliability. As manager he is now bending his efforts to administrative
direction and executive control and he has built up a large trade for the company
which he represents.

On the 2d of May, 1899, Mr. Kellershon was married to Miss Barbara Burget, of
Chickasaw county, and to them have been born nine children: Irene, Romana, Hilda,
Sybilla, Frank, Selma, Walter, William and Marie. They have also reared an adopted
daughter, Anna. All of the children are yet at home. Mr. Kellershon's first wife
was Frederika Piehn, whom he married in 1890.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and Mr. Keller-
shon is a member of the Knights of Columbus and of the Catholic Order of Foresters.
He is today accounted one of the prominent and well known business men of New
Hampton, his residence in Chickasaw county covering a third of a century, during
which time his sterling personal worth and business enterprise have been again and
again demonstrated.

E. D. CAPPER.

E. D. Capper, a man of marked business enterprise, is a member of the firm of
Capper & Thomas, owning the leading general merchandise establishment of Chester.
He was born in Fayette county, Iowa, May 20, 1864, a son of John and Dorinda (Brooks)
Capper, both of whom were natives of Carroll county, Ohio, where they were reared and

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 99

married. About 1854 or 1855, soon after their marriage, they came west to Iowa, settling
in Fayette county, where the father purchased a quarter section of land from a man
who had preempted the tract from the government. Mr. Capper resided upon that
farm until his declining years, when he retired from active agricultural pursuits and
established his home in Elgin, Iowa, where he passed away on the 7th of May, 1911.
He had for many years survived his wife, who died on Christmas day of 1893.

Mr. Capper of this review was educated in the district schools and on attaining his
majority became identified with the creamery business. He thoroughly learned the art
of butter making and was active along that line for thirteen years. In 1898 he estab-
lished a mercantile business in Chester and in the past twenty-one years has had three
different partners, Charles H. Thomas, his present associate, buying into the business
on the 14th of February, 1911. The business relation between them has thus been main-
tained for eight years and the firm of Capper & Thomas has the leading general mer-
cantile house of Chester, carrying an extensive line of goods and putting forth every
effort to please their patrons, so that their trade is constantly growing.

On the 3d of May, 1885, seventeen days prior to the celebration of his twenty-first
birthday, Mr. Capper was married to Miss Helen B. Snyder, of Fayette county, Iowa,
and they have become the parents of two children: Earl C, who is butter maker in a
creamery at Blue Grass, North Dakota; and Archie F., who is cashier of the Farmers'
National Bank of Aurelia, Iowa.

Mr. and Mrs. Capper are both consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church
and Mr. Capper also belongs to Chester Lodge, No. 444, I. O. 0. F., and to the Modern
Woodmen of America. His political allegiance is given to the republican party, but he
has never been an aspirant for office, preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention
upon his business affairs. He is never remiss in the duties of citizenship, however, but
cooperates in all well defined plans and measures for the general good.

HON. J. E. GARMEN.

Hon. J. E. Garmen is the mayor of New Hampton and one of the progressive busi-
ness men of the city, being senior partner in the firm of Garmen & Forkenbrock, hard-
ware dealers and steam fitters. He comes to Iowa from Ohio, his birth having occurred
near Alliance, in Columbiana county, on the 9th of August, 1857, his parents being
Samuel and Susan (Bruner) Garmen, both of whom were natives of Switzerland,
whence they came to the United States, the father making the trip in young manhood,
while the mother crossed the Atlantic with her parents in young womanhood. Both
became residents of Columbiana county, Ohio, where they were married. They settled
upon a farm in that district and upon the outbreak of the Civil war the father enlisted
for active service in defense of the Union and was killed at the battle of Gettysburg.
The mother afterward became the wife of Christian Greenewald, and following the close
of the Civil war they removed to Wisconsin, settling near Monroe, where they resided
until 1874 and then came to Iowa, establishing their home in Chickasaw county, where
Mrs. Greenewald continued to reside to the time of her death in 1915.

J. E. Garmen was a youth of seventeen years when he came to Chickasaw county
with his mother. He had been educated in the district schools of Wisconsin and Iowa
and on attaining his majority he located in New Hampton, where he entered the employ
of 0. B. Sherman & Son, general merchants. He continued with that firm and their
successors for a period of fifteen years, a fact indicative of his capability and faithful-
ness. He entered the store as general utility boy and rose to the position of manager
of the clothing department. He recognized the fact, however, that there is little in
working for some one else and bought the interest of F. S. Briggs in the hardware busi-
ness of Dixon & Briggs, the firm style being then changed to Dixon & Garmen. About
1898 Joseph I. Forkenbrock took over the interest of Mr. Dixon in the business and the
present firm style of Garmen & Forkenbrock was assumed. They have since conducted
a successful hardware and steam fitting business and now enjoy a liberal patronage.

Mr. Garmen was united in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Shaffer, a daughter of H. H.

100 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Shaffer, one of the pioneer settlers of Chickasaw county, and to them have been born
three children: Charles J., who is cashier of the First State Bank of Elma; and Hattie
E. and W. Glenn, both deceased.

In politics Mr. Garmen is a republican and in April, 1917, he was elected to the
mayoralty of New Hampton. He closely studies the needs and opportunities of the com-
munity and discharges his duties with regard to civic improvement and advancement.
He is well known in Masonic circles as a member of Arcana Lodge, A. F. & A. M.; the
chapter, R. A. M. ; Eudoria Commandery, K. T. ; and the temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.
Both he and his wife are consistent members of the Baptist church and they rank high
in social circles of the city. Mr. Garmen has ever been a substantial factor in the busi-
ness and public life of his community and for eighteen years served as chief of the fire
department of New Hampton. The honors which have come to him in public life are
well deserved, indicating his worth and its recognition on the part of his fellow towns-
men.

J. J. LUKES.

The farming interests of Chickasaw county find a worthy representative in
J. J. Lukes, who is living on section 24, Utica township, where he has a tract of good
land well developed. He was born in Sumner township, Winneshiek county, Feb-
ruary, 13, 1857. Two years before this his parents, Martin and Annie (Kondelka)
Lukes, had come to the United States. They were of Czecho-Slovak nationality and
were married in their native land. Believing that they might have better business
opportunities on this side of the Atlantic, they made the voyage across the ocean
and established their home in Sumner township, Winneshiek county, Iowa, where
the father worked as a farm hand for a time. He then purchased land and devoted
the remainder of his active business life to the further development and improve-
ment of his property. He died at the home of his son, J. J. Lukes, in 1907, and the
mother remained a member of the household of lier son until 1911, when she,
too, was called to her final rest. In his business affairs the father had been quite suc-
cessful and ere his death had acquired two hundred acres of rich and valuable
land in Chickasaw county.

J. J. Lukes was educated in the common schools of Winneshiek county, where
he lived upon his father's farm, early becoming familiar with the best methods of
tilling the soil and caring for the crops. At the age of twenty-three years he was
married to Miss Anna Tupy and they became the parents of three children: Stella,
Francis and Rose. The wife and mother passed away in 1886 and in 1887 Mr. Lukes
was again married, his second union being with Anna Nohale, a daughter of Joseph
Nohale. Of this marriage seven children have been born and six are now living,
namely: Mary, Robert, Anna, Godlove, Rudolph and Lizzie. Alois is deceased.

Mr. Lukes and his family are members of the Catholic church of Protivin and
he is identified with the Catholic Order of Foresters at that place and with the
Modern Woodmen Camp there. In community affairs he is much interested and has
served as trustee of Utica township and also as township clerk and assessor, giving
to his locality valuable and efficient service along those lines. He has lived in
Utica township since his first marriage in 1880 and through the intervening period,
covering more than a third of a century, has been classed with the representative
farmers and substantial citizens of his part of the state.

HENRY MANNING.

Progressive methods of farming have placed Henry Manning in a. creditable posi-
tion among the leading agriculturists of Chickasaw county. His home is on section
19, Deerfield township, where he has an excellent tract of land of four hundred and
seventy-five acres, upon which he has lived since 1911. He is of German birth but was

J. J. LUKES

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 103

only four years of age when brought to the United States by his parents, of whom
mention is made in connection with the sketch of their son, Wilhelm Manning, on
another page of this work. The birth of Henry Manning occurred October 21, 1857,
and for a brief period in his youth he was a resident of Illinois, for his parents settled
in Cook county, that state, when they came to the new world. The father passed
away in Chicago and the mother, following the disastrous Chicago fire of October, 1871,
came with her three sons— Wilhelm, Henry and Herman — to Iowa. All three brothers
farmed together until 1886 and throughout the period of his residence in this state
Henry Manning has devoted his attention to general agricultural pursuits. He has
worked diligently and persistently to gain a start and to win the prosperity which
is now his. In 1911 he took up his abode upon his present place, which he purchased,
adding to his holdings until he now has four hundred and seventy-five acres in the
immediate vicinity of his home farm. He ranks with Deerfield township's most suc-
cessful and progressive farmers, following the most modern methods in the further
development and improvement of the fields and thus greatly enhancing the productive-
ness of his land.

On the 1st of December, 1886, Mr. Manning was united in marriage to Miss Bertha
Kumrey, a daughter of Henry and Henrietta Kumrey, who were natives of Germany,
whence they came to the United States. The father was for a long period a resident
of Iowa and passed away in Deerfield township, Chickasaw county. The mother died
in 1911 in Floyd county, this state. To Mr. and Mrs. Manning have been born three chil-
dren: Edward H. and John H., who are married; and George A., who is assisting his
father in the further development and improvement of the home farm.

The religious faith of the parents is indicated in their connection with the German
Lutheran church of Bassett. For fifty-seven years Henry Manning has resided on this
side of the Atlantic and is thoroughly American in spirit and interests. The greater
part of his life has been passed in Iowa and the agricultural development of Chickasaw
county has been promoted in no small measure through his untiring industry and
progressiveness.

HUGH H. SAUL.

Prominent among the energetic, farsighted and successful business men of Howard
county is numbered Hugh H. Saul, who is actively identified with farming interests on
section 15, Howard township, and is also the president of the Maple Leaf Creamery
Company. His business affairs are most wisely directed, his judgment at all times be-
ing sound and his methods thoroughly reliable. Iowa numbers him among her native
sons and the greater part of his life has been spent within her borders. He was born
near Reinbeck, Grundy county, on the 31st of August, 1878, his parents being Thomas
K. and Anna (Dyer) Saul, the former a native of Ireland, while the latter was born in
Illinois. The father came to the United States in young manhood and settled in Forres-
ton, Illinois, where he was subsequently married. About 1868 he removed to Iowa and
made his first investment in Iowa farm land by the purchase of a tract in Franklin
county, for which he paid four dollars per acre. After living upon that farm for only
a brief period he traded the property for land in Grundy county, for which he paid
seven dollars per acre, acquiring one hundred and forty-seven acres. For thirty years
he lived upon that place and converted it into a most productive tract, his fields re-
sponding readily to the care and labor which he bestowed upon them. After leaving the
farm he removed to Reinbeck and later to Waterloo, where he and his wife remained
until called to their final rest. The death of the fath'er occurred in 1912, while the
mother survived him for three years.

Hugh H. Saul was a pupil in the Ellsworth College at Iowa Falls, Iowa, after com-
pleting his district school course, and took up the profession of teaching, which he
followed through two winter terms. He also spent two years at work at the painter's
trade and in 1902 he began farming on his own account, his practical training received
upon the old homestead now coming into good play. He cultivated two hundred and

104 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

fifty acres of land, ninety acres of which came to him through his father, while the
other one hundred and sixty acre tract was rented. After five years he sold his property
and went to Texas, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Randall county,
and his father bought another quarter section in the same district, Hugh H. Saul liv-
ing upon and operating his father's land. He continued a resident of the Lone Star
state for three years, after which he returned to Iowa, becoming a resident of Howard
county. Here he has acquired two hundred and forty acres in Howard township and
his place is most fertile and productive. His farm is now under a very high state of
cultivation and constitutes one of the attractive features in the landscape by reason of
its splendid growing crops, its substantial buildings, its modern machinery and its high
grade stock. Mr. Saul's business ability is also manifest along another line, for he has
for a number of years been a director of the Maple Leaf Creamery Company and in
1918 was elected president of that corporation, in which capacity he is now serving, the
business being carefully and successfully carried on under his direction.

In 1903 Mr. Saul was united in marriage to Miss Anna Anderson, a native of
Ireland, by whom he had one child, Neiley E. The wife and mother passed away in
1906 and two years later Mr. Saul was again married, his second union being with
Miss Margaret Barry, of Canyon, Texas. By his second wife he has six children,
namely: Anna Irene, Thomas Allen, Violet V., Mildred E., Hugh H. and James Perry.

Mr. Saul votes with the republican party, to which he has given his support since
age conferred upon him the right of franchise. For several years he has served as a
member of the school board and is a stalwart champion of the cause of public educa-
tion, but otherwise he has never sought or filled public office. He is a member of
Maple Leaf Lodge, No. 528, A. F. & A. M., of Elma, and both he and his wife are
members of Maple Leaf Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star. They likewise hold
membership in the Presbyterian church and are faithful followers of its teachings.
Their social qualities, their kindly spirit and their reliability have won for them the
warm friendship and high regard of all who know them and it is to such substantial
people that Howard county owes her upbuilding and progress.

ROBERT W. DAVIS.

No student of the history of Howard county can carry his investigations far into
its public annals without learning how closely, helpfully and prominently has the Davis
family been associated therewith. Robert W. Davis, for many years actively and suc-
cessfully engaged in farming, is now living retired in Lime Springs, his business interests
being only those of a director of the First National Bank of Lime Springs save for the
supervision which he gives to his investments. He was born in Beaver township, Fill-
more county, Minnesota, October 2, 1862, a son of William P. and Catherine (Davis)
Davis, mentioned in connection with the sketch of their son, D. W. Davis, on another
page of this work.

The old homestead farm was the place upon which Robert W. Davis was reared
and in the district schools he pursued his education. He was but a lad of seven years
when his parents removed to Howard county, so that practically his entire life has been
spent within its borders. At the age of twenty-six years, he was united in marriage
to Miss Mary L. Jones, of Kingston, Wisconsin, and he then took up farming on his own
account. He had acquired two hundred and forty acres of the old homestead and upon
this place he engaged extensively in the breeding of thoroughbred shorthorn cattle and
built up one of the best herds in the county. He imported pure Scotch cattle and in-
creased his herd to one hundred head, all registered animals. For twenty-two years he
continued in this business and won a place among the foremost stock raisers and ship-
pers of northern Iowa. His business enterprise not only contributed to his personal
success but was also a potent feature in the development of the live stock interests of
the state, for he did much to improve the breed of stock raised by the farmers of his
section. In 1912 he disposed of his live stock interests and removed to Lime Springs,
having previously purchased an interest in the First National Bank upon its incorpora-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 105

tion. He was made a member of the board of directors at that time and through the
intervening years since his removal to the town he has given much of his time to the
conduct of the bank's affairs. He is still the owner of two excellent farms in Howard
county, including the old homestead of two hundred and forty acres and another tract
of one hundred acres, while in addition he also has a timber tract of forty acres. His
real estate possessions likewise include a farm of one hundred and sixty acres near
Aberdeen, North Dakota, and a place of one hundred and sixty acres in Alberta, Canada.
His profits have been wisely placed in real estate, the safest of all investments, and
from his property holdings he derives a most substantial annual income.

To Mr. and Mrs. Davis has been born a son. Sergeant Newton E. Davis, who en-
listed for service in the European war and was for six months on active duty in France.
In politics Mr. Davis is a republican and for five years served as assessor of Lime
Springs, while in 1915 he was appointed census enumerator. He belongs to Howard
Lodge, No. 214, A. F. & A. M., and also to Shiloh Chapter, No. 150, R. A. M., while both
he and his wife are members of Utopia Chapter, No. 379, 0. E. S. They also hold
membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and in these associations are indicated
the nature of their interests and the rules that govern their conduct. They are highly
esteemed people, enjoying the warm regard of all who know them, and the hospitality
of the best homes of the county is freely accorded them.

THEODORE LUSSON.

Among the progressive business men of Cresco is Theodore Lusson of the firm of
McHugh & Lusson, implement dealers who also have the Ford agency and garage.
Their plans have been well defined and promptly executed and success in substantial
measure has come to them, while their labors have been a contributing factor to the
commercial upbuilding of the city.

Mr. Lusson was born in Peru, Illinois, May 5, 1873, a son of Joseph and Catharine
(Perry) Lusson. The father was born in Luxemburg, Germany, as was the mother.
When a young man he crossed the Atlantic to the United States, making the voyage
on a sailing vessel, and after a number of weeks spent upon the water he reached the
American port. From the eastern coast he made his way into the interior, settling
at Port Washington, Wisconsin, where he secured land which he owned and cultivated
tor some time. Later he removed to Fayette county, Iowa, where he purchased a farm
and this he developed and improved, his labors bringing to him substantial harvests
annually. He lived upon that place until his death, which occurred when he had
reached the advanced age of seventy-nine years, and his wife was seventy-three years of
age at the time of her death. Both were devoted members of the Catholic church and
Mr. Lusson gave his political allegiance to the democratic party.

Theodore Lusson, whose name introduces this review, spent his youthful days in
Fayette county, Iowa, where he was educated and later engaged in clerking in a hard-
ware store, where he continued for two years. In the fall of 1899 he came to Cresco,
where he took up his abode and embarked in the general merchandise business, becom-
ing connected with F. A. Huber in this undertaking. He was thus actively associated
with commercial interests of the city for five years, at the end of which time Mr. Huber
disposed of his interest to J. F. Zbornik, with whom Mr. Lusson continued in business
until 1909. They built up a large and gratifying trade and found that well satisfied
patrons were their best advertisement. They put forth every effort to please their cus-
tomers, therefore, and their trade steadily grew. In 1909, however, Mr. Lusson disposed
of his interest to J. W. Zbornik and later formed a partnership with 0. J. McHuerh. They
purchased the implement business of D. A. Lyons and in that line Mr. Lusson is still
engaged. The firm of McHugh & Lusson entered upon a profitable existence, having a
large and well appointed implement store and at the same time they own and conduct
the Ford agency and garage in Cresco, being liberally patronized along that line as well.

In 1904 Mr. Lusson was married to Miss Anna Meyer, a daughter of John and Caro-
line (Horn) Meyer, who were farming people living for many years in Howard county.

Vol. u— 7

106 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Iowa. The father has now retired from active business and he and his wife make tlieir
home in Cresco. Mrs. Lusson was born in Howard county and by her marriage has
become the mother of four children: Irvin, Bernadetta, Leo J. and Jerome. The
family are well known in Cresco, where they have an extensive circle of warm friends.

Mr. Lusson votes with the democratic party, which has received his earnest support
since he attained his majority. He has always been a believer in the principles of the
party yet he has never sought or desired office. He stands, however, for all those inter-
ests which he feels will prove of benefit and value to the community and his cooperation
can always be counted upon to support any measure of public worth.

HENRY SCHWAKE.

Henry Schwake, a Howard county farmer living on section 12, Afton township,
was born in Maxfield township, Bremer county, Iowa, April 10, 1872, a son of Conrad
and Marie (Hassey) Schwake, both of whom were natives of Germany. They came
to the United States in 1866. The father is still living but the mother passed away
in Howard township, Howard county, in 1917. After crossing the Atlantic they took
up their abode in Chicago. Each crossed the ocean alone and for two years they re-
sided in the new world before they were married. After a residence of two years
in Chicago they removed to Bremer county, Iowa, where the father rented a farm
which he conducted for six years. He then removed with his family to a place about
twenty miles eastward, near Buckcreek, there purchasing a tract of land which he con-
tinued to cultivate and improve for fourteen years. On the expiration of that period
he sold his property and came to Howard county, where he bought three eighty acre
tracts of land four and a half miles northeast of Elma. With characteristic energy
he bent his efforts to the further development and improvement of that place and
resided thereon until 1909, when he retired from active business life and took up his
-abode in Busti.

Henry Schwake was reared under the parental roof and has been a lifelong resi-
dent of Iowa. His youthful days were passed in the usual manner of the farmbred
boy who attends the district schools and works in the fields when not busy with his
textbooks. After his schooldays were over he concentrated his efforts and energies
upon farm work, thus aiding his father up to the time of his marriage, which was
celebrated in 1901. Subsequently he bought his present home property on section 12,
Afton township, and has since occupied this place. Its attractive appearance is the
direct outcome of his labors and perseverance. He has worked diligently and persist-
ently in the development of the fields and annually gathers golden harvests.

On the 28th of March, 1901, Mr. Schwake was married to Miss Fredericka Bayer,
a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Bayer, who were natives of Germany and have
now passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Schwake have become parents of a daughter, Marie,
who is now in school. They are members of the Lutheran church at Elma and in
political belief Mr. Schwake is a democrat. He served for seven or eight years as
school director but otherwise has not held or desired public office. He was a sup-
porter of the Liberty Loans and the Red Cross and he has ever been keenly interested
in all projects for the upbuilding and progress of his county, commonwealth and
country.

JOHN A. CRAY.

John A. Cray, one of the earliest of Howard county's pioneer settlers, arriving
here with his parents in 1857, was born in the province of Ontario, Canada, on the
27th of August, 1856, a son of Joseph and Matilda (Coombs) Cray, both of whom
were natives of Somersetshire, England, where they were reared, educated and
married. Immediately after their marriage they came to the new world, emigrating

I

i

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 109

in 1849 and taking up their abode in Canada, where they resided for eight years.
In 1857 they came to Howard county, Iowa, and the father purchased eighty acres
of land from the government, the tract being situated four miles west of Lime
Springs. Thereon he resided to the time of his retirement from active business in
the late '80s, at which time he removed to Lime Springs, where his death occurred.
His wife died in September, 1882.

John A. Cray was reared from infancy in Howard county and has therefore
been a witness of practically its entire growth and development. He was educated
in the district schools, attending school in private homes before a schoolhouse was
erected in the section of the county in which he lived. He shared with the family
in all the hardships and privations incident to the settlement of the frontier and
through the period of his youth he aided in the work of the home farm, early
becoming familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops.
After attaining his majority he continued to farm the land on which he had been
reared, for the father and sons had acquired more than a section, to a part of which
John A. Cray held title. Year after year he gave his attention to agricultural
pursuits, continuing the further development and improvement of his farm until
1894 save for a short period spent in the western country In 1894 he took up his
abode in Lime Springs, where he has since made his home. In the fall of 1892 he was
elected to the board of county supervisors and abandoned farming in order to give
more time to the duties of the office, for in those days much of the bridge building
and other work of the county was done under the supervision of the supervisors
and not through contract as is now the custom. Following his removal to Lime
Springs, Mr. Cray became associated with his brother, S. R. Cray, in the farm imple-
ment and hardware business. They continued active in that line of trade for a
number of years but finally sold their interests to A. E. Marsh. Through the inter-
vening period Mr. Cray has lived retired, enjoying well earned rest which is possible
through the fruits of his former toil.

In his political views Mr. Cray is a democrat, with firm faith in the principles
of the party, and he has served as a member of the board of township trustees
for many years. He was called to that office about the time he attained his majority
and continued to fill the position until his removal to Lime Springs in 1894. Since
that date he has served continuously as a member of the town council. He belongs
to the Methodist Episcopal church and is a generous and earnest supporter thereof.
He is keenly interested in everything that has to do with public welfare and progress
and at all times he has contributed to the upbuilding and development of his section
of the state. More than six decades have been added to the cycle of the centuries
since he became a resident of Howard county and through this period he has wit-
nessed the wonderful transformation wrought by time and man, Howard county
taking its place with the most progressive counties of this great commonwealth.

O. A. CERWINSKE.

O. A. Cerwinske, who follows farming on section 8, Chickasaw township, in Chicka-
saw county, has been a lifelong resident of Iowa. His birth occurred near Rockford, in
Floyd county, February 8, 1882, his parents being Joseph and Lena (Balitz) Cerwinske,
who were natives of Germany but in early life came to the United States. They met
and were married in Floyd county, Iowa, where for many years the family home was
maintained.

O. A. Cerwinske, after attending the district schools of Floyd county, continued
his education in a college at Charles City, Iowa, where for two years he pursued a com-
mercial course, thus becoming well qualified for the duties and responsibilities of
business life. During his youthful days to the time of his marriage he remained upon
his father's farm and on the 16th of August, 1904, he wedded Cornea Robison. a daugh-
ter of George and Alice Robison, who are yet residents of Charles City, Iowa. The
father of Mr. Cerwinske died in Floyd county in 1902, but the mother still survives,

110 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

making her home at Missouri Valley, Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. O. A. Cerwinske have been
born three children: Maurine, six years of age; Joseph, aged three; and Sheldon, who
is one year old.

After the death of his father Mr. Cerwinske carried on the home farm in connec-
tion with his brother for five years and then began farming on his own account in
Floyd county. In 1913 he removed to his present farm in Chickasaw township, Chicka-
saw county, and made purchase of eighty acres of land, which he is now carefully culti-
vating according to improved and modern methods of agriculture. His labors are
bringing about good results and his success has placed him among the substantial
young farmers of this section of the state. His property is located just south of the
corporation limits of Bassett and he is engaged extensively and profitably in the breed-
ing of registered Poland China hogs.

In his political views Mr. Cerwinske is a stalwart republican and is now serving
for the second term as mayor of Bassett, giving to the town a businesslike and pro-
gressive administration. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and he and his
family hold membership in the Methodist church of Bassett. His fellow townsmen
attest the sterling worth of his character and class him with the leading and repre-
sentative residents of his section of Chickasaw county. He has ever been imbued with
the spirit of enterprise and progress that has been the dominant factor in the upbuild
ing of the west and this spirit has been manifest in his connection with public affairs
as well as in the control of his private business interests.

4

WILLIAM M. KALISHEK.

William M. Kalishek is actively identified with commercial interests in Protivin as
a dealer in groceries and meats. He has built up a business of substantial proportions
and his trade is constantly and steadily growing. Mr. Kalishek is a native of Winne-
shiek county, Iowa, his birth having there occurred November 11, 1881. His parents
were natives of Bohemia. His father came to the United States when a youth of
twelve years and was employed on a farm in Winneshiek county for a number of years,
during which time he carefully saved his earnings until his industry and economy had
brought him sufficient capital to enable him to purchase property. He invested in farm
land in Winneshiek county, becoming owner of two hundred and twenty-seven acres,
which he carefully and successfully cultivated for a considerable period. Several years
ago he retired from active business life and he and his wife removed to Protivin,
where they are residing at the present time. From his farm he secures a good rental
which supplies him with all of the necessities and many of the luxuries of life. In
early manhood the father, Martin Kalishek, wedded Elizabeth Novotny, who had come
to Iowa from Bohemia with her parents when quite young, the family home being
established in Winneshiek county.

William M. Kalishek of this review was reared to farm life, early becoming fa-
miliar with all of the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the farmer. He assisted
his father with farming until he was about twenty-five years of age, when he was
united in marriage to Miss Carrie Kovarik, a daughter of John and Barbara Kovarik,
of Spillville, Iowa. Following his marriage Mr. Kalishek removed to North Dakota
and purchased a farm near Lisbon, that state. He continued to cultivate the property
for seven years, after which he rented his land in North Dakota and removed to Proti-
vin, where he purchased a meat market. This he has conducted for the past five years
and has built up a business of substantial proportions. He has a thoroughly modern
store in its equipment — a credit to the town of Protivin. He is a progressive and en-
terprising business man and is well liked by the community.

To Mr. and Mrs. Kalishek has been born a son, Richard, who has enjoyed the
advantages of the public schools. It was such training that qualified Mr. Kalishek of
this review for life's practical and responsible duties, for he was educated in the
schools of Winneshiek county. He and his family attend the Catholic church at Proti-
vin and he gives his political allegiance to the democratic party. He has never sought

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 111

nor desired office for himself, but his father served as school director and was road
supervisor for fifteen or twenty years. While William M. Kalishek does not desire
public oflfice, he is always loyal in matters of citizenship and gives his earnest support
to every plan or project for the public good.

M. R. HOFFMANN.

M. R. Hoffmann, actively engaged in general farming on section 24, Washington town-
ship, Chickasaw county, was born in Jackson county, Iowa, April 16, 1869, a son of
Charles and Susan (Loux) Hoffmann, who were natives of Germany and came with their
parents to the new world. They became acquainted and were married in Jackson
county, near Dubuque, Iowa, and for many years the father followed farming in that
county, meeting with a fair measure of success. He died in Alta Vista, Iowa, December
17, 1913, while his wife survived until October 9, 1915, and also passed away in Alta
Vista.

M. R. Hoffmann acquired his education in the parochial schools of Jackson county
and remained with his father through the period of his minority, assisting in the farm
v/ork from the time that he was old enough to manage the plow until he reached his
twenty-eighth birthday. It was then that he was married and rented a farm in Henry
township, Plymouth county, Iowa, near Remsen, upon which he lived for a year. He
afterward rented land in Nassau township, Sioux county, for a period of seven years
and later he took up his abode upon his present home place in 1907, purchasing one hun-
dred and sixty acres of land, which he has since greatly developed and improved. He
has erected a beautiful residence, in the rear of which stand substantial barns and out-
buildings, some of which have been put up by him. These in turn are surrounded by
fields of convenient size which are highly cultivated, so that he annually harvests good
crops. He has added to his original quarter section by additional purchase and his farm
now comprises two hundred and forty acres of land.

Mr. Hoffmann was united in marriage on his twenty-eighth birthday to Miss Rosa
Ilerbst, by whom he had four children who are living: Florence, Raymond, Elma and
Arnold. The wife and mother passed away August 15, 1906, and on the 14th of May,
1912, Mr. Hoffmann wedded Anna Sassen, a daughter of Herman and Mary (Westen-
dorf) Sassen. who now reside at Adrian, Minnesota. Three children have been born of
the second marriage: Rosella, Naomi and Louraine.

The family are members of St. Bernard's Catholic church of Alta Vista and Mr.
Hoffmann is identified with the Catholic Order of Foresters. He belongs to the Alta
Vista Farmers' Equity Association and he gives his political endorsement to the demo-
cratic party. The activities and interests of his life have been well balanced, making
his an evenly rounded character.

WILLIAM B. RINN.

William B. Rinn, a representative farmer whose home is situated on section 20,
Paris township, Howard county, is not only active as an agriculturist but is an influen-
tial factor in connection with the public interests of the community. He is serving at
the present writing as chairman of the board of township trustees and at all times his
aid and cooperation can be counted upon to further measures for the general good.

He was born in Jones county, Iowa, October 11, 1857, and is a son of Peter and Ann
(Rowley) Rinn, who were natives of Ireland and came to the United States in young
manhood and womanhood. Peter Rinn was accompanied by his father, who, however,
died on the voyage across the Atlantic and was buried at sea. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Rinn
were among the earliest of the pioneers of Jones county but subsequently removed to
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where they resided for a number of years. Some time later, in
the '60s, they came to Howard county, where Mr. Rinn purchased one hundred acres of

112 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

land, constituting the present home farm of his son William. He and his wife occupied
that place until they were called to their final rest.

The memory of William B. Rinn compasses the period when the country was wild
and undeveloped and the farm was alive with rattlesnakes. The family first lived in a
little log cabin and they faced many of the hardships, trials and privations of pioneer
life. In fact conditions were very disheartening and they felt that they could not
remain in such a country, yet they persevered and by reason of their determination and
energy they developed what was once a tract of wild land into rich and fertile fields.
The father died when but thirty-five years of age. He left a heavy indebtedness upon
the little farm and William B. Rinn, although but a boy in years, put his shoulder to
the wheel, discharged the indebtedness and in subsequent years has added to the farm
property until today he is the owner of two hundred and sixty acres of Howard county's
most fertile farm land.

On the 25th of June, 1888, Mr. Rinn was married to Miss Margaret Woods, of Howard
Center township, Howard county, and they became the parents of eleven children, of
whom two died in infancy, while a son died after being, called for examination for service
in the European war. Eight of the children are still living, as follows: William E.,
at home; Mary, the wife of William Conry, residing at Loudres, Howard County; Clara,
Anna, the wife of William Bauster, a farmer of Paris township, Howard county; and
Ella, Regina, Marguerite and Thomas, all at home.

In his political views Mr. Rinn is a democrat and for many years served as president
of the school board and also as school director. He has likewise been a member of the
board of township trustees for a number of years and is its present chairman. He and
his family are members of the Catholic church and he belongs to the Catholic Order of
Foresters and the Modern Woodmen of America. He ranks with the most progressive
men of Paris township and has always stood for everything of worth to the community,
the commonwealth and the country. During the recent war he served on the Liberty
Loan committee and was a most earnest champion and supporter of Red Cross work and
other war activities. His life has been made a factor for good and usefulness in the
community in which he makes his home and at the same time he has so conducted his
business affairs as to win substantial prosperity.

L. D. WHITNEY.

L. D. Whitney is now living retired from business, but for many years was actively
identified with farming on section 9, Deerfield township, Chickasaw county. He makes
his home in the town of Deerfield and is enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and
richly merits, for through earnest and persistent labor he won a substantial competence.
He was born August 4, 1861, on the farm which he still owns, his parents being Moses
and Mary (Hoyt) Whitney, who were natives of New Hampshire, where they were
reared and married. In September, 1854, they came west with other pioneers to Iowa
and the first winter Mr. Whitney purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land on
section 9, Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, buying this from the government at the
usual price of a dollar and a quarter per acre. In April, 1861, responding to the coun-
try's call for troops, he enlisted for service in the Civil war and was on active duty on
the frontier as a cavalryman, fighting Indians. He was wounded near Sioux City, Iowa,
and died from the effects of this injury in the hospital at Davenport in September, 1862.
Immediately after the death of her husband, owing to straightened financial circum-
stances, Mrs. Whitney was obliged to sell eighty acres of the home farm in order to help
support the family. In 1867 she was again married, becoming the wife of Joseph Stram,
and her death occurred on the 12th of October, 1883.

L. D. Whitney was educated in the district schools and from the time that he was
old enough to handle a plow his services were required on the farm. At eighteen years
of age he began farming on his own account, cultivating the land owned by his mother.
In 1881 he made his first purchase of property, buying forty acres of brush land, for
which he paid six dollars and a quarter per acre. This he cleared and placed under

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 113

i!ultivation, and after his mother's death the forty-acre tract which belonged to her came
tc him by inheritance, as he was an only child. In 1893 he bought an adjoining forty
acre tract, so that his holdings now embrace one hundred and twenty acres. As the
years have passed he has diligently carried on the farm work, following progressive
methods in all that he has undertaken, and year by year he was able to add to his finan-
cial resources and is today in most comfortable circumstances. Aside from the farm,
trom which he derives a good income, he is a stockholder in the Colwell Grain Exchange.

In 1900 Mr. Whitney was united in marriage to Mrs. John Johnstone, who in her
maidenhood was Miss Eliza Biggs, a native of the province of Ontario, Canada, where
her parents lived and died. By her former marriage Mrs. Whitney had seven children,
five of whom survive, as follows: Arthur A. Johnstone, who is with the Northwestern
Trading Company of New York city; William 0., who is engaged in the operation of the
Babcock farm near New Hampton; Margaret I., who is a kindergarten teacher in Charles
City; Ethel R., the wife of T. R. Ballentyne, who cultivates her father's farm; and
Gladys E., who is employed in the navy department at Washington, D. C.

In his political views Mr. Whitney is an earnest republican, and while not an office
seeker, he has served as president and secretary of the school board for several years.
His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and both are highly esteemed
throughout the community by reason of their sterling worth, their social qualities and
their thorough reliability. Whatever success Mr. Whitney has achieved is attributable
entirely to his own labors and perseverance. He has worked his way steadily upward
and his industry and determination have constituted the foundation of his prosperity.

W. H. OWENS.

W. H. Owens, a representative farmer of Vernon Springs township living on sec-
tion 14, is well known in Howard county by reason of the progressive methods which
have brought him to a prominent position among the agriculturists of this section of
the state. Iowa numbers him among her native sons, his birth having occurred in
Chickasaw county on the 22d of February, 1863, his parents being Hugh and Sarah
(Cull) Owens, both of whom were natives of Ireland. They came to the United States
in early life and the father first made his way to Rock county, Wisconsin, while the
mother became a resident of New Haven, Connecticut. It was about 1858 when Hugh
Owens removed to Iowa and in 1860 the lady whom he afterward made his wife also
became a resident of this state. It was in April, 1862, that they were married in Fes-
tina, Iowa, and soon afterward they removed to Chickasaw county, where Mr. Owens
settled on a tract of virgin prairie in Washington township. There he built a log
cabin and began the development of a farm upon which he resided for three or four
years, when he removed to Conover, which was then the terminus of the Chicago, Mil-
waukee & St. Paul Railroad. At that date he opened a hotel, which he conducted for
a number of years, when the railroad was extended and he removed to Cresco; he was
also proprietor of a hotel there for several years. Later he purchased a farm in Ver-
non Springs township and for a few years devoted his attention to the cultivation
and development of that property. In 1900 he retired from active business life and
removed to Cresco, where he spent his remaining days, his death there occurring April
26, 1907. He had for a number of years survived his wife, who died on the 1st of
July, 1900.

Their son, W. ,H. Owens, was educated in the public schools of Cresco and also in
the Upper Iowa UniA^ersity, in which he studied for a term. After reaching his ma-
jority he cooperated with his father in the further development of the home farm until
1900. On the 2d of May of that year he was united in marriage to Miss Anna Dor-
gan, a daughter of Lawrence and Mary (Killoy) Dorgan, the former a native of Penn-
sylvania, while the latter was born in Wisconsin. They were married on the 3d of
October, 1871, in Keyesville, Wisconsin, and the father devoted his active life to
agricultural pursuits. He is still living and resides at Richland Center. Wisconsin but
the mother passed away on the 15th of November, 1908. Mr. Dorgan has always been

114 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

an ardent republican but is liberal in his views. He served for many years as justice
of the peace and notary public and he has been an influential factor in the political
councils of his party.

Following his marriage Mr. Owens rented and cultivated his father's farm for four
years. In 1902 he purchased his present home property, to which he removed in
March, 1904. In 1915 he built one of the handsome country homes of Howard county
and he has erected all of the substantial and attractive buildings which are upon his
farm and his is one of the most attractive properties in Vernon Springs township. He
follows the most progressive methods in the conduct of his interests and his energy
and enterprise have brought to him a very gratifying measure of success.

To Mr. and Mrs. Owens have been born five children: John Cletus, who is attending
Dubuque College, in which he is pursuing a scientific course; William L.; Raymond A.;
Sarah Geraldine; and Eleanor Mary.

The parents are members of the Catholic church and Mr. Owens belongs also to
the Knights of Columbus. In politics he is a democrat. He is regarded as one of the
leading citizens of Vernon Springs township and his life is indicative of the forcefulness
of energy and enterprise as factors in business. Steadily he has worked his way up-
ward and his progress is manifest in the fine appearance of the farm which he now
owns.

W. L. DARROW.

W. L. Darrow, who was a successful banker of New Hampton, passed away
March 31, 1919, honored and respected by all who knew him in northern Iowa.
He made his entrance into Chickasaw county behind a flock of sheep which for
ten weeks had been driving across the country from New York to Iowa. He was
then in limited financial circumstances, but was attracted by the opportunities of
the west and was possessed of laudable ambition and determination — qualities that
readily wrest fortune from the hands of fate. He became the president of the
Darrow Trust & Savings Bank, one of the strong financial institutions of northern
Iowa.

He was born in Genesee county, New York, September 18, 1835, a son of
Luther and Hannah (Kinney) Darrow, both of whom were natives of the state of
Vermont. They were married at Rupert, Vermont, and afterward took up their
abode upon a farm in Genesee county, New York, which the father had previously
secured, this being a part of the Holland land purchase. It was covered with a
native growth of timber and he at once set himself to the arduous task of clearing
away the trees, plowing the land and improving the place. His wife died there
when their son, W. L. Darrow, was but five years of age. The father continued
to reside upon the old homestead to the time of his death, which occurred when
he was seventy-two years of age. He was a son of Zachariah Darrow, a Revolu-
tionary war soldier, who died in Pembroke, New York, at the advanced age of
pinety years. The maternal grandfather of W. L. Darrow was also a Revolu-
tionary war hero and passed away at Rupert, Vermont, when ninety years of age.

In the common schools of Pembroke, New York, W. L. Darrow pursued his
education and while still but a youth went to work for a brother in a mercantile
store in Pembroke. At the age of eighteen years he first came to the west, making
his way to the territory of Minnesota, where he drove oxen used in hauling logs
during the first summer. For two or three years thereafter he worked in a store
at Oronco and eventually made his way to Iowa. In this state he taught school
in the winter months, while in the summer seasons he was employed in various ways
until he returned to Pembroke, New York, about the latter part of the year 1856.
Through the following eight years he taught school during the winter seasons
and worked the farm during the summer months.

In 1864 Mr. Darrow was united in marriage to Miss Maria Douglas and the
same year he again started for Iowa, making the entire journey on foot, driving

W. L. DARROW

I

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 117

a flock of sheep across the country with the assistance of a dog. He was ten weeks
upon the road, camping out by the wayside at night. He left his bride in New
York, sending for her the following spring. She journeyed westward by train as
far as Waverly, Iowa, where she was met by Mr. Darrow with a team and wagon
and thus taken to her new home. Mr. Darrow, upon his arrival, had settled upon
a farm in Deerfleld township and later he purchased a farm from a Mr. Door, who
had taken up the property as a homestead claim. Mr. Darrow continued upon
this place for four or five years and concentrated his efforts and attention upon
the development of his fields through the summer seasons, while in the winter he
taught both common schools and singing schools. At the end of that period he
removed to New Hampton and secured a contract for carrying the mail from that
place to Deerfield. He likewise continued his work as a singing school teacher.
He was frugal and industrious and thus was soon able to loan money in a small
way. This constituted his initial step toward his banking experience. Later he
became the agent for eastern capitalists in loaning money on farm mortgages
and other property and in this he proved quite successful displaying sound judg-
ment in placing the loans. For some years he was identified with his brother, Asa
K. Darrow, in a private banking business and about 1910 the Darrow Trust &
Savings Bank was incorporated and W. L. Darrow became the president of the
institution. He thus gradually worked his way upward in financial circles until he
occupied a prominent position as one of the bankers of northern Iowa.

Mr. and Mrs. Darrow became the parents of but one child, Verna, who is now
the wife of A. F. Markle, vice president of the Darrow Trust & Savings Bank. Mrs.
Darrow is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Darrow was also
a member of the same church and also of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to the
lodge, chapter, commandery and shrine. In politics he was a republican and for
several years served as town clerk but otherwise did not seek or fill public posi-
tions. He certainly deserved much credit for what he accomplished as he worked
his way steadily upward through persistent effort and indefatigable energy. As a
business man he was conspicuous among his associates, not only for his success,
but for his probity, fairness and honorable dealing. In his life his continuous and
intelligently directed activity had been accorded the due recognition of labor which
is substantial success. His interests were thoroughly identified with those of
Chickasaw county, where he made his home for fifty-five years, and at all times he was
ready to lend his aid and cooperation to any movement calculated to benefit this section
of the country or advance its wonderful development.

THOMAS J. HOOPER.

One of the most prominent and widely known of the farmers of Howard county is
Thomas J. Hooper, whose place is on sections 24 and 25, Paris township. The landed
possessions he superintends aggregate ten hundred and twenty-four acres and the
careful cultivation and development of his fields have placed him with the prosperous
and representative agriculturists of this section of the state. Mr. Hooper was born in
Ontonagon county, Michigan, on the 27th of August, 1871, and is a son of Thomas and
Henrietta Augusta Hooper, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work.

Thomas J. Hooper of this review spent the days of his boyhood and youth in his
native county to the age of seventeen years and acquired his education in the public
schools, while in farm work he was well trained. Leaving home in 1888, he went to
Fort Arthur, Ontario, Canada, where he was employed in a silver mine until 189.'?. He
then left that district and removed to Great Falls, Montana where he engaged in work-
ing in a smelter. He spent about two years in that locality and in February, 1895, left
Montana and made his way to Howard county, Iowa, where he took up his abode upon
his father's farm, which he has since occupied. This place is one of the largest and
finest farms of the county. It is equipped with every modern convenience and accessory
known to the model farm property of the twentieth century. The buildings are large

118 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

and substantial and in addition to a most attractive residence tliere are commodious
barns and outbuildings that furnish ample shelter to grain and stock. The place is
divided into fields of convenient size by well kept fences and the work of cultivation
is conducted according to the most progressive methods. Mr. Hooper studies closely
everything that has to do with scientific farming and his labors have produced excel-
lent results.

On the 7th of October, 1895, Thomas J. Hooper was married to Miss Emma A. Oak-
land, a daughter of Henry T. and Isabella Oakland. Mrs. Hooper was born in Boone
county, Iowa, but when she was only a year old her parents removed with their family
to Minnesota, where they remained upon a farm for ten years. They then went to
Athol, South Dakota, where they resided for six years, the father being engaged during
that time in farming and in the implement business. They next took up their abode
at Great Falls, Montana, and there the father of Mrs. Hooper turned his attention to
real estate dealing. He was a native of Norway, born in the land of the midnight sun
In 1848, and was a young man of nineteen years when he came to the United States.
He sought broader business opportunities than could be secured in his native country
and through the utilization of the advantages that came to him in a business way he
steadily progressed and had no reason to regret his determination to come to the
United States. He died at Great Falls, Montana, August 15, 1894.

Mr. and Mrs. Hooper are the parents of five children: Harry Verne, Harold Mau-
rice, Charles Donald, Stanley Dean and William Howard. All are yet under the paren-
tal roof and are being educated in the public schools of Howard county. The son
Harold has finished his work in the grades and is taking a general course in the high
school at Greenland, Michigan. Mr. Hooper has ever been a strong believer in educa-
tion and desires that his children shall have good opportunities in this direction. His
own liberal training has constituted the foundation of his success, for after attending
the graded schools he pursued his studies in a boarding school at Lansing, Michigan,
and still later took a course in the agricultural school of that state. He likewise at-
tended a commercial school in Toronto and thus he has been well trained in all meth-
ods of scientific farming and is able to direct his labors in the fields with sound judg-
ment.

He and his family attend the Methodist Episcopal church of Cresco and Mr. Hooper
is a member of Cresco Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and is likewise connected with Beauseant
Commandery, K. T., at Decorah, Iowa. Since 1894 he has been a member of the Wood-
men of the World and he is always loyal to the teachings of these organizations. His
political endorsement has been given to the republican party since age conferred upon
him the right of franchise, but he prefers that his public duty shall be done as a pri-
vate citizen and not as an office holder. The extensive farming interests under his
Eontrol make heavy demands upon his time and energies, but he has his work thoroughly
systematized. He forms his plans most carefully and is determined in their execution,
and when one avenue of accomplishment seems closed he carves out other paths
whereby he can reach the desired goal. In his vocabulary there is no such word as
fail and his determination and perseverance constitute important elements in the at-
tainment of the very substantial success that is now his.

JOHN SIMON KACHER.

The home farm of John Simon Kacher is situated on section 13, Utica township,
Chickasaw county, and comprises two hundred and eighty acres of rich and valuable
land. Since coming into possession of this property he has concentrated his efforts and
attention upon its further development and improvement and has made it one of the
valuable farms of his part of the state.

Iowa claims him as a native son, his birth having occurred in Winneshiek county,
December 24, 1873, his parents being Frank and Kate (Payer) Kacher, both of whom
were natives of Bohemia. They came to the United States with their respective parents
and it was in Winneshiek county that they became acquainted and were married. The

CHICKASAW AXD HOWARD COUNTIES 119

father was killed in 1874 when he was run over by a wagon that was loaded with bundles
of wheat. His widow long survived him and departed this life in Winneshiek county
in 1915.

John S. Kacher was only a year old at the time of his father's demise. Reared in
his native county, he attended its common schools but his opportunities in that direc-
tion were somewhat limited, for owing to his father's early death it became necessary
that he provide for his own support when he was still quite young. He left home at the
age of twelve years and began working as a farm hand. His youth was therefore a
period of earnest and unremitting toil and he early learned the value of industry and
perseverance as factors in the attainment of success. These qualities have characterized
his entire life. For a considerable period he worked for others and then began farming
on his own account on rented land, which he continued to cultivate for nine years. He
then made investment in one hundred and sixty acres of his present farm in 1903 and
since that time has enjoyed a substantial measure of prosperity. As the years have
passed and his moneyed resources have developed he has bought other land and now
owns two hundred and eighty acres in the home place, in addition to an excellent tract
cf one hundred and twenty acres in Winneshiek county.

On the 25th of September, 1894, Mr. Kacher was married to Miss Stella Shindlar, a
daughter of Frank and Nellie Shindlar, who were also natives of Bohemia and became
pioneer residents of Winneshiek county, where the mother still makes her home. The
father, however, passed away in the year 1893. Mr. and Mrs. Kacher have become the
parents of six children: James, who is married and follows farming in Utica township;
and John, Frank, Pauline, Adeline and Stanley, all at home.

Mr. Kacher and his family are members of the Catholic church at Little Turkey.
His political belief is that of the democratic party and to its principles he has given his
earnest allegiance since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He is truly a
self-made man and deserves great credit for what he has accomplished, as he was forced
to start out in the business world empty-handed when a little lad of but twelve years.
From that time forward he has worked diligently and his success has come to him as
the reward of his earnest toil. He is today the owner of valuable farm property and
his holdings are the visible evidence of his life of well directed energy and thrift

JOSEPH F. PECINOVSKY.

Joseph F. Pecinovsky, occupying a central place on the stage of public activity
in connection with the history of New Oregon township and the town of Protivin, is
widely known as the president of the Bohemian Savings Bank but otherwise is living
retired from active business, although he was for many years actively identified with
interests which have constituted an important element in the development and busi-
ness progress of this section of the state. He was born in Davenport, Iowa, March 21,
1858, a son of Joseph and Rosalie (Holub) pecinovsky, both of whom were natives of
Bohemia. The parents came to the United States in young manhood and womanhood,
landing in New York city on the 1st of January, 1855. They were from the same lo-
cality in Bohemia and crossed the ocean on the same vessel. With the father came
his parents and three brothers, while the mother accompanied her mother, three
brothers and a sister to the new world, her father having died in Bohemia. Joseph
Pecinovsky, Sr., was a tailor by trade and located in Davenport, where he worked at
tailoring for seven or eight years. His parents then came on to Howard county, while
the family of Mrs. Joseph Pecinovsky stopped in Davenport, Iowa. Some of the
brothers of Mrs. Pecinovsky, however, finally drifted further west and located near
Prairieburg, in Linn county, Iowa. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pecinovsky,
Sr., was celebrated in Davenport a year or so after they had come to the new world
and two children were born to them in that city. In 1863 they came with their little
family to Howard county, Iowa, and purchased forty acres of government land just
north of the present town of Protivin. Here the father engaged in farming very suc-
cessfully and as the years passed he added to his landed possessions until he had a^-

120 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

quired four hundred and eighty acres. He and his wife are still living, he having
reached the notable old age of ninety-two years, while Mrs. Pecinovsky is eighty-five
years of age. For several years they have made their home with their son Joseph.

In the district schools of Howard county Joseph F. Pecinovsky of this review pur-
sued his education and also spent two short terms in the city schools of Cresco. His
early training was that of the farmbred boy who soon becomes familiar with the work
of the fields through actual experience. In 1880, having reached man's estate, Joseph
F. Pecinovsky was united in marriage to Miss Teresa Moudry, a native of Bohemia, who
came to this country two years before her marriage. Mr. Pecinovsky after assuming
the duties of head of a household opened a country store, but three years of failure of
wheat crops at that period led him to the belief that there was no money to be made
in merchandising and he therefore turned his attention to farming. His father re-
tired from active business at that time and the son took charge of the old homestead
property. As the years passed and he prospered in his undertakings he made invest-
ment in farm lands until his landed possessions aggregated five hundred and thirty
acres. This he held in his own name for a considerable period but in later years has
divided his property among his children save for one hundred and sixty acres which
he still retains as the home place. In 1910 he was one of the dominant factors in the
organization of the Bohemian State Bank of Protivin and was made the first presi-
dent of the institution. He has served as president of the bank continuously since
with the exception of one year, when he withdrew to give his attention more fully to
the duties of the office of county supervisor. The success of the bank is attributable in
no small measure to his efforts and cooperation and the sound business policy which he
has instituted in connection with the conduct of the bank. He is likewise a stockholder
in the Protivin Telephone Company, a stockholder in the First National Bank of Cresco
and for years was a member of the board of directors of the Protivin Creamery Associa-
tion. He is likewise treasurer of the Bohemian Mutual Protective Association of Spill-
ville, Iowa.

To Mr. and Mrs. Pecinovsky have been born six children, of whom one died in in-
fancy, while five are yet living, namely: Rosa M., the wife of John C. Svetska, a resi-
dent farmer of Howard county; Mariana, the wife of Frank Wagner, a farmer of
Winnesheik county; Joseph P., who carries on farming in New Oregon township, How-
ard county; Charles L., a resident farmer of New Oregon township; and Theresa V.,
at home.

Mr. Pecinovsky and his family are consistent members of the Catholic church and
he is a member of the Western Bohemian Catholic Union. In politics he has always
been a republican and in 1910 was elected to the board of county supervisors, in which
important oflftce he served for six years in a most capable manner, his course being
highly satisfactory to the people most concerned. He is ever loyal to the best interests
of the community and stands for progress and improvement in public affairs at all
times.

CASPER HELLER.

The occupation of farming claimed the efforts and energies of Casper Heller,
whose home was situated on section 6, Afton township, where he was engaged in
the cultivation of a good tract of land. He was born July 22, 1840, in Germany,
and was a son of Ambrose Heller. He spent the first twelve years of his life in the
place of his birth and then came to the United States in 1852 with his parents, who
after landing on the eastern coast at once made their way across the country to
Watertown, Wisconsin. The father there rented a tract of land and remained in
that district for several years, devoting his attention to farming there. Eventually,
however, he and his wife took up their abode in the city of Watertown, where they
continued to reside until called to their final home.

Casper Heller was reared under the parental roof upon the old homestead near
Watertown, Wisconsin, and after he had attained his majority he wedded Johanna

MR. AND MRS. CASPER HELLER

Vol. n— 8

CHICKASAW AM) IIOWAKI) COUNlll'.S V2'.\

Meyer, of Watertown, wlio was alHo of German lirmage, her parentH having been
born in (Jerniany. Th<i youiiK coiiplc; bo.Kiin tlieir doni(!HUr. lifo upon a farm at
Watertown wiiicli Mr. Jieller rented and there they (;ontinu<;d to reside; for several
years. Two children were born to them ere they left Wisconsin. In 1S70 they
severed home ties in that district and came to Iowa, talking up their abode upon
the farm on whicli Mrs. Holler y<!t resides. Mr. Heller first pnrclias«!d on<! hnndrod
acres of land and from time to time as ills linanclal resour(;es increased he extended
the boundaries of his farm until it comprised three hundred and seventy acres of
land, upon which he (;ontinuously madt; his honm to the time of his d(!ath, wlii(di
occurred on the .'Ust of Mar<di, IDOit.

To Mr. and Mrs. H(dler wv.n', born eight (;liiidren, nanudy: Mrs. Fran<;(!s Worple,
Mrs. Dorothy Krueger, Mrs. Annie Schmidt, Mrs. Lizzie Krueger, Willie, Theodore,
Emma and ('asp<(r A. Mr. Ilelkir belongisd to the ljuth(!ran church of Illceville anrl
his family are also adherents of that faith. He votcui wiUi th<! rtspublican i)arly and
was k(!(!nly inter(;sted in tlie ((uestions and intcjriists of the; day. His was an active;,
useful and upright life whidi won for him the respect and confidence of all and by
reason of his diligence and industry lie was able to leave his family in v<;ry com-
fortable! financial circumstances.

JOHN N. MIJSEL.

John N. Musel, a well known and progressive young agriculturist of Paris town-
ship, lias for tli<! past six years b«!cn actlvedy e^ngaged in flic oiicratlon of his fatli(;r's
farm of tliree hundred and twelve; acres on section f). His birth oe-.eiurre'd in 'I'ama
county, Iowa, on the ir>tli of February, 1885, his parents being Albeirt ;inel Anna
(He;rska) Musel, more extended mention e)f whom Is made; on another page of Mils
wejik in ce)nne;e-tion with the' Kk<;tcli of Janieis Mused, breitheT eif our Hul)Je;(;f.

Jolin N. Musel acejulred his early education in tlie; |)ubllc sclie>ols of Ills native
county and subse;quently attended St. Procoplus (College at Lisle, Illinois, while later
he entered the Cedar Rapids Business (College, being graduate;d from the latter Insti-
tution In 1908. He was the;n e;mple)yed for one yefjir In the; ejfHce eif the FarnxTs' Insur-
ance Company of (;e;elar Rjijiiels and next se;e;ure;d a i)osltlon in tlie- e)fne;e of (tie- Linn
County Lumber Company of Cedar Rapids, with which concern he remained for eight
months. He afterward spent a year and a half In the drug store of H. C. Caulson at
(;helse>a, Iowa, and tlie;n obtalnf;d emplf)yme;nt In the ge;neral me;rclianelise e;st!ibllshnie'nt
of Charles Tappen at the same' place, e;e)iitinuing in the latte;r petition for two ye;ars.
In 1913 he came to Howard county to take charge of his father's farm of three hundred
and twe;lve acres In Paris townshij), wlilcli he has cultivated successfully throughout
the intervening period, tlie well tille;d fie;lds annually yldellng golele'ii harvests as a re-
ward for tlie care and labor whicli he beste>ws upe)n them.

On the t;tli of April, IIHO, Mr. Musel was Joinejd In wedlock to Miss Mary Pollshek, a
graeluate of the; parochial school e)f Tama, Iowa. Tlie'y now have two children, Leona
Loretta anel Rapiiael Je;rome;. The; parents are; ele;vout communicants e^f the; Catholic
church and are wlelely and favorably knejwn threiugiiout the; e^ejinmunily in wliich the;y
reside.

F. B. STRIKK.

F. H. Strike, filling the e)frie;e of city clerk e)r Ne;w Haniple)ii, was be»rn In Je'ffe-rson
county, Wisconsin, F'ebruary 14, ISfil, a son of William anel Mary A. (Roe) Strike;, tiotli
of whom were natives of Fnglanel. They came to the United States after attaining
the;ir majority anel se;ttle;el In Je'ffe;rse)ri ce)unty, Wlscejnsin, where; they we;re; subse;e|ue'ritly
married. In 18H2 they remove;el to (Chickasaw county, Iowa, establishing their home
upon a farm two and a half miles from New Hampton. Two years later they removed

124 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

to a farm in Richland township, where they resided for ten years, and on the expiration
of that period the father purchased a farm in Chickasaw county west of Ionia, occupy-
ing the place for a number of years. He then retired from active business life, sold
his farm property and established his home in Nora Springs, Floyd county, where a
daughter was teaching in the college. He passed away there two years later but the
mother is still living at the advanced age of ninety-three years and is remarkably well
preserved. She insists in going about the household duties as a younger woman and
lends considerable assistance to her children, with whom she makes her home.

F. B. Strike was educated in the public schools, in Bradford Academy, In the Deco-
rah Institute and in the Rich's Business College at Decorah, thus making steady ad-
vancement along lines that have rendered him an efficient factor in the world's work.
He began his career as a school teacher and for ten years taught in the district schools,
while for one year he was principal of the public schools of Bradford and for three
years was connected with the schools of New Hampton, spending one year as principal
and two years as superintendent. He became a resident of New Hampton in 1889 and
in 1892, after giving up educational work, engaged in the fire and accident insurance
business, with which he was identified for nine years. In 1901 the city took over the
light and water plant. Mr. Strike was elected city clerk and was also installed as
manager of the municipal plant, in which important capacity he has served continuously
and most efficiently for eighteen years. The first year of municipal ownership of the
plant the receipts were less than four thousand dollars. In 1918, with more than seven
hundred patrons, the receipts reached twenty-two thousand dollars and the plant has
fourteen thousand dollars in the city treasury. This is due to the excellent business
management and splendid service given to the public under the direction of Mr. Strike.

In 1887 Mr. Strike was married to Miss Delphine M. Sheldon, of Richland township,
Chickasaw county, a daughter of John Sheldon, who was one of the early pioneers of
this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Strike were born nine children. Clarence L., who is a
graduate of the University of Iowa in both the electrical and civil engineering courses,
served with the rank of major with the One Hundred and Ninth Engineers in France.
Clifford I., also an electrical engineer, is now superintendent of the electric light plant
at Eureka, South Dakota. Hazel is the wife of G. L. Sheehy, a farmer of Chickasaw
county. Clara acts as housekeeper for her father. Wallace was sergeant of Company
B, One Hundred and Ninth Engineers, in France. Celia is a senior in the high school
at New Hampton. Marion is a junior in the high school. Cora and Edith are also
pupils in the public schools of this city. The wife and mother passed away March 20,
1909, her death being the occasion of deep regret not only to her immediate family but
to her many friends throughout the community.

Mr. Strike gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and fraternally is
connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, while he and his family religiously
are of the Baptist faith. He is keenly interested in everything pertaining to the welfare
and progress of his city and his cooperation has been most resultant in promoting
public progress. He is now president of the city school board and his influence is ever
on the side of advancement where the cause of public education is concerned.

OWEN O. WILLIAMS.

Owen 0. Williams, a resident farmer of Howard county, his home being on sec-
tion 18, Albion township, was born in Forest City township of the same county June
15, 1871, a son of Owen H. and Jane (Davis) Williams, both of whom were natives of
Wales. The father came to the new world in young manhood, while the mother crossed
the Atlantic when a maiden of thirteen years, making the voyage in company with her
parents. They became residents of Waukesha county, Wisconsin, where their marriage
was celebrated later, and after the close of the Civil war they came to Iowa. They took
up their abode in Forest City township, Howard county, and in 1879 removed to the
present home farm in Albion township, where the family has now lived for the past forty

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 125

years. The father died on that place on the 6th of July, 1913, but the mother survives
and still occupies the old homestead.

Owen 0. Williams was reared upon the old home farm and received a district
school education. After his textbooks were put aside he concentrated his efforts and
attention upon the development of the fields and continued to work in cooperation with
his father until the latter's death and still is in active charge of the farm, which com-
prises one hundred and thirty acres of rich, fertile and valuable land. He is regarded
as a type of the progressive young farmer of the county and his intelligent direction of
his labors is producing excellent results. Both he and his mother are consistent and
faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church and in politics Mr. "Williams is a
republican but while giving loyal support to the party does not seek nor desire office
as a reward for party fealty, preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon
his business affairs, which are bringing to him well deserved success.

WILL BRUGER.

Will Bruger, who carries on general agricultural pursuits on section 15, Jamestown
township, has spent almost his entire life in Howard county, although he was born in
Germany on the 22d of January, 1889. He is a son of Fred and Sophia (Bruno) Bru-
ger, who were also natives of Germany, whence they came to the United States in 1891,
settling first in Blairstown, Iowa, where the father worked for a time by the day at
tiling and also at farming. He continued to make his home at Blairstown until about
1901, when he removed with his T^.-iil; Id Calhoun county, Iowa, where he purchased
a farm and there carried on general agricultural pursuits on his own account for a
period of three years. At the end of that time he sold his farm property in Calhoun
county and came to Howard county, settling in Jamestown township, where the par-
ents have now resided since 1914.

Will Bruger, spending his youthful days in his parents' home, acquired a common
school education in Calhoun county and when not occupied with his textbooks gave
his attention to farm work, being thus employed to the time of his marriage. In 1912
he wedded Miss Erma Stilling, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Stilling, who came
from Germany to the new world. Her father is still living but her mother has passed
away. To Mr. and Mrs. Bruger have been born two children: Amanda, five years of
age; and Naomi, who is in her second year.

The parents are members of the German Lutheran church of Riceville and loyally
follow its teachings, seeking ever the uplift of the individual and the upbuilding of the
community at large. Mr. Bruger is identified with the Farmers Equity Association of
Riceville but otherwise concentrates his efforts and attention upon his general agricul-
tural interests. He works diligently and persistently in the development of his farm,
to which he has added many modern improvements, and as the result of his earnest
labor is meeting with a fair measure of success.

GLENN D. KEPPLE.

Glenn D. Kepple is junior partner in the firm of Kepple & Huffman, leading mer
chants and foremost business men of Ionia. He was born in the city of Chickasaw on
the 23d of March, 1889, and is a son of Hon. Presley L. and Lizzie (Raumbaugh) Kepple,
both of whom are natives of North Washington, Chickasaw county, and representatives
of early pioneer families of this section of the state. The father is the present repre-
sentative from his district in the general assembly of Iowa and for twenty-five years
he was a prominent figure in the business circles of Ionia. He served for several years
as postmaster of Ionia and is now for the third term member of the house from his
district, his frequent reelections coming to him in recognition of his marked devotion

126 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

to duty, his high ideals of citizenship and his statesmanlike qualities. He is indeed one
of the most distinguished of Ionia's citizens.

Glenn D. Kepple was educated in the public schools of Ionia, being graduated from
the high school with the class of 1906. He afterward attended the Capital City Com-
mercial College at Des Moines and when he had completed his business course he re-
ceived his initial practical training in his father's store. In 1910 he engaged in busi-
ness on his own account as a member of the firm of Rink & Kepple and a year later his
father purchased Mr. Rink's interest in the business, at which time the firm style of
Kepple & Son was assumed. During the following year Joshua Huffman purchased the
interest of the father in the store and the name of the firm was then changed to Kepple
& Huffman, under which style the business has since been conducted with splendid suc-
cess. In June, 1917, the firm purchased a store in Floyd, Iowa, and Mr. Huffman took
charge of the Floyd establishment, while Mr. Kepple manages the Ionia store. Their
business has steadily increased and has now assumed very gratifying proportions, the
partners being progressive and representative business men of this section of the
country.

In 1910 Mr. Kepple was united in marriage to Miss Edith Peterson, of Nashua,
Chickasaw county, by whom he has two children, Merrill L. and Margaret E. In politics
Mr. Kepple is an earnest republican and has always been keenly interested in political
questions and well informed concerning the issues of the day. He is now serving as
township constable and is also a member of the Ionia school board. Fraternally he is
connected with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Brotherhood of American
Yeomen. He has made for himself a creditable place in business circles and his posi-
tion in regard to public questions is always on the side of progress and improvement.

JAMES L. PANOS.

James L. Panos, whose time and energies are concentrated upon general farming on
section 2, Utica township, Chickasaw county, is numbered among the native sons of the
county whose continuous connection with this region throughout the entire period of
their lives indicates the attractiveness of northern Iowa as a place of residence, for
among the citizens are many men of ambitious and progressive spirit who would seek
homes elsewhere if they felt they could have better advantages.

Mr. Panos was born August 17, 1891, in the township where he still resides and is
of Bohemian descent. His parents, Albert and Barbara Panos, were natives of Bohemia,
the former coming to the new world in young manhood, while the latter crossed the
Atlantic with her parents in her girlhood. Both became residents of Chickasaw county
and some years later were married. They settled upon what has since been known as
the old home place on section 11, Utica township, and the father still survives, now
making his home with his son, A. J. Panos, who today owns the farm. The father first
purchased eighty acres of land and as the years passed and his financial resources in-
creased added to his possessions until his holdings aggregated five hundred and forty
acres. This he has since divided among his children, enabling them to share in his
prosperity. His wife passed away in 1900, her death being the occasion of deep regret
to her family and to many friends.

At the usual age James L. Panos entered the district schools and therein mastered
the lessons constituting the common school curriculum. His training in farm labor was
not meager, for from an early age he assisted in the development of the fields on the
old home place and when he had attained his majority he began farming on his own
account, well equipped by previous training and experience for the responsibilities and
duties that now devolved upon him. He rented from his father his present home farm
of one hundred and twenty acres and as time passed he was able to save from his earn-
ings a sum sufficient to enable him to purchase the farm about 1914.

On the 17th of August, 1916, Mr. Panos was married to Miss Emma Teepy, of Win-
neshiek county, a daughter of Michael and Anna Teepy, who was one of the early settlers
of that county. Mr. and Mrs. Panos have two children, Viola and Clarence. The parents

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 127

are communicants of the Catholic church and the democratic party receives the support
of Mr. Panos at the polls. He has never been an active political worker nor office seeker,
however, for he feels that his business affairs need his entire time and attention. He
is a young man, having not yet passed his third decade, but already he has made a
creditable place among the progressive farmers of Chickasaw county.

R. P. KEEFE.

Farming interests of Howard county are well represented by R. P. Keefe, who makes
his home on section 33, Afton township, where he is busily engaged in the cultivation of
a farm of one hundred and twenty acres. Iowa numbers him among her native sons,
his birth having occurred at Stacyville, Mitchell county, May 27, 1872. His parents
were John M. and Anna (O'Neil) Keefe, the former a native of County Meath, Ireland,
while the latter was born in Elgin, Illinois. Coming to the new world in early life,
John M. Keefe responded to the call of his adopted country for service in the Civil war
and went to the front in defense of the Union, participating in a number of hotly con-
tested engagements. Recently a most interesting letter has come to light which was
written by Mr. Keefe during his Civil war experience and is as follows:

"Fackler Station, near Stevenson, Ala.,

"Feb. 1st, 1864.
"Mr. Thos. Milnamore,

"Dear Sir: It is with great pleasure that I now take the liberty on myself of ad-
dressing you with a few lines which gives me the satisfaction to announce to you of the
present condition of my health since I returned to the sunny south. I never felt better
in my life than I do at the present, thank God. I hope these few lines will find you and
family enjoying the same blessing.

"I have seen in the columns of the northern newspapers that you had a hard win-
ter during December and also of many people getting frozen with the cold. About the
time I got down to this place we had a cold snap lasting for many days which made
camp life a little disagreeable for a while, but the Almighty God seemed to take an in-
terest in our cause and so delivered us from the cold by restoring to us fine, pleasant
weather which now exists here. We cannot bear to wear a coat on us during the day
because it is so warm. The nights are also close and warm, so you see that I had luck
to return here before the cold weather set in. I will now make you a few remarks
on the present condition of our army in this part of the south. The very best feeling
is entertained amongst us that we are now capable of defeating our enemy at all points
and in the wind-up of ending the rebellion. This spring the enemy is getting very
much disheartened and discouraged of accomplishing their ideas. They are deserting
in large numbers every day into our lines and giving themselves up for protection
under the old flag. They also confirm the news that is now in circulation concerning
Johnson's army. It takes one-half of his men to guard the others from deserting over
to us. There is a rumor in camp today that we are going to make a move on closer
to the enemy, but I cannot say it for a fact; but I know myself that there are two
corps of the army now en route to the front. There is one thing sure — we will have
an early campaign of it this spring, as it looks very much like it now. The roads are
in good order at present to renew the combat.

"This, our regiment, is in the best of health. There are not five men on the sick list
in our whole command. I can miss many faces from our regiment in our military
family that were very familiar to me. Before 1 got enlightened, when I inquired about
some old acquaintance, they will tell me that he is dead — he fell on the memorable
charge, which showed what Irishmen can do as they have done at Missionary Ridge
and many other gory fields.

"I will close. I have no news of importance to mention this time. I wish you to
sit down some of those long nights and write me.

"I am your humble servant,

"JOHN KEEFE.

128 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

"P. S. Company G, Ninetieth Regiment Illinois Volunteers. First Brigade, Fourth
Division, Fifteenth Army Corps, near Stevenson, Ala."

In the summer of 1868, John M. Keefe removed to Mitchell county, Iowa, driving
across the country from Illinois. He cast in his lot among its pioneer settlers and
contributed to its early development and improvement. He died September 9, 1917,
and is still survived by his wife, who now makes her home in Elma. In politics Mr.
Keefe was a republican but never held office.

R. P. Keefe was educated in the public schools of Paris township, Howard county,
and when not busy with his textbooks worked in the fields. After his school days were
over he continued to assist his father in the improvement of the home farm up to the
time of his marriage. He then began farming on his own account. He has been a
resident of Howard county for forty-three years and has done not a little to further its
agricultural progress. His landed possessions now comprise one hundred and twenty
acres, which he has brought under a high state of cultivation and from which he annu-
ally gathers rich harvests. He is also a stockholder of the Howard County Equity Co-
operative Society. For the past eighteen years he has lived upon the farm which is now
his place of residence and its excellent appearance attests a life of thrift and activity.

On the 5th of February, 1901, Mr. Keefe was married to Miss Elsa Richardson, who
was born in Butler county, Iowa, a daughter of Henry and Mary (Marlow) Richardson,
who have passed away. Her father was a native of the state of New York, while her
mother was born in Jo Daviess county, Illinois. To Mr. and Mrs. Keefe have been born
six children: Edward R., who is now a high school student; Gertrude, Leila and Kath-
erine, who are attending the public schools; Veronica, who is four years of age; and
John F., two years old.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church, of which they are
faithful adherents. Mr. Keefe has been a member of the school board in his district for
the past fifteen years and is now acting as president of the board. Fraternally he is
connected with the Modern Woodmen of America and his political belief is that of the
republican party. While he has never been ambitious to hold office, he has always stood
for progress and improvement in the county in which he lives and has cooperated in
movements of general worth During the war he was a liberal supporter of all the
Liberty Loan drives and gave generous aid to the Red Cross. His son donated a
pumpkin to the Red Cross chapter which netted them three hundred and forty-seven
dollars and twenty-five cents, while pies made from the pumpkin brought a total of
seventy-one dollars. Mr. Keefe was a prominent worker for the sale of War Savings
Stamps and there was no feature of war work which did not receive his generous
assistance and endorsement.

JAMES F. BABCOCK, Sr.

It would be impossible to dissociate the life record of James F. Babcock, Sr.,
with the history of New Hampton and of Chickasaw county. He has long been a
dominant figure in the development and upbuilding of this section of the state
and has left the impress of his individuality upon many lines of business advance-
ment and public progress. He was the builder of the first brick building in New
Hampton and established its first drug store. He has actively engaged in farming
and stock raising and banking interests have felt the stimulus of his cooperation
and profited by his sound judgment. Nor has he made business the end and aim
of his life. He has given to the city effective service as New Hampton's first mayor
and he has contributed in substantial measure to the moral development of the
district. His life record indeed constitutes an integral chapter in the annals of
northern Iowa.

James F. Babcock was born in Steuben county. New York, November 27, 1833,
a son of Amos and Elma (Cornell) Babcock, both of whom were natives of the
Empire state, where they were reared and married. In 1868 they came with their

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 131

son James to Chickasaw county and made their home with him and their other
son, Dr. Amos Babcock, throughout their remaining days, Dr. Babcock having
become a resident of New Hampton a month or so after the arrival of his brother,
James F. The father died at the venerable age of eighty years, while the mother
reached the age of seventy-eight years. James F. Babcock supplemented his com-
mon school education by study in the Western Reserve Teachers' Seminary at Kirt-
land, Ohio, where he continued his attendance for several years and taught in the
seminary, thereby helping to pay his tuition. Later he became a teacher in the
schools of Winnebago county, Illinois, where he worked during the summer season
at the trade of brick and stone mason and also followed plastering. His parents
joined him while he was still a resident of Illinois. He first came to Iowa in 1854
and purchased a farm in Fayette county. He made several trips from Illinois to
this state to look after his farming interests during the succeeding four years and
in 1858 he took his parents to his Fayette county farm, whereon he resided for
ten years, carefully continuing its cultivation and further development and im-
provement. During four years of that decade he also served as sheriff of Fayette
county and filled the office of town clerk for several years, while for a time he was
likewise justice of the peace.

In 1868 Mr. Babcock removed to New Hampton, where he continued to work at
the trade of brick and stone mason for a number of years and erected the first brick
business block in New Hampton. Later he built two other brick business blocks in
the city, laying practically every brick himself. After coming to New Hampton
he opened the first drug store of the town and conducted the business for ten
years. The store is still in existence, being now owned by Olmstead <& Gardner,
who still occupy the original brick building which Mr. Babcock erected and which
was the first in New Hampton. In 1877 he purchased his first farm land in Chicka-
saw county, investing in three hundred and fifty-two acres adjoining the town, a
portion of which now lies within the corporation limits of the present city. He
resided upon the farm for ten or twelve years and actively cultivated the place
during that period but has recently transferred the ownership to his son, James F.
Babcock, Jr. Early in the '80s he introduced Holstein cattle into Chickasaw county,
paying what was thought at that time to be an exorbitant price — one hundred
dollars for a suckling calf. In later years he considered this the best investment
that he ever made. In subsequent years he engaged extensively in the breeding of
registered Holstein cattle and also conducted a large dairy business. His place
was registered as the Holstein Farm, by which name it is still known. His efforts
constituted a most important element in improving the grade of cattle raised in
this section of the state and thereby contributed in marked measure to the prosperity
of the region. Mr. Babcock was also one of the leading factors in the organization
of the State Bank of New Hampton and has been one of the principal stockholders
and a member of the board of directors since its establishment. Following the
organization of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company of Chickasaw county he
was elected to its presidency and served in that important capacity for twenty-one
years. Thus his business activities have covered a broad scope and have ever been
of a character that has contributed to general progress and prosperity as well as
to individual success. In business affairs he displays notably sound judgment and
has readily discriminated between the essential and the non-essential, quicljly
eliminating the latter and utilizing the former to the fullest extent. Moreover, the
integrity of his business methods has been one of the elements of his success. His
name has ever stood as a synonym for honorable endeavor and he has ever held a
good name above riches.

It is but natural that a man of Mr. Babcock's capabilities and powers should
be called upon for public service, and in addition to his office holding in Fayette
county he has been chosen for political honors in Chickasaw county. He was the
first mayor of the city of New Hampton, following its incorporation, and he has
repeatedly served as a member of the town council and for one term as chairman of
the board of county supervisors. In 1882 he was elected to represent Chickasaw
county in the state legislature and in the discharge of his official duties he has

132 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

brought to bear the same thoroughness, progressiveness and integrity of purpose
that has characterized his activity along other lines.

On the 1st of January, 1862, Mr. Babcock was married to Miss Mary L. Robison,
of Fayette county, Iowa, and they became the parents of four children, of whom
two are living: James F., Jr., mentioned elsewhere in this work; and Mary, the
wife of Charles A. Larson, a banker of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Babcock are members of the Methodist Episcopal church
and he is well known in Masonic circles, having for fifty-three years been a loyal
and exemplary follower of the order, joining the lodge at West Union, Iowa, in
1866. He now holds membership in Arcana Lodge, No. 274, A. F. & A. M.; Adelphia
Chapter, No. 113, R. A. M.; Eudora Commandery, No. 53, K. T. In 1877 Mr. Bab-
cock made an extended tour of Europe, visiting England, Belgium, France, Holland
and Germany, and on his return to this country wrote a series of letters for the
press concerning his travels. He has always been a democrat in politics and is one
of those who were fortunate enough to hear the famous Lincoln and Douglas debate
at Freeport, Illinois, during the campaign when those two great statesmen were
contending for senatorial honors. His life experiences have been broad, varied,
interesting and educational in their scope and purpose. There are few men whose
lives are crowned with the honor and respect which are uniformly accorded to
James F. Babcock, for through more than a half century's connection with Iowa's
history his has been an unblemished character. With him success in life has been
reached by his sterling qualities of mind and a heart true to every manly principle.
He has never deviated from what his judgment would indicate to be right and honor-
able between his fellowmen and himself. He has never swerved from the path of
duty and now after a long and eventful career he can look back over the past with
the consciousness of having gained for himself, by his honorable, straightforward
career, the confidence and respect of the entire community in which he lives. We
read of the lives of the heroes of the past and they not only prove of historical
interest but serve to inspire and encourage. Yet we need not go to former ages
for examples that are worthy of emulation. The men of today who have won dis-
tinction and honor excel in exemplary traits of character many of those who have
passed away and the life record of James F. Babcock may well prove of great
benefit if one will but heed and follow the obvious lessons which it contains.

JAMES F. BABCOCK, Jr.

James F. Babcock, Jr., is a retired farmer and dairyman who is the present
owner of the Holstein Farm, which adjoins New Hampton and which was originally
established and developed by his father. It was upon this farm that James F. Bab-
cock, Jr., was born October 19, 1875. He was educated in the city schools of New
Hampton, in the New Hampton Business College and in the Iowa State Teachers'
College at Cedar Falls. His father had founded the Gazette of New Hampton and
the son entered the printing office, working at the trade for eight years. He then
took up the operation of his father's farm, on which he continued actively and
extensively in the dairy business which had been established by his father. He
was thus active until the death of his mother on the 10th of August, 1918, when
he left the farm and removed to the family home at New Hampton, in order to
look after the care and comfort of his father in the sunset of his life.

In 1903 James F. Babcock, Jr., was united in marriage to Miss Pearl Poppleton,
a native of Chickasaw county and a daughter of Oscar O. Poppleton, who came to
the county in 1854, when the work of development and improvement was in its
pioneer stages. He became one of the leading apiarists of the United States and
conducted business along the line for a number of years in Florida, being known
as the bee king of the eastern coast. He introduced migratory bee culture, having
three hundred colonies of bees on a lighter which he moved up and down the coast
wherever there was a crop of honey to be gathered. He was in Cuba for two years

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 133

in charge of a large apiary. He was likewise known as a veteran of the Civil war,
having served as a lieutenant of his company, and after hostilities had ceased he
was detailed for special duty, serving in that way for eight years. He died at the
soldiers' sanitarium at Hot Springs, South Dakota, and was laid to rest in the
Republic cemetery in Chickasaw county, Iowa. One of the proudest achievements
of his life was his organization of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company of
Chickasaw county, in the work of organization walking over the entire county, doing
all of the work himself. As stated, it was his daughter who became the wife of
James F. Babcock and to them have been born three children: Hersey P., who was
in the hospital service in France during the European war; Ruth, who is now a
freshman in high school; and James O.

In his political views James F. Babcock, Jr., is a democrat and has filled the
offices of township trustee and justice of the peace. He belongs to Arcana Lodge,
No. 274, A. F. & A. M., and is now master of the lodge. He is also identified with
Adelphia Chapter, No. 113, R. A. M., and Eudora Commandery, No. 53, K. T. He
is likewise a member of Phoenix Lodge, No. 556, I. O. O. F., of which he is the secre-'
tary, and both he and his wife are members of the Order of the Eastern Star.
They likewise hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and are keenly
interested in all that has to do with the vital progress and upbuilding of the com-
munity along material, intellectual and social lines. Opportunity early came to
James F. Babcock, Jr., and this opportunity he utilized, soon proving his worth in
the business world by the capable manner in which he took up the duties that
developed upon him. While he inherited wealth, he has made wise use of it for
the benefit of others and the improvement of public interests. His own career,
measuring up to high standards of manhood and citizenship, has made him one of
the valued residents of this section of the state.

W. C. SOVEREIGN.

W. C. Sovereign is engaged in the cultivation of a farm of one hundred and twenty
acres, situated on section 4, New Oregon township, Howard county. It was upon this
farm that he was born on the 30th of June, 1878, the property being the old family home-
stead. For many years the father here carried on general agricultural pursuits and
brought his fields under a high state of cultivation. He died upon this property on the
8th of June, 1900, but his widow survived until December, 1901, when she, too, passed
away.

W. C. Sovereign of this' review inherited one of the forty acre tracts comprising the
old homestead and he now cultivates the other two forties, which he has purchased. He
spent the days of his boyhood and youth upon the old homestead and began his education
in the district schools, wherein he mastered various branches of learning. He afterward
spent two terms as a pupil in the Cresco Normal school and thus became well qualified
for life's practical, responsible and onerous duties. He is today one of the oldest settlers
in the locality in which he resides. For seven years he rented the home place and gave
his attention to the further cultivation of three hundred and twenty acres for the D. S.
Edmisten estate. He has recently returned to the old home farm, however, resuming
the cultivation of that property in the spring of 1919.

On the 1st of January, 1900, Mr. Sovereign was united in marriage to Miss Florence
T'Jugene River, a daughter of William F. and Carrie River, both of whom were natives
of Iowa and were among the early settlers of Howard county. Five children have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Sovereign, namely: Claud, who completed a course in the graded
schools and recently graduated from the University of Southern Minnesota on the com-
pletion of an engineering course, since which time he has been assisting his father in
the cultivation of the home farm; Gladys, who has just completed the work of the graded
schools and will attend high school in the following year; and Gerald, Clark and Doris,
all yet in school.

Mr. Sovereign and his family attend the Methodist Episcopal church of Cresco.

134 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and his political views are in accord
with the teachings and principles of the democratic party. He has served as township
trustee for the past three years, so that he has now entered upon the second term in
that position. His entire life has been passed in this section of the state and the worth
of his character is widely recognized by those with whom he has been associated. He
holds to high standards of manhood and citizenship and in all public affairs has proven
himself one hundred per cent American.

FRANK ZOBECK.

Frank Zobeck, a resident farmer of Howard county, his home being on section 24,
Howard township, was born October 19, 1893, on the farm which he now owns, his par-
ents being Joseph and Barbara (Mashek) Zobeck, both of whom were natives of Bohemia.
They came to the United States in early life. The father was a young man when he
crossed the Atlantic and was accompanied by his parents. The mother came alone to
the new world in young womanhood, her parents having died in Bohemia. Both Mr.
and Mrs. Zobeck established their home in Howard county and later were married here.
Joseph Zobeck afterward bought the farm upon which his son now resides, becoming
cwner of one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he carefully cultivated and im-
proved throughout his remaining days. He passed away January 22, 1917, having for
a number of years survived his wife, who died in 1906.

Frank Zobeck, spending his youthful days under the parental roof, entered the dis-
trict schools at the usual age and this constituted his educational opportunities. His
training at farm labor was not meager, for as soon as old enough to manage the plow
he took his place in the fields and thus he had gained valuable practical experience when
he started out as a farmer on his own account. On the death of his father he inherited
a part of the home property and acquired ownership of the entire farm by the purchase of
his sisters' shares in the estate. He is now busily engaged in its further development
and cultivation and has added various modern improvements to the place, which is now
an excellent farm, bringing forth substantial harvests as a reward for the care and
labor bestowed upon it. Mr. Zobeck is also a stockholder in the Maple Leaf Creamery
Company and is accounted one of the progressive young farmers and business men of
Howard township.

In his political views Mr. Zobeck is a democrat and is well informed on the ques-
tions and issues of the day but does not seek nor desire office as a reward for party
fealty. The high principles which govern his life are manifest in his membership in the
Catholic church.

AMOS E. BARKER.

Amos E. Barker is an attorney of Howard county and the efficient mayor of Cresc«,
guided in all that he does for the city by a most public-spirited devotion to the general
good. He was born in Indiana on the 23d of April, 1854, a son of Jeremiah and Jane
(Kerlin) Barker, the former a native of Indiana, while the latter was born in Tennessee.
They were married in the Hoosier state, to which Mrs. Barker had removed during her
girlhood days with her parents. In 1857, Jeremiah Barker came to Iowa with his family
and purchased a farm in Howard county about a mile east of the present site of Cresco.
He later acquired several other farms and became one of the heavy landholders of the
county. In all of his business affairs he displayed keen discrimination and sound judg-
ment and prospered in whatever he undertook. He died in the year 1858, while his wife
passed away in 1877.

Amos E. Barker was educated in the district schools of Howard county and in the
high school of Cresco and after completing his course there he took up the profession of
teaching, which he followed for- several years in Howard and Winneshiek counties and

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 135

also in South Dakota. He made an excellent record as an educator, imparting clearly
and readily to others the knowledge that he had acquired, and later he was elected
county superintendent of schools in Day county. South Dakota. .He abandoned the pro-
fession of teaching in 1895, however, and took up the study of law, having two brothers
who were members of the bar, practicing in Cresco. He entered their office and subse-
quently became a student in the law department of Drake University at Des Moines,
there pursuing his studies until admitted to the bar in 1899. He returned to Cresco,
where he began active practice, and in the intervening twenty years has built up a large
clientage in Howard county.

In 1885 Mr. Barker was married to Miss Ada Galloway, of Day county, South Dakota,
who had been a schoolmate of his in the Cresco high school. She. too, was identified
for several years with educational work and was teaching in Day county. South Dakota,
at the time of their marriage. They have become the parents of three children: Irene,
the wife of Cloyd Lybarker of Lake Helen, Florida; Mattie C, overseer of the bookkeep-
ing department of the St. Paul Gas & Electric Light Company; and McKinley, living in
Cresco.

In politics Mr. Barker is a republican and is deeply interested in the vital questions
and issues of the day. He has several times been called to public office and is now a
member of the county board on insanity and is serving for the third term as mayor of
his city, to which he is giving a most businesslike and progressive administration that
has resulted in bringing about various needed reforms and improvements. He earnestly
seeks the welfare of the community and his efforts are far-reaching and resultant. Fra-
ternally he is connected with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and both within
and without the organization he has many warm friends.

TOLLEF C. BRATRUD.

While thirteen years have been added to the cycle of the centuries since Tollef C.
Bratrud passed away, he is yet remembered by many of the citizens of Chester and of
Howard county and his memory is cherished by those who knew him because of the
prominent place which he occupied in the community, because of his kindly spirit and
his loyalty to every interest which he espoused. He was born near Pilot Mound, Fillmore
county, Minnesota, on the 28th of August, 1861, and in the acquirement of his education
attended St. Olaf College at Northfield, Minnesota. He afterward became a student in
a business college at La Crosse, Wisconsin, and was thus well qualified for life's prac-
tical and responsible duties. For several years he worked with S. C. Lobdill at Spring
Valley and there learned the tinner's trade. Following his marriage he removed to
Preston, Minnesota, where he established a hardware store that he conducted success-
fully until 1890, in which year he became a resident of Chester, Iowa. Here he opened
a hardware store and lumberyard. The town was then a little village and his business
activity and enterprise contributed to its steady and substantial growth. In all busi-
ness affairs he was thoroughly reliable, honesty and industry being among his marked
characteristics. He never was afraid of hard work and his diligence also contributed to
his success.

It was on the 6th of December, 1886, that Mr. Bratrud was united in marriage to
Miss Betsey Thorson and they became the parents of a daughter, Alma, who is a cul-
tured and accomplished young lady. She was educated at the Minnesota State Normal
School at Winona, Minnesota, and in the Northwestern Conservatory of Music and Art
at Minneapolis, from which institution she received her degree in public school drawing
and art work. On May 1, 1919, she was married to Dr. G. I. Badeaux of Brainerd, Min-
nesota, who has commenced practice at Crosby, Minnesota.

Mr. Bratrud was always keenly interested in everything that had to do with the
progress and welfare of his adopted city and state and lent hearty aid and cooperation
to any movement for the public good. He was a faithful and exemplary member of the
Masonic fraternity, belonging to the order at Preston, Minnesota. He was likewise a
member of Chester Lodge, No. 444, I. 0. 0. F., and of the Modern Woodmen of America,

136 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

and his daughter, Alma, is a member of Utopia Chapter, No. 379, O. E. S. Mr. and Mrs.
Bratrud and the daughter all held membership in the United Lutheran church. He
guided his life by the teachings of the church and was a most honorable and upright man.
lu his business affairs he prospered and was thus able to leave his family in comfortable
linancial circumstances. In addition to his hardware and lumber business he was an
extensive operator and owner of real estate, both in Iowa and Minnesota and he rejoiced
in his success because of the opportunity which it gave him to provide liberally for those
near and dear to him. He passed away April 5. 1906, to the deep regret not only of his
immediate family but of all who had come in contact with him. His course in life had
ever measured up to the highest standards of manhood and citizenship and he left to
his family the priceless heritage of an untarnished name, which is rather to be chosen
than great riches.

REV. P. H. RYAN.

The Church of the Assumption (Roman Catholic) was established in Cresco in
1870. Prior to that time, the religious needs of the few Catholic families were
administered by pastors from Decorah, Fathers Linehan, Lowry and Harding. In
1869 the foundation to the present building was started, under the guidance of
Father Harding. The following year Father McCartey was assigned as resident
pastor, with out parishes at Lourdes and Plymouth Rock. The building was com-
pleted in 1871 and, with additions and improvements, still remains. Shortly after
his assignment, Father McCartey organized a St. Matthews Temperance Society,
which organization flourished and boasted an enrollment of practically every Catholic
man in the parish. In 1883, the Worden Strother home was purchased by the
parish and, after being remodeled, was used as. a parochial school, under the direc-
tion and tutelage of the Sisters of' Charity, B. V. M., and supervision of the Mother-
house at Dubuque, Iowa. The school and buildings were enlarged and remodeled
to meet the demands of increased enrollment and modern methods, and in 1910
the old school buildings were replaced with a modern fireproof structure, suitably
equipped and adapted to all school uses and so located as to afford excellent play-
grounds. In recognition of his executive ability and untiring zeal in this portion
of the Lord's vineyard and the generous and unselfish response which was accorded
to his every undertaking, the parish of Cresco was raised to the dignity of a deanery
and Father McCartey was honored with the title of its first Very Reverend Dean.
At the present time it has an enrollment of two hundred pupils, in the grades and
high school courses, and the curriculum and course of study pursued are of the
approved requirements.

In December, 1909, Father McCartey died, after having been pastor of this parish
for thirty-nine years, during which time he had the respect and confidence of the
whole community, regardless of creed. He had been a tireless worker in the
cause of temperance and was an enthusiastic leader in ciyic affairs until the last
few years of his life, when age had robbed him of his strength and, like the other
pioneers, he was forced to surrender to the younger and more vigorous the tasks
which he had so nobly and so capably started.

After Very Rev. Father McCartey's death, the duties as pastor were assumed
by Very Rev. T. J. Murtagh, formerly of Masonville. In order to care for Mercy
Hospital, which had been recently built. Father John Murtagh was assigned as
assistant pastor and was succeeded as such in 1915 by Rev. Ernest J. McDonald,
who, in 1918, was summoned to take charge of the parish at Sabula, Iowa, and
whose place was taken in this parish by Rev. E. J. Bendlage. The Very Rev. Father
T. J. Murtagh, under whose supervision the new school was erected, was called to
his heavenly reward in 1918 and was succeeded as pastor of this parish by Very
Rev. P. H. Ryan, formerly of Lawler and Ryan, Iowa.

The Assumption parish consists of one hundred and eighty families and during
the late war boasted a service flag of forty-seven stars. At the present time the

REV. P. H. RYAN

Vol. 11—9

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 139

grounds surrounding the church and school are being improved and the erection of
a large, modern brick church to accommodate its increasing needs is contemplated.
The property occupies the north half of the block between Second and Third streets
West on Third avenue, West.

The present pastor, Very Rev. Father Ryan, was ordained to the priesthood
at St. Joseph's College of Dubuque, where he completed his studies in 1882. After
his ordination his first appointment was that of assistant pastor at the Dubuque
Cathedral. His next charge was that of the first pastor of a little settlement of
Catholics in Delaware county consisting of about seventeen families. As the sup-
port and accommodations which they were able to extend to him were but meager,
he was compelled to live in one of the two sleeping rooms in the home of one of
his poor but devoted parishioners for a number of years. Today that little settle-
ment, with a foundation of seventeen families, has one of the best equipped
parishes, consisting of a beautiful brick church, school and parochial residence, in
the Archdiocese of Dubuque. These buildings are located in what is now known
as the town of Ryan, which name was given to it in recognition and appreciation
of the untiring labor of Father Ryan in behalf of his people and the community
at large.

Father Ryan is yet an unusually active worker in the Lord's vineyard; and
when the new church which he has in contemplation is completed, the Assumption
parish of Cresco will be among the best equipped and most substantial in the
whole Archdiocese of Dubuque.

STEPHEN A. HAMILTON.

Stephen A. Hamilton, well known in industrial circles of Howard county as the
proprietor of the Cresco Novelty Works and also identified with public interests as a
member of the city council, was born in Clayton county, Iowa, October 15, 1860, his
parents being John and Orilla (Miller) Hamilton, the former a native of Ireland, while
the latter was born in Vermont. They were married in Clayton county, Iowa, to which
place the mother had removed in her girlhood days with her parents, while Mr. Hamil-
ton took up his residence there in young manhood. In 1868 he removed to Howard
county, settling on a farm twelve miles southwest of Cresco, and six years later took up
his abode in Lime Springs, where he resided until within four years of his death.
His last years, however, were passed in Cresco.

Stephen A. Hamilton received a limited district school education, for the school
facilities were very poor in those pioneer times, the sessions being held in the homes
of the early settlers. On reaching his sixteenth year he entered upon an apprentice-
ship to the blacksmith's trade and after completing his term of indenture conducted a
shop in Lime Springs for a year. He then went to Emmetsburg, Iowa, where he
worked as a journeyman for two years, and in 1882 or 1883 returned to Howard county,
establishing his home in Cresco, where he has been in business on his own account
most of the time continuously since. He carries on his interests under the name of
the Cresco Novelty Works, doing blacksmithing and wagon and carriage repairing,
also horseshoeing. He does engine, boiler and plow repair work, making gas engines
and combination hog racks and wood tanks. He has the best equipped machine shop
in Howard county and by reason of his skill is able to turn out a variety of wood and
iron work.

In 1885 Mr. Hamilton was married to Miss Minnie Hilke, of Cresco, and they have
become the parents of five children: John F., who assists his father in the conduct of
the business; Mabel O., who is employed in a millinery store in Chicago, Illinois; S.
Archer, at home; George C, who is first class mechanic on the U. S. S. Panther, hav-
ing served for two years in the navy; and Harry H., who is at the Dunwoody naval
training s'tation at Minneapolis.

Mr. Hamilton maintains an independent course in politics, voting for men and
measures rather than party. He is serving for the second term as a member of the city

140 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

council of Cresco and is keenly interested in everything having to do with its welfare
and upbuilding. His religious faith is that of the Congregational church, while his
wife holds membership in the Lutheran church, and both are most highly esteemed
in the community in which they live. Mr. Hamilton belongs to Cresco Lodge, I. 0.
O. F., also to the Modern Woodmen of America and to 'the Royal Neighbors and is
loyal to the teacliings and purposes of all these different organizations.

D. E. HORTON.

D. E. Horton, postmaster of Lime Springs, was born in Vestal Center, Broome
county. New York, November 15, 1860, a son of J. A. and Laura A. (Piatt) Horton, the
former a native of New York, while the latter was born in Pennsylvania. During the
infancy of their son, D. E. Horton, they removed westward to Fillmore county, Minne-
sota, settling there when the subject of this review was less than a year old. The
father purchased the place known as the Willow Creek Farm but after five years
sold that property and purchased another farm near Granger, thereon residing up to
the time of his death, which occurred in 1913, when he was eighty-six years of age.

D. E. Horton had the usual experiences of the farm-bred boy who acquires his
education in the district schools and divides his time between the schoolroom and the
fields. He also attended the high school at Preston, Minnesota, from which he was
graduated, and later he pursued a commercial course in the J. L. Wallace Business
College at La Crosse, Wisconsin. On the completion of his studies he returned to
Fillmore county, Minnesota, where he engaged in farming, being identified with that
business for a period of twenty-three years. He brought his fields under a very high
state of cultivation and the neat and thrifty appearance of his place indicated his
practical and progressive methods. In 1907 he rented his farm and removed to Lime
Springs, Iowa, where he engaged in the drug business. In 1916 he was appointed
postmaster and took charge of the office on the 16th of August of that year, at which
time he sold his store in order to give his entire attention to the duties of the posi-
tion, which he has since most capably, systematically and promptly discharged.

On the 1st of October, 1890, Mr. Horton was united in marriage to Miss Jessie
O. Boice, of Fillmore county, Minnesota, and to them were born seven children, six
of whom are living: Gertrude M., the wife of Emil Debban, a farmer of Howard
county; Vincent J., who is in the United States Navy, stationed at the Great Lakes
near Waukegan, Illinois; Violet, a clerk in the postoffice of Lime Springs; and Laura
A., Millard R. and Lillian, all at home.

Mr. Horton has been a lifelong democrat, giving stalwart support to the party
since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He is a member of Howard
Lodge, No. 214, A. F. & A. M., and he and his family are members of Utopia Chapter,
No. 379, O. E. S. He is likewise connected with Harmony Lodge, I. 0. O. F., at
Harmony, Minnesota, and belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and the Brother-
hood of American Yeomen. He is highly esteemed in these various orders with which
he is connected and he is justly accounted one of the leading citizens of Lime Springs,
the circle of his friends being almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance.

THOMAS F. SEERY.

Thomas F. Seery, engaged in general farming in Jacksonville township, Chicka-
saw county, was born in New Jersey, September 28, 1859, a son of Thomas and Mary
(Donohoe) Seery, mentioned in connection with the sketch of their son, James H.
Seery, on another page of this work. Thomas F. Seery was a pupil in the district
schools and when not busy with his textbooks worked upon the home farm and con-
tinued to assist his father in its further development until his twenty-eighth year
In the spring of 1887 he began farming for himself on a tract of land of one hundred

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 141

and sixty acres in Jacksonville township. He rented this place for a period of four
years and later he purchased a livery barn at Alta Vista, where he conducted busi-
ness for a year. He then disposed of the livery stable and resumed the occupation
of farming. For a year he cultivated rented land and in the fall of 1895 he removed
to his present home place of one hundred and twenty acres, which he purchased at
that time.

On the 9th of October, 1888, Mr. Seery was united in marriage to Miss Julia Dowd,
a daughter of John Dowd, who was one of the early settlers of Jacksonville town-
ship, Chickasaw county. Mr. and Mrs. Seery have become parents of twelve children,
nine of whom survive, as follows: Nellie, who is the wife of Nicholas Aegeiter, of
Sumner, Iowa; Mamie, a resident of Davenport, Iowa; John J., at home; Earl T., who
is engaged in teaching school; and Regina C, Ulysses M., Waldo W., Francis H. and
Kenneth J., all of whom are yet under the parental roof.

The family are adherents of the Catholic church and two of the sons, John J.
and Earl T., are members of the Knights of Columbus. In politics Mr. Seery is a
democrat and for six or eight years served as a member of the school board but has
never sought political office. His place in agricultural circles and his devotion to
the general welfare, however, rank him with the valued and substantial residents of
his community.

GUS O'DONNELL.

Gus O'Donnell, manager of the yards of the C. W. Chapman Lumber Company at
Elma, was born at New Diggings, Wisconsin, on the 7th of April, 1876, and was the
fourth child in a family of thirteen children, eight of whom are still living. His
parents were John and Mary (Rooney) O'Donnell, the former a native of County
Monaghan, Ireland, while the latter was born in County Cavan. They came to the
United States on sailing vessels in their childhood days, the father crossing the At-
lantic by way of the Gulf of Mexico with his parents on a voyage that covered eleven
weeks, while the mother was thirteen weeks upon the water. She, too, made the
trip to the new world in company with her parents. Both families settled in St.
Louis, Missouri, where the father and mother of Gus O'Donnell reached adult age
and were married. Soon thereafter they removed to Wisconsin, settling at New Dig-
gings, where the father engaged in farming. In 1863 he responded to the call of his
adopted country for military aid and joined a Wisconsin regiment, with which he
served until the close of the Civil war, participating in several hotly contested en-
gagements and at length winning an honorable discharge. He then returned to his
family and resumed his farm work in Wisconsin, residing there to the time of his
death, which occurred in 1900. His wife died in November, 1912.

Gus O'Donnell acquired a common school education and when eighteen years of
age left home to begin his career, going to Dubuque, Iowa, where he secured employ-
ment in the Cooper wagon factory. He remained at that place for about a year and
a half and then went to Jackson, Minnesota, where he was employed by the firm of
James Lowe & Company, live stock shippers, with whom he was associated for two
years. During this time he was married to Miss Mary Miller, of Jackson, Minnesota,
and from Jackson he removed to Rockwell, Iowa, where he became assistant manager
for the L. Lamb Lumber Company. While thus engaged he acquired a comprehensive
knowledge of the lumber trade and remained with the company for more than two
years, after which he returned to Jackson, Minnesota, and became manager of the
lumberyards of R. S. Robertson & Company, occupying that position for three years.
Later, at Cartersville, Iowa, he was manager for the grain and lumber business of the
Nve-Snyder-Fowler Company, with which he continued for three years. In 1905 he
came to Elma as manager of the Elma yards of the C. W. Chapman Lumber Com-
pany, in which important position he has since served.

Mr. and Mrs. O'Donnell are members of the Catholic church and he has member-

142 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

ship with the Knights of Columbus. To Mr. and Mrs. O'Donnell has been born a
son, Leo A., who is with the Buck Mercantile Company of Sioux City, Iowa.

Mr. O'Donnell is recognized as one of the alert and energetic young business men
of Elma. He was in charge of Red Cross work during the World war and how well
he succeeded with the aid of his able lieutenants constitutes an important chapter
in the history of Elma, indicating the patriotic support of the government by the
district and the most efficient organization work done by the one in charge. In his
political views Mr. O'Donnell is a republican but is an American first and a partisan
afterward.

ANTON J. KUBIK.

Anton J. Kubik, who follows farming in Paris township, is a native son of How-
ard county, his birth having here occurred August 4, 1875. His parents, Vincent and
Antoinette Kubik, were natives of Bohemia and came to the United States in the spring
of 1875, the year in which their son Anton J. was born. They established their home
in Howard county and the father engaged in farming for several years. Subsequently
he bought one hundred and sixty acres in Paris township and afterward purchased
another farm of one hundred and fifteen acres. Still later he made investment in the
farm of one hundred and sixty acres which his son Anton now owns. He came to
this country a poor man, borrowing money with which to pay his passage across the
Atlantic. He was unable to meet the payments on the first team which he bought
and therefore had to forfeit the team, but he was undaunted and his courage and
perseverance at length enabled him to triumph over hardships and difficulties. He is
now the possessor of a handsome competence as the reward of earnest, persistent and
honorable labor. His first wife died in 1888 and he afterward married Miss Anna
Voves. They are now making their home with his son Anton.

In the district schools Anton J. Kubik pursued his education and after his school-
days were over he worked with his father until he reached the age of twenty-nine
years, assisting him in the work of making the payments upon his purchases of land.
In 1901 he bought the present home farm of one hundred and sixty acres but did not
take possession thereof until 1905. The following January he was united in marriage
to Miss Elenore Falada, of Paris township, and they have three children, John, Adolf
and Alois.

Mr. and Mrs. Kubik are consistent members of the Catholic church. In politics
he is a democrat and keeps well informed concerning the questions and issues of the
day but does not seek nor desire public office, preferring to give his undivided atten-
tion to his farming interests. He has worked diligently in the development of his
fields and his energy has brought to him well merited success.

THEODORE ROTHS.

For more than a quarter of a century Theodore Roths has made his home in
Chickasaw county and is now busily engaged in farming on section 13, Chickasaw
township. He was born in Jo Daviess county, Illinois, July 13, 1874, and is a son of
Mathias and Katherine (Trappen) Roths, both of whom were natives of Germany,
where they were married, crossing the Atlantic to the new world in the '60s. They
first settled in Jo Daviess county, Illinois, where the father worked as a farm hand
for a time. He later engaged in the cultivation of rented land and in 1892 brought
his family to Iowa, settling in Chickasaw township, Chickasaw county, where for two
years he again cultivated a rented farm. He afterward bought property, on which
he spent his remaining days, his death occurring in Chickasaw township in 1909. For
about two years he had survived his wife, who passed away on the old homestead
in 1907.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 143

At the usual age Theodore Roths became a pupil in the district schools of his
native county. He accompanied his parents to Iowa and remained upon the home
farm with his father until the time of his marriage. It was on the 25th of April,
1900, that he wedded Susanna Peters, a daughter of Nick and Lena (Durgey) Peters,
who are of German birth but came to the United States in early life and were mar-
ried on this side of the Atlantic. They are now residents of Dayton township, Chick-
asaw county. Mr. and Mrs. Roths have become parents of five children: Mabel, Carl,
Arlene, Marie and Charles Theodore, all at home.

Following his marriage Mr. Roths cultivated a rented farm for eight years and
then made investment in his present farm property of one hundred acres, which he
has since carefully cultivated and improved, greatly enhancing the productiveness and
the value of his land through the care and labor which he has bestowed upon it. At
the same time he finds opportunity to assist in matters relative to public progress
and upbuilding. He and his family are members of St. Boniface Catholic church of
Ionia and he is a member of the Knights of Columbus Council, No. 1697 at New Hamp-
ton. In politics he is a democrat, and while he has never been an office seeker, he
did active work for his country as a member of the Liberty Loan committee during
the third, fourth and fifth loan drives. He is a man of resolute spirit, accomplish-
ing what he undertakes, and his success in business is the direct outcome of earnest
and persistent labor. Aside from his farming interests he is today a stockholder in
the Ionia Farmers' Creamery Association and has won for himself a place among the
substantial residents of Chickasaw township.

F. J. KLIMESH.

F. J. Klimesh, a dealer in agricultural implements and one of the foremost business
men of Protivin, was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, about three miles east of Pro-
tivin, on the 9th of July, 1861, his parents being John and Anna (Mikota) Klimesh.
both of whom were natives of Bohemia. The father came to the United States when
twenty-eight years of age, bringing with him his mother and sister, his father having
died in the old country. Mrs. John Klimesh was a maiden of fifteen summers when
she came to the United States with her parents. The families settled in Winneshiek
county, where the parents of Mr. Klimesh were later married and made their home
until called to their final rest, the father dying in 1909, while the mother passed away
in 1906. He was a farmer by occupation and became the owner of two hundred and
eighty acres of valuable land in Winneshiek county. He was a poor man when he came
to the United States, owing five dollars on his passage across the Atlantic at the time
he landed on American shores. He was a mason and worked at his trade while paying
for his land. When he had cleared it of all indebtedness he concentrated his efforts and
attention upon farming and as the years passed won a place among the substantial agri-
culturists of his section of the state.

F. J. Klimesh had but limited educational opportunities. He attended the district
schools for about two months and for about eight months was a pupil in the parochial
school at Spillville. This constituted the extent of his educational training, but in
the school of experience he has learned many valuable lessons, and possessing an
observing eye and retentive memory, he has constantly broadened his knowledge through
reading and observation.

In 1882 Mr. Klimesh was united in marriage to Miss Lena Sobolik, of Winneshiek
county, and in the spring of 1883 he began farming on his own account, having previ-
ously purchased eighty acres of land in Utica township, Chickasaw county, for which
he paid twelve dollars per acre. In subsequent years he bought an additional forty
acres, also an eighty acre tract and another tract of one hundred and forty-three acres
but since that time has divided all of his land among his children with the exception
of eighty acres, which he retains in his home farm. He operated a threshing machine
for thirty-two seasons and it was said of him that he was one of the most efficient and
successful threshers in this section of the country, for he stayed with his machine, fixed

144 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

il up at night, and it was always ready for service in the morning. In January, 1904,
he purchased the implement business of John Fencl, of Protivin, and continued to
engage in farming and threshing until 1912, when he took up his abode in the town
and has since given his undivided attention to the conduct of his commercial interests,
carrying a large and carefully selected line of hardware, farm implements and kindred
lines. His capable management and enterprise have been dominant factors in the
upbuilding of a trade which has now reached gratifying proportions.

To Mr. and Mrs. Klimesh have been born ten children, nine of whom are yet living:
Frank and John J., who are resident farmers of Chickasaw county; Lena, the wife of
Robert Lukish, who carries on farming at Lisbon, North Dakota; Mary, the wife of
Adolph Zahasky, a farmer of Chickasaw county; Rose, a Sister in St. Joseph's convent
at Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Barbara, Lewis, Joseph and Adaline, all at home.

In politics Mr. Klimesh is a democrat and keeps well informed on the questions and
issues of the day but does not seek office as a reward for party fealty. He and his family
are members of the Catholic church and he is keenly interested in everything that per-
tains to the welfare and progress of the community, cooperating heartily in all plans
and projects for the general good.

COLONEL L. WHITCOMB.

Colonel L. Whitcomb is the secretary of the Fredericksburg butter factory and thus
closely associated with the business activity and development of the city of Fredericks-
burg, of which he is now serving as mayor. He was born in Palatine, Cook county,
Illinois, August 23, 1843, a son of Justus and Lovisa (Putnam) Whitcomb, both of whom
were natives of Stockbridge, Vermont, where they were reared and married. They came
west to the Mississippi valley on their wedding trip in 1836 and took up their abode in
Cook county, Illinois, at which time Chicago was but a village, having not yet been
incorporated. Mr. Whitcomb settled upon a farm about three miles from Palatine and
continued to live at that place to the time of his demise.

Colonel L. Whitcomb was reared upon the home farm and received his education in
one of the old-time log schoolhouses of the frontier with its puncheon floor and slab seats.
In September, 1862, he responded to the country's call for troops to aid in crushing out the
rebellion in the south and enlisted as a member of the One Hundred and Thirteenth
Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until the close of the
war. He took part in the siege of Vicksburg, was with Sherman on the celebrated march
from Atlanta to the sea and participated in a number of hotly contested engagements
under Generals Sherman and Grant. He was honorably discharged at the close of the
war and returned to his home with a most creditable military record in July, 1865.

For a few years thereafter Mr. Whitcomb was engaged in farming near Palatine.
Illinois, and then removed to Chicago, where he became foreman of the western division
of the Street Railway Company, occupying that responsible position for two years, dur-
ing which period the street cars of the city were run by horses. Later Mr. Whitcomb
removed to Kane county, Illinois, where he engaged in the dairy business, continuing
active along that line for ten years. In 1881 he came to Iowa, settling in Chickasaw
county, where he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres two and a half miles
east of Fredericksburg. He continued for a long period in the dairy and stock business
and while he still calls his farm "home." he has spent much of his time in Fredericksburg
since the death of his wife in 1901. In 1890 he was one of the dominant factors in the
organization and building of the Fredericksburg factory and was made vice president
when the company began operations. A year later he was elected to the presidency and
served in that capacity for fourteen years. In 1905, however, he withdrew from the
executive position and was elected secretary of the company, in which capacity he has
served for fourteen years, being the incumbent in the office at the present time. The
success of the creamery is attributable in very large measure to his efforts and coopera-
tion, for from the beginning he has been one of its officials and active in £;haping its
policy.

HON. H. H. BAILEY

Vol. 11—10

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 155

because it was well known that he was a man of keen sagacity, who In all business
matters readily discriminated between the essential and the nonessential.

Fraternally Mr. Bailey was connected with the Masons, the Elks, the Eagles and the
Modern Woodmen of America. He was likewise identified with the Grand Army of the
Republic and the Woman's Relief Corps and he was the organizer of the Fredericksburg
Corps, G. A. R. For years he served as commander of the post, which in his death lost
one of its most valued representatives. In fact his demise w^as the occasion of deep and
widespread regret wherever he was known, for he was one of the most honored and
beloved citizens of New Hampton and Chickasaw county, having endeared himself to
all who knew him by "his many little unremembered acts of kindness and of love." After
the death of her husband Mrs. Bailey removed to New Hampton, where she is now mak-
ing her home. She is a woman of natural refinement and kindly spirit, who at all times
was a worthy helpmate as well as a cherished companion to her able and honored
husband. A well known writer has said: "Small kindnesses, small courtesies, small
considerations, habitually practiced in our social intercourse, give a greater charm to the
character than the display of great talents and accomplishments." Such were manifest
in the career of Mr. Bailey, whose life record reminds us of the words of the Greek
sage Euripides, who said: "It is a good thing to be rich and a good thing to be strong,
but it is a better thing to be beloved of many friends."

LOUIE DETERDING.

Louie Deterding is the owner of a good farm property of one hundred and twenty
acres situated on section 6, Howard township, and through his industry and persever-
ance has won classification with the representative farmers of Howard county. He was
born in Germany, March 14, 1877. a son of Henry and Charlotte (Gevecke) Deterding.
He came to this country with his parents when a youth of sixteen years and the family
made their way direct across the country to Iowa. Their first home was in Tripoli,
Bremer county, where Louie Deterding resided for a period of eight years. He then came
to Howard county, arriving here in 1901. Two years before, or in the spring of 1899, his
father had taken up his abode in this county.

Louie Deterding attended the public schools of Germany and also continued his
education after becoming a resident of Bremer county. He was married on the 11th of
May, 1911, to Miss Bertha Lone, a daughter of Dick and Mary (Schrader) Lone, of
Tripoli. Bremer county. By this marriage there are three children: Marie and Henry,
who are public school students; and Edna.

Throughout his active business life Mr. Deterding has followed general agricultural
pursuits and is now the owner of an excellent farm of one hundred and twenty acres.
His diligence and industry have been the basis of his success and aside from his farmr
ing interests he is connected with the Maple Leaf Creamery Company as a director and
stockholder. In his political faith he is a democrat but has never held or desired office.
He and his family attend the German Lutheran church at Maple Leaf and they are
widely and favorably known in this section of the state, where their circle of friends
is almost coextensive. with the circle of their acquaintance.

NORMAN ALLEN HAVEN.

Norman Allen Haven, deceased, was for many years a most highly respected and
valued resident of Howard county. He made his home on section 18, Forest City town-
ship, where he followed farming, and his place is still in possession of the family, being
conducted by his son George. Norman A. Haven was born in Ellisburg. New York, on
the 28th of November, 1842, and was a son of Daniel and Tamar Haven. He repre-
sented one of the old New England families, being a descendant of Colonel Ethan Allen,

156 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

who led the American forces in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in the Revolutionary
war, a campaign which won for him the title of general.

It was during the childhood of Norman Allen Haven that his parents removed from
New York to Canada, where they resided for a few years. In the year 1856 they again
crossed the border between Canada and the United States and established their home
in Rock county, Wisconsin, where the father engaged in farming until 1858, in which
year ihey removed to Foreston township and there resided until 1859. In that year the
family home was established in Forest City township, Howard county, Iowa. Norman
A. Haven accompanied his parents on their various removals and was a youth of seven-
teen years when he took up his abode upon what is now known as the old Haven home-
stead. There he attained his majority and through the period of his youth and early
manhood his attention was given to the farm work, so that he became thoroughly
familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops and was able
to take charge of farming interests on his own account when he established a home of
his own.

In the year 1883 Mr. Haven was united in marriage to Miss Mary Jane Jones
and to them were born two sons, George B. and Norman Allen, Jr. The son George B.
was married in 1914 to Miss Ruth Dykeman and they have two children, June Marie
and Leonora Esther. The other son is mentioned elsewhere in this volume.

The death of Norman Allen Haven was a matter of deep and widespread regret not
only to his immediate family but to all who knew him. He passed away at his home in
Forest City township, Howard county, May 23, 1911, and was laid to rest in Pleasant Hill
cemetery three days later. He was a man of upright character and of strong convictions,
to which he was always true and loyal. His sterling worth was recognized by all with
whom he came in contact. In politics he was a republican but never sought or desired
office as a reward for party fealty. He gave loyal support, however, to measures and
movements which he believed would prove of worth to the county and the commonwealth
and in matters of citizenship his aid and influence were always on the side of
improvement.

ALBERT J. MIKESH.

Albert J. Mikesh, a merchant of Protivin, who for two years has conducted one
of the excellent stores of the town, was born in Spillville, Iowa, April 22, 1869. His
father, John W. Mikesh, was a native of Bohemia and came to the United States when
twelve years of age. He made his way to Winneshiek county, Iowa, where he was
employed as a farm hand for a few years, during which time he carefully saved his
earnings until his industry and economy had brought him sufficient capital to enable
him to purchase land. He became the owner of a farm at Spillville and continued its
cultivation and improvement to the time of his death, which occurred in 1914. He
erected all of the buildings upon the place and converted it into a modern farm,
equipped with all the improvements and accessories of the model farm of the twentieth
century. His first purchase made him owner of forty acres of land, to which he grad-
ually added as his financial resources increased until he was the owner of one hundred
and ninety acres. He married Frances Janoush, a daughter of John Janoush, of Spill-
ville, and passed away in 1914, at the age of seventy-two years, on the old home farm,
which he had so long owned and occupied. He had filled the office of road supervisor
for a number of years and was interested in the welfare, upbuilding and progress of
the community. But a young lad when brought to America, he supplemented his edu-
cation, acquired in Bohemia, by attending the public schools of Winneshiek county.
When the country needed his aid in the preservation of the Union he joined the army
of the north and was wounded in battle but entirely recovered and throughout his
remaining days he displayed the same loyalty to his adopted land that he manifested
when he followed the nation's starry banner on the battlefields of the south. At the
time of the father's death his son, Louis Mikesh, took over the farm and has since
continued its cultivation.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 157

Albert J. Mikesh was reared on the old homestead and worked with his father on
the farm to the age of seventeen years, when he took up carpentering, devoting his
energies to that trade for twenty years and thus being identified with many important
building operations in the county. On the expiration of that period he established a
general store at Protivin and now has an excellent store, which he has been success-
fully conducting for twenty-six years. He carries a large and well selected line of
goods and his enterprising methods, his reliability and his earnest desire to please
his patrons have been potent elements in his continued success.

When twenty-five years of age Albert J. Mikesh married Miss Mamie Novak, a
daughter of Tom and Verona Novak, of Spillville, and they have become the parents
of three children: Nellie, the wife of Ben Bouska, of Schley; and Edith and Leo, at
home. The family attend the Catholic church at Protivin.

Mr. Mikesh gives his political allegiance to the democratic party. He is a repre-
sentative of one of the old pioneer families of Iowa and his entire life, covering a
period of fifty years, has been passed within this state, so that he has been a witness
of much of the growth and development of this section of the country. At all times
he has borne his part in the work of general progress and improvement and is re-
garded as one of the substantial citizens of Protivin.

G. H. MILLENBAUGH, D. 0.

Dr. G. H. Millenbaugh is a well known osteopath of New Hampton, where he has
successfully practiced his profession since 1916. He was born in Putnam county, Ohio,
on the 27th of June, 1891, a son of Joseph and Anna (Yocklin) Millenbaugh, the latter
a native of Germany, while the former was born in Ohio of German parentage. Dr.
Millenbaugh attended the common schools of his native county in the acquirement of
an education and in 1913 entered upon preparation for his chosen life work as a
student in the American School of Osteopathy at Kirksville, Missouri, from which he
was graduated as a member of the class of 1916. He then located at New Hampton,
where he has continued throughout the intervening period of three years and where
he has built up an extensive and gratifying practice that is steadily growing as his
skill is becoming more and more widely recognized.

Dr. Millenbaugh is a communicant of St. Mary's Catholic church and also belongs
to the Knights of Columbus. He is popular in both professional and social circles of
the community in which he makes his home and has already gained an enviable meas-
ure of success for one of his years.

G. M. SPENCER.

A well known representative of business enterprise in Chester is G. M. Spencer,
who is conducting a general contracting business. He was born in the state of New
York, March 7, 1875, a son of Ransom and Anna (Fox) Spencer, who were born,
reared and married in the Empire state. In 1876 they removed westward to Iowa
and took up their abode upon a rented farm near Lime Springs in Howard county.
The father there engaged in cultivating the soil for eleven years and in 1887 removed
to Chester, where he has since made his home and is now living retired from active
business, enjoying well earned rest.

G. M. Spencer was an infant of but a year when his parents came to Howard
county, so that practically his entire life has been passed here. He acquainted him-
self with the elementary branches of learning as a pupil in the district school near
his father's home and later he attended the public schools of Chester. As early as
his fifteenth year he took up the work of carpentering, possessing natural mechanical
skill and ingenuity, so that he took readily to the use of tools. It was but a compara-
tively short time until he was a master carpenter, and by the time he reached his

158 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

eighteenth year he was bidding on building contracts. From that date to the present
he has been a dominant factor in the building operations of Howard county. Many
large contracts have been awarded him and his work has always been of an important
character. He has built the greater number of the business blocks as well as of the
better residences in Chester and has long employed a force of competent workmen
in the prosecution of his tasks.

Mr. Spencer was married in 1896 to Miss Nona McDowell, of Osterdock, Iowa, and
to them have been born two sons and a daughter: Otto, who is in the United States
marine service, stationed at Paris Island, South Carolina; and Marion and Eva, both
at home.

Mr. Spencer votes with the republican party, which he has supported since age
conferred upon him the right of franchise. He belongs to Chester Lodge, No. 444,
I. 0. O. F., and to the Modern Woodmen of America and is loyal to the teachings
and purposes of those organizations. The major part of his time and attention, how-
ever, is concentrated upon his business affairs and it has been by reason of his close
application and determined effort that he has gained a place among the most sub-
stantial citizens of Howard county. He is now the owner of a farm of one hundred
and sixty acres in Pennington county, Minnesota, while in Chester he is controlling
a business of substantial and gratifying proportions.

WILLIAM W. DUNCAN.

William W. Duncan is now living retired in Colwell, Floyd county, but for many
years was actively identified with farming in Deerfield township and was classed among
the representative and influential residents of Chickasaw county. He was born in
Blackhawk county, Iowa, August 27, 1857, a son of Robert and Margaret (Walker)
Duncan, who are mentioned elsewhere in this volume in connection with the sketch
of their son, Robert A. Duncan.

William W. Duncan, after mastering the branches of learning taught in the dis-
trict schools, concentrated his efforts and attention upon farm work. Following his
father's death in 1870 he remained upon the home farm, which he cultivated in con-
nection with his brothers up to the time of his marriage. He then began farming
on his own account, renting the Perry Curtis property on section 32, Deerfield town-
ship, and for seven years he resided upon that place. During that period he carefully
saved his earnings until his industry and economy had brought him sufficient capital
to enable him to purchase land. It was in 1888 that he bought two hundred and
thirty acres on section 5, Deerfield township, and thereon he lived for thirty-one
years or until the summer of 1919, when he retired and removed to Colwell, where
he now makes his home. His present land holdings comprise two hundred and
ninety-six acres, constituting a rich and valuable farm from which he annually de-
rives a substantial income. Year after year he worked diligently in the develop-
ment of his fields and the large crops which he gathered enabled him to gain a most
substantial competence.

In 1880 Mr. Duncan was married to Miss Nettie Clark, of Floyd county, Iowa,
and they have become the parents of five children: Robert Ray, who follows farm-
ing in Deerfield township, Chickasaw county; Nellie M., the wife of M. J. Dickson,
an agriculturist of Deerfield township; James Hugh, at home; William Earl, who
is deceased; and Nettie Marie, who is the wife of J. T. Easterly, of Colwell, Iowa.

Mr. Duncan is now a stockholder in the Colwell Grain Exchange. Fraternally
he is connected with Charles City Lodge, No. 165, I. O. O. F., and his political alle-
giance is given to the republican party. He has filled the office of road supervisor
and has done active work in behalf of the cause of education as a member of the
school board during several years' service in that oflSce. He is now a member of the
board of directors of the Colwell consolidated schools and he is in hearty sympathy
with every plan and project to advance the educational interests of the community.
He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and his life has

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 159

ever been an upright and honorable one, commending him to the confidence and good
will of all. The most envious cannot grudge him his success, so honorably has it
been won and so worthily used. He is now occupying a pleasant home in Colwell,
enjoying not only the necessities and comforts of life but many of its luxuries as well.

WILLIAM B. GARDNER.

William B. Gardner, a lifelong resident of Iowa, is now carrying on general agri-
cultural pursuits on section 29, Howard township, in Howard county. He was born
in Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, July 23, 1878, and is a son of William and
Mary (Brokamp) Gardner, the former a native of Germany, while the latter was born
in Cumberland, Maryland, and her parents came to this country from Germany. Wil-
liam Gardner crossed the Atlantic in his childhood days with his father and mother
and became a resident of Iowa. He was married in Festina, Winneshiek county, this
state, and immediately afterward he and his wife began their domestic life upon a
farm in Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, where they resided for many years.
There the father passed away in 1907, but the mother survives and yet occupies the
old homestead.

William B. Gardner attended the Normal & Commercial College of New Hamp-
ton and the Highland Park College of Des Moines, Iowa. Following his graduation
from the latter institution as a member of the class of 1906 he returned to the old
homestead and began farming on his own account, purchasing eighty acres of his
present place from his father. This was a tract of wild prairie land upon which not
a furrow had been turned for an improvement made. He erected farm buildings and
began the further development of the property and is now the owner of one hundred
and sixty acres of land, constituting one of the splendidly improved farms of Howard
township. There are good buildings upon it and the place is divided into fields of
convenient size by well kept fences. He uses the latest improved machinery to pro-
mote the work of the fields and annually gathers large crops as the reward of his labors.

In 1907 Mr. Gardner was married to Miss Mayme Butler, of Dyersville, who is a
graduate of St. Francis Academy of Dyersville of the class of 1895 and who for nine
years was engaged in educational work prior to her marriage. She has become the
mother of six children, five of whom are living, namely: Linus J., Frank W., Joseph
C, John P. and Marcella E. Marie Z. was killed by an automobile at the age of six
years.

In politics Mr. Gardner is a democrat and in religious faith he and his family
are Catholics. Political honors and emoluments, however, have no attraction for him
as he has always preferred to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business
affairs and aside from farming he is a stockholder in the Elma Cooperative Creamery
Company, of which he is the president, and a stockholder in the Howard County Equity
Cooperative Association of Elma. His interests are therefore broad and varied, mak-
ing him a leading and representative business man of Howard county.

JAMES PRASKA.

James Praska, who is carrying on general farming on section 34, Paris township,
is a native son of Howard county, his birth having here occurred on the 20th of
July, 1895. He is a sou of Frank Praska, who was born in Bohemia and who cam?
to the United States when a youth of eighteen years. Crossing the Atlantic, he made
his way direct to Howard county and for several years was employed as a farm hand.
When about twenty-five years of age he invested his earnings in a tract of farm land,
which he sold a few years later. About nineteen years ago he purchased the present
home farm, comprising two hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land.

James Praska was reared in the usual manner of the farm-bred boy. He at-

160 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

tended the district schools and in vacation periods worked in the fields, early becom-
ing familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He
continued to assist his father in the further development of the home place until
twenty-two years of age, when he took over the home farm, which he has since culti-
vated, bringing the fields under a high state of development and adding many modern
improvements to the farm as the years have passed on. He rotates his crops and
keeps the soil in good condition and annually gathers good harvests.

On the 29th of October, 1918, Mr. Praska was married to Miss Celia Panoch, of
Howard county, a daughter of Frank and Barbara Panoch, farming people of this
section of the state. Mr. Praska and his wife are members of the Catholic church
at Protivin. He votes with the democratic party, which he has supported since age
conferred upon him the right of franchise. He is yet a young man but already has
made for himself a creditable position in agricultural circles and the qualities that
he has displayed argue well for a successful future.

CHARLES L. PECINOVSKY.

Charles L. Pecinovsky. who is engaged in farming on section 23, New Oregon town-
ship, Howard county, was born on the old homestead farm just north of Protivin on the
1st of March, 1888, and is a son of Joseph F. Pecinovsky, who is mentioned elsewhere in
this work. He obtained his education in the public schools of Protivin and of Cresco,
the period of his youth being largely devoted to the mastery of the branches of learning
constituting the curriculum of the public schools in those places. On the 29th of October,
1912, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Berka, of New Oregon township. Howard
county, a daughter of James Berka. who was also a native of Howard county and a
son of Joseph Berka, who was one of the pioneer settlers of this section of the state, com-
ing to Iowa from Bohemia in pioneer times.

In the spring following his marriage Mr. Pecinovsky began farming on his own
account on the land which he now owns but which then belonged to his father In 1915
he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of the old homestead and has since given his
attention to its further development and improvement. He has brought this land under
a high state of cultivation so that he annually harvests good crops. The farm presents
a most neat and thrifty appearance, indicative of the careful supervision and the prac-
tical and progressive methods of the owner.

To Mr. and Mrs. Pecinovsky have been born three children, two sons and a daughter:
William L., Anna S. and James. The parents are members of the Catholic church and in
his political views Mr. Pecinovsky is a republican, having always supported the men and
measures of the party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He is one
of the successful farmers of the district who never stops short of the successful accom-
pJishment of his purpose if liis object can be won through earnest and honorable effort.

NELS LARSON.

Nels Larson, now one of the well-to-do farmers of Howard county, living on
section 5, Howard township, arrived in Iowa with but fifty cents in his pocket. Thus
empty-handed he started out in the business world, employed at farm labor, and
through the intervening period his steady progress has brought him to the from
as one of the substantial agriculturists of northern Iowa.

He was born in Denmark, November 6, 1848, a son of Lars and Johanna (Tom-
person) Larson, who spent their entire lives in Denmark. The son was reared
in his native land and acquired a common school education there. The favorable
reports which he heard concerning the opportunities of the new world led him to
the determination to try his fortune on this side of the Atlantic and in 1870 he bade
adieu to friends and native country and came to the United States, being then a

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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 163

young man of twenty-two years. He arrived in Cresco, Iowa, with fifty cents as his
sole capital and began work on a farm, being employed through that summer at
a wage of twenty dollars per month. During the winter months he worked for ten
dollars per month and for five years remained in the employ of others. He was
desirous, however, of engaging in business on his own account and utilized every
means possible to promote that end, carefully saving his earnings until he felt justi-
fied in starting out independently. In 1875 he began farming as a renter and con-
tinued to cultivate leased land for eleven years. He practiced strict economy during
that period and at the end of that time purchased eighty acres of his present farm,
which now comprises one hundred and ninety acres of rich and arable land. His
progress is the direct result of hard and unremitting toil. He has worked per-
sistently as the years have passed, making good use of his time and opportunities,
and he certainly deserves much credit for the success to which he has attained.

In 1875 Mr. Larson was united in marriage to Miss Anna Louisa Johnson, a
native of Sweden, by whom he has three children, namely: Rosalie, the wife of
Frank Inward, of Ottertail county, Minnesota; Orvilla, who is the wife of Fred
Inward, of Riceville, Iowa; and Elmer, who married Rosabelle Inward and is
operating the home farm. Two other children of the family have passed away.

In politics Mr. Larson is a republican and has served for several years as road
boss. He and his family are of the Lutheran faith and guide their lives by the
teachings of the church. Mr. Larson is a man of many splendid traits of character.
He has not only been progressive but also thoroughly reliable in his business
affairs and his life record should serve to inspire and encourage others, showing
what may be accomplished through individual effort and determination.

F. J. CONLEY.

For seven years F. J. Conley has been engaged in the practice of law at New
Hampton and previous to that time was identified with educational interests in this
state. He is a native son of Chickasaw county, his birth having occurred in Chicka
saw township, January 17, 1879, his parents being Michael and Margery (McGettigan)
Conley, the former a native of Vermont, while the latter was born in Chickasaw
county, representing one of its old pioneer families. In his boyhood days the father
came with his parents to Iowa, settling in the county where he still lives. He yet
occupies the old family homestead in Chickasaw township which for many years has
been his place of abode.

F. J. Conley completed his public school education by graduation from the high
school of Ionia with the class of 1887. He afterward attended the Iowa State Teach-
ers College and then took up the profession of teaching, with which he was identified
for seven years. He made steady progress in that field and was superintendent of the
schools of Lawler for two years, while for five years he served as county superintend-
ent of schools of Chickasaw county. It was his desire, however, to become a member
of the bar and he entered the St. Paul College of Law, from which institution he re-
ceived his degree of LL. B. in the class of 1912. He was then admitted to practice at
the Iowa State bar in October of that year and opened a law office in New Hampton,
where he has since built up an extensive practice, in the conduct of which he is very
successful. The thoroughness with which he studies, investigates and prepares his
cases, combined with his clear and concise presentation of his cause, has constituted a
most potent element in the attainment of his success. In 1914 he was a candidate for
the office of county attorney and again in 1918 but was defeated by a small majority on
both occasions.

On the 17th of October, 1904, Mr. Conley was married to Miss Jensena Rose Larson,
of Lawler, Iowa, and to them have been born six children, of whom four are living:
Eileen Agnes, Mary Gertrude, Margaret and Frances.

Mr. and Mrs. Conley are members of the Catholic church and he is identified also
with the Knights of Columbus. His time and energies are chiefly devoted to his pro-

164 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

fessional interests and in a calling where advancement depends entirely upon indi-
vidual merit and ability he is mlaking steady progress. During the World war he ac
tively participated in the speaking campaigns for Liberty loans, the Y. M. C. A. and
other war service.

JOHN FISCHBACH.

John Pischbach is the owner of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 10.
Chickasaw township, Chickasaw county, which he purchased in 1905 and which he has
since owned and occupied. He was born in Germany, October 2, 1860, a son of Nick
and Gertrude (Wagner) Fischbach, both of whom died in Germany.

John Fischbach spent the first twenty-eighth years of his life in his native country
and acquired a public school education there. He crossed the Atlantic in 1888 and first
made his way to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he was united in marriage to Miss Mary
Becker, a daughter of Christoph and Elizabeth (Molitor) Becker, who were also of
German birth and remained residents of their native land until called to their final rest.

Following his marriage- Mr. Fischbach worked on the roads at La Crosse, Wiscon-
sin, for six years and then, hoping to find better business opportunities and conditions
elsewhere, he removed to Chickasaw county, Iowa, and for seven years resided upon a
rented farm in Chickasaw township. He afterward spent three years upon another farm
which he leased and all through this period of a decade he was carefully saving his
earnings and utilizing his opt)ortunities in the hope of ultimately becoming the owner
of a farm. The year 1905 saw the realization of his dreams in the purchase of eighty
acres of the one hundred and sixty acres on section 10, Chickasaw township, constituting
his present home property. In the intervening period of fourteen years he has bent
every effort to the development and improvement of his farm and has converted it into
an excellent place that annually returns to him a gratifying income. He has also become
a stockholder in the Ionia Farmers' Creamery Association.

Mr. and Mrs. Fischbach are the parents of four children: Hannah, now the wife of
Henry Friedman; Clara Elizabeth, at home; Peter R., who died in France on the 5th
of July, 1919, having gone to that country for overseas service in the great war: and
Michael C, who is assisting his father. The son, Peter R., went to France with the
September automatic replacement infantry troops, arriving at St. Nazaire, October 6,
1918. He later became attached to the embarkation staff at that place and died from
disease July 5, 1919.

Mr. Fischbach and his family are members of St. Boniface Catholic church of
Ionia. He has served as school director in Chickasaw township but has never been
active as an office seeker. His life has been one of unfaltering diligence. He has worked
hard and his ceaseless toil and endeavor have constituted the foundation upon which he
has built his present-day success.

M. J. McARTHUR.

M. J. McArthur has for thirty-five years been identified with the lumber business
in Cresco and by reason of his activity in this field is most widely known. He is also
serving at the present time as city clerk. A native son of Iowa, he was the first male
child born in the city of Davenport, his natal day being May 4, 1840. His parents were
Gabriel and Elizabeth (Glaspell) McArthur. the former a native of Ohio and the latter
of New Jersey. The parents were married in Cincinnati. Ohio, to which place the
mother had removed with her parents during her girlhood days. In August, 1839, they
came west to Davenport, Iowa, and were accompanied by the maternal grandfather,
James Glaspell. He was in comfortable financial circumstances for a man of that period
and was enabled to buy eighty acres of land for his family of eight children. The father

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 165

removed to the farm given his wife in 1844 and thereon resided to the time of his death

in 1861.

M. J. McArthur was educated in the common schools but had the privilege of attend-
ing for only two or three months in the winter season. After his father's death he con-
tinued upon the home farm for a year and then turned the place over to his brother,
while he rented a farm in Scott county, Iowa, thus making his initial step in an inde-
pendent business career. He subsequently purchased a small plot of ground of twenty
acres two and a half miles from Davenport and there engaged in gardening, remaining
thereon until 1871, when he removed to Hopkinton, Iowa, and with others took up the
business of merchandising and dealing in live stock. He was quite successful in his
undertakings there and remained at that place until 1894, when he removed to Cresco
and became manager of the HoUister Lumber Company, in which capacity he served six
years. In 1900 he was sent by the company to Merrill, Wisconsin, as lumber buyer
for their line of seventeen lumberyards and remained at that point three years. Subse-
quently, in connection with others, he built a mill at Bruces Crossing and organized the
McArthur Manufacturing Company, of which he became the secretary and manager. In
that position he served for three years and then sold his interest in the company, return-
ing later to Cresco. When a year had passed he removed to Madison, South Dakota, as
manager of the yards of the Coleman Lumber Company at Ramona, where he remained
four years. He then again returned to Cresco, where he has since lived retired, en-
joying a well earned rest.

In Davenport, Iowa, Mr. McArthur was married in 1861 to Miss Missouri Jane Moore
and to them were born four children: Ann Elizabeth, Milton H., James and John. The
wife and mother passed away and- in 1899 Mr. McArthur was married to Miss Ada C.
Brown, of Cresco.

Politically Mr. McArthur is a republican and is the present town clerk of Cresco,
a position which he has most capably and ably filled for the past five years. He belongs
to the Methodist Episcopal church and his life has ever been guided by high and honor-
able principles, making him a man whom to know is to esteem and honor. His course
has ever measured up to high standards and his splendid qualities are attested in the
strong friendships which are his.

JOSEPH JINDERLEE.

Joseph Jinderlee is numbered among those men who have made Howard county a
great agricultural center. He follows farming on section 21, Howard township, and still
gives his personal attention to the development and improvement of his land. As the
years have passed he has added to his holdings until his possessions now comprise six
hundred acres. Mr. Jinderlee is a native of Bohemia. He was born March 13, 1842, of
the marriage of Martin and Anna Jinderlee, who spent their entire lives in Bohemia.

In the public schools the son acquired his education and in 1866, in order to evade
the Prussian-Austrian war, he fled the land of his birth and came to the United States,
first making his way to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he obtained work on a steamboat
plying between St. Louis and Minneapolis. He spent five or six years on the river,
working in that way during the fall seasons, while in the spring and summer months he
was employed in a brickyard in La Crosse. The winter months were passed in the
lumber camps and thus his life was one of industry and ceaseless toil. When he first
went to Minneapolis he could have purchased an entire block of ground on what is today
the main business thoroughfare of that city for fifty dollars and the most farsighted
could scarcely have dreamed of the rapid strides which would be made in the develop-
ment of the west.

In 1871 Mr. Jinderlee came to Iowa in search of land as an investment. He traveled
over the Milwaukee Railroad westward to its terminus at Algona, but not liking the
country there, he returned east to Charles City and bought land in Floyd county, ten
miles southwest of Charles City. He then began the development and improvement of
that place and farmed thereon for a period of twenty-eight years. In 1899 he disposed

166 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

of his lands in Floyd county and removed to Howard county, where ten years before he
had purchased two hundred and forty acres of his present holdings. Since then he
has added to his possessions from time to time until his landed interests in Howard
county comprise six hundred acres. He is today numbered among the substantial resi-
dents of the county and, moreover, he is a self-made man who by persistent effort and
straightforward dealing has gained his prosperity. While he is now in the seventy-
eighth year of his age, he is still able to make a hand in the harvest field.

In 1873 Mr. Jinderlee was married to Miss Mary Kubesh, of Winneshiek county, who
was born on the ocean while her parents were coming from Bohemia to the United
States. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Jinderlee are the following children: J. W., a
practicing physician of Cresco, Iowa; William and Frank, who operate the home farm;
Charles F., a ranchman residing near Spokane, Washington; John, who follows farm-
ing and makes his his home at Little Falls, Minnesota. The parents are members of
the Catholic church. During the period of their residence in Howard county they have
^on many friends and enjoy the high regard and esteem of those with whom they have
been associated.

L. F. GORDON, D. V. S.

Dr. L. F. Gordon, engaged in the practice of veterinary surgery at New Hampton,
was born in Postville, Iowa, April 28, 1890, a son of James and Susan (McGreevy)
Gordon, the former a native of Allamakee county, Iowa, born near Postville, while the
latter was born in Fayette county, Iowa. The father was a butter maker by trade and
conducted the Postville Creamery for nineteen years and the creamery at Preston,
Iowa, for six years. He was there stationed at the time of his death, which occurred on
the 30th of September, 1918. The mother survives and now makes her home with her
son L. F.

In the public schools of Postville, Dr. Gordon began his education, passing through
consecutive grades to his graduation from the high school as a member of the class of
1908. During the succeeding five years he devoted his attention to clerking, spending
one year in a general store in Postville, while for four years he was employed as a sales-
man in a clothing store in Preston. In 1913 he took up the study of veterinary surgery,
entering the Chicago Veterinary College, from which he was graduated as an alumnus
of 1916. Following the completion of his course there he made his way at once to New
Hampton, where he entered upon the active work of his profession, and in the inter-
vening period of three years he has built up a large and lucrative practice. It is a recog-
nized fact that he is thoroughly familiar with the latest scientific methods of veterinary
surgery and his work has been productive of excellent results.

In 1912 Dr. Gordon was united in marriage to Miss Blanche Milar, of Preston, Iowa,
and in the social circles of the city they have made many warm friends. They are
members of St. Mary's Roman Catholic church, and fraternally Dr. Gordon is also a
member of the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he maintains an independent
course, supporting men and measures rather than party. He is a young man who in
professional circles has already won a creditable position and by reason of his thorough-
ness and efficiency is destined to gain still further success.

JOHN E. DAVIS.

John E. Davis, who is busily engaged in farming on section 24, Forest City town-
ship, Howard county, Avas born upon the farm which he is now operating, his natal day
being February 26, 1889. His parents, Richard E. and Mary E. (Hughes) Davis, were
natives of Wales and had reached adult age when they came to the new world. They
made the trip with their brothers and sisters, their respective parents having died in
their native land. Richard E. Davis first settled in Wisconsin after coming to the United

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 167

states and there was employed for several years at farm work. About 1870 he removed
westward to Iowa and for some time worked on the construction of the Union Pacific
Railroad through Nebraska. He afterward came to Howard county and about 1884 was
married. He then settled on a part of the present home farm, having acquired eighty
acres of land through holding a mortgage on the property. Later he added to his
original tract until his farm comprised one hundred and eighty acres, upon which he
resided to the time of his death, which occurred February 26, 1907. His widow survives
and yet occupies the old home place.

John E. Davis of this review was educated in the district schools while spending
his youthful days under the parental roof. In the winter seasons he mastered the
branches of learning which constituted the public school curriculum and in the summer
months he aided more or less in the work of the home farm until his father's death,
which occurred when the son was eighteen years of age. Upon his young shoulders
then devolved the care of the farm, which he has since cultivated and which is now
owned by himself and his sister, Jessie M. Davis.

In his political views Mr. Davis is an earnest republican, believing firmly in the
principles of the party, and he has served as a delegate to its county conventions, while
at the last election he was chosen to the office of township assessor. On account of being
alone upon the farm, however, he could not serve as it would require too much of his
time. He is well known as an exemplary member of Howard Lodge, No. 214, A. F. &
A. M., and also of the Modern Woodmen of America and is equally faithful as a mem-
ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is regarded as one of the progressive young
men and successful farmers of Howard county and enjoys the respect of all with whom he
has been brought in contact.

JOHN J. PECHOTA.

John J. Pechota, engaged in farming on section 12, Utica township, Chickasaw
county, is a native of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Chicago, December 28, 1881,
his parents being Frank and Mary Pechota, who are mentioned in connection with the
sketch of their son, Wenzel A. Pechota, on another page of this work. With the removal
of the family to Iowa, John J. Pechota became a pupil in the district schools of Chicka-
saw county and through the period of his youth aided in the cultivation of his father's
farm. Following his marriage he located upon the place where he now resides — a tract
of one hundred acres which his father deeded to him. The sons had assisted materially
in the development of the old homestead and in the acquirement of their father's prop-
erty, and he recognized their assistance in substantial gifts of land at the time the sons
were married.

On the 1st of May, 1906, John J. Pechota wedded Miss Catherine M. Panos, a daughter
of Albert Panos, who is spoken of at length in connection with the sketch of his son,
James L. Panos, in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Pechota have two interesting children,
Eugene and Dora.

The religious belief of the parents is that of the Catholic church and in the exercise
of his right of franchise Mr. Pechota supports the democratic party. He is above all,
however, a successful farmer who, working diligently and persistently along the line
which he has always followed, has gained a place among the representative agriculturists
of Chickasaw county.

W. E. TORNEY.

An excellent farm property of one hundred and fifty-one acres situated on section 7,
Saratoga township, Howard county, pays tribute to the care and labor bestowed upon
the place by the owner, W. E. Torney, who is classed with the representative agricul-
turists of that community. He was born August 8, 1856, in Canada, a son of Thomas and

168 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Marguerite (McDowell) Torney, who about 1870 left Canada and came with their family
lo Howard county, Iowa. At that time the father purchased what is now the home farm
of W. E. Torney and concentrated his efforts and attention upon its further development
and improvement until the time of his death, which occurred April 17, 1899. For five
years he had survived his wife, who died March 27, 1894.

W. E. Torney was a lad of but fourteen years at the time the family home was
established in Howard county and his youthful experiences were those of the farm-bred
boy who attends the public schools and works in the fields through vacation periods.
He had begun his education in Canada and he continued his studies in Mitchell county,
Iowa, when the parents came to this state. Since his father's death he has assumed the
management and operation of the old home farm and now has one hundred and fifty-one
acres of excellent land from which he derives a substantial annual income, for his
methods of cultivating his fields are most practical and resultant.

On the 25th of June, 1895, Mr. Torney was married to Miss Emma Gertrude Mason,
a daughter of Patrick James and Marguerite (Covey) Mason. Mrs. Torney was born
in Canada and her people never came to Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Torney have no children
cf their own but are rearing an adopted daughter, Nellie Marie, who is now attending
the public school.

In political belief Mr. Torney is a republican but has never been an office seeker.
He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Lodge No. 211, and also has
membership with the Modern Woodmen of America and with the Eastern Star. He is
now occupying the position of township trustee for the first term. He and his family
attend the Congregational church and their sterling worth has gained for them a circle
of friends almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintance.

FRANK KOBLISKA.

Frank Kobliska is numbered among those who have transformed Chickasaw
county from an undeveloped tract into one of the garden spots of Iowa, beautiful in
the development and improvement of its farming land. He makes his home on sec-
tion 32, Deerfield township, and is surrounded by highly cultivated fields, from
which he annually gathers substantial harvests. He was born in Bohemia in
September, 1858, a son of Wensel and Eleanora Kobliska. He came to the United
States when a lad of twelve years in company with his parents, the family home
being first established near Spillville, in Winneshiek county, Iowa, where the father
purchased a farm and continued to carry on general agricultural pursuits for nine-
teen years. He then removed to Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, and settled
on a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which remained his place of residence
until his life's labors were ended in death in 1881. The mother survives and yet
occupies the original old home place near Spillville, having returned to that farm
after the death of her husband, taking her family with her. Her son, Matt Kobliska,
is now conducting the farm.

Frank Kobliska was educated in the public schools of Spillville and at the time
of his father's death, which occurred when he was twenty-three years of age, he
inherited eighty acres of land in Deerfield township. A year later he was married
to Miss Barbara Hernecek, the wedding being celebrated on the 20th of November,
1882. She is a daughter of Frank and Anna Hernecek, both of whom were natives
of Bohemia. Following his marriage Mr. Kobliska took his bride to the farm
which he had inherited and for eight years he devoted his attention to its further
development and improvement. He then sold that property and bought his present
place in 1891, becoming the owner of two hundred acres of land. He has since
extended the boundaries of his place and in addition to his farm in Deerfield town-
ship, which now comprises two hundred and forty-nine acres, he owns three hundred
and twenty acres in North Dakota. His success has been attained through per-
sistent effort, intelligently directed. He has worked long and earnestly and by
reason of his careful management and straightforward dealings has gained a

COLONEL L. WHITCOMB

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 147

On the 9th of September, 1868, Mr. Whitcomb was united in marriage to Miss Minda
C. Webster, of Cook county, Illinois, who died in January, 1901. They became the
parents of three children, but only one survives, a son, Guy F., who is operating the
home farm. He married Ruby Eastland, of Chickasaw county, and to them has been
born a son, Howard R.

In his political views Mr. Whitcomb is a republican and has filled various local
oflBces. serving as a member of the board of township trustees for several years, while
at the present time he is serving as mayor of Fredericksburg. His interest in community
affairs is deep and sincere, and he cooperates heartily in all plans and projects put forth
for the benefit of the city, the development of its business conditions and the upholding
of its civic standards. Fraternally he is connected with Mount Horeb Lodge, No. 33,
A. F. & A. M., and his identification with Masonry covers a half century. He is also a
member of J. V. Carpenter Post, G. A. R. He attends the Methodist Episcopal church,
and his whole life has been characterized by high and honorable principles that have
made him a man whom to know is to esteem and honor.

REV. JOHN P. WAGENER.

Rev. John P. Wagener, priest of St. Joseph's Catholic church at Cresco. was born
at St. Donatus, Iowa, January 16, 1879, his parents being Nicholas and Elizabeth (Siren)
Wagener. The son spent his boyhood days upon his father's farm at St. Donatus, where
his youth was passed in the usual manner of the farm-bred boy, but he became ambitious
to secure an education and ultimately formed the plan of preparing for the priesthood.
In 1893 he became a student in St. Francis Seminary near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where
he remained until 1896, when he entered St. Joseph's College at Dubuque, Iowa, and
was graduated therefrom with the class of June, 1899. He next entered Grand Seminary
at Montreal, Canada, and after studying theology there for a time was ordained to the
[riesthood on the 20th of December, 1902.

It was on the 3d of January, 1903, that Rev. Wagener was appointed assistant
of St. Joseph's Catholic church at Bellevue, Iowa, where he continued until May 7,
1910. He was then appointed priest of St. Joseph's Catholic church in Cresco and has
since continued his labors there. The church property is one of the finest in northern
Iowa and the work of the church is splendidly organized and is being pushed steadily
forward through the earnest and untiring efforts of Father Wagener.

In July. 1910, he was instrumental in building the Sisters' residence, which was
completed in October of that year. It was in September. 1910, that the Sisters of Notre
Dame of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, established the parochial school and parish and in
1912 a new parochial school was erected. The present church was built in 1916 and the
church, the residence and parochial school are all clear of debt, all indebtedness having
been discharged on the completion of the different buildings. To Father Wagener is
due the credit for promoting the work in these connections. He has labored most
untiringly, earnestly and effectively to upbuild the Catholic cause in Cresco and in
Howard county and his labors have been far reaching and resultant.

H. P. NEHL.

H. P. Nehl is numbered among the residents of New Hampton who have justly won
the proud American title of a self-made man. With limited educational opportunities
and no special advantages in life, he has steadily worked his way upward and is now
recognized as one of New Hampton's representative business men, engaged in real estate
dealing. He was born in Sauk City, Wisconsin, September 9. 1868, a son of Henry and
Elizabeth (Beck) Nehl, who came to Chickasaw county from Sauk City on the 6th of
September, 1874. They took up their abode upon a farm near North Washington, where
both the father and mother remained until called to their final rest.

148 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Their son, H. P. Nelil, was educated in the district schools but his opportunities
in that direction were very limited, as he was able to attend only three months in the
year after reaching his eleventh year. He remained upon the home farm until 1891 and
during the latter five years of that period had charge of and operated the farm. Desirous
of establishing a home of his own, he was married in 1891 to Miss Mary M. Hentges, of
Dubuque county, Iowa, and after his marriage he took up his abode upon a farm in
Washington township which he purchased at that time. This property he continued
to further develop and cultivate until 1905, when he removed to New Hampton and
turned his attention to the real estate business, concentrating his efforts upon the buying
anJ selling of farm lands in North and South Dakota and in Iowa. He now has exten-
sive land lioldings in the Dakotas and for the past fourteen years has been one of the
large land dealers of New Hampton. He has closely studied every phase of the real
estate business in the line in which he specializes and has so directed his labors that
success in substantial measure has come to him.

To Mr. and Mrs. Nelil have been born four children, Agnes, Lena, Justina and
Martha. All are graduates of St. Mary's College at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Mr.
Nehl and his family are communicants of St. Mary's Catholic church and he is also
identified with the Knights of Columbus. In politics he maintains an independent course,
nor has he ever been ambitious to hold office, preferring ever to concentrate his time
and energies upon Jiis business affairs, which have been carefully directed and have
brought to him the substantial measure of success which he now enjoys. He is regarded
as a thoroughly reliable real estate man and his enterprise and progressiveness have
been dominant features in the attainment of his present prosperity.

FRANK J. PANOS.

Frank J. Panos, busily engaged in general farming on section 12, Utica township,
Chickasaw county, was born on the old family homestead in this township. May 5, 1883,
his parents being Albert and Barbara Panos, who are mentioned in the sketch of their
son, James L. Panos, on another page of this work. The district schools afforded Frank
J. Panos his educational opportunities and on the 29th of May, 1906, having arrived at
years of maturity, he was married to Miss Fannie Shileny. a daughter of Frank Shileny,
a native of Bohemia, who established his home in Winneshiek county during the period
of its early development and who has now passed away.

In the spring after his marriage Mr. Panos engaged in farming on his own account,
taking up his abode upon the place where he still resides, which was then owned by his
father, who deeded the property to him at the time of his marriage. It comprises one
hundred and twenty acres of very fertile and valuable land and responds readily to the
care and labor bestowed upon it by the owner, who in his farm work manifests a most
progressive spirit. What he undertakes he accomplishes, and his fields now present a
neat and thrifty appearance, promising large harvests.

To Mr. and Mrs. Panos have been born four children, of whom three are living,
George. Louis and William. In religious faith the parents are members of the Catholic
church, and in his political views Mr. Panos is a democrat. He concentrates his efforts
and attention, however, upon his farming interests and has made for himself a place
among the substantial agriculturists of Utica township.

W. C. BAETHKE.

W^. C. Baethke, who carries on general farming on section 18, Saratoga township,
Howard county, was born in Germany, March 24, 1889, a son of C. F. and Minnie
(Johlas) Baethke. The parents came to the United States in 1898 and made their way
at once to Iowa, establishing their home in Saratoga township. The father worked as
a farm hand for two years, but desirous of engaging in business on his own account,

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 149

tlien rented a farm, which he continued to cultivate for nine years. During this period
he carefully saved his earnings and in 1909 bought the farm which is now owned and
occupied by W. C. Baethke.

The latter was a lad of but nine years when he bade adieu to friends and native
country and accompanied his parents to the United States. He was reared under the
parental roof and the educational opportunities which he enjoyed were those afforded by
the public schools of this county. In the fall of 1918 he was united in marriage to Miss
Emma Hinz and they are well known and highly respected people of the district in
which they live. They hold membership in the German Lutheran church and are loyal
to its teachings and generous in its support. In politics Mr. Baethke is a republican.
He has a brother, August C, who is with the American army of occupation in Germany,
and the family are most loyal in their support of American interests. On coming to this
country Mr. Baethke entered fully into the life and welfare of America and in the sup-
port of the institutions and principles of American life he has measured up to the one
hundred per cent mark.

A. G. MERRILL.

A. G. Merrill, a general farmer of Howard county living on section 22, Saratoga
township, was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa. December 28, 1869. He has always
remained a resident of this state and the spirit of progress and advancement which has
been the dominant factor in the upbuilding of the west has been manifest in his life
record. He was reared as a farm boy, dividing his time between the work of the fields,
the pleasures of the playground and the duties of the schoolroom.

Mr. Merrill had attained his majority when in February, 1902, he was united in
marriage to Miss Dora Enos, whom he met and married in Saratoga township. Her
parents were Joseph and Alice Enos, the former of whom passed away in October, 1918.
while the latter is now living with a son. W. H. Enos. The family is mentioned else-
where in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Merrill began their domestic life upon a farm and he
has throughout his business career been identified with the active work of tilling the
soil, making his home on section 22, Saratoga township. He has here sixty acres of
land and is leading a life of industry and thrift, resulting in the further development
of his farm property, his labors greatly enhancing its productiveness. He is also a stock-
holder in the Farmers Cooperative Creamery Company of Saratoga.

Mr. Merrill is a supporter of the republican party and fraternally he is connected
with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Royal Neighbors at Saratoga, while his
wife is a member of the Congregational church. Both are well known in this section
of the state, where they are highly esteemed, and the hospitality of the best homes is
freely accorded them.

ALBERT REINHART.

Albert Reinhart, a representative farmer of Howard county, living on section 11,
Paris township, was born in Elgin, Iowa, September 24, 1860. He is of Swiss descent,
his parents being Samuel and Anna (Lehman) Reinhart, both natives of the land of the
Alps. They came to the United States in early life. The father, however, was a young
man when he crossed the Atlantic with his parents. The mother came to the new
world as a maiden of thirteen or fourteen years with her father and mother, who
settled in Elgin, Fayette county, Iowa, where they resided until called to their final rest.
It was in Elgin that Anna Lehman became the wife of Samuel Reinhart in May, 1853.
They remained residents of that place until 1864 and then removed to the vicinity of
Lawler, Iowa, where they made their home for a quarter of a century. Subsequently
they took up their abode in Howard county and after spending several years on a farm
in Paris township they removed to Cresco, where they resided for eighteen years. They

150 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

then took up their abode in the home of their son Samuel in Alta Vista, Iowa, where the
father passed away March 2, 1913, at the advanced age of eighty-five years, ten months
and twenty-six days. The mother is still living and now makes her home with her
daughter, Mrs. Fred Heimerdinger, in Paris township, Howard county. She is now in
her eighty-second year but is still quite active and well preserved.

Albert Reinhart, after attending the district schools near his father's home, assisted
in the work of the farm up to the time of his marriage. In 1886 he wedded Miss Anna
Albers, of Winneshiek county, Iowa, and the young couple began their domestic life upon
their present home farm, which now comprises three hundred and forty acres of rich
and productive land. At first, however, Mr. Reinhart bought only one hundred and
tv,'enty acres but in the intervening period he has added to his property from time to
time until he has become owner of more than a half section and his farm is splendidly
improved. He erected all of the buildings upon the place and has carefully cultivated
his fields, so that he now gathers golden harvests. In addition to the tilling of the soil
he raises black polled cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs, handling only pure blooded stock
eligible to registry.

To Mr. and Mrs. Reinhart have been born eleven children, nine of whom are yet
living, namely: Clara, the wife of Frank Dreckman, of Alta Vista; Henry and Albert,
who are engaged in farming in Howard county; Esther, the wife of Clifford Platz, also
a farmer of Howard county; Luella, who married Fred Rethamel, of Charles City, Iowa;
and Earl, Edwin, Alfred and Harvey, all yet at home.

By reason of his success Mr. Reinhart has been able to provide a most comfortable
living for his family. In addition to his farming interests he is a stockholder in the
Farmers Creamery of Jerico and a stockholder in the Farmers Cooperative Lumber
Company of Alta Vista. In his political views he is an earnest republican and keeps well
informed on the questions and issues of the day. In religious faith he and his wife are
Methodists and their sterling worth has made them highly esteemed throughout the
community in which they live. In every relation of life Mr. Reinhart has been honor-
able and upright, and his integrity in business affairs has been one of the strong forces
in his success.

O. A. TAYLOR.

0. A. Taylor, alert and energetic, is now successfully managing the interests of
the Gilchrist Elevator & Grain Company at Ionia. He is numbered among the sub-
stantial residents that the Empire state has furnished to Iowa, his birth having oc-
curred in Tioga county, New York, August 11. 1851, his parents being Luther and
Maria (Jacobs) Taylor, both of whom were natives of the state of New York, where
they were reared and married. In 1856 they became residents of Wisconsin, settling
on a farm near Janesville in Rock county, and about 1877 they arrived in Chickasaw
county, Iowa, taking up their abode on a farm near Lawler, where the father passed
away three or four years later. The mother afterward made her home with her chil-
dren and departed this life in 1916, at La Crosse, Wisconsin, where she was living
with a daughter.

O. A. Taylor supplemented his common school education by study in the Milton
College of Milton, Rock county, Wisconsin, and later he followed the profession of
teaching for two years, spending one year of that time in Michigan and the other
year in Wisconsin. During this period he worked on his father's farm through the
summer months. In 1875 he came to Iowa and entered into active association with
the firm of Gilchrist & Company, grain dealers, in whose employ he has remained
for forty-four years. No higher testimonial of efficiency, fidelity and capability could
be given. He spent one year in their elevator at Cresco, Iowa, and thence was sent
to Lawler as manager of their business at that point. He remained there for fifteen
or sixteen years and was afterward sent to Fredericksburg, while a year later he was
transferred to Ionia as manager of the interests of Gilchrist & Company at this place.
Here he has since remained and he is today one of the best known grain buyers of

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 151

northern Iowa. There is no feature of the business with which he is not thoroughly
familiar and his labors have been of immense benefit to the firm which he represents,
while at the same time his efficiency has enabled him to command an excellent salary.

In 1876 Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Noon, of Chickasaw
county, by whom he had seven children, five of whom survive, as follows: George
R., who is grain buyer at Jackson Junction for Gilchrist & Company; Oliver B., who
is engaged in buying grain for Gilchrist & Company at Lawler, Iowa; Claude L., who
is managing an elevator for Gilchrist & Company at Devon, Iowa; Maud, who is the
widow of Patrick Conley and resides at Maquoketa, Iowa; and Ruth, the wife of
Christian Osterwalder, of Rock Island, Illinois.

In his political views Mr. Taylor is an earnest democrat and is recognized as one
of the local party leaders. He served for two or three terms as mayor and for several
terms as a member of the city council and is acting in the latter capacity at the
present time. His wife is a member of the Catholic church. Both Mr. and Mrs. Taylor
are well known in Ionia and this section of the state and the hospitality of the best
homes is freely accorded them. Progress has characterized the entire business career
of Mr. Taylor and advancement has come to him in recognition of his ability and merit.

BERNARD FLOOD.

For the past third of a century Bernard Flood has resided on his farm of one
hundred and six acres on section 15, Vernon Springs township, adjoining the city
limits of Cresco on the north. It is a most valuable and highly improved property
and its owner is widely recognized as one of the leading and representative agricul-
turists of Howard county. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on the 21st of May,
1848, his parents being Bernard and Rosanna (Clark) Flood, both of whom were na-
tives of Ireland, whence they emigrated to the United States as young people. They
were married on Staten Island, New York, and subsequently removed to Baltimore,
Maryland, in which city they continued to reside throughout the remainder of their
lives. The father was a laborer.

Bernard Flood spent the period of his minority in his native city and attended
the public schools of Baltimore in the acquirement of an education. When twenty-
one years of age he left the parental roof and made his way westward to Prairie du
Chien. Wisconsin, where he was employed in a hotel for eighteen months. On the
expiration of that period he went to Sioux City, Iowa, where he worked in a hotel
for one year and then removed to Northfield, Minnesota, there conducting a restaurant
for a year. Later he spent three years in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as a restaurant
proprietor and subsequently secured employment in the roundhouse of the Chicago,
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad at Minneapolis, remaining in the latter connection for
two and a half years. The year 1879 witnessed his arrival in Howard county, Iowa,
and here he worked as a farm hand for a period of six years. At the end of that
time, in 1885, he purchased his present home farni of one hundred and six acres
adjoining the city limits of Cresco on the north, now conceded to be one of the finest
and best located farms in the county. The operation of the place has claimed his
attention continuously since and he has erected all of the buildings thereon, making
it a most excellently improved property. Mr. Flood is the second owner of the land,
having purchased it from the widow of a Mr. Williams, who homesteaded the tract.
The latter, however, went to the front during the period of the Civil war and never
returned.

On the 18th of May, 1874, in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, Mr. Flood was united
in marriage to Miss Nellie O'Malley, by whom he had two children: Bernardina, the
wife of William Mullen, who follows farming in Vernon Springs township; and Mat-
thew C, who cultivates the home place. The wife and mother passed away on the
1st of September, 1908, and her demise was not only felt as a great loss by the mem-
bers of her immediate family but also by a large circle of friends.

In politics Mr. Flood maintains an independent course, supporting the candidate

152 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

whom he deems best qualified for office without regard to party ties. In religious
belief he is a Catholic. He has now passed the seventy-first milestone on life's journey
and his career has ever been such that he can look back over the past without regret
and forward to the future without fear.

HON. H. H. BAILEY.

Hon. H. H. Bailey, deceased, was one of Chickasaw county's most prominent pioneer
settlers and honored citizens. He was born in Vermilion, Ohio, September 26, 1837, and
passed away in St. Joseph's Hospital in New Hampton, Iowa, June 10, 191S. His early
life was one of hard knocks. The difficulties and obstacles in his path were many. When
he was a child of but seven years his father died and his mother soon afterward married
again. He was sent to live with his grandparents, who put him out to work for neigh-
boring farmers. He was thus employed at a wage of seven cents per day and when his
wages were increased to ten cents per day he felt that he was receiving a munificent
salary. His educational opportunities were limited to a few months' attendance in the
old log sclioolhouse with its slab benches and other primitive furnishings, while the
methods of instruction were almost equally crude. As he grew older he realized the
need of a better education and for two terms attended Oberlin College at Oberlin, Ohio,
working his way through school during that period.

In the spring of 1855 Mr. Bailey came with an uncle to Chickasaw county, Iowa, and
later homesteaded on the section of land in Richland township which remained his place
of residence up to the time of his death. On the outbreak of the Civil war he was on a
visit to his mother at the old home in Ohio and while there he responded to his country's
call, enlisting on the 1st of July, 1861, as a member of the Seventh Ohio (Rooster)
Regiment. He served with this command for almost four years, being mustered out on
the 3d of January, 1865. He participated in the battles of Gettysburg. Antietam, the
second battle of Bull Run, Chancellorsville, Lookout Mountain, which was fought above
the clouds, and many other notable engagements. He was three times wounded, being
once shot through the neck, again through the right limb and a third time through the
left hand. After receiving his discharge Mr. Bailey returned to his Iowa home and on
the 6th of January, he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah P. Birdsell, a daughter of
S S. Birdsell, who was also one of the pioneer settlers of the county. Five children were
born of this marriage but only two are now living: Louis P., who is engaged in mer-
chandising at Williamstown, Iowa; and Paul J., a farmer who is operating the home
farm.

Mr. Bailey possessed the intellect and ability that made him a man among men. He
was most progressive and public-spirited and was always the leader in any movement
that tended to promote the welfare and upbuilding of the district in which he lived.
He possessed many sterling characteristics and it was said of him that he had a heart
as big and kind as the master of men could put into a single body. He was unostenta-
tious, was most liberal and charitable to every good cause. All who knew him spoke of
him in terms of high regard and his sterling worth was recognized by all with whom he
came in contact.

In politics Mr. Bailey was an ardent republican and was recognized as one of the
foremost men of his party in Chickasaw county. He served for years in the various
township offices and was for years a member of the board of county supervisors. He
also represented his district in the twenty-first general assembly of Iowa and gave most
thoughtful and earnest consideration to the vital questions which came up for settle-
ment.

In financial affairs, too, Mr. Bailey was equally forceful and his success was notable.
At the time of his death he owned two farms, the home place of two hundred acres,
situated on sections 12 and 13, Richland township, and another tract of two hundred and
ten acres on section 10 of the same township. His property interests were acquired as
the result of close application and unabating industry, carefully directed by sound judg-
ment. He was a stockholder and one of the members of the board of directors of the
State Bank of New Hampton and in these various connections his judgment was sought

HON. H. H. BAILEY

Vol. 11— 10

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 155

because it was well known that he was a man of keen sagacity, who in all business
matters readily discriminated between the essential and the nonessential.

Fraternally Mr. Bailey was connected with the Masons, the Elks, the Eagles and the
Modern Woodmen of America. He was likewise identified with the Grand Army of the
Republic and the Woman's Relief Corps and he was the organizer of the Fredericksburg
Corps, G. A. R. For years he served as commander of the post, which in his death lost
one of its most valued representatives. In fact his demise was the occasion of deep and
widespread regret wherever he was known, for he was one of the most honored and
beloved citizens of New Hampton and Chickasaw county, having endeared himself to
all wlio knew him by "his many little unremembered acts of kindness and of love." After
the death of her husband Mrs. Bailey removed to New Hampton, where she is now mak-
ing her home. She is a woman of natural refinement and kindly spirit, who at all times
was a worthy helpmate as well as a cherished companion to her able and honored
husband. A well known writer has said: "Small kindnesses, small courtesies, small
considerations, habitually practiced in our social intercourse, give a greater charm to the
character than the display of great talents and accomplishments." Such were manifest
in the career of Mr. Bailey, whose life record reminds us of the words of the Greek
sage Euripides, who said: "It is a good thing to be rich and a good thing to be strong,
but it is a better thing to be beloved of many friends."

LOUIE DETERDING.

Louie Deterding is the owner of a good farm property of one hundred and twenty
acres situated on section 6, Howard township, and through his industry and persever-
ance has won classification with the representative farmers of Howard county. He was
born in Germany, March 14, 1877. a son of Henry and Charlotte (Gevecke) Deterding.
He came to this country with his parents when a youth of sixteen years and the family
made their way direct across the country to Iowa. Their first home was in Tripoli,
Bremer county, where Louie Deterding resided for a period of eight years. He then came
to Howard county, arriving here in 1901. Two years before, or in the spring of 1899, his
father had taken up his abode in this county.

Louie Deterding attended the public schools of Germany and also continued his
education after becoming a resident of Bremer county. He was married on the 11th of
May, 1911, to Miss Bertha Lone, a daughter of Dick and Mary (Schrader) Lone, of
Tripoli. Bremer county. By this marriage there are three children: Marie and Henry,
who are public school students; and Edna.

Throughout his active business life Mr. Deterding has followed general agricultural
pursuits and is now the owner of an excellent farm of one hundred and twenty acres.
His diligence and industry have been the basis of his success and aside from his farm-
ing interests he is connected with the Maple Leaf Creamery Company as a director and
stockholder. In his political faith he is a democrat but has never held or desired office.
He and his family attend the German Lutheran church at Maple Leaf and they are
widely and favorably known in this section of the state, where their circle of friends
is almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintance.

NORMAN ALLEN HAVEN.

Norman Allen Haven, deceased, was for many years a most highly respected and
valued resident of Howard county. He made his home on section 18, Forest City town-
siiip, wliere he followed farming, and his place is still in possession of the family, being
conducted by his son George. Norman A. Haven was born in EUisburg, New York, on
the 28th of November, 1842, and was a son of Daniel and Tamar Haven. He repre-
sented one of the old New England families, being a descendant of Colonel Ethan Allen,

156 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

wlio led the American forces in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in the Revolutionary
war,, a campaign which won for him the title of general.

It was during the childhood of Norman Allen Haven that his parents removed from
New York to Canada, where they resided for a few years. In the year 1856 they again
crossed the border between Canada and the United States and established their home
in Rock county, Wisconsin, where the father engaged in farming until 1858, in which
year they removed to Foreston township and there resided until 1859. In that year the
family home was established in Forest City township, Howard county, Iowa. Norman
A. Haven accompanied his parents on their various removals and was a youth of seven-
teen years when he took up his abode upon what is now known as the old Haven home-
stead. There he attained his majority and through the period of his youth and early
manhood his attention was given to the farm work, so that he became thoroughly
familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops and was able
to take charge of farming interests on his own account when he established a home of
his own.

In the year 1883 Mr. Haven was united in marriage to Miss Mary Jane Jones
and to them were born two sons, George B. and Norman Allen, Jr. The son George B.
was married in 1914 to Miss Ruth Dykeman and they have two children, June Marie
and Leonora Esther. The other son is mentioned elsewhere in this volume.

The death of Norman Allen Haven was a matter of deep and widespread regret not
only to his immediate family but to all who knew him. He passed away at his home in
Forest City township, Howard county, May 23, 1911, and was laid to rest in Pleasant Hill
cemetery three days later. He was a man of upright character and of strong convictions,
to which he was always true and loyal. His sterling worth was recognized by all with
whom he came in contact. In politics he was a republican but never sought or desired
office as a reward for party fealty. He gave loyal support, however, to measures and
movements which he believed would prove of worth to the county and the commonwealth
and in matters of citizenship his aid and influence were always on the side of
improvement.

ALBERT J. MIKESH.

Albert J. Mikesh, a merchant of Protivin, who for two years has conducted one
of the excellent stores of the town, was born in Spillville, Iowa, April 22, 1869. His
father, John W. Mikesh, was a native of Bohemia and came to the United States when
twelve years of age. He made his way to Winneshiek county, Iowa, where he was
employed as a farm hand for a few years, during which time he carefully saved his
earnings until his industry and economy had brought him sufficient capital to enable
him to purchase land. He became the owner of a farm at Spillville and continued its
cultivation and improvement to the time of his death, which occurred in 1914. He
erected all of the buildings upon the place and converted it into a modern farm,
equipped with all the improvements and accessories of the model farm of the twentieth
century. His first purchase made him owner of forty acres of land, to which he grad-
ually added as his financial resources increased until he was the owner of one hundred
and ninety acres. He married Frances Janoush, a daughter of John Janoush, of Spill-
ville, and passed away in 1914, at the age of seventy-two years, on the old home farm,
which he had so long owned and occupied. He had filled the office of road supervisor
for a number of years and was interested in the welfare, upbuilding and progress of
the community. But a young lad when brought to America, he supplemented his edu-
cation, acquired in Bohemia, by attending the public schools of Winneshiek county.
When the country needed his aid in the preservation of the Union he joined the army
Of the north and was wounded in battle but entirely recovered and throughout his
remaining days he displayed the same loyalty to his adopted land that he manifested
when he followed the nation's starry banner on the battlefields of the south. At the
time of the father's death his son, Louis Mikesh, took over the farm and has since
continued its cultivation.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 157

Albert J. Mikesh was reared on the old homestead and worked with his father on
the farm to the age of seventeen years, when he took up carpentering, devoting his
energies to that trade for twenty years and thus being identified with many important
building operations in the county. On the expiration of that period he established a
general store at Protivin and now has an excellent store, which he has been success-
fully conducting for twenty-six years. He carries a large and well selected line of
goods and his enterprising methods, his reliability and his earnest desire to please
his patrons have been potent elements in his continued success.

When twenty-five years of age Albert J. Mikesh married Miss Mamie Novak, a
daughter of Tom and Verona Novak, of Spillville, and they have become the parents
of three children: Nellie, the wife of Ben Bouska, of Schley; and Edith and Leo, at
home. The family attend the Catholic church at Protivin.

Mr. Mikesh gives his political allegiance to the democratic party. He is a repre-
sentative of one of the old pioneer families of Iowa and his entire life, covering a
period of fifty years, has been passed within this state, so that he has been a witness
of much of the growth and development of this section of the country. At all times
he has borne his part in the work of general progress and improvement and is re-
garded as one of the substantial citizens of Protivin.

G. H. MILLENBAUGH, D. 0.

Dr. G. H. Millenbaugh is a well known osteopath of New Hampton, where he has
successfully practiced his profession since 1916. He was born in Putnam county, Ohio,
on the 27th of June, 1891, a son of Joseph and Anna (Yocklin) Millenbaugh, the latter
a native of Germany, while the former was born in Ohio of German parentage. Dr.
Millenbaugh attended the common schools of his native county in the acquirement of
an education and in 1913 entered upon preparation for his chosen life work as a
student in the American School of Osteopathy at Kirksville, Missouri, from which he
was graduated as a member of the class of 1916. He then located at New Hampton,
where he has continued throughout the intervening period of three years and where
he has built up an extensive and gratifying practice that is steadily growing as his
skill is becoming more and more widely recognized.

Dr. Millenbaugh is a communicant of St. Mary's Catholic church and also belongs
to the Knights of Columbus. He is popular in both professional and social circles of
the community in which he makes his home and has already gained an enviable meas-
ure of success for one of his years.

G. M. SPENCER.

A well known representative of business enterprise in Chester is G. M. Spencer,
who is conducting a general contracting business. He was born in the state of New
York, March 7, 1875, a son of Ransom and Anna (Fox) Spencer, who were born,
reared and married in the Empire state. In 1876 they removed westward to Iowa
and took up their abode upon a rented farm near Lime Springs in Howard county.
The father there engaged in cultivating the soil for eleven years and in 1887 removed
to Chester, where he has since made his home and is now living retired from active
business, enjoying well earned rest.

G. M. Spencer was an infant of but a year when his parents came to Howard
county, so that practically his entire life has been passed here. He acquainted him-
self with the elementary branches of learning as a pupil in the district school near
his father's home and later he attended the public schools of Chester. As early as
his fifteenth year he took up fhe work of carpentering, possessing natural mechanical
skill and ingenuity, so that he took readily to the use of tools. It was but a compara-
tively short time until he was a master carpenter, and by the time he reached his

158 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

eighteenth year he was bidding on building contracts. From that date to the present
he has been a dominant factor in the building operations of Howard county. Many
large contracts have been awarded him and his work has always been of an important
character. He has built the greater number of the business blocks as well as of the
better residences in Chester and has long employed a force of competent workmen
in the prosecution of his tasks.

Mr. Spencer was married in 1896 to Miss Nona McDowell, of Osterdock, Iowa, and
to them have been born two sons and a daughter: Otto, who is in the United States
marine service, stationed at Paris Island, South Carolina; and Marion and Eva, both
at home.

Mr. Spencer votes with the republican party, which he has supported since age
conferred upon him the right of franchise. He belongs to Chester Lodge, No. 444,
I. O. O. F., and to the Modern Woodmen of America and is loyal to the teachings
and purposes of those organizations. The major part of his time and attention, how-
ever, is concentrated upon his business affairs and it has been by reason of his close
application and determined effort that he has gained a place among the most sub-
stantial citizens of Howard county. He is now the owner of a farm of one hundred
and sixty acres in Pennington county, Minnesota, while in Chester he is controlling
a business of substantial and gratifying proportions.

WILLIAM W. DUNCAN.

William W. Duncan is now living retired in Colwell, Floyd county, but for many
years was actively identified with farming in Deerfield township and was classed among
the representative and influential residents of Chickasaw county. He was born in
Blackhawk county, Iowa, August 27, 1857, a son of Robert and Margaret (Walker)
Duncan, who are mentioned elsewhere in this volume in connection with the sketch
of their son, Robert A. Duncan.

William W. Duncan, after mastering the branches of learning taught in the dis-
trict schools, concentrated his efforts and attention upon farm work. Following his
father's death in 1870 he remained upon the home farm, which he cultivated in con-
nection with his brothers up to the time of his marriage. He then began farming
on his own account, renting the Perry Curtis property on section 32, Deerfield town-
ship, and for seven years he resided upon that place. During that period he carefully
saved his earnings until his industry and economy had brought him sufficient capital
to enable him to purchase land. It was in 1888 that he bought two hundred and
thirty acres on section 5, Deerfield township, and thereon he lived for thirty-one
years or until the summer of 1919, when he retired and removed to Colwell, where
he now makes his home. His present land holdings comprise two hundred and
ninety-six acres, constituting a rich and valuable farm from which he annually de-
rives a substantial income. Year after year he worked diligently in the develop-
ment of his fields and the large crops which he gathered enabled him to gain a most
substantial competence.

In 1880 Mr. Duncan was married to Miss Nettie Clark, of Floyd county, Iowa,
and they have become the parents of five children: Robert Ray, who follows farm-
ing in Deerfield township, Chickasaw county; Nellie M., the wife of M. J. Dickson,
an agriculturist of Deerfield township; James Hugh, at home; William Earl, who
is deceased; and Nettie Marie, who is the wife of J. T. Easterly, of Colwell, Iowa.

Mr. Duncan is now a stockholder in the Colwell Grain Exchange. Fraternally
he is connected with Charles City Lodge, No. 165, I. O. O. F., and his political alle-
giance is given to the republican party. He has filled the office of road supervisor
and has done active work in behalf of the cause of education as a member of the
school board during several years' service in that office. He is now a member of the
board of directors of the Colwell consolidated schools gnd he is in hearty sympathy
with every plan and project to advance the educational interests of the community.
He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and his life has

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 159

ever been an upright and honorable one, commending him to the confidence and good
will of all. The most envious cannot grudge him his success, so honorably has it
been won and so worthily used. He is now occupying a pleasant home in Colwell,
enjoying not only the necessities and comforts of life but many of its luxuries as well.

WILLIAM B. GARDNER.

V/illiam B. Gardner, a lifelong resident of Iowa, is now carrying on general agri-
cultural pursuits on section 29, Howard township, in Howard county. He was born
in Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, July 23, 1878, and is a son of William and
Mary (Brokamp) Gardner, the former a native of Germany, while the latter was born
in Cumberland, Maryland, and her parents came to this country from Germany. Wil-
liam Gardner crossed the Atlantic in his childhood days with his father and mother
and became a resident of Iowa. He was married in Festina, Winneshiek county, this
state, and immediately afterward he and his wife began their domestic life upon a
farm in Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, where they resided for many years.
There the father passed away in 1907, but the mother survives and yet occupies the
old homestead.

William B. Gardner attended the Normal & Commercial College of New Hamp-
ton and the Highland Park College of Des Moines, Iowa. Following his graduation
from the latter institution as a member of the class of 1906 he returned to the old
homestead and began farming on his own account, purchasing eighty acres of his
present place from his father. This was a tract of wild prairie land upon which not
a furrow had been turned for an improvement made. He erected farm buildings and
began the further development of the property and is now the owner of one hundred
and sixty acres of land, constituting one of the splendidly improved farms of Howard
township. There are good buildings upon it and the place is divided into fields of
convenient size by well kept fences. He uses the latest improved machinery to pro-
mote the work of the fields and annually gathers large crops as the reward of his labors.

In 1907 Mr. Gardner was married to Miss Mayme Butler, of Dyersville, who is a
graduate of St. Francis Academy of Dyersville of the class of 1895 and who for nine
years was engaged in educational work prior to her marriage. She has become the
mother of six children, five of whom are living, namely: Linus J., Frank W., Joseph
C, John P. and Marcella E. Marie Z. was killed by an automobile at the age of six
years.

In politics Mr. Gardner is a democrat and in religious faith he and his family
are Catholics. Political honors and emoluments, however, have no attraction for him
as he has always preferred to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business
affairs and aside from farming he is a stockholder in the Elma Cooperative Creamery
Company, of which he is the president, and a stockholder in the Howard County Equity
Cooperative Association of Elma. His interests are therefore broad and varied, mak-
ing him a leading and representative business man of Howard county.

JAMES PRASKA.

James Praska, who is carrying on general farming on section 34, Paris township,
is a native son of Howard county, his birth having here occurred on the 20th of
July, 1895. He is a son of Frank Praska, who was born in Bohemia and who cam?
to the United States when a youth of eighteen years. Crossing the Atlantic, he made
his way direct to Howard county and for several years was employed as a farm hand.
When about twenty-five years of age he invested his earnings in a tract of farm land,
which he sold a few years later. About nineteen years ago he purchased the present
home farm, comprising two hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land.

James Praska was reared in the usual manner of the farm-bred boy. He at-

160 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

tended the district schools and in vacation periods worked in the fields, early becom-
ing familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He
continued to assist his father in the further development of the home place until
twenty-two years of age, when he took over the home farm, which he has since culti-
vated, bringing the fields under a high state of development and adding many modern
improvements to the farm as the years have passed on. He rotates his crops and
keeps the soil in good condition and annually gathers good harvests.

On the 29th of October, 1918, Mr. Praska was married to Miss Celia Panoch, of
Howard county, a daughter of Frank and Barbara Panoch, farming people of this
section of the state. Mr. Praska and his wife are members of the Catholic church
at Protivin. He votes with the democratic party, which he has supported since age
conferred upon him the right of franchise. He is yet a young man but already has
made for himself a creditable position in agricultural circles and the qualities that
he has displayed argue well for a successful future.

CHARLES L. PECINOVSKY.

Charles L. Pecinovsky. who is engaged in farming on section 23, New Oregon town-
ship, Howard county, was born on the old homestead farm just north of Protivin on the
1st of March, 1888, and is a son of Joseph P. Pecinovsky, who is mentioned elsewhere in
this work. He obtained his education in the public schools of Protivin and of Cresco,
the period of his youth being largely devoted to the mastery of the branches of learning
constituting the curriculum of the public schools in those places. On the 29th of October,
1912, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Berka, of New Oregon township, Howard
county, a daughter of James Berka. who was also a native of Howard county and a
son of Joseph Berka, who was one of the pioneer settlers of this section of the state, com-
ing to Iowa from Bohemia in pioneer times.

In the spring following his marriage Mr. Pecinovsky began farming on his own
account on the land which he now owns but which then belonged to his father In 1915
he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of the old homestead and has since given his
attention to its further development and improvement. He has brought this land under
a high state of cultivation so that he annually harvests good crops. The farm presents
a most neat and thrifty appearance, indicative of the careful supervision and the prac-
tical and progressive methods of the owner.

To Mr. and Mrs. Pecinovsky have been born three children, two sons and a daughter:
William L., Anna S. and James. The parents are members of the Catholic church and in
his political views Mr. Pecinovsky is a republican, having always supported the men and
measures of the party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He is one
of the successful farmers of the district who never stops short of the successful accom-
pJishment of his purpose if his object can be won through earnest and honorable effort.

NELS LARSON.

Nels Larson, now one of the well-to-do farmers of Howard county, living on
section 5, Howard township, arrived in Iowa with but fifty cents in his pocket. Thus
empty-handed he started out in the business world, employed at farm, labor, and
through the intervening period his steady progress has brought him f the fron*
as one of the substantial agriculturists of northern Iowa.

He was born in Denmark, November 6, 1848, a son of Lars and Johanna (Tom-
person) Larson, who spent their entire lives in Denmark. The son was reared
in his native land and acquired a common sclaool education there. The favorable
reports which he heard concerning the opportunities of the new world led him to
the determination to try his fortune on this side of the Atlantic and in 1870 he bade
adieu to friends and native country and came to the United States, being then a

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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 163

young man of twenty-two years. He arrived in Cresco, Iowa, with fifty cents as his
sole capital and began work on a farm, being employed through that summer at
a wage of twenty dollars per month. During the winter months he worked for ten
dollars per month and for five years remained in the employ of others. He was
desirous, however, of engaging in business on his own account and utilized every
means possible to promote that end, carefully saving his earnings until he felt justi-
fied in starting out independently. In 1875 he began farming as a renter and con-
tinued to cultivate leased land for eleven years. He praaticed strict economy during
that period and at the end of that time purchased eighty acres of his present farm,
which now comprises one hundred and ninety acres of rich and arable land. His
progress is the direct result of hard and unremitting toil. He has worked per-
sistently as the years have passed, making good use of his time and opportunities,
and he certainly deserves much credit for the success to which he has attained.

In 1875 Mr. Larson was united in marriage to Miss Anna Louisa Johnson, a
native of Sweden, by whom he has three children, namely: Rosalie, the wife of
Frank Inward, of Ottertail county, Minnesota; Orvilla, who is the wife of Fred
Inward, of Riceville, Iowa; and Elmer, who married Rosabelle Inward and is
operating the home farm. Two other children of the family have passed away.

In politics Mr. Larson is a republican and has served for several years as road
boss. He and his family are of the Lutheran faith and guide their lives by the
teachings of the church. Mr. Larson is a man of many splendid traits of character.
He has not only been progressive but also thoroughly reliable in his business
affairs and his life record should serve to inspire and encourage others, showing
what may be accomplished through individual effort and determination.

F. J. CONLEY.

For seven years F. J. Conley has been engaged in the practice of law at New
Hampton and previous to that time was identified with educational interests in this
state. He is a native son of Chickasaw county, his birth having occurred in Chicka
saw township, January 17, 1879, his parents being Michael and Margery (McGettigan)
Conley, the former a native of Vermont, while the latter was born in Chickasaw
county, representing one of its old pioneer families. In his boyhood days the father
came with his parents to Iowa, settling in the county where he still lives. He yet
occupies the old family homestead in Chickasaw township which for many years has
been his place of abode.

F. J. Conley completed his public school education by graduation from the high
school of Ionia with the class of 1887. He afterward attended the Iowa State Teach-
ers College and then took up the profession of teaching, with which he was identified
for seven years. He made steady progress in that field and was superintendent of the
schools of Lawler for two years, while for five years he served as county superintend-
ent of schools of Chickasaw county. It was his desire, however, to become a member
of the bar and he entered the St. Paul College of Law, from which institution he re-
ceived his degree of LL. B. in the class of 1912. He was then admitted to practice at
the Iowa State bar in October of that year and opened a law office in New Hampton,
where he has since built up an extensive practice, in the conduct of which he is very
successful. The thoroughness with which he studies, investigates and prepares hi;?
cases, combined with his clear and concise presentation of his cause, has constituted a
most potent element in the attainment of his success. In 1914 he was a candidate for
the office of county attorney and again in 1918 but was defeated by a small majority on
both occasions.

On the 17th of October, 1904, Mr. Conley was married to Miss Jensena Rose Larson,
of Lawler, Iowa, and to them have been born six children, of whom four are living:
Eileen Agnes, Mary Gertrude, Margaret and Frances.

Mr. and Mrs. Conley are members of the Catholic church and he is identified also
with the Knights of Columbus. His time and energies are chiefly devoted to his pro-

164 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

fessional interests and in a calling where advancement depends entirely upon indi-
vidual merit and ability he is making steady progress. During the World war he ac
tively participated in the speaking campaigns for Liberty loans, the Y. M. C. A. and
other war service.

JOHN FISCHBACH.

John Fischbach is the owner of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 10,
Chickasaw township, Chickasaw county, which he purchased in 1905 and which he has
since owned and occupied. He was born in Germany, October 2, 1860, a son of Nick
and Gertrude (Wagner) Fischbach, both of whom died in Germany.

John Fischbach spent the first twenty-eighth years of his life in his native country
and acquired a public school education there. He crossed the Atlantic in 1888 and first
made his way to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he was united in marriage to Miss Mary
Becker, a daughter of Christoph and Elizabeth (Molitor) Becker, who were also of
German birth and remained residents of their native land until called to their final rest.

Following his marriage Mr. Fischbach worked on the roads at La Crosse, Wiscon-
sin, for six years and then, hoping to find better business opportunities and conditions
elsewhere, he remoA'^eid to Chickasaw county, Iowa, and for seven years resided upon a
rented farm in Chickasaw township. He afterward spent three years upon another farm
which he leased and all through this period of a decade he was carefully saving his
earnings and utilizing his opportunities in the hope of ultimately becoming the owner
of a farm. The year 1905 saw the realization of his dreams in the purchase of eighty
acres of the one hundred and sixty acres on section 10, Chickasaw township, constituting
his present home property. In the intervening period of fourteen years he has bent
every effort to the development and improvement of his farm and has converted it into
an excellent place that annually returns to him a gratifying income. He has also become
a stockholder in the Ionia Farmers' Creamery Association.

Mr. and Mrs. Fischbach are the parents of four children: Hannah, now the wife of
Henry Friedman; Clara Elizabeth, at home; Peter R., who died in France on the 5th
of July. 1919, having gone to that country for overseas service in the great war; and
Michael C, who is assisting his father. The son, Peter R., went to France with the
September automatic replacement infantry troops, arriving at St. Nazaire, October 6,
3918. He later became attached to the embarkation staff at that place and died from
disease July 5, 1919.

Mr. Fischbach and his family are members of St. Boniface Catholic church of
Ionia. He has served as school director in Chickasaw township but has never been
active as an office seeker. His life has been one of unfaltering diligence. He has worked
hard and his ceaseless toil and endeavor have constituted the foundation upon which he
has built his present-day success.

M. J. McARTHUR.

M. J. McArthur has for thirty-five years been identified with the lumber business
in Cresco, and by reason of his activity in this field is most widely known. He is also
serving at the present time as city clerk. A native son of Iowa, he was the first male
child born in the city of Davenport, his natal day being May 4, 1840. His parents were
Gabriel and Elizabeth (Glaspell) McArthur, the former a native of Ohio and the latter
of New Jersey. The parents were married in Cincinnati, Ohio, to which place the
mother had removed with her parents during her girlhood days. In August, 1839, they
came west to Davenport, Iowa, and were accompanied by the maternal grandfather,
James Glaspell. He was in comfortable financial circumstances for a man of that period
and was enabled to buy eighty acres of land for his family of eight children. The father

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 165

removed to the farm given his wife in 1844 and thereon resided to the time of his death
in 1861.

M. J. McArthur was educated in the common schools but had the privilege of attend-
ing for only two or three months in the winter season. After his father's death he con-
tinued upon the home farm for a year and then turned the place over to his brother,
while he rented a farm in Scott county, Iowa, thus making his initial step in an inde-
pendent business career. He subsequently purchased a small plot of ground of twenty
acres two and a half miles from Davenport and there engaged in gardening, remaining
thereon until 1871, when he removed to Hopkinton, Iowa, and with others took up the
business of merchandising and dealing in live stock. He was quite successful in his
undertakings there and remained at that place until 1894, when he removed to Cresco
and became manager of the Hollister Lumber Company, in which capacity he served six
years. In 1900 he was sent by the company to Merrill, Wisconsin, as lumber buyer
for their line of seventeen lumberyards and remained at that point three years. Subse-
quently, in connection with others, he built a mill at Bruces Crossing and organized the
McArthur Manufacturing Company, of which he became the secretary and manager. In
that position he served for three years and then sold his interest in the company, return-
ing later to Cresco. When a year had passed he removed to Madison, South Dakota, as
manager of the yards of the Coleman Lumber Company at Ramona, where he remained
four years. He then again returned to Cresco, where he has since lived retired, en-
joying a well earned rest.

In Davenport, Iowa, Mr. McArthur was married in 1861 to Miss Missouri Jane Moore
and to them were born four children: Ann Elizabeth, Milton H., James and John. The
wife and mother passed away and in 1899 Mr. McArthur was married to Miss Ada C.
Brown, of Cresco.

Politically Mr. McArthur is a republican and is the present town clerk of Cresco,
a position which he has most capably and ably filled for the past five years. He belongs
to the Methodist Episcopal church and his life has ever been guided by high and honor-
able principles, making him a man whom to know is to esteem and honor. His course
has ever measured up to high standards and his splendid qualities are attested in the
strong friendships which are his.

JOSEPH JINDERLEE.

Joseph Jinderlee is numbered among those men who have made Howard county a
great agricultural center. He follows farming on section 21, Howard township, and still
gives his personal attention to the development and improvement of his land. As the
years have passed he has added to his holdings until his possessions now comprise six
hundred acres. Mr. Jinderlee is a native of Bohemia. He was born March 13, 1842, of
the marriage of Martin and Anna Jinderlee, who spent their entire lives in Bohemia.

In the public schools the son acquired his education and in 1866, in order to evade
the Prussian-Austrian war, he fled the land of his birth and came to the United States,
first making his way to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he obtained work on a steamboat
plying between St. Louis and Minneapolis. He spent five or six years on the river,
working in that way during the fall seasons, while in the spring and summer months he
was employed in a brickyard in La Crosse. The winter months were passed in the
lumber camps and thus his life was one of industry and ceaseless toil. When he first
went to Minneapolis he could have purchased an entire block of ground on what is today
the main business thoroughfare of that city for fifty dollars and the most farsighted
could scarcely have dreamed of the rapid strides which would be made in the develop-
ment of the west.

In 1871 Mr. Jinderlee came to Iowa in search of land as an investment. He traveled
over the Milwaukee Railroad westward to its terminus at Algona, but not liking the
country there, he returned east to Charles City and bought land in Floyd county, ten
miles southwest of Charles City. He then began the development and improvement of
that place and farmed thereon for a period of twenty-eight years. In 1899 he disposed

166 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

of his lands in Floyd county and removed to Howard county, where ten years before he
had purchased two hundred and forty acres of his present holdings. Since then he
has added to his possessions from time to time until his landed interests in Howard
county comprise six hundred acres. He is today numbered among the substantial resi-
dents of the county and, moreover, he is a self-made man who by persistent effort and
straightforward dealing has gained his prosperity. While he is now in the seventy-
eighth year of his age, he is still able to make a hand in the harvest field.

In 1873 Mr. Jinderlee was married to Miss Mary Kubesh, of Winneshiek county, who
was born on the ocean while her parents were coming from Bohemia to the United
States. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Jinderlee are the following children: J. W., a
practicing physician of Cresco, Iowa; William and Frank, who operate the home farm;
Charles F., a ranchman residing near Spokane, Washington; John, who follows farm-
ing and makes his his home at Little Falls, Minnesota. The parents are members of
the Catholic church. During the period of their residence in Howard county they have
^\on many friends and enjoy the high regard and esteem of those with whom they have
been associated.

L. F. GORDON, D. V. S.

Dr. L. F. Gordon, engaged in the practice of veterinary surgery at New Hampton,
was born in Postville, Iowa, April 28, 1890, a son of James and Susan (McGreevy)
Gordon, the former a native of Allamakee county, Iowa, born near Postville, while the
latter was born in Fayette county, Iowa. The father was a butter maker by trade and
conducted the Postville Creamery for nineteen years and the creamery at Preston,
Iowa, for six years. He was there stationed at the time of his death, which occurred on
the 30th of September, 1918. The mother survives and now makes her home with her
son L. F.

In the public schools of Postville, Dr. Gordon began his education, passing through
consecutive grades to his graduation from the high school as a member of the class of
1908. During the succeeding five years he devoted his attention to clerking, spending
one year in a general store in Postville, while for four years he was employed as a sales-
man in a clothing store in Preston. In 1913 he took up the study of veterinary surgery,
entering the Chicago Veterinary College, from which he was graduated as an alumnus
of 1916. Following the completion of his course there he made his way at once to New
Hampton, where he entered upon the active work of his profession, and in the inter-
vening period of three years he has built up a large and lucrative practice. It is a recog-
nized fact that he is thoroughly familiar with the latest scientific methods of veterinary
surgery and his work has been productive of excellent results.

In 1912 Dr. Gordon was united in marriage to Miss Blanche Milar, of Preston, Iowa,
and in the social circles of the city they have made many warm friends. They are
members of St. Mary's Roman Catholic church, and fraternally Dr. Gordon is also a
member of the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he maintains an independent
course, supporting men and measures rather than party. He is a young man who in
professional circles has already won a creditable position and by reason of his thorough-
ness and efficiency is destined to gain still further success.

JOHN E. DAVIS.

John E. Davis, who is busily engaged in farming on section 24, Forest City town-
ship, Howard county, was born upon the farm which he is now operating, his natal day
being February 26, 1889. His parents, Richard E. and Mary E. (Hughes) Davis, were
natives of Wales and had reached adult age when they came to the new world. They
made the trip with their brothers and sisters, their respective parents having died in
their native land. Richard E. Davis first settled in Wisconsin after coming to the United

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 167

states and there was employed for several years at farm work. About 1870 he removed
westward to Iowa and for some time worked on the construction of the Union Pacific
Railroad through Nebraska. He afterward came to Howard county and about 1884 was
married. He then settled on a part of the present home farm, having acquired eighty
acres of land through holding a mortgage on the property. Later he added to his
original tract until his farm comprised one hundred and eighty acres, upon which he
resided to the time of his death, which occurred February 26, 1907. His widow survives
and yet occupies the old home place.

John E. Davis of this review was educated in the district schools while spending
his youthful days under the parental roof. In the winter seasons he mastered the
branches of learning which constituted the public school curriculum and in the summer
months he aided more or less in the work of the home farm until his father's death,
which occurred when the son was eighteen years of age. Upon his young shoulders
then devolved the care of the farm, which he has since cultivated and which is now
owned by himself and his sister, Jessie M. Davis.

In his political views Mr. Davis is an earnest republican, believing firmly in the
principles of the party, and he has served as a delegate to its county conventions, while
at the last election he was chosen to the oflfice of township assessor. On account of being
alone upon the farm, however, he could not serve as it would require too much of his
time. He is well known as an exemplary member of Howard Lodge, No. 214, A. F. &
A. M., and also of the Modern Woodmen of America and is equatUy faithful as a mem-
ber of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is regarded as one of the progressive young
men and successful farmers of Howard county and enjoys the respect of all with whom he
has been brought in contact.

JOHN J. PECHOTA.

John J. Pechota, engaged in farming on section 12, Utica township, Chickasaw
county, is a native of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Chicago, December 28, 1881,
his parents being Frank and Mary Pechota, who are mentioned in connection with the
sketch of their son, Wenzel A. Pechota, on another page of this work. With the removal
of the family to Iowa. John J. Pechota became a pupil in the district schools of Chicka-
saw county and through the period of his youth aided in the cultivation of his father's
farm. Following his marriage he located upon the place where he now resides — a tract
of one hundred acres which his father deeded to him. The sons had assisted materially
in the development of the old homestead and in the acquirement of their father's prop-
erty, and he recognized their assistance in substantial gifts of land at the time the sons
were married.

On the 1st of May, 1906, John J. Pechota wedded Miss Catherine M. Panos. a daughter
of Albert Panos, who is spoken of at length in connection with the sketch of his son,
James L. Panos, in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Pechota have two interesting children,
Eugene and Dora.

The religious belief of the parents is that of the Catholic church and in the exercise
of his right of franchise Mr. Pechota supports the democratic party. He is above all,
however, a successful farmer who. working diligently and persistently along the line
which he has always followed, has gained a place among the representative agriculturists
of Chickasaw county.

W. E. TORNEY.

An excellent farm property of one hundred and fifty-one acres situated on section 7,
Saratoga township, Howard county, pays tribute to the care and labor bestowed upon
the place by the owner, W. E. Torney, who is classed with the representative agricul-
turists of that community. He was born August 8, 1856, in Canada, a son of Thomas and

168 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Marguerite (McDowell) Torney, who about 1870 left Canada and came with their family
lo Howard county, Iowa. At that time the father purchased what is now the home farm
of W. E. Torney and concentrated his efforts and attention upon its further development
and improvement until the time of his death, which occurred April 17, 1899. For five
years he had survived his wife, who died March 27, 1894.

W. E. Torney was a lad of but fourteen years at the time the family home was
established in Howard county and his youthful experiences were those of the farm-bred
boy who attends the public schools and works in the fields through vacation periods.
He had begun his education in Canada and he continued his studies in Mitchell county,
Iowa, when the parents came to this state. Since his father's death he has assumed the
management and operation of the old home farm and now has one hundred and fifty-one
acres of excellent land from which he derives a substantial annual income, for his
methods of cultivating his fields are most practical and resultant.

On the 25th of June, 1895, Mr. Torney was married to Miss Emma Gertrude Mason,
a daughter of Patrick James and Marguerite (Covey) Mason. Mrs. Torney was born
in Canada and her people never came to Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Torney have no children
cf their own but are rearing an adopted daughter, Nellie Marie, who is now attending
tiie public school.

In political belief Mr. Torney is a republican but has never been an office seeker.
He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Lodge No. 211. and also has
membership with the Modern Woodmen of America and with the Eastern Star. He is
now occupying the position of township trustee for the first term. He and his family
attend the Congregational church and their sterling worth has gained for them a circle
of friends almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintance.

FRANK KOBLISKA.

Frank Kobliska is numbered among those who have transformed Chickasaw
county from an undeveloped tract into one of the garden spots of Iowa, beautiful in
the development and improvement of its farming land. He makes his home on sec-
tion 32, Deerfield township, and is surrounded by highly cultivated fields, from
which he annually gathers substantial harvests. He was born in Bohemia in
September, 1858, a son of Wensel and Eleanora Kobliska. He came to the United
States when a lad of twelve years in company with his parents, the family home
being first established near Spillville, in Winneshiek county, Iowa, where the father
purchased a farm and continued to carry on general agricultural pursuits for nine-
teen years. He then removed to Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, and settled
on a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which remained his place of residence
until his life's labors were ended in death in 1881. The mother survives and yet
occupies the original old home place near Spillville, having returned to that farm
after the death of her husband, taking her family with her. Her son. Matt Kobliska.
is now conducting the farm.

Frank Kobliska was educated in the public schools of Spillville and at the time
of his father's death, which occurred when he was twenty-three years of age, he
inherited eighty acres of land in Deerfield township. A year later he was married
to Miss Barbara Hernecek, the wedding being celebrated on the 20th of November,
1882. She is a daughter of Frank and Anna Hernecek, both of whom were natives
of Bohemia. Following his marriage Mr. Kobliska took his bride to the farm
which he had inherited and for eight years he devoted his attention to its further
development and improvement. He then sold that property and bought his present
place in 1891, becoming the owner of two hundred acres of land. He has since
extended the boundaries of his place and in addition to his farm in Deerfield town-
ship, which now comprises two hundred and forty-nine acres, he owns three hundred
and twenty acres in North Dakota. His success has been attained through per-
sistent effort, intelligently directed. He has worked long and earnestly and by
reason of his careful management and straightforward dealings has gained a

Vol. n— 11

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 171

measure of prosperity that now classes him with the prosperous and representative
farmers of his section of the state. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers Lumber
Company of Alta Vista and in the Farmers Elevator at Coalville and he is a member
of the Farmers Equity Association of Alta Vista.

To Mr. and Mrs. Kobliska have been born twelve children: Frank W. and
Joseph, both of whom are married; Mrs. Christina Bouska; Louis, who is also mar-
ried; and Barbara, Anna, Mary, Carrie, Charles, John, Cecelia and Leonora, all yet
at home. Mr. Kobliska and his wife are members of St. Cecelia's Catholic church
of Afton township, Howard county, and in that faith have reared their family. He
has never been an aspirant for public ofTice and in fact has always declined to serve
in positions of public trust. His attention has been concentrated upon his agricul-
tural interests and he has developed his business affairs along lines which have led
to gratifying success and have won for him as well the respect and confidence of
his fellowmen.

WILLIAM WILSON.

William Wilson, who is living on section 11, Paris township, Howard county, and
has gained recognition as one of the progressive and alert farmers of the district, was
born in Howard county on the 5th of October, 1875. His parents were William and
Helen Wilson, the former a native of the state of New York, whence he removed west-
ward to Iowa at the age of eighteen years in company with his parents. The family
homesteaded in Howard county, being among the first people to take up land within its
I'orders. They shared in all the hardships and privations of pioneer life and lived in a
log cabin in the early days, while they had to haul their produce to McGregor, it
requiring from two weeks to a month to make the round trip. Not a furrow had been
turned nor an improvement made upon their land when it came into their possession
and the arduous task of developing a new farm confronted them; but the work was
diligently accomplished by Mr. Wilson, who converted the place into rich and fertile
fields.

After the death of the father the farm was rented until William Wilson was twenty-
one years of age, when he took over the property and began farming on his own account.
All of the modern improvements upon the place have been put there by him and he now
has an excellent farm property of one hundred and sixty acres on which are substantial
buildings, the latest improved farm machinery and all up-to-date equipments.

On the 1st of May, 1900, Mr. Wilson was married to Miss Julia Woods, a daughter
of Patrick and Ann Woods, of Howard county. They have become parents of three
children: William Emmett, Floyd James and Gertrude L. The elder son has completed
the public school course in his home neighborhood and is now attending high school in
Cresco.

The family are communicants of the Assumption Catholic Church of Cresco and
fraternally Mr. Wilson is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, with which
he has been identified for four years. His political endorsement is given to the repub-
lican party and he has held several local offices, including that of school director. His
entire life has been devoted to agricultural interests and by reason of his thoroughness,
his persistency of purpose and his laudable ambition he has made steady progress in his
chosen life work.

MICHAEL NOSBISCH.

Michael Nosbisch is now living retired at New Hampton after many years of
active connection with farming interests in this section of Iowa. He was born in
Germany, June 9, 1849, a son of John and Margaret Nosbisch. In 1865 he came to
the United States with his parents and first settled in Jesup, Iowa, where the father

172 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

purchased a tract of land of eighty acres which he farmed for three or four years.
He then sold that property and removed to a farm near Gilbertville, Iowa, investing
in another eighty acre tract of land, which he successfully cultivated to the time
of his retirement from active business life. He then established his home in Gilbert-
ville, where he remained to the time of his death, and his wife also passed away in
that town.

Michael Nosbisch was educated in the parochial schools of Germany. In Decem-
ber. 1874, he married Katherine Spaden, a daughter of John and Margaretta Spaden,
and following his marriage he located upon a farm in Washington township, Chicka-
saw county, upon which he resided until 1913, when he retired and took up his resi-
dence in New Hampton. Through all the intervening years he was numbered with
the progressive and enterprising agriculturists of the district. Year after year he
carefully tilled his fields and kept in touch with advanced agricultural methods. As
a result of his untiring labor and perseverance he gathered good crops and as time
passed added materially to his annual income. He is still the owner of two hundred
and eighty acres of land and from this property he derives a very substantial annual
income.

In 1903 Mr. Nosbisch was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed
away on the 10th of October of that year. They were the parents of fourteen chil-
dren, all of whom survive, namely: Mrs. Jacob Hoffman; John, who married Susie
Zeyen; Carl, who married Lena Kuehn; Mrs. Chris Gebel; Nick, who married Susie
Hentges; Peter, who married Veronica Ries; George, who wedded Martha Zimmer;
Mrs. Joe Pannworth; Mrs. Louis Streit; Michael, Jr., who married Christina Brost;
Mrs. Edward Ries; Henry; Mrs. George Nehl; and Clara, who is acting as her father's
housekeeper.

Mr. Nosbisch is a member of St. Mary's Catholic church of New Hampton. His
political endorsement is given to the democratic party and he served as township
trustee of Washington township for several years. He was also supervisor at the
same time. His attention has been chiefly given to his farming interests, however,
and he still retains two hundred and eighty acres of his original four hundred and
twenty acre tract. He has lived an active and busy life and his success is the direct
outcome of his labors.

BENJAMIN HUNTTING.

Benjamin Huntting was a representative business man of Cresco and his worth
in commercial and personal connections caused his death to be the occasion of deep
and widespread regret to all who knew him. For a long period he was engaged in
the grain trade and the integrity of his methods as well as his enterprise brought
to him a substantial measure of prosperity. He was born in Southampton, Long
Island, on the 4th of December, 1833, and was a son of William and Ann (Foster)
Huntting. After acquiring a public school education he^ became a sailor on a whaling
vessel and afterward returned to Long Island. From there he went to California and
eventually became a resident of McGregor, Iowa. Following the outbreak of the Civil
war his patriotic spirit was aroused, so that he could no longer content himself to
remain at home and, eager to aid in the defense of the Union, he joined the array as
a member of Company C, of the Third Iowa Infantry. With the "boys in blue" he
then went to the front and served until wounded at the battle of Blue Mills in Mis-
souri, suffering the loss of an arm. This incapacitated him for duty and he returned
to McGregor, where later, as a member of the firm of Bassett & Huntting he entered
the grain trade and as the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad was extended through the
country he moved from point to point along the line, living for a time at Postville
and afterward at Conover. From the latter place he came to Cresco, where he built
a warehouse in the fall of 1866. He then began buying grain at this point and re-
mained in the same business for thirty years. He prospered in his undertakings here
and remained a prominent figure in the grain trade of northern Iowa for many years.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 173

In fact his name became a synonym for enterprise and progressiveness among the
grain merchants of this section of the state.

In 1866 Mr. Huntting was united in marriage to Miss Mary Thomas, a daughter
of Ebenezer and Isabel (DeWolf) Thomas and a native of Eagle, Waukesha county,
Wisconsin. To Mr. and Mrs. Huntting were born two children: William, who is
now engaged in the grain business at the old location where his father so long re-
mained; and Frank, living in Fairmont, Minnesota.

The year 1877 marked the big wheat crop in this vicinity and Mr. Huntting
handled a tremendous volume of business in the elevator. He was a man of keen
business discernment and enterprise whose plans were always carefully formulated, and
his energy and determination brought to him a measure of success that was most
gratifying. Moreover, the integrity of his business methods was never called into
question, so that he left to his family the priceless heritage of an untarnished name
when in July, 1896, he passed away. His political support was given to the democratic
party and he always stood for that which is progressive in citizenship. His widow
died in 1918, aged seventy-seven years, at Cresco. As a pioneer resident of Iowa, Mr.
Huntting was well known and the value of his activities as a factor in the world's
work was widely acknowledged in the community in which he resided.

M. B. DAVIS.

M. B. Davis, manager of the interests of the Huntting Elevator Company at Lime
Springs, was born December 13, 1870, in the town in which he still lives. He is a
son of John M. and Ann (Thomas) Davis, both of whom were natives of Wales, where
they were reared and married. Soon afterward they came to the United States, cross-
ing the Atlantic about 1868 or 1869 and making their way direct to Howard county,
Iowa. They settled in Lime Springs, where the father engaged in the hardware busi-
ness and later followed various commercial enterprises. Both he and his wife hava
passed away. The family of this name is not connected with the other Davis families
here.

M. B. Davis was reared at Lime Springs, where he has always made his home.
In the pursuit of his education he passed through consecutive grades to the high
school. After reach'ng manhood he became identified with farming, which he fol-
lowed for a number of years, and later devoted four years to work in a lumberyard
in Lime Springs. For the past twenty-two or twenty-three years he has looked after
the interests of the Huntting Elevator Company, having in charge their grain busi-
ness at Lime Springs. His capability, faithfulness and business enterprise are mani-
fest in the fact that he has so long been retained in the service of this company.

On the 25th of October, 1905, Mr. Davis was married to Miss Ella May Pettit,
of Lime Springs, a daughter of Alonzo Mills and Ella Jane (Williams) Pettit. The
father was born In New York state August 5, 1825, and his parents were Susan Christy
and William Pettit. When Alonzo Pettit was ten years old the family moved from
Mayfield, New York, to Alexander Bay, on the St. Lawrence river. When eighteen
years old he went to Milwaukee and worked in a shingle yard packing shingles. He
worked there for about three years, when he went to Rockton, Illinois. At that time
he weighed sixty pounds. He worked in the paper mill in Rockton, and coming west
with John F. Thayer's family in 1856, he located in Howard Center. He was the first
postmaster there. When Lime Springs was started he left Howard Center and was
the first postmaster in Lime Springs, which office he held until his death, January
17, 1888. He was married August 9, 1876, to Ella J. Williams, of Chatfield, Minnesota,
and they became the parents of five children, Ella, Belle, Alonzo, Chester and Mary,
of whom the four first mentioned are living. His widow survives and makes her
home with Mr. and Mrs. Davis, who by their marriage have become the parents of
three children: Anna May, Morgan Benjamin and John Rollins.

In politics Mr. Davis is a republican, giving stalwart allegiance to the party and
its principles. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Both are

174 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

held in high esteem, having many warm friends in Lime Springs, while the hospi-
tality of the best homes is freely accorded them. No higher testimonial of capability
and fidelity on the part of any business man could be given than the record of Mr.
Davis, who for about twenty-three years has been a representative of the Huntting
Elevator Company, controlling the interests of the company at Lime Springs, where
large responsibilities devolve upon him and where he has made an excellent record of
faithful service and sound business Judgment.

GEORGE B. DARROW.

George B. Darrow, who follows farming on section 4, Deerfield township, Chick-
asaw county, was born May 28, 1870, on the place on which he now resides — a fact
Indicative of long connection of the Darrow family with the interests of northern
Iowa. His parents were Byron R. and Sarah A. Darrow, who removed from the state
of New York to Iowa in pioneer times and established their home in Deerfield town-
ship. For many years the father remained a resident of this section of the state but
passed away about four years ago. His widow survives and now makes her home
In Spooner, Wisconsin.

In his boyhood days George B. Darrow was a pupil in the district schools of
Deerfield township and through vacation periods he became active in the work of the
home farm, assisting his father in its development and improvement for a long period.
Eventually he came into possession of the place, which comprises one hundred and
thirty acres of arable land. Careful cultivation has kept the farm in excellent con-
dition. He practices the rotation of crops, judiciously employs the use of fertilizers
and does everything in his power to keep his farm up to the highest standard in a
state where agricultural progressiveness has reached its zenith. In addition to tilling
the soil he handles registered shorthorn cattle and registered Poland China hogs and
is one of the well known and prominent stock raisers of his section of the state.

Mr. Darrow was united in marriage to Miss Minnie North, a daughter of George
and Katherine North, who are natives of Germany but have long resided in Iowa,
their home being now in Alta Vista. Mr. and Mrs. Darrow have a family of two
children, Adelbert and Grace, both at home. In his political views Mr. Darrow is a
republican and votes for the men and measures of the party but does not seek office
as a reward for party fealty. His interest in community affairs is manifest in many
tangible ways and enterprise and progress along agricultural lines have been con-
served and fostered through his efforts.

PEDER NELSEN.

Peder Nelsen, a farmer living on section 28, Saratoga township, Howard county,
was born in Norway, April 20, 1853, a son of Nels Peterson and Bertha Nelsen. The
father died in Norway in 1885 and the mother remained a resident of that country
to the time of her demise in 1888. In their family were the following named, Peder,
Nels. John, Belle and Maggie, all of whom are married.

Peder Nelsen remained in the land of the midnight sun until he had reached the
age of seventeen years, when he determined to come to the new world. Accordingly
he bade adieu to friends and native country in 1880 and with his wife and two chil-
dren crossed the Atlantic, making Decorah, Iowa, their destination. Mr. Nelsen worked
for three years as a farm hand, or until 1883. He then removed to Howard county,
settling in Saratoga township, where he again secured work on a farm, and was thus
employed until 1890. He carefully saved his earnings throughout the intervening
period and in that year bought one hundred and sixty acres of land situated on sec-
tion 28, Saratoga township. He then took up his abode upon this place, which was
at that time largely undeveloped and unimproved. He had to grub out the stumps

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 175

from the entire quarter section but he did not hesitate to undertake this arduous
labor. He has since worked diligently and persistently and as the years have passed
he has prospered. In 1909 he bought another quarter section not far from his original
purchase and is now the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of rich, valuable
and productive land. He is now annually harvesting good crops and is reaping the
merited reward of his earnest effort.

In 1874 Mr. Nelsen was married to Miss Petra Nella Johnson and they became
parents of six children: Bertha, Belle, Julia, Lena, Mary and Louis, all of whom
are married. The wife and mother passed away in January, 1913, her death being
deeply regretted by many friends.

Mr. Nelsen and his family are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church and
he gives his political endorsement to the republican party, which he has supported
since becoming a naturalized American citizen. He served as school director for five
years and is keenly interested in everything that has to do with the welfare and
progress of the community in which he makes his home. That he has ever been a
peaceable and law abiding citizen is shown in the fact that he has never been engaged
in a lawsuit in his life. He pursued the even tenor of his way, treating all men justly
and fairly, and his business record indicates what can be accomplished in a material
way through perseverance, industry and fair dealing.

W. J. KALISHEK.

W. J. Kalishek is one of the successful business men of Protivin, where he is con-
ducting a restaurant and ice cream parlor. Close application and business enterprise
constitute the salient features in his growing success. He is a native of Winneshiek
county, Iowa, where his birth occurred April 11, 1885, his parents being Frank and
Josephine (Novotny) Kalishek, who were natives of Bohemia and came to the United
States in boyhood and girlhood with their respective parents.

After mastering the branches of learning taught in the schools of Protivin, W. J.
Kalishek continued his education in the Cresco Normal school. When fourteen years
of age he practically took charge of the operation of the home farm and for eleven
years continued to cultivate the place, winning substantial success in the conduct of
his business interests. On the 23d of November, 1909, he was united in marriage to
Miss Emma Lentz, of Winneshiek county, and the following spring they took up their
abode in Protivin and Mr. Kalishek established the restaurant and ice cream business
of which he is still the owner. He has been very successful in its conduct, receiving
a liberal patronage, and is today ranked among the leading business men of the town
He is actuated by a spirit of progress in all that he undertakes and has won his
patronage by reason of the excellence of his products and the reliability of his busi-
ness methods.

Mr. Kalishek votes with the democratic party and keeps well informed on the
questions and issues of the day but does not seek her desire office. To him and his
wife have been born a daughter, Wilma. They are members of the Catholic church
and Mr. Kalishek is also identified with the Catholic Order of Foresters and with the
Modern Woodmen of America. His entire life has been spent in this section of Iowa,
where he has a wide acquaintance, and all with whom he has come in contact speak
of him in terms of warm regard.

WILLIAM M. WILKINS.

The farm which he now owns and cultivates on section 17, Dayton township.
Chichasaw county, was the birthplace of William M. Wilkins, whose natal day was
June 1, 1869. He has always lived upon this farm save for a brief period which he
spent at Webster, South Dakota, and he is a representative of one of the old pioneer

176 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

families of this section of the state. His parents were William and Margaret (Sweck)
Wilkins, who were married at Charles City, Iowa, where they had become acquainted
some time before. Both passed away in Chickasaw county.

In his youthful days William M. Wilkins attended the district schools and when
not busy with his textbooks aided his father in the work of the farm. He continued
to assist in its further cultivation and improvement until he reached the age of twen-
ty-four years. Removing to Webster, South Dakota, in 1893, he there engaged in the
livery business for a period of six years, or until 1899, when he returned to the old
homestead in Dayton township, Chickasaw county, his father having deeded to him
eighty acres of land. He has since bought an additional tract of thirteen acres, so
that he now has a good farm of ninety-three acres. Upon this place he has contin-
uously resided for twenty years and has made it an excellent farm property of the
district. He is also a director of the Chickasaw County Equity Cooperative Associa-
tion of New Hampton.

While residing at Webster, South Dakota, Mr. Wilkins was married on the 14th
of November, 1893, to Miss Jessie Faling, of that place, a daughter of William F.
and Mae (Higgins) Faling, who are still living at Webster. Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins
are parents of ten living children and eight of the number are still at home. In order
of birth these are: William, who married Reta Griffin; Frank; Henry; Mary, the
wife of James McGrane; Jessie; Bertha; Laura; Margaret; Clara; and Earl.

Mr. Wilkins gives stanch endorsement to the republican party and keeps well
informed on the questions and issues of the day. He served on the Liberty Loan
committee for Dayton township during the third, fourth and fifth loan drives and
he also did active work as a member of the Red Cross committee. He is the secre-
tary of Blotti Local and he is widely and favorably known in Chickasaw county, where
the greater part of his life has been passed and where his labors have been so directed
as to win for him substantial success, while the ruling principles of his life are such
as have won for him confidence and regard.

J. M. PHILLIPS.

J. M. Phillips is one of the venerable citizens of Albion township, Howard county.
He has passed the eighty-seventh milestone on life's journey, for his birth occurred
in the state of New York, May 11, 1832. He now makes his home on section 28,
Albion township, where he owns one hundred and twenty acres of land. During his
boyhood days he left the Empire state in company with his parents, William and
Elizabeth (Runceman) Phillips, who removed to Michigan. They, too, were natives
of the state of New York, but the opportunities of the west were so alluring that
they left the Atlantic coast and made their, way to the Mississippi valley. They
remained, however, for only a brief period in Michigan and then removed to Indiana.
It was in the year 1855 that J. M. Phillips of this review became a resident of
Howard county, Iowa, taking up his abode in Albion township, where he resided
until 1861. He then put aside all personal considerations and business cares and
responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting as a member of the Thirty-
eighth Iowa Regiment in defense of the Union cause in the Civil war. He served
at the front until the close of hostilities in 1865, when he received an honorable
discharge and returned to his home in Howard county. He then resumed the
occupation of farming, which he made his life work. It was three years before
he entered the army that he was united in marriage to Miss Rosetta Hurley and
to them were born nine children, of whom seven are yet living, as follows: Llewellyn
R., Howard C, Leon, Lizzie, Bert, May and Ulysses.

In his fraternal relations Mr. Phillips is a Mason, belonging to Lime Springs
Lodge, No. 214. He has ever been a loyal exemplar of the craft and is keenly
interested in the promotion of the principles which constitute the basic elements of
the society. In politics he has long been a republican and he was a strong supporter
of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. He gave equally loyal allegiance to Garfield and to

J. M. PHILLIPS

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 179

Roosevelt and in fact he has been a stalwart advocate of the leading statesmen
which the republican party has put up as its standard bearers. He has long been
regarded as a very substantial and honored citizen of Albion township and ranks
with its pioneer settlers who for many years have contributed to its upbuilding
and progress. His has been an active and useful life and in all matters of citizen-
ship he has been as true and loyal to his country as when he wore the nation's
blue uniform and followed the starry banner of the Union on the battlefields of
the south.

JOE WILLIAMS.

Joe Williams, who is engaged in blacksmithing at Lime Springs and is numbered
among the pioneer settlers of Howard county, was born in Wales on the 12th of June,

1850, a son of John H. and Mary (Jones) Williams, who came to the United States about

1851. They made their way to the interior of the country, settling in Cambria, Wis-
consin, where they resided until 1869, when they came to Lime Springs, Iowa. After two
years here spent, however, they returned to Wisconsin and became residents of Randolph,
where they remained until called to their final rest.

Joe Williams was educated in the common schools of Wisconsin and preceded his
parents to Howard county, where he arrived in June, 1869. His brother, John B.
Williams, had already become a resident of Lime Springs and was conducting a black-
smith shop, which Joe Williams entered as an apprentice. He completed his term of
Indenture in his brother's shop and together they carried on the business for ten or
fifteen years, at the end of which time John B. Williams went to Montana and Joe
Williams continued to conduct the smithy in Lime Springs. He has now been identified
with the trade in this town for a half century and is one of the best known and most
highly respected citizens of the community, for his record throughout this entire period
has been that of an honorable and straightforward man.

In 1877 Mr. Williams was married to Miss Lydia Frisbie, of Lime Springs, a daughter
of Chester Frisbie, who was one of the early settlers of Lime Springs, where he arrived in
1866. To Mr. and Mrs. Williams were born two children: David Roy, railway agent at
Hall, Montana, for the Northern Pacific Railroad Company; and Beulah Fay, the wife
of C. V. Summers, living at Charles City, Iowa. Mrs. Willams was born in Middletown,
New York, on the 11th of March, 1852, and died in Lime Springs, April 26, 1905. She
was a member of the Presbyterian church and her many good qualities of heart and
mind endeared her to all who knew her. Mr. Williams is well known in Masonic circles,
belonging to Howard Lodge, No. 214, A. F. & A. M.; Shiloh Chapter, No. 150, R. A. M.;
and Joppa Commandery, No. 55. K. T., of Charles City. Mr. Williams and his family are
members of Utopia Chapter, No. 379, O. E. S. In politics he is a republican, well
informed on the questions and issues of the day, but he has never been an aspirant for
political ofl[ice. always preferring to give his undivided thought and attention to his
business affairs. That he is a man of sterling worth is indicated by the high regard in
which he Is uniformly held in the community in which he has made his home for a half
century.

RALPH E. WATTS.

Ralph E. Watts, a hardware dealer of Ionia and one of the leading business men,
was born in Chickasaw county, about one mile east of Bassett, on the 17th of November,
1893. his parents being Charles D. and Catherine (Miller) Watts. The father was a
native of England and the mother was born in Chickasaw county, Iowa, a daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. DeWitt Miller, who were among the earliest of the pioneer settlers of this
section of the state. Charles D. Watts was twice married. In 1874 he wedded Miss
Nettie Longley, who passed away in 1890, leaving two daughters: Eva, now the wife of

180 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

George Hurlbut, of Charles City, Iowa; and Mamie, the wife of O. H. Potter, of Bassett,
Iowa. Having lost his first wife, Charles D. Watts wedded Catherine Miller and of this
marriage Ralph E. "Watts is a son. The father was brought to the United States when
but two years of age in company with a brother who was ten years his senior. They
lived with foster parents in Elgin, Illinois, where they grew to manhood, and there
during his youthful days Charles D. Watts worked for a number of years in the state
institution for the insane. In 1874 he came to Chickasaw county and some time after-
ward purchased a farm near Bassett. About 1903 or 1904 he took up his abode in the
town of Bassett, where he conducted the hotel for a year and then removed to Ionia,
where he was hotel proprietor until 1908. In that year he purchased the hardware
business of Daniel Butterfield and conducted the store up to the time of his death,
which occurred on the 3d of October, 1912, when he was fifty-nine years of age. His
widow is still living and has become the wife of F. K. Ashley, her home being now in
Charles City, Iowa.

Ralph E. Watts was educated in the public schools of Bassett and in the Ionia high
school, from which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1912. He worked as a
clerk in his father's store while not in school and after the father's death took charge of
the business, which he conducted for his mother up to the time of her marriage to Mr.
Ashley, when she turned over the business to him and he has since been sole owner. He
carries a good line of shelf and heavy hardware and is enjoying a very satisfactory trade.

In 1915 Mr. Watts was united in marriage to Miss Doris Gladys Cagley, of Bradford
township. Chickasaw county, by whom he has two children, Margaret E. and Doris L.
In politics Mr. Watts is an earnest republican and in religious faith he and his wfe are
Congregationalists. They are well known in Ionia and he is a dynamic force in the
business circles of the city. Alert and energetic, he never loses sight of a legitimate
opportunity for the advancement of his interests and it is to such class of men that the
progress and upbuildings of a community are due.

JOHN S. SWENSON.

John S. Swenson, one of Howard county's foremost manufacturers and an inventor
of more than local renown, is proprietor of the Swenson Grubber Company and secretary
and treasurer of the Electra Lightning Rod Company of Cresco. He was born in North
Cape, Wisconsin, September 26, 1872, a son of Lorens and Anna (Johnson) Swenson, both
natives of Norway, who in childhood days came to the United States with their respec-
tive parents. The paternal grandparents of John S. Swenson established their home
near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, when that city was but little more than a trading post, while
the maternal grandparents settled near Black Earth, Dane county, Wisconsin. Following
their marriage, which was celebrated in the Badger state, Mr. and Mrs. Lorens Swenson
began their domestic life at North Cape, Wisconsin. Early in life Mr. Swenson mani-
fested marked inventive genius, being a natural-born mechanic. Among his many inven-
tions may be mentioned the Swenson steam valve and the original Swenson mower,
which was among the first mowers brought forth in this country. In association with
Ole Storle he invented one of the first self-binders of the United States, the knot-tying de-
vice of which was later pold to one of the large reaper manufactories at a substantial
figure. Another product of his mechanical skill and ingenuity was the stump puller, now
manufactured by the Faultless Stump Puller Company of Cresco. In 1895 Lorens Swen-
son and his son, John S. Swenson, founded the Faultless Stump Puller Company, engag-
ing in the manufacture of stump pullers at Cresco until 1899, when they sold the busi-
ness. While the father was in Waukegan, Wisconsin, looking after the interests of his
steam valve, John S. Swenson invented his present stump puller, which won the gold
medal at the Lewis and Clark Exposition at Portland. Oregon, in 1905. In 1900 he and
his father had founded the Swenson Grubber Company and began the manufacture of
this invention, which is sold from coast to coast, while prior to the recent great war the
company also did an extensive export business in South America. In 1907 John S. Swen-
son acquired his father's interest in this concern and became sole owner. On account

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 181

cf impaired eyesight the latter retired from active business in 1907 and has since resided
in Longmont, Colorado.

It was in May, 1907, that John S. Swenson and Frank E. Stehlik established a plant
for the manufacture of lightning rods in Cresco and began business under the name of the
Electra Lightning Rod Company. Mr. Swenson had become acquainted with Mr. Stehlik
by reason of the fact that the latter sold him wire rope for his stump pullers as a sales-
man for the American Steel & Wire Company. On the 16th of March, 1909. the Electra
Lightning Rod Company was incorporated with F. E. Stehlik, as president and J. S.
Swenson, secretary and treasurer. Mr. Stehlik maintains an office for the company in
the Stock Exchange building of Chicago. The company manufactures exclusively for
dealers and has built up a trade which extends throughout the United States, lurnine
out more than a million feet of copper rods annually. In the conduct of his business
affairs Mr. Swenson displays sound judgment, keen sagacity and unfaltering enterprise
and has long enjoyed a leading position among the representatives of the industrial in-
terests in northeastern Iowa.

In 1907 Mr. Swenson was united in marriage to Miss Dora Carver, her father being
Chester M. Carver, who came to Howard county, Iowa, before the railroad was built and
before the town of Cresco came into existence. Mr Carver married the daughter of
Elder Fall, one of the pioneer preachers of Howard county, who performed the marriage
ceremony for hundreds of the county's young people and was one of the best known
divines of this part of the state. Mr. and Mrs. Swenson have one daughter, Mary Ade-
line.

In his political views Mr. Swenson is a stanch republican, loyally supporting the
men and measures of that party at the polls. Fraternally he is identified with Cresco
Lodge, No. 150, A. F. & A. M., and in his life exemplifies the beneficent spirit of the craft.
Both he and his wife have an extensive circle of warm friends throughout the commu-
nity and occupy a most enviable social position here.

HON. HENRY CLAY BURGESS.

A history of Howard county would be incomplete and unsatisfactory were there
failure to make prominent reference to the Hon. Henry Clay Burgess, who was promi-
nently identified with the copimercial and political history of the state and who left
the impress of his individuality for good upon its material development and upon
its legislative records. Actuated at all times by an earnest desire to make his life of
^orth to the community in which he lived, his labors wrought for good and he en-
joyed the respect and confidence of all who knew him. He was born in Fairfield,
Maine, on the 20th of December, 1846, and in 1864 his parents removed westward
with their family, establishing their home in Lansing, Iowa, but two years later they
came to Howard county.

After reaching man's estate Henry Clay Burgess took charge of a lumberyard for
Fleming Brothers, and with them continued for seventeen years, having charge of
their yards at Ossian and at Hull, Iowa, and also at Mitchell, South Dakota, while
finally he came to Cresco to assume the management of the lumber interests at this
place. In 1885, after a six years' stay in Cresco, Mr. Burgess purchased the interests
of his employers and continued active in the lumber trade of the city. He was thus
long connected with that line of commercial activity and had a splendidly appointed
lumberyard, carrying a large line of builders' supplies of all kinds. Moreover, he was
faithful to the terms of every contract and the integrity of his business methods as
well as his enterprise constituted an important feature in his growing patronage. In
the latter part of his life he turned the business over to his sons, although he still
remained the owner to the time of his death. His sons had been actively engaged
with him in business for several years and in addition to conducting the lumberyard
in Cresco, Mr. Burgess had established lumberyards in neighboring towns throughout
the country, conducted by his successors.

In 1869 Mr. Burgess was united in marriage to Miss Emily J. Cooper, a daughter

182 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

of J. L. and Ellen Cooper. She was born in Newcastle, Pennsylvania, and was taken
by her parents to Ohio, where they resided for a time, and then became residents of
Wisconsin. They afterward removed to Ossian, Iowa, and it was there that the mar-
riage of Mr. Burgess and Miss Cooper was celebrated. They had a family of four
children, of whom Harry H. died in infancy, while Charles, Ray and Joseph are con-
tinuing in the lumber trade as their father's successors in the conduct of the yards
in Cresco and elsewhere.

Mr. Burgess was a republican in his political views and in 1906 was elected to
represent the forty-second district, comprising Howard and Winneshiek counties, in
the state senate, where he gave most careful consideration to all the vital questions
that came up for settlement. He held membership in the Masonic fraternity, was a
charter member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and his religious faith was that
of the Congregational church. He came to Cresco when the country was wild and he
lived to see it develop from a little village on the western prairie to a thriving and
enterprising town. His death, which occurred on the 8th of March, 1917, was the
occasion of deep and widespread regret because of the many sterling traits of his
character. His personal qualities, too, were such as made for popularity among those
who knew him, for he was of a kindly and genial disposition, often extending a help-
ing hand to those who needed aid. In his business affairs he was thoroughly trust-
worthy and at all times he stood for progressive elements in citizenship. He had passed
the Psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten when called to his final rest, his
death occurring when in his seventy-first year. Thus was terminated a life of use-
fulness, in which he accumulated a comfortable competence, but not only did he leave
this to his family, but also that priceless heritage of an untarnished name, which is
rather to be chosen than great riches.

P. H. BRANNON.

P. H. Brannon, numbered among the enterprising, farsighted and successful business
men of New Hampton, is well known as the proprietor of the Brannon Grain Elevator.
He is a western man by birth, training and preference. He was born at Waucoma,
Iowa, on the 11th of October, 1857, and is a son of Lawrence and Julia (Griffin) Bran-
non, both of whom were natives of Ireland. The father came to the United States in
his boyhood days with his parents in 1839, the family home being established in Ohio,
and the mother came to this country to join an older brother after the death of her
parents. This brother, Thomas Griflfin, is a resident of Howard county, Iowa. In the
spring of 1853 Lawrence Brannon removed with his parents to Iowa, the family home
being established on a farm near Waucoma. In June, 1856, Lawrence Brannon and
Julia Griffin were united in marriage and took up their abode upon a farm near Wau-
coma, where the active years of their life were spent. After his retirement from busi-
ness they removed to Lawler, Chickasaw county, where they continued to reside until
called to their final rest. Mr. Brannon passed away at the notable age of ninety»one
years, while his wife died at the age of seventy-five.

Their son, P. H. Brannon, was educated in the common schools and in the Decorah
Institute. Prior to becoming a student in the institute he taught school and later
resumed educational work, covering a period of twenty-one terms. In 1892 he removed
to New Hampton and has since been identified with the live stock and grain business,
in which connection he has won substantial success. The Brannon Grain Elevator is
now one of the important business features of the city and its annual purchases and
sales reach a large figure.

In 1889 Mr. Brannon was united in marriage to Miss Catherine I. Quirk, of Delaware
county, Iowa, and to them were born two children, but only one, Mary S., is now living.
The wife and mother passed away in January. 1901, and in February, 1906, Mr. Bran-
non was married to Miss Hannah T. Boyle, of Edgerton, Wisconsin, by whom he has
four children, namely: Grace Madeline, Lawrence V., Patricia Adelaide and James E.

In his political views Mr. Brannon has always been a democrat since age conferred

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 183

upon him the right of franchise and for some time while at Lawler he filled the oflSce
of justice of the peace. He has served as a member of the town and city council of New
Hampton, covering a period of fourteen years, a fact indicative of his loyalty to the
best interests of the city and his active work for the upholding of its civic standards.
He and his family are members of St. Joseph's Catholic church and he is a fourth degree
member of the Knights of Columbus. Alert and energetic, he accomplishes what he
undertakes, allowing no obstacles or difficulties to bar his path when they can be over-
come by persistent and earnest effort. The reliability as well as the enterprise of his
methods has been one of the strong features of his growing success, placing him with
the prosperous business men of New Hampton.

FRED LEBOW.

Fred Lebow, living on section 6, Afton township, Howard county, was born in Ger-
many, January 6, 1848, and is a son of Joseph and Frederika Lebow who in the year
1859 bade adieu to friends and native land and sailed for the United States with their
family. They did not tarry on the Atlantic coast but made their way at once into the
interior of the country, settling at Racine, Wisconsin, where the father worked out by
the day. For ten years the family resided in Racine and then came to Iowa, settling in
Afton township, Howard county, where Mr. Lebow purchased the farm upon which his
son Fred now resides. He continued to devote his time and energies to the develop-
ment of his fields until called to his final rest and his wife also died upon this farm.

At the death of his parents Fred Lebow came into possession of the old home place
by the terms of his father's will and has since owned and occupied it. He had pre-
viously acquired a common school education and had been trained in the farm work by
his father, so that he was well qualified to take up the duties and responsibilities that
devolved upon him. He is now numbered among the substantial and successful farmers
of Afton township, having between five and six hundred acres of excellent land, so that
he is now in very comfortable financial circumstances, his well tilled fields annually
bringing to him golden harvests that find a ready sale on the market.

In 1874 Mr. Lebow was married to Miss Bertha Gamrow, a daughter of Fred Gam-
row, of Afton township, and both her father and mother have now passed away. Mr.
and Mrs. Lebow have become the parents of five children: Minnie and Will, at home;
Ephraim, who is married; Gustie Klingbottle, at home; and Fred, who is also married.

The religious belief of the family is that of the German Lutheran church and in his
political faith Mr. Lebow is a republican. For several years he served as school director
but has never sought or desired political office, preferring to concentrate his efforts and
attention upon his business affairs. He has worked diligently and persistently in the
further development and cultivation of his farm and has added to it many modern
improvements, which make it one of the fine places of this part of the state.

CHARLES A. MEAD.

For fifty years Charles A. Mead has resided upon the farm on section 31, Howard
township, in Howard county, which he now owns. Because of his long residence here
he has been a witness of much of the growth and development of this section of the
state and at all times has been keenly interested in its progress and has contributed in
no small measure to its agricultural advancement.

He was born in Fayette county, Iowa, March 3, 1868, a son of Willis and Lodema
(Smith) Mead, who were natives of Pennsylvania, where they were reared and mar-
ried. About 1858 they came to the west, making Iowa their destination. They settled
upon a farm a mile and a half east of West Union, in Fayette county, and there remained
until the fall of 1868, when they removed to Howard county, establishing their home in
Howard township, where they continued to reside until called to their final rest. The

184 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

father was a lifelong republican in politics but never an aspirant for political prefer-
ment. He belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and was one of the fore-
most citizens of Howard township, highly respected because of the sterling traits of
character which he displayed in every relation of life.

Charles A. Mead was educated in the district schools and he has always possessed
an observing eye and retentive memory and in this way has become a well informed
man. Reading has ever been a matter of interest to him and he has thus kept in touch
with the trend of modern thought and progress. In 1890, on reaching his twenty-second
year, he took charge of the home farm in connection with his brother, W. W. Mead, and
for three years the two brothers cultivated the place together. In 1891 the farm was
divided between them and Charles A. Mead came into possession of one hundred and
twenty acres of this farm through purchase, while his brother took over the remaining
one hundred and twenty acres. In 1893 they separated their business interests and have
since farmed independently. In addition to the original tract which he acquired, Charles
A. Mead owns three hundred and twenty acres of land in the province of Alberta, Can-
ada. He has been most energetic and progressive in the development of his home place,
which is now one of the excellently improved properties of the district. Its highly cul-
tivated fields, its modern improvements and high grade stock all indicate the practical
and progressive spirit of the owner. Mr. Mead is also a stockholder in the Howard
County Cooperative Equity Association and in the Elma Cooperative Creamery Com-
pany.

In 1895 Mr. Mead was united in marriage to Miss Grace Luella Pooler, of Afton
township, Howard county, who was a graduate of the Elma high school of the class
of 1894 and who successfully taught school for' one year. She also served as secretary
of the school board of her district for a number of years and the cause of education
ever found in her a warm friend. She belonged to Elma Chapter, 0. E. S., and was a
devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church, in the faith of which she passed
away July 23, 1918, leaving three children: Harland W., Inez C, and Robert B., all
at home. Two other children have departed this life.

Mr. Mead is an exemplary member of Maple Leaf Lodge, No. 528, A. P. & A. M., of
Elma, to which his son, Harland W., also belongs. Politically he is a republican and
has served as township assessor for one term, while for many years he has been a
member of the school board in his district and was president of the board for several
years, while at this writing, in 1919, he is serving as school treasurer. Every project or
plan that tends to benefit the community in which he resides receives his earnest sup-
port and he is actuated by a progressive spirit that has made him a valuable citizen.
He has watched the progress and development of this section of the state until the
years, added to the cycle of the centuries, have numbered fifty. Great changes have
been wrought during this period and no one rejoices more heartily in what has been
accomplished along the line of public improvement and benefit than does Charles A.
Mead, now one of the honored pioneer settlers of this region.

E. R. FRAZEE.

E. R. Frazee, carrying on general farming on section 3 2, Deerfield township,
Chickasaw county, is a representative of one of the old pioneer families of this
section of the state and was born upon what is known as the old Frazee home-
stead in Chickasaw township on the 10th of March, 1867. His father, Benjamin
Frazee, is mentioned at length on another page of this work in connection with
the sketch of his son, James O. Frazee.

Spending his youthful days under the parental roof, E. R. Frazee at the usual
age became a pupil in the district schools and in periods of summer vacation he
worked in the fields. He remained upon the home farm after reaching early
manhood, cooperating with his father in its further development and improvement
up to the time of his marriage.

On the 28th of April, 1897, Mr. Frazee wedded Miss Clara B. Dickson, a

BENJAMIN FRAZEE

MRS. BENJAMIN FRAZEE

E. R. FRAZEE

JAMES O. FRAZEE

Vol. 11—12

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 187

daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Hine) Dickson. Her father came to Chickasaw
county from Illinois in his boyhood days with his parents, arriving in 1855, while
the Hine family came to this county from Indiana in 1853. For seven years fol-
lowing his marriage Mr. Frazee engaged in farming three different tracts of land
in Chickasaw county and in 1904 he took up his abode upon his present home
place, which was then owned by his father and to which he acquired title after
his father's death. He is now devoting his energies, efforts and attention to the
further development and improvement of this property, which is one of the excel-
lent farms of Deerfield township. He carefully tills his fields and annually gathers
good harvests. He raises the cereals best adapted to soil and climate and is meet-
ing with substantial success.

To Mr. and Mrs. Frazee have been born three children: R. Wayne, Wendell D.
and Grace M., who are still under the parental roof. In his political allegiance
Mr. Frazee is a democrat, having supported the party since age conferred upon
him the right of franchise. He has served for one term as a member of the board
of township trustees and for a number of years has been a member of the school
board, being keenly interested in educational progress and in the welfare of the
community at large. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and he
is widely known in Deerfield township and throughout this section of the state,
where he has ever commanded and enjoyed the respect and confidence of all who
have known him. He represents one of the old pioneer families and has himself
been a witness of the development and progress of this section of the state for
more than a half century. Throughout the entire period the Frazee family has
been identified with farming interests and their labors have been a marked element
in contributing to the agricultural development and progress of northern Iowa.
The work begun by his father is now being carried forward by E. R. Frazee and
his labors are attended with excellent results.

JAMES O. FRAZEE.

James O. Frazee has spent the forty-eight years of his life upon the farm on
section 5, Chickasaw township, Chickasaw county, on which he now resides. This
was his birthplace and his natal day was January 30, 1871, his parents being
Benjamin and Mary S. (Michael) Frazee. The father, a native of Perry county.
Ohio, was born June 11, 1828, and the mother was born in Carroll county, Indiana,
December 30, 1845. The paternal grandfather was James L. Frazee, who was born
in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania. His wife, Mrs. Susanah Frazee, was born in the
state of Maryland. They settled in Clinton county, Indiana, in an early day and
removed to Chickasaw county, Iowa, in the early '50s, when pioneering was ex-
tremely difficult and when this section was still a hunting ground for the Indians.
James L. Frazee established his home in Chickasaw township, near Bassett, where
he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of the old homestead farm from the
government, paying a dollar and a quarter per acre. It was entirely destitute
of improvements, the work of cultivation having not yet been begun. Upon this
he built one of the old-time log cabins, but a year later he was able to replace
this primitive dwelling by the present home residence, hauling the lumber from
Conover, a distance of fifty miles or more. This house when built was considered
a mansion and was probably the finest home in Chickasaw county at the time.
James L. Frazee belonged to that class of sturdy pioneer stock that feared noth-
ing, and, blazing a way through the wilderness, planted the seeds of civilization
on frontier soil. He endured all of the hardships and privations incident to set-
tlement in a far western country and his labors made it possible for a later gen-
eration to live in peace and plenty. He continued to further develop the old
homestead until his death, which occurred October 14, 1884, when he was eighty-
one years of age. He and his wife had a family of two sons and two daughters, all
of whom reached a notable old age.

188 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

His son, Benjamin Frazee, was born in Perry county, Ohio, June 11, 1828,
and was reared to manhood in Frankfort, Indiana, where he taught school for
several years, and in 1854 he came with his parents to Chickasaw county, Iowa,
being then a young man of about twenty-six years. Ten years later, on the 29th
of December, 1864, he wedded Miss Mary S. Michael and they became the parents
of four children, two of whom, a son and a daughter, died in early childhood.
The two surviving sons are James O. and E. R. Frazee, the latter also mentioned
in this work. The father was a man of sterling character and all who knew him
were glad to call him friend. He possessed a quiet, retiring disposition, and his
sterling worth was widely recognized and commanded for him the confidence and
regard of all. He ever took an active interest in public affairs, yet he was never
an aspirant for oflRce, preferring to devote his time to the enjoyment of the com-
panionship of his family and the management of his private business interests.
However, he served many times as assessor, trustee and school director. As a
farmer he was quite successful, and, adding to his holdings, he acquired five
hundred and sixty-seven acres of the fertile land of Chickasaw county. Wherever
he was known he was spoken of in terms of high regard. He reached an honored
old age, passing away February 8, 1914, at the age of eighty-five years, seven
months and twenty-eight days. His widow survived him for about five years, her
death occurring July 4, 1919.

James O. Frazee is indebted to the district school system for the educational
opportunities that qualified him for life's practical and responsible duties. On
the 26th of August, 1901, he was united in marriage to Miss Lena Albertson, a
daughter of F. D. Albertson, of Chickasaw township. Two years prior to his mar-
riage Mr. Frazee had begun farming for himself, taking charge of and operating
the old home place, which he inherited following his father's demise. His landed
possessions now comprise three hundred and six acres, constituting a well im-
proved farm property that gives every evidence of his careful supervision and
practical methods. He has worked diligently and his labors have brought good
results.

To Mr. and Mrs. Frazee has been born a daughter, Gertrude May, who is the
life and light of the household. Politically Mr. Frazee is a democrat and while
not a politician in the usually accepted sense of office seeking, he is interested in
all that pertains to the welfare and progress of the state. He has been a mem-
ber of the school board on several different occasions and rejoices in whatever
is accomplished for the welfare of community and commonwealth. He represents
one of the old pioneer families and the work which was instituted by his grand-
father and carried on by his father is still being promoted by James O. Frazee,
whose diligence and determination are recognized characteristics.

I

JOHN C. SVESTKA.

John C. Svestka, carrying on general farming on section 9, New Oregon township,
Howard county, was born January 10, 1880, on the farm which is still his place of resi-
dence, his parents being Jacob and Mary (Kalishek) Svestka, of whom extended mention
is made elsewhere in this work in connection with the sketch of L. V. Svestka He was
educated in the district schools, and having arrived at years of maturity, was married on
the 14th of October. 1902, to Miss Rosa Pecinovsky, a daughter of Joseph F. Pecinovsky,
v.ho is also represented elsewhere in this work. In the year following his marriage Mr.
Svestka began farming on his own account, his father removing to Protivin, while John
C. Svestka took charge of the old homestead farm. The following year he purchased
the property and has continued to make his home thereon throughout the intervening
period. He today owns and cultivates one hundred and twenty acres and is also farm-
ing eighty acres of rented land, situated just across the road from his home place. He
has brought his fields under a high state of cultivation and annually gathers good crops
as a reward for the care and labor which he bestows upon his land. He employs the

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 189

most progressive methods in the care of his crops and his energy and industry are pro-
ducing excellent results, so that he annually gathers good harvests.

To Mr. and Mr. Svestka have been born six children: Emma, Eloise, Theresa, Leon-
ard, Godlov and John. The parents and children are all members of the Catholic church
and Mr. Svestka is likewise identified with the Catholic Workmen. His political views
accord with the teachings of the republican party, to which he gives his support at the
polls, but the honors and emoluments of office have never attracted him as he has
always preferred to concentrate his efforts upon his business affairs, in which he is now
meeting with creditable and substantial success.

JAMES PRASKA.

A valuable force in the development and upbuilding of Chickasaw county and north-
ern Iowa is that furnished by its citizens of Bohemian birth, of which class James
Praska is a representative. He now makes his home on section 19, Jacksonville town-
ship, but was born in Bohemia, November 5, 1857, his parents being Frank and Katie
Praska. The first thirteen years of his life were passed in his native land and he then
came to the United States with his parents, the family home being established in Deer-
field township, Chickasaw county, where the father purchased land. His remaining
days were devoted to agricultural interests in this part of the state and his death oc-
curred in Deerfield township in 1913. His wife had passed away on the old homestead
two years before.

James Praska obtained his education in the parochial schools of his native country
and after coming to the new world with his parents devoted his time and efforts to the
work of assisting his father in the improvement of a new farm. His training along that
line was comprehensive and constituted the foundation upon which he has built his suc-
cess in later life. He is now the owner of one hundred acres of land, which is at pres
ent being cultivated by his son-in-law, with whom he now resides.

It was in 1883 that Mr. Praska was united in marriage to Miss Katie Mashek, a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vencil Mashek, who came to America from Bohemia. Mr.
and Mrs. Praska had three children, of whom two have passed away. The daughter
Carrie is now the wife of James Chihak and they reside upon the farm of Mr. Praska,
for his wife died about twenty-one years ago in Paris township, Howard county.

Mr. Praska is also the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land in Paris
township. After a busy and useful life he is now in considerable measure living re-
tired, leaving the further development and improvement of the farm property to his
son-in-law. He and his family are members of the Catholic church of Lourdes, and his
political endorsement is given to the democratic party.

JOHN NOVOTNY.

John Novotny, busily engaged in general farming on section 11, Utica township,
Chickasaw county, was born in March, 1880, in the township where he still makes his
home. His parents are John J. and Teresa (Vovas) Novotny, natives of Bohemia. In
that country they were reared and married and three children were born to them ere
they emigrated to the United States about 1870. After crossing the Atlantic they at
once made their way into the interior of the country, settling in Chickasaw county,
Iowa, where the father's first purchase was a modest forty-acre tract of land, on which
he built a little frame dwelling or shack that served as the habitation of the family for
some time. He afterward sold this property and for a number of years rented land
but subsequently made investment in two hundred acres. He is still living and now
resides at Little Turkey in Utica township.

John Novotny is indebted to the district school system of Chickasaw county for the
educational opportunities that qualified him for life's practical and responsible duties.

190 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

He had reached man's estate when on the 2d of May, 1905, he wedded Miss Nellie
Kurash, a daughter of Albert Kurash, of Fort Atkinson, Winneshiek county, and they
have become the parents of three children, two of whom survive, Adeline and Adnes.

Following his marriage Mr. Novotny settled on his present home farm of one hun-
dred and twenty acres, which he purchased from his father, and through the inter-
vening period he has concentrated his efforts and attention upon the further develop-
ment of the land. He has brought his fields under a high state of cultivation and annu-
ally gathers rich crops as the reward of his care and labor. There are excellent mod-
ern improvements upon the farm and thoroughly up-to-date machinery enables him to
develop his fields.

In his political views Mr. Novotny is a democrat, voting with the party since he
attained his majority. He and his family are members of the Catholic church. They
are well known people of this community, enjoying the warm regard and friendship
of many with whom they have been brought in contact.

JOHN MISHAK.

John Mishak, who follows farming on section 2, Deerfield township, Chickasaw
county, was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, June 9, 1867, a son of Felix and Mary
(Andreaska) Mishak both of \^7hom were natives of Germany, where they were reared
and married. In 1864 they left that country and came to the United States, establish-
ing their home at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, where the father, who was a wagon maker
by trade, established a shop which he conducted for eight or ten years. He then re-
moved to Iowa, taking up his abode in North Washington, Chickasaw county, where
he also was proprietor of a wagon shop for several years. Subsequently he engaged in
farraing and remained a resident of North Washington to the timt ot his death,
which occurred in 1914.

John Mishak was educated in the district schools and in 1889 began farming on his
own account, at which time he purchased his present home place of one hundred
and sixty acres. For two years he devoted his time and energies to the development
of the farm and kept bachelor's hall during that period. In 1891, however, he was united
in marriage to Miss Helen Marion, of Deerfield township, a daughter of Max Marion,
one of the pioneer settlers of this part of the county, who is now deceased. To Mr.
and Mrs. Mishak have been born seven children: Evelyn, Loretta, Viola, Mildred, Verna,
Ralph and Ray. All are still under the parental roof.

In his political views Mr. Mishak has always been a democrat since age conferred
upon him the right of franchise. He has served for a number of years as a member of
the board of township trustees and is the present clerk of the board. He stands loy-
ally for all that he believes to be for the best interests of the community and he and
his family are idenified with its moral progress as members of the Catholic church.
In his business career he has made steady advance and his diligence and enterprise
have been the foundation of the success which is now his.

PETER HANSEN.

Peter Hansen, who has been actively identified with farming interests in Howard
county for the past forty-four years, resides on section 22, Vernon Springs township,
where he owns one hundred and sixty acres of rich and productive land, while his
holdings also embrace a tract of one hundred and twenty acres in Howard Center town-
ship. His birth occurred in Denmark on the 9th of May, 1853, his parents being Lars
and Cecilia (Petersen) Hansen, who spent their entire lives in that country.

Peter Hansen acquired his education in the district schools of his native land and
there remained until he had attained his majority. His father owned but a small farm
of ten acres and the country offered comparatively meager opportunities to a young

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 191

man. In 1874, therefore, desiring to enjoy the advantages of the new world, he crossed
the Atlantic to the United States and for one year worked as a farm hand in New
York. He then came west to Iowa, locating in Howard county, within the borders of
which he has resided continuously since. During the first summer he was employed
at farm labor by M. B. Doolittle and he continued working as a farm hand until the
spring of 1881. The previous year he had purchased a tract of seventy acres in Ver-
non Springs township but after operating the place for two years disposed of it and
for some years thereafter devoted his attention to the cultivation of rented land. In
1888 or 1889 he bought his present home farm of one hundred and sixty acres on sec-
tion 22, Vernon Springs township, which he had operated as a renter before be-
coming the owner. The further development and improvement of the property has
since claimed his time and energies and he derives therefrom a gratifying annual in-
come. He likewise owns one hundred and twenty acres of land in Howard Center
township, which he purchased about 1908. In the work of the fields he utilizes the
most advanced methods, so that his labors are attended with the best results, winning
him a place among the representative and successful agriculturists of the district.

On the 6th of April, 1885, Mr. Hansen was united in marriage to Miss Marie Chris-
tensen, a native of Denmark and a daughter of Christ and Elizabeth Christensen, both
of whom passed away in that country. Mrs. Hansen came to the United States in
1883 and by her marriage has become the mother of five children, four of whom still
survive, namely: Ellen K., the wife of Alfred Gesell, who operates her father's farm
in Howard Center township; Henry M., who is now filling the office of county treasurer
of Howard county; Lewis N.. who is engaged in the automobile business at Granger,
Minnesota; and Samuel P., at home.

In his political views Mr. Hansen is a republican and he has given able service
to his fellow townsmen as a member of the board of township trustees, in which capac-
ity he served for four years, and also as a member of the school board, with which he
was connected for a number of years. His record is indeed commendable, for he came
to the new world empty-handed and through his own efforts has won prosperity, now
owning two hundred and eighty acres of Howard county's most valuable land.

F. G. HARNOSS.

F. G. Harnoss is a farmer residing on section 22. New Oregon township, Howard
county, where he owns one hundred and twenty acres of land, constituting one of the
excellent farms of the district. He was born in Germany, August 10, 1873, a son of
Frederick and Rosie (Mikush) Harnoss. He came to this country with his grandfather
and an aunt in the summer of 1883, when a lad of but ten years, and thus for thirty-six
years has resided on this side of the Atlantic. In the fall of the same year his parent.s
came to the new world. They made their way direct to Iowa and settled in Fayette
county.

F. G. Harnoss was educated in the public schools while spending his youthful days
under the parental roof. His father continued to carry on farming and was thus en-
gaged at the time of his death, which occurred September 17, 1915. For four years he
had survived his wife, who died August 24, 1911.

F. G. Harnoss was reared to the occupation of farming, which he has followed as a
life work, and there is no phase of progressive agricultural life with which he is not
familiar. For seven years he has resided upon the place which is now his home and
he has here one hundred and twenty acres of land, which he has carefully and systemati-
cally cultivated and which annually returns to him a gratifying income upon his invest-
ment.

On the 14th of February. 1895, Mr. Harnoss was united in marriage to Miss Marie
Hagge, a daughter of Christ and Minnie (Raymond) Hagge, both of whom were natives of
(Jermany. Mr. and Mrs. Harnoss have become parents of four children, three of whom are
living, but their first born, a son, Louis J., died February 16, 1917. The other children
are: Alfred W., Dorothy L. and Raymond C.

192 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Mr. Harness served on the school board in Fayette county before his removal to
Howard county. In politics he is a republican but has never been a politician in the
sense of office seeking, preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his busi-
ness affairs. He and his family attend the German Lutheran church in Cresco. His
v^orth as a man and a citizen is widely recognized, for he has led a life of Industry and
perseverance — qualities which have constituted the foundation of his growing prosperity.

W. W. CRAY.

W. W. Ci'ay is the president of the Farmers Bank at Chester, Iowa, and has
made for himself an enviable position in financial circles by reason of the pro-
gressiveness, tempered by a safe conservatism, that he has manifested in the con-
duct of the bank. He is one of Howard county's native sons, having been born on
a farm a mile and a half south of the present town site of Chester on the 13th of
May, 1860, his parents being Joseph and Matilda (Coombs) Cray, of whom extended
mention is made in connection with the sketch of their son John on another page of
this work.

W. W. Cray was reared upon the home farm and was educated in the district
schools. Soon after reaching his majority he bought a farm of his own, on which
he resided, and continued to cultivate that tract until 1913, when he removed
to Chester. The following year he founded the Farmers Bank, which he has since
successfully conducted, and through the intervening period has gradually developed
its business, securing for it a constantly increasing clientele that is at once indi-
cative of the progressiveness and reliability of his business management and the
confidence reposed in him by the general public. As the years have passed he has
made extensive and judicious investments in real estate and has heavy land holdings
in Howard county. In fact he is one of the county's most substantial business men.

Mr. Cray was married to Miss Elizabeth Bullis, of Chester township, Howard
county, and to them have been born two children: Joseph B., who is cashier of
the Exchange State Bank of Lime Springs; and Winfield, who is with the army of
occupation in Germany.

In politics Mr. Cray is a democrat and keeps well informed on the questions
and issues of the day, but never seeks nor desires office. His wife is a member of
the Methodist Episcopal church, and they occupy a very enviable social position,
the hospitality of the best homes of Chester being most cordially extended them,
while in all matters of public concern Mr. Cray's position is one of leadership.

MICHAEL L. BARNES.

Michael L. Barnes, a farmer residing in Schley, Paris township, Howard county,
was born February 2, 1875, in the county which is still his home, his parents being
Sylvester and Catherine (Ferrie) Barnes, who were natives of the state of New York.
The father was born February 22, 1840, and came to Howard county in his boyhood
days with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. James Barnes, who settled in Vernon Springs
township, being among the earliest of the pioneers of this section of the state. At the
outbreak of the Civil war Sylvester Barnes joined the Union army and served through-
out that memorable struggle. He married Catherine Ferrie, who had come to Howard
county with her parents in her girlhood days, they, too, being among the early resi-
dents of the county, settling in New Oregon township. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes were
married in Vernon Springs, December 25, 1862, and their later years were spent in
Howard and Chickasaw counties. Mr. Barnes purchased the farm which his son
Michael now owns and also established a country store. He likewise founded the town
of Schley and for several years served as its postmaster. He was one of the well known
and highly esteemed men of his community and his death, which occurred April 9,

W. W. CRAY

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 195

1912, was the occasion of deep and widespread regret. His widow survives and makes
her home with a son in Cresco.

Michael L. Barnes was educated in the district schools of Howard and Chickasaw
counties and spent his youthful days under the parental roof. In 1901 he was married
to Miss Verona Novak, a daughter of Thomas Novak, one of the early settlers of How-
ard county, now living retired in Cresco. In 1900 Mr. Barnes began farming on his own
account on rented land and was thus engaged for five years, during which time he
carefully saved his earnings, and in 1905 purchased the old homestead farm at Schley,
which is regarded as one of the best farm properties in Howard county.

Mr. and Mrs. Barnes have become the parents of eleven children, ten of whom are
yet living, namely: Harry J., Cornelius M., Inez H., Winifred M., Kenneth G., Ed-
mund T., Deloras T., Celesta E., Georgenia S. and Cyriac D. Virgil V., the eighth in
order of birth, is deceased.

The family are communicants of the Catholic church, and Mr. Barnes is a member
of the Catholic Order of Foresters. He also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of Am-
erica and in politics is a republican. His entire life has been passed in Howard
county, and he has carried forward the work of development and improvement which
was begun by his father and which has connected the name of Barnes with the up-
building of the county from pioneer times.

THOMAS KAKAC.

Thomas Kakac is conducting a general merchandise establishment at Saratoga
and the large line of goods which he carries signifies the liberal trade accorded him.
He was born in Moravia, Austria, July 17, 1863, a son of Thomas and Anna (Popelka)
Kakac, who in the year 1868 bade adieu to friends and native country and with their
family sailed for the United States. They made their way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
where they took up their abode, and the father followed cabinet making in that city for
a year. He then removed with his family to Chicago following the Chicago fire and
Mr. Kakac worked at the cabinet maker's trade and afterward at cigar making until
1873, when the family home was established at Ely, Iowa. There Mr. Kakac resumed
work at the carpenter's trade, which he followed until 1875, when he turned from in-
dustrial to agricultural pursuits and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land
in Saratoga township, after which he bent his energies to the development and im-
provement of his farm. The mother of Thomas Kakac of this review died in 1897 and
in 1898 the father married again and is now living at Haugen, Wisconsin, having
reached the age of eighty-one years.

Thomas Kakac accompanied his parents to the new world and was with them on
their various removals. He continued under the parental roof until 1878 and after-
ward went to Chicago, where he attended the public schools and then returned home,
again taken up his abode upon the farm in Saratoga township in 1880. In 1881 the
father rented the farm for five years and took his family to Chicago, where he engaged
in carpentering, and there the son Thomas became active in the real estate business,
in which he remained for six years.

While in Chicago, Mr. Kakac was married July 21, 1887, and not long after he and
his wife, together with his parents, returned to the home farm in Saratoga township,
Howard county. A year and a half was devoted by Mr. Kakac to general agricultural
pursuits, at the end of which time he returned to Chicago with his wife and there be-
came engaged in the insurance business, to which he devoted another period of a year
and a half. Once more he came to Howard county and in connection with his brother
John established a general store on the farm, conducting the business there for six
months. Subsequently they bought cut the business of C. W. Fields at Saratoga and
for a year conducted the store. Later they erected the present store building which
they now occupy. The brothers continued the partnership until 1906, when they di
vided their interests, Thomas Kakac remaining as owner of the store, while John Kakac
took the farm as his share of the property. Tliomas Kakac is now enjoying a liberal

196 CHICKASAW AXD HOWARD COUNTIES

and gratifying trade, his annual sales bringing to him a substantial profit. He is also
a stockholder in the Farmers Cooperative Creamery Company of Saratoga.

Mr. Kakac was married in Chicago, as previously stated, to Miss Mary Fischer,
whose parents have passed away. By her marriage she has become the mother of
five children: Anna Rose, who is the wife of Fred Vagts; Elsie Mae, the wife of
trank Wallace; Thomas John, who was with the Twentieth Infantry Headquarters Band
as a member of the American army but is now at home; Mildred B., who is now a nurse
in the Michael Reese Hospital at Chicago; and Mae Julia, who is attending high school
at Cresco.

Mr. Kakac filled the oflSce of justice of the peace for eighteen years in Saratoga
township, continuing in that position until 1911. He had been postmaster of Saratoga
since 1906. His political endorsement has always been given to the republican party,
for he is a firm believer in its principles. Both he and his wife attend the Presbyterian
church of Saratoga and are highly esteemed throughout the community in which they
reside. For twenty years Mr. Kakac has been a faithful member of the Masonic fra-
ternity, belonging now to Relief Lodge, No. 211, A. F. & A. M., at Riceville, Iowa, while
his wife is a member of the Eastern Star. Mr. Kakac is also connected with the Mod-
ern Woodmen camp at Saratoga and has been clerk thereof since 1906. He likewise
belongs to the Modern Brotherhood of America at Mason City, Iowa, and has been
treasurer of the local lodge since 1913. He is likewise a member of the C. B. Z. J., a
Bohemian secret organization of Cedar Rapids, with which he became connected in
1914. His interests are thus broad and varied. He is a forceful and resourceful man,
displaying ready adaptability and keen discrimination in business affairs and at all
times standing for the welfare, benefit and progress of the community in which he
makes his home.

F. P. WENTZ.

F. P. Wentz is a representative of the automobile trade of northern Iowa as the head
of the Wesp Motor Company of New Hampton, agents of the Buick. the Cadillac and the
Chevrolet cars. Iowa numbers him among her native sons, his birth having occurred in
Winneshiek county, March 9, 1872, his parents being William and Anna M. (Dietrich)
Wentz, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, where they were reared, while their
marriage occurred in that state in 1866. Three years later they made their way west-
ward to Calmar, Iowa, and settled upon a farm near the town. Later the father engaged
in the butchering business in Calmar and in 1891 he removed to a farm near New Hamp-
ton, whereon he continued to engage in general agricultural pursuits until 1906. He
then retired from active business cares and took up his abode in the city of New Hamp-
ton, where he resided to the time of his death in 1910. His widow survived him for
almost a decade, passing away on the 23d of January, 1919.

F. P. Wentz was educated in the parochial and public schools of Calmar and Ossian,
Iowa, and remained at home until he reached his twenty-fifth year, when he rented land
and began farming on his own account. He cultivated leased land for seven years and
in 1902 removed to New Hampton to accept a position with the firm of Wesp & Gray,
dealers in agricultural implements. Six months later he resigned this position to en-
gage in building and land speculation and has since been prominently identified with
business of that character. In 1913 he also entered the automobile field, organizing the
firm of Wentz & Rosaner. but in 1917 he sold his automobile interests. A year later,
however, he bought a half interest in the business of A. H. Wesp, organizing the Wesp
Motor Company, one of the leading business houses of New Hampton. They handle the
Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet cars and sell a large number annually. Their business
has now reached very substantial proportions and their success is due to their thorough
understanding of the cars which they handle, their enterprising methods and reliable
dealings.

On the 28th of January, 1902. Mr. Wentz was united in marriage to Miss Estella
Emiessy, of New Hampton township, Chickasaw county, and they have become parents

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 197

of four children: Orville and Raymond, both of whom are high school students; Luella,
who is still in the grades; and Merle.

In politics Mr. Wentz maintains an independent course, but his interest in com-
munity affairs is deep and sincere and is manifest in many tangible ways. He served
for one year as secretary of the Commercial Club of New Hampton. Fraternally he is
connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, with the American Yeomen and the
Knights of Columbus and he and his family are members of St. Joseph's Catholic church.
Starting out in life without any special advantages, he has steadily worked his way up-
ward, for he early recognized that there is always room at the top and he resolved not
lo be one of the laggers in life. He has brooked no obstacle that could be overcome by
determined and persistent labor, and while there have been no spectacular phases in his
career, the sterling worth of his character and the reliability of his business methods have
commanded for him the respect, confidence and good will of all.

EWING L. BRADLEY.

Ewing L. Bradley, who is engaged in the undertaking business in Cresco, was born
near Hopkins, Missouri, June 23, 1880. His father, Alonzo S. Bradley, was a native of
Illinois, born in Monmouth, and at the place of his birth he remained until ten years
of age, when his parents removed with their family to Siaih, Iowa, where the grand-
father traded a wagon for eighty acres of land. He then began the development of that
tract, which was entirely wild and unimproved when it came into his possession, and
throughout his remaining days he resided thereon. Following his demise his widow
removed to Bedford, Iowa, where she lived with her daughter, with whom she remained
until death called her to the home beyond. Their son, Alonzo S. Bradley, was reared
on the old homestead in Iowa, where he continued until his marriage, after which he
started out in farming on his own account on rented land, his first home being a log
cabin. He occupied that place for four years and then with his earnings purchased a
farm west of his former place, comprising eighty acres, which he owned and cultivated
for eight years. He next sold that property and bought one hundred and twenty acres
about two miles west and concentrated his efforts and attention upon its further culti-
vation, while to the farm he added many modern improvements. Upon that place he
continued for four years and later established his home on a tract of one hundred and
sixty acres one-half mile east of Siam. This, he continued to further develop and improve
until 1900, when he sold his land and took up his abode at Gravity, Iowa, retiring from
active business cares. Both he and his wife have reached the age of fifty-nine years.
They are consistent members of the Christian church and Mr. Bradley gives his political
allegiance to the democratic party. He is now enjoying the fruits of his former toil and
his perseverance and energy have been the salient features in winning for him a com-
petence that now enables him to rest from further labor.

Ewing L. Bradley spent his boyhood days upon his father's farm in the vicinity of
Siam, pursuing his early education in its public schools, while his preliminary training
was afterward supplemented by study in the normal school at Bedford, Iowa, which he
attended during the summer months. He afterward took up the profession of teaching,
which he followed for six years in his old home, and for two years he taught school at,
Gravity. On the expiration of that period he settled at Lenox, Iowa, where he taught
for a year, and then, thinking to find a broader and more profitable field of labor along
commercial lines, he turned his attention to the furniture trade and to undertaking in
Lenox. For five and a half years he was connected with business interests at that place
and in 1914 came to Cresco, where he entered the employ of the Meverden Furniture &
Undertaking Company, with which he continued for three years. He then established
business on his own account and now has a well appointed store and undertaking parlors.
He practices the most scientific methods in the care of the dead and has a liberal patron-
age in that connection.

In 1901 Mr. Bradley was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth "Wheeler, a daughter
of Elisha and Ellen (Torrance) Wheeler. She was born in Siam, Iowa, and by her mar-
riage has become the mother of four children, Cecyle, Norman, Luella and Lester.

198 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Mr. Bradley votes with the democratic party, which he has supported since age con-
ferred upon him the right of franchise, and he is anxious for its success because of his
hrm belief in the efficacy of its principles as factors in good government. He belong to
the Masonic fraternity, the I. O. O. F., Woodmen of the World, the Modern Woodmen
and the Christian church, associations which indicate much of the nature of his inter-
ebts and the rules that govern his conduct. His fellow townsmen speak of him in terms
of high regard and he has many warm friends in Cresco and throughout Howard county.

J. P. ROTHS.

J. P. Roths, who follows farming on section 15, Chickasaw township, in Chickasaw
county, was born in Illinois, October 4, 1880, his parents being Mathias and Katherine
(Trappen) Roths, of whom more extended mention is made on another page of this
work in connection with the sketch of Theodore Roths, brother of our subject. In his
youthful days J. P. Roths was a pupil in the district schools of Jo Daviess county, Illi-
nois, and when twelve years of age he removed with his parents to Iowa and assisted
his father in farm work until he reached the age of twenty-three. He was then married
to Miss Minnie Pitz, a daughter of Mrs. Amelia Pitz, the wedding being celebrated Feb-
ruary 12, 1904. Her father died in Chickasaw township a number of years ago, but the
mother is still living and now makes her home in Ionia. To Mr. and Mrs. Roths have
been born the following children: Alfred, Irene, Carrie, Missela, Arthur and Carolina.

Subsequent to his marriage Mr. Roths settled upon a farm in Deerfield township,
v/hich he rented for six years. On the expiration of that period he came to his present
home place, purchasing the farm which he now owns and which comprises one hundred
and thirty acres of land. He has since lived upon this property and his labors have
wrought a marked transformation in its appearance and value. He has carefully tilled
his fields and his efforts have been rewarded with a measure of success that places him
among the well-to-do farmers of the county.

During the period of the great World war Mr. Roths' son Alfred served in the army
from September 5, 1918. until January 16, 1919, being with the Second Infantry of the
Nineteenth Division. He was in training at Camp Dodge when the armistice was signed.
Mr. Roths has never been an office seeker nor has he sought to figure prominently in
public life, preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs,
whereby he has provided a comfortable living for his family.

A. G. WILKES.

A. G. Wilkes, who on the 27th of January, 1910, departed this life, was identified
with the pioneer development of the west and for many years was numbered among the
highly respected citizens of Howard county. He devoted considerable time to general
farming and stock raising, and his diligence and perseverance were the elements of
growing success. He was born in Chautauqua county. New York, May 4, 1861, a son of
John and Henrietta (Starks) Wilkes, who were also natives of the Empire state. They
removed westward with their family when their son, A. G. Wilkes, was a youth of
seventeen years and the father purchased a farm upon which they resided throughout the
remainder of their days and which is now occupied by Mrs. A. G. Wilkes Year after
year the father carried on the farm work and his labors wrought a marked transforma-
tion in the appearance of the place, which he converted into a valuable farm property.
He was thus busily engaged to the time of his demise, which occurred in 1891. His
widow survived him for about two decades, passing away in 1911.

A. G. Wilkes obtained his education in the district schools of his native county and
after the removal of his parents to Iowa he assisted his father in clearing the land and
developing the home property, being thus engaged for about a year. He then began

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 199

work in the pineries of Wisconsin, where he was employed for five years, and on the
expiration of that period he was married and in connection with his brother took up
carpentering, which he followed until 1889. In that year he returned to farm life and
about 1894 bought his father's old homestead place and lived thereon to the time of his
death. His first purchase made him the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land
north of Riceville and at the time of his demise he was the owner of three hundred and
sixty acres of excellent farm land in Mitchell and Howard counties, including the thirty
acres in Riceville, upon which the old homestead of the family still stands. After
removing to the old home farm in 1894 he devoted his attention largely to the buying
and selling of stock and became one of the prominent live stock dealers of this section of
the state. He won very substantial success in the conduct of that business and was thus
able to leave his family in comfortable financial circumstances.

On the 3d of June, 1884, Mr. Wilkes was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Smith
and they became the parents of eight children: Mrs. Gertrude Mae Sivalia, Mrs. Flor-
ence Genevieve Herdman, Mrs. Blanche Aileen Blandin, Robert John, Mrs. Amy Violet
Mahaffey, Joseph Adelbert. Frederick Mason and Caroline Mary.

The family are adherents of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Wilkes' political
endorsement was given to the democratic party and for nine years he served as a mem-
ber of the school board of Riceville and was always deeply interested in everything that
tended to uplift the individual and upbuild the community. His support was always
given on the side of progress and improvement, and his labors were far-reaching and
resultant. In addition to developing his farm he was a stockholder in the electric plant
of Riceville and at all times was recognized as a man of good business judgment whose
labors were an element in the material development of his section of the state. To his
family he was a devoted husband and father, and to those who knew him a faithful
friend. He had many excellent traits of character, and his life was filled with the
'"many little unremembered acts of kindness and of love."

WILLIAM. J. MERRICK.

William J. Merrick is engaged in the development and improvement of a farm of
two hundred acres situated on section 29, Howard township, and has gained recog-
nition as one of the representative agriculturists of northern Iowa. He was born in
Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, July 26, 1874, and is a son of Barney and
Catherine Merrick, who were natives of Germany. The father came to the United
States when but seven years of age and both of his parents died while they were on
the voyage to the new world. The little son made his way to Burlington, Wisconsin,
and thrown upon his own resources at this tender age, worked as best he could to
provide for his own support. When about twenty-five years of age he joined the Union
army and participated in the Civil war, acting as a teamster in hauling provisions.
While various difficulties and obstacles beset his path, he nevertheless made progress in
a business way and when about thirty years of age bought a farm in connection with
three other men. They drew straws for their shares of the land and cleared the place
and built their log houses thereon. Mr. Merrick became owner of eighty acres of the
tract and to his original possessions he added as his financial resources increased until
he had acquired two hundred and forty acres. He placed all of the improvements
upon the property and resided thereon until about sixty years of age, when he retired
from active business life and removed to Alta Vista, renting his farm to his sons.
At one time he filled the office of road supervisor. He deserved much credit for what
he accomplished, as he started out in life with a great handicap. Such a record should
serve to encourage and inspire others, showing what may be accomplished when there
is a will to dare and to do.

William J. Merrick was reared upon the old homestead farm and was early trained
to the practical work of the fields. He was thus well acquainted with the best meth-
ods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops when his father left the old homestead
and gave the farm over to the management of his sons. For a time he rented land

200 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

and then came to his present place, which is situated on section 29, Howard township.
He is today busily engaged in the cultivation of two hundred acres of arable land
and the results of his labors are seen in the splendid crops which he annually gathers.

On the 27th of October, 1904, Mr. Merrick was united in marriage to Miss Josephine
Gardener, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Gardener, of Howard county, who were
esr^y >^ettlers and farmers there. Mr. and Mrs. Merrick have become parents of six
children: Mildred, Leon, Victor, Florence, Frances and Clarence, all of whom are liv-
ing upon the home farm with their parents.

In his political views Mr. Merrick is a democrat and he closely studies the ques-
tions and issues of the day. For three years he has filled the office of township trustee
and aside from his public duties and farming interests is a stockholder in the Farmers'
Lumber Company of Alta Vista and one of its directors. The religious faith of Mr.
Merrick and his family is that of the Catholic church and they are connected with the
parish at Elma.

V^ILLIAM W. MILES.

William W. Miles is an honored citizen of Howard county, where for many
years he followed farming but is now living retired, although still owning a place
of one hundred and sixty acres on section 18, Saratoga township. He was born in
Ripley county, Indiana, March 10, 1837, a son of Jesse and Martha (Beckert)
Miles. The father left Indiana when the son was but four years of age and settled
in Janesville, Wisconsin, but never came to Iowa, remaining a resident of Wis-
consin until his death.

William W. Miles acquired his early education in the public schools of Wisconsin
and also attended a commercial college at Madison, that state, being there graduated.
He was likewise for a time a student in the academy at Milton, Rock county, Wis-
consin, and liberal educational advantages thus qualified him for life's practical
and responsible duties.

In October, 1862, Mr. Miles was married to Miss Jennie Arnold and in the
same year they came to Saratoga township, casting in their lot among the earliest
settlers of Howard county. Six children have been born to them, namely: Jess,
Fred, Harry, Alfred, Bert and John. All are married and reside in Saratoga town-
ship with the exception of Harry, who lives in Jamestown. Fred, who is now de-
ceased, was for a number of years principal of the West Concord high school, at
West Concord, Minnesota.

In politics Mr. Miles has ever been a stalwart republican and in every relation
of life he has displayed qualities which have commanded for him the respect and
confidence of those who know him.

PETER JOHNSON.

When Chickasaw county was in a wild and undeveloped region Peter Johnson took
up his abode within its borders and now follows farming on section 27, Jacksonville
township. He was born in Norway, January 25, 1844, and is a son of John and Julia
(Peterson) Johnson, who came to the United States in 1847, when their son Peter was
but three years of age. They settled in Dane county, Wisconsin, where the father pur-
chased a farm of eighty acres and built thereon a log cabin in the midst of the forest.
He at once proceeded to clear away the timber and developed his fields, and as time
passed on he purchased other land and became the owner of two hundred and forty acres,
constituting one of the excellent farms of that district. There he and his wife resided
until called to their final rest, the death of Mr. Johnson occurring when he was about
ninety years of age, while his wife reached the very advanced age of ninety-two years

Peter Johnson was educated in the primitive country schools of that early period

WILLIAM W. MILES

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SONS OF WILLIAM W. MILES

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 203

and remained upon the home farm until October 1, 1864, when at the age of twenty
years he enlisted in response to the call of his adopted country for military aid. He
became a member of Company B, Fifteenth Wisconsin Regiment, which was wholly
composed of Norwegians. The command went south and served under Sherman, tak-
ing part in the celebrated march from Atlanta to the sea. Mr. Johnson received his
discharge April 1, 1865, and returned to his home in Wisconsin, where he spent the
succeeding four years. In December, 1869, he removed to Chickasaw county, Iowa,
driving through with team and wagon. He was accompanied by his brother Tollif
and together they purchased two hundred and forty acres of land, upon which Mr.
Johnson now resides. In June of the following year he was married and the brother
was married in October of the same year. A division of their landed interests was
then made, Peter Johnson taking one hundred and twenty acres, which forms a part
of his present home farm that now comprises one hundred and sixty-five acres. He
has lived continuously upon this farifi for a half century and probably uot another
settler in Jacksonville township has remained for so extended a period upon one farm.

On the 24th of June, 1870, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Martha At-
tleson, a daughter of Attle Attleson, who came to Chickasaw county from Dane county,
Wisconsin, in 1862. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have become the parents of twelve chil-
dren nine of whom survive, namely: John, who operates the home farm; Edward, an
agriculturist of Jacksonville township; Peter a lumber dealer residing at Willow City,
North Dakota; Gilbert, who served in the European war and is now assistant cashier of
a banking institution at Humboldt, Iowa; Grover, who also served with the American
forces in the great World war; Sarah, who is the wife of Martin Johnson, of Dane
county, Wisconsin; Martha, the wife of Carl Offerdahl, of Mount Horeb, Wisconsin;
Anna, who resides in Madison, Wisconsin; and Hattie, at home.

In his political views Mr. Johnson is a democrat and for four terms he filled the
ofiice of township assessor of Jacksonville township. He was also for several terms a
member of the township board of trustees and for a number of years served on the
school board. He and his family are members of the Lutheran church and are people
of genuine worth, their many sterling traits of character winning for them warm
regard. Mr. Johnson certainly deserves much credit for what he has accomplished, as
his success has come to him as the direct reward of earnest labor. Not only is he the
owner of a valuable farm property but is also a stockholder in the Jerico Creamery
Association. Long residence in Jacksonville township has brought him a wide ac-
quaintance and he is now numbered among her prosperous and valued citizens.

ALBERT HOVORKA.

Albert Hovorka, who is engaged in farming in Howard county, his home being on
section 29, New Oregon township, is of Bohemian birth. His natal day was December
18, 1863, and his parents were John and Anna (Rajzner) Hovorka, who came to the
United States about eight years after the emigration of their son Albert to the new
world. They at once made their way westward to Iowa, settling in Paris township,
Howard county, and for many years the father was engaged in farming but eventually
retired from active business life and took up his abode in Protivin, where he passed
away in 1912. His widow is still living and makes her home with her daughter, Mrs.
James Berka, who is living in Winneshiek county.

Albert Hovorka was reared upon the old homestead until his nineteenth year and
was educated in the public schools of his native country, mastering the branches of
learning that usually constitute the public school curriculum. In 1882 he came to the
United States, attracted by the opportunities offered in the new world. He made his
way at once to Protivin, Howard county, where he began work as a farm hand, and
for six years he was thus employed for wages, during which time the highest salary
he received was twenty dollars per month. Out of this sum he managed to save more
than eight hundred dollars and he then made investment in eighty acres of farm land
in Paris township, paying one-half down and having enough money left to buy a team

204 CHICKASAW AXD HOWARD COUNTIES

of horses, harness and a wagon. With characteristic energy he then began the develop-
ment of this property, which he continued to cultivate until 1912, when he sold the
farm and bought his present home place of one hundred and sixty-six acres. Through
the intervening period he has carried on its further development and improvement
and his place is now most fertile and productive.

In 1889 Mr. Hovorka was united in marriage to Miss Mary Marovitz, of Paris
township, Howard county, and to them have been born six children: Anna, the wife
of Henry Novak, a farmer residing on section 6, New Oregon township, Howard county;
Lizzie, the wife of Albert Cisar, who follows farming in Chickasaw county; and Aloise,
Celia, Clara and Edward, all yet at home.

In addition to his home property Mr. Hovorka owned another farm of one hundred
and sixty-two and a half acres, situated in Center township. Howard county, which he
purchased in 1917 and sold in 1919. His landed possessions are the visible evidence of
his life of well directed energy and thrift, showing what can be accomplished through
determination and industry. In politics Mr. Hovorka is a democrat, keenly interested
in the success of the party, yet has never been an office seeker. His religious faith
is that of the Catholic church. He is regarded as one of the leading citizens of New
Oregon township. He has never regretted his determination to come to America, for
here he has found the business opportunities which he sought and in their employment
has laid the foundation of a very substantial fortune. He is now classed with the rep-
resentative and prosperous farmers of Howard county and his success is attributable
entirely to his individual effort.

EDWIN A. CHURCH.

For a quarter of a century Edwin A. Church has been an active member of the bar.
practicing since 1904 in Cresco. He is a native son of Howard county and his profes-
sional record stands in contradistinction to the old adage that a prophet is never with-
out honor save in his own country, for in the community in which he was reared Edwin
A. Church has made for himself a most creditable name and position. He was born in
New Oregon township, April 20, 1867, a son of Gains H. and Adeline R. (Gillette)
Church, both of whom were born in South Bainbridge, now Afton, Chenango county,
New York, and they were married while still residents of that state. The father in
early life went to California but later returned to New York, and then, removing west-
ward, settled in New Oregon township, Howard county, Iowa, where he took up land
from the government. His were the usual experiences of pioneer life. He built a log
cabin and the family faced many hardships and privations while they were making a
start in the new country but the years wrought a change in their condition as a result
of their persistent labors and for twenty-five years Mr. Church cultivated and improved
his farm, which he transformed into a valuable property. He afterward sold his origi-
nal claim and purchased another farm of eighty acres near Cresco. This he continued
to further develop and improve for some time but ultimately retired from active busi-
ness cares and took up his abode in Cresco, where he spent his remaining days in the
enjoyment of a well earned rest. He died in 1903 at the age of seventy-three years,
while his wife passed away in 1914, at the age of seventy-eight years. They were both
consistent members of the Congregational church and people of the highest respecta-
bility, who enjoyed the warm regard, confidence and goodwill of those with whom they
came in contact.

Edwin A. Church spent his boyhood days upon the old home farm near Cresco
and pursued his education in the public schools, being graduated from the high school
of Cresco with the class of 1889. He determined upon a professional career and with
that end in view went to Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he entered the State University,
Ihere pursuing a law course. He there completed his studies in 1892 and in the spring
entered upon the practice of his profession at Albert Lea, Minnesota, where he re-
mained for about eleven years. In 1904 he returned to Cresco, where he opened an
ofl&ce and has since followed his profession. He prepares his cases with great thorough-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 205

ness and care and is seldom if ever at fault in the application of legal principles. He
is strong in argument, logical in his deductions and careful in his analysis and, pos-
sessing the requisite qualities for success at the bar, has won a most creditable position
among the lawyers of Howard county.

In 1895 Mr. Church was united in marriage to Miss Bernice B. Chapman, a daugh-
ter of A. C. and Tina (Squires) Chapman. Her father was a lumberman of Two Rivers,
Minnesota, and it was there that Mrs. Church was born. By her marriage she has be-
come the mother of six children: Donald H., who died in his sixteenth year; Gordon
C. and Edwin H., both of whom are now members of the Thirty-eighth Aerial Squadron
of the United States army and are in training at Rantoul, Illinois, having been sta-
tioned at Camp Chanute; Edwin H. has been made a sergeant (first class) and has
charge of the supply department there. The other children of the family are Bruce,
George H. and Robert C, all at home.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Congregational church and fraternally
Mr. Church is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He and his wife
occupy an enviable position in social circles, enjoying the goodwill and kindly regard
of all who know them, while his professional brethren speak of him in terms of con-
fidence and of admiration. That his has been a well spent life is, moreover, indicated
in the fact that many of his stanchest friends are those who have known him from his
boyhood to the present time.

W. N. WESP.

The story of successful endeavor in the life record of W. N. Wesp should serve to
inspire and encourage the man who thoughtfully regards the work of other individu-
als. It shows what can be achieved through personal effort when guided by sound
judgment and characterized by resolute purpose. Year after year Mr. Wesp carried on
farming and promoted business interests and prospered in all that he undertook. His
activities, too, were of a character that contributed to the welfare and progress of the
community at large and at length, having become possessed of a handsome compe-
tence, he put aside business cares and is now enjoying a well deserved rest. His horns
is at New Hampton.

W. N. Wesp was born in the province of Ontario, Canada, March 9, 1856, and is a
son of Frederick J. and Mary (Davis) Wesp, the former a native of Germany, whence
he went with his parents to Canada when a lad of but six years. The mother was of
Welsh parentage but was born in North America. Throughout his active life Frederick
J. Wesp followed the occupation of farming. He crossed the border into the United
States about 1858 or 1859, becoming a resident of New York. Subsequently he removed
to Wisconsin and in 1869 drove across the country to Iowa with team and covered wagon,
establishing his home in Chickasaw county, where he purchased two hundred acres of
land situated four and a half miles south and two miles east of New Hampton. On
this farm he continued to reside until called to the home beyond, his widow surviving
him about six years.

W. N. Wesp was educated in the common schools, but his opportunities of attend-
ing school were somewhat limited after he reached his thirteenth year. He was, how-
ever, a diligent reader and a close observer of men and events and in these ways he ac-
quired a thorough practical education and became a well informed man of sound judg-
ment and of keen discrimination. In 1878 he was united in marriage to Miss Helen
Fuller and the same year began farming upon rented land. He had previously been
working with a threshing outfit during the threshing season and after his marriage he
continued in the same line of work in connection with the development of his farm.

In 1879 Mr. Wesp removed to Nebraska and for two years was engaged in farming
on his own account as a renter in that state. During the first year, however, crops
were a complete failure, but the second year he raised a crop and made good. He then
entered the employ of a man at a salary of five hundred dollars per year and furnished
a team of horses. He continued to work in that way for three years and during that

206 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

time he purchased and paid for an eighty-acre farm in Iowa and moreover had enough
money with which to build a residence and a small barn and buy a team of horses, a set
of harness and a wagon. Not long afterward he made investment in a threshing outfit
and in addition to cultivating his own eighty-acre tract he also engaged in farming a
rented tract of one hundred and sixty acres. He likewise operated his threshing ma-
chine every fall and in this way he gradually won success. Year after year he har-
vested good crops and added to his income, bringing his farm under a high state of
cultivation and development. In 1899 he gave up farming and removed to New Hamp-
ton with the intention of retiring from business, but indolence and idleness are utterly
foreign to his nature and after thirty days he was persuaded to work for Grover & Com-
pany in the implement business. Two years later he became a member of the firm of
Shaffer Brothers & Company, successors to Grover & Company, and in the succeeding
years, through the numerous changes in the personnel of the firm, Mr. Wesp continued
with the business and contributed in substantial measure to its growth and success.
In 1914 this business was incorporated under the name of the New Hampton Motor
& Implement Company, but the business was carried on under the firm names of the
Wesp Motor Company and the New Hampton Implement Company. Subsequently there
was a division of the business and Mr. Wesp and Shaffer Brothers acquired the motor
branch of the business, with which Mr. Wesp was identified until March 21, 1918, when
the business was sold to his son, A. H. Wesp, and F. P. Wentz. This is still being con-
ducted by these partners under the firm style of the Wesp Motor Company. Since
that date W. N. Wesp has lived retired, enjoying a well earned rest. It is doubtful if
there is a man in New Hampton who has lived a more active life and his energy and
enterprise have proven the foundation upon which he has built his well merited success.
To Mr. and Mrs. Wesp have been born three children: Arthur H., now of the Wesp
Motor Company; Lottie B., the wife of F. H. Ackley, who cultivates her father's farm;
and Marilla, the wife of F. S. Howard, a railroad man of New Hampton. The parents
are consistent and loyal members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Wesp also
belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America. His political endorsement is given to the
republican party and for four years he served as township assessor but has always
preferred to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business interests. It has
been by reason of this thoroughness and close application that he has made the advance-
ment that has brought him from a humble position in the business world to a place of
prominence and affluence. The methods that he has ever followed will bear the closest
investigation and scrutiny and all who have had business transactions with him speak
of his thorough reliability as well as his progressiveness. A thoughtful consideration of
his career should serve to inspire and encourage others, showing what can be accom-
plished when there is a will to dare and to do. He early realized that the price of suc-
cess is earnest and self-denying effort and he was willing to pay the price in order to
reach the creditable position which he now occupies as one of the substantial and rep-
resentative citizens of Chickasaw county.

EDWARD T. JONES.

One of the successful and substantial citizens of Howard county is Edward T. Jones,
a retired farmer making his home at Lime Springs. He is a native of Wales, his birth
having there occurred on the 17th of March, 1844, his parents being Thomas and Cather-
ine (Jones) Jones, who spent their entire lives in their native country. Both lived to
an advanced age, the father being eighty-four years of age at the time of his death,
while the mother was ninety-seven years of age.

Edward T. Jones was reared in Wales and acquired his education in that country,
but his opportunities in that direction were limited, as he had no chance to continue
his studies after he had reached his eleventh year. His father conducted a large farm
there and Mr. Jones preferred working on the farm to attending school. At length he
determined to try his fortune in the new world and in 1867 crossed the Atlantic, land-
ing in New York city in June of that year. He did not tarry on the eastern coast, how-

I

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 207

ever, but made his way at once westward to Columbia county, Wisconsin, where for
three years he was employed at farm labor. In March, 1870, he came to Howard county,
Iowa, and in that summer rented a farm three miles from Lime Springs. In the fol-
lowing fall he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 16, Albion
township, and thereby laid the corner stone of his later success. He purchased this
farm for twenty-one hundred* dollars and five years later sold the property for forty-five
hundred dollars. He then bought three hundred and twenty acres on section 28, How-
ard Center township, and remained upon that place for seven years, but his labors were
not attended with success during that period, so he turned the farm back to the party
from whom he had originally bought it. His father-in-law then gave Mrs. Jones forty
acres with a good residence and Mr. Jones purchased of his father-in-law an eighty-acre
tract adjoining. Subsequently he added to this until the farm comprised three hun-
dred and twenty-one acres and he is still the owner of the property, which is located on
section 20, Albion township. He continued not only to further develop and improve but
also to occupy that farm for twenty-seven years, on the expiration of which period he
removed to Lime Springs in October, 1908. Through the intervening period he has
made his home in the town and is accounted one of its valued and substantial citizens.

On the 14th of November, 1871, Mr. Jones was married to Miss Elizabeth Jones, a
daughter of Richard Jones, a native of Wales, who came to the United States with his
parents as a boy of nine years. He became a resident of Howard county, Iowa, in
1871, having previously purchased land here. To Mr. and Mrs. Jones have been born
three children: Richard E., who resides at home; Thomas E., a member of the faculty of
the University of Wisconsin at Madison, who was appointed a captain in the National
army, serving as staff officer; and Owen G., who is operating the home farm.

Mr. Jones is a republican in his political views and gives stalwart support to the
men and measures of the party. Both he and his wife are members of the Welsh
church and guide their lives according to its teachings. Both are highly esteemed
throughout Howard county and their circle of friends is almost coextensive with the
circle of their acquaintance.

C. J. GARMEN.

C. J. Garmen, cashier of the First State Bank of Elma, was born in New Hampton,
Chickasaw county. June 24, 1882, a son of John E. Garmen, the present mayor of New
Hampton, where he is also engaged in the hardware business and where he is regarded
as one of the foremost residents of the city.

In the acquirement of his education C. J. Garmen passed through consecutive grades
to the New Hampton high school, from which he was graduated with the class of 1901.
He subsequently entered the State Agricultural College at Ames, in which he remained
for two years, and after the completion of his studies he turned his attention to the
banking business, receiving his initial training along that line as assistant cashier in the
Bank of Elma, now the First State Bank, in which he is serving at the present time as
cashier. A year following his entrance into the business he went to Mclntire, Iowa,
where he was made cashier of the Aetna Savings Bank, in which capacity he continued
for three years. The Bank of Elma having been reorganized and incorporated in 1905
as the First State Savings Bank, Mr. Garmen returned to Elma for the purpose of becom-
ing cashier of the institution and at once assumed charge of its financial policy. He is a
courteous and obliging official and the business of the bank has continually increased
under his direction. Since he assumed the cashiership its deposits have been constantly
augmented, increasing from forty thousand to four hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Gar-
men is thoroughly familiar with every phase of the banking business and his close
application, his progressiveness, tempered by safe conservatism, and his sound judg-
ment have constituted the salient features in the continued growth of the banking busi-
ness.

In 1909 Mr. Garmen was married to Miss Claire Church, a daughter of F. W. Church,
one of the early pioneers of Howard county and one of the well known citizens of Elma.

208 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Mr. Garmen is a member of Maple Leaf Lodge, No. 508, A. F. & A. M., also of Adelphia
Chapter, R. A. M., and his wife is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. They are
most loyal to the teachings of these organizations and in the social circles of the city
they occupy an enviable position, while warm regard is entertained for them by all who
know them.

THOMAS H. JONES.

Thomas H. Jones, manager of the Alliance Mercantile Association of Cresco,
and a leading figure in the business circles of Howard county, was born in Cambria,
Wisconsin, on the 17th of August, 1869. His father, Richard Jones, was a native
of the north of Wales and was but eight years of age when he left that little rock-
ribbed country and came to America with his parents, who settled near Utica, New
York, where he was reared to the occupation of farming, to which he turned his
attention on reaching young manhood. The family followed farming in the Empire
state for a number of years and afterward removed to Wisconsin, settling near
Portage, where the grandfather of Thomas H. Jones took up government land.
The district in which he settled was wild and undeveloped but with characteristic
energy he began the cultivation of his farm and his labors soon wrought a marked
change in the appearance of the place. He built a log cabin upon his land and
the family met many hardships and privations while attempting to reclaim the
wild district for the purposes of civilization. Both he and his wife died upon that
farm. , As his age and strength Increased Richard Jones assisted more and more
largely in the work of the farm and spent some time thereon after attaining his
majority, but later removed to Albion township, Howard county, Iowa, which
was also a frontier district, and he cast in his lot with the pioneer settlers of this
part of the state. That the work of improvement had been carried forward to only
a very slight degree is indicated in the fact that much of the land was still in pos-
session of the government. He bought a farm which had a log cabin upon it, be-
ginning life in this locality in true pioneer style, but he afterward made substan-
tial improvements upon the place. For several years he devoted his attention to
the cultivation of the farm and later removed to Forest City township, where he
also purchased land and carried on agricultural pursuits, bringing his farm under
a high state of cultivation. His attention was given to its further development
throughout his remaining days. He passed away in 1900 at the age of eighty-four,
while his wife survived until 1902. His political allegiance was given to the re-
publican party and both were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal
church, guiding their lives according to its teachings.

Thomas H. Jones spent his boyhood days upon the home farm in Howard
county and pursued his education in the public schools of Cresco and in the high
school of Minneapolis. Through the periods of vacation, or during his boyhood, he
assisted in the farm work and after his text-books were put aside he continued
to aid in the further development of the home place until after his father's death,
when he left the farm and removed to Cresco to become a clerk with the Alliance
Mercantile Association. He filled a clerical position until 1906, when he was
advanced to the position of manager, and has since acted in that capacity. He is
thoroughly familiar with every phase of the business and has made a most excellent
record. Purchases are most carefully made and the sales bring to the establish-
ment a substantial financial return, for his business methods are always straight-
forward and honorable, and thus a liberal patronage has been secured. In addition
to his connection with the Alliance Mercantile Association, Mr. Jones has farming
interests which are most carefully and wisely directed. The store of which he is
now manager is one out of thousands to make good in this line, showing him to
be a man of excellent business ability and keen discernment.

In 1904 Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss Grace Webster, a daughter
of William and Mary Ann Webster. Mrs. Jones was born in Winneshiek county,

THOMAS H. JONES

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 211

Iowa, where her father was extensively engaged in farming. Both of her parents
were natives of the north of Ireland and came to the United States in early life,
while at a subsequent period they took up their abode in Winneshiek county, Iowa.
To Mr. and Mrs. Jones have been born three children, Paul W., Faith and Keith.
Mr. Jones votes with the republican party, which he has supported since age
conferred upon him the right of franchise. He is a Mason of high rank, having
attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite, belonging to the Knight
Templar Commandary and Mystic Shrine at Cedar Rapids, and he also has mem-
bership with the Modern Woodmen of America. The principles which govern his
conduct are further indicated in the fact that he has membership in the Methodist
Episcopal church and at all times has guided his life according to its teachings.
Any course that he pursues must measure up to high standards of manhood and
citizenship and his record is one which has commanded for him the good will and
confidence of those with whom business, social or political relations have brought
him in contact.

C. V. JOHNSON.

C. V. Johnson, who is carrying on general agricultural pursuits in Vernon township.
Howard county, his home being on section 2, was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa,
about three miles east of his present home, on the 31st of December, 1861. He is a son
of James and Harriet (Smith) Johnson, the former a native of Boston, Massachusetts,
and the latter of Marengo. Illinois. The father was reared in Boston and there as a
young man he engaged in the draying business and later came westward to Illinois,
where he engaged in farming near Marengo. In 1854 he left that state and came to Iowa,
settling in Winneshiek county, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of
land, comprising what is now known as the Headington farm, one of the best in Winne-
shiek county. He afterward sold that property and bought what is now the L, R. Brown
farm of three hundred and sixty acres, also one of the fine farms of Winneshiek county.
Believing that the country would never be settled, he afterward sold the property and
bought an eighty acre farm in a ravine near a spring. Upon that farm he continued to
spend his remaining days. He brought with him to Iowa quite a sum of money and
much of it he loaned to other pioneers without security in order to enable them to buy
wheat. In this way he lost quite a little of his fortune, as the loans were never repaid.
One of his sons brought into the county one of the first buggies seen in this section of
the state, but it was too frail a structure for the father to ride in, so he claimed. He
always refused to get into the buggy, saying it looked more to him like a spider web
than a vehicle in which to ride. He died in 1863, the mother surviving him for several
years and passing away when she was sixty-eight years of age.

C. V. Johnson of this review attended the district schools and also Cresoo schools
and on reaching early manhood he took up the occupation of farming the old homestead,
on which he remained for a year. He then went to Cresco and for two years worked in
a clothing store but was advised by a physician to obtain outside employment as indoor
work was proving detrimental to his health. He then began buying scrap iron and was
engaged in that business for a year, during which time his health was greatly improved.
He then turned his attention to the restaurant business in Cresco and was identified
therewith for three years, following which time he engaged in the grain and feed busi-
ness for about two years. While thus identified he bought the first full carload of flour
ever shipped into Cresco. Subsequently he engaged in the insurance business, with which
ho was identified for sixteen years, representing the Continental Company of New York
and also the Hawkeye Company of Des Moines, Iowa. During those years he wrote more
farm insurance than any other cue agent in this section of the state. When S. A. Con-
verse organized the Howard County Farmers Mutual Insurance Company Mr. Johnson
withdrew from the insurance business and about 1891 purchased his present home farm
of one hundred and sixty acres. In the intervening period he has given his attention to
general agricultural pursuits and now has a highly developed property, equipped with

212 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

modern conveniences and constituting one of the attractive farms of his section of the
state.

On the 15th of September, 1886, Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Justina Norton, a
daughter of Justice B. Norton, one of the pioneer residents of Howard county. To Mr.
and Mrs. Johnson have been born five sons and a daughter: Justice J., a graduate of
Cedar Rapids Business College and a resident farmer of Albion township; Walter L.,
now engaged in farming in Albion township; Lowell V., who has jusf returned from
service in France; Gladys, a graduate of the Cresco high school and now a teacher in
the schools of Winneshiek county; and Aubrey A., who was graduated from the Cresco
high school and is at home. In 1917 at a stock grading contest at Des Moines he came
within two points of receiving the highest score and was given a scholarship of one and
a half years. The youngest of the family is Donald H., also under the parental roof.

In his political views Mr. Johnson is a republican and is a member of the present
board of township trustees and also secretary of the school board. He is keenly inter-
ested in affairs of public moment and gives his support and allegiance to any cause which
he believes to be of benefit to the community at large. He and his family are members
of the Methodist church and his life has ever been guided by high and honorable prin-
ciples, making him a man whom to know is to esteem and respect.

PETER H. PETERS.

Peter H. Peters is devoting his attention to farming on section 23, Saratoga town-
ship, where he has one hundred acres of good land, and his success in his chosen life
work has given him classification with the representative farmers of Howard county.
He was born in Germany June 13, 1867, a son of Peter and Christine (Wackman) Peters.
Loth of whom have now passed away, the former having died April 10, 1899, while the
mother survived until March 22, 1902.

Peter H. Peters was reared in his native country and pursued his education in the
public schools there, but when eighteen years of age he determined to establish his
home and try his fortune in America, having heard favorable reports concerning the
opportunities of this land. Crossing the Atlantic, he made his way direct to Cresco,
Iowa, and became one of the first settlers of Howard county. After working out by the
month as a farm hand for about twelve years he purchased eighty acres of land in
Jamestown township and after the death of his father he made investment in his pres-
ent home farm, which is situated in Saratoga township.

On the 13th of January, 1894, Mr. Peters was united in marriage to Miss Frances
Pokorny, a daughter of Vincent and Frances Pokorny, of Austria. Mr. and Mrs. Peters
are rearing an adopted son and also have four children of their own, as follows:
Bertha, Charlie, Christine and Mary. The two eldest are now attending school.

Mr. Peters and his family attend the German Lutheran church as Davis Corners
and his political allegiance is given to the democratic party, but he has never sought
or desired office. He is a stockholder in the farmers' creamery at Saratoga and aside
from this he has given his entire thought and energies to his farm work, which, care-
fully managed and directed, has brought to him substantial success.

A. F. KEMMAN,

A. F. Kemman, a civil engineer of New Hampton, was born in La Grange, Illinois,
April 29, 1858, his parents being Henry and Louise (Buchholz) Kemman, both of whom
were natives of Hanover, Germany. The mother came to the United States in her child-
hood days with her parents. The father first came to the United States as a youth of
eighteen years, making the trip to the new world on a sailing vessel, and on the way
across he made himself generally useful aboard ship. After landing in New York city
he failed to find any employment and a few days later, seeing the captain of the vessel

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 213

on which he had crossed, he asked him for a job. He was accepted and for the succeeding
nine years followed a seafaring life, touching all of the ports on the Atlantic and Indian
oceans. About 1851, however, he left the sea and took up his abode in the United States,
making his way to Chicago, where he worked for a Mr. Dickey, who owned an eighty-
acre farm adjoining La Grange, for which he had paid only three dollars and a half per
acre. Subsequently Mr. Kemman bought eighty acres of Michigan and Illinois canal
land for five dollars per acre, adjoining Mr. Dickey's place, and settled thereon, making
it his home for a quarter of a century. He afterward bought another eighty-acre tract in
the same section, which is now owned by his sons. Upon the old homestead farm which
he there developed and improved the father continued to reside until his death, in 1883,
and became recognized as one of the representative agriculturists of that district.

A. F. Kemman was educated in the district schools and at the La Grange town
schools, while later he pursued a course in the Metropolitan Business College of Chicago
and in the Illinois State Normal University at Normal, Illinois. Still later he attended
the University of Illinois but prior to entering upon his university course taught school
for three years. He did not thoroughly enjoy professional work of that character, how-
ever, and fitted himself for civil engineering by his university course. On the 27th of
June, 1882, he came to Iowa, settling on a farm in New Hampton township, Chickasaw
county, and for twelve years devoted his time and energies to general agricultural pur-
suits. This farm, which comprises two hundred and twenty-six acres of rich and pro-
ductive land pleasantly and conveniently situated two miles east of New Hampton, has
been recently sold. In the fall of 1893. however, he took up his abode in the city of New
Hampton in order to give his children the advantages of the public schools here. In 1909
he was appointed county surveyor, which office he held until the position was abolished
by legislative enactment. He was then made county engineer and afterward county
highway engineer, serving in the three offices from 1909 until 1916. He also served for
a number of years as city engineer of New Hampton. Since 1916 he has been engaged in
the private practice of his profession and is regarded as one of the capable and eminently
successful civil engineers of this part of the state. He thoroughly understands every
practical phase of the business and its scientific features as well and is now accorded a
large clientage.

On the 8th of July, 1883, Mr. Kemman was united in marriage to Miss Louise Schert.
of Cook county, Illinois, and they have become the parents of five children, of whom four
are yet living: Martha, who is a stenographer in the employ of M. E. Geiser, an attorney
of New Hampton; Arthur S., who is serving as a lieutenant in the United States army
and is now at the navy yard, Bremerton, Washington; Alvin R., in the State Bank of New
Hampton; and Elva, a stenographer in the University of Minnesota. Both of the sono
served in the World war,

Mr. Kemman is a democrat in his political views and for twenty-four years was a
member of the New Hampton school board. The cause of education has ever found ia
him a stalwart champion and he puts forth every effort to advance the interests of the
schools and promote educational standards. He belongs to Lancelot Lodge. No. 183, K.
P., to the Brotherhood of American Yeomen and the Modern Woodmen of America. He
and his family are members of the Lutheran church and occupy an enviable social posi-
tion, the hospitality of the best homes of New Hampton and this section of the state being
cordially extended them. Mr. Kemman has ever been actuated by laudable determina-
tion and purpose. While content with what he has accomplished as he has gone along,
he has nevertheless been actuated by that ambition that has ever prompted him to take
a forward step and he has thus broadened the scope of his activity and usefulness.

L. R. WILLIAMS.

L. R. Williams, a resident farmer of Howard county, living on section 13, Forest City
township, has spent his entire life in this locality and has therefore for more than four
decades been a witness of its growth and development. He was born August 25. 1875,
in the township where he still lives, his parents being William R. and Winifred (Wil-

214 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

liamsj Williams, both of whom were natives of Wales. The father came to the United
States when a youth of eighteen years and the mother was brought to the new world
vvhen but two years of age by her parents, who settled in Wisconsin. For a number of
years William R. Williams remained a resident of the east, working in the slate quarries
of Vermont, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Thinking, however, that he might have still
better business opportunities in the Mississippi valley, he made his way westward to
Wisconsin and it was in that state that he was married. About 1868 or 1870 he came
to Howard county, Iowa, taking up his abode upon a farm in Forest City township,
having in the previous year purchased the land. With characteristic energy he bent his
efforts to the development and improvement of the place, which he successfully culti-
vated until July, 1903. when he met an accidental death, being killed by lightning while
plowing corn. His widow survives and now makes her home in Lime Springs

L. R. Williams was educated in the common schools and in the Decorah Institute,
in which he pursued a normal course during two winter seasons. He then returned
home and became an active assistant in the work of the farm, upon which he remained
until the time of his marriage. On the 20th of November, 1901, he wedded Miss Jennie
Jones, a daughter of William 0. Jones, one of the early settlers of Forest City township,
who had come to Iowa from Wales.

Following his marriage Mr. Williams took up the occupation of farming independ-
ently, renting the Thomas Jones place in Forest City township for four years. He then
removed to his present home farm, which he cultivated as a renter for five years, and in
the fall of 1910 he purchased the place, comprising one hundred and sixty acres of rich
and fertile land. He has put many improvements upon the farm and it is now splendidly
equipped, while the highly cultivated fields yield to him golden harvests. An air of
neatness and thrift pervades the place and indicates the careful supervision of a prac-
tical and progressive owner.

Mr. and Mrs. Williams have become parents of three children, Blodwen E., Harlan
and Earl, all at home. The parents are members of the Calvinistic Methodist church,
and in politics Mr. Williams is a republican. He stands loyally by any cause or principle
which he espouses and his position on any vital question is never an equivocal one. He
is indeed a self-made man — one who by earnest effort has worked his way upward, and
each forward step has brought him a broader outlook and wider opportunities.

EDWARD T. SMITH.

Edward T. Smith, who follows farming on section 32, Utica township, Chickasaw
county, was born June 1, 1858, a half mile west and a quarter of a mile south of his
present home. His parents were Thomas and Rose (Galligan) Smith, the former a
native of Massachusetts, while the latter was born in Ireland. With their removal west-
v/ard in 1858 they first settled on section 5, Utica township, Chickasaw county, where the
father purchased forty acres of land, for which he paid two and a half dollars per acre.
He at once began the development and improvement of the property and continued to
reside upon that place until his death, which occurred in the spring of 1912. He
had long survived his wife, who died on the old homestead farm in 1872. They were
worthy citizens and highly respected people of their community, and in his business
career Mr. Smith had demonstrated what may be accomplished through individual effort
and ability. Coming to the west without capital, he worked his way steadily upward
and was the owner of a valuable farm of two hundred and eighty acres.

The common schools of Utica township afforded Edward T. Smith his educational
opportunities. Having arrived at adult age. he was married in 1891 to Miss Margaret
Masterson, a daughter of Patrick and Margaret Masterson, who came from Ireland in
1870 and established their home in Jacksonville township, Chickasaw county. They
afterward removed to Utica township and were numbered among its worthy farming
people to the time of their demise. In this section of the state they reared their daugh-
ter, Mrs. Smith, who by her marriage has become the mother of five living children:
Eva M., Joseph H., Lucile, Margaret and Charles.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 215

Mr. Smith through the period of his early manhood and until the time of his marriage
assisted his father in the development of the home farm and then built upon his present
place, which he has since occupied. The father purchased the farm ten years prior to
his death and Edward Smith bought the land from his father, becoming the owner of two
hundred acres, which he is now successfully cultivating. He raises the cereals best
adapted to soil and climate, and his methods are most progressive, bringing him excel-
lent results. He is also a stockholder in the Farmers Equity Association of Lawler, a
stockholder in the Farmers Elevator Company of Lawler, and in the Farmers Coopera-
tive Creamery Company of that place. His business interests thus cover a wide scope
and, carefully managed, have brought to him very gratifying results.

Mr. Smith and his family are members of the Reilly Ridge Catholic church. His
fellow townsmen, recognizing his worth and ability, have frequently called upon him for
public service and for six years he filled the office of township assessor, for four years
was township clerk, for six years township trustee and for four years one of the school
directors of his district. He also served on the Liberty Loan committees during the war
with Germany and did splendid work in that connection. He stood loyally in defense of
American interests at every point and of every measure affecting the welfare of the
country in its relation with its allies and in support of her splendid soldiers on the fields
of France.

DR. EDWIN C. FORTIN.

Dr. Edwin C. Fortin, a chiropractor of Cresco, who has built up his business to
extensive and gratifying proportions, was born in Spink county, South Dakota, on the
30th of September, 1885, a son of Peter and Cordelia (Brosseau) Fortin. His boyhood
days were passed in his native state and he there acquired his early education, passing
through consecutive grades, and in 1904 entered the Illinois College of Osteopathy at
Chicago, from which he was graduated with the class of 1906. He afterward pursued
a course of medicine in the Harvey Medical College of Chicago and later went to Colo-
rado Springs, where he practiced for five years. Subsequently he traveled through
Central and North and South America, doing research work in medicine and osteo-
pathy, and in October, 1916, he took up the study of chiropractic in Palmer School of
Chiropractic of Davenport, Iowa, from which he was graduated in 1915. Following his
graduation he practiced for six months in Peoria, Illinois, ancl in September, 1916, came
to Cresco, where he has since been located. He is president of the Iowa State Chiro-
practors Association and also president of the Northeastern Iowa Chiropractors Asso-
ciation. He has a very extensive business which he is well qualified to handle. He is
thoroughly conversant with the component parts of the human body and the onslaughts
made upon them by disease. He has studied most broadly having an intimate knowl-
edge of osteopathy, the science of medicine, as well as the science to which he is now
directing his energies, and his marked ability is shown in the splendid success which is
crowning his labors.

THOMAS CHYLE.

Thomas Chyle, filling the office of postmaster at Protivin, was born in New Oregon
township, Howard county, on the 9th of December, 1867, a son of Frank and Mary Chyle,
who were natives of Bohemia, where they were reared, educated and married. In the '50s
they came to the United States and for a year or two were residents of Dubuque, Iowa,
after which they continued their westward journey to Howard county and settled in
New Oregon township, where they were among the first of the pioneers. In that town-
ship they continued to reside until called to their final rest, the father passing away in
1891 after surviving the mother for more than a decade, her death having occurred in
1880.

216 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Thomas Chyle of this review spent the period of his boyhood and youth in his par-
ents' home in Howard county and was educated in the district schools. On attaining
his majority he began hauling cream for the Protivin Creamery and also took the product
of the creamery to the shipping point at Cresco. To this work he gave his attention for
a number of years and subsequently took up the occupation of carpentering. Many of
the residences of the surrounding country, also various barns and sheds stand as a mon-
ument to his skill and handiwork. For a few years he was connected with merchandis-
ing in Protivin and in 1898 he was appointed postmaster of the town, in which position
he has served continuously for twenty-one years. No higher testimonial of his ability,
fidelity and trustworthiness could be given than the fact that he has so long been retained
in this position under both democratic and republican administrations.

In 1888 Mr. Chyle was united in marriage to Miss Mary Sobolik, a native of Bo-
hemia, who came to the United States as a child of three and a half years in company
with her parents, who settled in New Oregon township, Howard county. Mr. and Mrs.
Chyle have become parents of tour children: Frank H., a musician in the navy on the
Cruiser Dixie; Charles J., of Cedar Rapids, who is with the Warfield-Pratt-Howell Com-
pany, a wholesale grocery concern; Mary H., the wife of Frank S. Andera, of Protivin;
and William W., with the Stepanek & Vondracek Hardware Company of Cedar Rapids.

In politics Mr. Chyle has maintained an independent course, voting for men and
measures rather than for party. He and his wife are members of the Catholic church and
he has a membership with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Z. C. B. J., a Bo-
hemian secret society. He is one of the esteemed citizens of Protivin, very widely and
favorably known. His record as a public official is indeed above reproach and all who
know him speak of his unfaltering perseverance and his untiring devotion to duty.

ANDREW J. NYE.

The attractiveness of Iowa as a place of residence is indicated by the fact that
many of her native sons have remained within her borders, recognizing the fact
that opportunities are here equal to those that can be found in other sections of the
country. Among the native sons of the state now living in Howard county is
Andrew J. Nye, who was born on the 29th of August, 1876, and who now makes his
home on section 8, Afton township. He is a son of Jeremiah M. and Phoebe Nye.
The mother was born in Neillsville, Clark county, Wisconsin. The father was born
in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, and in early life left his native state to
become a resident of Wisconsin. He followed farming there for a number of years
and then removed to Iowa, where his remaining days were passed. He first pur-
chased eighty acres of land and thereon began farming. Later, however, he dis-
posed of that property and bought another farm, situated four miles west of the
present home of his family. Eventually he disposed of that place and removed to
what is now the homestead of the Nye family, comprising two hundred and seventy-
six acres of rich and productive land situated on section 8, Afton township. He
gave his attention to the further development and improvement of this property
until his life's labors were ended in death on the 28th of March, 1907. He had at
that time made his home upon the farm for thirteen years, having taken up his
abode there on the 29th of February, 1894. He was regarded as one of the sub-
stantial and progressive citizens of his community.

Andrew J. Nye spent his youthful days under the parental roof and at the usual
age became a pupil in the district schools, there qualifying for life's practical and
responsible duties. His youth was divided between the work of the schoolroom,
the pleasures of the playground and the tasks assigned him by parental authority.
His training at farm labor was thorough and as he grew in age he more and more
largely assumed responsibilities in connection with the further development of the
home farm. Since his father's death he has had entire charge of the place and
is living thereon with his sister, Miss Clara E. Nye, who acts as his housekeeper.
Various improvements have been added to the farm since the Nye family took

ANDREW J. NYE AND FAMILY

Vol. 11—14

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 219

possession thereof and the place presents a neat and thrifty appearance, indicating
the careful supervision and the practical and progressive methods of the owner.
In politics Mr. Nye is a non-partisan, voting according to the dictates of his judg-
ment with little regard for party ties. He has never sought or desired political
preferment, his attention being always concentrated upon his business affairs, which
have been carefully conducted and have brought to him substantial success.

HENRY F. LENTH.

Henry F. Lenth, actively engaged in general agricultural pursuits, his home being
on section 4, Jamestown township, in Howard county, was born May 28, 1873, in Clay-
ton county, Iowa, a son of Joe Lenth who for many years resided in Clayton county,
where the father followed farming practically throughout his entire business life.

In his schooldays Henry F. Lenth mastered the branches of learning taught in the
common schools near the home farm and when not busy with his textbooks worked
upon the farm with his father until he reached his majority. He then left home and
secured a position as clerk in a store in Monona, Clayton county, where he remained
for about six years. He then removed to Howard county and for almost a quarter of a
century has lived upon the home farm on section 4, Jamestown township. He has been
actuated by industry, perseverance, diligence and thrift. As the years have passed he
steadily and systematically developed his farm and is widely known as an extensive
breeder of Duroc-Jersey hogs and shorthorn cattle, specializing in these breeds for the
last twenty years. He has a very valuable farm and all of the improvements were
placed thereon by Mr. Lenth, who is actuated in all that he does by a progressive spirit
and is quick to adopt any new or improved methods that facilitate the farm work and
his stock raising interests. He is likewise a member of the Cooperative Shippers of
Riceville.

On the 25th of November, 1897, Mr. Lenth was married to Miss Mary Blaha, a
daughter of Frank and Mary Blaha, of Clayton county, Iowa, where they followed
farming. Mr. and Mrs. Lenth have three children, Carl, Lee and Grace, all of whom
are yet under the parental roof.

In the cause of education Mr. Lenth has always been deeply interested and for
four years served as school director, while about six years ago he filled the office of
township trustee. His political allegiance "is given to the republican party. Frater-
nally he is connected with the Modern Brotherhood of America and also with the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows and he and his family attend the Methodist church of
Riceville. High and honorable principles have ever found expression in his life and all
who know him speak of him in terms of warm regard. He certainly deserves much
credit for what he has accomplished in a business way as he started out in life with
out financial assistance and step ty step has ad^■anced until he is now numbered among
the leading farmers and stock raisers of Howard county.

JOHN G. ASHLEY.

The farm upon which John G. Ashley was born March 13, 1857, is on the same sec-
tion of land on which he now resides — section 29, Deerfield township, Chickasaw county.
His father, Joshua C. Ashley, was a native of Deerfield, Massachusetts, born March 18,
1818, and there he was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Smith, who was born in Book-
field, Vermont, January 12, 1814. They continued residents of New England until 1854
and then sought the opportunities of the growing west, making their way to Iowa in
company with his brother, Thomas Ashley, and other Deerfield families. Arriving at
their destination, they took upon their abode in Deerfield township, Chickasaw county,
where Joshua C. Ashley purchased one hundred and sixty acres of government land, for
which he paid the usual price of a dollar and a quarter per acre. The work of devel-

220 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

opment and improvement seemed scarcely begun in this section of the state and the
family shared in the hardships of frontier life. Mr. Ashley continued upon the old
homestead farm and developed it most successfully to the time of his death, which
occurred in 1898. His widow survived him for about fourteen years, passing away in
1912.

John G. Ashley was reared on the old homestead and mastered the branches of
learning taught in the rural schools. When he had reached his majority he went into
the Wisconsin pineries in 1880 and there remained for three years, thus making his
initial step in the business world. In 1883 he returned home and worked with his
father up to the time of his marriage, after which he located on his present farm, hav-
ing previously purchased eighty acres of land soon after his return from the Wiscon-
sin pineries, thus making investment of his savings. Today his farm is an excellent
tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which he has brought to a high state of cultiva-
tion, for he has carefully, systematically and wisely developed his fields. He is a
member of the Beaver Valley Farmers Equity Association of Bassett and is accounted
one of the representative agriculturists and business men of his district.

In April, 1893, Mr. Ashley was united in marriage to Miss Mary F. Ferguson, of
Floyd county, Iowa, who passed away in July, 1911, leaving four children: John E.,
Ralph W., Ray and Lloyd, all of whom are yet with their father.

In his political views Mr. Ashley has always been an earnest republican but has
never sought nor desired office. He is classed with the leading and well known citizens
of Deerfield township, his many friends attesting the sterling worth of his character.

REV. CHARLES B. GOETZINGER.

Rev. Charles B. Goetzinger, pastor of St. Boniface church of Ionia, was born in
Luxemburg, Dubuque county, Iowa, on the 18th of June, 1877, and is a son of Nicholas
and Catherine (Gutenkauf) Goetzinger, both of whom were natives of Greiveldingen
in the grand duchy of Luxemburg. The father came to the United States in 1867 and
took up his abode at Luxemburg, Iowa, becoming the pioneer blacksmith of that place.
He was married in Luxemburg on the 14th of February, 1871, his wife having come
to this country in 1850 with her parents when an infant of but three months. They,
too, settled in Luxemburg, where the daughter was reared to womanhood. By her
marriage she became the mother of eleven children, eight sons and three daughters,
of whom one son and one daughter died in infancy, while the others, seven sons and
two daughters, are still living. Of these, three brothers are proprietors of the exten-
sive wagon manufacturing industry at Dyersville, Iowa, conducted under the name of
the Nic. Goetzinger Sons Company. Two other brothers are engaged in the general
dairy business at Dougherty, Iowa, and the youngest brother, Rev. F. William Goet-
zinger, is a priest, now acting as assistant pastor at St. Lucas, Iowa. The elder daugh-
ter of the family is a sister in St. Francis Convent at La Crosse, Wisconsin, having
charge of the X-ray department, and the younger sister is acting as housekeeper for
her brother, Rev. Charles B. Goetzinger, and is also organist of the parish at Ionia.

Father Goetzinger of this review acquired his classical education in St. Lawrence
College at Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, and pursued his philosophical course at St.
Joseph's College of Dubuque, Iowa, while his theological studies were mastered af St.
Francis Seminary of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On the 22d of June, 1902, he was ordained
to the priesthood by the Rt. Rev. Bishop Eis of Marquette, Michigan, after which he
was given his first charge as assistant at St. Mary's church in Dubuque. Later he was
sent to Lyons and to Clinton, Iowa, as assistant and subsequently was assigned to
missionary work in Oklahoma and Texas, to which he devoted the succeeding ten years.
He then returned to Iowa and was appointed assistant to Father W. Sassen of Peters-
burg, who was in ill health, so that the duties of the parish fell entirely upon Rev.
Goetzinger. On the 26th of May, 1916, the latter was sent to Ionia as pastor of St.
Boniface church, over which congregation he has since presided.

Rev. Goetzinger is not only one of the most popular of the Catholic clergy in

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 221

northern Iowa but also possesses considerable inventive genius and may well be classed
among the skilled craftsmen of this section of the state. He is an electrician, a steam-
fitter, an architect and a decorator, having displayed notable skill along all these
lines. He installed the steam heating plant in his parsonage and church at Ionia, as
well as the electric lighting equipment.

CHARLES G. WALTERS.

Charles G. Walters is a wide-awake and enterprising farmer living on section 32.
Paris township, Howard county. Minnesota numbers him among her native sons,
his birth having occurred at Granger, Fillmore county, February 7, 1867, his parents
being Samuel and Marietta (Rollins) Walters. The father was a native of Pennsyl-
vania and the mother of Canada and they were married in Illinois, after which they
removed to Fillmore county, Minnesota, and in 1883 became residents of Howard county,
Iowa. Here the father purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land and the
farm of Charles G. Walters constitutes the western half of what was once the father's
property. The latter resided thereon until about 1900, when he retired from active
business and rem'oved to Elma, where he now makes his home.

Charles G. Walters was educated in the district schools of Minnesota and of Iowa
and through the period of his youth aided in the farm work when his attention was
not occupied with the duties of the schoolroom. After his textbooks were put aside
he became the active assistant of his father on the farm and so continued until 1896,
when he took up farming independently, purchasing one hundred and sixty acres of
the old homestead. He has since been active in the further development and improve-
ment of this place and his labors are manifest in the highly cultivated fields and in
the rich harvests which are annually gathered.

In 1901 Mr. Walters was married to Miss Nora Norton, a daughter of Barclay
Norton, one of the pioneer settlers of Paris township, Howard county, who is still
living on his old homestead farm. Mr. and Mrs. Walters have had two children:
Charles J., yet living; and Mary, who died in infancy. The parents are members of
the Catholic church. In politics Mr. Walters is a republican but has never been an
aspirant for public office, as his time and energies have been wholly given to his
business affairs, which are bringing him merited prosperity.

JAMES J. SMITH.

James J. Smith, who for many years was identified with farming interests in
Howard county, was born March 29, 1864, near Watertown, Wisconsin, and spent his
last days in Iowa, where he passed away September 28, 1913. He came to Howard
county with his parents when but six years of age and remained upon the old home-
stead farm of the Smith family until he purchased the farm property that is now
occupied by his widow. His education was acquired in the public schools and he
worked in the fields through the summer months and after his school days were ended.
On the 14th of January, 1892, he -was united in marriage to Miss Anna Heller, of
Howard county, a daughter of Mrs. Johanna Heller, mentioned elsewhere in this work.

Following his marriage Mr. Smith bent every energy to the development and im-
provement of his home place and the splendid appearance of the farm is due to his
labors and enterprise. He carefully tilled his fields, rotating his crops so as to keep
his land in good condition, and as the years passed he gathered excellent harvests.
He belonged to the Modern Woodmen of America and was always loyal to the teach-
ings and purposes of that organization.

To Mr. and Mrs. Smith were born four children: Harry B., William E., James
J. and Esther M. The son Harry was a member of Company I, One Hundred and
Nineteenth Infantry, of the Thirtieth Division, and saw overseas service for a year.

222 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

The children are all living at home, the sons assisting in the work of the home farm
and relieving their mother of much of the labor incident to its management and
further development. The family circle was broken by the hand of death when on
the 28th of September, 1913, the husband and father was called to his final rest, leav-
ing a widow and four children to mourn his loss. His death was also the occasion
of deep regret to many friends, for he was held in high esteem by all who knew him.
Mrs. Smith still occupies the home farm, which is pleasantly situated on section 14,
Afton township, and she and her family are widely and favorably known in this sec-
tion of the state.

JOSEPH E. MALEK.

Joseph E. Malek is living on section 17, New Oregon township, Howard county,
where he is engaged in farming. It was in this township that he was born on the 19th
of March, 1882. His father, Joseph Malek, and his mother, Mrs. Sophronia Malek, were
natives of Bohemia. The former came to the United States when about thirteen years
ot age in company with his parents and settled in Winneshiek county, where the family
took up the occupation of farming. The father of Joseph E. Malek, however, left the
farm at the age of fourteen years and went to Cleveland, Ohio, where he turned his at-
tention to the tailoring trade, remaining in that city for two years. He then returned
to Winneshiek county and was employed at farm labor in that locality until he was
twenty-eight years of age, when he married. After working for three years he became
the owner of eighty acres of his present farm, which was then undeveloped and unim-
proved. He placed all of the improvements upon the property and brought his fields
under a high state of cultivation. His father retired about ten years ago and removed
to Schley, where he now makes his home, but he still retains title to his farm, which
his son now rents from him.

It was on the 4th of June, 1907, that Joseph E. Malek was married to Miss Barbara
Pecka. a daughter of Wenzel and Mary Pecka, the former a farmer of Winneshiek
county. Mr. and Mrs. Malek have become the parents of five children: Ralph, Clarence,
Evelyn, Louise and Helen, all of whom are upon the home farm with their father and
mother and are being educated in the public schools of New Oregon township.

Joseph E. Malek is also indebted to the public school system of Howard county for
the educational privileges he enjoyed and during his later life he has learned many
valuable lessons in the school of experience. He is interested in all that pertains to
the public welfare and has served as school director for three years. He has member-
ship with the Modern Woodmen of America, having been identified with that order for
about four years. His political faith is that of the democratic party and in religious
belief he is a Catholic, his membership being in the church at Protivin. He has been a
very active worker in support of the Red Cross and Liberty Loan drives and is one
hundred per cent American in all that pertains to the welfare and development of the
county, the commonwealth and the country.

JOSEPH KOUDELKA.

Joseph Koudelka, a farmer living on section 14, Utica township, Chickasaw county,
was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, March 25, 1881. His parents, John and Catherine
(Fencl) Koudelka are mentioned elsewhere in this work in connection with the sketch
of their son, Anton Koudelka.

Joseph Koudelka, after acquiring a district school education, worked upon the
home farm to the time of his marriage and gained practical and valuable knowledge
concerning the best methods of tilling the fields and caring for the crops. On the
11th of June, 1907, he wedded Miss Anna Praska, a daughter of John Praska, one of

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 223

the early settlers of Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, who is now living retired
at New Hampton.

Following his marriage Mr. Koudelka settled on his present home farm, his father
having purchased one hundred and seventy acres of this place for him the year prior
to his marriage. In later years Mr. Koudelka has increased his holdings and is now
the owner of two hundred and thirty acres. He is regarded as one of the able farmers
and progressive men of Utica township, his highly cultivated fields bearing testimony
to his diligence and ability. For several years he specialized in the breeding and
raising of thoroughbred shorthorn cattle but sold his stock in 1915 and for three years
thereafter rented his farm, during which period he was engaged in merchandising
at Little Turkey. In the spring of 1918, however, he disposed of the business and the
following fall returned to the farm. In the spring of 1918 a cyclone destroyed all of
the buildings upon his land, but he has replaced them with modern structures and
has one of the best farm residences in Utica township, while barns and outbuildings
are large and substantial, furnishing ample shelter to grain and stock. He and his
brothers have their own threshing outfit and corn shredder and do all their own
threshing. There are five brothers — John, Joseph, Anton, Carl and Frank — and they
are among the biggest farm operators in Utica township and are among its most pro-
gressive citizens. They thoroughly understand the scientific as well as the practical
phases of farming and their progressive methods have resulted in the attainment of
splendid results. In 1907, when Joseph Koudelka took up his abode on his present
home farm, there was an indebtedness of three thousand dollars upon it. He erected
buildings to the cost of six thousand dollars and he paid fifty-five hundred dollars
for more land. He also built the modern brick store building in Little Turkey which
he still owns. After his farm was devastated by the cyclone he replaced his buildings
with better and more modern structures and is today the owner of one of the best
improved farms in his part of the county, practically free from all indebtedness.

To Mr. and Mrs. Koudelka have been born two daughters, Helen and Beatrice.
The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and Mr. Koudelka is
identified also with the Knights of Columbus. In politics he is a democrat and for two
terms he served as a member of the township board of trustees, but he has little
ambition to hold office, preferring that his time, thought and energies shall be placed
upon his business affairs. He has wisely used the opportunities that have come to
him and step by step he has advanced along lines that have made his progress of a
most substantial character.

D. H. THOMAS.

In business circles of Howard county the name of D. H. Thomas, cashier of the
First National Bank of Lime Springs, is well known. He comes to Iowa from the
neighboring state of Minnesota, his birth having occurred in Fillmore county, eight
miles north of Lime Springs, on the 26th of August, 1874, his parents being William
H. and Claudia (Davis) Thomas, the former a native of Wales and the latter of
Nebraska. The father was a plasterer and bricklayer by trade and followed those
pursuits throughout his entire life. He died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, while working
on a contract there in July, 1874. His widow is still living and makes her home in
Lime Springs.

D. H. Thomas of this review was educated in the high school at Spring Valley,
Minnesota, and was graduated with the class of 1894. He then took up the profession
of teaching and through the subsequent five years devoted his time to that work and
to farming. In the fall of 1899 he turned his attention to the banking business, enter-
ing the bank of which he is now the cashier and financial director. It was then a
private bank and his position was that of assistant cashier. In 1902 he was made
cashier of the institution, which in 1903 was incorporated as the First National Bank.
Mr. Thomas has continued to direct the financial policy of the bank, the business of
which has greatly increased under his management. The deposits have grown from

224 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

less than fifty thousand dollars to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars since he
assumed active control and the bank's business has developed in every particular.
The institution most carefully safeguards the interests of depositors and at the same
time follows progressive methods that result in the upbuilding of the business.

In 1906 Mr. Thomas was married to Miss Ida A. Jones, of Bonair, Howard county,
and they have become parents of four children: Theodore, Gwendolyn, Alice and
David H., Jr. In politics Mr. Thomas is a republican and for six years he served as
mayor of Lime Springs. His administration was characterized by a most progressive
policy, resulting largely to the benefit and upbuilding of the city. He was also a
member of the town council for four years and for the past eight years he has served
as chairman of the republican county central committee, doing everything In his
power to promote the growth and insure the success of the republican party because
of his firm belief in the efficacy of its principles as factors in good government. He
belongs to Howard Lodge, No. 214, A. F. & A. M., of Lime Springs, and he and his
wife are consistent and faithful members of the Presbyterian church, guiding their
lives according to its teachings. They are highly esteemed by all who know them
and most of all by those who know them best.

A. E. MARSH.

A. E. Marsh is a hardware dealer of Lime Springs and one of the foremost
business men of Howard county. Moreover, he is numbered among the pioneer
settlers of this section of the state, having for many years not only been a witness
of the growth and progress but also a factor in the continuous development of
northern Iowa. He was born in Elgin, Illinois, October 14, 1845, and is a son of
Melvin M. and Sarah (Mason) Marsh, both of whom were natives of Onondaga
county. New York, where they resided until after their marriage. In 1834 they
removed westward to Illinois, passing through Chicago when there were but seven
houses in the town. Mr. Marsh located on a farm in Kane county, about five miles
from where the city of Elgin now stands. He was a railroad contractor aijd built
the first dam and the first bridge across the Rock river at Rockford. He established
all of the depots and built many of them on the Fox River Valley Railroad and he
also constructed several sections of the road. Subsequently he removed to Mc-
Henry, Illinois, and in 1856 came to Howard county, Iowa, settling on the site of
the old town of Lime Springs, one mile north of the present town. There he pur-
chased the town plat of sixty or eighty acres from D. C. and Joseph Knowlton and
the following year he began the erection of a grist mill, which he completed in the
succeeding year. He was busily engaged in the operation of that mill for eleven
years, meeting with success in the business until 18 69, when he sold the property
and afterward lived retired until death called him to his final home. His political
allegiance was given to the whig party until its dissolution, when he joined the
ranks of the new republican party, of which he was an earnest supporter.

A. E. Marsh was a lad of but eleven years at the time of the removal of the
family to Howard county, where he has since made his home, covering a period
of sixty-two consecutive years. He was educated in the district schools, also in
the Lime Springs Academy and in the Cedar Valley Seminary at Osage, Iowa, before
entering the Upper Iowa University at Fayette. After completing his education
there he bought out a drug business in the old town and was identified with the
trade for fifteen years. He later spent a year in the west as a traveling salesman,
covering North and South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana. In the spring of 1878
he returned to Howard county and decided to engage in farming but was unfortu-
nate enough to take up this work at a time when the state had had two years of
almost complete failure in the wheat crop. He had therefore invested ten thousand
dollars which brought him no return. He next rented the hotel building in the new
town of Lime Springs and conducted the hotel for three years, after which he spent
a year in looking over Kansas and Indian Territory. However, he returned to Lime

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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 227

Springs and engaged in the farm implement business for a period of two years.
He then sold his store and purchased the farm that had been preempted by W. O.
Chesebrough, his half brother, in 1854. During the following eleven years Mr.
Marsh engaged in general agricultural pursuits and this time the venture proved
more profitable, as he produced good crops and brought his land under a high
state of cultivation. In 1897 he traded his farm property for his present hardware
business, which he has since conducted, and he now has one of the well appointed
mercantile establishments of Lime Springs.

In 1873 Mr. Marsh was married to Miss Hattie A. Stalker, of Randolph, Wis-
consin, and to them have been born three children: Lena J., the wife of Anthony
Marshall, of Cresco, Iowa; Eugene S., who is with the New York Central Railroad
as traveling storekeeper, with headquarters at Cleveland, Ohio; and Marvin M.,
who was a commercial salesman and died at Des Moines, Iowa, January 13, 1919.

Mr. Marsh has always maintained an independent course in politics and has
steadily refused political preferment. He belongs to Lime Springs Lodge, No. 214,
A. F. & A. M., and is its oldest representative. He has ever remained a faithful
follower of the craft and is equally loyal in his connection with the Knights of
Pythias. His religious faith is that of the Christian Science church. Howard
county numbers him among its oldest and best known pioneer settlers and with
every phase of the county's development and progress he is thoroughly familiar.

HIRAM H. KNOX.

Hiram H. Knox, deceased, was born in Sheldon, Houston county, Minnesota, Sep-
tember 20. 1871, a son of Hiram and Lovantia E. Knox. The father was born near
Augusta, Maine, while the mother was a native of Massachusetts, and their marriage
was celebrated near Buffalo, New York. The father followed the occupation of farming
as a life work, but in 1849, following the discovery of gold in California, he crossed
the plans to the Pacific coast in order to search for the precious metal there and accumu-
lated a considerable fortune. He afterward retraced his steps as far as Houston, Minne-
sota, where he purchased land and engaged in farming, in loaning money and in the
raising of fast horses. He loaned considerable money to the government during the
Civil war. He was a well known, prominent and representative resident of Houston
county, Minnesota, for many years, there making his home to the time of his death,
which occurred in September, 1906. His wife died November 12, 1918, at Sheldon,
Minnesota. He held membership in the PresDyterian church and its teachings guided
him in all the relations of life. His political support was given to the republican party.

Hiram H Knox spent his boyhood days in and near Houston, Minnesota, and after
acquiring a high school education became a student in Carlton College of Minnesota
and later took up the profession of teaching. He was afterward appointed to the position
oi deputy sheriff of Houston county and served in that capacity for a term, while later
ho spent one year on a farm in Winneshiek county, Iowa. He next became a teller in
the Houston Bank of Houston, Minnesota, and likewise assisted in the conduct of a
farm implement, grain and cattle business that was carried on by the bank. He re-
mained in that connection until his death, which occurred on the 10th of January, 1908,
when he had reached the age of thirty-six years.

On the 11th of December, 1895, Mr. Knox was united in marriage to Miss Clara
Goocher, a daughter of William B. and Mary A. (Bottler) Goocher. Mrs. Knox was born
in Orleans township. Winneshiek county, Iowa. Her father was a native of the province
of Saxony. He was born March 8, 1828, and on the 2d of July, 1848, started for America
as passenger on a United States sailing ship. He took up his abode in Sheboygan.
Wisconsin, and later went to Milwaukee, where he resided until 1849. He afterward
worked on various farms in order to acquaint himself with the English language and
in the spring of 1850 returned to Milwaukee, where he was employed by a stage coach
company. He also carried the mail for four years and later purchased a team and con-
veyed passengers from Dubuque to Decorah, Iowa, making trips to the land office. In

228 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

the fall of 1856 he entered into partnership with J. W. Stiles in the livery business and
was thus connected for three years. On the 7th of October, 1857, Mr. Goocher was
united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Bottler, of Decorah, and in 1859 he removed with
his family to Orleans township, Winneshiek county, Iowa, where he turned his atten-
tion to farming and stock raising. There he carefully tilled the soil and carried on his
business, meeting with substantial success in his undertakings until 1894, when he
built a home about a mile south of the old farm and retired from active business life,
enjoying a rest which he had truly earned and richly deserved. He resided upon that
place until his demise, which occurred on the 27th of January, 1897. To Mr. and Mrs.
Goocher were born four children, Henry W., George B., Alice and Carrie, but the last
named died at the age of three years, and the family circle was again broken by the
hand of death when Mr. Knox passed away in 1897.

He had always given his political support to the republican party and he stood for
progressive citizenship, cooperating in many well defined plans and measures for the
general good. Fraternally he was a Mason and exemplified in his life the beneficent
spirit of the craft. He was always thoroughly reliable as well as progressive in his
business affairs and his carefully directed interests brought to him a substantial meas-
ure of success, so that he was able to leave his family in comfortable financial circum-
tances, and at the same time he left to them the priceless heritage of an untarnished
name.

W. G. SHAFFER.

W. G. Shaffer is president of the Second National Bank of New Hampton and presi-
dent of the Aetna Savings Bank at Mclntire, Iowa. In all of his business career he has
been characterized by thoroughness, delving below the surface of things and mastering
every problem that has confronted him. He has thus made his labors count for the
utmost and his efforts have at all times been guided by a sound judgment that has
readily discriminated between the essential and the non-essential. His success in one
venture has enabled him to extend his efforts and in addition to his connection with the
institutions already named he is president of the First National Bank at Hopkins, Min-
nesota, vice president of the First State Bank of Fredericksburg, Iowa, and half owner
of the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Riceville, Iowa, a private banking institution. He
is likewise a director and stockholder in several other banks and his name carries weight
in financial circles throughout northern Iowa.

Mr. Shaffer was born in Jacksonville township, Chickasaw county, April 26, 1860. a
son of H. H. and Sarah (Albert) Shaffer, both of whom were natives of Butler county,
Pennsylvania, where they were reared and married. Soon afterward they removed west-
ward to Iowa, where they took up their abode early in 1855. H. H. Shaffer had previ-
ously made a trip to Chickasaw county in 1853 and had located land in Jacksonville town-
ship on which he settled with his bride in the spring of 1855. With characteristic energy
he began the development and improvement of his farm and thereon continued to
reside until his death, which occurred on the 23d of November, 1882. He was a man
ot strong purpose who accomplished what he undertook and as the years passed he
acquired extensive land holdings throughout the county. While his school training was
limited, he became through experience, observation and wide reading a well informed
man. He taught school for a number of years both in Pennsylvania and in Iowa and
was also called upon for public service, filling the position of county surveyor of Chicka-
saw county for a number of years. His worth was manifest in many directions and
Chickasaw county numbered him among her most prominent, influential and valued
citizens.

W. G. Shaffer was educated in the public schools of Chickasaw county and also
attended the Breckenridge Institute at Decorah, Iowa. After reaching adult age he
took up agricultural pursuits as a life work and following his father's death took charge
of and operated the home farm. He was thus actively engaged in farming until 1891,
v;hen he left the farm and removed to New Hampton. In February of the following year

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 229

he opened a private bank in New Hampton and this has constituted the nucleus of his
steadily growing banking interests and connections until he is today identified, either
as officer or director, with fourteen different banks in this section of the country.

On the 26th of March, 1885, Mr. Shaffer was married to Miss Izettie Markle, of
Jacksonville township, Chickasaw county, daughter of Lieutenant Frederick Markle, a
veteran of the Civil war, who came to Chickasaw county soon after the close of hostilities
between the north and the south. The mother of Mrs. Shaffer was prior to her mar-
riage Miss Alcena Abbott, a daughter of E. C. Abbott, who was one of the early settlers
of Chickasaw county, where he served for a number of years as a member of the board of
county supervisors. Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer have become parents of eight children, of
whom six are living. Frederick Blaine, a practicing attorney of New Hampton, was
serving as county attorney when war was declared with Germany. He resigned his
office and was specially inducted into the service by General Crowder and ordered to an
officers training camp to qualify for service in the heavy artillery branch of the army.
He married Katherine Parson, of Algona, and has one son. Myrtle E. is the wife of
C. B. Phillips, assistant cashier of the Second National Bank of New Hampton. They
have two children, Dorothy and Geraldine, attending school. Grace M. was educated in
music at Des ]\loines College of Ues Moines. Iowa, and at Oberlin College of Oberlin,
Ohio, and is now teaching that art. Gordon M. became a member of the Second Division
Signal Corps and was on active duty in Germany. He went into action on the 17th of
March, 1918, and was on the front line and active in the German occupation until Sep-
tember, 1919. He received the decoration of the Cross de Guerre from the French for
extraordinary action in several battles, without food and regardless of enemy shell fire.
He received other citations for bravery in action and was mentioned for the Distinguished
Service Cross awarded by the United States government. Lauren C, attending Des
Moines College, completed his military training in the Students' Army Training Corps
in the summer of 1918 and at the time of the signing of the armistice was being trans-
ferred to the Officers' Training Corps. Alice, the youngest of the family, is at home.
All three of the sons, therefore, became connected with the army during the period of the
great European war.

In politics Mr. Shaffer is a republican and served four years as mayor of New
Hampton, while for four years he was a member of the city council. In the campaign of
1918 he ran for congress in the primary in the fourth district, and while he carried his
home county by a large majority, showing his popularity among those by whom he is
best known, he failed of nomination. As mayor he had given to his city a businesslike
and progressive administration that brought about various needed reforms and improve-
ments and maintained a high standard of civic virtue. He and his family are members
of the Baptist church and his connection with banking interests, with public office and
with the intellectual and moral development of the community places him among those
citizens to whom Chickasaw county is largely indebted for her progress and her welfare.

JOHN LUNDAK.

John Lundak, who follows farming on section 18, New Oregon township, Howard
county, was born in Bohemia, June 20, 1864, coming from that land that has furnished
so many substantial and representative citizens to this section of the state. He is a son
of Joseph and Victoria (Hron) Lundak, who came to the United States in 1867. They
did not tarry on the Atlantic coast but at once made their way across the country and
took up their abode in New Oregon township, Howard county, where the father resided
until his death, his demise occurring on the 11th of November, 1918, the day on which
the armistice was signed — a never-to-be-forgotten day in the history of America and the
world. Mr. Lundak was then in his eighty-seventh year. He had for three years sur-
vived his wife, who passed away September 28, 1915.

John Lundak was but three years of age when the family came to the United States.
He was educated in the district schools and spent his youthful days in the usual manner
of the farm-bred boy, who divides his time between the acquirement of an education and

280 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

the work of the fields. In 1889 he was united in marriage to Miss Veronica Humpal, of
Winneshiek county, Iowa, and to them have been born four children: Victoria, now the
wife of Frank Voyna, a resident farmer of New Oregon township; William J., who
joined the Engineering Corps of the American army and was on active duty with the
expeditionary forces in France; and Albert J. and Rudolph, who are at home.

Following his marriage Mr. Lundak took charge of the old homestead farm of the
family and was engaged in its further cultivation and development until 1902, when,
having carefully saved his earnings, he was able to purchase his present home place,
comprising two hundred and thirty acres in New Oregon township. He removed to this
place two years after making the purchase and has since resided thereon. He also owns
eighty acres of land adjoining the old home farm and is operating both tracts. The ol;i
homestead was deeded to his two sons at the time of their grandfather's death. Mr.
Lundak has been a most active and energetic farmer and is regarded as a prominent
representative of the agricultural interests of his section of the State. In politics he is a
democrat and has served as township road boss for several years and also as a member
of the school board for a number of years. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of
America. He is regarded as one of the leading citizens of New Oregon township, where
the greater part of his life has been passed. He has always been active in farming
interests and his progressive spirit has enabled him to overcome obstacles and difficul-
ties in his path and work his way steadily upward. When one avenue of opportunity
has seemed closed he has carved out other paths whereby to reach the desired goal
and his position among the representative farmers of the community is now a most
creditable one.

H. H. THIES.

The agricultural interests of Howard county find a worthy representative in H. H.
Thies. who owns and operates an excellent farm of one hundred and seventy-one acres
on section 23, Afton township. He was born in Germany on the 10th of June, 1860. a
son of Henry and Mary (Tilmann) Thies, who emigrated to the United States in 1869
and took up their abode among the pioneer settlers of Bremer county, Iowa. There the
father devoted his attention to farming and won a well merited measure of success in
his operations, owning at one time about two hundred and fortj acres of land in that
county. His demise, which occurred very suddenly about twenty-one years ago. was the
occasion of deep regret throughout the community in which he made his home. His
widow survived him until eleven years ago.

H. H. Thies, who was a lad of nine years when he accompanied his parents to the
new world, spent the period of his youth in the acquirement of a public school education
and remained at home until twenty-five years of age. He then purchased one hundred
and twenty acres of land in Bremer county, where he successfully carried on general
agricultural pursuits for more than a quarter of a century or until 1911. In that year
he bought his present farm of one hundred and seventy-one acres in Afton towmship.
Howard county, which he has since brought under a high state of cultivation and im-
provement and which insures him a gratifying annual income. He is a stockholder in
the creamery at Elma and enjoys an enviable reputation as one of the substantial and
progressive citizens of the community.

On the 10th of October. 1884. Mr. Thies was united in marriage to Miss Caroline
Frahm, a native of Bremer County, Iowa, and a daughter of August and Sophia Frahm,
who were born in Germany. Both her father and mother have passed away. To Mr.
and Mrs. Thies have been born five children, four of whom still survive, namely: William,
who has recently returned from France, where he served with Company L. Three Hun-
dred and Fifty-second Infantry, Eighty-eighth Division; John, at home; Emma, the wife
of John Crumm, of Elma; and Amanda, who is yet under the parental roof.

in politics Mr. Thies is a republican but has never sougfit or desired office, preferring
to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs. Nevertheless he has
ever been an active supporter of community, state and national interests and during the

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 231

period of the recent great war made large investment in Liberty bonds and also con-
tributed generously to the Red Cross and to the Young Men's Christian Association. He
and his family attend the Lutheran church and the hospitality of the best homes of
the locality is cordially extended them. Mr. Thies has lived in this part of the state
for the past half century and has therefore been a witness of its progress and develop-
ment from pioneer times to the present, while he has also borne his full share in the
work of advancement and upbuilding.

ANTON KOUDELKA.

Anton Koudelka, busily engaged in general farming on section 23, Utica township,
Chickasaw county, was born in the neighboring county of Winneshiek on the 13th of
June, 1881, his parents being John and Catherine (Fencl) Koudelka, both of whom
are natives of Bohemia. The father came to the United States with his parents when
about eighteen years of age and the mother made the trip to the new world with her
parents when about sixteen years of age. Both families settled in Winneshiek county,
A'here John Koudelka and Catherine Fencl w'ere afterward married. They established
their home within the borders of that county and there continued to reside until 1913,
when they left the farm and took up their abode at Little Turkey, where they are now-
living, the father having retired from active business cares. For many years he was
an enterprising and successful farmer, who as the years passed and his financial resources
increased kept adding to his holdings until he had seven hundred acres of land in
Chickasaw county, which he has since divided among his children, enabling them to
gain a good start in life.

Anton Koudelka was a pupil in the district schools during his boyhood days and
when not busy with his textbooks assisted in the development and improvement of the
home farm, aiding his father until he reached his twenty-seventh year. He was united
in marriage in 1908 to Miss Anna Infeld, a daughter of John Infeld, who in pioneer times
became a resident of Winneshiek county and has now passed away. To Mr. and Mrs.
Koudelka has been born one child, James A.

At the time of his marriage Mr. Koudelka received from his father a deed to his
present home farm of one hundred and fifty-nine acres, on which he and his bride took
up their abode. Through the intervening period he has concentrated his efforts and
attention upon the cultivation of his land and today has a highly improved farm prop-
erty. He has been very successful in the management of his business affairs and Utica
township numbers him among her representative citizens. His political views are in
accord with the teachings of the democratic party and his religious faith is that of the
Catholic church. He is interested in all that pertains to public progress or has to do with
the benefit of the community, but his time and energies are chiefly concentrated upon his
farming interests and his success is well merited.

WILLIAM OWENS.

William Owens, a substantial and representative agriculturist of Forest City tow'n-
ship, Howard county, has successfully cultivated the John Tipton farm on section 8
since the spring of 1913. His birth occurred in AVales on the 2d of May. 1866, his parents
being Owen and Margaret (Williams) Owens, who still reside in that country.

William Owens obtained his education in the district schools of his native land and
there spent the first eighteen years of his life. In 1885, prior to his nineteenth birth-
day, he crossed the Atlantic to the United States and for two years thereafter worked
as a farm hand in Oneida county. New York. He then made his way westward to Wis-
consin, working in different parts of that state through the succeeding thirteen years.
On the expiration of that period, or in 1900, he came to Iowa, locating in Forest City
township, Howard county, where he w^as employed at farm work and as a day laborer for

232 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

six years. He next rented the forty-acre farm of a Mrs. Thomas in Albion township and
when not engaged in the cultivation of this tract worked at day labor. In 1907 he
rented a farm across the state line in Fillmore county. Minnesota, where he carried on
agricultural pursuits for six years or until the spring of 1913, when he rented the
property on which he now resides on section 8, Forest City township, to the operation
of which he has devoted his time and energies continuously since. In addition to culti-
vating the cereals best adapted to soil and climate he also gives considerable attention
to the raising of full-blooded Hereford cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs and in both branches
of his business is meeting with well deserved success.

In 1901 Mr. Owens was united in marriage to Miss Tillie Leitz, of Forest City town-
ship, Howard county, a daughter of August Leitz, who was one of the early settlers of
Forest City township but is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Owens have become the parents
of three children, Margaret, Owen and William, who are yet at home.

In politics Mr. Owens is a stanch republican, exercising his right of franchise in
support of the men and measures of that party. Fraternally he is identified with the
Modern Woodmen of America. He has never had occasion to regret his determination
to come to the new world, for here he has won prosperity and a position among the
esteemed and representative citizens of his community.

GEORGE H. OWENS.

George H. Owens, who is engaged in the real estate and exchange business in
Cresco and is also identified with banking interests in Howard county, has through-
out his business career been actuated by a spirit of progress and advancement that
has led to the a/;hievement of substantial results. Iowa numbers him among her
native sons, his birth having occurred near Clermont, Fayette county, August 5,
1876, his parents being William and Mary Ann (Carlin) Owens. The father
was born in Ireland, while the mother's birth occurred in the state of New York.
William Owens left Ireland when a youth of sixteen years in company with his
father and sailed for the United States. He did not tarry on the Atlantic coast
following his arrival in the new world but made his way to the town of West
Union, Fayette county, Iowa, where he and his father engaged in mercantile pur-
suits for a number of years, and there the death of the grandfather of Mr. Owens
of this review occurred. William Owens afterward engaged in business in con-
nection with his brother John for five years and on the expiration of that period
disposed of his interests to his brother and purchased a farm near West Union,
comprising eighty acres of land, which he improved and cultivated for a number
of years. He then sold the property and came to Howard township, Howard
county, Iowa, where he invested in one hundred and sixty acres of land. He then
bent his energies to the cultivation and further development of this property, which
he continued to own and operate until 1909. He then removed to the town of
Elma, Howard county, and retired from active business life. His wife passed
away there in 1914 and Mr. Owens afterward came to Cresco, where he made his
home with his son George until his death, which occurred in 1917, when lie had
reached the age of seventy-six years. He and his wife had been married in Fayette
county, Iowa, and spent the entire period of their married life in this state. Mrs.
Owens had come to the west from the state of New York with her parents, who
settled in Fayette county, Iowa, where they engaged in farming throughout their
remaining days. Mr. Owens was a democrat in his political faith and stood for
all that was progressive in citizenship. He and his wife were well known in the
communities in which they lived and commanded the warm regard of all with
whom they came in contact.

George H. Owens spent his boyhood days in Howard county and is indebted
to its public schools for the educational privileges which he enjoyed. He remained
at home until he attained his majority and was well trained in farm work during
that period. He then purchased a part of the old homestead and concentrated his

Vol. 11—15

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 235

efforts and attention upon its further development and improvement, continuing
to farm there for three years. He next went to Elma, where he bought an ice
business, but only remained in that line for a short time, after which he purchased
a farm in New Oregon township, Howard county, comprising two hundred and
forty acres of rich land. This he owned and cultivated for three years, when he
sold the property and became a resident of Cresco in 1904. After a brief period,
however, he purchased a hotel in Edmunds county, South Dakota, and conducted
it for three years, after which he returned to Cresco, where he established his
present real estate and exchange business. He is thoroughly familiar with the
property that is upon the market and is most accurate in placing valuations upon
real estate. He has built up a good clientage in this connection and has conducted
many important property transfers. In addition to his other interests he is known
in banking circles as a director of the First National Bank and of the Citizens
Savings Bank and he is recognized as a man of sound judgment and clear discern-
ment.

On the 26th of October, 1898, Mr. Owens was united in marriage to Miss Annie
Connery, a daughter of Thomas and Margaret (Forester) Connery. She was born in
Howard county, but her grandparents were natives of Ireland and came to the
United States in early life, the family home eventually being established in Howard
county, where they became identified with farming interests. Mr. and Mrs. Owens
have become the parents of the following children: Virginia, Paul, Helen, John,
William, Rose, Viola, Charlotte, George, Ruth, Mildred and Arthur, all of whom survive
with the exception of John, the fourth in order of birth, who died in 1911 at the
age of seven years.

The family is well known in Cresco and the hospitality of the best homes of
the city is freely accorded them. Mr. Owens, in the conduct of his business af-
fairs, has displayed sterling qualities of perseverance, energy and straightforward
dealing and his success is due entirely to his own efforts.

ELLING ELLINGSON.

Elling Ellingson, who follows farming in Howard county, making his home oq
section 11, Paris township, was born in Chickasaw county, Iowa, October 15, 1882.
He is of Norwegian descent his parents, Andrew and Mary Ellingson, having been
natives of the land of the midnight sun. The father came to the United States with
his parents when a youth of fifteen years the family home being established in Wis-
consin, where later he worked as a farm hand for some time. Subsequently the
family removed to Chickasaw county, Iowa, and for a few years Andrew Ellingson
engaged in the cultivation of rented land, living upon different farms in that county.
He carefully saved his earnings, however, until his economy and industry had brought
him a sufficient sum to enable him to purchase land and he made investment in a
tract in Howard county, which he cleared and developed and upon which he made
all of the improvements, his labors resulting in converting it into a valuable property.

Elling Ellingson worked upon the home farm with his father until he reached the
age 01 cwenty-seven years ana then bought one hundred and twenty-seven acres in
Howard county. He afterward traded this land to his father for his present farm
of one hundred and sixty-three acres and he has since added some improvements
thereto. He is now carefully and profitably cultivating his land, living on the farm
with his brother and sister, Carl and Bessie Ellingson.

The family has long been widely and prominently known in this section of the
state. The father was a school director for a number of years and the family have
ever stood for progress and improvement in community affairs. In pioneer times the
father lived in a log cabin and had to haul his produce all the way to McGregor.
Since those early days a wonderful transformation has occurred as the work of de-
velopment has been carried forward by the Ellingsons and other progressive people
of the neighborhood.

236 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Elling Ellingsoii attends the Lutheran church of Jerico and he gives his political
allegiance to the republican party, but he does not seek nor desire office, as he finds
that his time is fully occupied with his farm work.

NORMAN A. HAVEN.

Norman A. Haven, a farmer of Forest City township, Howard county, was born on
the old Haven homestead in this township May 12, 1893. He is a son of Norman A.
and Mary J. (Jones) Haven, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work.

Norman A. Haven was educated in the district schools and was but seventeen
years of age at the time of the death of his father, after which he and his brother
George took charge of the further cultivation and operation of the home farm. In the
intervening period of nine years the two brothers have continued as partners in this
business and are owners of the property together with their mother. The old adage, In
union there is strength, is exemplified in their business career. Through capable man-
agement and unfaltering industry they have increased their holdings until they are
now the owners of two hundred and sixty-five acres of the most fertile farm land in
Howard county. Their fields are carefully and systematically tilled and annually they
gather large crops as a reward for their labors.

In 1914 Norman A. Haven was united in marriage to Miss Esther Myrtle Latcham.
a daughter of Robert Latcham, one of the prosperous and representative farmers of
Chester township, Howard county. Mr. and Mrs. Haven became the parents of two
children, of whom one, Chester Allen, is now living. Mrs. Haven is a member of the
Presbyterian church.

Mr. Haven is a supporter of the republican party and is keenly interested in
affairs of moment to the community and country. They are highly esteemed, enjoying
the warm friendship of those with whom they have come in contact. Mr. Haven has
spent his entire life in Howard county and is justly numbered among the progressive
young agriculturists of this section of the state.

F. W. LEE, M. D.

Dr. F. W. Lee resides on section 7, Jamestown township, Howard county, where
he owns three hundred and twenty acres of land. For many years he devoted his
life to the practice of medicine in Riceville but has now largely retired from active
professional service save that he responds to a few emergency calls. He was born
July 18, 1859, in Ashtabula county, Ohio, a son of John C. and Emily Helen (Shot-
well) Lee, the former a descendant of one of the old Puritan families of New Eng-
land. He is still living at the advanced age of eighty-five years and is enjoying excel-
lent health. His wife, however, passed away in 1905.

It was in the year 1868 that Dr. Lee came to Iowa, being then a lad of nine years.
He accompanied his parents on their removal to this state, the family home being
established in Osage, Mitchell county, where the father engaged in business as a grain
buyer. The son attended the public schools of that county and afterward entered the
Cedar Valley Seminary at Osage, from which he was graduated with the class of
1884. Later he attended the State Normal School, and pursuing a course in medicine,
won his professional diploma in 1887. Immediately afterward he located in Riceville,
where he opened an office and has since continued in the practice of his chosen pro-
fession although at the present time he does little practicing save in caring for emer-
gency calls. He wishes to retire from professional duties but when there is urgent
need for his services he does not hesitate to respond and during the widespread in-
fluenza epidemic of last winter he was constantly busy with the calls made upon him
for professional service. I

On the 8th of November, 1888, Dr. Lee was united in marriage to Miss Irene

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 237

Penny, a daughter of Frank and Caroline (Barker) Penny. Mrs. Lee was born in
Mitchell county, Iowa, while her father was a native of England and her mother's
birth occurred in the state of New York. Dr. and Mrs. Lee have become the parents
of a son and a daughter, Robert John and Helen Marie, both attending the public
schools. Mrs. Lee came of a family of physicians, her ancestors having given their
attention largely to the practice of medicine through various generations. While Dr.
and Mrs. Lee have always been residents of the city, his time and energies are now
largely given to the development and improvement of a farm and to stock raising in-
terests. He makes a specialty of raising Poland China hogs and has won substantial
success in the business.

In political views Dr. Lee has always maintained an independent course, nor has
he ever sought or desired office. He was a liberal donor toward the Red Cross dur-
ing the period of the war and a generous supporter of the Liberty Loan drives. He
is an active worker for the Boy Scouts' and has given much time to instructing them
along the line of first aid. Fraternally he is connected with the Riceville lodge of
Masons and in his life exemplifies the beneficent principles of the craft, which is based
upon a recognition of the brotherhood of mankind and the obligations thereby im-
posed. His life has indeed been a busy and useful one and he has continually reached
out a helping hand to assist fellow travelers on the journey of life.

ANTHONY KRAMER.

Anthony Kramer, a representative of the farming interests of Chickasaw county,
makes his home on section 11, Chickasaw township. He was born in Fayette county,
Iowa, September 18, 1858, and is a son of Andrew and FranceSca Kramer, who were
natives of Germany. They were probably married, however, in Pennsylvania and
about 1853 removed westward to Iowa, casting in their lot with the pioneer settlers
of Fayette county, where they resided until 1867. They then came to Chickasaw county,
taking up their abode in Washington township, where Mr. Kramer bought eighty acres
of land, and thereon he resided to the time of his death, which occurred in 1877. He
had for a brief period survived his wife, who died April 24, 1874.

Anthony Kramer had but limited chance to obtain an education but when oppor-
tunity offered he attended the district schools. His parents were in humble financial
circumstances and his aid was needed upon the farm when there was work to be done.
He was nineteen years of age when his father died and he and an elder brother took
charge of the home place and through the following four years continued its further
cultivation and improvement. This period embraced three years of wheat crop fail-
ure, and being unable to raise anything, the brothers determined to sell the home
place. In 1883, therefore, the family was broken up and Anthony Kramer began
work as a farm hand. Times were hard and during many winter seasons he worked
for twelve dollars pef month. He is now one of the prosperous agriculturists of the
county, his present prosperity being in marked contrast to his financial condition of
a few decades ago.

On the 25th of February, 1895, Mr. Kramer was joined in wedlock to Miss Eliza-
beth Jane Conley, a daughter of Michael Conley, now deceased, who was one of the
early settlers of Chickasaw township, establishing his home in Chickasaw county about
1855. Previously he had been one of the famous '49ers who made the trip across the
plains to California following the discovery of gold on the Pacific coast. In fact he
made two different trips to that state.

After his marriage Mr. Kramer located upon his present home farm, which his
wife inherited from her father and which is now owned by Mr. Kramer. It comprises
one hundred acres of well improved and valuable property, constituting a most pleas-
ing feature in the landscape.

In 1914 Mr. Kramer was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed
away on the 14th of September of that year, leaving five children: Anna M. P., at
home; William Patrick, who died January 15, 1919, of influenza while attending the

238 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Automobile Tractor School in Sioux City; and Mary M., Anthony G. and Catherine
F. E., all at home.

Mr. Kramer and his family are members of the Catholic church and h6 is identi-
fied also with the Modern Woodmen of America, while politically he is a democrat,
giving his earnest and unfaltering support to the principles of the party because he
believes that its platform contains the best elements of good government. His life
has been quietly passed in the conduct of farming interests and he has won a credit-
able place among the successful agriculturists of Chickasaw county.

JOHN E. ERBE.

John E. Erbe, who is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred acres on section
23, Saratoga township, Howard county, was born in that township on the 13th of Sep-
tember, 1880, and is a son of Ernest E. and Elizabeth (Schreiber) Erbe, both natives
of Iowa county, Wisconsin, the former born January 16, 1852, and the latter October
16, 1856. They continued to reside in Iowa county, Wisconsin, until their removal to
this state in 1876, at which time the father purchased eighty acres of land in Saratoga
township, Howard county, a mile west and a mile south of the village of Saratoga.
In early life he had followed farming in his native state and continued to engage in
the same occupation throughout his active business life. He now makes his home in
Saratoga but his wife has passed away, dying at that place on the 5th of January, 1919.

Like most farm boys, John E. Erbe became thoroughly acquainted with agricul-
tural pursuits during his boyhood and during the winter months attended the district
schools of the neighborhood. In 1915 he came into possession of his present farm
of one hundred acres on section 23, Saratoga township, and has since engaged in its
operation. He is an up-to-date and progressive farmer and success has attended his
well directed efforts.

On the 14th of August, 1904, Mr. Erbe was united in marriage to Cora Alma Kel-
sey, whose parents are residents of Todd county, Minnesota. To this union have been
born five children: John Edward, Eloise Ethel, Harry Franklin, Franklin Harry and
Elma Elizabeth. Mr. and Mrs. Erbe are consistent members of the Congregational
church of Saratoga and have many friends in the community where they reside. By
his ballot Mr. Erbe supports the men and measures of the republican party but has
taken no active part in political affairs, his time and attention being devoted to his
farming operations.

FRANK W. KOBLISKA, Jr.

Frank W. Kobliska, Jr., actively engaged in farming on section 3, Deerfield town-
ship, Chickasaw county, of which township he is a native, was born August 2, 1887,
his parents being Frank and Barbara Kobliska, who are still residents of Deerfield
township. The district schools near his father's home afforded him his early educa-
tional opportunities and he also spent seven months as a pupil in a Catholic school
at Spillville. His youthful days outside of school hours were devoted to work upon
his father's farm and to that task he devoted his energies until the time of his mar-
riage. On the 9th of November, 1915, he was joined in wedlock to Miss Nellie Dunn
and the young couple began their domestic life upon the present home farm, com-
prising ninety-two acres of land which was given to Mr. Kobliska by his father. He
has since occupied this place and his efforts and energies have been concentrated
upon its further development and improvement. He has brought his fields under a
high state of cultivation and all the modern accessories of the model farm property
of the present day are found on his land.

Mrs. Kobliska, like her husband, is a representative of one of the old families
of this section of the state, her parents being Patrick and Julia Dunn, who are still

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 239

living in Afton township, Howard county. Mr. and Mrs. Kobliska have one child,
Paul Francis, now in his first year.

The parents are faithful adherents of the Catholic church of Cecelia in Afton
township, Howard county, and Mr. Kobliska is identified also with the Knights of
Columbus, his membership being in Council No. 1409 at Charles City. He is neglectful
of none of the duties and obligations which devolve upon the progressive citizen,
but business affairs claim the greater part of his time and he is now successfully de-
veloping his farm and raising registered full-blooded Chester hogs. Both branches
of his business are proving profitable and he deserves classification with the represen-
tative farmers and stock raisers of northern Iowa.

T. K. YOUNG.

T. K. Young, vice president of the Second National Bank of New Hampton and
one of the representative business men of the city, was born in New Hampton town-
ship, Chickasaw county, March 14, 1878, his parents being William and Susie A.
(Kenyon) Young, the former a native of Wayne county. New York, while the latter
was born near Madison, Wisconsin. They were married in Chickasaw county, Iowa,
the father having come to this section of the state as one of its pioneer settlers, while
tRe mother arrived in Chickasaw county some time later, coming with her parents
in young womanhood. After their marriage they settled upon a farm which Mr. Young
had previously purchased and on which they continued to make their home until
about 1883, when they removed to New Hampton, where Mr. Young became promi-
nently identified with the farm implement and machinery business. He was active
along that line for fifteen years and won a place among the substantial business men
of the city. He passed away in 1908 and is still survived by his widow, who yet
makes her home in New Hampton.

T. K. Young was educated in the New Hampton high school, from which he was
graduated with the class of 1897. He afterward attended the Capital City Commercial
College at Des Moines and when he had completed his business course he entered
the hardware store of E. J. Ure of New Hampton, by whom he was employed for two
years. On the expiration of that period he turned his attention to the banking busi-
ness and entered the private bank of Shaffer Brothers, which in 1905 was nationalized,
becoming the Second National Bank of New Hampton. Mr. Young's initial position
was that of bookkeeper in the private bank and when the institution was converted
into the Second National Bank he was made assistant cashier and about 1908 was
elected to the vice presidency, in which important position he has since served. He
has made a close study of the banking business and his work has proven highly satis-
factory to the institution which he now represents.

On the 26th of June, 1906, Mr. Young was married to Miss Florence Church, of
Elma, Howard county. In politics he is a republican, but the emoluments and honors
of office have had no attraction for him.

A. R. JOHNSON.

A. R. Johnson, a harness maker and dealer, who is regarded as one of the leading
business men of Lime Springs, comes to Iowa from Wisconsin, his birth having oc-
curred in Fond du Lac of the latter state on the 12th of March, 1871. His parents,
Lorin J. and Ann (Darry) Johnson, were natives of New Hampshire and of Vermont
respectively and were married in the old Granite state. Soon afterward they removed
to the west, settling first in Illinois, but after two or three years they took up their
abode in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and in the spring of 1872 removed to Lime Springs,
Howard county, Iowa, where the father engaged in the harness making business, with
which he was identified to the time of his death in 1897.

240 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

A. R. Johnson was educated in the public and high schools of Lime Springs and
was graduated with the class of 1888. After completing his studies he worked for
a year in the Lime Springs postoffice and the following year entered his father's
harness shop and began his apprenticeship at the harness making trade. He con-
tinued to work with his father until the latter's death, after which he took charge
of and continued the business. He has since remained actively identified with harness
making in Lime Springs and has built up a trade of gratifying and substantial pro-
portions.

In 1894 Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Augusta Henderson, who passed away
in 1900, leaving two children: Lorin W., who is assistant cashier of the Exchange
State Bank of Lime Springs; and Pauline A., a stenographer of Minneapolis. Both
are graduates of the Lime Springs high school.

In 1901 Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Anna Nagle, of Lime Springs,
and to them have been born three children: Mildred, Alta and Helen, all at home,
the first named being now a senior in the high school.

Mr. Johnson votes with the republican party, of which he has been a stalwart
supporter since reaching adult age. He is a member of the town council and has
served in that body for the past fifteen or twenty years — a fact that certainly indicates
his personal popularity and the confidence reposed in him by his fellow townsmen.
He has also served as secretary of the school board for the past twenty years and
the cause of education finds in him a stalwart champion, most loyal to the interests
of the schools. He has membership in Howard Lodge, No. 214, A. F. & A. M., of Lime
Springs, and also with the Modern Woodmen of America, while his wife is connected
with the Presbyterian church. Mr. Johnson well deserves classification with the pro-
gressive men of Lime Springs, being keenly interested in everything that has to do
with the welfare and upbuilding of the community and the advancement of its sub-
stantial growth.

THOMAS J. MURPHY.

Oliver Wendell Holmes has said: "If your name is to live at all, it is so much
more to have it live in people's hearts than only in their brains." It is in this way
that the name of Thomas J. Murphy lives. His memory is enshrined in the hearts
of all who knew him, for he was not only a successful but most progressive and
honorable business man, a reliable and substantial citizen, a devoted friend and
a faithful and loving husband and father. His many sterling qualities endeared
him to all who knew him and in his death Chickasaw county lost one of its valued
citizens.

Mr. Murphy was born in Chicago, Illinois, October 1, 1857, and when he was
but three years of age was brought by his parents, Michael and Catharine Murphy,
to Chickasaw county. His youthful days were spent upon a farm. The family
home was established four miles west of New Hampton and when three years
later the mother died the father put forth every effort not only to fill his own
place in the world, but to take the mother's part in the household and surround
his children with that loving care and attention which only a mother knows how
to give. Some years afterwards he wedded Miss Alice Cunningham, who proved
most devoted to the children that came under her direction.

At the usual age Thomas J. Murphy became a pupil in the public schools and
for some years thereafter his time was divided between the duties of the school-
room, the pleasures of the playground and the work of the farm. He supple-
mented his early training in the Bradford Academy, from which in due course of
time he was graduated. He then took up the profession of teaching, which he
largely followed through the succeeding twelve years, proving himself a capable
educator, imparting readily and clearly to others the knowledge that he had
acquired. With the death of his father he became the owner of the old home-
stead and concentrated his efforts and attention upon its management and develop-

¥

I

THOMAS J. MURPHY

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES , 243

ment. He proved as able in agricultural life as he had in the educational field and
by the careful management and improvement of his farm he acquired a very sub-
stantial competence. In fact he became one of the well-to-do men of Chickasaw
county and what he acquired through his persistent, earnest and honorable labor
enabled him in the closing years of his life to live retired in the enjoyment of the
fruits of his former toil.

On the 14th of January, 1903, Mr. Murphy was united in marriage to Miss
Agnes Norton, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Norton, of Howard county,
and they became the parents of five children: Alice, Marie, Mercedes, Jerald and
Elenor. In 1911 Mr. Murphy removed with his family to New Hampton and
erected one of the beautiful residences of the city on Walnut avenue. A con-
temporary writer has said: "As a husband and father he was above reproach, and
it was in the peace and contentment of this happy home circle that he found his
greatest enjoyment. The home ties were dearer far to him than public applause and
though a man whom the community would have enjoyed honoring, yet he shunned
publicity, seeking happiness in that atmosphere of love and affection with which
he surrounded his loved ones. As a successful business man he had few equals.
To the management of his farm he applied those principles of sound business
policy that not only won for him a comfortable competency but marked him as a
man of practical affairs; a man whose judgment was respected and sought for by
his fellows. In all matters, whether of business or of home, he was the soul of
honor and it was this, as well as his kindly disposition, that made for him a place
in public esteem held by few."

In his political views Mr. Murphy was always a democrat and his high stand-
ing is indicated in the fact that for thirty-two years he was called upon to serve
as clerk of Dayton township, while for thirty-five years he was its treasurer. No
higher testimonial of his efficiency and fidelity could be given than the fact that
he was so long retained in these offices. He held membership in the Catholic church
and to its teachings was most loyal. Of him it was said: "He was a Christian
both in profession and practice." His religious ideals found expression in his daily
life, making him a man honest and reliable in business, trustworthy in citizenship
and true to all the high relations of home and friendship. He expressed in his life
the spirit of the Emersonian philosophy: "The way to win a friend is to be one."
Whenever assistance was needed by anyone he was among the first to respond to
the call and the attainment of wealth never in any way affected his relations toward
those less fortunate. Death came to him on the 6th of June, 1913, when he was
but fifty-five years of age. While it seemed that he should have been spared for
many years to come, his life made him ready to meet the Great Beyond. His was
a nature that shed around him much of life's sunshine and to his fellow travelers
on life's journey he was continually extending a helping hand. Although the work
of the world goes on, no one can fill the place of Thomas J. Murphy in the hearts
of his family, his friends and close associates.

JULIUS E. DOOLITTLE.

Julius E. Doolittle, engaged in general farming on section 32, Vernon Springs
township, Howard county, was born on the old homestead place adjoining his present
farm, his natal day being October 4, 1858. He is a son of Moses B. and Jane (Flan-
nigan) Doolittle, the former a native of Mount Holly, Vermont, while the latter was
born in Ireland and came to the United States in her girlhood days with her parents.
They were married in Vermont and in 1856 removed westward to Iowa, settling in
Howard county, where the father of Julius E. Doolittle preempted the old home farm,
securing the land from the government, and with characteristic energy beginning its
development and progress. He continued to reside upon that place to the time of his
death, the property never changing ownership until after his demise. At the time
of his death he was the possessor of two hundred and forty acres, constituting one

244 . CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

of the best farms in the township, and its neat and attractive appearance bore testi-
mony to his well spent and well directed energy. He died on the 15th of July, 1913,
when in his eighty-first year, having for a considerable period survived his wife, who
died about 1898 at the age of sixty-five years. In early life he had given his political
allegiance to the republican party but when the greenback party came into existence
he became a supporter of the new organization and subsequently was nominated on
its ticket as a. candidate for congress. While he received the highest vote of any
candidate on the ticket, he failed of election. He was one of the foremost citizens
of Vernon Springs township, a man of strong convictions, who commanded at all times
the respect and confidence of all who knew him.

Julius E. Doolittle was reared upon the home farm, having the usual experiences
of the farm-bred boy, his time being divided between the work of the fields and the
work of the schoolroom. After attending the district schools he became a high school
pupil in his home township and on the 11th of December, 1879, he was united in
marriage to Miss May G. Hollister, of Paris township, a daughter of George W. Hol-
lister, who was among the first of the pioneer settlers of Howard county and has
now passed away.

For three years following liis marriage Mr. Doolittle cultivated the old home farm
and then purchased his present place of one hundred acres, to which he removed and
upon which he has since resided. He has carefully and persistently carried on the
work of development and improvement upon this place and now has an excellent farm
from which he receives a substantial income, owing to the care and labor which he
bestows upon the fields.

To Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle have been born two sons: Rollo H., who is now a
farmer of Wisconsin; and Ralph J., who served with the American army in France.
In his political views Mr. Doolittle is a republican and is serving as a member of
the board of trustees in his township. He is identified with the Modern Woodmen
of America and his wife and son Ralph are members of the Congregational church,
to which he contributes liberally. He is justly accounted one of the foremost citizens
of his section of the state, having been a lifelong resident of Howard township,
where his industry and determination have featured as factors in his growing success.
He has a wide acquaintance and those who know him esteem him for his sterling
worth as well as his business ability and his progressiveness in citizenship.

BARCLAY NORTON.

Barclay Norton, busily engaged in farming on section 3, Paris township, Howard
county, has lived in this locality from pioneer times, continuously occupying his pres-
ent farm for fifty-five years. He has therefore witnessed the entire growth and prog-
ress of the county and in fact has borne a very active and helpful part in promoting
its development. He was born in Ireland in December, 1830, a son of Peter and Mary
(Flaherty) Norton, who spent their entire lives on the Emerald isle.

Barclay Norton acquired his education in the parochial schools and was mar-
ried in Ireland in 1859 to Miss Bridget Flaherty. Two children were born to them
in that country ere they emigrated to the new world in 1864. Mr. Norton brought
his family to the United States and spent the following summer with an uncle, but
in the fall of that year purchased forty acres of his present home farm, on which
he built a log cabin. With characteristic energy he began the development of the
fields and for fifty-five years has remained continuously upon this place. He has ex-
tended the boundaries of his farm by the purchase of adjoining tracts of land from
time to time until he is now the owner of two hundred acres of rich and productive
land, from which he annually gathers splendid harvests.

To Mr. and Mrs. Norton have been born eleven children: Peter, residing at
Devils Lake, North Dakota; Michael, who follows farming in Paris township, Howard
county; Patrick, a resident of Denver, Colorado; Mary, deceased; Margaret, the wife
of William McDonald a farmer of Howard county; Catherine, the widow of Owen

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 245

Murray and now residing at Cresco; Elizabeth, the wife of Joseph O'Halloran, a resi-
dent of Chickasaw county; Nora, who married Charles G. Walters, a farmer of Paris
township; Agnes, the wife of James McBride, a farmer of Howard county; John, who
operates the home farm; and one who died in infancy.

Mr. Norton never falters in his allegiance as a supporter of democratic principles
and for several years has served as township trustee and as road supervisor. He has
likewise been a member of the school board and has been keenly interested in every-
thing that pertains to the welfare and improvement of the community in which he
has so long made his home. He has now reached the very advanced age of eighty-
nine years, while his wife is eighty-two years of age, and they are regarded as one
of the most interesting old couples of Howard county, retaining their mental faculties'
unimpaired and enjoying good health. They are still as active as many people twenty
years their junior. While the son operates the farm, the father always finds some-
thing to do, for indolence and idleness have ever been utterly foreign to his nature
and he still continues active. For a long time in the spring of 1914 he milked fourteen
cows a day and did other chores around the place. The conversation of this worthy
couple sparkles with good humor and good cheer and one cannot pay them a visit
without coming away feeling more kindly toward all the world. They are sterling
and lovable people with whom Father Time has dealt leniently and no history of
Howard county would be complete without reference to them. They have long lived
consistent Christian lives and are communicants of the Catholic church.

AUGUST BARTELS.

For twenty-seven years the Bartels family has been represented in Howard county
and August Bartels is now an active and enterprising farmer of Howard township,
living on section 17. He was less than a year old at the time of the removal of the
family to Howard county, his birth having occurred in Bremer county, Iowa, on the
6th of October, 1891. He is a son of Ernest F. and Sophia (Eikoff) Bartels, the former
a native of Illinois, while the latter was born in Germany but came to the United
States when a girl of twelve years in company with her parents, who settled in Bremer
county, Iowa. There she was reared to womanhood and became the wife of Ernest
F. Bartels. They began their domestic life in Bremer county and there remained until
1892, when they removed to Howard county, the father purchasing a half section of
land in Howard township. He continued active in farming until 1913, when he re-
tired from business life and removed to Elma, where he now resides. He is num-
bered among the respected and valued residents of his section of the state because
of the sterling worth which he has displayed in business and in citizenship.

No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for August
Bartels in the days of his boyhood and youth, which were devoted to the acquirement
of a district school education and such duties as were assigned him by parental au-
thority. In January, 1913, he was married to Miss Fena Arndt, of Alta Vista, Chick-
asaw county, and in- the spring following his marriage began farming for himself
on his present home place of one hundred and sixty acres, which he purchased from
his father at the time of his marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Bartels have been born two
interesting little daughters, Evelyn and Erna.

Before beginning farming independently August Bartels and his brother took over
the operation of the home farm upon their father's retirement and were busily en-
gaged in its further development for three years,, at the end of which time their part-
nership was dissolved. In his chosen life work August Bartels has made steady ad-
vancement and each forward step in his career has brought him a broader outlook
and wider opportunities. His early practical training well qualified him to begin farm-
ing on his own account and since becoming the owner of his present place he has
brought it under a very high state of cultivation and made it one of the well im-
proved properties of the district. He raises the cereals best adapted to soil and cli-
matic conditions here and he also makes a specialty of the breeding of Holstein cattle

246 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

and Chester White hogs. He is likewise a stockholder in the Howard County Co-
operative Equity Association of Elma and in the Maple Leaf Creamery Company.

In his political views Mr. Bartels is a republican but has never been an office
seeker. He and his wife are consistent members of the German Lutheran church and
they are held in high esteem throughout their section of the county, enjoying the
hospitality of the best homes of Howard township. Mr. Bartels has practically spent
his entire life in Howard county and his progressive spirit has placed him in an
enviable position among the well-to-do farmers.

CHARLES B. ASHLEY.

Charles B. Ashley, an honored veteran of the Civil war and a retired agriculturist
now residing in Cresco, still owns the farm on section 35, Albion township, Howard
county, which was his home for sixty years. His birth occurred in Livingston county,
New York, on the 18th of July, 1841, his parents being Carlos C. and Helen (Mes-
singer) Ashley, who were born, reared and married in Oneida county. New York. Sub-
sequently they removed to Orleans county, that state, and thence made their way to
Livingston county, New York, where they resided until 1851, when they joined the
procession of pioneers to the western country. After spending two years in Dodge
county, Wisconsin, the father brought his family to Howard county, Iowa, in 1859
and purchased the farm in Albion township which is now owned by his son, Charles
B. Ashley, buying the property from a man named McCarty, who had preempted the
land in 1855. On this place the parents of our subject continued to reside until called
to their final rest.

Charles B. Ashley, who was a young man of eighteen years when the family home
was established in Howard county, assisted his father in the development and im-
provement of the home place and acquired possession thereof shortly prior to the
latter's demise. In August, 1861, he responded to the country's call for troops to aid
in the preservation of the Union, joining Company I of the Ninth Iowa Infantry,
with which he served throughout the entire period of hostilities between the north
and the south. He was captured in South Carolina, while on detached service as
acting ordinance sergeant of the First Division of the Fifteenth Army Corps under
Sherman, but succeeded in making his escape a few hours later. Returning to Howard
county with a most creditable military record, he resumed the operation of the home
farm on section 35, Albion township, and remained thereon continuously until the
spring of 1919, when he put aside the active work of the fields and removed to Cresco.
During his active connection with agricultural interests he developed one of the ex-
cellently improved and most valuable farms of the county, replacing its crude pioneer
structures with modern and up-to-date buildings. Success attended his well directed
efforts as the years passed by and he is now enjoying the fruits of his former toil
in richly merited rest.

In 1872 Mr. Ashley was united in marriage to Miss Emmo Gene Barber, a daughter
of William and Eliza Barber. Following the father's death, which occurred in St.
Lawrence county, New York, Mrs. Barber came to Iowa with her family of four sons
and two daughters, locating in Howard county in 1870. Here the daughter Emmo
gave her hand in marriage to Charles B. Ashley, by whom she has five children, as
follows: Helen E., the wife of George Richards, of Manitoba, Canada; Sylvia B., at
home; Willie R., who operates his father's farm; Erwin M., residing in Manitoba,
Canada; and May L., the wife of Rev. Guy Rutherford, of Quasqueton, Iowa.

Politically Mr. Ashley is a stanch republican, giving loyal support to the party
which was the defense of the Union during the dark days of the Civil war. He served
for a number of years as a member of the board of township trustees, also as justice
of the peace and as a member of the school board, at all times discharging his public
duties with marked capability and promptness. In 1880 and 1890 he took the United
States census of Howard county. He still retains pleasant relations with his old army
comrades as a member of Memorial Post, No. 216, G. A. R. His wife and children

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 247

are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and the family have an extensive
circle of warm friends. The period of Mr. Ashley's residence in Howard county now
covers six decades and he is therefore numbered among its honored pioneer settlers,
while he is also highly esteemed as a citizen whose aid and influence have ever been
given on the side of right, progress and improvement.

LOUIE E. MEYER.

Louie E. Meyer, who carries on general agricultural pursuits on section 32, Deer-
field township, Chickasaw county, was born in Benton county, Iowa. September 25,
1876, and is a son of Conrad and Elizabeth (Brennisonn) Meyer, both of whom were
natives of Germany but came to the new world during their childhood days with their
respective parents. The mother was eighteen years of age at the time of her emigra-
tion to America and in 1868 or 1869 became the wife of Conrad Meyer in Benton
county. They removed to Chickasaw county, establishing their home in Chickasaw
township, where they still reside. For many years the father successfully carried on
general agricultural pursuits and the competence thus acquired now enables him to
live retired in Bassett.

Louie E. Meyer devoted his youth to the acquirement of a district school educa-
tion and to the work of the home farm until he reached the age of twenty years, when
he began dealing in farm lands. In the same year he also took up the active work
of the fields on his own account and at that time purchased a place of eighty acres
on section 36, Deerfield township. For a year he cultivated that farm and then sold
the property, making investment in his present home place, also a tract of eighty
acres. He has carefully tilled the fields through the intervening period and his farm
is now in excellent condition, responding readily to the care and labor which he
bestows upon it. There are good improvements in the way of buildings and fences
and his equipment includes the latest improved farm machinery and all accessories
necessary to the development of the fields.

In 1900 Mr. Meyer was married to Miss Lena Otto, of Chickasaw township, and
they have become parents of four children, of whom three are yet living, namely:
Mildred, Lawrence and Elma. Mr. Meyer votes with the republican party and keeps
in touch with the questions and issues of the day. He and his wife are members of
the Lutheran church and endeavor to make its teacliings the rule of their lives. They
are now well known in this section of Iowa, where they have always resided, and
their sterling qualities are manifest in the fact that their circle of friends is almost
coextensive with the circle of their acquaintance.

FRANK CHYLE, Jr.

The name of Frank Chyle, Jr., is inseparably associated with the history of Protivin
and though he has passed away his memory is revered and cherished by those who
knew him. He was one of the early settlers of this section of Howard county and was
tlie promoter of the town of Protivin, which largely stands as a monument to his
enterprise and progressiveness. Born in Bohemia on the 1st of December, 1847, he was
a son of Frank Chyle, who came with his family to the new world in 1855. settling first
in Canada. For a brief period he remained in Hamilton, Ontario, and then crossed the
border into the United States and for three or four years was a resident of Dubuque,
Iowa. From Dubuque he removed to Howard county, where he arrived about 1858 or
1859. He purchased a farm, securing from the government a tract of land two miles
north of the present site of Protivin. It was upon this farm that the family resided for
many years, taking active part in the early development and later progress of the
district.

It was upon the old homestead that Frank Chyle was reared to manhood, having

248 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

the usual experiences of the farm-bred boy who divides his time between the duties of the
schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the work of the fields. In 1871 he was
united in marriage to Miss Mary Jira, also a native of Bohemia, her birth having
occurred in the town of Protivin, in honor of which the Iowa town was named. She came
to the United States in 1869, when sixteen years of age, and spent two years in Chicago,
where she was married to Mr. Chyle. Immediately afterward she accompanied her
husband to Howard county. Prior to his marriage Mr. Chyle had purchased the farm on
which the town of Protivin now stands and there in 1877 the Catholic church was built
and Mr. Chyle platted and laid out the town. He was appointed the first postmaster
and gave the name of Protivin to the little hamlet. He served for several years as post-
master of the town and was keenly interested in everything that pertained to the wel-
fare, upbuilding and progress of the community. He was called upon to serve as
assessor of New Oregon township for several years, was also notary public for several
years and was identified with the insurance business. He ranked with Protivin's most
prominent and progressive men and carried forward to successful completion whatever
he undertook. For a considerable period he was actively engaged in farming and brought
his land under a high state of cultivation.

To Mr. and Mrs. Chyle were born ten children, five of whom are yet living: Mary,
the wife of L. J. Schor, a resident farmer of Chickasaw county; James T., who carries
on general farming upon the old home place; Beatrice, at home; Frank T., a mechanic
employed in the Protivin Garage; and Charles W., butter maker at the Protivin Creamery.

The death of the husband and father occurred April 5, 1909. He was a consistent
Christian man, holding membership in the Catholic church, and he was a member of the
Bohemian Lodge, Z. C. B. J. One of Protivin's most highly esteemed citizens, his worth
was acknowledged by all who knew him and when death called him his passing was
the occasion of deep and widespread regret. His friends were indeed many and all spoke
of him in terms of the highest regard. Mrs. Chyle is still living and occupies the old
home in Protivin, where she is well known in the social circles of the city.

A. C. BANDLE.

A. C. Bandle. carrying on general farming on section 16, Howard township, in
Howard county, was born on the old home farm, a part of which he now operates.
His natal day was December 31, 1866, his parents being William and Mary
(Fallgetter) Bandle, of whom mention is made in connection with the sketch of
their son, William Bandle, elsewhere in this volume. A. C. Bandle, having mas-
tered the branches of learning taught in the district schools, concentrated his
efforts and attention upon farm work and in 1901, when his father left the home
farm, he took charge of two hundred and forty acres of this property, which he
has since cultivated and further developed. His fields are fertile and bring forth
rich crops as the result of the care and labor which he bestows upon them. He
employs the most progressive methoods of farming in the care of his land, rotating
his crops, keeping his soil in excellent condition, and as the result of his energy
and close application he is meeting with substantial success. He is a stockholder
in the Farmers' Cooperative Lumber & Coal Company of Alta Vista and is a stock-
holder in the Alta Vista Creamery Company and the Alta Vista Telephone Com-
pany. Thus broadening his business relations, he has won a place among the sub-
stantial business men of his section of the county.

In 1895 Mr. Bandle was married to Miss Mary Erion, of Chickasaw county,
a daughter of Michael Erion, now deceased. They have become parents of three
children, one son and two daughters: Walter, who has passed away; and Leona and
Rosella, both at home.

In politics Mr. Bandle has maintained an independent course, voting for men
and measures rather than for party. He has served as a member of the school
board and as road boss and is ever willing to do his part in behalf of public prog-
ress and improvement. Fraternally he is connected with Alta Vista Lodge, No.

MR. AND MRS. A. C. DANDLE

Vol. 11—16

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 251

658, I. O. O. F., and also with Sumner Encampment, while he and his family are
members of the Lutheran church. While he never had the advantage offered by
higher education, he has been a broad reader and is today one of the well informed
men of Howard township who recognizes the opportunities not only for his own
advancement, but for the promotion of public welfare and at all times gives his
aid and support to movements that are intended to upbuild the community, com-
monwealth or country.

THOMAS W. MUNSON.

Since 1905 Thomas W. Munson has resided upon the farm which he now occupies on
section 20, Jacksonville township. Chickasaw county. In the meantime, however, he
has extended its boundaries and has made it a valuable property owing to the thrift
and industry which he has displayed in the management of his business affairs. He was
born August 1, 1880, in the township which is still his home, his parents being Halvor
and Anna (Aberg) Munson, who were natives of Norway. The father left the land of
the midnight sun when a boy of eleven years in company with his parents, making the
voyage across the Atlantic in 1857. The mother came alone to America when a girl of
fourteen years and she, too, crossed the briny deep in 1857. Both became residents of
Wisconsin, Mr. Munson living in Dane county and the lady who later became his wife
making her home in Madison. The Munson family afterward removed to Union county.
South Dakota, settling near Yankton, which was the capital of the territory of Dakota.
There Halvor Munson, when not yet sixteen years of age, enlisted for service in the Civil
war and was for three years and three months a member of Company I of the First
Dakota Cavalry. He participated in a number of hotly contested engagements and with
a most creditable military record returned to his home. After receiving an honorable
discharge he hired out to the government to drive oxen on a government train used in
hauling supplies from Sioux City, Iowa, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Thus the summer was
passed and in the following winter he worked in a lumber camp in Montana. In the
spring of 1867 he came to Iowa, his parents having removed to this state in 1862, during
the Indian outbreaks in South Dakota and Minnesota. They settled in Utica township,
Chickasaw county, and it was here that Halvor Munson met and married his life's com-
panion, the marriage ceremony being performed in the church at Saude in the fall of
1867. The young couple located on a farm in Jacksonville township, where Mr. Munson
continued to make his home and carried on general agricultural pursuits for thirty-nine
years. In 1906 he left the farm and established his home in New Hampton, where he
lived retired from active business until his death, which occurred April 26, 1918, when
he was seventy-two years of age, for he was born in 1846. His wife, who was born in
1844, passed away December 18, 1915. In his business affairs Mr. Munson had won
substantial success and at one time owned an entire section of land in Jacksonville
tiiwnship, Chickasaw county, and had large land holdings in Kansas. He was a repub-
lican in politics and he and his wife were members of the Lutheran church, consistently
following its teachings. Mr. Munson ever enjoyed a well deserved reputation as an
upright citizen and a man of sterling character.

Thomas W. Munson, after acquiring a district school education in Jacksonville town-
ship, took up farming on his own account in 1900, at the age of twenty years, operating
a part of his father's land. In 1902 he was united in marriage to Miss Anna Robinson,
of Jacksonville township, a daughter of Andrew Robinson, one of the early pioneers who
is still living in this locality.

Following his marriage, in the fall of 1902, Mr. Munson removed to eastern Kansas,
where he resided for three years, owning there two hundred and forty acres of land
which he purchased from his father. In 1905 he traded his Kansas property for a part
of his present home farm, obtaining one hundred and sixty acres. The boundaries of
this he has since extended by additional purchase until he now has three hundred and
seventy-six acres. At one time he bought a tract of one hundred and thirty-six acres and
on another occasion eighty acres and today he is the owner of an extensive and valuable

252 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

farm property, which he most carefully cultivates and which returns to him a gratify-
ing annual income. He is also a stockholder in the Jerico Creamery Association and
is a member of its board of directors.

To Mr. and Mrs. Munson have been born six children: Anna P., Alice M., Sigrid M.,
Harold A., Henry W. and Ruth L. The family is widely and favorably known in this
section of the state and Mr. and Mrs. Munson are faithful followers of the Lutheran
church, in which they hold membership. In politics he is a republican and in the
November election of 1910 was made a member of the board of county supervisors, serv-
ing for two terms or six years, his loyal support being given to every plan or measure
cf the board for the upbuilding of the county and the development of its interests. He
is a leading and public-spirited citizen whose life is in many respects most exemplary.

1

SOLON J. WILMOT,

Solon J. Wilmot is a well known farmer of Forest City township, Howard county,
his home being on section 18. He was born in Winona county, Minnesota, March 12,
1865, a son of Allen "Wilmot, who was born in the state of New York, August 9, 1823, and
died in Dexter, Minnesota, on the 9th of May, 1907, when he had reached the venerable
age of eighty-four years. The mother, who bore the maiden name of Sarah Remore, was
also born in New York and died in Minnesota when her son Solon was but twelve years
of age. The father followed farming in Minnesota and the youthful days of Solon J.
Wilmot were passed as a farm-bred boy.

He was twenty-five years of age when he left Minnesota and removed to Howard
county, taking up his abode here in 1890. On the 2d of September of that year he was
united in marriage to Miss Millie E. Tibbets, who was born in Howard county, and
following his marriage he began farming. In 1907 he purchased his present farm
property and through the intervening period he has placed the greater part of the
improvements upon it. His labors have resulted in transforming it into a productive
and valuable tract of land, from which he annually gathers good harvests. He lives a
life of thrift and industry and his diligence has been the basis of his growing success.

To Mr. and Mrs. Wilmot has been born one child, Chloe, who is now the widow of
John L. Erickson, of Minneapolis. Following his marriage Mr. Erickson worked upon
the farm of Mr. Wilmot for four years and then passed away. The daughter remains
upon the home farm with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Wilmot attend the Methodist
church of Lime Springs and contribute generously to its support. He is also a member
of the Modern Woodmen of America, with which he has been identified for the past
twenty years. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and he is well
versed on the leading political issues but has never been an office seeker. His entire
life has been given to farm activities and the enterprise which he has displayed con-
stitutes the basis of his properity.

PAUL H. BARTELS.

Paul H. Bartels, who is engaged in farming on section 17, Howard township, and is
classed with the representative agriculturists of Howard county, has throughout his
entire life been imbued with the enterprising spirit of the west. He was born in Bremer
county, Iowa, July 8, 1889, a son of Ernest F. and Sophia (Eikoff) Bartels, mention of
whom is made in connection with the sketch of August Bartels on another page of this
work.

In bis youthful days Paul H. Bartels was a pupil in the district schools. In 1913 his
father removed to Elma, after which Paul H. Bartels and his brother August operated
the home farm for three years. At the end of that period Paul H. Bartels became the
owner of his present home farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which was the old home-
stead of his father and mother. It was after his marriage that he and his brother dis-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 253

folved partnership and he has since farmed independently. He is most industrious and
diligent in the care of his property and has brought his fields under a very high state of
cultivation. He has also added a number of modern improvements to his place and in
connection with the further cultivation of his crops he is engaged in the raising of Bull
Durham cattle and Chester White hogs, his stock raising interests constituting an
important and profitable feature of his business. He is also a stockholder in the Howard,
County Cooperative Equity Association of Elma and a stockholder in the Maple Leaf
Creamery Company of Howard township.

In September, 1916, Mr. Bartels was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Prinz, a
daughter of Carl Prinz, of Saratoga township, Howard county, and they have become
the parents of a son, Reuben C. E. The parents are members of the German Lutheran
church and contribute generously to its support. Mr. Bartels gives stalwart allegiance
to the republican party, believing its principles to contain the best elements of good
government, and in matters of citizenship his aid is always given on the side of progress
and improvement. He is one of the young and representative farmers of his section of
the state, actuated in all that he does by a laudable ambition that has enabled him to
overcome obstacles and difficulties in his path and steadily mount the ladder of success.

A. H. WESP.

A. H. Wesp, of the Wesp Motor Company of New Hampton, is one of the younger
business men of the city whose commercial career is an expression of the spirit of enter-
prise which has been the dominant factor in the upbuilding of the west. He was born
m York county, Nebraska, April 9, 1881, a son of W. N. Wesp, of whom extended men-
tion is made elsewhere in this work. He began his education in the district schools and
afterward attended the Fredericksburg high school, while later he became a student in
the New Hampton Business College. On reaching young manhood he took up carpenter-
ing and worked at the trade for three years. Subsequently he devoted a year and a half
to the baker's trade and eventually entered the employ of the Wesp Motor Company,
which business was then owned by his father and the Shaffer Brothers. At a later period
tie represented the International Harvester Company upon the road for a year and upon
the incorporation of the Wesp Motor Company he became a member of the firm. On the
23d of March, 1918, in association with F. P. Wentz, he purchased the business which
has since been continued under the old firm name of the Wesp Motor Company. They
have built up an extensive trade, having now the agency for the Cadillac, the Buick and
oiher cars. They annually sell a large number of cars and are well known in motor
circles. Their business is growing by reason of progressive methods and earnest efforts
to please their customers, and the partners in the Wesp Motor Company are recognized
as among the leading young business men of New Hampton.

On the 4th of November, 1915, Mr. Wesp was united in marriage to Miss Rose Rieben.
of New Hampton, a daughter of Gottlieb Rieben, one of the early settlers of Chickasaw
county, now deceased. Mr. Wesp is a member of Lancelot Lodge, No. 183, K. P., and
also of Gopher Camp, No. 242, M. W. A. His political endorsement is given to the repub-
lican party, and while not an office seeker, he is interested in all that has to do with
the welfare and progress of the community in which he makes his home and to that end
gives his active aid and cooperation to plans and measures for the public good.

JOSEPH W. JINDERLEE, M. D.

This is an age of specialization. There are comparatively few physicians who
do not follow this tendency of the age and concentrate their efforts and attention
upon a special line of practice, thereby developing a degree of skill and efficiency of
the highest order. Dr. Joseph W. Jinderlee, well known in Howard county, with

254 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

office in Cresco, is specializing in the treatment of the eye, ear, nose and throat
and his ability in this direction is acknowledged by all who know him.

He was born in Charles City, Iowa, February 8, 1874, and is a son of Joseph
and Mary (Kubish) Jinderlee. His boyhood days were spent upon the home farm
near Charles City amid the usual surroundings and interests of farm life. His time
was divided between attendance at the district school and the work of the fields in
the summer months and afterwards he pursued a course in a business college at
Cedar Rapids, thus qualifying in considerable measure for life's practical and respon-
sible duties. Subsequently he attended the Dixon Normal School at Dixon, Illinois,
and then, having determined upon a professional career, he decided to make the
practice of medicine his life work and with that end in view entered the Medical Col-
lege of Keokuk, Iowa, from which he was graduated with the class of 1903. His
course of training was very thorough and he entered upon practice well equipped for
the onerous and responsible duties of the profession. Removing to Cresco, he opened
an office and here he gave his undivided attention to medical practice until 1909,
when he pursued a special course in the treatment of diseases of the eye, ear, nose
and throat in the Chicago Polyclinic and has since concentrated his efforts and atten-
tion largely upon ophthalmology, otology, rhinology and laryngology. He also pursued
a special course in surgery under Dr. A. H. Andrews and is well skilled in that branch
of the profession. Returning to Cresco, he has since enjoyed a large practice and
his business is steadily increasing. He always keeps in touch with the advanced
thought of the profession and the latest scientific researches and is interested in
anything that tends to bring to man the key to the complex mystery which we call
life.

In 1904 Dr. Jinderlee was united in marriage to Miss Anna Urban, a daughter
of James and Mary (Sikart) Urban. She is a native of Jones county, Wisconsin, and
by her marriage has become the mother of a little daughter, Loretta. Dr. and Mrs.
Jinderlee are widely and favorably known in Cresco and the hospitality of the best
homes is freely accorded them. Dr. Jinderlee has never sought to figure prominently
in any connection outside of his profession, preferring always to concentrate his
efforts, thought and attention upon his duties as a medical and surgical practitioner,
and his continuous study and broad experience have won for him a most creditable
name and place as a physician and particularly as a specialist in the treatment of
diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat.

J. P. CAUDILL.

J. P. Caudill, busily employed in the cultivation and further improvement of a
good farm on section 33, Paris township, Howard county, displays in his work a pro-
gressive spirit that has characterized him in all that he has undertaken. He is now
operating the W. H. Atchison farm of three hundred and twenty acres and Is meet-
ing with success in this work. Mr. Caudill is a native of Morehead, Kentucky, his
birth having there occurred September 15, 1885. He is a son of James M. and Re-
becca (Hammond) Caudill, who were also natives of the Blue Grass state and rep-
resentatives of old Kentucky families. The father was a farmer and both he and his
wife passed away in Kentucky, his death occurring in 189 6, when he was forty-eight
years of age, while the mother passed away in 1903 at the age of fifty-two years.

While spending his youthful days under the parental roof J. P. Caudill pursued
a public school education at Morehead, Kentucky, and having arrived at years of
maturity, he was married on the 1st of March, 1911, to Miss Cynthia Jones, a
daughter of James Jones of that place. Prior to his marriage he had served for
three years in the regular army. With his bride he came to the west and took up
the occupation of farming, settling upon a farm in Pembina county. North Dakota,
where he remained for two years. In 1913 he arrived in Howard county and rented
the farm which he now occupies and operates. He has been very successful in the
conduct of this place, upon which he has now lived six years. This fact alone is indi-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 255

cative of the excellent care which he bestows upon the farm and he has made the
property profitable to both himself and the owner. His career is an interesting one,
for at the age of seventeen years he left home with the intention of seeing some-
thing of the world before settling down in lifo. He visited every state of the Union
and in 1902 enlisted in the regular army and while in the service was in China,
Japan, the Philippines and the Hawaiian islands. His wide travels have given him
a broad view of life and have supplemented his meager school opportunities. An
eminent thinker has said that a year's travel abroad is equal to a four year's college
education, so that it is easy to see that Mr. Caudill is a well informed man.

To Mr. and Mrs. Caudill have been born two children, Earl A. and Leo J. The
parents are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Caudill is identified
with Maple Leaf Lodge, No. 52 8, A. F. & A. M., of Elma, with Lovington Lodge, No.
593, L O. O. F., of Lovington, Illinois, and the Modern Woodmen camp at Elma.
His political endorsement is given to the republican party and his position upon
vital questions of citizenship and public concern is never an equivocal one as he
stands loyally by what he believes to be right and for the best interests of the
country at large.

JOHN HEIT.

John Heit. a dealer in agricultural implements, machinery, automobile tires and
accessories and in fact handling everything in connection with farm machinery, has
won a place among the leading business men of Ionia. He has always made his home
in Chickasaw county and throughout his life has been actuated by the spirit of west-
ern enterprise and progress. He was born in New Hampton township, September 19,
1878, and is a son of William and Margaret (Pappenheim) Heit, the former a native
of Germany, while the latter was born in Wisconsin. The father was brought to the
United States when a child of but two years by his parents, who landed at New
Orleans, where they remained for a brief time. Subsequently they made the trip up
the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to Cincinnati, Ohio, and a year or so later removed to
Iowa, establishing their home at Dyersville. There the father occupied the position
of section boss on the railroad for sixteen years. William Heit, the father of John
Heit, spent his early life at Dyersville, Iowa, and as a youth worked as a clerk in a
general store. In 1870, at the age of eighteen years, he removed to Nashua, Iowa,
his father having previously purchaser a farm in Chickasaw county. William Heit
walked from Nashua to the farm — a distance of sixteen miles, and taking up his
abode thereon, made it his home for forty-five years, being long classed with the
representative agriculturists of his section of the state. At length he removed to
New Hampton in 1915 and has there since lived retired, enjoying a rest which
he has truly earned and richly merits. He still owns two hundred and forty acres
of land in New Hampton township, which is one of the well improved farm prop-
erties of that section of the county.

John Heit was educated in the district schools and in a business college at New
Hampton, after which he returned home and assisted in the further development
and improvement of his father's farm for four years. On the 12th of November,
1903, he was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie Kleinfehn, of New Hampton town-
ship, and they began their domestic life upon a farm of eighty acres adjoining his
father's place. This Mr. Heit had previously purchased and thereon he engaged in
farming for ten years. In 1913 he purchased the implement business of Dominick
Gilbert of Ionia and took possession thereof in October of that year. In the inter-
vening years he has prospered and has built up the business to one of the leading
commercial interests of Ionia, his sales reaching a large figure annually. He
handles agricultural implements and everything that has to do with farm machinery,
also automobile tires and accessories, and his trade is of a most substantial character.
To Mr. and Mrs. Heit have been born three sons: Gallus, Roman and Virgil. In
his political views ^Ir. Heit is a democrat where national questions and issues are

256 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

involved, but is somewhat liberal and votes independently of party ties at local elec-
tions. He served for five years as assessor of New Hampton township while upon
the farm and has served as assessor of Ionia for two years, while at the present writ-
ing he is a member of the town council. He and his family are members of the
Catholic church and he is one of the directors of the church. He also belongs to
the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Order of Foresters. His life has been
actuated by a progressive spirit that has brought about substantial results in his
business career, while in matters of citizenship his aid and influence are ever given
on the side of advancement and improvement.

CHARLES I. VOPAVA.

An excellent farm property of two hundred and forty acres is being carefully
cultivated and developed by the owner, Charles I. Vopava. The place is situated on
section 5, New Oregon township, Howard county, and its excellent appearance is the
visible evidence of the life of thrift and enterprise which the owner is leading. He
is one of Iowa's native sons, his birth having occurred in Winneshiek county, August
31, 1887, his parents being Jacob A. and Elizabeth A. (Jarosh) Vopava. His grand
parents were among the first settlers in Winneshiek county and contributed to the
pioneer development and upbuilding of that section of the state. The parents of
Charles I. Vopava are still living and yet occupy the old homestead property in Win-
neshiek county.

It was there that Charles I. Vopava was reared and educated. At the usual age
he became a pupil in the public schools of Winneshiek county and afterward had the
benefit of instruction in a business college at Oelwein, Iowa, in which he spent three
months. During the period of his boyhood and youth and after his schooldays were
over he worked upon his father's farm, being thus employed until five years ago.
Since that time he has conducted the farm on his own account and is numbered among
the progressive agriculturists of the district. What he has accomplished represents
the fit utilization of his innate talents.

On the 30th of June, 1913, Mr. Vopava was united in marriage to Miss Emma
Markovetz, a daughter of Antone and Katherine (Kostohayz) Markovetz, who were
among the first settlers of Howard county. Mr. and Mrs. Vopava have become the
parents of two children, Irene and Georgina. The parents attend the Congregational
church at Cresco and Mr. Vopava belongs to the Woodmen of the World and the
Modern Woodmen of America and is loyal to the teachings and purposes of those or-
ganizations. In politics he is a democrat but has never sought or desired office, pre-
ferring that his public duty shall be done as a private citizen. He is loyal to every
interest committed to his care and stands at all times on the side of progress and
Improvement in relation to everything that has to do with the general interests of
society.

FRANK J. MARUSKA.

Frank J. Maruska, a hardware dealer of the Maruska-Smith Company and a
member of the city council of Cresco, is keenly interested in all plans and projects
having to do with the upbuilding and development of his section of the state. He
was born in Fort Atkinson, Iowa, October 20, 1878, a son of Frank and Maggie
(Rausch) Maruska, the former a native of Bohemia, while the latter was born in
Fort Atkinson, Iowa. The father came to the United States about 1870, when a
young man of twenty-one or twenty-two years, and made his way directly westward
to Iowa, establishing his home in Winneshiek county. He was there married and
in 1888 removed to Howard county, where he rented the Bullis farm and later
invested his savings in eighty acres of farm land north of Lourdes. There he has

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 259

since resided, his time and attention being successfully given to general agricultural
pursuits. His first wife died in Winneshiek county, Iowa, and he was later married
in Howard county to his present wife.

Frank J. Maruska was educated in the district schools and at the age of nineteen
years started out upon an independent business career. He went first to Elma,
Iowa, and began work in the implement house of Frank Smart, with whom he
remained through the summer. He then accepted a clerkship in the general mer-
chandise establishment of William Deikmann, with whom he remained for a year.
He afterwards worked a short time for the Gilchrist Elevator Company at Elma.
lovv^a, and then went to Alta Vista, where he entered the employ of Timmermans
Brothers, general merchants, with whom he continued for two years. Following
this he went to work for E. C. Brenner, a general merchant of the same town,
and continued with him for seven years at two different periods. Between these two
periods, or in the fall of 1906, he went to Dickinson, North Dakota, to take charge
of the grocery section of a department store but in the following year went to the
Twin Cities and for four months was employed by the St. Paul Railway Company.
He then returned to Alta Vista and again became an employe of Mr. Brenner, with
whom he remained until 1910, when he came to Cresco. In July of that year he
entered the employ of Peterson Brothers, hardware merchants, with whom he con-
tinued until November, 1914. In January, 1915, the Maruska-Smith Company was
organized and on the 30th of the month its doors were thrown open for business.
Since that time the firm has remained active in the trade circles of the city and
they have built up a very substantial patronage. They carry a large line of shelf
and heavy hardware and their reasonable prices, straightforward dealing ajid
earnest efforts to please their customers have been the salient forces in the attain-
ment of their success.

In 1901 Mr. Maruska was united in marriage to Miss Clara Ruzicka, of Howard
county, and to them have been born six children, as follows: Mildred, Regina,
Clarence, Mabel, Agnes and Roger.

In his political views Mr. Maruska is a democrat and in 1912, through f.he
solicitation of his friends, he allowed his name to be placed on the ticket for county
clerk of the courts, but he was not desirous of the office and made no effort to be
elected. However, notwithstanding the big republican majority in the county, he
was defeated by only twenty-two votes, his support indicating his personal popularity
and the confidence reposed in him. In the spring election of 1918 he was elected
a member of the city council of Cresco and is now serving in that body, exercising
his official prerogatives in support of all interests for the public good. He is a
member of the Catholic Order of Foresters and also of the Knights of Columbus
and both he and his wife hold membership in the Catholic church. He ranks with
the representative citizens of Cresco and is highly esteemed as a man of genuine
worth, thoroughly reliable in matters of business and in citizenship.

ADOLPH ARNDT.

Adolph Arndt, busily engaged in agricultural pursuits in Howard county, his home
being on section 18, Afton township, was born in Germany, October 20. 1863, and is a
son of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Arndt, who in the year 1868 came with their family to the
United States. They took up their abode in Mitchell county, Iowa, where they resided for
a year, the father working on a farm during that period. He then brought his family
to Howard county in 1869 and established his home in Afton township, where he rented
a farm, on which he lived for five years. He was very desirous of owning property, how-
ever, and the family practiced economy as well as industry in order to gain a start.
About 1874 therefore the father was enabled to purchase land, becoming the owner of a
farm on which his son Adolph now resides. He and his wife continued to occupy that
place until they were called to their final rest, the father passing away in 1912, while
the mother's death occurred in 1909.

260 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

By the terms of his father's will Adolph Arndt came into possession of the old home-
stead property and has by an active, useful and well spent life justified his right to be
classed with the representative farmers of this section of the state. He was only five
years of age at the time of the emigration and a little lad of six years when the family
arrived in Howard county. Here he has lived through the intervening period, covering
a half century, and has been an interested witness of the development and improvement
of this section of the state and has at all times given active aid and cooperation to
projects for the public good. His education was acquired in the public schools and his
home training made him thoroughly familiar with the best methods of carrying on farm
work. On his father's death he took over the management of the old home place, which
he now owns and which is an excellent tract of land of one hundred and fiftj'-seven
acres, situated on section 18, Afton township.

In 1899 Mr. Arndt was married to Miss Mary Hohn and they have become the par-
ents of nine children, namely: Arthur, Walter, Gertie. Hedwig, Edith, Elbert, Marty,
Edward and Minnie, all of whom are yet with their parents. The religious faith of the
family is that of the German Lutheran church, their membership being in the church
at Riceville. Mr. Arndt votes with the republican party and is a student of political
questions and conditions, so that he is able to support his position by intelligent argu-
ment. He ranks with the substantial men and representative citizens of Afton township
and with its history is largely familiar, for through fifty long years he has witnessed the
changes that have occurred and the work that has been wrought as Howard county has
been placed upon a par in its opportunities and advantages with the counties of the
older east.

WESLEY O. SWENSON.

Among the attractive mercantile establishments of Cresco is the jewelry store of
Wesley O. Swenson, who in the conduct of his business displays marked enferprise
and progressiveness, utilizing every means at hand that wall bring him legitimate
success and basing his efforts largely upon his earnest desire to please his customers.
He is a native son of Cresco, his birth having here occurred on the 23d of October,
1872, his parents being Ole and Almeda (Sloan) Swenson. The father was born in
Skeen, Norway, in 1836 and was but four years of age when in 1840 he w^as brought
to the United States on a sailing vessel by his parents, the voyage covering nine
weeks. After reaching an American port they made their way westward by way of
the Great Lakes to Milwaukee and proceeded thence to North Cape, Racine county,
Wisconsin. There he remained until the outbreak of the Civil war, when, loyal to
the cause of his adopted country, he donned the nation's blue uniform and went to
the front as a member of the Union army. He was assigned to duty with Company
C of the Fifteenth Regiment of Wisconsin Infantry, with which he remained until
honorably discharged on the 31st of December, 1864, at Chattanooga, Tennessee. He
participated in many hotly contested engagements, including the siege of Island No.
10 in the Mississippi river on the 10th of April, 1862; the battles of Jacinta and luka,
Mississippi, on the 9th of September, 1862; of Champions Hill and Lancaster, Ken-
tucky, Knox Gap, Tennessee, Stone river, Chickamauga, Georgia on the 19th and 20th
of September 1863; the battle of Missionary Ridge on the 26th of November of the
same year; the battle of Charlestown, Tennessee, of Tunnel Hill, Georgia, Dalton and
Resaca, of Big Shanty, of Kenesaw Mountain and of Atlanta, Georgia. He was also
in the engagement at Jonesboro and in others of minor importance. He participated
in a very large percentage of the important battles of the war, however, and always
proved a valorous and loyal soldier, patriotically doing his duty, whether called to the
firing line or stationed on the lonely picket line. For a considerable period he was
under the command of General Sherman. At the battle of Stone river he was taken
prisoner on the 31st of December, 1862, by General Joe Wheeler's Texas Rangers but
was recaptured by a regiment of United States Cavalry. He took part in eighteen
battles altogether and His military record is a most creditable one. Since the 16th

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 261

of August, 1883, he has been a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and de-
lights in meeting with his old army comrades and recalling the scenes and incidents
of the Civil war, when with the "Boys in blue" he followed the nation's starry banner
on the battlefields of the south. He is a Mason and is a loyal exemplar of the craft.

After the close of the Civil war Ole Swenson returned to his home in Wisconsin
and in 1866 established a jewelry store at Watertord, that state. There he carried
on business for about a year but in 1867 sold out and removed to Cresco, where he
also opened a jewelry establishment, remaining in active connection with the business
throughout his entire life in this city. He was regarded as a thoroughly reliable and
progressive merchant and commanded at all times the confidence and good will of
his fellowmen. He married Miss Almeda Sloan, a native of Indiana, and they became
the parents of ten children, Etta, Wesley, William, Ole, Mae, Mabel, Winnie, Freddie,
George and Emma. The family circle was broken by the hand of death when on the
15th of June, 1906, the father passed away at his home in Cresco, his demise being
deeply regretted by all who knew him. His widow survives and yet makes her home
in Cresco, w'here she has so long resided.

Wesley O. Swenson whose name introduces this review has been a lifelong resi-
dent of Iowa. Born in Cresco, he began his education in its public schools and after
mastering the branches of learning taught in successive grades he attended the De-
corah (la.) Business College. He afterward returned to his father's farm near Cresco,
to the development and improvement of which he devoted his energies for six years,
after which he became identified with his father in the jewelry business, that associa-
tion being maintained until 1890. In 1899 he removed to the building which he now
occupies and afterward purchased it. He has here remained for twenty-seven years
and is today the owner of the finest jewelry store in northern Iowa. It is most at-
tractive in its appointments, with fine showcases and furnishings, and a most exten-
sive and beautiful line of goods is carried, while the reasonable prices and straight-
forward business methods of the owner insure to him a continually growing patronage.

Mr. Swenson is a republican in his political views and he has membership in
the Masonic lodge and the Eastern Star. He is also a charter member of the A. U. R.
J. A. of America and of the Iowa State Jewelers Association. He has always lived
in Howard county and the record which he has made places him among its repre-
sentative citizens. The name of Swenson has long been associated with the jewelry
trade in Cresco and the business which was instituted by his father at an early day
has been carried forward by Mr. Swenson and for twenty-seven years he has con-
ducted his commercial interests alone, following principles and methods which neither
seek nor require disguise, but which on the other hand will bear the closest investi-
gation and scrutiny. He is prompted by a progressive spirit in all that he does and
is constantly seeking to upbuild his trade by the adoption of advanced ideas that will
add to the attractiveness of his establishment. All who know him speak of him as a
most representative, honorable and honored business man of Cresco.

CHARLES SIGLER.

Charles Sigler, a well known farmer of Saratoga township, Howard county, was
born on the 11th of May, 1860, on the farm on section 20, where he still resides. His
father, Jared Sigler, was a native of Pennsylvania, his birth occurring near McKees-
port, November 8, 1813. At the age of eight years, in 1821. he lost his mother and
soon afterward accompanied his father and two brothers, Charles and Henry, on their
removal to Gallia county, Ohio. It was in that county that he became acquainted
with Miss Rhoda Ripley, who subsequently became his wife. She was born in Gallia
county, March 6, 1814, and they continued to reside there until 1853, when they came
to Iowa, locating first at Nashua, Chickasaw county. Two years later, however, they
removed to Saratoga township, Howard county, at which time their worldly posses-
sions consisted of only three cows and three calves and one gold dollar in money and
they were unfortunate in having one of the calves killed by a party of hunters from

262 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Lime Springs, who mistook it for a bear. Mr Sigler preempted one hundred and
sixty acres of land, which he purchased at the government price of a dollar and a
quarter per acre, and erected thereon a log house in which the family lived for some
time. He continued to reside upon his homestead until shortly before his death, which
occurred in May, 1888. His wife survived him for some years, passing away in April,
1901. To them were born thirteen children but only three of this numoer are now
living, these being: Mrs. Margaret Payne, of Jamestown township, Howard county;
Mrs. I. H. Berg, a resident of Los Angeles, California; and Charles, of this review.

Upon the home farm Charles Sigler grew to manhood, attending the district schools
of Saratoga township in the acquirement of his education. Throughout his life he
has followed farming to more or less extent but for about twenty-five years also worked
at the carpenter's trade. On the old homestead he was married March 20, 1880, to
Miss Eliza A. Nemires, whose parents were natives of New York state. Her father
died in the Civil war and in 1870 her mother, accompanied by three daughters and
one son, came to Howard county, Iowa, and located in Saratoga township, where Mrs.
Sigler was reared and educated. After a happy married life of twenty-one years she
passed away on the 24th of February, 1901. Of the eight children born to our subject
and his wife seven are still living, namely: Florence Mae, the wife of W. E. Pickett,
of Preston, Minnesota; Clara Belle, at home; Olive Mae, the wife of Frank Pickett,
of Preston, Minnesota; Rose V., who is married and resides in Los Angeles, California;
Roy, who is married and is operating the home farm; Mrs. Winnie Robinson, a resi-
dent of Upton, Wyoming; and Mrs. Hazel Robinson, of Waltham, Minnesota.

Mr. Sigler is not affiliated with any political organization, preferring to give his
support to the men whom he believes best qualified to fill the offices regardless of
party ties. Since 1893 he has been a member of the Modern Woodmen of America
and takes great interest in the work of that order. His fellow citizens, recognizing
his worth and ability, have called upon him to fill several official positions and he
has served as assessor of Saratoga township for the past nine years. He was also a
member of the board of trustees for one year and has been school treasurer for the
past four or five years. He is a man honored and respected wherever known.

WILBUR W. ROSE.

Wilbur W. Rose is the proprietor of the Golden Sunset Farm, situated on section 34,
Deerfield township, Chickasaw county. His landed holdings embrace one hundred and
sixty acres, which he has brought to a high state of cultivation and to which he has
added many improvements. His business enterprise and intelligently directed efforts
have gained him place among the substantial agriculturists of his section of the state.

He was born in Columbus county, Wisconsin, April 20. 1858, a son of Samuel and
Eliza (Cunningham) Rose. The father was a native of Bingham ton. New York, and the
mother was also born in the Empire state. There they were reared and married and
soon afterward they removed to Wisconsin, where they resided until 1866 and then came
to Chickasaw county, Iowa, taking up their abode upon the farm where their son Wilbur
W. now resides. The father at once began the development and improvement of the
property and continued its cultivation until his death, which occurred December 24, 1894.
He had for almost three decades been numbered among the representative agriculturists
of the community and was highly esteemed by reason of his sterling personal worth as
well as his business enterprise.

Wilbur W. Rose was reared on the old homestead and has resided thereon continu-
ously for a period of fifty-three years. At the usual age he became a pupil in the district
school near his father's home and thus acquired his education. After his marriage he
took charge of the home farm, which he operated on crop payments. Following his
father's death he bought eighty acres of the place and still lives upon the old homestead.
He has erected modern buildings and converted this into one of the highly improved farm
properties of the township. He has also acquired another eighty acre tract on section
35, so that his farm lands now embrace one hundred and sixty acres. He is very diligent

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 26&

and persistent in the conduct of his business affairs, and the sterling traits which he dis
plays in the management of his farm have gained him recognition as a leading agricul-
turist of the community.

On the 14th of December, 1882, Mr. Rose was united in marriage to Miss Eliza
Goddard, of Deerfield township, a daughter of George J. Goddard, one of the early set-
tlers of the township. He was born in England and came to the United States when a
child of but eight years in company with his parents, who settled first in Connecticut
and in 1854 removed from New England to Iowa, locating in Chickasaw county. The
grandfather, who was also named George Goddard bought one hundred and sixty acres
of land from the government, on which not a furrow had been turned nor an improve-
ment made. The place is situated on section 34, Deerfield township, and there both the
father and grandfather of Mrs. Rose resided until called to their final rest. By her mar-
riage Mrs. Rose has become the mother of four children: Jesse W., who is now farming
in Chickasaw township; Harry J., who carries on general agricultural pursuits in Deer-
field township; Lulu A., the wife of George Venz, a resident farmer of Chickasaw town-
ship; and John G., at home.

Mr. Rose is a republican in his political views and has supported the party since
reaching adult age. He is one of the foremost residents of his community, a public-
spirited citizen whose active interest in the general welfare is manifest in many ways.
He has also been a generous supporter of charitable projects and is always ready to ex-
tend a helping hand to a fellow traveler on life's journey. His salient characteristics
are such as command for him the goodwill and high regard of all who know him.

THOMAS GATES.

In the history of Howard county's business development mention should be made
of Thomas Gates, now deceased, who for many years was one of the most prominent stock
dealers of the county and for years the only one engaged in that business in Lime
Springs. He was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, October 28, 1843, and in early
childhood removed with his parents to Illinois, where he resided until 1856 and then
became a resident of Fillmore county, Minnesota, where his father homesteaded one
hundred and sixty acres of government land. There he and his wife spent their remain-
ing days and when called to the home beyond their remains were interred in the cemetery
at Le Roy, Minnesota.

Thomas Gates was educated in the district schools of the middle west and in 1864
then a young man of twenty-one years, he responded to the country's call for troops to
aid in the suppression of rebellion in the south and enlisted at Rochester, Minnesota, in
Company K of the Fourth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, with which he served under
Captain Beard until the close of the war, being honorably discharged at Louisville,
Kentucky, in 1865. He took part in the engagements at Altoona Pass and Savannah.
Georgia, and also in many other hotly contested battles which led up to the final victory
that crowned the Union arms.

With his return home Mr. Gates took up the occupation of farming in Fillmore
county, Minnesota, and there acquired a valuable tract of land of two hundred and fifty
acres, which he placed under a high state of cultivation, annually gathering rich harvests
as the reward for the care and labor which he bestowed upon his fields.

On the 27th of June, 1872, Mr. Gates was united in marriage to Miss Mary H. Munger,
who died in December, 1898, leaving three children, Walter, Fred and Minnie, of
whom the first named is now deceased. The second son is a resident of Lime
Springs and Minnie is the wife of Erwin Obriham of Lime Springs.

It was in 1876 that Mr. Gates removed with his family to Lime Springs and for
three years he was there engaged in the agricultural implement business. He then
turned his attention to the buying of live stock and for twenty-two years was
prominently identified with the live stock business, handling a large amount of cattle
each year. His sound judgment and enterprise in business affairs brought to him
a very substantial measure of success and he ranked with the foremost business

264 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

men and citizens of his town. He also owned extensive ranching interests in Ne-
braska and had one hundred and sixty acres of land adjoining the corporate limits
of Lime Springs at the time of his death.

It was on the 26th of June, 1901, that Mr. Gates was again married, his second
union being with Miss M. Jane Cray, a daughter of Joseph Cray, of whom extended
mention is made elsewhere in this work in connection with the sketch of his son,
John A. Cray. Mrs. Gates lived in Howard county during the early pioneer times
and when a program was given at the Methodist Episcopal church on the 10th of
March, 1916, called the "Old Fashioned School," she was asked to contribute a
paper concerning pioneer school days. Her article was a most interesting one,
beginning with her early experience as a pupil in the Beaver Creek school, which
was a log cabin on the bank of Beaver creek. The school was taught by a neighbor
woman, "Mrs. Mary Sage, whose household cares would admit of her being away
from home a part of the day, thus avoiding the necessity of a teacher boarding
around in the different homes." Only eight children attended that school, four
being from the Cray family. They had to walk a mile and a half and the grass
was so tall in many places along the path, and so thick, that if the children were
a few feet apart they could not see each other. In her article Mrs. Gates says:
"In one corner of this cabin which had been built for a dwelling was a ladder which
went up to the loft; on the back of this nails had been driven where we hung our
sunbonnets and dinner pails. One day when school was dismissed and we went for
our things, a large snake was coiled on the floor under the lower round. You can
imagine some excitement prevailed and the snake was disturbed; he began to
slowly crawl out and around to the door; the teacher got hold of a large stick
outside and slew the reptile, which was over eight feet long." In the winter time
the children had to pick their way over snowdrifts higher than the fence and some-
times it was all they could do to get through. But there were many jolly good
times mixed in with the hardships. After attending district schools in her early
girlhood Mrs. Gates became a pupil in a school taught by the Rev. Adam Craig in one
room of his house, this constituting the beginning of the Lime Springs Academy.
When but fourteen years of age Mrs. Gates received her certificate and at fifteen
began teaching school, a profession which she actively followed for several years,
making valuable contribution to the intellectual development of the district in
which she was employed.

Mr. Gates was a member of Howard Lodge, No. 214, A. F. & A. M., of Lime
Springs, and also a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He passed
away December 30, 1903, and though sixteen years have since come and gone, he
is yet remembered by many of the older people as a most substantial business man
and most highly esteemed citizen. In politics he was a republican and served as
a member of the town council for several years, during which time he closely
studied the needs of the public and put forth every effort to advance the general
welfare. His life was a busy and useful one, characterized by the most straightfor-
ward principles at all times, and those who knew him entertained for him warm
regard. Mrs. Gates, who survives her husband, is a woman of refinement and of
no little literary ability. In her home she is a gracious hostess, making every
guest feel at ease, and through the long period of her residence in this section of
the state she has gained a very extensive circle of warm friends.

L. V. SVESTKA.

The rich farming country of Howard county furnishes excellent opportunities
to the progressive agriculturist and L. V. Svestka is numbered among those who
have taken advantage of the opportunities thus afforded. He now follows farming
on section 14, Paris township, and makes his home in the village of Schley. He was
born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, October 23, 1873, a son of Jacob and Mary
(Kallshek) Svestka, both of whom were natives of Bohemia, where they were reared

'''^^-. "^^/'-/v^

L. V. SVESTKA

Vol. n— IT

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 267

•

and married. Coming to the United States about 1866 or 1867, they settled in
Winneshiek county, Iowa. They were accompanied by Mrs. Svestka's father, who, as
well as Mr. Svestka, purchased forty acres of land in that county. The family there
resided for twelve or thirteen years and about 1880 came to Howard county, at
which time Mr. Svestka bought eighty acres of land in New Oregon township. He
was one of the few men of his neighborhood who passed through the three years'
wheat failure without being forced into bankruptcy. However, he escaped by only
a small margin. As the years passed, however, his labors were rewarded with
good crops and he subsequently purchased other land from time to time until he
owned four hundred and eighty acres, which he converted into rich and productive
fields. He has since divided this among his children save for the tract of eighty
acres upon which he resides. He now makes his home in Protivin. His wife
passed away in 1912.

Mr. Svestka was educated in the district and parochial schools of Spillville,
Iowa, and in 1896 began farming on his own account, renting one hundred and
sixty acres of land in Paris township from his father. The following year he pur-
chased the farm and further made arrangements for having a home of his own by
his marriage on the 29th of September of that year to Miss Mary Slama, of New
Oregon township, Howard county. They have become the parents of five children:
Reuben, Lillian, Grace, Arthur and Louverne, all of whom are yet at home.

In 1902 Mr. Svestka purchased his present home farm adjoining the village of
Schley and a year later sold his other farm property. He now makes his home
in Schley, so that he is able to enjoy the advantages of town life and at the same
time have all of the opportunities afforded by residence on the farm. For several
years he has conducted a woodworking shop in Schley, where he does repair work
on wagons and also has followed plastering and building. He never served an
apprenticeship at either trade but is a natural mechanic and has developed expert
skill along various lines.

In politics Mr. Svestka is a democrat and served for several years as constable
of his district, while for the past two years he has been treasurer of the school
board. He and his family are identified with the Catholic church, and fraternally
he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. His entire life has been
passed in Iowa, and the spirit of western progress and enterprise which has been
the dominant factor in the upbuilding of this section of the country has found ex-
pression in his life, making him one of the capable and representative farmers and
business men of his district.

HENRY M. HANSEN.

On the roster of public officials in Howard county appears the name of Henry
M. Hansen, who is ably filling the position of county treasurer. He is numbered
among the worthy native sons of the county, his birth having occurred in Vernon
Springs township on the 5th of March, 1890. His parents, Peter and Marie (Chris-
tensen) Hansen, both of whom are natives of Denmark, emigrated to the United
States in young manhood and young womanhood and made their way directly west
to Iowa. The father located near Lime Springs, in Howard county, and after his
marriage took up his abode on a farm in Vernon Springs township, one mile west
of his present home place, which comprises one hundred and sixty acres of valuable
land and which he purchased about 1889. Through the intervening period of
thirty years he has remained a resident of the same neighborhood and is widely
and favorably known throughout the community. In addition to the home farm he
owns another tract of one hundred and twenty acres in Howard Center township.
Both he and his wife are consistent and devoted members of the Lutheran church.

Henry M. Hansen supplemented his early education, acquired in the district
schools, by a course in the Cresco high school, from which he was graduated with
the class of 1910. Subsequently he attended the Waterloo Business College and

268 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

after completing his studies there secured a situation in the office of the Repass
Automobile Company of Waterloo, being thus employed for about one year. He
next spent a brief period as an employe in the law office of M. Hartness at Greene,
Iowa, and then became connected with the University of Minnesota, as assistant
purchasing agent for that institution, in which capacity he continued for a little
more than two years. In the spring of 1914 he returned to Howard county and
through the succeeding two years operated his father's farm of one hundred and
twenty acres in Howard Center township. In the fall of 1916 he entered the office
of the county treasurer as deputy and in the November election of 1918 was chosen
county treasurer, having since served in that capacity. He discharges his duties
with marked efficiency and faithfulness and is making a most excellent record in
the office.

On the 1st of December, 1914, Mr. Hansen was united in marriage to Miss
Wilma May Barnes, a daughter of Edgar and Florence May (Chapel) Barnes.
Both Mrs. Hansen and her father are natives of Howard county, the paternal grand-
father, Edwin Barnes becoming one of the pioneer settlers here. Edgar Barnes
now makes his home in Arizona, but his wife has passed away. To Mr. and Mrs.
Hansen have been born four children, including triplets, but only two of the chil-
dren survive, Eleanore May and Ruth Marie.

In his political views Mr. Hansen is a republican, while fraternally he is identi-
fied with Cresco Lodge, No. 150, A. F. & A. M. His religious faith is indicated by
his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, to which his wife also belongs,
and both are highly esteemed for their many excellent traits of character.

HON. LEE W. ELWOOD.

On the list of representative men of northern Iowa the name of Hon. Lee W. Elwood
figures prominently, for he is actively connected with the Elwood Land Company, is
an attorney at law and, moreover, has served his district as a representative in the
thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh general assemblies. Along many lines touch-
ing the general interests of society, therefore, his labors have been of a most valuable
and resultant character. Howard county numbers him among her native sons. He was
born December 27, 1888, his parents being Frank D. and Catherine (Harris) Elwood,
the former a native of Jones county, Iowa, while the latter was born in Canada. They
were married, however, in Howard county, whither the father had removed in young
manhood, while the mother came to this county with her parents when a little maiden
of but four years. Frank D. Elwood was for many years engaged in farming, continu-
ing active in the work of the fields until 1894, when he removed to Elma and engaged
:n the live stock and land business. His operations in both lines have been very exten-
sive throughout the intervening period of twenty-five years, placing him in the front
rank among the leading and representative business men of this portion of the state.
To him and his wife were born four children, of whom three are yet living. Reed is
mentioned elsewhere in this work. The second is Lee W., of this review, and the young-
est is Francis Dale, at home.

Lee W. Elwood had the educational advantages offered by the State University of
Iowa, in which he received his LL. B. degree as a member of the class of 1909. He
reached his graduation before attaining his majority and was therefore compelled to
wait until the following year before entering upon the practice of his chosen profession,
•as the law required an attorney to be twenty-one years of age. In 1910 he opened an
office in Elma and in 1917 his brother Reed was admitted to a partnership, thus organ-
izing the law firm of Elwood & Elwood. They have since enjoyed an extensive and dis-
tinctly representative clientage. In addition to their law practice they are associated
in the buying and selling of farm lands and the Elwoods are among the largest oper-
ators in real estate in northern Iowa. Their own land holdings in Howard county are
extensive and they also have property elsewhere in this part of the state, for they are

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 269

not only large dealers in farm lands but they operate all of their holdings and are
among the largest known raisers of cattle and hogs in Iowa.

In November, 1912, Mr. Elwood was elected on the republican ticket to the Iowa
state legislature, although but twenty-three years of age, becoming one of the youngest
members ever chosen to that body. He served through three sessions of the legislature
as a member of the upper house and gave thoughtful and earnest attention and con-
sideration to many vital questions which came up for settlement. He is also a member
of Maple Leaf Lodge, No. 528, A. F. & A. M., and is identified with the Modern Wood-
men of America. During the period of the war no one questioned his position. He was
an untiring worker in behalf of every agency or avenue through which the interests of
the country and her representatives on foreign soil might be furthered. Elma was the
only town outside the county seat in Howard county and in fact the only small town
in the state that had a Red Cross Chapter, other small towns working under the county
seat town and larger city chapters. Mr. Elwood, however, organized the Elma Chapter
and was chairman of the organization for the first year. He was also a member of the
township organization of the Liberty Loan committee and he did much to promote the
loans and advance government interests here.

In June, 1916, Mr. Elwood was married to Miss Alice Church, of Elma, and they
have become the parents of a son, Fred. They occupy an enviable social position and
their home is the abode of warm-hearted hospitality which is greatly enjoyed by many
friends. Mr. Elwood has exerted marked influence over public thought and opinion and
his activities have been most wisely directed not only in the upbuilding of his own for-
tunes but in the development of interests and affairs of public concern.

JOSEPH JIRAK.

The Pleasant Valley Stock Farm, situated on section 25, Utica township, Chickasaw
county, is the property of Joseph Jirak, who is classed with the leading and prominent
farmers of northern Iowa. He was born in Winneshiek county, May 20, 1862, and is a
son of Wenzel and Mary (Dvorak) Jirak who were natives of Bohemia, where they were
reared and married. In 1859 they bade adieu to friends and native land and came to th«
new world, crossing the Atlantic on one of the old-time sailing vessels to New Orleans,
where they arrived after a voyage of seventy-seven days. They then proceeded up the
Mississippi river to St. Louis, where they arrived on the 24th of December. They were
obliged to pause in that city on account of the river being frozen over and they re-
mained in St. Louis until the following spring, when they continued up the Mississippi
to McGregor. There Mr. Jirak hired a man to haul his goods to Calmar and he and his
wife made the journey on foot, walking behind the wagon. The father first purchased
forty acres of land near Calmar, on which the family lived for four years, at the end
of which time he sold that property and purchased one hundred acres near Spillville in
Sumner township. Upon this farm he resided until about four years prior to his death,
when he retired from active business and established his home in Spillville, where he
passed away on the 24th of July, 1901, when he had reached the age of seventy-six
years, eleven months and nine days. The mother's death occurred May 17, 1910, at the
age of seventy-six years, nine months and three days.

Joseph Jirak was reared upon the old home farm in Winneshiek county and
through the period of his youth attended the district schools and worked in the fields
on the old home place. In 1884, desirous of engaging in business on his own account,
he bought a farm ^f One hundred and sixty acres in Jacksonville township, Winneshiek
county, and the following year he made further arrangements for having a home of
his own by his marriage to Miss Frances Novak, a daughter of Martin Novak, who
came to the United States in 1851. He worked on the Mississippi river steamboats for
several years and about 1860 settled permanently in Winneshiek county, where he is still
living at the advanced age of eighty-six years.

Following his marriage Mr. Jirak took up his abode upon his Winneshiek county
farm and subsequently he extended its boundaries by additional purchases until he be-

270 CHICKASA\\^ AND HOWARD COUNTIES

came the owner of two hundred and eighty acres. He continued to reside thereon until
1904, when he sold that property and made investment in his present home farm,
conaprising three hundred and twenty acres of rich and productive land on section 25,
Utica township, Chickasaw county, and known as the Pleasant Valley Stock Farm.
While he produces excellent crops and his fields respond generously to the care and
labor which he bestows upon them in the cultivation of his crops, he also makes stock
raising an important feature of his business, handling black polled Angus and shorthorn
cattle.

Mr. and Mrs. Jirak are the parents of five children, namely: Frances, who is the
wife of John Koudelka, a farmer of Utica township; Leonora, the wife of John Kovar,
also an agriculturist of Utica township; Gottlieb, who is engaged in general farming in
Utica township; and Stanley and Jerry, both at home.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and in his political
belief Mr. Jirak is a democrat. He served for several years as a member of the school
board of Winneshiek county but has never been active in political circles as an office
holder. He has always preferred to give his time and attention to business affairs and
aside from his farming and stock raising interests he is a stockholder in the Waucoma
Farmers Creamery Company and in the Lawler Creamery Association. Well directed
energy has brought him to a place among the foremost farmers and business men of
Chickasaw county and his success is well deserved, as it has come to him as the direct
reward of earnest and persistent labor.

J. B. JONES.

J. B. Jones is one of the substantial citizens of Chester and has been a resident
of this section of the country from pioneer times. He has therefore witnessed the
greater part of its growth and development and has contributed in substantial
measure to the work of general improvement. He was born in Beloit, Wisconsin,
September 28, 1848, a son of Richard P. and Elizabeth (Davis) Jones, both of
whom were natives of Wales, where they were reared and married. In 1846 they
came to the United States, settling first in Beloit, Wisconsin, where they resided
for six years. On the expiration of that period they removed to a point about one
hundred miles north in Green Lake county and in 1865 they made their way west
of the Mississippi and took up their abode in Fillmore county, Minnesota. They
located on a farm on the southern boundary line of the state, which is also the
Howard county line and but four miles north of Chester. In 1904 they moved
across the line into Howard county, where they resided until called to their final
rest.

J. B. Jones, whose name introduces this review, received but limited educa-
tional privileges — such as were afforded by the district schools of that early day.
In the school of experience, however, he has learned many valuable lessons. In
1876 his father left the home farm, taking up his abode in Foreston, and the care
of the property thus devolved upon Mr. Jones of this review. He cultivated it for a
few years as a renter and subsequently purchased the place. He bent every energy
to the further development and improvement of the farm, year by year carefully
tilling the soil and as the result of his diligence and determination harvesting good
crops. He was thus successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1904, when
he removed to Chester, where he has since lived retired, enjoying in well earned
rest the fruits of his former toil.

In 1876 Mr. Jones was married to Miss Rosa Goite, a daughter of George Goite.
one of the earliest of Howard county's pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Jones became the
parents of eight children, seven of whom are living: Roy, a member of the firm
of Jones Brothers, hardware dealers of Chester; Clara, the wife of Thomas Williams,
a farmer living at Highmore, South Dakota; Arthur, at home; Manney, who is in
partnership with his brother Roy; Llewellyn, living at Columbus. Ohio; Myrtle, the
wife of Earl Barker, of Minneapolis. Minnesota; and Nellie, a commercial saleswoman

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 271

of Minneapolis. The wife and mother passed away in 1912, her death being deeply
regretted not only by her immediate family but by many friends as well.

Mr. Jones gives his political allegiance to the republican party and is well versed
in the questions and issues of the day. He is one of the well known residents of
Chester and of Howard county, having lived in this section of the country from
pioneer times. He has therefore witnessed the entire growth and development of
the region and has ever borne his part in the work of general improvement and
progress.

J. A. BEAUMASTER.

J. A. Beaumaster, a well known farmer residing on section 1, Howard township,
in Howard county, has been a resident of northern Iowa since a youth of thirteen
years, at which time the family home was established in Chickasaw county. He
was born in Racine county, Wisconsin, on the 8th of January, 1863, and is a son
of William and Theresa (Wiemer) Beaumaster, who were natives of Germany.
They came to America, however, in young manhood and womanhood and were mar-
ried in Racine county, Wisconsin, where the father had taken up his abode at an
early period in the development of that region. There he engaged in farming until
1876, when he removed with his family to Iowa, settling in Washington township,
Chickasaw county, where he purchased eighty acres of land. This he afterward
traded for town property in Alta Vista and a quarter section in Howard township,
Howard county He was a veteran of the Civil war and his service so undermined
his health that he was unable to do the active work of the farm. He suffered from
rheumatism and heart trouble for many years and the trouble with his heart ulti-
mately occasioned his death in 1913, when he had reached the age of eighty-seven
years. His wife passed away in 1910, at the age of seventy-one.

J. A. Beaumaster began his education in the district schools of Wisconsin and
continued his studies in the district schools of Iowa after the removal of the family
to this state. His early experiences were those of the farm-bred boy and in 1885,
when twenty-two years of age, he began farming on his own account. For nine
years he continued the cultivation of rented land and in 1894 he purchased from
his savings his present home farm of one hundred and sixty acres, for which he
paid thirteen dollars per acre. He had but fifty dollars capital at the time, but he
purchased from S. A. Converse, who loaned him three hundred dollars in order to
enable him to get a start. He bent every energy toward clearing his place of all
indebtedness and the task was soon accomplished as the result of his indefatigable
industry, perseverance and economy. That his labors have wrought a marked
transformation in the appearance and value of the place is indicated in the fact
that he would not today sell his farm for two hundred dollars per acre. He has
carefully cultivated his fields and for some years has specialized in the breeding of
registered polled Angus cattle and fine Poland China hogs. His stock raising inter-
ests have been a very substantial element in his success. Aside from his home
place he rents other land and for some years has been farming three hundred and
sixty-five acres, annually gathering large crops because of the careful and syste-
matic manner in which he tills his fields. He has ever been keenly interested in
those things which have to do with the agricultural development of his district and
has quickly adopted all improved methods which he believes will be of sterling
worth in promoting farm progress. He served for twelve years as a member of
the board of directors of the Elma Cooperative Creamery Company but is not at
present a stockholder in that concern.

On the 18th of October, 1892, Mr. Beaumaster was joined in wedlock to Miss
Mary Fitzgerald, a daughter of Thomas Fitzgerald, who was one of the earliest
pioneer settlers of Howard county but is now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Beau-
master have been born five children, four of whom survive, as follows: Mame, at

272 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

home; William, who follows farming in Paris township, Howard county; and Lloyd
and Esther, who are also yet under the parental roof.

Mr. Beaumaster and his family are members of the Catholic church and his
political allegiance is given to the democratic party. He has served for four terms
as township assessor and for several years has been a member of the school board,
stanchly supporting all progressive measures for the development of the schools
of his district. He deserves much credit for what he has accomplished, for his
activity has been the basis of his growing success. He is truly a self-made man
and his record shows what can be accomplished through individual effort and deter-
mination. His labors have been wisely directed and he is today one of the pros-
perous citizens of Howard county.

GEORGE W. MERRILL.

The home farm of George W. Merrill is situated in Saratoga township, Howard
county, where he owns one hundred and sixty acres of land situated on section 27
and eighty acres on section 22. He manifests most progressive methods in the
further development of his farm property and his careful tilling of the soil year
after year has gained him place among the substantial residents of his part of the
state. Mr. Merrill is one of Iowa's native sons, his birth having occurred in
Decorah, April 12, 1861, his parents being George and Nancy (Trent) Merrill.
The father was born in Oneida county, New York, in 1826, and the mother's birth
occurred in Connecticut in 1829. They were married in Waukon, loM'a, in 1853,
and in the following year established their home at Decorah. Mr. Merrill gave
his attention to farming about a mile and a half north of the city, where he pur-
chased land which he continued to cultivate until 1865. He then removed with
his family to Frankville, Winneshiek county, disposing of his land at Decorah
and making investment at Frankville. In 1880 he traded the latter place and
came to Saratoga township, Howard county. It was in 1883 that he built upon
the homestead farm, which comprises two hundred and forty acres of rich and
productive land. Throughout the intervening years to the time of his death he
lived upon that property and brought his fields under a very high state of culti-
vation. He died in the year 1907, having for five years survived his wife, who
passed away in 1902.

The youthful days of George W. Merrill were spent under the parental roof
and he accompanied his parents on their various removals. He was a pupil in the
public schools of Iowa and in vacation periods worked in the fields, so that he
early became familiar with practical farming methods. On attaining his majority
he started out in the business world as a farm hand, working through the sum-
mer months, while in the winter of 1884-5 he was again in school. As the years
have passed he has concentrated his attention and efforts more and more largely
upon farming and is today active in the cultivation and control of two hundred
and forty acres of land situated in Saratoga township, constituting one of the fine
farms of the district.

Mr. Merrill was united in marriage on the 2d of July, 19 00, to Miss Julia
Nelson, who was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, in 1879, a daughter of Peter
Nelson, who resides in Saratoga township, making his home about a mile south
and a mile west of Mr. Merrill's farm. To Mr. and Mrs. Merrill have been born
three children, Leona May, George Delbert and Joy Bernice, all at home.

Mr. Merrill and his brother Archie are the only members of the family resid-
ing in this locality. A sister, Mrs. Dell Hawes, is living in Santa Cruz, California,
and another sister, Mrs. Hattie Chamberlin, in San Francisco. He is the third
in order of birth, while he has two younger brothers: Fred, making his home in
lone, California; and Frank, residing in Chickasaw county, Iowa. Another brother,
Archie, is living a mile west of George Merrill, in Saratoga township, and the
youngest, Ben M., resides in Hartford, Connecticut.

MR. AND MRS. GEORGE W. MERRILL

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 275

Aside from his farming interests Mr. Merrill is a stockholder in the Farmers
Cooperative Creamery of Saratoga. In the midst of a busy life he has yet found
time for public service and for two terms or four years has filled the position of
township clerk. His political allegiance is given to the republican party. He is
interested in the church and all agencies for the benefit and welfare of the com-
munity and his sterling worth is attested by many who know him.

A. J. PIERSON.

A. J. Pierson, leading jeweler and a prominent business man of New Hampton, is
the proprietor of one of the most up-to-date jewelry establishments in northern Iowa,
which he has conducted for the past seven years. His birth occurred in Bremer county,
this state, on the 21st of November, 1869, his parents being Charles A. and Eliza J.
(Rickel) Pierson, the former a native of Sweden and the latter of Ohio. The father
emigrated to the United States as a lad of twelve years in company with his parents,
who settled in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he grew to manhood. He then accompanied
his parents on their removal to Bremer county, Iowa, the family taking up their abode
among the pioneer settlers of that section of the state. The Rickel family established
their home in that county about the same time and it was there that Charles A. Pierson
wedded Eliza J. Rickel, With whom he then located on a farm in Bremer county.

A. J. Pierson obtained his education in the district schools of his native county and
on reaching young manhood took up the trade of watchmaking. In 1893 he was gradu-
ated from W. F. A. Woodcock's horological school at Winona, Minnesota, and the foi-
ling year established himself in the jewelry and watch repairing business at Wesley,
Iowa, where he continued for four years. On the expiration of that period in 1898. he
came to New Hampton, where he worked as a watchmaker for the firm of Wilkins
Brothers through the succeeding fourteen years. In 1899 he was graduated from the
Omaha Optical Institute in engraving and optics. When he felt that his capital and
experience justified him in again embarking upon an independent business venture he
engaged in the jewelry business on his own account at New Hampton in 1912 and has
since developed his interests until he is now at the head of one of the most modern and
successful jewelry establishments in this part of the state.

In 1893 Mr. Pierson was united in marriage to Miss Flora M. Castor, of Nashua.
Chickasaw county. In politics he is a republican, loyally supporting the men and meas-
ures of that party at the polls. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, belonging
to Arcana Lodge, while both he and his wife are members of New Hampton Chapter,
No. 75, 0. E. S. He is likewise a Knight of Pythias, having his membership in Lancelot
Lodge, No. 183. Mrs. Pierson belongs to the Baptist church. The period of their resi-
dence in New Hampton now covers more than two decades and they are well known and
highly esteemed throughout the community, while Mr. Pierson enjoys an enviable repu-
tation as one of its most enterprising citizens and foremost business men.

JOSEPH ANDERA.

Joseph Andera, deceased, was numbered among the pioneer residents of Howard
county who settled in this section of the state when it was a wild and undeveloped
region, giving little promise of future growth and improvement. Mr. Andera was born
in Bohemia on the 10th of August, 1850, a son of Frank and Catherine (Chekal) And-
era, who crossed the Atlantic to the new world in 1862, settling first in Canada. A year
later they crossed the border into the United States and established their home at Spill-
ville, Winneshiek county, Iowa, where both the father and mother continued to reside
until called to their final rest.

Joseph Andera was reared under the parental roof and in Spillville, in 1873, was
united in marriage to Miss Mary Kovarik, a native of Bohemia, who came to the United

276 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

States in 1868 with her parents, John and Marie (Jira) Kovarik, who settled in Winne-
shiek county and subsequently took up their abode in the town of Spillville, where they
remained until called to the home beyond. In 1886 Mr. Andera with his family of six
children removed to Howard county and purchased a farm in New Oregon township six
miles west of Protivin. He then bent his energies to the further development and im-
provement of that property but afterward sold the farm and bought the northeast quar-
ter of section 32. He also rented other land and lived on the section across the road to
the north, where his death occurred on the 9th of March, 1904. Mrs. Andera survives
and occupies a comfortable home in Protivin.

To Mr. and Mrs. Andera were born eight children, seven of whom are yet living,
namely: Joseph, a resident of Protivin-, who is living with his mother and owns a
farm; John F., a carpenter and building contractor of Protivin; Agnes, the wife of
Lewis Pecinovsky, a farmer residing in New Oregon township; James L.. a mechanic
employed in the garage of the Klimesh Automobile Company; Bozena, the wife of Joseph
Michalec, a horse breeder of Protivin; and Charles J., who is a road grading contractor,
and Frank S. is a mechanic and owns an auto livery; likewise residents of Protivin
All of the family are members of the Catholic church and the three sons, Joseph, James
and John, have membership with the Catholic Workmen. The Andera family is one of
the well known families of Howard county, where they have been represented from
pioneer times.

J. B. LOWE.

J. B. Lowe is a representative and successful business man of New Hampton,
where for the past seven years he has conducted his interests as a well driller and
dealer in windmills and pumps. He was born in Delaware county, Iowa, on the
10th of November, 1856, a son of Andrew J. and Mary (Lloyd) Lowe, the former
probably a native of Virginia, while the latter was born in Wales. They were
married at Mineral Point, Wisconsin, and immediately thereafter came to Iowa,
taking up their abode among the pioneer settlers of Delaware county. Andrew J.
Lowe located his farm in the timber, although there was plenty of prairie land to
be obtained only a half mile distant. About 1875 he went to Dubuque county,
Iowa, and when five years had passed removed to Bremer county, while about 1892
he established his home in Crawford county, Kansas, where his demise occurred
two years later.

J. B. Lowe pursued his education in the district schools and remained under
the parental roof, assisting in the work of the home farm, until he was married at
the age of twenty-four years. He then began farming on his own account as a
renter and about two years later purchased a tract of land in Bremer county, the
cultivation of which claimed his time and energies for three years. On the expira-
tion of that period he took up his abode in Sumner, where he embarked in busi-
ness as a well driller and dealer in windmills and pumps, with which line of activity
he has since been prominently and successfully identified. In 1904 he removed to
Mason City, Iowa, but after residing there for eight years came to New Hampton in
1912, purchasing the handsome residence on East Main street in which he has since
made his home. Sound judgment, enterprise and industry have characterized him
in the conduct of his business affairs, so that substantial prosperity has rewarded
his efforts and he has become widely recognized as one of the representative and
esteemed citizens of the community.

In 1880 Mr. Lowe was united in marriage to Miss Adaline E. McCormack, of
Fayette county, Iowa, by whom he had two children, one of whom has passed away.
The surviving daughter is Edna Eugenia, who is engaged in Chautauqua work with
the Ellison & White Chautauqua Company of Portland, Oregon.

Mr. Lowe exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures
of the democratic party but has never been an aspirant for public preferment.
Fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias, belonging to Lancelot

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 277

Lodge. No. 183. His wife and daughter attend the Congregational church. The
family are widely and favorably known in New Hampton, where the circle of their
friends is almost coextensive with the circle of their acquaintance.

GEORGE H. MILLER.

George H. Miller, residing on section 10, Paris township, Howard county, is a
native of Iowa, his birth occurring in Chickasaw county on the 15th of September,
1869. His parents, Charles G. and Julia (Wise) Miller, were both born in Ger-
many and in early life came to the United States, locating first in the state of New
York, where they were subsequently married. Not long afterward they came to
Iowa and first located in Winneshiek county, but about 1867 removed to Chicka-
saw county, the father acquiring two hundred and sixty-five acres of land in Jack-
sonville township, one hundred and eighty acres of which he still owns. He was
actively engaged in general farming until 1903, when he retired and removed to
New Hampton, which city is still his home. His wife died on the 19th of Novem-
ber, 1914.

In this locality George H. Miller was reared and educated, attending the dis-
trict schools near his boyhood home. He assisted his father in the work of the farm
until his marriage, which was celebrated in November, 1894, Miss Lena Natvig, of
Saude. Utica township, Chickasaw county, becoming his wife. They have become
the parents of two children, Carl J. and Homer A. G., both at home.

In the spring following his marriage Mr. Miller purchased his present farm on
section 10, Paris township, Howard county, becoming the owner at that time of one
hundred and sixty acres. Subsequently he bought another forty acre tract on sec-
tion 14 in the same township and also five acres of timber land in New Oregon township.
He has erected all of the present buildings upon his place, doing all of the carpenter
work himself, as for two years prior to his marriage he had followed that trade
and had become thoroughly familiar with the builder's art. He now has one of the
best improved farms of the locality and has met with excellent success in his life
work. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Cooperative Creamery Company of
Jerico and for several years was a member of its board of directors. He is also a
stockholder in the Farmers Lumber & Coal Company of Alta Vista and is a most
enterprising and progressive business man.

Mr. Miller has been a lifelong republican in politics, taking a very active and
influential part in public affairs and serving for the past twenty years as chairman
of the republican central committee of his precinct. For six years he was a mem-
ber of the board of township trustees and he has always given hearty support to
any enterprise which he believed would prove of public benefit. In religious faith
the family are Lutherans and are held in the highest esteem by all who know them.

GERD MILLER.

Gerd Miller is a farmer and a stock buyer living on section 35, Deerfield town-
ship, Chickasaw county. He was born in Germany, November 9, 1857, and is a son
of Peter and Mary (Lauges) Miller, who spent their entire lives in Germany. There
the son was reared to manhood and acquired his education in the public schools.
His father was a veterinarian and in his youthful days Gerd Miller assisted him in
work of that character. In young manhood he became employed by the year on
neighboring farms and in 1880 he resolved to try his fortune in the new world and
came to the United States first making his way to Jo Daviess county, Illinois, where
he secured employment as a farm hand. He there remained for seven years and
during one year of that time engaged in raising tobacco. In 1888 he removed to

278 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Iowa, becoming a resident of Chickasaw county, and during his first summer here
he worked out by the month as a farm hand.

It was on the 2d of October, 1889, that Mr. Miller was married to Miss Anna
Peitz, a daughter of Peter Peitz, a native of Germany and a representative of one of
the early pioneer families of Chickasaw county. During the spring prior to his
marriage Mr. Miller had purchased ninety acres of his present home farm in part-
nership with his brother Anthony. Following his marriage he located upon this
place and has since made it his home. He has prospered as the years have gone
by and as the result of his diligence and industry has been enabled to add to his
holdings until he is now the owner of two hundred and forty acres of the most
fertile land of Chickasaw county. He is ranked among Deerfield township's suc-
cessful farmers and substantial citizens. In addition to developing his land and
producing the crops best adapted to soil and climatic conditions here he has for
twenty-three years also been engaged in the buying of live stock and is one of the
best known stock buyers of Chickasaw county.

To Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been born seven children, five of whom are yet
living: Clara, the wife of George Peitz, a resident farmer of Washington town-
ship, Chickasaw county; and Elizabeth, Sarah, Alfred and Raymond, all at home.
The family are well known in this locality and are members of the Catholic church.

In politics Mr. Miller is an ardent democrat but has never been an office seeker.
He has always preferred to give his time, and close attention to business affairs, and
as the result of his unceasing labor, guided by sound judgment, he has gained a
very substantial measure of success.

CHARLES D. NICHOLS.

Prominent among the enterprising, progressive and far-sighted business men of
Cresco is Charles D. Nichols, owner and manager of the Nichols Clothing store and
also active in connection with live stock interests of Howard county. He was born
in Albion township of this county on the 26th of August, 1861, his parents being
William C. and Lydia R. (Hazard) Nichols. The father was born In Londonderry,
New Hampshire, while the mother was a native of Yorkshire Corners, New York.
William C. Nichols acquired his education in the public schools of his native town
and In Lowell, Massachusetts, and for a period also studied in Boston. With his
father's family he removed to Cattaraugus county. New York, where the grand-
father engaged in farming. At a later period the family home was established in
Ogle county, Illinois, and a part of that trip was made by wagon. The spirit of
pioneer enterprise actuated the family and prompted their various westward re-
movals. In 1854 Mr. Nichols again turned his face toward the setting sun and
with ox teams traveled westward to Albion township, Howard county, Iowa, secur-
ing a preemption claim of one hundred and sixty acres near Granger. For this
he paid the usual government price and came into possession of a tract of wild
prairie land on which not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made.
He at once built a log house there to shelter his family and in the course of years
this primitive frontier home was replaced by a frame dwelling. Year after year
he carefully tilled his fields and Improved his farm, continuing to reside thereon
until his death, which occurred in 1873, while his wife passed away in 1883. They
were both consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church and were ever
loyal to its teachings. Mr. Nichols was a republican In his political views and held
a number of township offices, the duties of which he discharged with promptness
and fidelity, his course being one which reflected credit upon himself and was
highly satisfactory as well to his constituents.

After removing to Ogle county, Illinois, with his parents William C. Nichols
began traveling for the Grand Detour Plow Company, selling plows off the wagon
for this firm until 1856, when he, too, made his way to Albion township, Howard
county, Iowa, and purchased a quarter section of government land south of his

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 279

father's old farm. His first home in Iowa was likewise a log house, but when his
financial resources increased and lumber could be more easily secured he built a
frame dwelling. Year after year he carried on general agricultural pursuits with
success and became one of the representative and valued farmers of his locality.
At length he put aside active business cares and took up his abode in Cresco, where
he spent his remaining days in the enjoyment of well earned rest, passing away in
1901 at the age of seventy-one years, while his wife, long surviving him, died in
1918 at the age of eighty-four years. Mrs. William C. Nichols had removed west-
ward with her parents from New York, the trip being made by boat to Chicago and
with ox teams to Ogle county, Illinois. At that period Chicago was a small town
and the most farsighted could scarcely have dreamed of the marvelous changes
which were to occur within a comparatively short time. Her father took up gov-
ernment land and built a log house, which in time he replaced by a more commo-
dious and modern residence, continuing to develop his farm until his death, and his
wife also passed away upon the farm.

Throughout the period of his boyhood and youth Charles D. Nichols remained
upon the old homestead farm in Albion township, meeting with all the experiences
which fall to the lot of the farm-bred boy who divides his time between the acquire-
ment of an education and the work of the fields. He mastered the branches of
learning taught in the district schools, afterward attended the high school at Cresco
and later became a student in the St. Paul Business College. He next took up the
profession of teaching in Howard county, which he followed for iive terms, but in
1882 turned his attention to commercial pursuits, becoming a partner of J. W. Went-
worth in the clothing business, in which he has since been engaged, covering a
period of thirty-six years. The partnership between them was maintained until
1888, when Mr. Nichols purchased the interest of Mr. Wentworth, who is now in
business in Spokane, Washington. Mr. Nichols remained in the old store until 1901
and then erected his present business block, which he at once occupied. Through-
out the intervening years he has maintained a most high grade store. In 1911 he
admitted his son, William W. to a partnership and their interests are carried on
under the name of the Nichols Clothing Store. They have a well equipped estab-
lishment, supplied with a very large and attractive stock of clothing and men's
furnishings, and their business has reached very substantial and gratifying pro-
portions. Mr. Nichols is also engaged in farming and stock raising, owning the
old homestead farm of three hundred acres, in addition to which he has one hundred
and twenty-four acres of rich and valuable land in the town of Cresco. This place
constitutes the headquarters for the extensive cattle business which he is carrying
on and there he exhibits his fine stock. In this undertaking his son Charles is in
partnership with him under the name of the Nichols Live Stock Company and they
deal extensively in Aberdeen Angus cattle which they import from Scotland. They
also handle Clydesdale horses and Shropshire sheep, having imported their first
sheep from England. They buy and sell only the finest live stock and Charles D.
Nichols has long been engaged in this business. At one time he was a partner
with his father in the cattle industry and they imported Holstein cattle from Holland.
Mr. Nichols is of a nature that could never be content with the second best. He
is continually reaching out along the lines of improvement and successful achieve-
ment and whatever he undertakes is carried forward to successful completion. His
commercial interests maintain the same high standard as his stock raising interests
and he has the finest ladies' ready-to-wear clothing store in Cresco.

On the 1st of January, 1887, Mr. Nichols was united in marriage to Miss Vir-
ginia Strother, a native of New Oregon township, Howard county, and a daughter
of Werdon and Louise M. (Niles) Strother. Her father was a native of Fauquier
county, Virginia, born February 3, 1829, and at the age of eighteen years he re-
moved to Columbus, Ohio, while later he became a resident of Racine, Wisconsin,
where he engaged in the implement business. He next removed to Vernon Springs
township, Howard county, Iowa, where he engaged in the drug business, taking up
his abode in this state in 1856. He continued at his first location for a number
of years and subsequently removed to New Oregon. The journey westward was

280 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

made by wagon across the country and he cast in his lot with the pioneer settlers
of Howard county and became one of the effective and earnest factors in the early
development of this section of the state. In 1866, after the establishment of
Cresco, he removed his business to the new town and remained a prominent factor
in its commercial development to the time of his death, which occurred in the fall
of 1899, when he was seventy years of age. His wife survived him for about ten
years, dying in 1909 at the age of sixty-four years. For twenty years Mr. Strother
was well known as a prominent hotel proprietor of Cresco and also engaged in the
implement business. He was one of the early residents of the city and throughout
the entire period of his connection with Cresco contributed in substantial measure
to its growth, improvement and development. His name was an honored one
wherever it was knowii and his death was the occasion of deep and widespread re-
gret. His wife was born at Niagara Falls, Canada, and with her parents crossed
the border into the United States, the family making their home in Vernon Springs
township. Howard county, where her father followed the milling business. They
arrived here about 1859 and Mr. Niles continued to engage in milling here until
his death, after which his widow returned to Canada.

Mr. and Mrs. Nichols have long been consistent and active members of the Con-
gregational church, contributing generously to its support. Fraternally he is a
Mason, is also a charter member of the Knights of Pythias and has membership
with the Modern Woodmen and the Woodmen of the World. His political endorse-
ment is given to the republican party and he stands for all that is progressive and
valuable in citizenship but does not seek nor desire office, preferring to concentrate
his undivided attention and energies upon his business affairs. He stands as one
of the leading merchants and live stock raisers and dealers in Howard county and
the extent and importance of his interests indicate his marked ability and his enter-
prise. In all business affairs he readily discriminates between the essential and the
non-essential and. discarding the latter, utilizes the former to the best possible ad-
vantage. He is fortunate in that he possesses character and ability that inspire
confidence in others and the simple weight of his character and ability has carried
him into important business relations.

JOSEPH D. BOUSKA.

Modern business activity finds expression in the life record of Joseph D. Bouska,
who is proprietor of the Protivin Garage, is a successful dealer in automobiles and
manager of the telephone company and also of the electric light and power plant
at Protivin. He likewise operates a moving picture show and is identified with
farming interests as the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of rich farm
land, a part of which he personally cultivates. He is also filling the position of
notary public and Protivin has no more active or energetic business man or one
whose labors are more directly beneficial and resultant. He was born on the old
homestead farm in Howard county, adjoining the present town of Protivin, on
the 26th of May, 1885, and is a son of John Bouska, of whom extended mention
is made elsewhere in this volume.

The son was educated in the public schools of Protivin and when twenty-
three years of age was united in marriage to Miss Julia M. Huber, of Winneshiek
county. He then began farming on his own account on a part of his father's
land and throughout the intervening period has been identified with agricultural
pursuits. Prospering in his undertakings, he has become the owner of three
hundred and twenty acres of land, which he purchased from his father. In 1911
he organized the Klimesh Auto Company and established a garage at Protivin and
also one at Spillville. He became manager of the company and has not only done
a garage and repair business, but has also engaged in the sale of automobiles. In
December, 1915, he organized the Protivin Electric Light Company, which was
incorporated on the 24th of December of that year with a twenty year franchise

VoJ. 11— 18

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 283

from the town. He installed the plant and wired the town and became manager
of the business. He also installed the plant of the Protivin Telephone Company
in 1905 and has been manager since its installation. This plant supplies some
six hundred telephones and the business has been of incalculable benefit to the
district. In 1909 Mr. Bouska was made notary public and has served continuously
since. He has been operating a moving picture show for the past four years and
presents to the public the finest attractions of the film world.

To Mr. and Mrs. Bouska has been born one child, Clarence. The family is a
prominent one socially and in all public affairs Mr. Bouska manifests a deep and
helpful interest. In politics he is a democrat and is serving as a member of the
town council of Protivin and as president of the school board. He is also a mem-
ber of the democratic county central committee. Protivin boasts of a winning
baseball team and it is Mr. Bouska who has the management of this team. He
is also a member of the Protivin Band and does everything in his power to ad-
vance the interests of that organization. He likewise holds membership in the
Catholic church. In fact there is no movement for the benefit of the community
along business, social or moral lines or in connection with matters of public benefit
that does not receive the assistance and support of Mr. Bouska, who without
invidious distinction may be termed one of the foremost residents of Protivin.

WILLIAM REINHART.

William Reinhart, widely recognized as one of the leading, progressive and
enterprising citizens of Howard county, owns and operates an excellent faim of
one hundred and twenty acres on section 32, Vernon Springs township. He is num-
bered among the worthy native sons of the county, his birth having occurred in
Paris township on the 26th of October, 1873. His parents, Samuel and Anna
(Lehman) Reinhart, were both natives of Switzerland, the former emigrating to
the United States in young manhood, while the latter came to this country with
her parents in her girlhood days. Both made their way directly westward to Iowa,
settling in Payette county, where their marriage was celebrated. After two re-
movals they came to Howard county and took up their abode in Paris township,
where the father carried on general agricultural pursuits throughout the remainder
of his active business career. His last years were spent in honorable retirement
at Cresco, excepting the last two which were spent at Alta Vista, Howard county,
where he passed away on the 6th of March, 1914, deeply mourned by all who knew
him because of his honorable and upright life. His widow, who now makes her
home with a daughter in Paris township, has also become widely and favorably
known throughout the community during the long period of her residence here.

William Reinhart acquired his education in the district schools of his native
township and was a young man of twenty-four years when he was married and
established a home of his own. He then began farming independently, cultivating
a tract of rented land in Winneshiek county for five years, at the end of which time
he returned to Howard county and continued to carry on general agricultural pur-
suits as a renter for six years. In 1909 he purchased his present home farm of
one hundred and twenty acres on section 3 2, Vernon Springs township, the further
cultivation and improvement of which has claimed his attention throughout the
intervening decade. He has erected all of the buildings thereon and now owns one
of the finest improved farm properties of the district. Moreover, he has won a
gratifying measure of success in its operation, annually gathering excellent crops
which find a ready sale on the market.

On the 26th of January, 1898, Mr. Reinhart was united in marriage to Miss
Nettie Beacher, of Winneshiek county, Iowa, by whom he had six children, four of
whom survive, namely: Merle C, Loel V., Virgil L. and Orvin M., all at home.

In politics Mr. Reinhart has ever been a stanch republican and he is now acting
as a member of the school board, having served thereon for several years at two

284 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

different periods. He enjoys the reputation of being one of the most progressive
and public spirited citizens of the community. During the recent great war he did effec-
tive work in upholding the interests of the government and promoting the welfare
of the American army, being a leading worker for the Red Cross and the Young
Men's Christian Association. He also assisted materially in collecting funds for
the Armenians and other suffering peoples of Europe and was a member of the
drive committee for the Second Liberty Loan. His religious faith is indicated by
his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, to which his wife also belongs.
His entire life has been spent in this part of the state and he enjoys an enviable
reputation as one of Howard's county's foremost citizens.

ALBERT HENRY MACKENBURG.

Albert Henry Mackenburg, living on section 5, New Oregon township, Howard
county, was born near Watertown, Wisconsin, August 12, 1869. His father, Wil-
liam Mackenburg, was a native of Germany, as was his wife. The parents came
to the United States when about forty years of age and made their way to Wiscon-
sin, "where the father worked as a farm hand for about two years. They after-
ward removed to Cresco, Iowa, where they remained for two years, Mr. Macken-
burg working on the railroad during that period. He then rented land, which he
cultivated for about six years, and during that period carefully saved his earnings
until he was able to purchase the present home farm of one hundred and fifty acres.
He placed all of the improvements upon the place, clearing the land and cultivating
the fields and also erecting the buildings.

Upon the old homestead Albert Henry Mackenburg was reared and early be-
came familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops
through the assistance which he rendered his father. In association with a brother
he assumed the management of the old homestead and eleven years ago bought
out his brother's interest and is now owner of the home property. He has added
many improvements to the place and today has the farm in excellent condition and
supplied with all modern equipment and conveniences. He is very progressive in
his methods of caring for his land and his work is bringing excellent results.

On the 28th of July, 1903, Mr. Mackenburg was united in marriage to Miss
Alvina Prinz, of Howard county, a daughter of Carl and Catherine Prinz, who were
farming people of this district. Mrs. Mackenburg was educated in the public
schools of Howard county and also attended the Valder school at Decorah for about
two terms. To Mr. and Mrs. Mackenburg have been born three children, Ruth,
Esther and Theron, all of whom are at home with their parents.

The family attend the Lutheran church at Cresco and Mr. Mackenburg gives
his political allegiance to the democratic party. He has served as school director
for a number of years and was reelected in 1919. The family has always been a
highly esteemed one of the community, the father being held in warm regard by
reason of his sterling worth, while the many excellent traits of character displayed
by Albert Henry Mackenburg have established him firmly in the good opinion of his
fellow townsmen.

J. P. LANDSVERK.

Chickasaw county has become a great agricultural center through the efforts
and enterprise of such men as J. P. Landsverk, who follows farming on section 34,
Utica township. He was born in that township September 29, 1870, a son of Peter
J., and Julia (Anderson) Landsverk, both of whom were natives of Norw^ay, whence
they came to the United States in childhood days with their respective parents. The
father's family crossed the Atlantic in 1842 and settlement was made in Wisconsin,

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 285

where they resided for twelve years, removing in 1854 to Chickasaw county, Iowa.
The Landsverk family was one of the first three families to establish a home in
Utica township and from pioneer times to the present representatives of the name
have been active in the further development and improvement of this district, which
has converted the township from a wild and undeveloped region into one of rich
fertility and productiveness. It was in the year 1856 that the Anderson family
arrived, settling in Jacksonville township, Chickasaw county. From 1854 until his
death in 1908, Peter J. Landsverk remained continuously a resident of Utica town-
ship, there passing away at the age of sixty-eight years. His widow survives and
still makes her home in Utica township.

J. P. Landsverk was educated in the district schools and in the Luther College
at Decorah, Iowa, from which institution he was graduated in the class of 1895,
winning the Bachelor of Arts degree. Liberal educa'tional opportunities thus well
qualified him for the practical duties and responsibilities of life. For two years
he successfully taught school, after which he pursued a special course in the North-
ern Indiana Normal University at Valparaiso, Indiana, with the intention of devot-
ing his after life to educational work. His health, however, would not permit an
indoor life, and in 1903 he took up a farm in Barnes county, North Dakota, pur-
chasing at that time three hundred and twenty acres of land. He remained upon
that property for eight years and in 1911 he traded the farm for his present home
place of one hundred and eighty acres on section 34, Utica township, upon which he
has since resided. His labors have converted this into a rich and valuable tract of
land, from which he annually gathers abundant harvests. He is also a stockholder
in the Saude Cooperative Creamery Company.

In 1903 Mr. Landsverk was married to Miss Gurena Vaala, a daughter of Ole O.
Vaala, one of the earliest of the pioneers of Utica township, now living retired in
New Hampton. Mr. and Mrs. Landsverk have become parents of six children:
Pauline G. ; Orval C; Valborg, who is deceased; Paul G. ; Norman R.; and Valdemar.

In his political views Mr. Landsverk is a republican and in religious faith he
and his family are identified with the Norwegian Lutheran church. He is always
interested in everything pertaining to the welfare and progress of the community
in which he makes his home and during four of the Liberty Loan campaigns he
served on the loan committees. From a flagpole in front of his home at times floats
one of the largest privately owned flags in the county. This is the visible evidence of
his loyalty and patriotic spirit, which is manifest in many ways, for he at all times
seeks the welfare and upbuilding of community, commonwealth and country.

MARTIN DERR.

Martin Derr, living on section 14, Afton township, Howard county, is numbered
among the residents of northern Iowa who have come from Germany. He was born in
that country August 4, 1865, and his parents, Michael and Katrina (Amman) Derr,
were also natives of the same country. They- left Germany, however, in 1867 and came
to the new world. They first settled in Stephenson county, Illinois, where for five years
the father was employed as a farm hand, but desirous of engaging in farming on his
own account and thinking that he would have still better opportunities in Iowa, he
came to Howard county, establishing his home near Cresco, where he lived for a quar-
ter of a century. He first rented land in that district and then bought a farm and for
twenty-five years was closely associated with the agricultural development of the com-
munity. He died upon his farm there in 1888 and the mother passed away in Paris
township, Howard county, in the year 1909.

Martin Derr was but two years of age when brought to the United States and under
the parental roof spent his youthful days, remaining at home until he reached the age
of twenty-four, when he started out in life independently. He had previously acquired
a public school education and received thorough training in all branches of farm work.
He first rented a farm near Schley, Iowa, upon which he lived for seven years, and on

286 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

the expiration of that period he removed to Elma, where he worked on the railroad
seventeen years. He next came to what is now the Gesell place, which he leased for
five years and when his lease expired he leased it for another period of equal length.
The second lease has yet three years to run. He is a splendid tenant, caring for the
property as if it were his own, and his careful cultivation of the fields is bringing him
a very desirable and gratifying competence. He is today regarded as one of the sub-
stantial citizens of his section of the county.

On the 25th of December, 1888, Mr. Derr was united in marriage to Miss Carolina
Amman, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Amman, who are now residents of Cresco,
Iowa, and who are of German birth. Mr. and Mrs. Derr have become the parents of
two children: Albert W., who served with the Forty-seventh Infantry of the Fourth
Division of the American army during the great World war and was in France for ten
months, participating in the battle of Chateau-Thierry, where the American troops
turned the tide of war by holding the Germans in check, and also participating in the
battle of the Marne, where he was wounded in the shoulder by shrapnel; and Law-
rence Frederick, also at home. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal
church of Elma and guide their lives by its teachings.

Mr. Derr is also a member of the Modern Woodmen Camp of Elma and in his politi-
cal views is a democrat, loyally supporting the principles in which he believes. He is
always faithful to any cause which he espouses and his devotion to the right as he sees
it is one of his marked characteristics. He is highly esteemed by reason of his integ-
rity, his straightforward dealings and his lofty purposes and all who know him speak
of him as a man worthy of high regard and honor.

BENJAMIN F. DAVIS.

Benjamin F. Davis is an enterprising and progressive business man who is now
secretary of the American Loan & Investment Company of Cresco. The intelligent
direction of his efforts has led to the attainment of substantial success. He has con-
tributed in marked measure to the growth of the business, with which he became iden-
tified on its organization in 189 0, and of which he has continuously served as an execu-
tive officer. He was born in Marquette, Wisconsin, November 24, 1852, and is a son of
William P. and Catherine (Davis) Davis, both of whom were natives of Anglesey,
Wales. It was in the year 1849 that they crossed the Atlantic to the United States
in one of the old-time sailing vesesls which was nine weeks in making the voyage. They
did not tarry on the Atlantic coast but proceeded at once to the interior, establishing
their home at Marquette, Green Lake county, Wisconsin, where the father purchased
farm land and built thereon a log cabin. He at once with characteristic energy began
the development of his farm and added various improvements thereto as the years
passed by. He continued to cultivate his fields for a number of years, but in 1861 again
started westward, making the journey with ox teams and wagons. This was a very
slow and tedious method but ultimately he reached his destination — Chester, Iowa. He
crossed the river at McGregor, Iowa, which was then the only market in this part of
the state. Purchasing one hundred and twenty acres of farm land, he began trans-
forming the wild prairie tract into rich and productive fields and in the course of time
his labors wrought splendid results. He lived upon that farm until April, 1869, when
he removed to section 10, Forest City township, Howard county, where he improved a
farm that included an entire section of land. His life was one of untiring energy,
thrift and industry and his labors were crowned with a substantial measure of pros-
perity. He continued to devote his attention to general agricultural pursuits until his
death, which occurred in 1883, when he was sixty years of age. His wife survived for
six years and died in 1889 at the age of sixty-six. They were loyal members of the
Presbyterian church and were people of the highest respectability, enjoying the con-
fidence and goodwill of all. Mr. Davis voted with the republican party but was not a
politician in the sense of office seeking as he always felt that his farming interests
made full demand upon his time and energy.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 287

Benjamin F. Davis spent his boyhood days upon the old homestead farm in Forest
City township and pursued his early education there. It was supplemented, however,
by study in the high school at Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in the State University of
Minnesota. He afterward took up the profession of teaching, which he capably followed
for six terms in Howard county, imparting readily and clearly to others the knowledge
which he had acquired. He later devoted two years to farming in Howard county and
in the fall of 1883, his fellow townsmen, appreciative of his worth and ability, called
him to public office by electing him to the position of county auditor. He made so ex-
cellent a record during his first term that he was reelected and at the close of his sec-
ond term retired from oflSce as he had entered it — with the confidence and goodwill of
all. He then took up the abstract business and in 1890 became one of the organizers
of the American Loan & Investment Company of Cresco. He was at that time elected
its secretary and has since served in that capacity, bending his attention to constructive
effort, to administrative direction and executive control. This company has built up
the biggest business of the kind in Cresco and Mr. Davis has been an important ele-
ment in the steady growth of their patronage.

In 1878 Mr. Davis was united in marriage to Miss Ann H. Jones, a native of Wiscon-
sin and a daughter of Richard and Ann (Hughes) Jones, who, like Mr. Davis' parents,
were natives of Wales and on leaving the little rock-ribbed country across the sea took
up their abode in Wisconsin. Their son, Thomas H. Jones, is a resident of Howard
county and is mentioned elsewhere in this work. To Mr. and Mrs. Davis have been
born seven children, namely. Alice, William, Elmer, Anna, Catherine, Bess and Benja-
min F.

The family is well known in Cresco and Howard county and in social circles the
parents occupy an enviable position the hospitality of the best homes of the city being
freely accorded them. But Mr. and Mrs. Davis hold membership in the Methodist
Episcopal church. He votes with the republican party but is not ambitious for office.
In matters of citizenship, however, he is never remiss and, actuated by a public-
spirited devotion to the general good, has given generous and hearty aid to many move-
ments looking to the welfare and benefit of both city and county. He was a little lad
of but nine years when he came to Iowa and thus for more than a half century he has
been a witness of the growth and development of this section of the state, while at all
times he has borne his part in the work of general progress and improvement.

ELTON M. ELDRIDGE.

Elton M. Eldridge, an active and energetic representative of farming interests in
Howard county, now makes his home on section 36, Howard Center township. He is one
of the native sons of this county, having been born within its borders January 31, 1860.
His father, Ira Eldridge, was a native of Burlington, New Jersey, born in January, 1S14,
and at the age of twenty-five years left the east and became a resident of Columbus,
Ohio, where he established a grocery store. In August, 1855, he arrived in Howard
county, Iowa, where he established a general store at Howard Center, conducting the
business for two years. He then bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Howard
county from the government, paying the usual price of a dollar and a quarter per acre.
With characteristic energy he began the cultivation and development of the land and
continued as an active farmer until he reached the age of seventy years, when he re-
tired and established his home in Cresco. He was married to Eliza Carleton, of St.
Clair, Michigan, and they became parents of eleven children, five sons and six
daughters. This family was one of the first to settle in Howard county and from pio-
neer times has been associated with the development of the community.

Elton M. Eldridge was reared upon the old homestead farm with the usual expe-
riences of the farm-bred boy who divides his time between the work of the schoolroom,
the pleasures of the playground and the tasks incident to the development of the fields.
Upon his father's death he took over the management of the farm and has since given

288 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

his attention to its further improvement. On the 15tli of May, 1893, he was united in
marriage to Ada L. Hudson, of Clayton county, Iowa, a daughter of Horace L. and Mary
J. Hudson of that county. Her father was a Civil war veteran, having aided valiantly
in the defense of the Union. To Mr. and Mrs. Eldridge have been born two children:
Hazel J., now twenty-three years of age; and Gertrude M., aged nineteen, both upon the
home farm with their parents.

Mr. Eldridge and his family attend the Congregational church. He has been iden-
tified with the Yeoman lodge for eighteen years, having become one of its charter mem-
bers. In community affairs he has taken a deep and helpful interest, ha.-i been a town-
ship officer, secretary of the school board for the past twenty-four years, township clerk
in 1893 and 1894, assessor for the past six years and census enumerator in 1915. He is a
most progressive man in matters of citizenship and the same spirit is manifest in
the conduct of his farm. All of the improvements upon the property at the present
time have been placed there by him and he has one of the most modern and attract-
ive farms in Howard Center township.

J. G. CHANNER.

J. G. Channer, who follows farming on section 4, Chickasaw township, Chickasaw
county, was born in the province of Ontario, Canada, May 20, 1867, and is a son of
William and Louisa (Borley) Channer, who were natives of England. Crossing the
ocean, they became residents of Canada in young manhood and womanhood and were
married in Ontario. In 1861 they made thelv way over the border into the United
States and came to Iowa, Mr. Channer purchasing the farm which is now owned by J.
G. Channer. Upon this place he and his wife resided throughout their remaining days,
his death occurring in 1891, while his widow survived him until 1912.

J. G. Channer has spent practically his entire life in Chickasaw county and was a
pupil in the district schools, while through vacation periods and after his schooldays
were over he was carefully trained in the work of plowing and planting the fields and
caring for the crops. He had attained the age of twenty-four years when his father died
and he soon afterward purchased the old home farm of one hundred and twenty acres,
upon which he has continuously lived for forty-eight years. His agricultural interests
have been carefully conducted and his success is the legitimate and direct outcome of
his persistent labor and intelligent effort.

In 1897 Mr. Channer was married to Miss Daisy Scott, a daughter of John Scott, of
Chickasaw township, who was one of the pioneer settlers of Floyd county but for the
past eleven years has lived retired on a small place adjoining the farm of Mr. and Mrs.
Channer. The latter have become the parents of four children: Scott, Malcolm, Isa-
belle and Mildred, the last two being twins.

Mr. Channer votes with the republican party, feeling convinced that its principles
contain the best elements of good government. He and his family are members of the
Congregational church. His life exemplifies many sterling traits of character, and his
entire career has been actuated by high principles, making him a man whom to know
is to esteem.

JOHN J. KLIMESH.

John J. Klimesh, the owner of Maple Side Farm, one of the valuable properties
of Utica township, situated on section 35, has been a lifelong resident of Chickasaw
county, for his birth occurred February 22, 1886, upon the farm which he now
owns and occupies. His father, Frank J. Klimesh, is one of the prominent busi-
ness men of Protivin, of whom extended mention is made elsewhere in this work.

The son at the usual age entered the district schools and when his textbooks
were put aside he worked with his father and was thus employed until the time

MR. AND MRS. JOHN J. KLIMESH AND SON

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 291

of his marriage. In the following spring he took charge of the old home farm,
comprising two hundred acres, and upon this place began business independently.
In 1914 he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of the farm, but still culti-
vates the entire tract, renting the additional eighty acres from his father. He
has brought his fields to a high state of cultivation and continues the work of
further development and improvement, annually gathering large harvests as the
reward of his labors and persistent purpose. He is a stockholder in the Provitin
Cooperative Creamery and also a stockholder in Beseda Hall.

On the 4th of October, 1910, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Klimesh and
Miss Mary Pecinovsky, a daughter of Joseph A. Pecinovsky, one of the prominent
and well known citizens of New Oregon township, Howard county, who is repre-
sented elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Klimesh have become the parents
of a son and a daughter, William J. and Emma M.

In his political views Mr. Klimesh is a democrat, and in religious faith he
and his wife are Catholics. That he has always remained a resident of Chickasaw
county is one of the indications of the attractiveness of this county as a place of
residence. Actuated by a progressive spirit, he did not find it necessary to seek
opportunities elsewhere, for he felt that the chances to be obtained here were
equal to those which he could find in other regions. Persistently and energetically
he has worked his way upward and already has won a measure of success that
many a man of twice his years might well envy.

ELLING ELLINGSON.

Elling Ellingson, concentrating his efforts and energies upon the further develop-
ment of an excellent farm property on section 8, New Oregon township, Howard county,
was born in Norway, December 24, 1852, a son of Nels and Martha Ellingson who came
to the United States about 1855. The mother died soon after landing in this country
and the father with his five children made his way westward to Stoughton, Wisconsin,
where he lived for two years and then went to Vermilion, South Dakota. While there
he enlisted for service in the Civil war and was on active duty at the front for three
years. In 1865 he removed to Iowa, establishing his home in Chickasaw county, where
he remained for a time and then went to Nebrask''. wh--vp hp re^^idod a number of
years. About 1890, however, he returned to Iowa and made his home with his son
Elling, with whom he continued to the time of his death in February, 1900.

Elling Ellingson of this review took up his abode with the family of A. G. Fuller
at Yankton, South Dakota, during his father's absence in the Civil war and lived
with Mr. Fuller from his eighth to his seventeenth year, at which time he hired out
to a man who had a contract with the government to deliver cattle to different Indian
agencies. Through the following eight years Mr. Ellingson followed the life of a
cowboy, the latter four years of that period being spent on the Platte river in Nebraska.
About 1877 he came to Iowa on a visit to his brothers and remained for two years
He then returned to Nebraska, where he took up a claim, but in 1880 he came to Iowa
for his bride, whom he took to his Nebraska home in Holt county. He there proved
up a claim and resided thereon until 1882, when he again came to Iowa. In the fall
of that year he purchased his present home farm, comprising eighty acres of land.
In 1885 he once more went to Nebraska, where he lived for two years, taking up a
preemption of one hundred and sixty acres while there. In 1887 he made his permanent
settlement in Howard county, Iowa, where he has since resided. In the intervening
years he has increased his landed holdings to three nundred and twenty acres, two
hundred and eighty acres of which he still owns, the other forty acres having been
deeded to a son.

In 1880 Mr. Ellingson was married to Miss Julia Holvorson, a native of New Oregon
township. Howard county, and a danehtp'- of H'^lvnv F'^lvorsoii, who was among the
earliest of the pioneers of this section of the state. Her mother was a widow, Mrs.
Johanna Kittleson, when she came to Howard county ;n 1855, and later she became

292 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

the wife of Mr. Holvorson. To Mr. and Mr. Ellingson have been born ten children,
eight of whom are still living: Henry N., who is a farmer of Chickasaw county, Iowa;
Johanna M., at home; Nels A., who carries on farming in New Oregon township,
Howard county; Martha, the wife of Paul Eggert, of Bloomfield, Nebraska; Ida, the
wife of George Reeves, of Center, Nebraska; Iver A., who has just returned from
Germany, where he was on duty with the army of occupation as a member of Company
H, Three Hundred and Fifty-seventh Regiment of Infantry of the Ninetieth Division;
and Clara and John O., also at home.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Lutheran church and in political
belief Mr. Ellingson is a republican. He keeps well informed on the vital questions and
issues of the day and supports his convictions at the polls but does not seek nor desire
office, preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs,
which have been carefully and wisely conducted, so that he has become one of the
prosperous farmers of his adopted state.

ANTON NBUBAUER.

Anton Neubauer, busily engaged in the further development of a good farm prop-
erty on section 7, Paris township, in Howard county, was born in Austria, April 2,
1870. His parents were also natives of that country, in which they spent their entire
lives. Anton Neubauer was there reared to the age of nineteen, when he determined
to try his fortune in America because of the favorable reports which he had heard
concerning the business opportunities enjoyed on this side of the Atlantic. He there-
fore crossed the ocean and made his way direct to Howard county, Iowa. Here he be-
gan working as a farm hand and was thus employed for a period of three years, dur-
ing which time he most carefully saved his money until his earnings were sufficient to
enable him to purchase property. He first bought eighty acres of land in Howard
county and began farming thereon. Year by year he carefully tilled the soil until 1909,
when he sold that place and made investment in his present farm, comprising two hun-
dred acres of land on section 7, Paris township. He has added various improvements
to the property since taking up his abode upon it and the farm is most promising in
every particular.

On the 4th of October, 1890, Mr. Neubauer was married to Miss Josie Papouch, a
native of Howard county, and they have become parents of four children: James, Anton,
Joseph and Mary. The son James married Mamie Stephanson, of Howard county, three
years ago and is now living upon a farm. The other children are under the parental
roof.

The family attend the Catholic church at Cresco and Mr. Neubauer gives his politi-
cal support to the republican party, voting for its men and measures but not seeking
office. He works diligently in the care and development of his farm and the neat and
thrifty appearance of his place indicates his careful supervision

LEWIS J. MARAVETZ.

Lewis J. Maravetz, who carries on general farming in Howard county, makes his
home on section 26, Paris township, where he has a good tract of land that responds
readily to the care and labor bestowed upon it and brings forth rich harvests. His birth
occurred in Winneshiek county, Iowa, August 19, 1892. His father, Joseph Maravetz,
was born in Bohemia, as was the mother of Lewis J. Maravetz. They came to the
United States about 1863 and, making their way westward, settled in Winneshiek
county, Iowa. Soon after his arrival the father secured employment as a farm hand
and thus worked for a few years. He was then married to Miss Mary Jarosh, who at
that time was living in Howard county. He further made arrangements for having a
home of his own by purchasing a tract of land near Spillville. Iowa, upon which he

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 293

lived for a number of years, carrying on the farm work with good success. He after-
ward sold that property and made investment in two hundred and forty acres of land
in Paris township, Howard county, and until a recent date was numbered among the
progressive agriculturists of the community but has now put aside the active work of
the farm and is living retired.

Lewis J. Maravetz spent his youthful days under the parental roof and the public
schools of the county afforded him his educational opportunities. When his textbooks
were put aside he concentrated his entire time and attention upon the work of the
fields and continued the operation of the old home place in connection with his father
unr,il 1916, when the latter retired and Lewis J. Maravetz took over the management
and further improvement of the old home place, which he is now cultivating. He works
diligently and persistently and is meeting with good returns from his labors.

On the 10th of October, 1916, Mr. Maravetz was united in marriage to Miss Louise
Shimek, a daughter of Joseph and Caroline Shimek, of Howard county. They now have
one child, Clementine. The parents are members of the Holy Trinity Catholic church
of Protivin and Mr. Maravetz gives his political support to the democratic party. He
does not seek nor desire office, however, preferring to give his attention to his business
affairs, and he is working diligently to maintain a place among the farmers of afflu-
ence in Paris township.

M. P. LYDON.

M. P. Lydon, of Cresco, is widely known throughout this section of the state
as a breeder of and dealer in Big Poland China hogs and draft horses, of which he
has made a specialty for the past three decades. Howard county numbers him
among her native sons, his birth having here occurred on the 22d of August, 1867.
His parents, Nicholas and Mary (Foley) Lydon, were both natives of Ireland, the
former coming to the United States in young manhood, while the latter accompanied
her parents to the new world in her girlhood days. They were married in Balti-
more and in 1856 cast in their lot with the pioneer settlers of Howard county,
Iowa, the father taking up a tract of government land in Paris township, where he
carried on general agricultural pursuits continuously and successfully until 1893.
From that year until 1898 he resided in New Hampton, while the remainder of his
life was spent with his son, M. P. Lydon, in whose home he passed away in 19 03.
The death of his wife occurred November 26, 1906. The period of his residence in
this part of the state covered nearly a half century, and when he was called to his
final rest, the community mourned the loss of one of its honored early settlers as
well as representative and esteemed citizens.

M. P. Lydon supplemented a district school education by a course of study in
the Capital City Commercial College of Des Moines, Iowa, from which he was grad-
uated in 1889. He then purchased the old homestead farm in Paris township, How-
ard county, operating it with good success until 1896, when he disposed of the
property and took up his abode in Cresco, where he has since resided. About 1889
he began the breeding of pure bred Poland China hogs and has specialized along this
line throughout the intervening period of thirty years. For the same length of
time he has also been extensively engaged in handling pure bred cattle, sheep and
horses, so that he has become widely known throughout this section of Iowa as a
breeder and dealer. His well merited reputation for fair dealing and absolute in-
tegrity has contributed largely to his success and he has long ranked with the lead-
ing live stock dealers of the state.

In 1899 Mr. Lydon was united in marriage to Miss Julia Crapser, of Sexton-
ville, Wisconsin, by whom he had eight children, five of w^hom survive, namely:
Mary Ellen, John C, Benjamin F., Margaret and James. All are yet under the
parental roof.

In his political views Mr. Lydon is a democrat and he served as roadmaster and
also as secretary of the school board for several years, making an excellent record

294 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

in both positions. His fraternal connection is with the Knights of Columbus, which
indicates his affiliation with the Catholic church, of which his wife and children are
also communicants. His entire life has been spent in Howard county and that his
career has ever been upright and honorable is indicated in the fact that the asso-
ciates of his boyhood and youth are still numbered among his stanch friends.

FRANK J. LUKES.

One of the old and representative pioneer families of Chickasaw county is the
Lukes family, to which Frank J. Lukes belongs. He follows farming on section 14,
Utica township, and it was in this township that his birth occurred September 29,
1877. His parents, Frank and Barbara Lukes, came to this country from Bohemia
in early life, being brought to the new world by their respective parents when quite
young, the two families being established in Utica township in pioneer days, when
the work of modern progress and improvement seemed scarcely begun. The young
people met and were married in Chickasaw county and for many years Mr. Lukes
remained an enterprising farmer of Utica township, where he passed away about
ten years ago. His widow survived him for a number of years and departed this
life in the same township in July, 1919. Thus two of the well known and worthy
pioneer people of the state were called to the home beyond but their memory is yet
enshrined in the hearts of those who knew them.

Frank J. Lukes was educated in the district schools of his native township and
when not busy with the work of the schoolroom he largely devoted his attention to
the work of the fields, assisting his father until he reached the age of twenty-two.
He was then united in marriage on the 8th of May, 1899, to Miss Mary Sobalsky, a
daughter of Frank and Mary Sobalsky. They, too, were natives of Bohemia and on
their emigration to the United States made their way across the country to become
residents of Utica township, Chickasaw county, Iowa. The father died in that town-
ship in 1917, but the mother survives and occupies the old homestead farm. Mr.
and Mrs. Lukes have become the parents of a daughter, Emma, who is at home.

It was about the time of his marriage that Mr. Lukes purchased his present
home property and he has since lived thereon. He now has one hundred and sixty
acres of land and has transformed this place into well kept and highly cultivated
fields. There are substantial improvements upon the farm and everything about
the place bespeaks diligence and thrift. In politics Mr. Lilkes is a democrat, while
in religious faith he and his family are identified with the Catholic church of Little
Turkey. He has always lived in Iowa and there are few elements in the history
of his native county and this section of the state with which he is not familiar, hav-
ing for forty-two years made his home within the borders of Chickasaw county.

WALTER B. JARRED.

Energy and determination feature as factors in the successful farming interests
of Walter B Jarred, who makes his home on section 17, Chester township, Howard
countv, and is probably the oldest living resident of the county, for he has continu-
ously made his home within its borders since he was born on the banks of the Iowa
river in Chester township, November 1, 1854. His parents were Robert and
Elizabeth (Scott) Jarred, both natives of England, where they were reared and
married. About 1851 they determined to try their fortune in the new world and,
coming to the United States, were for two years residents of Wisconsin, after which
they journeyed westward with oxen and a few household effects to Howard county,
Iowa. They took up their abode in Chester township, the father securing one
hundred and sixty acres of government land on the banks of the Iowa river, and
there he established his home, sharing in all the hardships and privations incident

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 295

to the settlement of the frontier. He developed his farm as the years went by and
continued to reside thereon until his eightieth year, when he retired and removed to
Le Roy, Minnesota. He lived to the advanced age of eighty-five years.

Walter B. Jarred, a resident of Howard county for sixty-five years, pursued his
education in one of the old-time log schoolhouses which were features of pioneer
life. The curriculum was not extensive, but he thoroughly mastered the branches
of learning therein taught and thus laid the foundation for his success in the busi-
ness world. His training at farm labor was not meager and at twenty-two years
of age he purchased his present home farm and for nine years thereafter acted as
his own housekeeper while tilling the fields. While he purchased one hundred and
sixty acres of land, hard times came on and money was scarce, so he sold eighty
acres of the original tract. He worked for fifty cents per day to pay the interest on
the mortgage on the other eighty acres. Success ultimately crowns persistent and
earnest effort when guided by sound judgment, and so it proved in the case of Mr.
Jarred, who for many years has been accounted one of the men of affluence in
Chester township.

In 1887 Mr. Jarred was united in marriage to Miss Josie Barnum, of Clayton
county, Iowa. They became parents of two sons: Elias, who assists his father in
the operation of the home farm; and Howard, a resident of Austin, Minnesota. The
wife and mother passed away in 1916 and the son, Elias Jarred, with his wife, now
resides with the father upon the home farm and looks after his comfort.

In politics Mr. Jarred is a republican who has long voted the party ticket but
has never been an office seeker. There is no story that has important bearing upon
Ihe history of Howard county with which Mr. Jarred is not familiar. He has wit-
nessed practically the entire growth and development of this section and his
reminiscences of the early days are most interesting, indicating what a marked
change has been brought about through time and the effective labors of man.

J. F. BIWER.

When Howard county was first being settled by a class of substantial men who
wished to utilize her natural resources and make her agricultural opportunities
the source of their success, the Biwer family was established in this section of
the state and J. F. Biwer, whose name introduces this review, is now a substantial
farmer of Howard township, living on section 3 6. He was born in this county
February 19, 1873, and is a son of John and Margaret (Clear) Biwer, both of
whom were natives of Germany. They came to the United States during infancy
with their respective parents and both families settled near Madison, Wisconsin,
where John Biwer and Margaret Clear were reared to manhood and womanhood.
While residing in that state the father enlisted for service in the Civil war, becoming
a member of the Third Wisconsin Cavalry, with which he was on active duty
throughout the entire period of hostilities between the north and the south. After
three years' service he reenlisted as a veteran and participated in many hotly con-
tested engagements on the battlefields of the south. Soon after the close of the
war he was married and, removing westward to Iowa, purchased a farm in
Howard township, Howard county, about one mile from Elma. He took up his
abode upon this place and there resided for a number of years, after which he
removed to a farm on section 35 of the same township, having previously purchased
that property. While the family were living there, the mother and a daughter were
killed by lightning on the 18th of July, 1898, the lightning striking the house and
running down the chimney into the cellar, where the family had congregated, fear-
ing a cyclone. Following the death of his wife Mr. Biwer retired from active busi-
ness and established his home in Elma, where he lived for a number of years but
afterward went to the Soldiers' Home, where he is now living.

Arriving in Iowa in pioneer times, the experiences of the family were such as come
to those who settle upon the frontier. Hardships and privations fell to their lot,

296 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

but the resolute purpose and well directed energies of father and sons soon brought
about a changed condition. However, during the period of his boyhood J. F.
Biwer had but little opportunity to attend school, as he worked from early spring
planting until crops were gathered in the late autumn in the fields. He has, how-
ever, been a broad reader and his study and experience have made him a well
informed man. He continued to assist in the cultivation of the home farm until
twenty-six years of age, when his father assisted him in buying eighty acres of
land and he began farming on his own account. Ambitious to attain more property,
he has added to his holdings as his financial resources have increased and is today
the owner of three hundred acres of valuable farm land in Howard county He also
owns a threshing rig and in addition to cultivating his crops he specializes in the
breeding of thoroughbred Hereford cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs and is regarded as
one of the most successful stock raisers of this part of tlie state. In fact he carries
forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. In his vocabulary there
is no such word as fail and every obstacle and difficulty in his path seems to serve
but as an impetus for renewed and persistent effort on his part. He is likewise a
stockholder in the Howard County Cooperative Equity Association and a stock-
holder in the Elma Cooperative Creamery Company.

In 19 00 Mr. Biwer was united in marriage to Miss Frances Shatek, of Paris
township, Howard county, a daughter of Frank and Mary Shatek, both of whom
were born in Bohemia. They have become the parents of six children, namely:
Clarence. Paul. May, Joseph, Ralph and Norbert, all at home.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and in politics
Mr. Biwer is a republican. His interest in community affairs has been manifest in
many tangible efforts for public good. Those who know him, and he has a wide
acquaintance, speak of him in terms of high regard, recognizing his progressiveness,
enterprise and reliability in business, his loyalty in citizenship and his devotion to
high standards of life.

D. W. DAVIS.

The steps in the orderly progression of D. W. Davis are easily discernible. He
has steadily advanced in his business career through the wise use of his time,
talents and opportunities and has for a long period been numbered among the
substantial and successful men of this section of the state. He has now retired from
active business and makes his home in Lime Springs. For many years he has been
not only a witness of the growth and development of Howard county, but a most
active contributor to its upbuilding. He was born in Columbia county, Wisconsin,
August 5, 1855, a son of William P. and Catherine (Davis) Davis, both of whom
were natives of Anglesey, Wales, where they were reared and married. Soon
after, or in the year 1849, they came to the United States, establishing their home
in Columbia county, Wisconsin, where they remained until 1861 and then removed
to Beaver township, Fillmore county, Minnesota, on the Iowa line. The father
secured a squatter's claim but afterward found that it had already been entered.
He then bought the land for two dollars and a half per acre and resided thereon
until 1869, when he sold his farm and crossed the boundary line into Howard
county, where he had purchased land the previous year. The farm was located
five miles northeast of Lime Springs and comprised a fractional section of land,
most of which was covered with brush that had to be grubbed out. With the as-
sistance of his sons, however, he prepared the land for the plow and in course of
time had his fields under a high state of cultivation. For several years he did all
of his plowing with oxen, keeping from five to seven yoke on his place. He re-
mained upon the farm until called to his final rest in 1883 and was regarded as
one of the representative and substantial farmers of his section of the state.

D. W. Davis of this review early became familiar with all the experiences of
pioneer life such as fell to the lot of the farm-bred boy. He did his share in the

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Vol. 11— 19

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 299

work of clearing and improving the farm and promoting its fertility, planting the
land and harvesting the crops. His educational opportunities were limited, as
there were few school facilities in the district until he had grown older and lost
the desire to attend, feeling that he would rather work in the woods. After reach-
ing manhood he and his brother John carried on the home farm for two years and
in 1878 Mr. Davis of this review purchased two separate tracts of land of eighty
and forty acres respectively. He did not begin their cultivation, however, until
1881. He was for several years engaged in the operation of a threshing machine
and also bought horses which he shipped to the Dakotas. In 1883 he invested in
one hundred and twenty acres of land lying between his eighty and forty acre
tracts, thus extending the boundaries of his farm to include two hundred and forty
acres. He then began farming on his own account and in 1889 bought another
eighty acres, so that he was then the owner of a half section. Year after year he
carefully, persistently and profitably tilled his fields, remaining upon the farm
until 1902, when he took up his abode in Lime Springs, where he has since resided.
Here he turned his attention to stock buying and built up an extensive business,
shipping over a carload of stock daily for several years. In fact his extensive oper-
ations made him one of the most prominent stock buyers of this section of the
state. He continued in the business until 1918, when he sold his live stock inter-
ests and concentrated his attention upon the feed business, having purchased the
old Marsh grist mill in 1915. A picture of this mill is shown elsewhere in this
work. Mr. Davis rebuilt the mill and equipped it with a modern electric plant
that also furnishes electric lighting for Lime Springs and Chester.

In October, 1886, Mr. Davis was married to Miss Maggie Jones, of Lake Crystal,
Minnesota, and they became parents of two children, of whom one is yet living,
Ruth, the wife of Herman Lidtke, who is operating her father's mill and light
plant. Mrs. Davis is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In
politics Mr. Davis is a republican, giving stalwart allegiance to the party, but not
seeking or desiring office. His life has been one of intense and intelligently directed
activity. He has utilized opportunities that others have passed heedlessly by and
has made each move count for the utmost in the conduct of his business affairs.
There have been no unusual phases in his life record, but his persistency of pur-
pose and his industry have formed a stable foundation upon which prosperity has
been built.

CHRISTIAN FISHER.

Christian Fisher, a farmer residing on section 21, Utica township, is one of the
highly esteemed residents of Chickasaw county, everywhere spoken of in terms
of warm regard. He was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, August 4, 1853, and is
a son of Christian F. and Elizabeth K. (Schenpp) Fisher, who were natives of
Wurtemberg. Germany, where they were reared and married. They came to the
United States in 1851 and traveled across the country, settling at Fort Atkinson
in Winneshiek county, where they cast in their lot among its first residents. Pioneer
conditions everywhere existed and the family met the hardships and privations
incident to the establishment of a home upon the frontier. The father was a black-
smith by trade and in addition to his work at the forge followed farming, becoming
owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land. He passed away at Fort Atkinson
about 1884 and for a considerable period was survived by his wife, who died in
1900, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years.

Christian Fisher was reared on the old homestead and acquired a district school
education. At the early age of twenty-one years he began farming for himself
and for three years cultivated rented land at Little Turkey in Utica township. He
then went to Wright county, Iowa, where he purchased a farm of eighty acres,
remaining thereon for four years. When he sold that property he removed to Mower
county, Minnesota, and bought eighty acres of land, which he further developed and

300 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

improved for nine years, converting it into richly productive fields. He then sold
his farm in that state and came to Chickasavk^ county, making investment in one
hundred and sixty-five acres of land in Utica township, constituting a part of his
present home place. In subsequent years he has added continuously to his farm,
extending its boundaries from time to time until his holdings now aggregate four
hundred acres in Chickasaw county. This is largely a tract of very fertile land
and his energy and industry have made it a highly cultivated tract, producing very
substantial harvests annually.

In February, 1875, Mr. Fisher was united in marriage to Miss Emma Leuen-
berger, a native of Ohio. Her parents emigrated to the United States from
Germany and first took up their abode in Ohio, while in 1855 they established their
home in Winneshiek county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Fisher have become the parents
of eight children, namely: Anna M., who is the wife of L. G. Cooney, of Stapleton
township, Chickasaw county; Jerome H and Louis F., who are engaged in farming
in Utica township; Minnie E., who is the wife of William C. Kelley, of Jackson-
ville township, Chickasaw county; Joseph C, who follows farming in Utica town-
ship; and Grace E., Leo E. and Clarence, all at home. The last named served for
one year and two days with the United States army in France as a member of Com-
pany K, One Hundred and Fiftieth Infantry, Thirty-fifth Division.

Mr. Fisher is an earnest republican in his political views and is recognized as
one of the local party leaders. He was a candidate for the office of county super-
visor in 1913, and while he made no canvass of his district, he was defeated by
only two votes, his large support indicating his personal popularity and the con-
fidence reposed in him by his fellow townsmen. Mr. Fisher is a member of the
Modern Woodmen of America and he belongs to the Congregational church, while
Mrs. Fisher is of the Catholic faith. His position as a substantial and successful
farmer of Chickasaw county is an enviable one. His life has been characterized by
industry, by progressiveness and straightforward dealing and his prosperity is the
direct reward of his earnest and persistent labor.

ADOLF PETER.

Adolf Peter, residing on section 31, Vernon Springs township, where he owns
an excellent farm comprising two hundred and eighty acres, is numbered among the
substantial and representative agriculturists of Howard county. His birth occurred
in Switzerland on the 2d of April, 1867, his parents being Nicholas and Mary (Keck)
Peter, who passed away in that country. He acquired his education in the common
schools of Switzerland and remained in his native country until he had attained his
majority. In 1889, having decided to try his fortunes on this side of the Atlantic,
he emigrated to the United States and at once made his way westward across the
country to Iowa. He located in Winneshiek county and first worked as a farm hand
for about three years, while later he cultivated a rented tract of land in that
county for five years. On the expiration of that period he came to Howard county,
here carrying on agricultural pursuits as a renter for a number of years or until
1902, when he puchased eighty acres of land on section 31. Vernon Springs town-
ship, where he now resides. As the years have passed and prosperity has rewarded
his industry and economy, he has added to his holdings by further purchase until at
the present time he owns two hundred and eighty acres of well improved and highly
productive land, yielding large crops which find a ready sale on the market. He
I? also a stockholder in the Farmers' Cooperative Creamery Company of Cresco and
has long been numbered among the successful farmers and enterprising citizens of his
community.

In 1895 Mr. Peter was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Schultz, who was
born in Germany but when eight years of age was brought to the United States by
her parents, John and Louise Schultz, the family home being established in
Vernon Springs township, Howard county, where both Mr. and Mrs. Schultz passed

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 301

away. To Mr. and Mrs. Peter have been born ten children, namely: Fred J., who is
now in France with the Three Hundred and Thirteenth Engineers Corps of the
Eighty-eighth Division; and William R., Elsie, Clara, Helen, Georgia, Lena, Louis,
Martha and Edward, all at home.

Politically Mr. Peter is a republican and for some years has served as a school
director the cause of education ever finding in him a stalwart champion. His
religious faith is indicated by his membership in the German Lutheran church, to
which his wife also belongs. He well deserves the proud American title of a
self-made man, for he came to the new world empty-handed and through intelligently
directed effort and indefatigable energy has won the creditable measure of success
which he now enjoys.

HARRY H. DANE.

A well known writer has said that a year's foreign travel is equal to a four years'
college course. Extended visits to foreign lands' have made Harry H. Dane a man of
scholarly attainments, largely acquainted with the history of the world and its peoples.
For many years he occupied an official position in Washington, D. C, and since then
has largely devoted his time to trips abroad, such being of the keenest interest to him.
He possesses a most observing eye and retentive memory and association with him
means expansion and elevation.

The old homestead farm of the Dane family in Jacksonville township, Chickasaw
county, was his birthplace and his natal day was December 10, 1856. He is the son of
Francis and Jane (Crane) Dane, mentioned at length on another page of this work.
After attending the district schools near his father's farm he became a pupil in the
Cedar Valley Seminary of Osage, Iowa, and later matriculated in the State Univer-
sity of Iowa at Iowa City. He then took up educational work as a teacher and in the
spring of 1890 he secured appointment to a position in the department of labor statis-
tics in Washington, D. C. There he was employed for eighteen and a half years and in
November, 1908, returned to make his home at New Hampton. During the period of
his residence in the national capital he made a number of trips to Europe and since
again coming to Iowa much of his time has been spent in further travel and study.
In 1910 he visited Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Turkey, Greece and central Europe and in
1912 and 1913 toured other sections of the world, covering India, Ceylon, Burma, the
Straits settlements, the island of Java, China, Manchuria, Korea and Japan. In 1911
and 1912 he visited Australia and New Zealand and also made brief stops at the
Hawaiian, Fiji and Society islands. In the spring of 1914 he visited the West Indies,
Panama and Venezuela and in the summer of the same year, after visiting Denmark,
Norway, Sweden and Finland, was caught at Moscow, Russia, at the time of the
outbreak of the great World conflict and experienced not a Itttle delay and trouble
in getting out of Russia and returning to the United States. He has ever been a
close observer and broad reader, a deep student of the conditions existing in the
various countries which he has visited, and his opinions and deductions concerning
modern problems are most interesting.

Mr. Dane is a republican in his political views and fraternally is connected with
Arcana Lodge, No. 274, A. F. & A. M., of New Hampton.

FRANK McCARVILLE.

Frank McCarville, who is carrying on general farming on section 15, Paris
township, Howard county, was born in Lafayette county, Wisconsin, March 15, 1855.
His parents, Phillip and Elizabeth (Woods) McCarville, were natives of Ireland,
where they were reared and married but soon afterward came to the United States,
establishing their home in Lafayette county, Wisconsin. There they resided until

302 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

1870 and then came to Howard county, Iowa, taking up their abode upon the
farm in Paris township upon which their son, R. E. McCarville, now resides. The
father was prosperous in his farming operations and acquired seven hundred and
twenty acres of land. He ranked for many years as a valued and representative
resident of this part of the state and is mentioned more at length in connection
with the sketch of R. E. McCarville.

The boyhood training of Frank McCarville was that of the farm and he remained
thereon until his twentieth year, acquiring his education in the district schools.
He then started out in the business world on his own account, securing employ-
ment as a farm hand with one of his neighbors. He was ambitious to make advance-
ment and has utilized every opportunity for the attainment of legitimate success as
the years have passed. In 1876 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Jane
Brophy, of Paris township, a daughter of James Brophy, one of the earliest of the
pioneer settlers of Howard county. About 1880 Mr. McCarville bought one hundred
and twenty acres of his present home place from his father and has since added
forty acres to that tract. He has converted the place into a valuable and productive
farm which annually returns to him a gratifying income.

In 1892, Mrs. McCarville passed away, leaving two children: James J., a resi-
dent farmer of Paris township; and Philip J., who also follows farming in the same
township. In 1894, Mr. McCarville was again married, his second union being with
Miss Amelia Dozark, of Paris township, and they have become parents of six
children: Frank A and Josepn P., who served with the American army in France
during the recent grreat war; Vincent W., Leo E., Mary C. and Agnes, all at home.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and in politics
Mr. McCarville is a democrat, stanchly upholding the political principles in which
he believes. His efforts and attention, however, are concentrated upon his busi-
ness affairs and the thoroughness with which he attacks any task and the reliability
which he displays in business transactions have constituted the basic elements of
his growing success.

FRANK TJADEN.

In 1910 Frank Tjaden settled upon the farm on section 31, Deerfield town-
ship, Chickasaw county, on which he now resides, although he has since extended
its boundaries until the place now comprises two hundred and forty acres of good
land, which he is carefully and successfully cultivating. Mr. Tjaden is a native son
of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Woodford county, May 3, 1875, his parents
being Menka and Anna (De Fries) Tjaden, who were married in Woodford county,
where they became acquainted. The mother died in Floyd county, Iowa, but the
father is still living and now resides in Oklahoma with his second wife.

Frank Tjaden was educated in the district schools of his native county and
throughout the period of his minority remained upon the home farm, assisting in its
further cultivation and development. When he had reached man's estate he made
his way westward to Washington and afterward became a resident of Pocahontas
county, Iowa, where he lived until his removal to Calhoun county. While there he
met and married Miss Tena Coleman, whom he wedded on the 5th day of November,
1900. She is a daughter of Bernard and Anna Coleman, both now deceased. The
mother died in Nebraska a number of years ago, while the father passed away in
Calhoun county, Iowa, September 19, 1911.

Following his marriage, Mr. Tjaden rented one hundred and sixty acres of land
in Pocahontas county and conducted that farm for ten years. He then removed
to Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, and in 1910 took up his abode upon his
present farm, having the previous year purchased one hundred and sixty acres
of this tract of land. He has since added to his holdings until within the boundaries
of his farm are now comprised two hundred and forty acres. He has made this
and excellent place by reason of the care and labor which he has bestowed upon

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 303

it and from his fields he now annually gathers abundant harvests. He is also
a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator of Colwell.

As the years have passed Mr. and Mrs Tjaden have become the parents of
seven children: Anna, Ludwig, Bernard, Meta, Jacob, Ernest and Leonard, all yet
at home. Mr. Tjaden and his family are members of the German Lutheran church
of Alta Vista and hi« political allegiance is given to the republican party, which he
supports at the polls, but otherwise he is not active in politics. His farm claims
his entire attention and he works diligently in the further development and improve-
ment of the property, which he has converted into one of the excellent farms of
Deerfield township.

ANDREW BARNES.

One who has any appreciation for the wonders of nature cannot but be pleased
with the sight of the Evergreen Hill Farm, a property of two hundred acres on
section 31, Utica township, which is owned and cultivated by Andrew Barnes.
There the rich soil responds readily to the care and labor bestowed upon it and
golden harvests are annually gathered. Excellent improvements have been put upon
the farm and everything presents a neat and thrifty appearance, indicating the
systematic methods and practical supervision of the owner.

Mr. Barnes is a native of Howard county, Iowa, born February 9, 1870, his
parents being Sylvester and Catherine (Ferry) Barnes, who were natives of Canada
and of Buffalo, New York, respectively. They were married at Strawberry Point,
Iowa, to which place they went for the ceremony from Howard county, for the
Barnes and Ferry families had been established in Howard county in pioneer times.
At that period both the father and mother of Andrew Barnes were children and
in Howard county they were reared. After their marriage they settled upon a farm
in Vernon Springs township, three miles southwest of Cresco, and there twelve
children, ten sons and two daughters were born to them. They were carefully reared
upon the old homestead and the family record is a notable one in that all of the
sons and daughters are yet living. There are also fifty-eight grandchildren and
four great-grandchildren. The old Barnes homestead was a farm of one hundred
and sixty acres, but Mr. Barnes acquired other lands which he afterward deeded
to his children when they reached adult age. The grandfather, James Barnes,
served as a soldier in the Civil war. The maternal grandfather of Andrew Barnes
was John Ferry, who was a miller in New York but followed farming after coming
to Iowa. From the period of early development in Howard county the Barnes
family has been closely associated with the upbuilding and improvement of this
section of the state. Sylvester Barnes remained an active farmer to the time of
his death, which occurred in 1911, when he had reached the age of seventy-three
years. His widow survives and resides with her son James in Cresco.

After mastering the branches of learning taught in the district schools Andrew
Barnes remained upon the home farm and assisted his father in the cultivation of
the fields up to the time of his marriage. On the 16th of June, 1897, he wedded
Miss Mary Hand, a native of Chicago and a daughter of James and Catherine
(Smith) Hand, who came to Chickasaw county, Iowa, during the infancy of their
daughter. They settled on the farm which Mr. Barnes now owns. In the year of
his marriage Mr. Barnes purchased a tract of land of one hundred and twenty-six
acres near Jerico in Chickasaw county and resided thereon for a year, at the end
of which time he sold the property and bought the old home of his wife's parents,
Mr. Hand having died several years before the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Barnes.
By this marriage there have been born the following children: Ethel, Florence, Evelyn,
Alvin, Gertrude, Donald, Arline and Charles. All are still under the parental roof.

Mr. Barnes is deeply interested in the cause of education and as soon as his
children complete the district school course they are sent to high school in Lawler.

304 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

As stated, Mr. Barnes has remained continuously upon his present home place
since the year following his marriage and his work has wrought a marked trans-
formation in the appearance of the place, making it one of the model farm proper-
ties of Chickasaw county in the twentieth century. He is also a stockholder in the
Lawler Shipping Asociation, engaged in the live stock and grain business, and is
a stockholder in the Lawler Creamery Association.

Mr. Barnes and his family are communicants of the Catholic church and he is
identified also with the Knights of Columbus and with the Catholic Order of
Foresters. His political support is stanchly given to the republican party and for
the past five years he has served as treasurer of the school board, while for sev-
eral years prior to this time he was a member of the board. He has ever been
keenly interested in educational progress and was instrumental in bringing the
schools of his district up to the present high point of efficiency. He is regarded
as one of the foremost citizens of Utica township, manifesting a spirit of enterprise
and progress in all that he does or undertakes. He never stops short of the suc-
cessful accomplishment of his purpose and that his labors have ever been intelli-
gently directed is indicated in the fact that he is today the owner of a valuable place
of two hundred acres, the Evergreen Hill Farm being one of the attractive features
in the district.

C. J. MILLER.

A fine farm property of two hundred and sixty acres, situated on section 9,
Chickasaw township, Chickasaw county, pays tribute to the care and labor bestowed
upon it by the owner, C. J. Miller, who has devoted his life to general agricultural
pursuits in this county. His birth occurred February 7, 1871, in the township
which is still his home, his parents being D. C. and Sophia (Sutton) Miller, both
of whom were natives of the state of New York. They came west with their
parents and settled at old Chickasaw, where they became acquainted and were
married. The father died January 19, 1891, at the age of fifty-four years, four
months and three days, while the mother passed away January 24, 1900, aged
fifty-eight years, eleven months and eleven days. Both died in Chickasaw town-
ship, where they had lived for many years, identified with its agricultural interests.
At the time of his death the father was the owner of one hundred and twenty
acres of good farm land.

C. J. Miller was educated in the district schools of his native township and in
early life assisted his father upon the home farm. In fact he continued to devote
his labors to the further improvement of the old homestead till his father's death.
He was married March 6, 1892, to Miss Mabel Hoover, a daughter of George and
Teresa (Whitehall) Hoover, both of whom passed away in Chickasaw township
a number of years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have four living children, two sons
and two daughters: Maude, the wife of Ellsworth Idler, who is engaged in the
cement block and tile business at Bassett, Iowa; Ada, who is a teacher in the
graded schools of Spencer, Iowa; Harland, who enlisted during the World war, but
was never sent overseas and now assists in the operation of the home farm; and
Earl, also at home.

For a year after his marriage Mr. Miller rented a farm of eighty acres in
Chickasaw township and then purchased forty acres in the same township, remain-
ing upon that farm for ten years. On the expiration of that period he purchased
one hundred acres of his present home property, but has since extended the
boundaries of the place until it now includes two hundred and sixty acres of very
excellent land, his second purchase being made in 1904. He is busily engaged in
the further development of the place and has brought his fields under a high state
of cultivation, while to the farm he has added many modern improvements. He
has good buildings upon the place and well kept fences, while modern farm ma-

MR. AND MRS. C. J. MILLER

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 307

chinery greatly facilitates the work of the fields. He is a member of the Farmers
Equity Association of Bassett.

Mr. Miller is a republican in his political views and fraternally he is connected
with the Brotherhood of American Yeomen at Bassett. He and his family are
members of the Congregational church of Bassett and they are people of genuine
worth who enjoy and merit the warm regard and confidence of all. Mr. Miller
represents one of the old pioneer families of Chickasaw county that from early
days has been closely identified not only with the material development but with
the social, intellectual and moral progress of the community.

CARL W. REED.

Carl W. Reed, filling the position of county attorney in Howard county and
ranking with the leading and well known lawyers of Cresco, was born May 6,
1873, in the city where he still resides, a son of Judge H. T. and Laura J. (Web-
ster) Reed, prominent and well known people of the county. He spent his boyhood
days under the parental roof and after graduating from the Cresco high school,
went to Madison, Wisconsin, where he entered the State University, matriculating as
a law student. After spending one year there he entered the law department of
the State University of Minnesota, graduating in 1896. Following his admission
to the bar he returned to Cresco, and with his father formed a law partnership
which continued until 1904, when H. T. Reed was appointed United States district
judge. On the first of December, 1910 he became associated with Charles Pergler
and has since been an active member of the bar. His ability has been attested in
many important cases which he has carried forward to successful completion. In
1914 he was elected to the office of county attorney and in 1918 he was elected
state senator from the Howard-Winneshiek district.

Mr. Reed is most pleasantly situated in his home surroundings. In 1909 he
married Miss Alice Swenson, a daughter of Fred and Josephine (Iverson) Swenson
and a native of Cresco. Her parents came from Wisconsin to this state in 1870
and took up their abode in Cresco, where the father began the manufacture of
mowing machines in connection with J. J. Lowry and also operated a steam boiler
foundry. To Mr. and Mrs. Reed have been born three children, June, Henry Fred
and Richard

The parents are members of the Congregational church and Mr. Reed is
identified with various fraternal orders. He has attained the Knight Templar
degree in the York Rite of Masonry and the thirty-second degree of the Scottish
Rite and he is also a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He likewise has membership
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America,
the Woodmen of the World and the B. P. O. E. In politics he is a republican but
has never sought or desired office outside the strict path of his profession. He is in-
terested, however, in the vital question and issues of the day and keeps well
informed concerning all political problems

WILLIAM BALL.

Wiliam Ball, devoting his time and energies to general agricultural pursuits
in Howard county, his home being on section 12, Afton township, was born in
Waterloo, Iowa, on the 20th of April, 1883. He is a son of Carl and Freda
(Hofferd) Ball, who are now residents of Elma, Iowa. For many years the father
was connected with agricultural interests in Howard county but in 1911 retired
from active business life and is now enjoying a well earned rest, his former toil
supplying him with all of the necessities and many of the comforts and luxuries

308 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

of life. It was in 1893 that he became a resident of Afton township and took up his
abode upon the farm which is now the home of his son William.

After acquiring a public school education William Ball concentrated his efforts
and attention upon farm work and at his father's retirement took over the manage-
ment and operation of the old homestead and has since succesfully cultivated the
fields. He has closely studied modern progressive methods of farming, keeps his
land in good condition through the rotation of crops and the judicious use of fer-
tilizer and has by reason of his success demonstrated that his methods are thoroughly
practical and progressive. Aside from carrying on his home place he is a stock-
holder in the Maple Leaf Farmers Creamery.

Mr. Ball was united in marriage on the 15th of February, 1911, to Miss Clara
Baethke, a daughter of Carl and Marie (Schall) Baethke, who are now residents
of Saratoga, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Ball have three children: Hilda, Esther and
Mabel, aged respectively six, five and three years. The parents are members of
the German Lutheran church of Maple Leaf and in his political views Mr. Ball is
a republican, having continuously supported the party since age conferred upon him
the right of franchise. He is always loyal to any cause in which he has faith
and his position upon any vital question is never an equivocal one. It is a recog-
nized fact that his aid and cooperation can be gained for any practical plan for
the public good and he does everything in his power to promote the welfare and
advance the upbuilding of his section of the state.

D. J. O'DONNELL.

D. J. O'Donnell was born in Riverton township, Floyd county, Iowa, September
29, 1867, a son of Peter and Mary (O'Donnell) O'Donnell, both of whom were
natives of Emerald isle. The father came to the United States in young manhood
and the mother crossed the Atlantic as a girl with her parents. They were married
in Aurora, Kane county, Illinois, and soon afterward removed to Chickasaw county.
Iowa, settling in Nashua, but after a short time removing to a farm three miles
southwest of the town, the father there purchasing forty acres of government land
upon which not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made. He at once
began the development of the farm, upon which he lived until 1874. The previous
year he had purchased a farm of one hundred and forty-seven acres adjoining the
city of Nashua and he removed to that place, upon which he remained to the time
of his death, in 1881. His widow survived for a number of years, passing away
in 1894.

Their son, D. J. O'Donnell, was educated in the schools of Nashua, passing
through consecutive grades to the high school. He was but fourteen years of age
when his father died and for some years thereafter he and his brother operated the
home farm, after which the brother left the farm and D. J. O'Donnell continued
its cultivation alone. He was thus engaged for several years, after which he and
his mother in 1891 removed to Elma, where D. J. O'Donnell has since made his
home. In the spring of 1892 he engaged in the fire insurance and real esiato
business and after about fifteen years he formed a partnership with the Hon. H. L.
Spaulding, organizing the firm of Spaulding & O'Donnell to engage in the buying and
selling of farm lands. Since then they have conducted an extensive business and
they are heavy landholders in Howard county at the present time. Mr. O'Donnell
conducts his insurance business independently. He is a member of the National
Farm Loan Association and is the vice president of the First State Bank of Elma,
of which he was one of the incorporators.

On the 15th of October, 1895, Mr. O'Donnell was married to Miss Agnes Roach,
of Afton township, Howard county, and to them have been born eight children, of
whom seven are living: Joseph E., who is associated with his father in the insur-
ance business; Mary A., who is attending the Mount St. Joseph College at Dubuque,

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 309

Iowa; George Norbert, a student in the Elma high school; Harriet E., also a high
school pupil; and Catherine A., Arthur D. and Charles L., all in school.

Mr. O'Donnell and his family are members of the Catholic church and he
belongs also to the Knights of Columbus and to the Catholic Order of Foresters and
for several years has been chief ranger in the latter lodge. His political allegiance
has always been given to the democratic party since age conferred upon him the
right of franchise. He served as town clerk of Elma for five years, was a member
of the city council six years, and in March, 1918, was elected mayor of Elma,
so that he is the present chief executive of the city. He exercises his official preroga-
tives in behalf of progress and improvement along every line and while working
toward high ideals he employs the most practical methods in their fulfillment. He
brings the same keen discernment and unfaltering enterprise to bear in the dis-
charge of his public duties that he displays in the conduct of his private business
interests.

FRANCIS DANE.

There are few men who have improved their opportunities so wisely and well
as did Francis Dane, who, handicapped in youth by poverty and a lack of liberal
education, nevertheless made steady progress throughout his career and con-
tributed not only to the development of his own fortunes but as well to the upbuild-
ing of the district in which he lived. Chickasaw county numbered him for many
years as one of its valued citizens who began his labors there in pioneer times. He
was born in West Derby, Vermont, October 6, 1828, and came of English ancestry,
although the family has been represented on American soil through many genera-
tions. The first of the name in the new world came from Hertfordshire, England,
about the year 1640 and settled at Ipswich, Massachusetts. They took active part
in shaping the history of that period and down to the present time members of
the family have left the impress of their individuality and ability upon the
development and upbuilding of various localities in which they have lived. One of
the early ancestors of the family was John Dane, a man of considerable literary
talent, who acted as a juror in the famous Salem witchcraft trials. Nathan Dane,
a greatuhcle of Francis Dane, served as a member of the Massachusetts general as-
sembly and afterward represented his district In the lower house of the United
States Congress. A notable feature of his congressional career was his placing
the famous clause in the ordinance which forever prohibited slavery in the North-
west Territory — a work that was of untold worth to that district. He displayed
notable prescience as well as broad humanitarianism in this act, freeing the great
district from that curse which later involved the entire country in civil war. He
it was who founded the law school of Harvard University and his scholarly attain-
ments and statesmanship thus caused his name to be written high on the roll of
America's eminent citizens. Another well known member of the family was
Major Henry C. Dane, traveler and lecturer, whose interest in the peoples and
lands of the world finds a duplicate note in the life of Harry H. Dane, of New
Hampton.

James Dane, the father of Francis Dane, came from the state of Vermont, to
Chickasaw county, Iowa, about the year 1858. His last days were passed in Water-
loo, Iowa, where his death occurred January 21, 1891, when he was in his ninety-
third year. He was a man of inventive genius having taken out patents on brick
molding machines and on grain harvesting machines.

Francis Dane was numbered among the earliest of the pioneer settlers of Chicka-
saw county. Making a trip to the west, he entered land from the government, becom-
ing the owner of a tract in Jacksonville township upon which not a furrow had been
turned nor an improvement made. Later he returned to Vermont and there, on
the 13th of March, 1853, wedded Jane Crane, removing with his bride to Iowa
the following year. They took up their abode upon the land which he had entered

310 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

and his efforts and attention were concentrated upon the arduous task of turning
the first furrows and developing the fields. This place, which became his home
farm, remained in his possession until his death and then passed to his descendants.
He had been active in its cultivation for many years, but about a decade prior to his
death he put aside the active work of the fields and removed to New Hampton,
where he continued to reside until called to his final rest on the 11th of April, 1908.
For two years he had survived his wife, who died February 21, 1906. They were
the parents of two children, the son being Harry H. Dane, who is mentioned else-
where in this work, while the daughter, Lydia E., became the wife of Albert H.
Markle, a prosperous farmer of Chickasaw county. Mr. and Mrs. Markle and family
of three children, Eva C, Jane D., and Dane H., now reside at Fayetleville, Arkansas.
With the organization of the republican party Francis Dane espoused its cause
and remained ever afterward one of its consistent supporters. He exercised no little
influence in political circles in Chickasaw county and his writings concerning the
tariff and his arguments for protection of American industry, appearing in the
local papers, carried conviction to the minds of the readers. He often addressed
the public upon political topics and the soundness of his opinions and the clearness
with which he presented his cause made him a most convincing speaker. For a
number of years he served as a member of the board of county supervisors in
Chickasaw county and advocated many reforms in the management of the county
business. He believed in the application of sound business principles to public
affairs and upon all vital public questions he looked with a broad-mindedness that
indicated his thorough study of the questions and his deep interest in the general
welfare. Graft found in him an uncompromising opponent; the public school sys-
tem found in him a stalwart friend. He was also a consistent member of the
Baptist church of Jacksonville township and was keenly interested in the moral
advancement of the community. No one ever questioned the integrity of his posi-
tion or his loyalty to a cause which he espoused. His sterling worth made him the
valued friend of many men in public life in the state and was well known through-
out Iowa. He used his time and talents wisely and well and his opportunities
were made not only to serve his own ends but to further the interests and welfare
of the community and the commonwealth in which he lived.

HERBERT L. PERRY.

Herbert L. Perry is a progressive farmer of Howard county, living on section 22,
Howard center township, and is also a member of the United Shippers of Cresco.
He was born in the state of New York, January 30, 1855, a son of Thomas R. and
Eunice A. (Couch) Perry, who were likewise natives of the Empire state. They
came to Iowa in 1856 and the father preempted land, upon which his son Herbert
Li. now resides. The father was a graduate in law, having completed a course in
the Auburn (N. Y.) University. He was also numbered among the Argonauts who
went to California in search of the golden fleece in 1849. He made the trip by
ship around Cape Horn and the ship was becalmed in the Pacific ocean, being out
of sight of land for eighty days. After reaching Iowa Mr. Perry here engaged in
farming, and during the period of the Civil war he occupied a clerkship in Wash-
ington, D. C, for two years. He was a member of the legislature of Iowa at an
early day and for many years remained an honored and respected resident of the
state, passing away in 1913, when eighty-six or eighty-seven years of age.

Herbert L. Perry was educated in the district schools and after reaching man's
estate engaged in farming and in other lines of business to the time of his marriage,
which was in 1889. He then went to Fresno, California, where he spent five years
on a raisin ranch that belonged to his uncle, Daniel P. Perry. He afterward re-
turned to Howard county and purchased a farm in Howard Center township. Fol-
lowing his father's death he sold this property and bought the old home farm,

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 311

comprising two hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land, which he
still owns and successfully cultivates.

In 1889 Mr. Perry was united in marriage to Miss Belle Young, a daughter of
James Young, now deceased, who was a well known resident of Saratoga township.
To this union have been born eight children, four sons and four daughters, namely:
Thomas R., who is filling the responsible position of county engineer of Howard
county; Harry, who is engaged in farming in Howard county; Madge and Florence,
both of whom are graduate nurses; Helen, who is a graduate of the Cresco high
school and is now at home; and Leslie, Chester and Edith, all yet at home.

Mr. Perry votes with the republican party and has served for several years as a
member of the board of township trustees and for some time as a member of the
school board. He belongs to Cresco Lodge, No. 150, A. F. & A. M., and is a worthy
follower of the craft, exemplifying in his life its teachings concerning the brother-
hood of mankind and the obligations thereby imposed. In his life record there are
no exciting chapters but fidelity to principle has marked his career and his business
life has been actuated by a laudable ambition that has enabled him to accomplish
substantial results.

D. M. BERNETT.

D. M. Bernett, Avho is successfully engaged in the operation of a fine farm of
eighty acres on section 8, Saratoga township, Howard county, was born in Dear-
born county, Indiana, November 29, 1877, of the marriage of Daniel and Margaret
(Trout) Bernett. On coming to Iowa in 1878 the family located at Ridgeway,
Winneshiek county, where the father purchased a farm and engaged in its cultiva-
tion for three years. During the following three years he operated a rented farm
in ihat county and then removed to Decorah, Iowa, where he cultivated rented land
for ten years. At the end of that time he came to Howard county and located a
mile south of Saratoga, where he followed farming for fifteen years. He died on the
9th of September, 1914, but his wife is still living and now makes her home with
three of her sons in Waterloo, Iowa.

D. M. Bernett accompanied his parents on their various removals and was reared
in much the usual manner of the farm lad, his education being obtained in the
.listrict schools near his home. By assisting his father in the work of the farm he
became thoroughly familiar with agricultural pursuits and in 1907 he purchased
his present farm on section 8, Saratoga township, Howard county, and has since
successfully engaged in its operation. He has eighty acres under a high state of
cultivation and is regarded as one of the prosperous citizens of his community.

On the 6th of January, 1904, Mr. Bernett was united in marriage to Miss
Martha Breitsprecher, a daughter of August and Louise Breitsprecher, and to them
have been born three children, namely: Vera Louise, now ten years of age; Arlys
Anna, nine years old; and Lois Marie, an infant of six months.

Mr. and Mrs. Bernett hold membership in the Lutheran church and are widely
and favorably known throughout the community in which they reside. Mr. Bernett
is independent in politics and for five years has faithfully served as a school director
in his district.

FRANK KALISHEK.

Frank Kalishek, a retired farmer residing in Protivin, was born in Bohemia,
October 9, 1862, a son of Martin and Catherine (Vet) Kalishek, who came to the
United States in 1869. Crossing the continent to Iowa, they established their home
in Sumner township, Winneshiek county, upon a farm, where they resided until
the mother's death in 1875. Two years later the father married Mrs. Catherine

312

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Novotny and continued to further develop and improve his farm until 1900, when he
removed with his family to Howard county, settling in Protivin, where his remaining
days were passed, his death occurring on the 11th of March, 1913. His second wife
has also passed away.

Frank Kalishek was educated in the district schools and was reared to farm
life, early becoming familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring
for the crops. On the 15th of January, 1884, he was married to Miss Josephine
Novotny, a daughter of his stepmother. In the following spring he began farming
on his own account in Winneshiek county on a tract of land of one hundred and
sixty acres, which he inherited from his father. In 1893 he removed to Protivin,
Howard county, where he established a restaurant and pool room, conducting the
business for three years, when he turned it over to his son and returned to the farm,
whereon he resided for four years. He then retired from active business and has
since lived in Protivin, enjoying a well earned rest. His has been an active and
useful life in which labor has been crowned with success to the extent of enabling
him now to rest from further business cares.

To Mr. and Mrs. Kalishek have been born four children, three of whom are yet
living, William J., Adolf M. and Edward F. The last named has recently returned
from active service with the American Expeditionary Force in France.

In politics Mr. Kalishek is a democrat and for many years served as a member
of the school board and has also been a member of the town council of Protivin.
He is keenly interested in all that pertains to the welfare and progress of the com-
munity and has heartily cooperated in plans and projects for the general good.
He is a stockholder in the Bohemian Savings Bank, also a stockholder in the Pro-
tivin Electric Light Company and a stockholder in the Protivin Telephone Com-
pany. He has thus done much to encourage projects of public importance and at
the same time has thereby promoted his individual interests. He and his family
are members of the Catholic church and he has membership with the Catholic
Order of Foresters. He is chief farringer of the lodge and he also belongs to the
]\Iodern Woodmen of America. Those who know him, and he has a wide acquain-
tance, recognize in him a man of progressive spirit whose labors have been widely
and beneficially resultant.

ELLERT R. THOMPSON.

Ellert R. Thompson is engaged in the abstract and loan business in Cresco.
He was born in Stod, near Stenkjar, Norway, on the 9th of August, 1854, a son of
Rasmus and Johanna Gjerstad, who were likewise natives of that locality, where
they were reared and married, after which the father devoted his attention to farm-
ing in order to provide for the support of his family. Both he and his wife died
in the land of the midnight sun.

Ellert R. Thompson spent his boyhood in Norway to the age of eighteen years
and in the spring of 1872, attracted by the favorable reports which he had heard
concerning America and its opportunities he sailed for the United States. He at
once made his way to Iowa, taking up his abode at Lansing, and later he went
to Winneshiek county, where he stopped with Peter L. Winnes, on whose farm he was
employed for two years, during summer season and he worked for his board and
the opportunity of attending school in the winter. He was afterward employed
at Decorah, Iowa, and also attended the Breckenridge school there and the Slack
Business College, for he was most anxious to obtain a good education, recognizing
how valuable it is as a factor in life's success. In 1876 he came to Cresco and
was employed as bookkeeper in the general store of Thompson & Johnson. He
was afterward with John Stradley in the abstract and real estate business for three
years and thus received the initial training which qualified him for his present
business. Later he was appointed to the position of deputy auditor and served
in that office for two years. The succeeding two years were passed in the position

Vol. 11—20

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 315

of bookkeeper in the Kimball & Farnsworth bank and later he was elected to the
position of county auditor, in which capacity he acceptably served for iive years.
(In 1892 he turned his attention to the abstract and real estate business in Cresco
and has since been active in that field of labor. He has secured a good clientage
and has a business that in volume and importance places him among the leading
representatives of this line of activity in the state, being an active member of the
Iowa Abstracters Association. In 1897 the old National Bank of Decbrah, Iowa, failed
and Mr. Thompson with H. C. Hjerleld reorganized the bank, purchased the building
and made it the National Bank of Decorah, of which he became a director. He is
a man of good business ability, of sound judgment, of unfaltering energy and of
keen sagacity and therefore what he undertakes he carries forward to successful
completion.

In 1881 Mr. Thompson was united in marriage to Miss Julia Solberg, a daughter
of Ulrick Solberg. She was born in Winneshiek county, on the Nels Larsen farm,
while her parents were natives of Norway but became pioneer residents of Winne-
shiek county. To Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have been born five children: Jennie,
now the wife of Dr. L. A. Dahl, of Menomonie, Wisconsin; Gertie, the wife of Harry
Grindy, of Mitchell, South Dakota; Edward P, living in Cresco; Clarice; and Thelma.

For an extended period Mr. Thompson has been an active factor in republican
circles in Howard county. He served as chairman of the republican central com-
mittee in 1893-4 and during that period every republican on the ticket was elected.
He has filled the office of city recorder, has been a member of the city council, has
for nine years served on the school board and during part of that time has been its
president. His activities have been pronounced along various lines for the benefit
and upbuilding of the county in which he lives and he is regarded as one of the
representative and valued citizens, honored by all who know him and most of all
where he is best known. His religious faith is that of the Norwegian Lutheran
church.

MRS. J. C. ENOS.

Mrs. J. C. Enos, who is well known in Howard county, makes her home on
section 28, Saratoga township, where she is the owner of an excellent farm of one
hundred and sixty acres. Mrs. Enos is a daughter of Samuel and Eliza ( Smith ^
Sherwood, who were among the early residents of Minnesota and came to Iowa
about forty-six years ago. Both have now passed away, the father having died on
the 14th of February, 1884, while the death of Mrs. Sherwood occurred July 7, 1894.

Their daughter, Mrs. Enos, spent her girlhood days under the parental roof
and obtained her education in the public schools of Minnesota. On the 19th of
October, 1872, she gave her hand in marriage in Brownsville, Minnesota, to J. C.
Enos, and in 1893 they took up their abode upon a farm in Saratoga township,
Howard county, which Mrs. Enos still owns and occupies.

Mr. Enos was born January 8, 1851, in the state of "Vermont, and was a son of
Joseph and Olive Enos, whose family numbered five children, of whom he was the
fourth in order of birth. In early life he became a resident of the middle west and
for a considerable period lived in Minnesota. Following his marriage he and his
wife began their domestic life in that state and there remained until 1875, when
they removed to Lawler, Chickasaw county, Iowa, where they resided for eighteen
years. In 1893 they became residents of Howard county, establishing their home in
Saratoga township, and through the intervening period Mr. Enos gave his attention
to the development and improvement of the property, transforming it into one of
the good farms of the community. He was a very diligent man and prospered in his
undertakings as the result of his close application and carefully directed energies.
To Mr. and Mrs. Enos were born three children, Henry, George W. and Mrs. Dora
Merrill.

The family circle was broken by the hand of death when on the 10th of October,

316 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

1918, Mr. Enos passed away on the homestead farm. His demise was the occasion
of deep and widespread regret, for he had become very favorably known throughout
the section of the state in which he lived, his sterling traits of character being
recognized by all who knew him. In politics he was an earnest republican and was
called upon to fill a number of local offices, serving as township trustee for several
years and also a director on the school board for several years. He attended the
Congregational church, which Mrs. Enos also attends, and he was a very liberal
contributor to the church and to various projects for the public good. His was
indeed a well spent life and he left to his family not only a comfortable competence
but also the priceless heritage of an untarnished name. Mrs. Enos occupies the
old homestead and her circle of friends in this community is almost coextensive with
the circle of her acquaintance.

J. J. SWENUMSON.

J. J. Swenumson is proprietor of The Old Homestead farm, situated on section
34, Utica township, Chickasaw county. He has lived in this section of the state
from pioneer times and has therefore witnessed the entire growth and development
of this region and has borne his full share in the work of general progress and im-
provement. A native of Norway, he was born November 7, 1846, a son of John
Swenumson, who came to the United States with his wife and five children in the
spring of 1848. He first took up his abode in Racine county, Wisconsin, where
the family lived for six years, and in 1854 a removal was made to Chickasaw county,
Iowa, where the father secured a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres,
constituting the farm upon which J. J. Swenumson now resides. The journey from
Wisconsin to Iowa was made with ox team and prairie schooner and the family
lived in the wagon while the log cabin was being built upon the homestead claim.
Mr. Swenumson continued to occupy the log cabin for a number of years but as he
prospered in his undertakings erected a more modern and pretentious residence,
which remained his home to the time of his demise. He passed away some time
in the '90s. There are only two representatives of the father's family who are still
living, J. J. of this review and his brother, Ole Swenumson.

J. J Swenumson, while born in the land of the midnight sun, was less than two
years of age when the family came to the new world and was a lad of only eight
years at the time of the arrival of the family in Iowa. Accordingly his education was
largely acquired in the district schools of Chickasaw county and when he had
reached early manhood he took charge of and operated the home farm. He was the
youngest of the children and his father was growing old, being incapacitated for
hard work by reason of his advanced years. The burden of the farm therefore
devolved upon Mr. Swenumson of this review, who, remaining at home, continuel to
look after his parents to the time of their death. During these years he came into
possession of a part of the old homestead and bought other lands from time to time
as his financial resources increased until his holdings comprised five hundred and
five acres. However two farms of one hundred and five acres and one hundred and
twenty acres respectively have been cut off from his property for two of his sons,
so that his present possessions include two hundred and eighty acres. His work
has been attended with a high measure of prosperity, coming to him as the direct
reward of his persistency of purpose, his honorable dealings and his indefatigable
energy. In addition to his farm property Mr. Swenumson is a stockholder in the
Saude Cooperative Creamery Company.

In 1875 Mr. Swenumson was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Johnson, a
daughter of John Johnson, who came to Chickasaw county from Wisconsin with the
Swenumson family in 1854. Mr. and Mrs. Swenumson have become parents of
nine children, four sons and five daughters, as follows: Alfred O., who passed away
at the age of eight years; Carl, who is a resident of Rochester. Minnesota; Oscar,
who follows farming in Utica township; Thomas, at home; Anna, who is the widow

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 317

of Andrew Anderson and lives at home; Johanna, the wife of J. G. Johnson, a resi-
dent of Minnesota; Etta, who is the wife of Lewis Qually and lives in North
Dakota; Thurenia, the wife of Thomas Johnson, of Jacksonville township, Chickasaw
county; and Esther, at home.

In politics Mr. Swenumson is a republican and has filled the office of road
supervisor, while for a number of years he has been a member of the school board.
He and his family are members of the Lutheran church and he is interested in
many progressive measures which have had to do with the upbuilding and develop-
ment of this section of the state. For almost two-thirds of a century he has lived
in Chickasaw county and has therefore seen the greater part of its growth and
development. In fact there were but very few settlers in the county when the
family home was established within its borders and they shared in all of the hard-
ships and privations incident to the settlement of the frontier. Mr. Swenumson's
memory now forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive
present and his reminiscences of the early days are most interesting.

HENRY J. NOVAK.

Henry J. Novak, who follows farming on section 6, New Oregon township,
Howard county, was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, March 19, 1888, a son of
Thomas and Veronica (Phillip) Novak, who came to the United States in childhood
days with their respective parents, the two families crossing Ihe Atlantic on the
same vessel. This was about 1855. The Novak family settled in New Oregon town-
ship, Howard county, while the mother's people took up their abode in Winneshiek
county, Iowa. Following their marriage the father and mother of Henry J. Novak
made three or four removals between Howard and Winneshiek counties but are
now living in Cresco, where Thomas Novak has put aside business cares, enjoying
the fruits of his former toil in a well earned rest.

Henry J. Novak was educated in the schools of Spillville and in 1910, when
twenty-two years of age, purchased his present home farm and began its cultiva-
tion. He kept bachelor's hall for one year and in 1911 he was united in marriage
to Miss Anna Hovorka, a daughter of Albert Hovorka, of New Oregon township, of
whom mention is made elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Novak have become
the parents of two children, Leonard H. and Virgil G. The home of the family is
an excellent farm property comprising a fractional quarter section. It is well im-
proved and constitutes one of the valuable farms of Howard county, for Mr. Novak
has brought his land under a high state of cultivation and has added all of the
equipments and accessories of the model farm of the twentieth century. His methods
are at once practical and progressive, and the neat and thrifty appearance of his
place indicates his careful supervision and enterprise. In politics he is a democrat
and he and his wife are members of the Catholic church. Both are highly esteemed
in the community where they reside and where they have a large circle of warm
friends.

FRED W. TUCKER.

Fred W Tucker, a farmer residing in Bassett, was born in Chickasaw town-
ship, Chickasaw county, about a mile and a half from his present home, on the
14th of May, 1874, his parents being Joseph K. and Elizabeth (Warren) Tucker.
The father arrived in Chickasaw county when a lad of but nine years in company
with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Tucker, who established their home here
in 1854. William Tucker had visited the county the previous year in order to
find a suitable location for a home and several months later he brought his family
from Wisconsin to Iowa, taking up his abode in Chickasaw township. For several

318 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

years he conducted a grist and sawmill and, prospering in his undertakings, he made
judicious investments in land, becoming the owner of several farms. In later life
he held a position in the pension department at Washington, D. C, for a number
of years. Joseph K. Tucker, father of Fred W. Tucker of this review, attained his
majority in Chickasaw county and was here married. He then located on a farm
in Chickasaw township and was actively engaged in general agricultural pursuits
until about 1904, when he removed to Bassett, where he lived retired until the fall
of 1916. He then established his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, but in 1919
returned to Bassett, where he now resides. Almost his entire life has been passed
in Chickasaw county and his many sterling traits of character are recognized by
all among whom he has lived.

Fred W. Tucker was educated in the town schools of Bassett and when a youth
of seventeen years he became a wage earner, working out by the month as a farm
nand. When he reached adult age he began farming on land of his own, which
came to him as an inheritance from his grandmother. On the 16th of August, 1899,
he was united in marriage to Miss Irene Sutherland, of Chickasaw township, a
daughter of H. A. Sutherland, now a resident of Charles City, Iowa. Mrs. Tucker
is a lady of many accomplishments and for some years prior to her marriage was
successfully engaged in educational work. Mr. Tucker brought his bride to his home
in Bassett and is now the owner of an excellent farm comprising two hundred
acres adjoining the town, eighty acres of which lies within the corporate limits. He
devotes his attention to general agricultural pursuits and has brought his fields
under a very high state of cultivation and development, so that he annually harvests
rich crops for which he finds a ready sale on the market. He was also one of
ihe founders of the State Bank of Bassett in 1910 and was elected a member of its
board of directors, in which capacity he has since served.

Mr. and Mrs. Tucker have become the parents of three children, but Clifford K.,
their first-born, is now deceased. The others are: Neva, who is a junior in the high
school; and Alice, who is also in school.

In his political views Mr. Tucker is a republican and for a number of years
served as township trustee. He has also been town clerk, member of the town
council, assessor and mayor. In fact he has filled every office save that of town
marshal and has made a most excellent record by the prompt and faithful manner
in which he has discharged his duties. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of
America and has many friends both within and outside of that organization. He
has demonstrated his worth in business circles and in public oflftce as well and
Bassett presents him as one of her representative citizens.

HON. H. L. SPAULDING.

Hon. H. L. Spaulding, a leading attorney of the Howard county bar living at
Elma, was born on the 17th of February, 1863, a son of John F. and Augusta A.
(Rowell) Spaulding, both of whom were natives of the New England states and
both representatives of old families of that section of the country. In both lines
the family was represented in the Revolutionary war and also in the French and
Indian war In 1870 John F. Spaulding cajne to the west with his family, making
his way to Charles City, Iowa, where he lived retired to the time of his death,
which occurred in January, 1909, when he had reached the age of eighty years.
His wife died in April, 1911, also at the age of eighty.

H. L. Spaulding was educated in the graded and high schools of Charles City
and subsequently entered the Iowa State University, from which institution he
received his collegiate degree in 1887. In 1888 he won his law degree and in
1890 the degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him. Following the com-
pletion of his education he established his home in Elma and entered upon the
practice of law. In the intervening period of thirty years he has been connected
with some of the important litigation heard in the courts of the district. He is

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 319

also the president of the First State Savings Bank at Elma, having thus served
since its reorganization and incorporation as a state bank. For the past few years
he has likewise been extensively interested in farming and is a holder of farm lands
in Howard county. In this connection he is in partnership with D. J. O'Donnell and
together they own over two thousand acres of valuable land in Howard county.

Mr. Spaulding was married in 1896 to Miss Lena K. Wilcox, of Elma, a daughter
of E. L. Wilcox, formerly a grain buyer of Howard county. They have two adopted
sons, Edwin L. and Robert F.

Mr. Spaulding is a member of Maple Leaf Lodge, No. 528, A. F. & A. M., of
Elma, also of Adelphia Chapter, R. A. M., and Eudora Commandery, No. 53, K. T.
He has likewise crossed the sands of the desert with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine
of El Kahir Temple of Cedar Rapids and he and his wife are members of Oakdale
Chapter of the Eastern Star. In politics he has always been a stalwart republican
and represented his district in the thirtieth and thirty-first general assemblies,
proving a capable member of the state legislature by his strong and influential
endorsement of many measures for the general good.

P. M. HEROLD.

P. M. Herold, one of the substantial and influential citizens of Cresco, where
he has lived retired for the past decade, was long and actively identifled with
agricultural pursuits in Howard county and owns altogether five hundred and sixty
acres of valuable land within its borders. His birth occurred in Erie county.
New York, on the 12th of December, 1850, his parents being Michael and
Margaret (Kellner) Herold, both of whom were natives of Prussia and were there
reared and married. The father, who was in straitened financial circumstances,
decided to attempt to better his condition on this side of the Atlantic and emigrated
to the United States about 1846, leaving his family in Prussia until he could earn
enough money to pay their passage to America. He sent first for his two older
children, while later his wife and the two younger children of the family joined
him in the new world. Michael Herold had followed cabinet making in his native
country but after coming to the United States could find no work along that line
and therefore turned his attention to carpentering. In 1853 he removed westward
to Iowa and became one of the earliest pioneers of Winneshiek county, where he
took up one hundred and twenty acres of government land, also securing a forty-
acre timber tract near Protivin, in Howard county. The remainder of his life was
devoted to general farming in Winneshiek county with excellent success and he there
passed away in 1885, at the age of seventy-five years, the community thus losing
one of its most respected and honored pioneer settlers. His wife died about eight
vears later, when she had attained the age of seventy-eight.

P. M. Herold, who was not yet three years old when the family home was
established in Winneshiek county, Iowa, had but little opportunity to attend school
in his youth but acquired a good practical education through reading and self-study.
He was married when a young man of twenty-six and the same year began farming
independently in Winneshiek county, at the same time undertaking the development
of a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of unimproved land which his father had
purchased for him in Howard county a"nd for which he later reimbursed him. In
1877 Mr. Herold took up his abode on the Howard county property on section 34,
New Oregon township, where he resided continuously and successfully carried on
his farming operations until 1909. As the years passed and prosperity rewarded his
careful economy and untiring industry, he extended the boundaries of his home farm
by additional purchase until it embraced four hundred acres. He also acquired
another tract of one hundred and fifty acres on sections 3 and 4, New Oregon town-
ship, and he likewise owns the ten-acre tract comprising his present home place
in Cresco. where he has lived practically retired for the past ten years but still

320 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

does a little farming in order to keep busy, indolence and idleness being utterly
foreign to his nature.

In 1876 Mr. Herold was united in marriage to Miss Regina Steinmetz, a
native of Winneshiek county, Iowa, and a daughter of Joseph and Sophia Steinmetz,
the former being born in France, while the latter's birth occurred in Wurtemberg,
Germany Mr. and Mrs. Herold became the parents of fourteen children, thirteen
of whom are still living. The record of the family is as follows: Philip J., who ia
employed in the mill at Spillville, Iowa; Frank J., operating his father's farm of
one hundred and fifty acres; Albert D., employed in an elevator at Cresco; Carl E.,
who cultivates the old home farm of four hundred acres in New Oregon township;
Henry L., an agriculturist residing in Vernon Springs township; Andrew P., a
merchant of Cresco; John L., at home; William L., who makes his home at Calmar,
Iowa; Sophia M., who is the widow of Joseph Meyer and resides in Cresco; Clara
R. and Mary A., at home; Louisa, who is deceased; and Anna B. and Agnes P., who
are also yet under the parental roof. The wife and mother passed away on the
9th of August, 1917, her demise being the occasion of deep regret to all who
knew her.

Politically Mr. Herold is independent, supporting men and measures rather
than party. He ably served as a member of the board of township trustees for
nine years and was also a member of the school board for many years, the cause
of education ever finding in him a stalwart champion. Fraternally he is identified
with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of Columbus, while his
religious faith is that of the Catholic church, in which he has reared his family.
Practically his entire life has been spent in this part of tlie state and he is widely
and favorably known as a citizen of worth and high standing. He has witnessed
the growth and development which has characterized this region through the past
two-thirds of a century, his memory forming a connecting link between the primitive
past and the progressive present.

AUGUST LAUCK.

August Lauck enjoys the reputation of being one of the most progressive
farmers of Howard county. He has thoroughly acquainted himself with the
science of farming as well as with every practical phase of the work and he occupies
a position of leadership in connection with the adoption of new ideas or plans that
will further agricultural development. Moreover, he is a most public-spirited
citizen and occupies a foremost place in his support of measures tending to the
welfare and upbuilding of the community at large. He lives on section 2 7, Howard
township, and is numbered among the native sons of Iowa, his birth having oc-
curred in Bremer county, September 8, 1866. His parents, John and Mary
(Lamprecht) Lauck, were natives of Germany, where they were reared and mar-
ried, but immediately afterward came to the United States, crossing the Atlantic
in 1864 or 1865. They spent a short time in Cook county, Illinois, and then re-
moved to Bremer county, Iowa, where they resided for six or seven years. Later
Mr. Lauck purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Fayette county,
upon which he spent his remaining days to the time of his retirement from active
business, when he removed to Oelwein, where his death occurred on the 8th of
August, 1914. He had long survived his wife, who passed away in 1882.

August Lauck, whose name introduces this review, was educated in the dis-
trict schools, but his opportunities in that direction were limited, for his father
was then a poor man and needed his assistance upon the home farm. As earlj'
as his tenth year he was hired out to neighboring farmers, his wages going to the
support of the family. His chances for acquiring an education were thus very
meagre, but in the school of experience he has learned many valuable lessons. He
remained upon the home farm with his father until his twenty-sixth year, when
his father gave him two thousand dollars and he started out in business life inde-

a

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 323

pendently. He purchased a farm in Bremer county, nine miles south of Sumner,
but soon afterward disposed of that property and in 1892 became owner of two
hundred and forty acres in Howard county, upon which he now resides. It was a
tract of raw prairie land when it came into his possession, but characteristic energy
and thrift on the part of Mr. Lauck soon brought a marked transformation in the
appearance of the place.

In September following the purchase of his land Mr. Lauck was united in
marriage to Miss Catherine Smith, of Afton township, Howard county, and thus
completed his arrangements for having a home of his own. In the same fall he
built a small house and other farm buildings upon his tract of prairie land and
started upon what has proven a most successful career as a farmer and dairyman.
While he has carefully, systematically and successfully developed his fields in the
cultivation of crops best adapted to soil and climate, he has also profitably carried
on dairying and the raising of hogs and these different lines of business have
brought him a substantial fortune. He has owned and milked as high as sixty
cows at one time and the revenue from cream alone during the year 1918 was
over thirty-six hundred dollars, while in the month of July, 1919, his sales of
cream amounted to four hundred and forty-two dollars and fifty-four cents and
his cream check for the month of August exceeded that amount. Thus his business
is steadily growing and as the years have passed and his financial resources have
increased he has added to his holdings and is now the owner of six hundred acres
of land, having made purchases of four other farms, three of which he still holds.
He has two hundred acres on section 28 and one hundred and sixty acres on section
9, Howard township.

To Mr. and Mrs. Lauck have been born seven children, of whom six are yet
living: Dora, the wife of Henry Rimroth, a resident farmer of Howard township;
and Albert, August, Jr., Mabel, Elsie and Rosanna, at home. The son William J.,
died in France of spinal meningitis November 1, 1918, while in the service of his
country. Shortly prior to his entrance into the war Mr. Lauck had deeded to his
son a farm and had built for him the finest barn in Howard county. This is the
third fine barn which Mr. Lauck has built on his land. The last one has all the
modern labor saving devices known in barn construction and is equipped with a
ventilating system that would be a credit to a modern sky scraper. It is indicative
of the progressive spirit which actuates him in all things. He has a nature that
can never be content with mediocrity but always picks out the best and he em-
ploys every avenue for improvement in business.

In politics Mr. Lauck is a republican and is keenly interested in the success
of his party but is not an office seeker. He and his family are members of the
German Lutheran church. He has cooperated in many interests that have been
of public benefit and is now one of the directors of the Howard County Farm
Bureau. The consensus of public opinion places him among the most progressive
and successful farmers of Howard county. His home place is one of the best im-
proved properties in this section of the state and the fertility of his land could not
be surpassed because of the care he has given to it, employing all modern scientific
methods in the further development of his holdings.

CLYDE HENRY MITCHELL.

Clyde Henry Mitchell is the manager of the Cresco Opera House and has been
identified with theatrical interests in Cresco since 1906. He was born in New
Hampton, Chickasaw county, Iowa, on the 3d of August, 1882, his parents being
Alonzo and Hattie (McCallum) Mitchell. The father spent his boyhood days in
New Oregon, Iowa, where he was reared and educated, and then removed to New
Hampton, where he lived for some time. He afterward accepted the position of
salesman in the music house of George H. Kellogg, in Cresco, Iowa, and traveled
through the country as a representative of that house, selling pianos and other

324 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

musical instruments. In 18 95 he removed with his family to Cresco, where he con-
tinued to make his home throughout his remaining days, his death occurring in
1904, when he had reached the age of sixty-three years. His widow survives
and is now making her home with her son, Clyde Henry, at the age of sixty-seven
years. The father was a republican in his political views and a progressive citizen,
interested in the welfare of the community to an extent that prompted him to give
hearty cooJJeration to plans and measures for the general good.

Clyde H. Mitchell of this review spent the first ten years of his life in the placo
of his nativity and then left New Hampton. Iowa, to go to Chicago, where he lived
with his sister, Mrs. E. B. Fritz, and there attended school until fourteen years of
age. On the expiration of that period he returned to Cresco, but after a time he
again went to Chicago and in fact divided his time between Chicago and Cresco
until he had attained his majority. He was employed in the former city by E. B.
Fritz, proprietor of a paper store, of which he became assistant manager. On com-
ing to Cresco he learned the decorator's trade, which he followed for twenty-four
years, but ultimately turned his attention to the theatrical business. In 1906 he
established a picture show house in Cresco where the Freeborn Restaurant is now
located and continued at that location for six years. He then conducted the Cozy
Theatre and in 1917 took over the management of what is known as The Cresco.
This is a fine modern brick theatre and he enjoys a very extensive patronage, giving
to the public the best reel productions and constantly presenting the foremost movie
stars.

In 1904 Mr. Mitchell was married to Miss Pearl Lewis Ricks, a daughter of Mrs.
Elizabeth (Highhouse) Ricks. Mrs. Mitchell was born in Monona, Iowa, and they
have one child, Harold Clyde. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell are well known in Cresco,
where he has spent much of his life, although at different periods he resided in
Chicago. In the conduct of the moving picture business he displays a spirit of
marked enterprise and progressiveness that is bringing to him satisfactory and
well deserved success.

OTTO MASEMANN.

Otto Masemann, who is engaged in general farming on section 22, Washington
township, Chickasaw county, and also in the breeding of Scotch Durham cattle, was
born in Germany, September 17, 1865, his parents being John H. and Anna Mase-
mann. They never came to the United States, the father passing away in Germany
a number of years ago and the mother still making her home there.

Otto Masemann came to the United States in 1883, when a young man of
eighteen years, after having acquired a common school education in his native
country. He did not tarry on the Atlantic coast but made his way to the Mississippi
valley and took up his abode at Bellevue, Iowa, where he soon secured work as a
farm hand. He was thus employed for seven years and afterward he engaged in
farm work in Washington township, Chickasaw county, for a year. He was am-
bitious to own property and carry on farming independently, however, and in 1892
he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of the farm upon which he now resides.
Since then he has further extended its boundaries by investment in an additional
tract of eighty acres, so that he now has two hundred and forty acres of good land.
He is regarded as one of the successful farmers of the county, following improved
modern methods in the development of his fields. He breeds and raises Scotch
Durham cattle and his stock raising as well as his general farming interests have
brought to him success. He has made all of the improvements upon his property
and it presents a most attractive appearance, constituting one of the pleasing
features in the landscape.

At the age of twenty-seven years, on the 17th of March, 1892, Mr. Masemann
was married to Miss Elvina Joachim, a daughter of Charles and Mary (Schultz)
Joachim, both of whom were natives of Germany and have now passed away. The

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 325

father departed this life in Washington township, Chickasaw county, while the
mother died In La Grange, Illinois, her remains being brought back to Alta Vista
for interment. Mr. and Mrs. Masemann have two living children, Fred and Alvina.
The son served with the famous Thirty-third or Prairie Division during the European
war, being a member of Company C of the One Hundred and Thirtieth Infantry.
He was in France for a year and was on some of the most notable battle fronts.

Mr. Masemann and his family are members of the German Lutheran church
of Alta Vista, and in politics he is a republican. He has served as school director
in Washington township for several years and is a stanch advocate of progressive
methods of education. In fact he stands for all that tends to promote improvement
and upbuilding along any line vital to the welfare of the community. In his busi-
ness affairs he has prospered and has never had occasion to regret his determination
to come to the new world, for he has here found the opportunities which he sought
and in their utilization has gained a place among the substantial farmers and repre-
sentative business men of northern Iowa.

FRANK SHORES.

The industry, enterprise and perseverance which Frank Shores displayed through-
out a long and active business career spelled success which now enables him to live
retired. He makes his home in Protivin, having divided the land that he had
acquired among his children. He was born in Bohemia, January 15, 1839, and there
spent the period of his boyhood and youth. It was in 1867 that he came to the
United States, making his way first to Chicago, where he did factory work for
three years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Crown Point, Indiana,
where he took up his abode upon a farm. He purchased land, which he cultivated and
improved for eight years, and on the expiration Qf that period sold it and removed
to Howard county, Iowa, where he made investment in ninety acres of land. This
constituted the nucleus of landed interests to which he constantly added as his
financial resources permitted. In time he became the owner of four hundred and
forty acres of very valuable land, which in recent years, since his retirement from
active business, he has divided among his children.

Mr. Shores was married in Bohemia to Miss Josephine Mara and they became
the parents of four sons and four daughters: Frank, John, James, Louis, Mary,
Barbara, Anna and Emma. The last named is the wife of John Fancl, of Howard
county, where he follows farming. All of the sons have married and are living
on farms given them by their father.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church, Mr. Shores
being a communicant of the church at Protivin, where he now makes his home,
occupying a pleasant residence. He served as road supervisor while living in
Chickasaw county, occupying the office for a number of years. His political allegi-
ance has always been given to the democratic party and he has ever been loyal to any
cause that he has espoused. Those who know him, and he has many stanch friends,
entertain for him warm regard, and he ever manifests a kindly spirit in all of his
relations with his fellowmen. He has now reached the advanced age of eighty
years and is one of the highly respected and substantial citizens of New Oregon
township.

JOHN P. BERCKES.

John P. Berckes, who follows farming on section 10, Howard township, and is
a well known representative of the agricultural interests of Howard county, was
born in Luxemburg, Germany, November 21, 1868, a son of Bernard and Margaret
Berckes, who were also natives of Luxemburg, where they spent their entire lives.

326 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

At the age of twenty years J. P. Berckes, who had pursued his education in the
public schools of his native country, came to the United States, hoping to enjoy
better business opportunities than he believed he could secure in his native land.
He made his way first to Ionia county, Michigan, where he resided for two years,
working on a farm during that period. Later he removed to Chicago, where he
lived for a brief time and then went to Wyoming and to Nebraska. He was also
in Oregon at one time and in fact visited many points in the west, going from place
to place for a number of years, or until 1896, when he came to Iowa, settling first
in Chickasaw county. He located at North Washington, where he worked at the
printing trade for seven years, and in 1909 he bought a farm in Washington town-
ship, which he conducted for three years. In 1912 he made investment in his
present farm on section 10, Howard township, Howard county, and has since resided
thereon. He is now engaged in the cultivation of two hundred and forty acres of
land, which he owns, and his well developed fields are returning to him golden
harvests.

On the 11th of August, 1894, Mr. Berckes was united in marriage to Miss Johanna
Hurtes, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hurtes, both of whom passed away in
North Washington, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Berckes have become the parents of six
children: Henry, who served with the eighty-eighth Division of the American Ex-
peditionary Force in France; John; Joseph; Herbert; August; and Bennie.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and they are
Identified with the parish of Alta Vista. In politics Mr. Berckes maintains an inde-
pendent course, preferring to support the candidates whom he regards as best quali-
fied for office without regard to party ties. For several years he has served as
school director and is also a director of the Farmers Equity Company of Alta Vista.
Whatever success he has achieved and enjoyed is attributable entirely to his own
labors. He came to the new world with little capital and started in business on
this side of the Atlantic as a farm hand. He has been employed in various ways
and gradually has made advancement until he is now the owner of an excellent
farm property in Howard county, from which he derives a substantial annual in-
come.

A. H. SHAFFER.

A. H. Shaffer is a prominent figure in the banking circles of Iowa. He is the
cashier of the Second National Bank of New Hampton and a member of its board
of directors, is the president and a director of the First State Savings Bank of
Ionia, the president and a director of the State Savings Bank of Orchard, Iowa,
a director of the First State Savings Bank of Waucoma, Iowa, a director of the
State Savings Bank of Bassett, Iowa, and a member of the board of direc-
tors of the First State Bank of Fredericksburg, Iowa. Mr. Shaffer is numbered
among the native sons of Chickasaw county, his birth having occurred in Jackson-
ville township on the 26th of February, 1866, his parents being Henry H. and
Sarah (Albert) Shaffer. After mastering the branches of learning taught in the
district schools he attended the Osage Seminary and also was a student in the Iowa
Business College at Des Moines. On reaching his majority in 1887 he went to
western Kansas and preempted one hundred and sixty acres of land in Greeley
county. There he built a sod house and proved up on his claim. In the fall of
that year he opened a private bank in Horace, which he conducted until the winter
of 1892, when he sold his business interests there and returned to New Hampton.
In January, 1893, he joined his brother, W. G. Shaffer, who had established a
private bank in New Hampton in the previous year. He became a member of the
firm and in subsequent years has been closely associated with his brother in his
extensive banking interests, as previously indicated. He is thoroughly familiar with
every phase of the banking business and his enterprise and progressiveness have
brought him prominently to the front in this connection.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 327

On the 13th of November, 1890, Mr. Shaffer was married to Miss Myrtle M.
Thompson, of Pueblo, Colorado, and to them have been born two children: N.
Lucille, the wife of Joseph A. Miller, of Valley Junction, Iowa; and Harry Allen,
who has just completed the high school course, and is now a student at the Uni-
versity of Chicago, Illinois.

Mr. Shaffer is a stalwart republican in politics and has served as city treasurer
for a number of years. He and his wife and children are members of the Baptist
church, in which he has served as deacon and as superintendent of the Sunday
school. He was a dominant factor in the building of the church in 1894 and long
served in church offices, filling both the above mentioned positions for twenty-five
years. He has also supported a native preacher in India for the past fifteen or
twenty years. He was also largely instrumental in building the Baptist church in
Horace, Kansas, while a resident of that state. He ranks with New Hampton's
most public-spirited, prominent and progressive citizens and there is no plan or meas-
ure for the advancement of public welfare in community or commonwealth that does
not receive his active and earnest support. He was vice chairman of the last two
Liberty Loan drives in New Hampton township and has served on various commit-
tees in connection with the war work. He also served as a member of the board
of directors of New Hampton Chapter of the Red Cross and did everything possible
to uphold American interests during the period of the world conflict and aid in the
support of the khaki-clad boys on the fields of France.

ENOCH STROTHER.

Enoch Strother was a mine operator and hotel owner of Cresco. Every feature and
phase of western frontier life was familiar to him and he could relate many interest-
ing stories of the early days not only in Iowa but in Colorado and the west. From time
to time in the course of life removal brought him westward until eventually he reached
Colorado, attracted by the discovery of gold at Pikes Peak. He was born in Westland,
Virginia, a son of Enoch and Mary Ann Strother. He left the Old Dominion with his
parents during his infancy and the family home was then established in Columbus,
Ohio, where he began his education, supplementing his public school training by study
in the Columbus University and also in Fulsom's Commercial College. He afterward
went to Havana, Cuba, where he remained for two years, and later became a sailor
on the seas, sailing from Cuba to Swansea, Wales. Eventually he returned to the United
States and made his way to Racine, Wisconsin, where he engaged in the wholesale
grocery business for a numebr of years. He afterward removed to Vernon Springs,
Iowa, where he established a general store in 1857. The northern part of Iowa was
then largely undeveloped and unimproved and he cast in his lot with the pioneer
settlers who were aiding in the work of reclaiming the region for the purposes of
civilization. At a later date, in company with Judge Gilchist, he went west across the
plains, traveling with ox teams to Pikes Peak, Colorado, in search of gold. He did not
remain there long, however, but continued on his way westward to Sacramento, Calif-
ornia. Still he was not satisfied with the outlook in the mining regions of the Pacific
coast and retraced his steps across the mountains to what is now Nevada. There he
engaged in the mining of silver and gold and also took up the study of law under
Judge Gilchrist, using his leisure hours in that way. He was still identified with mining
Interests in the west at the time of his death, having mining property at Virginia City,
Nevada, and it was Mr. Strother who named that place, calling it so in honor of his
native state. While living in Nevada he was admitted to the bar and entered upon the
practice of law. He also served as judge in the United States bankruptcy court for
ten years and was a resident of that state for forty-one years altogether. During that
time, however, he made frequent trips back to Iowa to visit his brother in Cresco and
look after his interests and investments in this city. His business as well as his friendly
relations with Judge Gilchrist continued until the time of the death of the Judge in
Nevada. Their relations were ever of a most pleasant and agreeable character and the

328 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

firm ranked very high in the legal circles of that state. He became familiar with all
of the experiences and phases of western frontier life. In 1861 there was an Indian
scare in Nevada, but Mr. Strother had always proved himself friendly to the Indians
and they occasioned him no trouble. He found, as many another white man has done,
that kind and humane treatment won their lasting friendship and gratitude and that
he had nothing to fear at their hands.

While a resident of Nevada, Judge Strother was united in marriage in 1889 to
Miss Julia A. Fratt, a native of Racine, Wisconsin. Judge Strother filled various
positions of public honor and trust while living in Nevada, acting as justice of the
peace for some time, while his fellow townsmen also called him to represent them in
the state legislature. He was likewise nominated for the position of governor of the
state on the republican ticket and he long exercised a wide influence in republican
circles, doing not a little to shape the growth and win success for the party. He served
as chairman of the state central republican committee of Nevada, was also its treasurer
and was likewise made a member of the republican national committee. He had known
many of the most prominent political leaders of the country and his opinions carried
much weight in their councils. Fraternally Judge Strother was a Mason and took the
Knight Templar degree in the York Rite. He also was connected with the Improved
Order of Red Men. He greatly enjoyed travel and made several trips aboard, gaining
wide knowledge and that liberal culture which can be acquired in no other way as
rapidly as in travel. The interests of his life were most varied and he was associated
with events which are as thrilling as any told in tales of fiction. He had been one of
the builders and promoters of the west, especially along the line of mining develop-
ment. His death took place July 9, 1918, regretted by all who knew him.

MAJOR LAWS.

In the history of Howard county it is imperative that mention be made of
Major Laws, who was one of the honored pioneer residents of this part of the state.
He made his home for many years on section 16, Chester township, and there passed
away. He was born at Feltwell, in Norfolkshire, England, June 24, 1844, and was
a lad of twelve years when in 1856 he came to the United States with his parents,
Mager and Maria (Hensby) Laws. Mager Laws never took up government land nor
did he long survive to enjoy his new home, passing away in 1863, when fifty-two
years of age. His wife, however, reached the advanced age of eighty-two years.

Major Laws of this review, having accompanied his parents to the United
States, remained with them for a year in Wisconsin, after which the family home
v.as established in Howard county, Iowa, in 1857. From that time until his death
Major Laws was identified with the development and upbuilding of this section of
the state. He established a home following his marriage on the 26th of June, 1871,
to Miss Adalaide Nye, a daughter of Jesse A. Nye, of Chester township, who came
to Howard county from Wisconsin in 1856.

Following his marriage Mr. Laws continued to engage in farming as a renter
until 1879, when, having carefully saved his earnings, he was enabled to purchase
what is now the Laws homestead farm, still occupied by his widow and son. Through
the intervening years to the time of his death he was busily employed in the further
development and improvement of the property and brought his fields under a high
state of cultivation.

To Mr. and Mrs. Laws were born thirteen children, eleven of whom are yet
living, as follows: Jesse J., who is employed on the Oakdale farm in Howard
county; Anna J., the wife of F. W. Whitcomb, of Austin, Minnesota; Fannie M..
who is the wife of M. D. Daily, of Taopi, Minnesota; Clarence, living in Absher
Montana; Charlie, a resident of Hill City, Minnesota; William, who operates the home
farm; Alice, the wife of H. C. Brown, of Rochester, Minnesota; and Elizabeth,
Wilbur L., Harold V. and Harvey C, all at home.

The family circle was broken by the hand of death when on the 6th of April.

MAJOR LAWS

Vol. II— LM

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 331

1916, Major Laws was called to his final rest. He had long been recognized as
a man of sterling and upright character, who made valuable contribution to the
development of the district in which he lived by his activity in agricultural lines
and his support of all plans and measures for the general good.

WILLIAM BUNSTON.

William Bunston is a well known representative of the farming interests of
Howard county and makes his home on section 24, Afton township, where he is
engaged in the cultivation of a good tract of land that responds readily to the
care and labor which he bestows upon it. Mr. Bunston is a native of England.
He was born January 10, 1868, of the marriage of William and Emily (Burt)
Bunston, who were also natives of that country. There the father still resides and
the mother continued to make her home in England until called to her final
rest in 1916.

William Bunston pursued his education in the common schools of his native
country and came to the United States in 1887, when a youth of nineteen years.
The reports which he had heard concerning business conditions and opportunities
in the new world had determined him to try his fortune on this side of the Atlantic
and he made the trip alone. He was employed in different parts of the country
until October 4, 1887, when he removed from Richmond, Virginia, to Dubuque,
Iowa. For a short time he there engaged in renting land, after which he went to
McGregor, Iowa, where he spent the succeeding winter. He next became a resident
of Lawler, Iowa, where he was employed at farm labor for six years.

It was in February, 1895, that Mr. Bunston was united in marriage to Miss
Ida Cochran, a daughter of Charles Cochran, of Jacksonville, Iowa. The young
couple began their domestic life upon what is now their home farm and this place
they have since occupied. As the years have passed they have become the parents of
three children: Charles W., who served with Company Eight of the Transportation
Corps with the American Expeditionary Force in France; and Emily and Ruth G.,
both at home.

Mr. Bunston is interested in all that has to do with the welfare and upbuilding
of the district in which he resides and for two years he served as school director
but has had no time nor inclination to seek public office. He came to the new
world empty-handed and has ever bent his energies to the task of making a good
living for himself and his family. While he met hardships and difficulties in the
early days, he has steadily worked his way upward, advancing step by step, and he is
now numbered among the substantial farmers of Afton township.

REED ELWOOD.

Reed Elwood, of the firm of Elwood & Elwood, attorneys at law, and also con-
nected with the Elwood Land Company of Elma, was born on the 1st of October,
1885, a son of Frank D. and Catherine (Harris) Elwood, mentioned on another page
of this work in connection with the sketch of their son, Hon. Lee W. Elwood.

After attending the public schools until he had passed through consecutive
grades to the Elma high school, Reed Elwood entered the Capital City Commercial
College at Des Moines. He then went to Wyoming and occupied the position of
cashier in the First National Bank of Wheatland for a period of two years. The
bank was sold and Mr. Elwood returned to Elma with the determination of enter-
ing upon the study of law. He matriculated in the Iowa State University, where
he pursued a two years' law course, and then entered the University of South Dakota,
from which institution he received his law degree in 1911. While a student there
he became a member of the Delta Phi Delta fraternity.

332 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Returning to Elma, Mr. Elwood became associated with his father and brother,
Lee W., in the land business and in 1917 he also became a partner with his brother
In the practice of law. The Elwood Land Company has heavy land holdings, hand-
ling their own property, and at the same time they are extensively engaged in the
raising of cattle and hogs.

On the 30th of June, 1915, Mr. Elwood was married to Miss Goldie Dowd, of
Ossian, Iowa, who is a graduate of the Upper Iowa University at Fayette and was
principal of the public schools of Elma up to the time of her marriage. They now
have one son, Frank D. Mr. Elwood is a member of Maple Leaf Lodge, No. 528,
F. & A. M., and gives his political allegiance to the republican party. At the pres-
ent writing he is serving as a member of the Elma city council and does everything
in his power in an official way to promote the welfare and upbuilding of the com-
munity. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and took a very
active part in Red Cross and Liberty Loan work. In a word their aid is ever given
on the side of progress and improvement and their cooperation can at all times be
counted upon to further plans and measures looking to the welfare of the district
and the support of all measures for the public good.

JOHN F. MULICK.

John F. Mulick, leading a busy and useful life as a farmer of Howard county, his
home being on section 33, Afton township, was born in Watertown, Wisconsin, August
3, 1855, a son of Patrick and Mary (McCormack) Mulick. The father was a native of
Roscommon, Ireland, born January 1, 1834, and when fourteen years of age he came
to America with a younger sister, their parents having died during his childhood days.
He first established his home at Port Jervis, New York, and while there residing was
married on the 24th of October, 1854, to Miss Mary McCormack. Attracted by the op-
portunities of the growing west, he started with his bride for Watertown, Wisconsin, in
1855 and after a residence of ten years in the Badger state purchased what was long
known as the homestead property east of Riceville. He became owner of this farm in
1865 and at once contributed to the pioneer development of his section of the state.
The careful management of his business and the thorough and systematic manner in
which he cultivated his fields brought to him a very substantial measure of success.
At the time of his death a local paper said: "His farm under his judicious, painstaking
care made a life competency for him and his loved ones. How he loved his home! The
work and the play! His horses were his personal friends and his flocks and herds
received his special, constant care, making an ideal farm home, where love and honor
abided." A great blow came to Mr. Mulick in the loss of his wife on the 6th of August,
1903. He remained upon the farm until 1905, when he and his daughter Anna removed
to Riceville, where he remained until he passed away on the 8th of November, 1914.
He had long been a devoted member of the Catholic church and it was said of him
that he was ever a kind, thoughtful neighbor, a loving husband, and through all the
trials of pioneer life a thoughtful christian father and at all times a bountiful provider.
He was a man of whom it can be truly said that he was generous to a fault, who
though jocular by nature never passed a thorn into the side of his fellow.

"Who never did a slander forge.
His neighbor's fame to wound.
Nor hearken to a false report
By malice whispered round."

Mr. and Mrs. Mulick were the parents of four sons and four daughters, of whom Dr.
Joseph Mulick and Sister Mary Lenontine passed away in 1909. The others are: John
F. and Dr. James Mulick, of Elma; Sister Mary Seratina, of Waterloo; Sister Mary
Mark, of Fort Dodge; Anna, who remained with her father until his demise; and Pat-
rick, of Rockford, North Dakota.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 333

Upon the old homestead farm John F. Mulick spent the days of his boyhood and
youth. He was reared as a member of a large household and the home training was
such as developed in the children high principles and worthy characteristics. He at-
tended the district schools and early became familiar with the best methods of tilling
the soil and caring for the crops. In 1890 he purchased his present farm and was
actively engaged in its further development and improvement until 1914, when his
son Frank J. took over the further cultivation and management of the place.

Mr. Mulick was married to Miss Bridget Burns, a daughter of Patrick and Rose
Burns, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who came, however, from Ireland to the new world.
In 1908 Mr. Mulick was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away
on the 29th of July of that year, leaving many friends as well as her immediate
family to mourn her loss. Mr. and Mrs. Mulick were the parents of four sons and two
daughters: Frank J., who married; Charles G., at home; John B., who is also mar-
ried; Edmond J., who served for thirteen months with the Twentieth Engineers of
the American Expeditionary Force in France; Rose; and Mary. Mr. Mulick and his
family are members of the Catholic church at Elma.

He is a democrat in politics and has served for several terms as school director
in Afton township. He was also the president of the Farmers Cooperative Creamery
of Elma for a number of years and he has always been keenly interested in everything
that has had to do with the welfare of the agricultural community. He cooperates in
any plan or measure for the general good and his worth as a man and citizen has
long been acknowledged by those who know him. The greater part of his life has been
passed in this county and his circle of friends is almost coextensive with the circle
of his acquaintance.

JOSEPH M. SVESTKA.

Joseph M. Svestka, who is engaged in general farming on section 9, New Oregon
township, Howard county, is the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land,
which he has brought to a high state of cultivation. Iowa numbers him among her
native sons, his birth having occurred in Winneshiek county on the 24th of February,
1876. His parents were born in Bohemia and the father is now living in Protivin at
the advanced age of eighty-five years, but the mother passed away in 1913 at her home
in Protivin, when sixty-eight years of age. Forty-six years ago the father came to the
United States and rented a farm in Chickasaw county for a few years, after which he
purchased eighty acres of his present farm and as the years passed increased it by
additional purchase until it became one hundred and twenty acres in extent.

No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for Joseph
M. Svestka in the days of his boyhood and youth. He attended the public schools and
when not busy with his textbooks worked in the fields. In fact his time was given to
planting, plowing and harvesting until the field work was over for the year. He con-
tinued to assist his father until twenty-three years of age, when he took over the
home farm, purchasing a part of the land at that time and afterward acquiring the
remainder by purchase. He has an excellent tract of one hundred and twenty acres,
which he is most carefully cultivating, and nearly all of the improvements upon the
farm have been placed there by him. He is practical and progressive in his methods
and the air of neatness and thrift which characterizes the place indicates the spirit of
advancement that actuates him at all times. In addition to his farming interests he is
connected with the creamery and the United Shippers of Cresco.

On the 26th of September, 1899. Mr. Svestka was united in marriage to Miss Anna
Hubka, a daughter of Albert and Anna Hubka, of Howard county. Mrs. Svestka was
here reared and was educated in the graded schools. To Mr. and Mrs. Svestka have
been born six children: Adella, Edward. William, Nora, Lillie and Anna, all of whom
are upon the home farm with their parents.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church, they being com-
municants of the church at Protivin. In politics Mr. Svestka is a democrat. He has

334 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

served as road boss, and his father was road supervisor for a number of years. Mr.
Svestka of this review has also been one of the school directors and is keenly inter-
ested in everything that has to do with the progress and welfare of the community
in which he makes his home.

GEORGE N. WALKER.

George N. Walker is one of the substantial and well known farmers of Vernon
Springs township, Howard county, residing on section 4, where he purchased one
hundred and sixty acres of land in 1905. He was born in Connecticut on the 13th of
March, 1863. his parents being John R. and Mary A. (Palmer) Walker, who spent
their entire lives in that state.

George N. Walker acquired a limited district school education and when but
fourteen years of age left home and came west to make his own way in the world.
Locating at Big Rock, Illinois, he there secured employment on a farm at a wage of
five dollars per month and he continued a resident of Big Rock for a period of twenty-
six years, working by the month as farm hand and later carrying on agricultural
pursuits on his own account as a renter. In 1900 he came to Iowa and settled at Manson,
Calhoun county, where he remained for five years. On the expiration of that period,
in 1905, he made his way to Howard county, purchasing his present home farm of
one hundred and sixty acres on section 4, Vernon Springs township. Thereon he
resided continuously until March, 1918, when he leased the property and took up his
abode in Bonair. After a year's residence in town, however, the call of the land
brought him back to his farm and he is now again actively engaged in tilling the soil.
The carefully cultivated fields annually yield good crops and his labors as an agri-
culturist have been attended with a well rnerited measure of success.

In October, 1895, Mr. Walker was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Tripp, of Kane
county, Illinois, by whom he had three children, as follows: Grant, who follows farm-
ing in Howard county; Myrtle, who is the wife of William Fisk and resides with her
father; and Ruby, who is employed in Cresco. The wife and mother passed away in
April, 1915, and her demise was deeply deplored by all who knew her.

In politics Mr. Walker is a stanch republican, exercising his right of franchise
in support of the men and measures of that party. His life has been characterized
by intense and well directed industry and he deserves mention among the enterprising
and representative citizens of his community.

FRANK A. PECINOVSKY.

The attractiveness of Chickasaw county as a place of residence is indicated in
the fact that many of her sons have remained within her borders, confident
that the advantages here offered are equal to those to be secured in any other sec-
tion of the country. To this class belong Frank A. Pecinovsky, who now follows
farming on section 15, Utica township, Chickasaw county, and who is a native of
Howard county. He was born in New Oregon township of the latter county, April
14, 1873, a son of John and Frances (Chyle) Pecinovsky, who came from Bohemia
with their respective parents and removed to the middle west. They were married
on this side of the Atlantic and for many years the father was identified with farm-
ing interests in Howard county, spending his last days in New Oregon township,
where he departed this life in 1875. His widow survives and yet makes her home
in that township.

Upon the old homestead farm Frank A. Pecinovsky was reared and in his youth-
ful days mastered the branches of learning taught in the district schools near his
father's place. He was married on the 23d of February, 1896, to Miss Anthony
Blazek and they became the parents of four children: John, Bennie, Mary and

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 335

Charlie, ail yet at liome. Tlie wife and mother passed away in 1911 and in 1918
the father was again married, his second union being with Katherine Krachmer.

Mr. and Mrs. Pecinovsliy are members of the Catholic church of Little Turkey
and generously contribute to its support. He is a democrat in politics and for ten
years he has filled the office of school director in Utica township but has never been
ambitious to fill positions of public trust. He has always felt that his time should
be given to his business interests and throughout his entire life has been identified
with agricultural pursuits. He is now cultivating a good tract of land on section
15, Utica township, and has brought his fields to a high state of cultivation.

RICHARD H. JONES.

Richard H. Jones, who is carrying on general farming on section 13, Forest
City township, Howard county, was born in Green Lake county, Wisconsin, June
27, 1862", his parents being Richard and Ann (Hughes) Jones, to whom extended
reference is made in the sketch of their son, Thomas H. Jones, living in Cresco.
Richard H. Jones acquired his early education in the district schools. He was a
lad of but eight years at the time of the removal of the family to Howard county,
where he has now resided for almost a half century. He spent his youthful days
under the parental roof, remaining at home to the time of his marriage, which was
celebrated in July, 1891, when Miss Sarah J. Evans, of Lime Springs, a daughter
of John E. Evans, one of the early settlers of Howard county, became his wife.

Mr. and Mrs. Jones began their domestic life upon the farm which is still their
place of residence. It is a tract of two hundred acres of rich and productive land
which was deeded to Mr. Jones by his father at the time of his marriage. Through
the intervening years he has continued the further cultivation and development of
the property and has now a splendid farm, equipped with all modern improvements
and accessories, including the best machinery and everything needed to facilitate
the work of the fields.

To Mr. and Mrs. Jones have been born eleven children, ten of whom are yet
living: Francis H., who is a member of Company I., Three Hundred and Fifty-
second Infantry, Eighty-eighth Iowa Division, and has been in active service in
France; Dina M.; Emerson H.; Myron J.; Anna E.; Ellis; Edwin; Ellen E. and
Elmer E., twins; and Harold. All of the children are yet at home.

In his political views Mr. Jones is a republican and fraternally is connected
with the Modern Woodmen of America, while his religious faith is indicated by his
membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. In these associations are shadowed
forth the interests and principles of his life — principles that have made him an
honored and valued citizen of Howard county.

JOHN PECINOVSKY.

An excellent farm property situated on section 4, New Oregon township, How-
ard county, bears tribute to the care and labor bestowed upon it by John Pecinovsky,
who is justly accounted one of the representative agriculturists of the community.
Howard county is proud to number him among her native sons. He was born in
the township in which he still resides on the 16th of June, 1867, his parents being
John and Frances (Heley) Pecinovsky, both of whom were natives of Bohemia.
The father came to this country when about thirty years of age, accompanied by his
parents. The family remained for a short time in Dubuque, Iowa, and thence con-
tinued their journey westward to Howard county, where John Pecinovsky, Sr., and
his father purchased land together, becoming owner of a farm in New Oregon town-
ship. Mrs. Frances Pecinovsky was a child of but nine years when her parents
left Bohemia and started with their family for the United States. They journeyed

336 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

first to Canada and for a brief period resided in Montreal and in Quebec, whence
they came to the United States and took up their abode in Winneshielt county,
Iowa. Their voyage to the new world was an eventful one as they made the trip
on a sailing vessel and were sixteen weeks in crossing the Atlantic. Cholera broke
out on the vessel and many died of that dread disease during the voyage. One
member of the Heley family died while the journey to the new world was being
made and the father of Mrs. Pecinovsky suffered from the disease when the family
were in Montreal. It was in Winneshiek county, Iowa, that Mr. and Mrs. Pecinov-
sky, the parents of John Pecinovsky of this review, were married. They took up
their abode upon a farm in New Oregon township, Howard county, which he had
previously purchased, and his remaining days were devoted to the further develop-
rhent and improvement of that property, upon which he continued to reside until
called to his final rest in 1878. His widow survives and now makes her home with
her son Thomas in New Oregon township, Howard county.

John Pecinovsky whose name introduces this review pursued his education in
the district schools near the old homestead, but his opportunities in that direction
were limited, as his father died when his son was but eleven years of age and he
found it necessary to aid in the support of the family. He was the third in order
of birth in a family of seven children and he early found it necessary to begin work
upon the farm, assisting his brothers in the development and improvement of the
old home property. He was thus engaged until 1892, in which year he was mar-
ried.

Mr. Pecinovsky was joined in wedlock to Miss Anastasia Prochaska, of Chickasaw
county, Iowa, and the young couple began their domestic life upon what is now the
home farm, comprising one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 4,
New Oregon township, Howard county. This tract Mr. Pecinovsky had
previously purchased. Year by year he carefully tilled the fields and as season
after season passed and he harvested good crops his financial resources increased.
In 1913 therefore he was enabled to purchase another farm of one hundred and
sixty acres, becoming the owner of a quarter section in Paris township. He also
owns ten acres of timber land on section 18, New Oregon township, and his hold-
ings therefore comprise three hundred and thirty acres of valuable land. He has
been most active and enterprising in the conduct of his farm and his progressive
spirit has brought to him the measure of success which is today his.

To Mr. and Mrs. Pecinovsky have been born seven children. Albina is the wife
of Joseph E. Sokup, a resident farmer of Winneshiek county, Iowa. Thomas is at
home. Frances is the wife of Eugene Smith, a resident farmer of Chickasaw
county, Iowa. Edward, Charles, Cyril and Maurie are also at home.

Mr. Pecinovsky votes with the democratic party and he is serving at the present
time as a member of the board of trustees of his township. During eight years'
service in that position he has done most creditable and efficient work for the bene-
fit of the community. He is now the treasurer of the school board of New Oregon
township. He and his family belong to the Catholic church and his position as a
citizen of his community is with the foremost. Those who know him, and he has
a wide acquaintance, appreciate what he has done, the effectiveness of his ideas and
of his work and the value of his labors in behalf of public progress and improve-
ment.

FRED HEIMERDINGER.

Fred Heimerdinger, a representative farmer of Howard county, lives on sec-
tion 14, Paris township, where he is busily engaged in the development of an ex-
cellent tract of land. He was born in Germany, April 11, 1865, a son of John J.
and Dorothy (Breming) Heimerdinger, who came to the United States in June,
1866. They first settled at Ridgeway, Winneshiek county, Iowa, and there the
father passed away some years later. The mother afterward became the wife of

MR. AND MRS. FRED HEIMERDINGER

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 339

Fred Opitz and with him removed to Howard county about 1880. Mr. Opitz passed
away in this county in August, 1902, and following the demise of her husband Mrs.
Opitz made her home with her son Fred until her demise, which occurred in De-
cember, 1918, when she had reached the notable old age of ninety-three years and
eleven months.

Fred Heimerdinger was but a year and three months old when brought to
the new world and in Iowa was reared and educated, attending the district schools.
As early as his eighteenth year he started out to provide for his own living by
cultivating rented land and was thus engaged for a number of years. In 1885,
just prior to his marriage, he made his first purchase of land, becoming owner of
a tract of forty acres, on which his present farm buildings now stand. Whenever
possible he has added to the property and his possessions now include two hundred
acres of land and he ranks with the representative farmers of his district. He is
likewise a stockholder of the Alta Vista Farmers Lumber & Coal Company and
for ten years has been a member of its board of directors. He is a stockholder in
the Jerico Farmers Creamery and also a representative of its directorate and is a
stockholder in the Grain Belt Packing Company of Dubuque, Iowa. His activities
and interests have thus covered a broad scope, and the careful direction of his
affairs has brought to him a very gratifying measure of success.

In February, 1886, Mr. Heimerdinger was married to Miss Rosa Reinhart, a
daughter of Samuel Reinhart, a pioneer settler of Iowa, of whom extended mention
is made elsewhere in this work in connection with the sketch of his son Albert.
To Mr. and Mrs. Heimerdinger have been born eight children, of whom five are
living, namely: Emma, Floyd, Louis, Lydia and Celia, all of whom are at home.

Politically Mr. Heimerdinger is a republican and at three different times has
served as a member of the township board of trustees and is now a member of the
school board. He ranks with the representative and honored residents of his
community, and he and his wife are faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal
church.

WELLINGTON De NOYELLES.

Death often removes from our midst those whom we can ill afford to lose and
it was with great sorrow and regret that the citizens of Cresco learned of the demise
of Wellington De Noyelles, who for a considerable period was a well known and
prominent hotel man and jeweler of Cresco. The sterling traits of his character
gained him many warm friends and won him the respect of those with whom he was
associated. He was born in the state of New York in 1856, his parents being Joshua
and Almira (Borst) De Noyelles, both of whom were also natives of the Empire
state and of French descent. The father engaged in the hotel business in the east
and also carried on farming on an extensive scale and owned many fast horses. In
his later life he retired from the hotel business but still retained possession of his
farm land and continued to make his home in New York until 1870, when he re-
moved westward to Nashua, Chickasaw county, Iowa. There he once more re-
sumed active connection with the hotel business and remained a resident of that
place until called to his final rest. His business affairs were wisely and carefully
conducted and his interests brought to him a substantial measure of prosperity.
His wife also spent her last days in Iowa, passing away in Mason City.

Wellington De Noyelles was largely reared in Cresco and is indebted to the
public school system of the city for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed.
After his textbooks were put aside he began learning the jewelry trade in the store
and under the direction of Charles Webber and afterward he returned to Nashua,
Iowa, where he engaged in the hotel business with his father. At a subsequent
period he established a jewelry store at Northwood, in Worth county, Iowa, where
he remained for two years and then removed to Garner, Iowa, where he engaged
in the jewelry business to the time of his demise. For an extended period he was

340 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

connected with the jewelry trade of Iowa and his stores were always attractive
establishments, well appointed and equipped. Moreover, his business methods in-
sured him a liberal patronage, for he was ever straightforward and honorable in his
dealings and built up his interests along constructive lines, his path never being
strewn with the wreck of other men's fortunes.

In 1872 Mr. De Noyelles was united in marriage to Miss Emma Caward, a
daughter of James and Mary (Brown) Caward, who were natives of England, where
they were reared and married. They came to the United States in early manhood
and womanhood, crossing the Atlantic about 1843, at which time they established
their home in the state of New York, where Mr. Caward followed the
occupation of farming. Some time later, however, believing that he might have
better business opportunities in the middle west, he removed to North Prairie,
Wisconsin, where the father resumed agricultural interests, carefully and syste-
matically conducting a farm there for a number of years. Eventually he removed
to Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it was while the family was residing at that place
that the birth of Mrs. De Noyelles occurred. While living in Whitewater, Mr.
Caward was engaged in construction work on the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Paul
Railroad from 1857 until 1859. He remained a resident of that place until his
death, which occurred when he was forty-nine years of age. His widow afterward
removed to Chicago, Illinois, where her last days were spent, and she had reached
the age of sixty-eight years ere she was called to her final rest. To Mr. and Mrs.
De Noyelles was born a son, Leon Caward. Mrs. De Noyelles is still a resident of
Cresco, where she has a fine modern home and is most pleasantly situated.

In his political views Mr. De Noyelles was a democrat, loyal to the party because
of his firm belief in its principles. His religious faith was that of the Methodist
Episcopal church and he held membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fel-
lows. He had many substantial traits of character which won him kindly regard
and good will from all who knew him and made his death a matter of deep regret
to those who came within the circle of his friendship. Mrs. De Noyelles is widely
and favorably known in Cresco and the hospitality of her pleasant home is greatly
enjoyed by those with whom she is brought in contact.

A. J. VENZ.

A. J. Venz, a farmer residing on section 17, Deerfield township, Chickasaw county,
was born in Germany, July 14, 1862, his parents being William and Hannah (Kneppe)
Venz, who came to the United States in the spring of 1873 and first settled in Ripon,
Fond du lac county, Wisconsin. After ten years they removed to Chickasaw county,
Iowa, taking up their abode in Deerfield township on a tract of land of forty acres. A
year later, however, Mr. Venz went with his family to Floyd county, Iowa, where he
resided to the time of his death, which occurred January 2, 1919.

A. J. Venz was about eleven years of age when he crossed the Atlantic and had
attained his majority at the time of the removal of his parents to Iowa. For three
years after coming to Chickasaw county he worked for wages as a farm hand and then
began renting land which he cultivated for seven years. The profits from his crops
were carefully put away until the sum was sufficient to enable him in 1893 to purchase
eighty acres of land on section 16, Deerfield township. For twelve years he resided upon
and further improved the farm and on the expiration of that period he traded the
property toward the purchase of his present home place, comprising one hundred and
sixty acres. Today he has a modern farm, improved with good buildings that afford
ample shelter for grain and stock. He devotes his attention to general agricultural
pursuits, producing the crops best adapted to soil and climatic conditions here, and
the results of his labors have been very gratifying.

In November, 1888, Mr. Venz was married to Miss Emma Krumrey, of Chickasaw
township, a daughter of Henry Krumrey, who came to Chickasaw county from Germany
about 1866. He is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Venz are the parents of three children:

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 341

Etta, now the wife of E. W. Manning, a farmer of Deerfield township; George, who
married Lulu Rose, a daughter of W. W. Rose, and is now engaged in farming in
Chickasaw township; and Wilbur, at home.

Since becoming a naturalized American citizen A. J. Venz has given his political
support to the republican party but has never sought nor desired office. His attention
has been fully claimed by his business affairs and it has been through his own labor
that he has gained his present day success. He started out in life empty-handed and
has worked his way upward. He has never been afraid of hard labor, and his
dilligence and industry have placed him among the substantial farmers of this section.

JAMES W. MULICK, M. D.

Dr. James W. Mulick is a well known physician of northern Iowa practicing at
Elma, where he enjoys a large and lucrative practice in medicine and surgery. He
was born in Riceville, Iowa, February 4, 1867, and mention of his family is made in
connection with the sketch of his brother, J. F. Mulick, on another page of this work.
In his youthful days he lived on the home farm of his father and attended the common
schools at Riceville. After he had completed the course of instruction in those insti-
tutions he became a student in the high school at Osage and was graduated therefrom
in due time. In 1895 he determined to make the practice of medicine his life work
and with this end in view went to Chicago, where he matriculated in the Rush Medical
College, in which he completed the course and was graduated with the class of 1899.
For a year thereafter he practiced medicine in Mclntire, Iowa, and then removed to
Elma, where he has since resided. Through the intervening period a large and very
gratifying practice has been accorded him. He has been a most earnest and untiring
student in his life's work.

On the 7th of June, 1905, Dr. Mulick was married to Miss Catherine Cullen, of
Montreal, Canada, and they became the parents of four children: Mary Mildred, James
Arthur, Catherine Marion and P. J. Clarence. The daughter Catherine M. died at
Elma, March 15, 1912. The wife and mother passed away after a long illness on the
23d of October, 1918, her death being the occasion of deep and widespread regret,
she being a most estimable young woman.

Dr. Mulick is a member of the Catholic church of Elma and belongs to the Knights
of Columbus and the Catholic Order of Foresters, He likewise has membership with
the Modern Woodmen of America and with the Modern Brotherhood of America.
During the years 1917-18 he was honored with the presidency of the Howard County
Medical Society and he also belongs to the Iowa State and American Medical Asso-
ciations. His political endorsement is usually given to the democratic party and he
feels an interest in its success and the adoption of its principles. When not too busy
with his practice he takes a keen Interest in the improvement of his farm lands.

JOHN F. BAETHKE.

John F. Baethke, a resident farmer of Howard county, is living on section 6,
Paris township, where he owns and cultivates eighty acres of good land. He was
born in this county on the 27th of September, 1888, and is a son of Christ and Sophia
(Suerbeer) Baethke, both of whom are natives of Germany, although they came to the
United States in early life and were married on this side of the water. The father
was born May 25, 1858, and after his arrival in Howard county he worked as a farm
hand for a short time. He was ambitious, however, to engage in farming on his own
account and he carefully saved his earnings, practicing the strictest economy as well as
the closest industry in order to gain a start. He then purchased property and for many
years was classed with the progressive and representative farmers of the community,
tilling the soil until about a year ago, when he retired from active business life, rent-

342 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

ing his farm to his son and taking up his abode in Cresco, where he now lives in the
enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. He had pursued his early education in the
schools of Germany, but by diligent study after coming to America he has won a place
among those who are well informed concerning the history and development of this
country.

No event of special importance occurred to vary the routine of farm life for John
F. Baethke of this review during the days of his boyhood, at which period he divided
his time between the acquirement of a public school education and the work of the
fields. Through vacation periods he assisted in the task of caring for the crops and
was well trained in all branches of farm work when he took over the management
of the old home property, to which he is now giving his entire attention. He carries
on general farming and the results of his labors are most gratifying.

On the 22d day of January, 1913, Mr. Baethke was united in marriage to Miss Matilda
Eberling. a daughter of Fred and Elizabeth Eberling, of Clayton county, Iowa, where
the father is now engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Baethke have two children, Violet
and Reuben, the former four years of age, while the little son is but a year old. The
family attend the Lutheran church at Davis Corners. Mr. Baethke votes with the
republican party nor does he lightly hold the duties and obligations of citizenship,
but he does not seek nor desire office, preferring to give his undivided attention to his
farming interests, which he is now most carefully and creditably managing.

CHAPMAN ALEXANDER MARSHALL.

Chapman Alexander Marshall lived a life of great usefulness, dividing his time
between agricultural pursuits and the work of the ministry. He was born in Dublin,
Ireland, in 1836, a son of Anthony and Jane (Alexander) Marshall. The father and
mother were both natives of the South of England and were married there. The father
was an officer of the English army and rose to the rank of lieutenant general. He
served his government at Gibraltar, in South Africa, in Nova Scotia, in Canada and
in Dublin, Ireland, and for many years remained with the colors, but his last days
were spent in England, his demise occurring at Leamington. His wife also died at
Leamington and was eighty-four years of age at the time of her death.

Chapman A. Marshall spent his boyhood in various localities, according to his
father's places of assignment for military duty. He was at times in Dublin. Ireland, in
South America and in Plymouth, England. He came to the United States in 1858,
when a young man of nineteen years, and settled in Paris township, Howard county,
Iowa, where he purchased a farm, devoting about two years to the development and
improvement of the place. In 1860 he returned to Plymouth, England, where he was
married, and then with his bride he sailed for the new world, again making Howard
county his destination. In the vicinity of Cresco he purchased a farm, which he at
once began to develop and improve, and his labors soon wrought a marked transforma-
tion in the appearance of the place. When Cresco was organized as a village he es-
tablished a general store there and conducted the business for some time. As the
years passed and his financial resources increased he kept adding to his farm land
until he had a valuable place of six hundred acres, most carefully and successfully tilled.
In addition he owned a store at Vernon Springs and he also devoted much time to
the ministry, giving more and more of his time and energies to the work of the
church as the years passed. He was also called upon to aid in public affairs and
in 1886 was elected to the state senate, where he made so creditable a record that his
fellow townsmen reelected him to the position. He continued a member of the upper
house of the Iowa legislature through the second term and gave most thoughtful and
earnest consideration to all the vital questions which came up for settlement. Through
the period of his residence in Iowa he spent three years at New Hampton and during
the following four and a half years resided at Nashua, Iowa. After leaving Nashua
he took up his abode in Clinton, Iowa, where he continued for two years, and later

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 343

spent thirteen years in McGregor. It was on the expiration of that period that he
located in Cresco, where he and liis wife spent their remaining days.

It was in 1860 that Mr. Marshall was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Greenway
at Plymouth, England, and they became the parents of eight children, namely, Annie
Jane, Edith Emma, Henry, Anthony, Chapman A., Florence R., Charles G. and
Gertrude E. Both the father and mother have now passed away, the death of the
Rev. Chapman A. Marshall having occurred in 1906, while his wife died in 1905. He
was a republican in his political views and always stood loyally by the principles of
the party, in which he firmly believed. As a minister of the Congregational church
he did excellent work for the moral progress of the community, as a member of the
state legislature he did effective service in placing important laws on the statute
books and as a business man contributed to the material growth and development of
Iowa. In a word, his worth was acknowledged along all the lines to which he directed
his activities and his entire career was characterized by devotion to duty. He held to
high ideals and was continually reaching out a helping hand to assist others on life's
journey. A modern philosopher has said: "Not the good that comes to us, but the
good that comes to the world through us is the measure of our success," and judged
by this standard Mr. Marshall was a most successful man. To know him was to
esteem and honor him and thus his death was the occasion of deep and widespread
regret in the community in which he so long lived.

JAMES A. WOOD.

For years the most conspicuous figure in the business life of Ionia was James A.
Wood, who controlled interests of a most important character, his labors at all times
contributing to the progress and prosperity of the community in which he lived as weftl
is to the advancement of his individual fortunes. He was born in Prescott, Canada,
September 5, 1836, and in 1880 became a resident of Ionia, Iowa. At that time he was
a man without capital, but he took advantage of opportunities which he found at his
new location and won success as the years passed. He engaged in the creamery business
and prosperity attended his efforts from the beginning. It was but a short time later
that he founded Ionia's first bank and not only did he prove himself an efficient and
successful banker but also served as postmaster of the city and in addition found time
to conduct a livery stable. Whatever he undertook he carried forward to successful
completion. In his vocabulary there was no such word as fail, and if one avenue of
opportunity seemed closed, he sought out other paths whereby he might reach the de-
sired goal.

Ionia honored him as a citizen by electing him its first mayor and he served as
postmaster for four years during the last Cleveland administration. It may also be
said of him that he was the advisor to the people of the town. They consulted him
upon all vital matters, and if advice were needed, or assistance in financial matters, it
was to Mr. Wood that they turned and received from him wise counsel. He was ever
ready to lend a willing ear to the troubles of the people of his community and to render
such assistance as was possible. It seemed to be one of the vocations of his life and
one of his keenest pleasures to help others. It is said that many of the oldest settlers
owe their advancement in life directly to his timely help and his efforts in their behalf.
He was a man of action rather than of theory and his own activity inspired others to
greater effort.

Through the advice of his physician Mr. Wood sold his bank in 1901. but he be-
lieved in the old adage that it was better to wear out than to rust out and he could not
content himself to remain idle. He therefore turned his attention to the lumber busi-
ness, which he conducted up to the time of his demise on the 2Sth of December, 1918,
when he passed peacefully away without a pain to the other life which has no ending.
He was one of the charter members and one of the principal figures in the organization
of the Masonic lodge of Ionia, which later was consolidated witli the lodge at Bassett,

344 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

and at all times In his life exemplified the beneficent spirit of the craft, which is basea
upon a recognition of the brotherhood of man and the obligations thereby imposed.

It was on the 4th of September, 1894, that Mr. Wood was united in marriage to
Miss Alice A. Harrison, of Nashua, Iowa, a daughter of one of the earliest of the
pioneer families of Chickasaw county. In his marriage to Miss Harrison, Mr. Wood
found a helpmate worthy of the bigness and broadness of her husband. She was not
only his companion but his assistant in all of his business activities, bringing to every
question an intelligent understanding. The two were inseparable in all things and
much of the business success of Mr. Wood may be attributed to his wife's loving care
and assistance. Since her husband's death Mrs. Wood has continued to conduct the
lumber business and has proven her ability in business affairs. She is a woman of
education and refinement who for eighteen years prior to her marriage was engaged in
educational work and during a part of that time taught in the primary department of
the New Hampton schools. For several years past she has been a regular contributor to
the local papers and has become well known in these and other connections. Her social
position is an enviable one and her circle of friends is extensive. In politics Mr. Wood
was a democrat but never sought or desired office, always preferring to concentrate his
efforts and attention upon his business affairs. He had many admirable traits of char-
acter and enjoyed the high regard and goodwill of all with whom he came in contact.

FRANK BURNS.

Frank Burns is the proprietor of the Lime Springs Meat Market and is one of
the oldest business men of the town in years of continuous connection with the com-
mercial interests. He was born in Watertown, Wisconsin, September 14, 1858, a
son of Sylvester and Sarah (Barnes) Burns, both of whom w^ere natives of Oneida,
New York, where they were reared and married. In 1843 the father removed west-
ward to Wisconsin and the following year was joined by his wife. They located
in Jefferson county, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land near
Watertown, at which time, because of the unsettled and undeveloped condition of
the country, they did their marketing in Milwaukee — thirty-five miles distant. In
young manhood the father lost a leg, which was torn off by the tumbling rod of a
threshing machine. This forced him to give up farming and he removed to Water-
town, where he conducted a hotel and also secured a government position as a mail
carrier on the Star route. He died in 1880.

It was in the following year that Frank Burns removed to Iowa. His brother,
Calvin W., was engaged in the butchering business in Lime Springs and Frank
Burns joined him in this town, purchasing a half interest in the business. The two
brothers then conducted their interests in partnership for about five years, when
Frank Burns bought the interest of his brother and became sole proprietor. He
has been continuously identified with the commercial activity of Lime Springs for
thirty-seven years, there being scarcely anyone else who has so long been connected
with business interests at this place. In 1898 his establishment was destroyed by
fire when a part of the town was burned. Immediately afterward he began the
erection, on the same site, of his present brick business block. The fire occurred
in August and on the 1st of December following he resumed business in his new
building. He has always carried a large line of fine meats and his reasonable
prices, straightforward dealings and earnest desire to please his customers have
been salient features in his constantly growing trade.

On the 27th of June, 1882, Mr. Burns was married to Miss Nannie Moore, of
Lime Springs, and they had four children: Teresa, now the wife of Charles A.
Kohout, a jeweler of Cass Lake, Minnesota; Gladys M., the widow of Lloyd Horton,
who died at Camp Grant, near Rockford, Illinois, in September, 1918; Vera, the
wife of F. H. Luhman, of Postville, Iowa; and Beryl, who is attending a business
college in Minneapolis. The wife and mother passed away on the 15th of July,

Vol. 11—2 2

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES . 347

1915, her death being the occasion of deep and widespread regret throughout the
community.

Mr. Burns is a democrat in politics and has been quite active as a leader in
the local ranks of the party. He served as a member of the town council for nine
years and for a similar period was a member of the school board, taking keen in-
terest in the development and improvement of the school system of the town. He
is a member of Howard Lodge, No. 214, A. F. & A. M., and served as master for
five years, while he and his four daughters are all members of Utopia Chapter, No.
379, O. E. S. Mr. Burns is serving as worthy patron, while his daughter, Mrs.
Gladys M. Horton, is worthy matron. Mr. Burns also belongs to the Modern
Woodmen of America. Mr. Burns and his family are consistent members of the
Presbyterian church and their aid and influence are always given on the side of right,
progress and improvement. He justly deserves mention among the representative
and worthy citizens of Howard county.

HON. D. A. LYONS.

Hon. D. A. Lyons has left the impress of his individuality upon the history of
Iowa as a member of the state senate during the twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth,
twenty-ninth, thirtieth and thirty-first sessions of the general assembly. His influ-
ence in public affairs has been a potent one and the results of his labors have been
far-reaching and beneficial. He is now living retired in Cresco, enjoying in well
earned rest the fruits of an active business life, characterized by sound judgment
and enterprise.

Mr. Lyons is a native of Chicago, Illinois, born September 8, 1851, his parents
being Jeremiah and Ellen (Whalen) Lyons, both of whom were natives of County
Waterford, Ireland, where they were reared and married. In 1847 they came to
the United States, first settling in Poughkeepsie, New York, which was then a farm-
ing district, and the father gave his attention to agricultural pursuits there for three
years. In 1850 he made his way westward to Chicago, where he engaged in team-
ing and in grading work, taking contracts for such work. He continued a resident
of Chicago for eighteen years, or until 1868, when he came to Iowa and made in-
vestment in a farm in Burr Oak township, Winneshiek county. With characteristic
energy he began the development and further improvement of that property and
resided thereon for a period of about twenty years. He sold the place in 1880 and
removed to Madison, South Dakota, where he lived retired to the time of his death,
which occurred about 1892 or 1893. He had for a short period survived his wife,
who died in 1890.

D. A. Lyons whose name introduces this review was reared upon the home farm
and acquired his early education in the Chicago schools and in the graded schools
of Burr Oak township, Winneshiek county, Iowa, following the removal of the fam-
ily to this state. On attaining his majority in 1872 he came to Cresco. where he
entered the implement business and for seven years represented the firm of Strother
& Conklin as a traveling salesman upon the road. In 1879 he established an im-
plement business of his own in Cresco and in 1880 entered into partnership with
R. J. McHugh. organizing the firm of McHugh & Lyons, which business relationship
was maintained until 1894, when Mr. McHugh passed away and Mr. Lyons pur-
chased his interest in the business. He then continued to operate independently as
an implement dealer until 1911, when he sold the business to the firm of McHugh
& Lusson and has since given his attention to the management of his landed hold-
ings. He owns three different farms, comprising five hundred and fifty acres of
land, all in Howard county. His investments are judiciously made and in all of
his business affairs he has displayed sound judgment and enterprise, leading to the
attainment of substantial success.

On the 25th of September, 1876, Mr. Lyons was married to Miss Catherine Fitz-
gerald, of Winneshiek county, a daughter of Patrick Fitzgerald, one of the early

348 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

settlers of that county. Mr. and Mrs. Lyons have become the parents of eight chil-
dren, six sons and two daughters, of whom two of the sons are deceased. The
others are: Mary, the wife of O. J. McHugh, an implement dealer of Cresco; An-
gela, the wife of James Haney, of Miles City, Montana; J. Urban, who is employed
by the International Harvester Company at Minot, North Dakota; Dennis A., Jr.,
who is with the International Harvester Company at Minot; Gerald E., an attorney
connected with the firm of McCook & Lyons, of Cresco; and Leonard L., who is with
the Cresco Union Savings Bank.

In his political views Mr. Lyons is a stalwart democrat and has long been a
recognized leader in party ranks in the state. He served as mayor of Cresco for
four years, being elected on a platform declaring for a waterworks system for the
city, and the system was built under his administration. Various other needed re-
forms and improvements were instituted and the city benefited largely by his busi-
nesslike control of municipal affairs. In 1897 Mr. Lyons was nominated on the
democratic ticket for the office of state senator and although he had for his opponent
Dr. J. W. Danbury, who had served as mayor of Decorah for twenty years and was
a very popular and capable man, he won the election by a majority of three hundred,
overcoming a normal republican majority of twenty-four hundred. He was re-
elected for four succeeding terms, a fact which stands in unmistakable proof of his
capability and devotion to the welfare of community and commonwealth. He has
never been an aspirant for political preferment and every iionor which has come to
him in this capacity has been unsolicited. It has been a case of choosing a man
whom the public has recognized as capable of valuable service in office and who by
his work has fully justified the confidence reposed in him.

Mr. Lyons and his family are members of the Catholic church and he belongs
to the Knights of Columbus and to the Woodmen of the World. He was likewise
a member of the Decorah Lodge of Elks at one time but has allowed his membership
in that organization to lapse. Cresco has long numbered him among her foremost
citizens and in sending him to the legislature gave to Iowa a statesman of broad
views and high principles.

JOSEPH SAMEC.

The life story of Joseph Samec is one of earnest endeavor, crowned with suc-
cess. He is truly a self-made man, for all that he possesses and enjoys has come to
him as the reward of his own labors. He now follows farming on section 31, New
Oregon township, Howard county, where he has a good property. He was born in
Bohemia, May 8, 1867, and his parents were also natives of that land. They came
to the United States when their son Joseph was a young man of twenty-one years
and made their way across the country to Howard county. Joseph Samec at once
sought employment at farm labor and worked in that way for a few years, during
which time he carefully saved his earnings until he was able to purchase a forty
acre farm. With characteristic energy he began to develop and improve the prop-
erty, which he later sold, and then bought his present farm of one hundred and
forty-two acres. He has been the owner of this property for twenty years and all
of the improvements upon it were placed there by him. He is energetic, enterprising
and progressive and has made good use of his time, his talents and his opportuni-
ties.

In 1891 Mr. Samec was married to Miss Rosie Panoch, a daughter of Joe and
Katie Panoch, of Winneshiek county, and they have become the parents of ten
children: Alois, Joseph, Victoria, Frank, Emma, Edward, James, Charles, Mary and
Rose. Joseph was for seventeen months a member of Company D, Three Hundred
and Fourteenth Infantry, and saw overseas service in the World war. Victoria is
the wife of Joe Bark, of Winneshiek county, where he follows farming. The others
of the family are at home.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 349

Mr. Samec gives his political allegiance to the democratic party but has never
sought nor desired office, preferring to concentrate his efforts and his energies upon
his business affairs. The family are members of the Catholic church at Protiviii,
and Mr. Samec belongs to the Catholic Workmen. By reason of what he has
accomplished and the wise use which he has made of his time and opportunities, he
is held in the highest esteem. He has never been afraid of hard work, and his industry
and perseverance have been the elements in his growing success. All who know
him, and he has a wide acquaintance, bear testimony to the sterling worth that
he has displayed in wresting fortune from the hands of fate.

ALBERT P. BIWER.

The student of history cannot carry his investigations far into the records of
Howard county without learning of the close and long connection of the Biwer family
with the development and upbuilding of this section of the state. Albert P. Biwer belongs
to a family that from pioneer times has borne its part in the work of progress and
upbuilding. He is a son of John and Margaret (Clear) Biwer and was born March
21, 1869, in Howard township. He is now engaged in farming in that township
and his business affairs are being carefully and profitably conducted.

Mr. Biwer was educated in the district schools, but his opportunities for at-
tendance were very limited. In fact he did not see the inside of a schoolhouse
until he was ten years of age and after that he could attend at only brief intervals,
for his father was struggling to get a start and the services of the son were needed
upon the home farm, he being the oldest of the living children. However, he has
read broadly and thinks deeply and in this way he has educated himself, being now
recognized as a man of good practical business judgment. In 1892, when he had
reached his twenty-third year, he began farming on his own account, buying at that
time eighty acres of land. He was ambitious to acquire a good farm and carefully
saved his earnings until his industry and economy had brought him sufficient capital
to enable him to purchase other land and at one time he was the owner of two
hundred and eighty acres. He has subsequently sold two hundred and twenty acres
of this property, however, in recent years and now retains in the home farm but
sixty acres.

On the 18th of October, 1911, Mr. Biwer was married to Miss Catherine Stone,
of Chicago, Illinois, who was born in England. Mr. Biwer is a member of the
Catholic church, while his wife is of the Episcopal faith. His political views are
in accord with the principles of the republican party, but he has never been an office
seeker. His time and energies have been devoted to farm work and in this he has
been very successful, being recognized today as one of the substantial agriculturists
of Howard county. In addition to tilling the fields he raises Duroc Jersey hogs and
Rhode Island Red chickens and both branches of his business are proving sources
of substantial profit.

JONATHAN E. WELLS.

At the time of his death Jonathan E. Wells was living in retirement in Cresco
but for many years of an active life was identified with agricultural pursuits and
his labors resulted in the development of an excellent farm property. He was
born in Franklin county, Vermont, on the 20th of March, 1838, so that he had
passed the eightieth milestone on life's journey. His parents were Jonathan and
Prudence (Chase) Wells, both of whom were natives of New Hampshire, where the
father followed the occupation of farming in order to provide for the support of his
family. Some time after his death the mother married a brother of Jonathan Wells
and they, too, resided upon a farm in New Hampshire, where later both passed away.

350 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Jonathan E. Wells largely spent his boyhood days in Vermont where he con-
tinued to the age of eighteen years, and the public schools afforded him his educational
privileges. He then determined to try his fortune in the new and growing west,
of which he had heard such favorable reports, believing that he might have better
business opportunities in that section of the country than he could secure in New Eng-
land. He traveled westward by way of Dubuque and thence made the trip by driving
across the country to Monona, Clayton county. In that vicinity he secured employment
as a farm hand and while thus employed carefully saved his earnings until his
industry and economy had brought him sufficient capital to enable him to purchase
forty acres of land. This he tilled for a time but later disposed of the property and
removed to Howard county, taking up his abode in Albion township. He then
invested in a farm of eighty acres, to which he added from time to time until he
had three hundred and twenty acres in all. Year by year he continued the work of
cultivating and improving his farm land and annually gathered good crops as the
result of the practical and progressive methods which he employed in carrying on
the farm work. His place in its neat and thrifty appearance indicated his careful
supervision and his intimate knowledge of modern farming methods. He continued
to reside upon his farm until 1899, when he removed to Cresco and retired from
active business life. He then enjoyed a well earned rest and the most envious
could not grudge him his success, so honorably had it been won and so worthily used.

In 1862 Mr. Wells was united in marriage to Miss Mary Burgess, a native of
Detroit, Michigan, and a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Lincoln) Burgess. Her
parents were both natives of England and in early life crossed the briny deep to the
new world. They did not remain in the east but continued on their westward way
to Detroit, Michigan, where the death of Mr. Burgess occurred some years later. His
widow afterward came with her family to Iowa, settling at Cresco, where she con-
tinued to make her home until called to the home beyond. To Mr. and Mrs. Wells
were born two children, Charles A. and William J.

Mr. Wells was a republican in his political faith and during the course of his
active business life was called to serve in various public offices. At one time he
was overseer of the county poor farm and continued in that position for seventeen
years, making a most excellent record by the prompt and capable manner in which
he discharged his duties He was numbered among the pioneer settlers of Iowa and
was familiar with the story of its growth and development from the earliest days.
When he first came to the county Cresco had not yet been founded and the principal
town was New Oregon, just north of the present county seat. Much of the land was
still undeveloped and unimproved and the work of transforming this region into a
rich agricultural district had only just begun. Mr. Wells bore his part in the task
and tor many years was prominently and successfully connected with the agricultural
development of the county, winning a measure of success which was most gratifying
and, moreover, was the merited reward of his labors. He passed away January 27,
1919, and his death was deeply regretted by a large circle of relatives and friends.

JOHN STEJSKAL.

John Stejskal, a progressive and energetic farmer living on section 22, Howard
Center township, Howard county, was born in Bohemia, January 1, 1872, a sou
of James and Catherine (Bouska) Stejskal, both of whom remained in Bohemia,
where the father passed away and where the mother is still living. The son was
but a lad of thirteen years when he came to the United States. His father had pre-
viously died and the mother married again. The boy then determined to leave
home and as his mother refused to give him money to make the trip, he wrote to
an uncle in Howard county, Iowa, to send him money for his passage. The request
was complied with and he was furnished the funds to pay his fare to Hamburg
and a ticket from Hamburg to Cresco, Iowa. On reaching Hamburg with five
dollars in cash he had to wait a couple of days for a ship and to meet his expenses

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 351

there he had to use the five dollars, so that he landed in New York city with but
three pennies and his ticket to Cresco. He brought five or six sandwiches with him
from the vessel on which he had sailed and those were eaten in New York. Then he
made the journey to Cresco without food. On reaching the city of his destination
he was told that his uncle lived six miles in the country and he set out on the journey
on foot. It was a long, tedious trip on an empty stomach, for he had had no food for
a couple of days, but he picked some wild strawberries by the wayside and finally
reached his uncle's home. For two years thereafter he remained upon his uncle's
farm and later continued to work as a farm hand, being thus employed until his
twenty-seventh year.

Mr. Stejskal was then united in marriage to Miss Mary Markovetz, a native of
Howard county, whose parents came from Bohemia and were among the early
pioneers of Iowa. Following his marriage Mr. Stejskal, who had saved about twelve
hundred dollars, purchased one hundred and sixty acres of his present farm. He
then borrowed seven hundred dollars, with which he bought machinery, horses and
other farm equipment and began the development and improvement of his place.
He has since erected good buildings and made his farm one of the best improved
properties of the county. His life has been one of industry and thrift, and his
determination and energy have enabled him to overcome all obstacles and difficulties
and work his way steadily upward to success.

To Mr. and Mrs. Stejskal have been born seven children, five of whom are yet
living: Mary, at home; Frances, who is attending the State Teachers College at
Cedar Falls, Iowa; and William, Edward and Louise, all yet at home.

In politics Mr. Stejskal is a democrat but not an office seeker. He and his wife
are members of the Catholic church He has long been regarded as one of the
substantial and representative men of Howard county, and in addition to the success
he has achieved in farming he is also known as one of the stockholders of the
Farmers Creamery Association of Cresco. He has never had occasion to regret
his determination to come to the new world, for here he found the opportunities
which he sought and in their utilization has made steady progress.

MICHAEL J. JEWERT.

Michae] J. Jewert. devoting his time and energies to general farming in Howard
county, his home being on section 3 6, Afton township, has always resided in the
Mississippi valley and he possesses the spirit of diligence and enterprise which has
been the dominant factor in the rapid upbuilding of this section of the country. He
was born in Waukesha county, Wisconsin, July 20, 1873, a son of Martin and Anna
(Woelfel) Jewert, both of whom were natives of what is now Milwaukee but was
then the village of Walkers Point. The mother's parents came to this country in
company with Philip Best, the well known brewer of Milwaukee. Following the
marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Jewert they began their domestic life in Elm
Grove, Waukesha county, where the father followed the blacksmith's trade and
conducted a shop for thirty-one years. He was long an active representative of in-
dustrial life in that community and enjoyed the high respect of all. His death,
which occurred May 4, 1894, resulted from the kick of a mule which he was shoeing.
His widow is still living and yet makes her home in Elm Grove, at about the age of
sixty-seven years, and her mother lives with her at the advanced age of ninety-four
years.

Michael J. Jewert is indebted to the public school system of Wisconsin for the
early advantages which he enjoyed and later he spent a term in study at the Wauwa-
tosa Normal School. As early as his fifteenth year he was apprenticed to the black-
smith's trade, serving under his father, and when his apprenticeship was com-
pleted he continued to work at the trade, which he followed for twelve years.
His life has ever been one of industry and he has manifested thoroughness in

352 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

everything that he has undertaken. This has made him a successful farmer as well
as a capable blacksmith.

While still a resident of Wisconsin, Mr. Jewert was married at Beloit Corners,
in Milwaukee county, on the 26th of January 1894, to Miss Elizabeth Palmersheim
and in 1899 they removed to Howard county, Iowa, taking up their abode in Afton
township. They were then parents of two children, who had been born in Wisconsin.
Mr. Jewert at the time of his arrival in this state had but sixty dollars in cash and
during the first few years of his residence here he found it very difficult to gain a
start. For four years he engaged in farming rented land on the shares and during that
period very carefully saved his earnings, practicing strict economy as well as in-
dustry. During the succeeding eight years he rented land for cash and in 1911 he
saw his way clear to make his first purchase of land and became owner of eighty
acres on section 22 in Afton township. He lived upon that farm for three years,
after which he sold the property and in the fall of 1913 bought forty acres of
his present home place. Two years later he purchased an adjoining forty acres and
in 1918 bought a third forty-acre tract, so that his present holdings comprise one
hundred and twenty acres. He has one of the finest improved farms in Afton
township and he has erected all of the buildings upon this place. He is one of the
progressive and substantial residents of his part of the county and his success is
directly attributable to his labors and perseverance. The buildings stand as a
monument to his capability and the farm in its neat and thrifty appearance attests
the practical and progressive methods of the owner.

Mr. and Mrs. Jewert have become the parents of eight children: Mollie; Anna;
Martin; Evelyn and Leroy, twins; Mabel; Edna; and Cecelia. All are yet under the
parental roof. The family are members of the Catholic church and Mr. Jewert is also
a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters and of the Modern Woodmen of
America. In politics he maintains a non-partisan stand, preferring to vote according
to the dictates of his judgment without regard to party ties. For twelve years
he ha^ served as a member of the school board. His interest and activity, however,
are chiefly concentrated upon his business affairs and by reason of his close applica-
tion he has become one of the representative farmers of Afton township. He is also
a stockholder in the Howard County Cooperative Equity Association and a stock-
holder in the Elma Cooperative Creamery Company and through these agencies
materially adds to his income. His life record may well serve as an example to
others, proving what may be accomplished notwithstanding the handicap of limited
means in early manhood.

GEORGE P. HOCKSPEIER.

The birthplace of George P. Hockspeier, now a prosperous farmer of Chickasaw
county, living on section 5, Washington township, was a log cabin which was built by
his parents when they first settled in this section of the state. The pioneer dwelling
stood upon the farm which he still occupies and there he first opened his eyes to the
light of day, December 10, 1873. His parents were John and Rosa (Bauer) Hockspeier,
who came from Germany in early life with their respective parents. They became
acquainted and were married in Chicago, their wedding day being July 9, 1858. In
September of the same year they drove across the country from Chicago to northern
Iowa and established their home in Washington township, Chickasaw county. The
journey was made with oxen and wagon and when they reached their destination they
settled a mile and a half southwest of Devon. The father afterward purchased one
hundred and sixty acres of government land, for which lie paid a dollar and a quarter
per acre. It was entirely destitute of improvements and bore little resemblance to the
highly cultivated farm upon which his son, George P. Hockspeier, now resides. The
father served for eleven months in the Civil war as a member of Company I, Thirteenth
Iowa Infantry, and at all times he was ready to do his part in matters of public-
spirited citizenship. In his business he prospered as the years passed, becoming a well-

MR. AND MRS. JOHN HOCKSPEIER

CHICICASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 355

to-do man. When he landed in New York he was in very limited financial circumstances
and for a time he engaged in carrying brick, for which he received but twenty cents
per day. Later he went to Chicago, where he became familiar with the painting and
varnishing business, and subsequently he engaged in the furniture trade on his own
account in Chicago at No. 116 Randolph street. The opportunities of the growing west,
however, attracted him and with his wife he drove across the country with oxen and
wagon, as previously indicated. He then tock r.p agricultural pursuits but on the 9th
day of July, 1877, was crippled in an accident while driving to New Hampton, Iowa.
This impaired his physical ability for the remainder of his life, his spine being injured.
He passed away on the old homestead November 20, 1907, and for several years was
survived by his wife, who died on the old home farm August 22, 1913. Both had
attained to a good old age, the father having been born in January, 1834, while the
mother's birth occurred April 29, 1838, she being therefore seventy-five, years of age
at the time of her demise, while Mr. Hockspeier was seventy-three.

George P. Hockspeier, reared on the old homestead, early became familiar with the
best methods of carrying on the work of the farm and continued to assist in its develop-
ment until he reached the age of twenty-nine years, when he bought one hundred acres
from his father at fifty dollars per acre. This had previously been acquired by the
father at the usual government price of a dollar and a quarter per acre. After his
father's death the son received one hundred acres through the terms of his father's
will. He has always been an enterprising agriculturist and his place has been brought
to a high state of development and improvement. He is also a stockholder in the
Farmers Equity Association of Alta Vista and in the Farmers Lumber & Coal Company
of that place.

On the 5th of February, 1908, Mr. Hockspeier was married to Miss Lydia Reinhart,
a daughter of Samuel and Anna (Lehman) Reinhart, who came orignally from Switzer-
land and established their home in northern Iowa in pioneer times. Their daughter was
born in Howard county, Iowa, where her father passed away, but the mother still
lives in that county. To Mr. and Mrs. Hockspeier have been born two children, Lloyd
Winton and Eunice La Verne, aged respectively eight and four years.

Mr. Hockspeier and his wife are members of the Evangelical church of Alta Vista
and he belongs also to the Odd Fellows Lodge, No 658. o*^ that place. In community
affairs he has ever been keenly interested, and hi? aid and support iiave always been
gi^en on the side of progress and improvement. His political allegiance is given to
the republican party and during the World war he served on the Liberty Loan com-
mittee, aiding in raising the funds necessary to finance his native country in the great
world-wide struggle.

JOB DARROW.

Job Darrow is a retired farmer living in Cresco and a citizen of genuine worth.
He was born in Grand Isle county, Vermont, on the 18th of December. 1845, and is
therefore nearing the seventy-fourth milestone on life's journey. His parents were
Walter D. and Emeline (Babcock) Darrow. His parents were natives of the Green
Mountain state, where they were reared and married, after which the father devoted
his attention to the occupation of farming. Subsequent to the death of his wife,
which occurred in Vermont, he removed to the west in the spring of 1855, making
his way to Clayton county, Iowa, traveling across the country until he took up his
abode in Albion township. There he entered a claim from the government, hired
some breaking done and the next fall built a log house upon his land. With
characteristic energy he began the further development and improvement of the
property and while living upon the old homested in those early days met all of the
hardships and privations incident to frontier life. At that time McGregor was the
nearest market. Roads were in poor condition and one could drive for miles over
the open prairie without coming to a fence or a house to impede progress. After
giving many years to farm life in this locality Mr. Darrow retired from business and

I

356 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

took up his abode in Cresco, where he passed away in 1905 at the age of eighty-
eight years. It was subsequent to his removal to the west that he married Eveline
Carpenter, who survived her husband and died in Cresco. He was a member of the
Methodist Episcopal church and his political allegiance was given to the republican
party.

Job Darrow whose name introduces this review was largely reared in Albion
township, Howard county, and his environment during his boyhood days was that
of frontier life. He began his education in one of the old-time log schoolhouses
found upon the frontier. The methods of instruction were very primitive and the
curriculum scarcely covered more than reading, writing and arithmetic, but his
training in farm labor was not meager and he early became familiar with the best
methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He then began operating the old
home farm, which he improved until 1906, when he removed to Cresco and pur-
chased a fine residence. He has since lived retired, enjoying a rest which he has
truly earned and richly merits. His memory goes back to the time when Cresco
had not been started and when pioneer conditions of all kinds existed in this section of
the state. Farm work was done with oxen and the country was wild and unim-
proved. McGregor was the nearest market and trips to that place were made with
ox teams. As the years passed, however, the energetic labors and determination
of the pioneer settlers wrought a marked change in conditions here. Mr. Darrow
became the owner of two hundred and fifty acres of the old homestead farm and in
addition he also owns a tract of similar size in Minnesota, so that his farm
properties return to him a gratifying annual income.

In 1891 Mr. Darrow was united in marriage to Mrs. Lucy Ashley, a daughter of
Benjamin and Rosetta (Adams) Gilliman. Mrs. Darrow was born in the state of
New York and in her girlhood days accompanied her parents on their removal to
Wisconsin, while later the family home was established in Howard county, Iowa,
while subsequently a removal was made to Cottonwood county, Minnesota, where Mr.
Gilliman took up government land and carried on farming throughout his remaining
days. Mr and Mrs. Darrow have no children of their own but have reared two
adopted children, William D. and Gertrude. The members of the family are widely
and favorably known in Cresco and this section of Howard county and the hospitality
of the best homes is cordially extended them.

Mr. Darrow deserves much credit for what he has accomplished in life, as his
success is attributable entirely to his persistency of purpose and well directed
efforts. Those who know him, arid he has a wide acquaintance, esteem him highly
by reason of his genuine worth and he well deserves mention among the pioneer
settlers of the county, for he has long resided in this part of the state and his
memory forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive
present.

LEO P. BIWER.

Leo P. Biwer, actively interested in general agricultural pursuits in Howard
county, his farm being situated on section 35, Howard township, was born thereon
May 12, 1879, the property being then owned by his parents John and Margaret (Clear)
Biwer, of whom extended mention is made in connection witli the sketch of their son,
J. F. Biwer, on another page of this volume.

Leo P. Biwer acquired a district school education and in 1900, when twenty-one
years of age, began farming on his own account, taking over the active work of further
cultivating and improving the place upon which he now resides. He farmed this tract
of three hundred and twenty acres as a renter for four or five years and about 1904 pur-
chased eighty acres adjoining the old homestead. His father subsequently deeded him
sixty-four acres of land, which with his former holdings constitutes his present home
farm of one hundred and forty-four acres. For several years after starting out in busi-
ness independently he cooperated with his two brothers, Dominick and Michael, in the
cultivation of four hundred acres, but at a later period he has carried on the further

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES • 357

development of his home place independently. In 1915 he leased the farm and for three
years conducted a garage in Elma, but in 1918 he returned to the farm and is now
carrying on the work of further improvement there. He is a stockholder in the Howard
County Cooperative Equity Association and also a stockholder in tiie Elma Cooperative
Creamery Company.

In 1905 Mr. Biwer was united in marriage to Miss Cornelia Best, of Cresco, Howard
county, by whom he has three children: Lillian, Inez and Lester. The attractiveness
of Howard county as a place of residence is evidenced in the fact that many of her
native sons have remained within her borders, feeling sure that they can have oppor-
tunities here equal to those to be secured elsewhere. Among this number is Leo P.
Biwer, who has always lived in Howard county and with the exception of the three
years spent in Elma has always remained upon the home farm, which he now owns
and successfully cultivates.

HANS C. MOEN.

Hans C. Moen, who is engaged in the plumbing and heating business as a con-
tractor at Cresco, was born at Christiania, Norway, in 1859 and is a son of Christian
and Anna (Frantzen) Moen. Both were natives of the land of the midnight sun, where
they were reared and married. There they remained until 1870, when they determined
to try their fortune in the new world and made their way to the United States. They
crossed the country to Racine county, Wisconsin, establishing their home at North
Cape, where the father engaged in farming for ten years. On the expiration of that
period he removed to Howard county, Iowa, and took up his abode in New Oregon
township, where he purchased farm land that included the old town site of New Oregon.
There he remained until his death and his efforts and energies were devoted to general
agricultural pursuits. He was one of the pioneer residents of the district and he con-
tributed much to its development and improvement. Both he and his wife passed away
in the year 1899. He had always given his political allegiance to the republican party
after becoming a naturalized American citizen and he and his wife had always given
earnest support to the Lutheran church, of which they were consistent and devoted
members. They reared a family of eight children, namely, John, Anna H., Johannah,
Frank C, Thomas, Hans C, Anton and Martin.

Hans C. Moen spent his boyhood to the age of ten years in his native country and
then bade adieu to friends and native land in order to accompany his parents as they
sailed for the new world. He arrived in Racine county in 1870 and after ten years came
to Howard county on the 1st of April 1880, the journey being made first to Cresco and
then to New Oregon. Later he returned to Cresco and was employed in the Swenson
foundry for three years. He afterward operated a threshing outfit in the west through
the fall but returned home in the winter. In 1887 he became an engineer in the flour
mill of John M. McCoy and occupied that position for three years. He next purchased a
half interest in the foundry and eventually the company extended the scope of their
business by adding plumbing and heating. They have a well equipped establishment
and the trade has now reached gratifying proportions. The business was conducted for
eight years undfer the firm name of Swenson & Moen, at the end of which time Mr.
Moen started in business on his own account and is now alone. Ho has important con-
tracts for plumbing and heating and the thoroughness of his work has insured a con-
tinuance of the trade. He also deals in farm lands and has become the owner of some
excellent property.

In 1888 Mr. Moen was united in marriage to Miss Mary Rudi, a daughter of Knute
K. and Gertrude (Lee) Rudi. Mrs. Moen was born in Norway and came to the United
States with her brother Julius in 1882, making her way to Cresco, where she took up
her abode. She has become the mother of five children. Amelia G. the eldest, is a
trained nurse now at the Great Lakes training station. Clarence H. became a sergeant
in the Ninety-ninth Division stationed at Wheeler and Atlanta, Georgia, but is now at
home. Gertrude is now the wife of Donald Lent. Arthur T. is a lieutenant in the

358 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

United States navy and a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, and Cora S. is
at home.

Mr. Moen started out in the business world without capital and has steadily worked
his way upward. His success is due to various causes — to his untiring industry, to
his studious habits, to his determination and his straightforward dealing. He has al-
ways been a great reader and keeps in touch with the trend of the times in this way.
He has studied closely the political questions and issues of the day and gives his sup-
port to the republican party. He has served as a member of the city council for several
years. He started the sewer system of Cresco and has been active in promoting various
other progressive measures of the town. For ten years he was a member of the board
of education and the public schools have ever found in him a stalwart champion. He
acted as president of the board for two years and was in charge of the building of the
new high school at Cresco. Fraternally he is a Mason and his religious faith is that of
the Lutheran church. He has given to his children good advantages and is justly
proud of his family. His life activities, varied as they have been, have constituted a
valuable contribution to the development and upbuilding of the county, where his name
is honored and respected as that of a progressive business man and thoroughly reliable
citizen.

J. C. JACOBY.

Among the resident farmers of Howard county is numbered J. C. Jacoby, who re-
sides on section 31, Howard township. He has always been a resident of the Mississippi
valley and in his life exemplifies the spirit of enterprise which has been a dominant
factor in the upbuilding of this section of the country. He was born in Milwaukee
county, Wisconsin, November 20, 1854, a son of Frank and Margaret Jacoby, who were
natives of Germany, where they were reared and married. They came to the United
States in 1851 and established their home in Milwaukee county where the father con-
tinued to reside throughout the remainder of his life, there passing away at the age of
eighty-six years. The mother survives and is now eighty-five years of age.

J. C. Jacoby spent his youthful days at the place of his nativity and pursued his
education in district and parochial schools of that locality. In the spring of 1879 he
carne to Iowa and made investment in one hundred and sixty acres of his present home
farm. In subsequent years he has added to his holdings as his financial resources have
increased and is now the owner of three hundred and forty acres of Howard county's
most valuable and productive land. To his place he has added many modern improve-
ments and accessories and his farm property is not only very valuable but presents a
most attractive picture in the landscape. As the years have passed his labors have been
crowned with substantial success as the result of his progressive methods of farming
and he has also become a stockholder in the Elma Cooperative Creamery Company. He
served for several years as a member of its board of directors and is now secretary of
the company.

In 1882 Mr. Jacoby was married to Miss Margaret Palmersheim, of Waukesha
county, Wisconsin, and they have become the parents of ten children, nine of Avhom
survive: Catherine, the wife of Nicholas Jeager, who is serving as town clerk of
Greenfield, Wisconsin; Margaret, the wife of Charles Sullivan, of Howard township;
Joseph, a farmer residing at St. Cloud, Minnesota; Laura, the wife of John Schmid, a
carpenter of Elma, Iowa; Elmer, who served in the Great Lakes training school of
naval reserves and is now at home; and Raymond, Floyd, Merle and Geneva, who are
also yet under the parental roof.

In his political views Mr. Jacoby is a democrat and for many years served as a
member of the school board, doing everything in his power to advance the cause of
education. He has long been regarded as a successful and progressive farmer and busi-
ness man of Howard county and as an influential citizen. He and his family are iden-
tified with the Catholic church and their sterling worth has gained for them the warm
regard of all who know them. Forty years have come and gone since Mr. Jacoby took

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 359

up his abode upon his present farm and through this period he has witnessed much of
the growth and progress of this section of the state, his memory forming a connecting
link between the primitive past with its hardships and privations and the progressive
present with its opportunities and advantages.

GEORGE M. LEFERINK.

George M. Leferink is an enterprising and successful agriculturist of Howard
county, residing on section 17, Vernon Springs township. He was born in Holland on
the 9th of February, 1875, a son of Barney and Katie (Mush) Leferink. who at one time
were residents of Iowa.

George F. Leferink spent the first nineteen years of his life in his native country
and then determined to try his fortunes on this side of tne Atlantic. Making his way
direct to Iowa, he settled first at Festina in Winneshiek county and was there em-
ployed as a farm hand for six years. Subsequently he spent ten years in the cultiva-
tion of rented land, on the expiration of which period he purchased a tract of eighty
acres north of Cresco. On disposing of the latter property he purchased his present
place of about one hundred and sixty acres on section 17, Vernon Springs township,
where he has since carried on farming with gratifying results, his well tilled fields an-
nually yielding golden harvests as a reward for the care and labor which he bestows
upon them.

In 1900 Mr. Leferink was united in marriage to Miss Mary Busch, by whom he has
four children: Frank, Katie, John and Tilda. All are still under the parental roof
and are attending the graded schools.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church. Mr. Leferink gives
his political allegiance to the democratic party and fraternally is identified with the
Knights of Columbus. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to come
to the new world, for here he found the opportunities which he sought and through
their wise utilization has won a place among the substantial and esteemed citizens of
ihe community in which he makes his home.

F. A. BROWN.

F. A. Brown is the senior partner in the well known firm of F. A. Brown & Son,
hardware dealers of Riceville, and is also numbered with the pioneer settlers of
Howard county who have aided in laying broad and deep the foundation upon which
has been built the present progress and prosperity of this section of the state.
He was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, on the 26th of February, 1856, a son of
Emmett and Aurelia (Clark) Brown, both of whom were natives of Vermont and
both members of old New England families. As children they removed to Dane
county, Wisconsin, where they attained their majority and were married. The mother
passed away in that state about the year 1874. In 1870 the father had removed
westward, leaving his family in Wisconsin, and had located in Le Roy, Minnesota.
Three years prior to his death, however, he made his home with his son, F. A.
Brown, in Howard county, and here passed away in 1882.

In the district schools F. A. Brown acquired his education and in 1872, when
sixteen years of age, came to Howard county, Iowa. During the following two
years he worked as a farm hand and then went to Le Roy, Minnesota, where for
four years he was employed in a printing office. Later he returned to Howard county
and after two more years spent in farm labor bought land with the capital that he
had managed to save from his earnings, acquiring eighty acres in Oakdale township.
He then actively took up farming on his own account and occupied that place for
eight years, after which he disposed of his farm and removed to Riceville, where he
became engaged in the buying and shipping of live stock. After four years thus spent

360 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

he purchased the hardware business of Albert Bridges in 1890 and for the past
twenty-nine years has been a dominant factor in the commercial circles of Rice-
ville. In 1910 he admitted his son, M. A. Brown, to an equal partnership under the
firm style of F. A. Brown & Son. He owns the brick block in which is conducted
his hardware business and also the grocery business of C. E. Adams, as well as the
moving picture theatre, which Mr. Brown operates.

In 1880 occurred the marriage of F. A. Brown and Miss Frances A Radford,
a daughter of Stephen Radford, one of the pioneers of Howard county of 1855. Mrs.
Brown was a teacher in the public schools for three years prior to her marriage.
She became the mother of three children, but Minn A. is the only surviving child.
Mrs. Brown is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Mr. Brown has membership with the Modern Woodmen of America and in his
political views is a republican. He served for several years as a member of the
town council and has given loyal and earnest support to every plan and project for
the general good during the long years of his connection with Riceville. A spirit
of advancement has dominated his career at all times and has proven an element in
the substantial progress of his city.

M. A. BROWN.

M. A. Brown is a member of the firm of F. A. Brown & Son, hardware dealers of
Riceville, and was born upon a farm in Howard county May 17, 1883, his parents
being F. A. and Frances A. (Radford) Brown, mentioned above. He pursued his
education in the graded and high schools of Riceville and when his schooldays were
over entered his father's store as a clerk, thus receiving his initial commercial
training. In 1910 he was admitted to an equal partnership in the business, with
which he has thus since been associated, and the enterprise and enthusiasm of the
younger man ably supplement the experience and sound judgment of the father,
making this a very strong business combination.

In 1906 M. A. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Irvin, a daughter
of James Irvin, now deceased. He, too, was one of the pioneer farmers of Howard
county. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have become the parents df five children: Marian,
Hazel, Arthur, Franklin and Bernice. Mrs. Brown attends the First Congregational
church.

Mr. Brown is a republican in his political views and is now filling the office of
justice of the peace. In addition to his hardware business he has been engaged in
writing tornado insurance for the past ten years. He eagerly embraces every op-
portunity for business advancement and at the same time his interest in community
affairs and the general welfare is manifest in hearty cooperation with all plans and
movements which his judgment sanctions as factors for public good.

REV. RUDOLPH LAKOMY.

Rev. Rudolph Lakomy, pastor of the Holy Trinity Catholic church at Protivin, How-
ard county, was born in Bohemia on the 17th of April, 1862, a son of Anthony and Mary
(Kubicek) Lakomy, who spent their entire lives in Bohemia, where the father followed
the occupation of farming and also carried on business as a building contractor.

The son acquired his education in the schools of his native country, pursuing a
Latin course in a gymnasium at Olomouc. Bohemia. He afterward served for a year in
the army and then entered upon a theological course of study in Vienna. Austria, where
he was a student for four years. In 1887 he was ordained to the priesthood at Vienna
by Cardinal Gaugelbauer and following his ordination he served as priest at different
points in Austria for a period of eight years. In 1895 he came to the United States,
landing in New York city on the 13th of September of that year. From the eastern

REV. RUDOLPH LAKOMY

Vol. 11—23

I

I

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 363

metropolis he made his way westward to Wisconsin and was appointed priest to the
Green Bay diocese, with whicli lie was connected for four years. In 1899 he was
appointed to take charge of the Sacred Heart church at Oxford Junction, Johnson county,
Iowa, and presided over that congregation for three years. While there he built a fine
stone and brick edifice at Prairieburg, which was then in his mission. In 1902 he was
transferred to Chelsea, Tama county, Iowa, where he remained for three years, building
a modern brick church at that point. In 1906 he came to Protivin as pastor of Holy
Trinity church and the following year built the present church edifice in Protivin,
v/hich is one of the finest church buildings in Howard county. Rev. Lakomy drew the
plans also for the Bohemian Savings Bank and for Beseda Hall at Protivin and was the
superintendent of construction of both buildings, which were erected at a remarkably
low cost considering the style of architecture and the construction work. Father
Lakomy is one of the prominent figures in the life of his section of Howard county It
is said of him that he has never refused financial assistance to any worthy man regard-
less of nationality, creed or religion. Money to him has but one purpose — that of doing
good to his fellowmen. Father Lakomy is beloved by all with whom he has come in
contact, not only by the people of his own denomination but also by Protestants as well,
his upright life, his high purposes and his many good deeds commending him to the
respect and friendship of all with whom he is brought in contact.

WILLIAM L. RICHARDS.

William L. Richards is a civil engineer and well know railroad man living
in Cresco and he has contributed in large measure to the substantial development
and improvement of Howard county. His birthplace was on the Allegheny river
east of Pittsburgh and his natal year was 1848. He is the son of Joseph and Re-
becca (McBride) Richards. The father was born in Westmoreland county, Penn-
sylvania, and was there reared and married. He took up the occupation of farming
as a life work and thus provided for his family. He removed from the east to
Clayton county, Iowa, making the trip westward by way of the Ohio and Mississippi
rivers. In that early day the section to which he made his way was a frontier
district and McGregor was the only market place in this part of the country. He
took up his abode south of Austin on the Cedar river, in Minnesota, and purchased a
claim of one hundred and sixty acres on which was a log cabin. In true pioneer
style he began life in the west and undertook the arduous task of developing and
improving a new farm. Year by year his labors were carried forward and he re-
mained upon his original claim until 1862, when he removed to Vernon Springs,
Iowa. The following year, aroused by a spirit of patriotism, he offered his services
to the Union and joined the Sixth Iowa Cavalry. With the command he went to the
front and was wounded while at White Stone Hill, North Dakota. He served under
General Sibley until the close of the war and with a most creditable military record
returned to his old home in Howard county. He then took up farming again and
after a time traded the old farm for a tract of land in New Oregon township com-
prising eighty acres, but at a later period traded that for his former property. He
remained a resident of Vernon Springs until his death, which occurred in 1891. His
political allegiance was always given to the democratic party and his religious
faith was that of the Baptist church, which guided him in all life's relations. He
belonged to the Grand Army of the Republic and thus maintained pleasant associa-
tions with the "Boys in blue" with whom he had marched on southern battlefields
in defense of the stars and stripes. His wife died at the age of eighty years.

William L. Richards spent his boyhood between 1862 and 1868 upon the old
home farm in Howard county and his early education, acquired in the district
schools, was supplemented by study in the Cedar Valley Seminary. He afterward
taught school through three winter seasons in Howard county and later became
connected with the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad on location and construction
work, spending five years in that connection. From 1873 until 1895 he was chief

364 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

engineer with the Chicago & Tomah Railroad and built fifty miles of narrow gauge
road in Wisconsin. He was afterward with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad
and acted as engineer between Fennimore, Wisconsin, and Milwaukee, continuing
in that capacity for three years. He next went to South Dakota, where he carried
on farming in Moody county for two years, and later he lived at Aberdeen, where
he was connected wtih the Northwestern Railroad, acting as chief engineer for the
line, which was later taken over by the "Soo." Prior to this time Mr. Richards
located some of the lines for the Northern Pacific Railroad and thus at different
periods as he has been closely and prominently associated with railroad construction
and building in various parts of the middle west. In 1891 he returned to Cresco and
became county surveyor. He continued to act in that position until 1913, when he
was appointed county engineer, which office he held for thirty-seven years. In
addition he also installed waterworks, did paving and established sewer systems
in Iowa, Minnesota and Dakota. He is now serving as drainage engineer. He has
done work of a most important character, contributing much to the development
and progress of the sections in which he has lived. As he has prospered in his
undertakings he has made judicious investments in property.

In 1880 Mr. Richards was united In marriage to Miss Helen Smith, a daughter
of Ralph and Sarah (Lockwood) Smith. She was born in Crawford county, Wis-
consin, where her father was a merchant and lumberman. Later he removed west-
ward, establishing his home in Moody county, South Dakota, where he carried
on farming, and both he and his wife passed away in that locality. To Mr. and
Mrs. Richards have been born three children: Luverne, now the wife of J. A.
Sandford, of Farmington, Minnesota; Tashleen, now the wife of J. A. Williams, of
Cresco; and Ralph, who is living at San Antonio, Texas.

While Mr. Richards was filling the office of county surveyor he located lines
from Dubuque to Plattville, extended an electric line for Arthur Fox, and also ran
a line from Rockford, Illinois, to Madison, Wisconsin, and likewise located an elec-
tric line from Garnavillo, Iowa, to Guttenberg, Iowa. He ranks with the ablest
civil engineers of the state and is without a superior in all northern Iowa. In fact,
he has attained a high degree of efficiency in his profession, continually broadening
his knowledge and promoting his skill through wide study and experience. Mr.
Richards votes with the republican party and is a stalwart champion of its prin-
ciples. He has spent three terms as a member of the city council and at all times
exercised his official prerogatives in support of plans and measures for the general
good. He is a Mason and is loyal to the teachings of the craft. The steps in his
orderly progression are easily discernible. He has attempted important things and
has accomplished what he has attempted. There is no feature of civil engineering
with which he is not familiar as applied to railroad construction, paving, sewer
construction and other lines and he is thoroughly conversant with the great scientific
principles as well as the practical phases that underlie his work.

WILLIAM DIEKMANN, Sr.

William Diekmann, Sr., proprietor of a garage at Elma, was born in Germany,
November 18, 1862, a son of Ludwig and Minnie (Arndt) Diekmann. The parents
came to the United States in 1871, settling in Bremer county, Iowa, where the
father purchased farm land which he continued to cultivate and improve until
1886, in which year he retired from business and removed with his wife to Klinger,
Bremer county, Iowa.

William Diekmann, Sr., was educated in the common schools of Bremer county,
having been but nine years of age when brought by his parents to the new world.
In his youthful days he assisted his father upon the home farm until he reached
the age of fifteen, when he started out in the business world on his own account
by beginning work at the carpenter's trade. This he followed until 1886, when he
purchased a farm in Bremer county and thereafter devoted his attention to general

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 365

agricultural pursuits for a year, when he sold his farm and established his home
in Klinger, Iowa. There he entered the machine business, in which he engaged until
1882, when he disposed of his interests there and established his home in Elma.
where he conducted a general store and machine shop until 1912. He then sold
his interests, having established a garage in 1908. He has since conducted the
garage and after selling his store has concentrated his entire attention upon the
garage business.

Mr. Diekmann was married to Miss Christina Matthias, a daughter of William
Matthias, a native of Germany, whence he came to the new world, settling in Bremer
county, Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Diekmann have been born eight children: Louis,
William, Mary, Lydia, Edward, Herman, Walter and Clara. The son Edward served
with the Three Hundred and Twenty-first Company, Battalion R, Company 3, of the
Marines during the great European war.

The parents are members of the German Lutheran church at Elma and in politics
Mr. Diekmann maintains an independent course. He has served as a member of
the town council at Elma and his interest in public affairs is manifest by the aid
and cooperation which he gives to plans and projects for the general good. Starting
out in life on his own account when a youth of fifteen years, he has steadily worked
his way upward in a business way and whatever success he has achieved or enjoyed
is attributable entirely to his industry, perseverance and enterprise.

FRANK W. URBAN.

Frank W. Urban, actively engaged in general farming on section 6, Paris town-
ship, Howard county, was born in Wisconsin, March 31, 1879, a son of Wencel and
Mary Urban. The family is of Bohemian descent and the paternal grandfather died
in Bohemia. Later Wencel Urban came to the new world with his mother, who in
the meantime had married again, her second husband being also of the party that
crossed the Atlantic.

Frank W. Urban of this review is indebted to the district school system for the
educational advantages which he enjoyed. He was reared as a farm boy and in
January, 1905, was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Belek, a native of Howard
county and a daughter of Frank Belek, who was one of the early settlers of the
county but is now deceased.

Four years prior to his marriage Mr. Urban began farming on the eighty acre
tract of land which he now owns and which he purchased from his father. He also
cultivates an eighty acre tract belonging to his brother Joe and adjoining the
home place. He is a progressive agriculturist, working diligently and persistently in
the care of his farm, which he has converted into rich and productive fields which
annually return to him a substantial income.

To Mr and Mrs. Urban has been born a daughter, Mary H. The family are
members of the Catholic church, and Mr. Urban gives his political support to the
democratic party. He has spent almost his entire life in Howard county and the
community knows him as a representative citizen, loyal to the best interests of the
community and active and successful in the conduct of business affairs.

JOHN NOHALE.

Among the determined and forceful men of Paris township who are maintaining its
high standards in agriculture is numbered John Nohale, whose home is on section 22,
where he owns and cultivates two hundred acres of good land. Like many of his fel-
low citizens of Howard county, he is of Bohemian birth. His natal day was September
13, 1869. and he spent the first sixteen years of his life in Bohemia, after which he
came to the new world with his mother and sister, his father having previously died

366 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

in that country. It was with the hope of enjoying better business cliances and oppor-
tunities that the family crossed the Atlantic and made their way westward to Iowa.

John Nohale had in the meantime acquired a fair education in the schools of his
native land and after reaching Iowa he began work as a farm hand in Howard county,
where he was employed until twenty-five years of age. He then felt that his experience
and his capital justified his engaging in business on his own account and he subse-
quently cultivated rented land for a period of three years. He still continued to prac-
tice thrift and industry and at the end of that time was able to purchase his present
place. He has since made all of the improvements upon his property and now has a
good farm on which are substantial buildings and all modern equipments. He uses the
latest improved machinery to facilitate the work of the fields and everything about his
place is carefully managed, while in the production of crops he employs the most pro-
gressive methods.

Mr. Nohale's mother is still living and makes her home in Protivin with her
daughter. On the 15th of September, 1893, John Nohale of this review was united in
marriage to Miss Tony Papouch, a daughter of Frank and Katie Papouch, of Howard
county. They have become the parents of three children: Frank, Mamie and Eliza-
beth. Two years ago the last named gave her hand in marriage to Adolph Kalishek, a
resident farmer of Winneshiek county. The religious faith of the family is that of the
Catholic church and in politics Mr. Nohale largely maintains an independent course,
voting according to the dictates of his judgment with little regard for party ties. He is
truly a self-made man and deserves great credit for what he has accomplished, as he
?tarted out to provide for his own support when but sixteen years of age and has today
reached a position among the men of affluence in Paris township.

PHILIP KRATZ.

Philip Kratz, deceased, was for many years identified with farming interests in
Howard county and became the owner of an excellent property which was the result
of his close application and indefatigable energy. He was born in Hesse-Darmstadt,
Germany, in 1849, a son of Philip and Margaret (Gazell) Kratz. He was but four years
of age when his parents bade adieu to friends and native land and sailed for the new
world, settling in Wisconsin, where the father engaged in farming. He afterward re-
moved to Lincoln township, Winneshiek county, Iowa, where he purchased one hundred
?,nd sixty acres of land, and throughout his remaining days his attention was given to
the development and improvement of his farm, upon which both he and his wife passed
away.

Philip Kratz spent his youth largely upon the old homestead farm in Iowa and the
usual experiences of the farm-bred boy were his. He worked in the fields during the
summer months and in the winter seasons attended school. In 1877, when twenty-
eight years of age, he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Cawelti, who was born
near North Washington, in Chickasaw county, Iowa, a daughter of George and Mary
(Weiler) Cawelti, who were natives of Wurtemberg, Germany, but came to the United
States at an early day arriving in 1848. They remained for a short time in Wisconsin
but afterward removed to Iowa, establishing their home at North Washington, Chicka-
saw county, where Mr. Cawelti purchased a tract of land of one hundred and sixty
acres, for which he paid a dollar and a half per acre. He added to this as his financial
resources increased, extending the boundaries of his farm from time to time until he
had four hundred acres of good land. He died at Alta Vista, Iowa, while his wife died
upon the farm of Mr. and Mrs. Kratz.

Following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Kratz took up their abode upon a farm of
one hundred and sixty acres a mile from the old homestead. This Mr. Kratz pur-
chased and for a number of years he continued its development and cultivation. He
afterward sold that property and removed to New Oregon township, where he pur-
chased two hundred and twenty acres of land. This he further developed as the years
passed, adding to it many modern improvements which added greatly to the appearance

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 367

of the place and made it one of the attractive features of the landscape. He carefully
and systematically tilled his fields and continued the cultivation of his land to the time
of his death, which occurred in 1900, when he was fifty-one years of age.

To Mr. and Mrs. Kratz were born five children, Philip G., Samuel, Arthur, Alfred
and Emma all of whom survive. In 1913 Mrs. Kratz left the home farm, on which she
had continued to reside until her husband's death, and took up her abode in Cresco,
where she occupies a nice home and where she has an extensive circle of warm friends.

Mr. Kratz was a republican in his political views and served as constable for a
number of years. He was also school director a number of years and was ever a
champion of the cause of education. His religious faith was that of the Evangelical
church, to which Mrs. Kratz also belongs. He long ranked among the substantial
farmers and respected citizens of his community and his sterling worth was recognized
by all with whom he came in contact.

PETER J. McGRANE.

Peter J. McGrane, living on section 30, Afton township, is one of the native sons of
Howard county, where he was born July 24, 1865, his parents being Thomas and Mar-
garet McGrane, who were natives of Ireland. The father came to the United States
when a youth of sixteen years and in 1856 he arrived in Iowa, where he made invest-
ment in farm land, becoming one of the earliest settlers of Howard county. The work
of development and improvement had scarcely been begun and with the agricultural
progress of the community the father became closely associated. He went through all
the hardships connected with the cultivation of new land at an early day, but as the
years passed he prospered in his undertakings and acquired an excellent farm property
of two hundred and eighty acres, to which he added many modern improvements.

Peter J. McGrane. whose name introduces this review, was reared under the par-
ental roof, acquired his education in the district schools and worked with his father
throughout the period of his minority. On attaining adult age he started out in busi-
ness life on his own account, renting farm land which he at once began to develop and
improve. He worked in this way for about eight years and during that period care-
fully saved his earnings until the sum was sutficient to enable him to purchase prop-
erty. He then made investment in his present farm, which is situated on section 30,
Afton township. Through the intervening period he has placed all of the improvements
upon the property and has made it one of the excellent farms of his district.

On the 30th of December, 1894, Peter J. McGrane was united in marriage to Miss
Rose Murray, a daughter of Charles and Catherine Murray, of Mitchell county, where
they are identified with farming interests. To Mr. and Mrs. McGrane have been born
six children: Charles jMelbourne, who wedded Nellie Riley, of Howard county, and is
following farming; Thomas Everett; Joseph Earl; Mary Margaret; Catherine Rose;
and Loretta Gertrude. With the exception of the first named all are upon the home
farm with their parents. The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic
church and they are connected with the St. Cecelia parish. In politics Mr. McGrane is
a democrat but not an oflSce seeker. He belongs to the Farmers' Equity Cooperative
Association at Elma and he is one of the representative and progressive agriculturists
of his district.

PETER MOUDRY.

Peter Moudry, who is engaged in farming on section 8. New Oregon township,
Howard county, was born in Bohemia, February 18, 1863, and came to the United
States in 1880 when a youth of seventeen years. He became a resident of Cleveland.
Ohio, where he secured employment in a factory, and spent about a year and a half
there. He then made his way westward to Howard county, Iowa, where he was em-

368 CHICK:\SAW and HOWARD COUNTIES

ployed as a farm hand for six years, during which period he carefully saved his earn-
ings until his economy and diligence had brought him sufficient capital to enable him
to begin farming on his own account. He purchased the land upon which he now re
sides and at once began its cultivation and improvement, having today an excellent
property which is a monument to his thrift and industry. All of the improvements on
the place have been made by him and it is a thoroughly modern farm in all of its
equipment and in the business methods which he employs in its further conduct.

On the 28th of September, 1887, Mr. Moudry was married to Miss Annie Riha, a
daughter of John Riha, who follows farming in Winneshiek county. To Mr. and Mrs.
Moudry have been born four children: Joseph F., Frank J., Stella and Mary, all of
whom are at home and were educated in the public schools of Howard county. The
son Joseph was a member of the Twelfth Company of the Twentieth Engineers. Leaving
home on the 24th of February, 1918, he went to Camp Dodge, Iowa, thence to Wash-
ington, D. C, and to New York and from the eastern metropolis sailed for France, ar-
riving at Brest. Recently he has returned from overseas service having done his full
part in bringing about the successful termination of the war.

The family are communicants of the Catholic church at Protivin, and in political be-
lief Mr. Moudry is a democrat. He has never had occasion to regret his determination
to come to the new world, for he has here found the opportunities which he sought and
in their utilization has made steady progress until he has now reached a creditable and
enviable position among the successful farmers of New Oregon township.

J. S. CAGLEY.

J. S. Cagley, owning and operating a farm on section 20, Bradford township,
Chickasaw county, was born near the old town of Chickasaw on the 8th day of July,
1865, a son of A. M. and Ann Cagley, who cast in their lot with the pioneer settlers of
this section of the state. They arrived here in early life and became acquainted in
Chickasaw county, where their marriage was later celebrated. The father then took
up the occupation of farming, which he followed as a life work, and both he and his
wife remained residents of the county until called to their final rest several years ago.

J. S. Cagley, is practically a self-educated man, having little opportunity to attend
school during his boyhood. After pursuing a course in the Bradford Academy of Brad-
ford, Iowa, he had the advantage of commercial training in the Breckenridge Institute
at Decorah, Iowa. Taking up the profession of teaching, he was thus engaged for a
year at Bassett and for two years at Ionia. He also taught for one year in a district
school of Chickasaw township and later became principal of the schools at Floyd, Iowa,
occupying that position for three years. He proved an able educator, having little
difiiculty in interesting and holding the attention of the pupils and impressing them
strongly with the points which he wished them to grasp. He taught school for five
years and then after his marriage purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres
in Bradford township, on which he resided until 1912, when he removed to his present
place of forty acres on section 20, Bradford township, renting the other farm of a
quarter section.

On the 28th of August, 1889, Mr. Cagley was united in marriage to Miss Eva May
Layton and they have become parents of two daughters: Clare, who is a graduate of
the Nashua high school and of the Iowa State Teachers' College of Cedar Falls, and
Clio, who died at the age of three years.

Throughout the period of his active life J. S. Cagley has been closely associated with
public interests and projects which have had to do with the development and up-
building of his section of the state. He was one of the organizers of the Nashua Farm-
ers Creamery Association which built the creamery plant, thus promoting an enter-
prise that has been of substantial benefit and value to the surrounding district. He
also assisted in building the Chickasaw County Home at New Hampton. He has filled
practically all of the offices in Bradford township and for three terms, or nine years,
rerved as a member of the county board of supervisors. He also served on the Liberty

MR. AND MRS. A. M. CAGLEY

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 371

Loan committee during the third, fourth and fifth campaigns in Bradford township
and he gave generous and earnest support throughout the period of the war to all in-
terests which he believed would benefit war activities and advance the interests of our
soldiers in France. He is a charter member and loyal follower of the Odd Fellows
lodge at Nashua and he and his family are consistent members of the Methodist church
there. His business affairs have always been capably and profitably conducted and he
has also found time for cooperation in all those forces which make for the uplift of
the individual and the upbuilding of the community at large. Tireless energy, keen
perception, honesty of purpose, a genius for devising the right thing at the right time,
joined to everyday common sense, guided by resistless will power, are the chief char-
acteristics of the man.

ROBERT R. CAGLEY.

The broad prairies of northern Iowa have afforded excellent opportunity to the agri-
culturist and enterprising men have claimed the district and converted it into one
great garden spot. Actively identified with farming interests in Chickasaw county is
Robert R. Cagley, whose home is on section 16, Chickasaw township, and who was born
in the township in which he still lives, his natal day being January 9, 1873. His father,
Abraham Cagley, was born in Indiana in 1835 and in 1854, when a youth of nineteen
years, came to Chickasaw county with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Cagley, who had
a family of fifteen children. John Cagley was a man of some means for that day and
on his arrival in Chickasaw county he purchased several hundred acres of government
land, paying a dollar and a quarter per acre for the property. He made his home in Brad-
ford township and remained a valued and honored resident of the county to the time of
his death, which occurred when he had reached the advanced age of eighty years. His
son, Abraham Cagley. settled on a farm in Chickasaw township following his marriage
to Miss Ann Wright, who was born in England in 1842 and came to America in her girl-
hood days with her parents. Her father died soon after the family landed in this country
and the mother and children continued the journey to the west. After a brief residence
in Floyd county they settled in Chickasaw county and it was here that Miss Wright gave
her hand in marriage to Abraham Cagley. They took up their abode upon his farm
near the town of Chickasaw and thereon Mrs. Cagley passed away in 1876, while four
years later Mr. Cagley, after years of ill health, was called to his final rest. Their family
numbered seven children.

At the time of his father's demise Robert R. Cagley was a lad of but seven years.
From then until his fifteenth year he lived with relatives and attended school. During
the summer vacations he worked in the fields. On attaining the age of fifteen years
he started out in life independently and followed farm work through the summer seasons,
while during the winter months he paid his board and did a year's high school work
in four months' study. At eighteen years of age he began teaching and for five
vears devoted his attention to educational work, proving most capable in this direction.
He had the faculty of interesting the children and clearly impressing them with the
points of knowledge which they were endeavoring to master. He was ambitious to be-
come the owner of a farm and, carefully saving his earnings, was able in 1896 to begin
farming on his own account. He took up his abode upon what is now his home place
of one hundred and sixty acres. For two years he cultivated this land as a renter and
then purchased eighty acres, while subsequently he was able to add the other eighty
acres to his holdings, so that he now owns a quarter section, which he has converted into
rich and productive fields, annually gathering therefrom substantial harvests. He bears
the reputation of being one of the progressive farmers of Chickasaw township and every-
thing about his place indicates his careful supervision and practical methods. He is a
stockholder in the Ionia Farmers' Creamery Association and is the president of the
association, having served in that capacity for the past five or six years, during which
he has carefully directed the interests of the business, which has been attended with
notable success. This association produced over a half million pounds of butter in the

372 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

year 1918, the amount reaching five hundred and ninety-five thousand two hundred and
twenty-five pounds.

On the 9th of June, 1896, Mr. Cagley was united in marriage to Miss Edna Sloat,
of Chickasaw township, who passed away in 1905, leaving two children, Doris and Faith.
In 1907 Mr. Cagley was again married, his second union being with Miss Elva Groell,
of Jackson county, Michigan. Mr. and Mrs. Cagley are members of the Baptist church
and guide their lives according to its teachings. They are recognized as people of ster>
ing worth and the hospitality of the best homes of this section of the state is freely
accorded them. In politics Mr. Cagley is a republican and for several years he filled
the ofllces of township trustee and township clerk. He is now chairman of the township
republican central committee. For a quarter of a century he has served as a member of
the school board and has ever taken the keenest and most helpful interest in the cause
of education, recognizing the fact that the public school system is cne of the nation's
bulwarks He has therefore put forth earnest effort for the advancement of the stand-
ards of education and in so doing indicates that he is a man of clear vision who readily
recognizes the true values of life and its opportunities. He was active in war work,
serving as chairman of township committee during Liberty Loan and United War Work
campaigns.

ARTHUR W. WENTWORTH.

Arthur W. Wentworth established the first garage in Cresco and is still engaged
in the business as senior partner of the firm of Wentworth & Burr. Their place of
business is situated next to the opera house and is one of the finest garages of this
part of the county. In the conduct of his business Mr. Wentworth is alert, progressive
and sagacious and whatever he undertakes he carries forward to successful completion.
He is one of Cresco's native sons, born in 1879, his parents being Alpha and Maria
(Whitney) Wentworth. The father was a native of Richmond, in the province of
Quebec, Canada. His wife was also born in that locality, where they were reared and
married, and in 1877 they crossed the border into the United States and made their
way to Iowa, becoming residents of Cresco, where the father worked at the black-
smith's trade, which he had previously learned in Canada. He was also emploj'ed as
foreman of labor on the Chicago & Milwaukee Railroad but afterward engaged in black-
smithing on his own account in Cresco, conducting his smithy to the time of his death,
which occurred in 1913. His widow followed him to the grave in March, 1918. His
political support was given to the democratic party and he held membership in the
Mystic Toilers. His life was one of activity and his persistency of purpose led to the
development of high skill in his trade. He therefore was accorded a liberal patronage
and became one of the substantial citizens of his community.

Arthur W. Wentworth spent his boyhood days in Cresco, his youth being largely
devoted to the acquirement of a public school education. On account of his health, be-
lieving that the outdoor life would prove beneficial, he hunted and trapped in various
parts of the country. Later, however, he entered the employ of J. L. Henley, proprietor
of a bicycle shop in Cresco, and with him remained for a number of years, his work
in that connection developing his mechanical skill. Later he went to Chicago, where he
worked in an automobile and bicycle shop for a year, after which he returned to Cresco
and established a shop on his own account in this city, continuing the business from
1908 until 1913. At that date he entered into partnership with Fred Burr and built a
fine garage. He has since enjoyed a splendid business in this connection and is agent
for the Reo automobile, also for the Chevrolet car and for the Moline tractor.' He has
built up a good business in the sales department as well as in the garage, where he does
all kinds of high grade repair work. He carries a well selected line of auto accessories
and supplies and year by year his business has increased.

In March, 1916, Mr. Wentworth was united in marriage to Miss Lydia Weber, a
daughter of William Weber. Her parents were natives of Germany and came to the

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 373

United States at an early day. Their daughter, Mrs. Wentworth, was born in Cresco
and by her marriage has become the mother of one son, Floyd.

Mr. Wentworth is a republican in his political views, having always voted with
the party since reaching adult age, but he has never been a politician in the sense of
office seeking. He stands for all that is of benefit to the community, however, and
manifests a public-spirited devotion to' the general good. His has been an active and
useful life, in which his business activity has brought to him well merited success.
Those who know him, and he has many friends in Cresco, speak of him in terms of
warm regard and number him with those who have expert mechanical ability.

J. J. CASHMAN.

J. J. Cashman, identified with the farming interests of Howard county, his home
being on section 21, Afton township, has always lived upon this place, which is en-
deared to him through the associations of his boyhood as well as those of his later man-
hood. He was born upon this farm July 28, 1876, and there is no phase of its develop-
ment with which he is not familiar. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Cashman, the
mother a native of Dubuque, Iowa, while the father was born on the Atlantic ocean
while his parents were coming from Ireland to the new world.

J. J. Cashman, whose name introduces this review, acquired a common school edu-
cation in Afton township and also spent one year as a student in the Bayless Business
College, thus preparing for the responsibilities of a business career. His early life was
spent upon his father's farm, assisting in the work of the fields, but later he began
farming on Ms own account and is now busily engaged in the further development and
cultivation of three hundred and twenty acres of land, from which he annually gathers
good crops as a result of his careful methods in the cultivation of the farm. Every-
thing about the place is neat and thrifty in appearance and indicates his careful super-
vision and practical and progressive methods.

In October, 1902, Mr. Cashman was united in marriage to Miss Mamie Clark, a
•laughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Clark, now residents of Elma. Mr. and Mrs. Cashman
have become parents of two children, Raymond and Clarence, both at home.

Mr. Cashman and his family are communicants of St. Cecelia's Catholic church and
he is also identified with the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Modern Woodmen
of America, his membership being with the camp at Elma. His political allegiance is
given to the democratic party but he never seeks nor desires office, preferring to con-
centrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs, which are being carefully
.and systematically directed and are bringing to him well merited success. What he
has accomplished is the direct result of his close application, industry and thrift. He
has worked diligently as the years have gone by and is now classed with the substantial
farmers of Afton township.

JOHN C. LIVINGSTON.

John C. Livingston, who devotes his attention to farming on section 4, Vernon
Springs township, Howard county, is a native son of Wisconsin. He was born in Rock
county of that state on the 27th of February, 1847, his parents being Oliver and Mary
(David) Livingston, who were natives of West Virginia. They removed to Wisconsin
in 1845, casting in their lot with the pioneer settlers of that state and sharing in all of
the hardships and privations of frontier life. The father was a stanch republican in
politics and held the office of county supervisor and also that of justice of the peace in
Rock county. He was likewise a most active and devoted member of the Methodist
church and by reason of his services in behalf of the moral and political progress of
the county he was numbered among its leading citizens.

It was in Rock county that John C. Livingston was reared and educated. He was a

374 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

young man of twenty-five years when he came to Iowa, settling at Vernon Springs in the
fall of 1872. Throughout the intervening period he has devoted his attention to general
agricultural pursuits and has cleared one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he
converted into a fine farm that is his present home. His life has been one of activity
and enterprise and his progressiveness has brought him prominently to the front as a
leading agriculturist of his section of the state. *

In 1869 Mr. Livingston was united in marriage to Miss Sarah M. Barnett, of Osh-
kosh, Wisconsin, and to them were born three children: Lillie J., who is the wife of
Frank Peckham, of Cresco, Iowa; Inez S., the wife of Leslie D. Barker of Janesville,
Wisconsin; and Arthur J. who married Cora HoUenbauh and resides uopn the home
farm, assisting his father in its further cultivation and development. The wife and
mother passed away May 31, 1889, and in 1890 Mr. Livingston was again married, his
second union being with Miss Kate C. Cooley, a daughter of Gilbert and Martha (Ham-
mond) Cooley, who were pioneer residents of Clayton county, Iowa.

Mr. Livingston has always been a stanch advocate of republican principles and gives
loyal support to the party. He has held the position of road supervisor and was also
constable for three terms about forty years ago. He and his wife attend the Baptist
church at Cresco and he and his son Arthur are members of the Masonic lodge at
Cresco. He is a loyal exemplar of the craft, holding faithfully to its teachings, and
the genuine worth of his character is recognized by all with whom he has come in con-
tact. Those who know him, and he has many friends, speak of him in terms of the
highest regard and Howard county numbers him among her representative citizens. He
has here resided for forty-seven years and has therefore long been a witness of the
growth and development of this section of the state.

WENZEL A. PECHOTA.

Farming interests in Chickasaw county find a worthy representative in Wenzel
A. Pechota, who lives upon section 1, Utica township. It was upon the farm that he
now owns that he was born November 22, 1883, a son of Frank and Mary Pechota, both
of whom were natives of Bohemia, belonging to that class of substantial citizens that
Bohemia has furnished to the new world. They came to the United States in young
manhood and young womanhood and were probably married in Chicago, where ihey first
located. The father was employed for a number of years in a lumberyard in that city
and subsequently he removed to Iowa, taking up his abode in Winneshiek county,
where he turned to the occupation of farming. He purchased a small place of twenty
acres, which he afterward sold, and then returned to Chicago in order to make enough
money to buy more land. Subsequently he again came to Iowa and invested in eighty
acres in Chickasaw county, this tract constituting a part of the farm of his son Wenzel.
During the first few years the father had a hard time to get along, but his diligence and
perseverance overcame the diflficulties and obstacles in his path and later he prospered
in his undertakings and acquired five hundred and sixty acres of valuable farm property
in Chickasaw county. He and his wife are still living and make their home in Pro-
tivin.

Their son, Wenzel A. Pechota, was educated in the district schools and in August,
1909, he wedded Miss Christina Shileny, a daughter of Frank Shileny, a native of Bo-
hemia who became one of the early settlers of Winneshiek county and is now deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Pechota have a family of four children: Helen, Clara, Evalina and
Richard.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and in his political
views Mr. Pechota is a democrat but has never been an office seeker. At the time of
his marriage his father deeded him his present farm, comprising one hundred acres, and
upon this place he has resided since his birth. He is today one of the successful agri-
culturists and representative citizens of Utica township. No event of special import-
ance has occurred to vary the routine of farm life for him. for he has always preferred
to concentrate his efforts and attention upon the work of the fields. He early realized

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 375

the fact that industry must be the basis of all success and has given his undivided
thought and effort to the cultivation of the fields, carrying on the work along most
progressive lines. The reliability and integrity of his methods, as well as his success,
have made the name of Pechota a respected one in connection with the agricultural
development of this part of the state.

CHARLES PESEK.

Charles Pesek, actively engaged in general farming in Howard county, is the
owner of a property of one hundred and sixty acres on section 32, New Oregon town-
ship. He was born in Austin county, Texas, January 6, 1862, and his parents were
natives of Bohemia. The father was a blacksmith of that country but at length deter-
mined to try his fortune in the new world and, accompanied by his wife, crossed the
Atlantic to the United States, establishing his home in Austin county, Texas, where he
followed blacksmithing. "When his son Charles was about five years of age the father
returned with his family to Bohemia, where lie purchased a farm and spent his remain-
ing days.

Charles Pesek, however, came to the United States at the age of thirteen and made
his way direct to Spillville, Iowa. For a year he attended school and then began earn-
ing his living by working as a farm hand. He next worked his way westward, em-
ployed on farms in various sections of the country, especially in western California
and in the Dakotas. Eventually, however, he again came to Iowa, where he was em-
ployed on the railroad for about ten years. On the expiration of that period he took
up masonry work, which he followed for about four years, after which he began farming.
He bought eighty acres of land in Chickasaw county and remained there for six years,
actively engaged in farming. After selling his property in that county he made invest-
ment in his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 32, New Oregon
township, Howard county, becoming owner thereof in 1912. He has put some of the
improvements upon the property and has most carefully and systematically carried on
the farm work, so that he has made his place a valuable and productive one.

On the 13th of February, 1893, Mr. Pesek was married to Miss Mary Eral. a daughter
of John and Mary Eral, farming people of Chickasaw county. To Mr. and Mrs. Pesek
have been born nine children: Mary, Catherine, 'Anna, John. Alba, Charles, Theresa,
Jacob and Barbara. The children have all married and are living in different sections
of surrounding states.

Mr. Pesek attends the Catholic church of Protivin and is a member of the Catholic
Workmen Lodge at Spillville. His political support is given to the democratic party.
His has been a life of industry and thrift and whatever success he has achieved is due
entirely to his own labors. Returning from Bohemia to his native land when a youth
of thirteen years, he has since the following year been dependent entirely upon his own
resources and his life record illustrates what can be accomplished by persistence, energy
and determination.

F. C. BARTELS.

F. C. Bartels, engaged in farming on section 9, Howard township, Howard
county, was born in Bremer county, Iowa, February 15, 1874, a son of Ernest F.
and Sophia (Eichoff) Bartels, who are mentioned in connection with the sketch
of August Bartels on another page of this volume. P. C. Bartels, after attending
the district and parochial schools of Bremer county and being graduated from the
latter with the class of 1877, worked upon the home farm with his father up to the
trme of his marriage in 1898. He then began farming on his own account on the
place where he still resides, his father deeding him at that time eighty acres of
this land. He has since added to the property, having after four years purchased

376 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

•

the adjoining eighty acres, so that his present holdings constitute an entire quarter
section. His land is rich and productive and responds readily to the care and
labor which he bestows upon it, so that each year Mr. Bartels harvests large crops.
He is the only man who has ever lived upon this place, for the land was virgin
prairie when he took possession thereof and much of it was covered with hazel
brush. He cleared the place, erected all of the buildings thereon and has made it
one of the attractive and well improved farms of Howard township. In the spring
of 1919 he was offered and refused one hundred and eighty-seven dollars and a half
per acre for this property. His labors have indeed made it valuable and productive
and splendid results have rewarded his efforts as the years have passed.

In 189 8 Mr. Bartels was united in marriage to Miss Louise Westendorf, of Alta
Vista, Iowa, and to them have been born eight children, namely: Rose, the wife
of Albert Brummond, a farmer of Afton township; and Esther, Ellen, Mabel, Helen,
Victor, Herbert and Leonard.

The parents are members of the Lutheran church and for several years Mr.
Bartels has served as one of the trustees of the church and is now one of its
deacons. His political support is given to the republican party, for its platform
contains, in his belief, the best elements of good government. He served for a
number of years as a member of the school board and the cause of education has
ever found in him a stalwart champion. He has always found time and opportunity
to aid in measures of public progress and improvement, notwithstanding the fact
that his business interests have constantly grown in volume and in importance. In
addition to his careful and successful operation of his farm he is now a stock-
holder in the Howard County Cooperative Equity Association of Elma, is a stock-
holder in the Farmers Cooperative Creamery of Maple Leaf, a stockholder in the
Alta Vista Savings Bank, and a stockholder in the Alta Vista Lumber Company.
His interests are broad and varied, making him one of the foremost citizens and
substantial business men of Howard county.

NICHOLAS SCHILLING, M. D.

Liberal educational training qualified Dr. Nicholas Schilling for the practice of
medicine and he has kept in touch with the trend of modern professional thought and
practice by post graduate study abroad and by wide reading and investigation at home.
He was born in Sauk county, Wisconsin. April 4, 1868, a son of John and Elizabeth
(Pickar) Schilling, both of whom were natives of Rhenish Prussia. The father, hav-
ing served his time in the German army, emigrated to America when twenty-three
years of age. The mother came to the new world with her parents when twelve years
of age. In 1905 Dr. Schilling visited the old village of BoUendorfe, near Echternach, in
Rhenish Prussia, just across the border from Luxemburg, and there met relatives of
both his father and mother — people of simplicity, piety, industry, thrift and general
intrinsic worth.

Dr. Schilling was only ten years of age at the time of his father's death, which left
the mother with five little children and very little material support. The Doctor, being
the oldest, learned many things in the cold and uncharitable school of reality that a
more polished education would not have offered him. After attending the public
schools of Honey Creek, Sauk county, Wisconsin, to the age of ten years he then accom-
panied his mother on her removal to North Washington, Iowa, where for two years he
was a pupil in the parochial school. Between the ages of thirteen and twenty years
he worked at farm labor during the summer and in the winter months attended school.
For five years of that period he was practically a member of Mrs. Barbara Hcfs family
and acknowledges an everlasting obligation to this devoted, kind and ambitious woman,
in whose household he received many good lessons and who later stimulated his ambi-
tion to gain an education. In 1888-89 he attended the Decorah Institute, conducted by
Professor John Breckenridge, and later taught school in Deerfield, Iowa, and in Free-
burg, Houston county, Minnesota. He next attended the Northern Indiana Normal

DR. NICHOLAS SCHILLING

Vol. 11—2 4

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 379

School at Valparaiso, Indiana, and was graduated from the scientific department of
that institution in August, 1893. During the following two years he was a student in
the medical school of the Northwestern University of Chicago and in 1896 was gradu-
ated from the John A. Creighton Medical College at Omaha, Nebraska. During the
succeeding year he was interne at the Lakeside Hospital of Chicago, and in February,
1897, he came to New Hampton, Iowa, and entered upon the practice of medicine under
Dr. A. Babcock. In 1900 he established an office in the Glass block and has now for
twenty-two years been an active member of the profession in this city. In February,
1905, he went to Vienna, Austria, for post graduate study, returning in December of
the same year, and in July, 1910, he again went to Vienna for post graduate work,
there remaining from September, 1910, until December, 1911, returning home on Christ-
mas day. In the intervening period he has kept in close touch with the best medical
literature of this and other countries and at all times has kept thoroughly informed
concerning the latest scientific researches and discoveries. It was long his ambition
to establish a hospital in his community and his wish finally reached realization in
February, 1917, when St. Joseph's Hospital was opened in New Hampton to receive
patients. He had much to do with the preliminary work in planning and establishing
the institution, in which he has practiced with success. He is a member of the Tri-
State, the Iowa State, the Austin-Flint, Cedar Valley and American Medical Associa-
tions and is a member of the American College of Surgeons.

On the 31st of December, 1894, in Chicago, Dr. Schilling was married to Miss Mar-
tha Pfeiffer, a daughter of Mrs. Mary Pfeiffer. She came to America in 1892 and for a
number of years engaged in dressmaking. After several years' work along that line in
Chicago she attained the position of forelady in Mandel Brothers' store of Chicago. The
family comes from Thorn on the Vistula, in Germany. She had one sister who died sev-
eral years 'ago in Chicago and she has a brother who is still in Germany and who
throughout his life has been connected with the German army. Her younger brother,
Ernest, is a lawyer of Chicago. To Dr. and Mrs. Schilling have been born six children:
Arthur, twenty-three years of age; Florence, aged twenty-one; Cordelia, nineteen; Harold,
sixteen; Bernard, twelve; and Marie, aged ten. Arthur enlisted in the navy in Febru-
ary, 1916, and is now serving on the battleship Mississippi. Florence and Cordelia are
attending the University of Minnesota; Harold is a student in Dubuque College and
I'ernard and Marie are still at home.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and Dr. Schilling
hjs for fourteen years been a member of the Knights of Columbus. His political alle-
giance has generally been given to the democratic party but he does not hold himself
bound by party ties. Political honors and emoluments have had no attraction for him
as his attention and efforts have ever centered in the line of his chosen profession.
Laudable ambition prompted him to gain the education which constituted the basic
elements of his life work. Step by step, entirely through his own efforts, he has worked
his way upward and his professional position is a most creditable one.

STEWART WILSON.

Stewart Wilson is now living retired in Cresco. enjoying the fruits of a well
R^jent life largely devoted to agricultural pursuits. For many years he was num-
bered among the representative farmers of northern Iowa and as the result of
his untiring industry, intelligently directed, won the substantial success which
numbers him with the men of affluence in his community. He was born on a farm
in St. Lawrence county. New York, May 20, 1846, and is a son of George and Jane
(Stewart) Wilson. His parents were both natives of Ireland and there the father
took up the stone mason's trade and also followed farming in connection with that
pursuit. He was married on the Emerald isle but at length he determined to try
his fortune in America and in 1844 crossed the Atlantic to the new world accom-
panied by his wife. They made the voyage in a sailing vessel and were about six
weeks in reaching New York harbor. There they disembarked and soon afterward

380 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

took up their abode in St. Lawrence county, New York, where Mr. Wilson at once
purchased a farm of fifty acres. He then concentrated his efforts and attention
upon general farming In St. Lawrence county until the fall of 1865, when he sold his
property there and with his family removed to Dane county, Wisconsin. His pur-
chase of land in that locality made him owner of a tract of one hundred acres, which
he cultivated, continuing its operation until his death and during that period added
many improvements to the property. He sold his farm in Wisconsin, however, just
prior to his demise and had arranged to purchase a farm in Howard county, Iowa,
but a few days before he was to start upon the trip he was taken ill and passed
away. His wife had died upon the old home farm in Wisconsin in June, 1866, soon
after their removal to that state, so that she was not long permitted to enjoy her
new home there. They were people of sterling worth and of the highest respect-
ability and had the goodwill and confidence of all who knew them. Mr. Wilson was
a stalwart republican in politics, giving unfaltering support and loyalty to the party,
for he believed most firmly in its principles as factors in good government. He was a
Knight Templar Mason, having become a member of the order when in Ireland.
He was then demitted from his home lodge and transferred his membership to a
lodge in this country, and throughout his entire life he was a worthy exemplar of
the teachings and purposes of the craft. His life was further actuated by his belief
in the Presbyterian church, in which he long held membership. His was a well
spent life. He never rented land but always lived upon his own property and his
children have followed his example in this respect.

Stewart Wilson, whose name introduces this review, spent his boyhood days
in the Empire state to the age of seventeen years, when he accompanied his
parents on their removal westward. He was educated in the rural schools of St.
Lawrence county. New York, and also attended a select school, which was the
best Institution of learning in that part of the state at the time. The schoolhouse
in which he began his education was a little log building, but he thoroughly mas-
tered the branches of learning therein taught and laid the foundation for later
intellectual progress. Mr. Wilson was nineteen years of age when in 1865 he left
home for the west, taking up his abode in Dane county, Wisconsin, where he pur-
chased a farm of fifty acres which he tilled and improved until 1872. He then dis-
posed of his property in that state and removed to Iowa, locating in Howard county.
He took up his abode in New Oregon township, five miles south of the town of
Cresco, purchasing one hundred and sixty acres of land. Later he added eighty
acres more and continued the work of development with excellent results. He
brought his fields under a high state of cultivation and annually gathered good crops,
for he studied the condition of the soil and the requirement of the crops and was
thus able to secure a maximum yield from his planting. His business interests
were always wisely, carefully and systematically conducted and he continued the
active work of the farm until 19 02, when he went to Cresco, establishing his home
there on the 3d of April, 1903. He now occupies a fine residence. It is very modern
and complete in every particular, is supplied with the latest comforts and conveniences
and is attractively furnished.

On the 25th of September, 1872, Mr. Wilson was united in marriage to Miss
Mary Wilson, a daughter of John and Katharine (Kent) Wilson. She was born in
Jefferson county, Wisconsin, upon the homestead farm of her father, who was a
native of Ohio, while her mother was a native of the state of New York. They were
married in the Empire state and later removed to the west, settling in Jefferson
county, Wisconsin, where Mr. Wilson purchased a tract of land which he continued
to develop and improve until the outbreak of the Civil war. His patriotic purpose
was then dominant to every other force of his character and he enlisted for active
service with the Union army, with which he remained for three years. He served
throughout the duration of the war and in July, 1865, he was honorably discharged.
He participated in many hotly contested engagements. Mr. Wilson never faltered
in the performance of his duty but met each task assigned him bravely, whether
called to the firing line or stationed on the lonely picket line. After the war he was
somewhat broken in health but continued to follow farming in Wisconsin to the

I

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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 381

time of his demise, which occurred November 3, 1876. His wife survived him for
a number of years, passing away April 12, 1893.

To Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Wilson have been born two children. Nellie Alice is
the wife of John B. Rostratter, of Minneapolis, who is a native of Howard county,
his father having come to Iowa in pioneer times, casting in his lot among the early
settlers of this county. Here the father passed away, but the mother is still living
and now makes her home with her son in Minneapolis. Her brother, John Welch,
was the first white child born in Howard county and the place of his birth is a
little old stone house just south of Cresco, which is still standing. Both Mr. and
Mrs. John B. Rostratter are well known in this county and they have an interesting
little family of three children: Eunice K., Florence M., and Hazel. Frank George
Wilson, the only son, married Miss Josie Haverley, of Howard county, and is now
residing on his father's old home farm of two hundred and forty acres, which he is
busily and successfully cultivating. To him and his wife have been born four
children: Gilbert F.; John Stewart; Francis, who died in infancy; and Frances
J., a little daughter.

Mr. Wilson is a republican in his political views and keeps well informed on the
questions and issues of the day. He reads broadly and keeps in touch with the
trend of modern thought and progress, and although he has now passed the Psalm-
ist's allotted span of three score years and ten, in spirit and interests he seems yet
in his prime. He and his family are loyal members of the Methodist Episcopal
church. He is a man of liberal disposition and has contributed in substantial
measure to plans and movements for the upbuilding of community and county. He
has lived to witness many changes in this section of the state since taking up
his abode here and at all times has borne his part in the work of general develop-
ment and improvement. He is enjoying excellent health and is a well preserved
man. His rest from business cares is well deserved because of the intense activity
which preceded it. His business interests were wisely and carefully managed and
his efforts brought to him a measure of success which is most gratifying.

PETER N. MILLER.

In the history of Howard county mention should be made of Peter N. Miller, who
from pioneer times has been identified with the development of the county and has
lived to witness its wonderful growth and progress as the years have passed by. He
has always taken his part in advancing the welfare and upbuilding of the community
and he is now pleasantly situated on section 6, Afton township. . He has reached the
eighty-second milestone on life's journey, his birth having occurred in Hanover, Ger-
many, April 13, 1837. He is a son of Mathias and Annie Miller, both of whom were
natives of that country.

Peter N. Miller spent the first fourteen years of his life in Germany and then came
to the United States, since which time he has been a loyal American citizen. He made
his way first to Madison, Wisconsin, and was employed in a bakery at eight dollars
per month. He worked in that line for a few years and carefully saved his earnings
until he was able to make investment in land. His first purchase made him owner of
a sixty-acre tract, which he at once began to develop and improve. His home was a
little log cabin such as is found in pioneer districts. He continued to cultivate that
farm for about twenty-two years and his labors wrought a marked transformation in its
appearance. At the end of that period he sold the farm and came to Howard county,
Iowa, purchasing forty acres of the present home place but he has since extended its
boundaries until it now comprises eighty acres of rich and productive land. When he
took possession of this property the land was still in its primitive condition and there
devolved upon him the arduous task of breaking the sod and preparing the fields for
cultivation. The house was a very small log cabin and all of the substantial and modern
improvements that are found upon the place today are the work of Mr. Miller and indi-

382 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

cate the progressive spirit that has always actuated him in the conduct of his farming
interests.

On the 15th of February, 1867, Mr. Miller was married to Miss Louisa Lubbert, a
daughter of Christ and Anna Marie Lubbert, farming people of Howard county. Mr. and
Mrs. Miller have become the parents of the following children: Albert, John, Eliza.
August. Minna and Lina. Four of the children are still upon the home farm. Albert
married Sophie Lubbert, of Howard county, and carries on general agricultural pursuits
in this section of the state. Eliza is the wife of Charles Miller, a resident farmer of
Howard county. Two of the sons are now working the home farm, relieving their father
of the care and responsibility incident to its further development and cultivation.

The religious faith of the family is that of the German Lutheran church and Mr.
Miller has ever been a loyal adherent of its teachings. His political support has been
given to the democratic party since he became a naturalized American citizen. For
sixty-eight years he has lived on this side of the Atlantic and is thoroughly imbued
with the American spirit. He has worked diligently and persistently as the years have
gone by and has contributed to the agricultural development of Howard county, in which
he has made his home from pioneer times.

FRANK FOGLE.

Among the representative farmers of Saratoga township, Howard county, is Frank
Fogle, who resides on section 31. He claims Bohemia as the land of his birth and he
was there born September 13, 1852. His parents were Charlie and Annie (Kodetk) Fo-
gle, who were lifelong residents of Bohemia. The father was born in 1814 and the
mother in 1821 and they were married in 1838.

In his native land Frank Fogle was reared and educated and on reaching man-
hood he was there married to Miss Barbara Stejskal in 1873. They have become the
parents of ten children, namely: Frank, who married Mary Zaruby; Anna, the wife of
Frank Dvorak; Marie, who married David Dolechek; Andrew, who married Ella Jarvis;
Rudolph, who married Myrtle Stephans; Bessie, the wife of Fred Yezek; Lottie, the
wife of Roy Meiletz; Hattie, the wife of Joseph Omer; Jerry, at home; and George.

Mr. Fogle remained a resident of his native land until January 16, 1890, when he
came alone to the United States with the hope of making for his family a home on this
side of the Atlantic. Upon landing in this country he proceeded to Chicago and from
there to Mount Ayr, Iowa, where he worked on a farm for a year. The following two
years were spent on a farm near Yale, this state, and while there his family joined him.
Subsequently he operated a rented farm of forty acres for one year and then rented
one hundred and twenty acres, which he operated for two years. He later spent four
years on a farm of three hundred and twenty acres near Rippey, in Greene county, Iowa,
and for seven years engaged in operating a five hundred acre farm which he rented. It
was in 1908 that he purchased his present farm on section 31, Saratoga township, How-
ard county, becoming at that time the owner of one hundred and thirty acres, to which
he added an adjoining tract of thirty acres in 1913. He is an enterprising and progres-
sive farmer and has met with well deserved success since locating here. His political
support is given to the democratic party and for six years he has served as a school
director. He is a member of the Equity Shippers of Elma and is held in the highest
esteem by all who know him.

J. D. WHITINGER.

A good farm in Afton township, Howard county, situated on section 12, pays
tribute to the care and labor bestowed upon it by J. D. Whitinger, who displays
progressive methods in the management and development of the land. He was born
in Story county, Iowa, January 22, 1884, a son of Daniel and Armeta (Belcher)

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 383

Whitinger. The father was born in Marion county, Indiana, while the mother was a
native of Story county, Iowa. The former came to this state in the '70s and soon
after his arrival was married to Armeta Belcher. They began their domestic life
in Story county and there reared their family.

J. D. Whitinger, spending his youthful days under the parental roof, attended
the common schools and was trained in the work of the home farm, early be-
coming familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops.
When he arrived at years of maturity he planned to have a home of his own and to
this end wedded Miss Clara Mae Shafer, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Newton Shafer,
who are still residents of Story county, Iowa, where they have spent iheJr entire
lives. To Mr. and Mrs. Whitinger have been born three children, namely: Thelma
Mae, Arthur D. and Jacob D., aged respectively eleven, nine and six years.

From Story county Mr. Whitinger came to Howard county and has since been
identified with its agricultural interests. He is now the owner of a good farm on
section 12, Afton township, and in the further development of his land has made
it a valuable and productive farm. There are good buildings upon the place and
everything indicates the careful supervision, and progressive methods of the owner,
whose life has been one of intense and well directed activity, bringing to him the
success which is now his.

Mr. and Mrs. Whitinger are consistent and faithful members of the Methodist
Episcopal church, contributing generously to its support and doing everything in
their power to upbuild the cause and extend its influence. Mr. Whitinger belongs
to the Masonic lodge of Elma and he and his wife are identified with the Order of
Eastern Star. In politics he is a republican and is much interested in the vital
questions and political problems of the age but does not seek to fill political office.
He prefers to devote his time and energies to his business affairs, and the careful
direction of his labors has led to the attainment of a substantial measure of success.

W. F. GETSCH.

The name of W. F. Getsch is an honored one in the financial circles of Chickasaw
countj'. He is the president of the Commercial State Savings Bank of Nashua and is
regarded as a man of thorough reliability as well as enterprise. He was born in Brad-
ford, Chickasaw county, Iowa, on the 9th of June, 1872, and is a son of Ferdinand C.
and Lena E. (Hanna) Getsch. The father was born in Prussia, while the mother was
a native of Brunswick, Germany. Ferdinand C. Getsch came to the United States about
1858, settling in McGregor, Iowa, where he took up blacksmithing. He formed a part-
nership v.'ith Joseph Clemens and also engaged in wagon building. He was quite suc-
cessful in the conduct of his business interests there and five years later he returned
to Germany for his wife, whom he brought to the new world. He remained in McGregor
for three or four years longer and then came to Chickasaw county, settling in the old
town of Bradford, where he opened a shop and continued in business until the building
of the railroad into Nashua in 1877, at which time he removed to Nashua and opened
another shop, which he continued to conduct until within ten years of his death. He
passed away in October, 1904, while his widow, surviving him for a decade, was called
to her final rest on the 14th of October, 1914, They were the parents of ten children,
nine of whom are yet living.

W. F. Getsch was educated in the public schools of Nashua, passing through con-
secutive grades to his graduation from the high school with the class of 1890. He then
went west to Park City, Utah, where he worked in the silver and lead mines for two
and a half years. He afterwards returned to Nashua, Iowa, and became identified with
the banking business, entering the First National Bank in order to learn bookkeeping.
It was his intention to return to the west, having been offered a position in a bank in
Utah, but after three months' stay with the First National Bank of Nashua he accepted
a permanent position in that institution, of which A. G. Case was the president. On the
1st of January, 1894, he was made bookkeeper of the bank and in November of the same

384 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

year the First National Bank liquidated and Mr. Case opened a private bank under the
firm style of A. G. Case & Company, making Mr. Getsch his bookkeeper. On the 1st of
June, 1895, the latter was made cashier of tlie bank and served in that capacity for
fifteen years, after which he was elected vice president and remained in tliat office for
two years, when he was chosen president. On the 1st of January, 1915, the institution
was reorganized and incorporated as tlie Commercial State Savings Bank and Mr.
Getsch continues as its president. The development of the bank has been attributable
in no small measure to his efforts, his comprehensive knowledge of banking and his
progressiveness. At the time Mr. Getscli became cashier of the bank the deposits
amounted to one hundred thousand dollars. Sometliing of tlie growth of the business
of the institution is indicated in tlie fact that today tlie deposits approximate five hun-
dred and fifty thousand dollars.

On the 6th of June, 1900, Mr. Getsch was united in marriage to Miss Helen Dexter,
of Nashua, who at that time was a teacher in the public schools of Cedar Falls. They
have become the parents of a son and a daughter, Gertrude M. and William C.

Politically Mr. Getsch is an earnest republican and has served as a member of the
town council but cannot be said to be a politician in the sense of office seeking. In
matters of citizenship, however, he has always stood on the side of progress and im-
provement. He was a member of the Liberty Loan committee during the Victory Loan
drive and had been active in all the former loans. Fraternally he is connected with
Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M.; Almond Chapter, No. 53, R. A. M., of Charles
City; Joppa Commandery, No. 55, K. T., of Charles City; El Kahir Temple, A. A. O. N.
M. S., of Cedar Rapids; and De Molay Consistory, A. & A. S. R., of Clinton, Iowa. Both
he and his wife are members of Nashua Chapter, No. 248, 0. E. S., and they are also
members of the First Congregational church. He is deeply interested in Masonry and
is a loyal follower of the teachings and purposes of the craft, exemplifying in his life
its beneficent spirit. He is recognized as a man of high personal worth whose splendid
traits of character have brought him to the front not only in business but also in the
regard of liis fellow townsmen. In July, 1918, when the Chickasaw County Bankers'
Association was organized, Mr. Getsch was honored by being elected the first president
of the association. This is indicative of his high standing in business circles and of
the prominent position which he occupies among his fellow townsmen. His worth is
widely recognized and his value to the community is acknowledged by all.

HENRY FAUST.

Henry Faust is the proprietor of the Forest View Stock Farm of three hundred
and forty-five acres. This is situated on section 13, Stapleton township, Chickasaw
county, and is one of the fine farm properties of northern Iowa. Mr. Faust is a native
of Palatine, Illinois, born September 11, 1852. His father, Henry Faust, Sr-, was a
native of Prussia, Germany, while the mother, who bore the maiden name of Margaret
Willman. was born in Alsace, France. Each came to the United States in early life
and settled in Cook county, Illinois, where they became acquainted and were married.
They took up their abode upon a farm which later became the townsite of Palatine
when the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad was built through that district. Some of
the first trains run over the road killed some of his cattle and Mr. Faust sold his farm
and came west to Iowa. It was subsequent to this time that the town of Palatine was
founded and had he remained the sale of town lots would have made him financially
independent. He removed to Iowa with three prairie schooners drawn by oxen and
brought with him forty head of cattle, arriving in Chickasaw county on the 4th of July,
1855. From the government he entered three hundred and twenty acres of raw land
upon which not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made. This is now the
home farm of his son and namesake, the land never having passed out of the posses-
sion of the family. The father's first habitation here was constructed of poles covered
with wild hay. During the following winter, that of 1855-6, the cold was intense. In
fact it is a memorable winter in the history of Iowa and the family suffered many hard-

I

\

MR. AND MRS. HENRY FAUST, Sk.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 387

ships and privations. In subsequent years the father prospered and attained notable
success. He remained upon the old home farm until his death, which occurred in
1888, when lie was in his seventy-seventh year. His wife survived until 1893 and was
sixty-nine years of age at the time of her demise.

Henry Faust, whose names introduces this review, was educated in the district
schools and at the age of nineteen left the parental roof. He then went to Deerfield,
Illinois, where he worked for two years in a wagon shop. About that time his brother,
who had been left upon the farm, died and Henry Faust found it necessary to return
home and take charge of the place, which he has now operated for the past forty-six
years. He has carried on stock farming, raising shorthorn cattle, and has made the
Forest View Stock Farm one of the notable places in this section of the country. The
farm is today owned by himself and his sister, Margaret, who are the only two living
i."epresentatives of a family of seven children. Neither has married and they keep house
together. For the past five years Mr. Faust has rented his land and is now practically
living retired.

Both Mr. Faust and his sister are members of the Lutheran church. In politics
he is a republican, always voting with that party, but has never been an aspirant for
political preferment. Starting out in life with but limited school advantages, working
at the breaking plow for several seasons and always with the laudable ambition to
attain something better, he has steadily advanced along the lines of progressive farming
and has become one of the substantial citizens of northern Iowa.

CLIFTON M. PARKER.

Clifton M. Parker is the president of the First National Bank of Lawler and has
had charge of its financial policy for a number of years, the success of the institution
being therefore attributable to his sound judgment and progressive business methods.
He was born in Lawler, November 27, 1882, a son of William H. and Ettie (Mason)
Parker. He was educated in the Lawler high school, from which he was graduated
with the class of 1899, and in the Upper Iowa University at Fayette. He also attended
the Capital City Commercial College at Des Moines and following the completion of
his studies he returned to Lawler, where he entered his father's bank in the position
of assistant cashier and bookkeeper. The bank was then a private institution operating
under the name of William H. Parker & Company or the Bank of Lawler, as it was
generally spoken of. This bank was established in 1875 by D. R. Kirby and was one
of the three banks then existing in Chickasaw county. In 1887 it was purchased by
William H. Parker and conducted by him until his death on the 18th of June, 1912.
Two years later the bank was nationalized, becoming the First National Bank of Lawler,
at which time it issued a statement concerning the history of the institution, speaking
of William H. Parker, who "began business on February 14, 1887, at a time when
depositors were few, money available for loaning was scarce and the interest rate was
twelve per cent, usually paid in advance. Two years after the date that he began
business his books show a total deposit of only four thousand seven hundred and forty-
three dollars and sixty-six cents. The main profit for the bank was derived from the
exchange account. An exchange charge was made on each check cashed by the bank
as well as on the exchange that the bank sold. At this time the bank had a capital
of five thousand dollars. The rate of interest paid on time deposits was five per cent,
which is the rate that the bank has continued to pay. The panics of 1893 and 1907
were safely weathered and the business has enjoyed a healthy growth. Competition
entered the field in 1896. At the death of William H. Parker, when his son, C. M.
Parker, assumed control, the bank's capital and surplus was seventeen thousand dollars
and its deposits were one hundred and eight thousand dollars. On the last day of its
business, August 15, 1914. the capital, surplus and profits were twenty-five thousand
dollars and the total deposits were one hundred and fifty-eight thousand dollars. Every
obligation of the old bank has been assumed by the new one. It is the belief of the
officers of the First National Bank of Lawler that times are good; that the United

388 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

states is, by far, the best country in the world; that Iowa is her best state; that there
is no better place than the town of Lawler and the farming country tributary to it. It
is our ambition that this bank shall be the best that good management under good laws
can provide. We have every faith in the government of the United States and are
glad to be under federal surveillance. Our policy will be the most liberal consistent
with good banking. We will have nothing to conceal except the private affairs of our
customers." The bank is in a very flourishing condition, its business steadily increas-
ing, and its policy is such as carefully safeguards the interests of depositors and yet
makes for continued growth. It has indeed been an institution of great worth to
Lawler.

On the 4th of September, 1907, Mr. Parker was united in marriage to Miss Vina
Clapham, of Fredericksburg, Iowa, by whom he has two children, William C. and
Catherine.

In politics Mr. Parker is a republican and always keeps well informed concerning
the political questions and problems of the day. He is a member of the town council
and formerly served as clerk of the board. Fraternally he is connected with the Mod-
ern Woodmen of America and is serving as clerk of his camp. He is also a member
and the secretary of the Homesteaders Lodge and a member of Standard Lodge, A. F.
& A. M., of Waucoma, Iowa, while in Arcana Chapter, R. A. M., of New Hampton, he
has taken the Royal Arch degrees. He is likewise identified with Eudora Commandery,
K. T., of New Hampton, and has crossed the sands of the desert with the Nobles of the
Mystic Shrine in El Kahir Temple of Cedar Rapids. He and his wife are members of
the Congregational church and they are keenly interested in all that has to do with
the welfare and upbuilding of the district in which they live. During the period of the
war Mr. Parker took a most active part in furthering the interests of the government
and was a member of the Liberty Loan committee of Chickasaw county, having charge
of the loan in Stapleton township during the third and fourth drives. He put the town-
ship over the top in both loans and he was again appointed to that position at the time
the Victory Loan was launched. His work in this connection has been most efficient
and his labors brought results that were thoroughly gratifying.

SUMNER P. MOORE.

Sumner P. Moore, one of the oldest of the pioneers of Chickasaw county and for
many years justice of the peace at Fredericksburg, was born in Union county, Ohio,
June 9, 1849, a son of "Thomas C. and Emily (Paine) Moore, the former a native of
Connecticut, while the latter was born in Union county, Ohio, where they were married.
In 1854 they removed to Iowa, settling in Postville, where the father conducted one of
the old-time log hotels, sheltering many of the early pioneers and upon his place he
aiso had accommodations for the teams of the continental travelers, the hotel being
ccated on the old military road. In 1866 he removed to Fredericksburg, Chickasaw
county, and purchased a farm a mile north of the town. He spent many years upon
that place but passed the last ten years of his life in Kansas, where his death occurred.

Sumner P. Moore of this review was educated in the district schools and on reach-
ing young manhood took up work at the carpenter's trade. For twenty-five years he
was prominently identified with the contracting and building business, erecting many
of the substantial and fine buildings of Fredericksburg, which stand as monuments to
his activity in this field of labor and show forth his skill and handiwork. He then
turned his attention to the insurance and loan business, with which he has since been
identified. In 1906 he bought a farm of one hundred and thirty-seven and a half acres,
a part of which lies within the corporation limits of Fredericksburg. This tract of
land he cultivated very successfully for nine years and then sold the place in 1915.

In 1883 Mr. Moore was married to Miss Jennie Parks, of Fredericksburg, a
daughter of Benjamin B. Parks, who came to Chickasaw county in 1867. Mr. and Mrs.
Moore have become the parents of seven children, of whom four are living: Walter H.,
a resident of New Hampton, Iowa; Ben H., living at Eagle Grove, Iowa; Clint H., who

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 389

is in the United States army, stationed at Kelly Field No. 1, in camp at San Antonio,
Texas, serving with the rank of sergeant; and Wynona, at home.

Politically Judge Moore is a republican and during the fifty-three years of his
residence in Fredericksburg he has never missed a general election and has always
voted the republican ticket in the same precinct. For the past ten years he has served
as notary and for many years he has filled the position of justice of the peace, his
decisions being strictly fair and impartial. He has been a Mason for forty-five years
and for twenty years has been secretary of Mount Horeb Lodge, No. 333, A. F. & A. M.,
which has ever found in him a worthy exemplar, one who is most loyal to the teachings
of the craft, the brotherhood of mankind and the obligations thereby imposed. He is
also a member of the Brotherhood of American Yeomen. Chickasaw county numbers
him among her best known and most highly respected citizens. His friendship is of
that kind which stands the test of adversity as well as prosperity, and his character
Includes the power of appreciating whatever is noble and uplifting in another.

GEORGE J. SCHOLZ.

George J. Scholz, cashier and member of the board of directors of the Alta Vista
Savings Bank of Alta Vista, Iowa, was born in Guttenberg, this state, on the 2Gth of
January, 1881, a son of Charles and Helena (Ulrich) Scholz, both of whom were natives
of Germany. The father came to the new world in young manhood in company with
his brother. W. H. Scholz, while the mother crossed the Atlantic as a girl with her
parents. Both became residents of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where they were later
married. For a year or two they resided in that city and then removed to Guttenberg,
Iowa, where the father engaged in general merchandising and became prominently
identified with the business life of that city, where he continued his mercantile activ-
ities for more than a quarter of a century. He was also active in community affairs,
served as president of the school board and for a number of years was a member of
the city council. He passed away at a comparatively early age, being called to his
final rest when a man of fifty-three. His widow continued the business for a period of
ten years.

George J. Scholz was educated in the common schools of Guttenberg, passing
through consecutive grades to the high school, from which he was graduated as a
member of the' class of 1896. He displayed special aptitude in his studies, completing
his course before his sixteenth year. When his textbooks were put aside he secured a
clerkship in a store, in which he was employed for a year, and subsequently he taught
school for two years, at the expiration of which period he came to Alta Vista and
entered the banking business as assistant cashier of the Alta Vista Savings Bank. He
held that title for several years but served in the capacity of cashier, being practically
alone in the conduct of the bank's affairs. In 1906 he was formally chosen as cashier
of the institution and has since given his attention to constructive effort, administra-
tive direction and executive control. He is thoroughly familiar with every phase of
the banking business and his efforts have been a basic element in the success of the
institution. He is ever a courteous and obliging official and does everything in his
power to accommodate the patrons of the bank, while at the same time carefully safe-
guarding the interests of depositors and stockholders.

In 1903 Mr. Scholz was united in marriage to Miss Millie Kohler, of Guttenberg,
Iowa, who passed away in 1916, leaving three children, of whom two are living, Charles
H. and Milton K. In August, 1917, Mr. Scholz was again married, his second union
being with Miss Clara Erion, of Alta Vista.

In his political views Mr. Scholz is an earnest republican and for ten years has
served as mayor of Alta Vista, giving to the city a very businesslike and progressive
administration, characterized by needed reforms and improvements. He has also
served as president of the school board and is interested in the intellectual progress
of the community. Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging to Maple Leaf Lodge, No.
528, A. F. & A. M.; Adelphia Chapter, No. 113, R. A. M., and also to Alta Vista Lodge.

390 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

No. 65S, I. 0. O. F., and to Charles City Lodge, No. 418, B. P. 0. E. He is ever loyal
to the teachings and purposes of these organizations and in every relation of life is
found true to the trusts reposed in him. He has won a creditable place among the
substantial, progressive and representative business men of Chickasaw county, where
his worth is widely acknowledged. Actuated by a laudable ambition, he has advanced
step by step and each forward step in his career has brought him a broader outlook
and wider opportunities. Moreover, opportunity has ever been to him a call to action
and one to which he has made ready response. Men who know him — and he has a
wide acquaintance^ — speak of him in terms of the highest regard and aside from what
ne has done for his city as a business man he has greatly furthered its interests and
upheld its civic standards through the exercise of his official prerogatives as mayor.

F. A. SCHUETZ.

For thirteen years F. A. Schuetz has been the cashier of the State Savings Bank
of Lawler and through his connection with the institution it has shown rapid and
.substantial growth, becoming one of the strong moneyed concerns of Chickasaw county.
Mr. Schuetz is a native of New Hampton, Iowa, where he was born May 9, 1877, his
parents being John and Mary (Demuth) Schuetz, who were natives of Luxemburg. In
1855 the father came to the United States, making the voyage in a sailing vessel. He
took up his abode at Aurora, Illinois, where he was employed at railroad work for a
period of eight years, and in 1863 he returned to Luxemburg, where he was married.
He then brought his bride to the United States and established his home in Dubuque
county, Iowa, where he purchased a farm which he cultivated for a period of five years.
At the end of that time he sold the property and removed to New Hampton, where he
engaged in merchandising. In 1880, after the three years' wheat crop failures of
Iowa, he lost his business owing to the fact that he was carrying so many on his books
who were unable to pay him. He thereafter lived a private life in New Hampton,
where he passed away in 1909, at the age of seventy-seven years.

F. A. Schuetz was educated in the graded and high schools of New Hampton, being
graduated on the completion of his high school course as a member of the class of
1896. He next entered the State Agricultural College at Ames, where he completed his
studies in 1899. Following his graduation there he taught in the schools of Bassett
for a year and subsequently became principal of the New Hampton high school, in
which position he remained for two years. He next accepted the principalship of the
high school at Grinnell, Iowa, where he continued for one year and was then made
superintendent of the schools of Perham, Minnesota, in which capacity he continued
to serve for three years. On the expiration of that period he was offered and accepted
the cashiership of the State Savings Bank at Lawier and in this important position has
since remained. When he entered the bank in 1906 its resources amounted to one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars, while on the 1st of April, 1919, its resources aggre-
gated six hundred and nine thousand dollars. During the prosecution of the war with
Germany the bank furnished the government through the subscriptions which it took
and through its private subscriptions something over three hundred and eighty-four
thousand dollars. The bank has shown a wonderful growth since Mr. Schuetz became
its cashier and has been active in managing its financial policy.

On the 5th of June, 1907, Mr. Schuetz was united in marriage to Miss Grace C.
Struett. of Perham, Minnesota, by whom he has four children: John S., Louis F.,
Catherine and Francis J.

Mr. and Mrs. Schuetz are members of the Catholic church and he is identified with
the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Order of Foresters and the Modern Woodmen
of America. His political endorsement is given to the democratic party and for many
years he served as secretary of the school board and was recently elected to the county
board of education. He has ever stood for progress and improvement in the public
life of the community and during the period of the war was especially active in promo-
tion of the Liberty Loan drives and was chairman for Utica township during the third

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

391

and fourth loans and also again for the Victory Loan. He was chairman of the Red
Cross fund of Stapleton township and made numerous speeches in his district in
support of the various drives and the war work. He is a man of progressive spirit,
satiety having no part in his nature. He is always looking to opportunities not only
for the development of his individual interests but for the benefit of his town and
county as well and his labors in this direction have been far-reaching and effective.

MARCUS OSCAR SWENSON.

Marcus Oscar Swenson is a plumbing and heating contractor of Cresco, conduct-
ing a business of gratifying proportions. Moreover, he is a native son of the city
in which he resides, his birth having here occurred November 17, 1879, his parents
being Frederick and Josephine (Iverson) Swenson. His father was born near
Racine, Wisconsin, and there pursued his education in the public schools, after
which he worked on a farm for his mother for a time and later he secured employ-
ment in a blacksmith shop and machine shop. He afterward came to Iowa, estab-
lishing his home in Cresco, where he obtained a position in the jewelry store of his
brother, Ole Swenson. A little later he returned to Wisconsin but after a short
time again came to Cresco. where he established a machine shop. Later he took
up the business of manufacturing mowers, which became widely known as the
Swenson mowers and were the first made In this part of the country. He con-
tinued in the business for a number of years and in 1892 he began the installation
of heating plants and also did plumbing work'. During this time he likewise manu-
factured engines and boilers. He thus developed important industrial interests in
Cresco and ranked with its prominent and representative business men. His activi-
ties constantly broadened in scope and his business continually increased in volume.
He continued an active factor in the industrial life of Cresco to the time of his death,
which occurred April 11, 1905, when he had reached the age of fifty-eight years.
His political support was given to the republican party and his religious faith was
that of the Lutheran church. In 1878 he married Miss Josephine Iverson, a daugh-
ter of Lars and Anna Iverson. She was born in Fillmore county, Minnesota, while
her parents were natives of Norway. At an early day they left the land of the mid-
night sun and came to the United States, establishing their home near Leland, Illi-
nois, where Mr. Iverson engaged in farming for some time. Subsequently he re-
moved to Newburg township, Fillmore county, Minnesota, where he took up gov-
ernment land, upon which not a furrow had been turned nor an improvement made.
He at once built a little log house and began to break the prairie and cultivate the
fields. He brought his farm under a good state of cultivation but eventually left
that place and removed to Hesper township, Winneshiek county, Iowa, where he
again purchased land. This he cultivated for a number of years and at length re-
moved to Mabel, Minnesota, where he spent his remaining days in the enjoyment of
a well earned rest. He died at the age of eighty-five years, while his wife reached
the age of eighty-six years. Their daughter, Mrs. Swenson, was the first child born
in Fillmore county.

Marcus O. Swenson of this review pursued his education in the schools of Cresco
and in the normal school. His business training was received under the direction
of his father and through the International Correspondence School. He began
working with his father at the heating and plumbing business in the old machine
shop and foundry and developed his mechanical skill and ingenuity. He also
worked for the Grubbing Machine Company, owned by Caward & Swenson. and
was employed at the city water works as engineer. He also spent some time as
miller in a flour and feed mill of Cresco owned by John McCoy and John Casper
and later he worked for the firm of Swenson & Moen in the plumbing business.
His next step in his business career was to enter into partnership with his father
and this relation was maintained until the latter's death on the 11th of April, 1905,
at which time the father was fifty-eight years of age. Following his demise Marcus

392 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

O. Swenson and his mother carried on the business until February 4, 1908, after
which the son became sole proprietor and has since conducted his interests as a
plumbing and heating contractor. In 1909 he removed his shop from the old
foundry building to its present location and has since continued in the business,
winning a liberal patronage as the years have passed on and he has demonstrated
his skill and efficiency In his chosen line.

On the 4th of February, 1908, Mr. Swenson was united in marriage to Miss
Violet E. Hammond, who was born near Cresco, a daughter of William and Mar-
garet (Clarke) Hammond. Her parents were natives of Illinois but came to How-
ard county at an early day, casting in their lot with its pioneer settlers before the
town of Cresco had been established. To Mr. and Mrs. Swenson have been born
four children: Marjorie, Robert, Ruth and Paul.

On July 8, 1918, Mr. Swenson went to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he worked a
short time at his trade, after which he went to Nashville, Tennessee, and was em-
ployed as a pipe fitter by the Du Pont Engineering Company, constructing the Old
Hickory powder plant at Jacksonville, Tennessee, sixteen miles northeast of Nash-
ville and adjacent to The Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson. Mr.
Swenson moved his family and mother to Lebanon, Tennessee, tw^enty-flve miles
Southeast of the powder plant, September 28, 1918. His work ended there Feb-
ruary 20, 1919. He then took heating and plumbing contracts for the Cedar City
Machine Shop Company of Lebanon, Tennessee, securing considerable business until
he accepted a position with the Lindle Plumbing & Heating Company of Akron,
Ohio, August 20, 1919, his family and mother then returning to Cresco, Iowa, for a
visit.

Mr. Swenson was a member of the fire company of Cresco for about ten years
and acted as one of the foremen. In June, 1902, he joined as a charter member
Company E, Forty-ninth Regiment, Iowa National Guard. During the summer of
19 02 the Forty-ninth's Regiment number was changed to the Fifty-third, as the
Forty-ninth was a Spanish War Regiment and the reorganized regiment was given
a new number with the similar change in the other three state regiments. He
served as second lieutenant in the Fifty-third Regiment from April 21, 1908, until
May, 1909, when Company E was mustered out. He had worked his way up
through the ranks to his position as a commissioned officer. Fraternally he is a con-
nected with the Modern Woodmen of America and with the Masons and is a loyal
adherent of their teachings and purposes. In fact he is regarded as a man of
genuine worth in Cresco.

AUGUST MILHAM.

August Milham, who successfully followed farming on section 29, Afton town-
ship, Howard county, was born in Germany in 1843 and came to the United States
when a young man of twenty-four years. He made the trip alone after bidding
adieu to friends and native country, thinking that he would have better opportuni-
ties on this side of the Atlantic, nor did he ever regret his determination to come
to the United States. He made his way first to Illinois, where he remained for
tWo years, during which time he was engaged in hauling milk. On the expiration
of that period he removed to Howard county, Iowa, and purchased a farm in Afton
township, which he conducted for two years. He then sold that property and later
was employed as a farm hand in Afton township for a time.

In 1876 Mr. Milham was united in marriage to Miss Amelia Arndt, a daughter
of Fred Arndt, and they began their domestic life upon a rented farm. Mr. Milham
continued to rent land for twenty years after his marriage and then purchased the
present home farm, upon which he resided to the time of his death, which occurred
on the 8th of December, 1916. He was an active and energetic farmer, w-ho carefully
tilled the soil and brought his fields under a high state of cultivation, putting forth
every effort to provide a comfortable living for his family.

AUGUST MILHAM

LEO xMILHAM

ARTHUR MILHAM

Vol. 11—25

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 395

To Mr. and Mrs. Milham were born thirteen children, namely: Mrs. Augusta
Brown; Mrs. Carrie Patri; Mrs. Minnie Weipert; Amelia M., deceased; Mrs. Annie
Klein; John; Benjamin and Joseph, twins, deceased; Frederick, also deceased;
August; Leo, who was with the Eighty-first Machine Gun Battalion and went over-
seas during the world war, seeing much active service, but has since been honorably
discharged and is now at home on the farm with his mother; Mrs. Noretta Bohardt;
and Arthur, who was with the Headquarters Company, Eighty-eighth Infantry, sta-
tioned at Camp Dodge for about six months, and is now on the home farm.

Mrs. Milham still resides upon the home farm. Mr. Milham was a member of
the German Lutheran church, of which his family are also adherents, and his political
endorsement was given to the democratic party. He was a man who stood loyally
in defense of whatever he believed to be right or for the benefit of the community
at large and his sterling worth was recognized by all with whom he came in conta(;t.

CHARLES MICHAEL GAMROW.

Charles Michael Gamrow has throughout his entire life been a resident of How-
ard county and makes his home on section 7, Afton township. He was born on
the 27th of September, 1861, a son of Frederick and Annie Gamrow, both of whom
were natives of Germany. They came to the United States with their respective
parents at an early age and in young manhood the father worked for a time in Wis-
consin but eventually removed to Iowa and purchased land in Howard county which
he developed into an excellent farm property. It was largely wild and unimproved
when it came into his possession, but his labors soon wrought a marked change in
the appearance of the place, converting it into rich fields that annually produced sub-
stantial crops. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Gamrow were two sons: Charles
M., of this review; and Frederick, a resident farmer of Howard county. The latter
married Minnie Sprung, of this county, and he is well known among the agricultur-
ists of the district.

Charles Michael Gamrow spent his boyhood days in the usual manner of the
farm-bred boy of Howard county. He attended the district schools, enjoyed the
pleasures of the playground and worked in the fields during vacation periods. He
thus became thoroughly familiar with the best methods of cultivating the soil and
caring for the crops and was well qualified to take up farming on his own account
after he had reached adult age. He has carried on farming independently for
thirty years and is meeting with success in all of his undertakings.

In his political views Mr. Gamrow is a republican but has never been an office
seeker. However, he manifests a deep interest in all plans and projects looking to
the development and upbuilding of his section of the state and is regarded as a sub-
stantial citizen. His religious faith is indicated by his attendance at the Lutheran
church of Riceville. Having spent his entire life in Howard county, he is well
known and those with whom he has been brought in contact speak of him as a
thoroughly reliable business man.

NELSON I. MEAD.

Nelson I. Mead, who follows farming on section 10, Chickasaw township, in Chick-
asaw county, and whose activity in public affairs of the community is indicated by his
service as a member of the present board of township trustees, was born September 18,
1855, in the township where he still lives and in whicn he has now made his home for
sixty-four years. His parents were Isaac and Helen (Rice) Mead, both of whom were
natives of the state of New York, where they were reared and married. Subsequently
they made their way westward to Illinois and thence removed to Wisconsin, while in
the spring of 1855 they came to Iowa, settling in Chickasaw township, Chickasaw

396 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

county, where the father purchased two hundred acres of land from a speculator at
five dollars per acre. He at once began the development and improvement of the farm,
which he brought under a high state of cultivation and upon which he made his home
until the death of his wife, which occurred on the 19th of August, 1884. He then made
his home with his son, Nelson I., until he was called from this life on the 3d of July,
1905.

Nelson I. Mead was educated in the district schools, attending when there was no
work to be done on the farm. His youth was a period of earnest toil and after reaching
manhood he and a brother operated the home farm for two years. In 1878 he was
united in marriage to Miss Clara J. Hooker, of Ionia, a daughter of James M. Hooker,
who came to Chickasaw county from Rockford, Illinois, in 1859, settling on a farm in
Chickasaw township, a half mile east of Ionia. There he lived up to the time of his
death, which occurred in 1903. He served for several years as justice of the peace and
was a prominent figure in the councils of the republican party. In fact he was
regarded as one of the leading and influential residents of his section of the state and
contributed much to the development of his district from pioneer times down to the
present century.

Nelson I. Mead after his marriage rented a farm in Chickasaw township and for
four or five years cultivated leased land. He made his first purchase in the early '80s,
becoming owner of one hundred forty acres near Ionia, on which he lived for five years.
He then bought eighty acres two miles southeast of the town, on which he resided for
fifteen or sixteen years. He next bought another farm property of one hundred and
forty acres north of Ionia, on the Dayton township line, and occupied that place for
eight years. In 1903 he bought his present home place, to which he removed and upon
which he has since resided. His time and energies are devoted to the further develop-
ment of this property, which is now well improved, its fields making ready response to
his care and cultivation in golden harvests. He is also a stockholder in the Ionia
Farmers' Creamery Association.

To Mr. and Mrs. Mead have been born four children, two of whom survive: Mabel,
who is the wife of Winton B. Waite, of Chickasaw township; and Bert N., who is
engaged in general' agricultural pursuits, is a dealer in farm lands and also devotes
considerable attention to the breeding of thoroughbred Aberdeen Angus cattle.

The family are members of the Congregational church and in his political views
Mr. Mead is a republican. At different times he has served as a member of the board
of township trustees and is always interested in everything that has to do with the
welfare and upbuilding of the county in which his entire life has been passed. There
are few phases of its development and progress with which he is not familiar and
throughout the years of his residence here he has been regarded as a most enterpris-
ing, reliable and substantial citizen.

JENS PLAMBECK.

Almost every country on the face of the globe has contributed to the citizenship
of Howard county, but a very substantial portion has come from Denmark and of
this class Jens Plambeck is a representative. He makes his home on section 20,
Howard township, and is accounted one of the alert and energetic farmers of his
part of the state. He was born in Denmark, October 16, 1870, a son of John and
Marguerite (Knudsen) Plambeck, who are also natives of Denmark, where they
still reside. The father devoted his attention to farming as a life work but is now
living retired.

Jens Plambeck, having acquired his education in the public schools of Den-
mark, came to the new world in 1892, when a young man of twenty-two years. He
afterward attended the high school at Tyler, Minnesota, for one term and thus
greatly improved his knowledge of the English language. He hoped to enjoy better
business opportunities in the United States than he could secure in Denmark and he
has never had occasion to regret his determination to try his fortune on this side of

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 397

the Atlantic. He first settled in Blackhawk county, Iowa, where he began work as
a farm hand and for eleven years he was thus employed for wages. In 1903 he
began farming on his own account as a renter and cultivated leased land for six
years. In 1909 he purchased his present home place, comprising one hundred and
twenty acres of good land in Howard township, Howard county, and in the spring
of 1910 he took up his abode upon this place. He is now carefully cultivating the
farm and its excellent appearance gives proof of his industry. He is also a stock-
holder in the Maple Leaf Creamery Company.

Mr. Plambeck is a Lutheran in religious faith. His political belief is that of the
democratic party, which he has supported since becoming a naturalized American
citizen. He has always been a broad reader and deep thinker and is said to possess
the best library of any farmer in Howard county and is a subscriber to probably
more periodicals than any other representative of the farming interests of this sec-
tion of the state. His library contains the works of the world's greatest authors
and with its contents he is largely familiar, deriving his greatest enjoyment from this
association with men of master minds.

GEORGE ERWIN ELLISON.

George Erwin Ellison, owner and publisher of the Reporter and Weekly Nashua
Post, making his home in Nashua, was born in Vinton, Iowa, February 15, 1870.
His parents were George Leonard and Hepsie (Burnham) Ellison, who were natives
of the state of New York and came to Iowa about 1865, the father devoting his time
and attention to the occupation of farming.

George E. Ellison began his education in the rural schools and afterward attended
the Tilford Academy at Vinton. He has always devoted his life to the printing
business and his first position was in the office of the Weekly Wymorean at Wymore,
Nebraska, where he engaged in setting type for six months. Returning to Iowa,
he secured the position of devil in the office of the Eagle at Vinton and learned his
trade under the direction of B. Murphy. He served an apprenticeship of three
years, remaining with the Eagle until March, 1899, when he purchased the interest
of Miss Minna F. Murray in the Reporter and became associated with J. M. Keller
in publishing that paper. This relationship continued until the death of Mr. Keller
in February, 1915. Soon afterward Mr. Ellison purchased the interest of Mrs.
Keller in the paper and published the Reporter alone until December, 1918, when
he purchased the Nashua Post and consolidated the two plants under the name of
the Reporter and Weekly Nashua Post.

At Vinton, on the 13th day of June, 1894, Mr. Ellison was united in marriage to
Miss Luella York, of Vinton, Iowa, and they have one son, George Merwin. In Masonic
circles Mr. Ellison is well known, having attained high rank in the order. He was
master of Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M., from 1906 until 1908 and has
been secretary since 1909, still filling that position. He is also a chapter Mason
and belongs to De Molay Consistory No. 1, S. P. R. S., and to El Kahir Temple of
the Mystic Shrine. He is likewise a member of the Knights of Pythias and was
chancellor commander of his lodge in 1913 and 1914. His religious faith is that
of the Baptist church and in political belief he is a republican. He has been very
active in community affairs and his labors have been a strong element in the up-
building of the city in which he makes his home. He was elected a member of the
city council in 1905 and through reelection was continued in that office for three
years. In 1908 he was chosen city clerk and is still filling that position, of which he
has been the capable and efl^cient incumbent for a period of eleven years. He
was likewise a member of the school board for nine years and served as its
president for three years, while since the organization of the board of trustees of
the public library in 1912 he has been one of its members and for six years served
as president of the board. There is no phase of public activity in Nashua in which
he is not keenly interested, and his aid and support both as a private citizen and

398 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

as a newspaper publisher are given to every plan and project which he believes will
prove of practical value in the upbuilding of the city, the development of its re-
sources and the upholding of its civic standards.

F. E. THORNE.

F. E. Thorne, who is a partner in the firm of Sloan, Thorne & Smith, general
merchants of Fredericksburg, is also active along other lines that lead to the de-
velopment and upbuilding of the city, being the president of the First State Bank.
His activities have ever been of a character that have contributed to public progress
and improvement as well as to individual success, and, moreover, in his support of
any plan or measure for the general good he has displayed sound judgment, recog-
nizing that which is of true value and worth.

Mr. Thorne was born in Winnebago county, Illinois, on the 21st of May, 1861,
and is a son of Justus P. and Elizabeth (Golly) Thorne, who were natives of the
state of New York, where they were reared and married. About 1855 they removed
to the middle west, settling in Winnebago county, Illinois, upon a farm which the
father developed and improved and at the same time he carried on carpentering
there until the fall of 18 77. At that date he became a resident of Chickasaw
couiity, Iowa, and took up his abode upon a rented farm of four hundred and eighty
acres in Stapleton township three miles north of Fredericksburg. The father con-
tinued to engage in carpentering and the four sons developed the farm of four hun-
dred and eighty acres through a period of seven years and the family succeeded in
saving twelve hundred dollars during this time. Mr. Thorne then purchased one
hundred and sixty acres of land in Fredericksburg township, two miles north of the
city of Fredericksburg, upon which he resided to the time of his death in 1907.
Mr. Thorne was a most ardent republican and while never an aspirant for office put
forth every possible effort to secure the success of his party at the polls. On elec-
tion day he would drive into town with his horse and buggy and round up the
republican voters, conveying them to the polls. The story is told of him that on
his return one evening of an election day his wife jokingly asked him if he had
voted, and bringing his fist down on the table with a crash, he said: "By George!
I forgot to vote myself," and jumping into the buggy, he barely made the polls in
time to deposit his ballot.

F. E. Thorne, whose name introduces this review, was educated in the schools
of Pecatonica, Illinois, and through a period of seven years after the removal of the
family to Iowa he remained upon the farm with his father and assisted him in gain-
ing his start in Chickasaw county. The year after the father purchased the farm
F. E. Thorne, feeling that his labors were no longer needed upon the home place,
started out in the business world independently and spent one year in the employ
of Leonard Nourse. He then returned to Illinois and for ten years was again a
resident of the old home county. During the last five and a half years of that period
he was employed as a clerk in a dry goods store and thus laid the foundation for
his later business success.

In 1895 Mr. Thorne returned to Fredericksburg and in partnership with F. S.
Sloan established a store under the firm style of Sloan & Thorne. Eight years later
he purchased his partner's interest in the business, which he conducted independ-
ently through the succeeding ten years. In 1913 he sold the store and for a time
was engaged in the automobile trade. In 1917 he bought the interest of Mrs. Nellie
M. Whitcomb in his former business and thus became a partner in the firm of
Sloan, Thorne & Smith. In 1913, after selling his mercantile interests, he bought
into the First State Bank and the following year was elected president of the insti-
tution, in which capacity he has since served. He has thoroughly acquainted him-
self with banking methods and has assisted in making the institution of which he is the
president one of the strong moneyed concerns of this class of the state. In every-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 399

thing that he has undertaken he has displayed a spirit of marked enterprise and
progress, and his labors have been attended with excellent results.

On the 3 0th of December, IS 96, Mr. Thorne was married to Miss Lucy E. San-
born, of Pecatonica, Illinois, and they have become the parents of three children:
Beth, who is attending the State Agricultural College at Ames, Iowa; Grata, a high
school pupil; and Frank Eugene, Jr., who is a lad of ten years.

In politics Mr. Thorne is a republican and has served as president of the school
board for two terms but otherwise has filled no public offices and has no political
aspirations. He is a member of Mount Horeb Lodge, No. 333, A. F. & A. M., and
in the Odd Fellows lodge, in which he holds membership, he has filled the posi-
tion of secretary for several years. His wife is connected with the Order of the
Eastern Star. No one questions his right to classification with the representative
men of the county. He has long occupied an enviable position in business circles,
and his dominant qualities have wrought for success and at the same time have
commanded for him the confidence, good will and respect of all with whom he has
been associated.

B. A. HOLSCHLAG.

I

Farming interests of Chickasaw county find a worthy representative in B. A.
Holschlag, who is busily engaged in the cultivation of a good tract of land on sec-
tion 30, New Hampton township. Upon the old family homestead in that township
he was born August 16, 1880, and has always lived upon the same land. He is
a son of Henry W. and Adelhied (Brus) Holschlag, who were natives of Germany
but came to the United States in early childhood with their respective parents.
They became acquainted and were married in Davenport, Iowa, to which place the
Brus family had removed after living for a time in Missouri, but the Holschlag fam-
ily established their home in Davenport immediately after coming to the new world.
Subsequent to his marriage Henry W. Holschlag engaged in the occupation of farm-
ing in Scott county, near Davenport, until 1876, when he removed with his family
to Chickasaw county, settling in New Hampton township on the place which is now
the home of his son, B. A. He at that time purchased one hundred and sixty acres
of land and upon the farm he continued to reside until his life's labors were ended,
winning a place among the prominent and representative agriculturists of this sec-
tion of the state. He was very successful in the conduct of his business affairs and
prior to his death had acquired about four hundred acres of valuable land. He
made all of the improvements upon his property, erected all of the buildings and
took great interest in making his place one of the model farms of northern Iowa.
He also contributed to the growth and progress of the community at large, mani-
festing at all times a public-spirited citizenship. He was born September 25, 1843,
and had attained the age of fifty-six years when he passed away November 10, 1899.
His wife, who was born September 10, 1839, died on the old homestead January
17, 1913, when in the seventy-fourth year of her age.

The youthful experiences of B. A. Holschlag were those of the farm-bred boy.
He was reared under the parental roof and no event of special importance occurred
to vary the routine of farm life for him. He attended the district schools and
gained experience which later proved of great value to him when he took up farm-
ing independently. He was married November 22, 1905, to Miss Justina Speltz, a
daughter of Matthias and Katherine (Hentges) Speltz, both of whom were born in
Dubuque county, Iowa, and now make their home in New Hampton. Mr. and Mrs.
Holschlag have become parents of two sons, Cyril Matthias and Justine John.

Mr. Holschlag has always lived upon the old homestead and has come into pos-
session of one hundred and twenty acres of this tract, in addition to which he rents
and farms one hundred and sixty acres, so that he is now busily engaged in the
further development and cultivation of two hundred and eighty acres of good land.
He buys, sells anfl ships stock, having made this an important branch of his busi-

400 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

ness for a long period. He has won a reputation as a leading stock raiser of his
section of the state and he keeps a registered Durham bull and also a Chester
White registered boar. His farm is pleasantly and conveniently located a half mile
east and three miles south of New Hampton and he has placed two thousand rods of
tiling on his land, thus draining it and keeping his fields in excellent condition. He
has water works upon the place and every modern convenience to facilitate the work
of further developing and improving his land or promoting his stock raising inter-
ests.

Mr. Holschlag and his family are members of St. Mary's Catholic church of
New Hampton and he belongs to Knights of Columbus Council No. 1697. He is also
a member of the Chickasaw County Equity Cooperative Association. In politics he
maintains an independent course nor has he ever been ambitious to hold office,
for he has always desired to give his attention to his business interests and his pro-
gressiveness in this regard has made him one of the prominent farmers and stock
raisers of Chickasaw county.

ORVINE J. McHUGH.

Orvine J. McHugh is well known in business circles at Cresco as an implement
dealer and garage owner. He is the senior partner in the firm of McHugh & Lusson,
who in addition to conducting an implement house have the agency for the Ford cars
and in connection therewith maintain a well equipped garage. Mr. McHugh is num-
bered among Iowa's native sons, his birth having occurred at Lawler, Chickasaw county,
on the 18th of January, 1877. His father, John McHugh, was born at Lindsay, Ontario,
Canada, on the 23d of December, 1842, his birthplace being the farm upon which his
mother had been reared and also where his father spent his boyhood days. John Mc-
Hugh experienced the "usual hardships and privations of farm life on the frontier and
became very proficient in all lines of farm work. He was equally at home in handling
the plow, in swinging an axe, in cradling the grain or in caring for the stock. In fact
pioneer conditions demanded the development of all one's latent powers and Mr. McHugh
proved equal to any emergency. In July, 1863, he married Miss Margaret Falvey and
in the following November left the farm to accept the position of governor of the county
jail, to which position he was appointed through the influence of his father, who was
warden of the county. He continued to serve in that capacity until 1866, when he
resigned to come west. In June, 1867, he rented his Canadian farm property and started
for Dubuque, Iowa, where he remained for a few months, but not finding a position
there to his liking, he continued his way to McGregor, Iowa, and shortly afterward
entered the employ of W. and J. Fleming, well known in connection with the lumber
trade. He remained with them for one year as foreman of their extensive yard and at
the end of that time the firm sent him to Lawler, Iowa, as manager of its interests at
that place. With characteristic energy he took up his new duties and proved equal to
tlie occasion. Not only did he win for himself a place as a very substantial and repre-
sentative business man of that locality but also became a recognized leader in local
affairs and during the five years following 1870 he was called to serve in various town-
ship offices. He acted as township trustee, as school director, as recorder and was also
mayor of the town of Lawler, to which he gave a businesslike and progressive adminis
tration. He had always been a stalwart champion of republican principles and in the
fall of 1875 his party nominated him for the office of state representative and he was
elected to that position by a majority of four hundred. In the same fall he established
the Bank of Lawler in company with D. R. Kirby and in November, 1877, he opened the
Howard County Bank at Cresco. He figured prominently in financial circles as one
whose word was above question and whose methods were always enterprising and pro-
gressive. Forceful and resourceful, he extended his efforts into various fields and be-
came proprietor of the Kendallville Roller Mills, which he operated in addition to his
banking, commercial and official interests. He also entered the stock raising business,
keeping a herd of fine shorthorn cattle, and he was an enthusiastic stock man He did

t

JOHN McHUGH

b

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 403

with thoroughness and energy everything that he undertook and never stopped short or
the successful accomplishment of his purpose. In religion he was a strict Catholic and
was an active worker in the church. The Republican party found in him a most stal-
wart advocate and his natural powers of oratory enabled him to sway his hearers, while
the force of his logic carried conviction home to the minds of those who listened to him.
For eight years he filled the office of National Bank Examiner for the state of Iowa.

Orvine J. McHugh, whose name introduces this record, spent his youthful days in
Cresco, to which city he had removed with his parents in 1878. He there attended the
parochial schools and afterward had the benefit of further instruction in Notre Dame
University at Notre Dame, Indiana. Later he went to Chicago, Illinois, where he waa
employed as head bookkeeper by the Northern Trust Company and remained in that posi-
tion for four years. In 1899 he returned to Cresco and entered into business relations
with his father-in-law, D. A. Lyons, in the conduct of an implement establishment. That
association was maintained for eleven years and in 1910 Mr. McHugh was joined by
Theodore Lusson in the implement business, which they are still conducting under the
firm style of McHugh & Lusson. They have the largest implement business in Cresco
and their sales are annually increasing. The firm are also engaged in the garage busi-
ness, having the Ford agency, and they do most excellent work in automobile repairing.
Theirs is one of the most complete and thoroughly up-to-date garages in this part of the
state and the business which they have built up in that connection adds materially to
their income. That Mr. McHugh is a very prominent factor in business circles in Iowa
is indicated in the fact that he has been honored with the presidency of the Implement
Dealers' Association of Iowa and in that connection has put forth many valuable ideaa
whereby the trade has greatly benefited.

In 1899 Mr. McHugh was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Lyons, a daughter of D. A.
and Catharine (Fitzgerald) Lyons and a native of Decorah, Winneshiek county, Iowa.
Her father was for some time a well known implement dealer and leading business man
of Cresco and enjoyed the respect and good will of all who knew him. To Mr. and Mrs.
McHugh have been born two children: Katherine, whose birth occurred in 1904; and
Margaret, who was born in 1906. Mr. McHugh and his family are communicants of the
Catholic church and he holds membership with the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic
Order of Foresters. He has been president of the Opera House Company of Cresco and
is now president of the Cresco Commercial Club. He stands stanchly in support of all
those practical movements which have to do with the upbuilding and development of
his city along material lines and supports all those interests which are a matter of civic
virtue and of civic pride.

MATHIAS RIES.

Mathias Ries, busily engaged in general farming on section 29, Washington
township, Chickasaw county, has always lived in the township which is still his
home. Here his birth occurred September 12, 1870, his parents being Michael and
Margaret (Elenz) Ries, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father came
to the United States in 1852, when nineteen years of age and later brought his par-
ents to this country. The lady whom he afterward made his wife also came to
America with her parents and they became acquainted in Dubuque county, Iowa, where
they were married. Subsequently they removed to Chickasaw county, settling in
Washington township, where Michael Ries continued to engage in farming for many
years. He won substantial success in his undertakings, accumulating considerable
wealth. Year by year he carefully tilled the soil and cared for his crops, the sale
of his products adding materially to his financial resources until 1894, when he
retired from active farm life and removed to New Hampton, where both he and his
wife resided until called by death.

Mathias Ries was reared on the old homestead farm and his youthful days were
passed in the usual manner of the farm-bred boy who divides his time between the
duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the work of the fields.

404 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

When his schooldays were over he assisted more and more largely in the develop-
ment of the home farm and has always made this his life work. He labors diligently
and persistently in the further development of his holdings and is also a stockholder
in the Farmers Equity Company of New Hampton.

In early manhood Mathias Ries was united in marriage to Miss Susanna Maiers,
a daughter of Peter and Angela Maiers, the wedding being celebrated on the 11th
of October, 1892. Her parents came from Germany to the new world and cast in
their lot with the pioneer settlers of Washington township, Chickasaw county,
where for a considerable period her father followed farming. He passed away
in North Washington a number of years ago, but the mother is still living and yet
makes her home at that place. Mr. and Mrs. Ries have become the parents of
seven children: Aloysius, Louis Peter, Margaret, Walter, Michael, Reynold and
Angela. The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and they
are communicants of the church in North Washington.

Mr. Ries gives his political endorsement to the democratic party and served as
township trustee of Washington township for two terms. He has also been school
director for several years. He never hesitates to lend aid and support to public-
spirited measures, seeking ever the welfare and upbuilding of the district in which
he makes his home and of the state at large. He has always lived in Washington
township, where he has a very wide acquaintance.

G. A. DREWELOW.

G. A. Drewelow. one of the highly respected and progressive farmers of Chicka-
saw county, resides on section 28, New Hampton township, where he owns a valuable
tract of land of three hundred and twenty acres. He has developed here one of the
fine farms of the county and his enterprise is at once manifest in the splendid appear-
ance of his place. Commodious and substantial modern buildings are surrounded by
highly cultivated fields and there is no equipment or accessory of the model farm of
the twentieth century that is not found upon his land.

Mr. Drewelow is a native son of Chickasaw county, his birth having occurred in
Stapleton township, June 2, 1863, his parents being Gustav and Augusta (Drevlow)
Drewelow, both of whom were natives of Germany. They came to the United States in
early life with their parents, the father being at that time a youth of eighteen, while
the mother was a young lady of twenty-three. The paternal grandfather, William Drew-
elow, was a man of considerable means for those times and brought with him to this
country three thousand dollars in gold. He settled in Chickasaw county and purchased
for each of his four sons and two daughters a farm of eighty acres. His son, Gustav
Drewelow, was given the farm upon which G. A. Drewelow of this review now resides,
but he increased his holdings until he became the owner of three hundred and twenty
acres. For a long period he engaged in the development and improvement of his fields,
but following the death of his wife in 1901 he made his home with his children until
he, too. was called to his final rest in 1910. In politics he was a democrat and was
keenly interested in public affairs but never an office seeker. He made generous con-
tributions to charity and many a poor neighbor had cause to bless him for timely
assistance. He was ever ready to extend a helping hand to those who needed aid and
his life at all times measured up to the highest standards of manhood and citizenship.

G. A. Drewelow, whose name introduces this record, attended the district schools
near his father's home, but his educational opportunities in that direction were quite
limited. Through broad experience and wide reading in later years, however, he has
become a well informed man, recognized as one of notably sound judgment and keen
discrimination. In the spring of 1888 he began farming on his own account, having
purchased eighty acres of the old homestead property on which the buildings were
located. In the following November he was married and continued to live upon the
homestead but tore down the original buildings, which he replaced with modern and
substantial structures, making this one of the well improved and valuable farm prop-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 405

erties of New Hampton township. He has also made additional purchases, thus extend-
ing the boundaries of his farm from time to time until it today comprises three hun-
dred and twenty acres, including some of the most valuable land in Chickasaw county,
Mr. Drewelow refusing two hundred and fifty dollars per acre for his home place during
the summer of 1919.

On the 13th of November, 1888, Mr. Drewelow was united in marriage to Miss
Anna Schlatter, a daughter of Gottfried and Selina (Pfenninger) Schlatter, both of
whom were natives of Switzerland. The father, after attaining man's estate, crossed
the Atlantic to the new world and the mother made the voyage to the United States in
her girlhood with her parents, who settled in Winneshiek county, Iowa. There they
were married and afterward took up their abode in Fayette county, Iowa, where the
father spent his remaining days, his death occurring in 1899. His widow still survives.
To Mr and Mrs. Drewelow have been born three sons: Wellington A., who is assistant
cashier of the First National Bank ot Wesley, Iowa; Irvin R., one of the well known
stock buyers of northern lawa, still living at home; and Waldon G., also at home.
The sons, Wellington and Waldon, served in the European war, the former being
stationed at Camp Gordon, Georgia, and the latter at Camp Dodge, Iowa.

In his political views Mr. Drewelow is a democrat. By the consensus of public
opinion he occupies a position as one of the leading and representative citizens of New
Hampton township. Here he has lived for fifty-six years, witnessing the growth and
development of this section of the state and at all times bearing his part in the work
of public improvement. In the conduct of his business affairs he has displayed ready
adaptability and sound judgment and. placing his capital in the safest of all invest-
ments— real estate, he is today the owner of one of the fine farm properties of Chick-
asaw county.

OTTO L. GESELL.

Otto L. Gesell, living on section 25, Afton township, Howard county, is a native
son of Iowa, his birth having occurred in Winneshiek county, November 23, 1883. His
parents are John and Mary (Falck) Gesell, residents of Elma. The father was born
in Indiana, while the mother was a native of Chickasaw county, Iowa. When a lad of
ten years John Gesell came to this state and took up his abode at Ridgeway, where he
was reared to manhood. After reaching adult age he was married at Fort Atkinson,
Iowa, in 1881.

Otto L. Gesell pursued his education in the district schools near his father's home
and in the high school at Elma, which he attended for two years before entering Ames
College, in which he was a student for a year. He then returned home to assist his
father in the further development and improvement of the farm and gave his attention
to agricultural pursuits on the old homestead until he was twenty-three years of age.
At that time he was married to Miss Ida Bartels, a daughter of Ernest and Sophia
(Eikoff) Bartels, both of whom have passed away. Her father was a native of Illinois,
while her mother was born in Germany. It was at Mapleleaf, Iowa, on the 25th of
August, 1904, that Mr. and Mrs. Gesell were married and they have become the parents
of six children: Harold J. E., Raymond P. F., Elsie S. M., Arnold H. C, Lester P. H.
and Erma L. S.. all of whom are under the parSntal roof.

At the time of his marriage Mr. Gesell took over the cultivation and management
of the home farm, upon which he has since lived, and he has long been classed with the
enterprising and progressive agriculturists of the community. He has charge of two
hundred and forty acres of land, which he has brought under a high state of cultiva-
tion, and he is meeting with very substantial success in the development of his farm.
He is likewise the president of the Afton Equity Local.

Mr. Gesell and his family are members of the Lutheran church at Elma, and his
political belief is that of the republican party. He served as school director for a year
but has never been ambitious to hold public oflice. preferring to concentrate his efforts
upon his business affairs, which have been wisely directed and are bringing to him a

406 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

substantial compotence. Reared to the occupation of farming, he has made it liis life
work and his capability and energy are manifest in the very desirable results which
have rewarded his labors.

THEODORE A. KRIEGER.

Iowa has taken leadership along certain lines of agricultural development and this
is due to the enterprising efforts of such men as Theodore A. Krieger, who has been
most active in promoting the farming interests of Chickasaw county. He makes his
home on section 24, Dayton township, and is a native of Scott county, Iowa, where his
birth occurred August 27, 1860. He is a brother of J. W. Krieger, who is mentioned at
length on another page of this work.

In the public schools of his native county Theodore A. Krieger acquired his early
education and also spent two years as a student in a parochial school at Davenport.
He worked with his father on the home farm through his boyhood and youth and was
fifteen years of age when in 1875 he came to Chickasaw county with his parents, the
family home being established upon the faxra which he now owns and occupies. He
has since resided upon this place and at the death of his father came into possession
of the farm, which at that time comprised one hundred and sixty acres of land. He
has since added to the place by the purchase of eighty acres and now has a valuable
farm property of two hundred and forty acres. He is very practical in the cultivation
of his fields and the farm indicates his careful supervision and progressive methods in
its well tilled fields and splendid improvements.

On the 24th of May, 1889, Mr. Krieger was married to Miss Minnie Schnurr, a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Schnurr, who removed from Scott county, Iowa, to
Chickasaw county and are now living in New Hampton. Mr. and Mrs. Krieger have
become the parents of ten living children: Mrs. Katherine Arnhalt, Charles, Clara,
Mrs. Rose Sheehy, Lena, Loretta, George, Vincent, Lawrence and Irvin. The son Theo-
dore was killed in a cyclone which passed over the farm in 1918.

Mr. Krieger and his family are members of St. Mary's Catholic church of New
Hampton, and he is identified with the Farmers Equity Association of that place. His
political support is given the democratic party and for six years he served as township
trustee.

Throughout practically his entire life he has been identified with the farming
interests of Chickasaw county and for forty-five years has lived upon his present home
place, carefully cultivating the farm according to the most progressive methods.

MAXEY A. KEPPLE.

Maxey A. Kepple is the efficient cashier of the Commercial State Savings Bank of
Nashua, in which city he was born August 23, 1882, a son of John W. and Alma
(Bishop) Kepple, the former a native of Pennsylvania, while the latter was born in
Chickasaw county, Iowa, upon a farm about a mile north of Chickasaw, where her
parents had located in early pioneer times. The paternal grandparents of Mr. Kepple
came to Chickasaw county about 1856, at which time John W. Kepple was only about
a year old. Here he was reared and married and for many years he engaged in mer-
chandising in Nashua, long ranking with its leading and representative business men.
He afterward removed to Ionia, where he conducted a store for a number of years.
Following the death of his wife he made his home with his son, Maxey A. Kepple of
this review, until his demise, which occurred on the 3d of October, 1914, when he was
fifty-nine years of age. He was one of the highly respected residents of the community
in which he resided and enjoyed to the fullest extent the warm regard and confidence
of those with whom he was associated. In politics he was a republican and fraternally
was connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 407

Maxey A. Kepple was educated in the public schools of Nashua aud Ionia and also
in the Capital City Commercial College at Des Moines. Following the completion of
his studies there he entered the bank of A. G. Case & Company at Nashua and thus
received his initial training in financial affairs. He was later made assistant cashier
and on the 1st of June, 1909, he left that institution and went to Sanborn. Iowa, to
accept the cashiership of the Sanborn State Bank, in which capacity he served for two
and a half years. On the 1st of August, 1911, he returned to Nashua and was made
cashier of the private banking institution of A. G. Case & Company. In 1915 this bank
was reorganized and incorporated as the Commercial State Savings Bank, Mr. Kepple
continuing as cashier of the newly incorporated institution.

On the 10th of October, 1905, Mr. Kepple was married to Miss Harriet M. Crapser,
of Nashua, and to them have been born two children, Maxine A. and John H. Fra-
ternally Mr. Kepple is connected with Bradford Lodge, A. F. & A. M. ; with Nashua
Lodge, I. 0. O. F. ; Nashua Lodge, No. 110, K. P.; and also with the Modern Woodmen of
America. His political belief is that of the republican party, and in religious faith he
and his wife are Congregationalists. Mrs. Kepple is also identified with the Order of
the Eastern Star. Their lives are characterized by high and honorable purposes and
principles, and their sterling' worth is recognized by all who know them. Mr. Kepple
has made steady advancement in his business career by reason of his persistency of
purpose and fidelity, and his position is now an enviable one in the banking circles of
his native county.

JAMES CURRAN.

James Curran, president of the State Savings Bank of Lawler, is an enterprising,
alert and progressive business man whose labors have been an effective force in pro-
moting progress and improvement in the district in which he lives. Iowa numbers
him among her native sons, his birth having occurred in Jackson county, August 12,
1856, his parents being Patrick and Catherine (Savage) Curran, both of whom were
natives of Ireland. The father was born in 1805 and in 1828 crossed the Atlantic to
Newfoundland, where he was connected with the fishing industries for four years. He
then came to the United States and was employed for a time on the construction of the
first railroad built in this country — the line from Boston to Washington. Through the
succeeding seven years he was engaged in railroad construction and on other public
works throughout various parts of the country. In 1839 he returned to Ireland and
was there married in 1840, after which he continued to make his home in his native
land until 1847, when he again came to the new world. After some years spent in the
New England states he made his way westward to Illinois and in 1854 became a resi-
dent of Iowa, settling on a farm in Jackson county, whereon he continued to reside until
1875. He then removed to Lawler to make his home with his son James, with whom
he resided until his demise, which occurred June 9. 1885, when he had reached the
advanced age of eighty years.

James Curran was reared on the old homestead farm in Jackson county
and pursued his education in the rural schools. On attaining his majority he
started out in the business world independently. He became a resident of Law-
ler in December, 1877, and here turned his attention to merchandising, with
which business he was prominently identified for eighteen and a half years.
In January, 1897, he established a private bank conducted under the name of
the Merchants Exchange Bank, and he was at the head of this institution for
nine years, during which period its business gradually increased. In 1906 he
organized the State Savings Bank of Lawler, of which he has since been the
president, and the success and growth of the institution are the direct outcome of his
capability and effort. He is thoroughly acquainted with the various phases of the
banking business and has made the institution one of thorough reliability. He extends
credit wherever possible to his patrons and is ever ready to aid any project that will
not endanger the safety of the bank.

408 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

In 1896 Mr. Curran was united in marriage to Miss Jennie O'Brien, of Independ-
ence, Iowa, by whom he has two sons. William Francis, who is now attending Dubuque
College, of Dubuque, Iowa, received military training for the great World war at Fort
Sheridan. James Omer is a high school student.

In politics Mr. Curran is a democrat but not an office seeker. He and his wife are
members of the Catholic church and he also has membership with the Knights of
Columbus and the Catholic Order of Foresters. He has always lived in Iowa and the
spirit of western enterprise and progress has found exemplification in his career.

W. J. BOWEN & SON.

W. J. Bowen & Son are the well known proprietors of the Nashua Woolen Mills and
in this connection are perfecting and developing an enterprise of substantial propor-
tions, regarded as one of the leading productive industries of the town. The senior
partner, W^ J. Bowen, was born in South Wales, May 27, 1853, and is a son of Thomas
and Ann (Jones) Bowen. The father was a woolen manufacturer of Wales and his
ancestors for many generations were engaged in the same line of business, W. J. Bowen
being of the fourteenth generation of the Bowen family connected with this line of
business activity. He came to the United States in August, 1873, and joined his uncle,
D. W. Jones, who was operating woolen mills in Manchester, Iowa. There he worked
in his uncle's mills for twenty-seven years and during that period became familiar with
every phase of the business.

In 1900 Mr. Bowen came to Nashua and purchased the Nashua Woolen Mills, which
had been established by the Union Woolen Mills Company in 1884. The mill was built
and equipped with modern machinery but was operated for only about a year. It then
lay idle until the time that Mr. Bowen purchased the plant. In the intervening nine-
teen years he has not only placed the business upon a substantial basis but has con-
tinuously developed and enlarged the scope of his activities. There is no phase of the
trade with which he is not thoroughly familiar. He has grown up in the woolen manu-
facturing business and knows every detail thereof and under his management the plant
at Nashua has been developed into one of the important industrial institutions of
Chickasaw county. Here the firm manufactures blankets, flannels, mackinaws, cash-
mere, shawls, wool batts and yarns, turning out nothing but all wool products. More-
over, the house has established a reputation for making the best goods in this line in the
country and the products are known and sold from coast to coast. For the past three
years the concern has been working on a big government contract, supplying army
blankets and other articles in the line of woolen goods,

W. J. Bowen was married in Wales, January 21, 1876, having returned to his na-
tive land for his bride, who in her maidenhood tvas Miss Mary Ann Thomas. They
became the parents of seven children, of whom six survive, namely: Richard, a resi-
dent of Portland, Oregon, where he is a traction inspector; Albert, who is engaged in the
undertaking business; David, who is proprietor of an electric plant southeast of Rock
Island which furnishes power for several coal mines and power and light for seven
towns; Thomas, the junior partner in the firm of W. J. Bowen & Son; Violet, the wife
of Dr. G. H. Olsen, a practicing dentist of Fargo, North Dakota; and Neta, the wife of
W. L. Tupper, a banker of Hurdsfield, North Dakota.

Thomas Bowen, the junior member of the firm of W. J. Bowen & Son, was born in
Manchester, Iowa, June 29, 1885, and there attended the public schools, while later he
continued his education in the State Agricultural College at Ames for three years. Be-
cause of illness he was obliged to discontinue his studies. From his thirteenth year
he worked more or less in the woolen mills and in his boyhood days therefore became
thoroughly familiar with the business. He is of the fifteenth generation of the Bowen
family to be identified with the woolen manufacturing industry. In 1908 he was taken
into partnership by his father in the ownership and conduct of the Nashua plant under
the firm style of W. J. Bowen & Son, and to the father's long experience and capability

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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 411

he added the energy, enterprise and ambition of young manhood, thus making a very
strong firm.

Thomas Bowen was married to Miss I^illian Runge of Nashua, and they have be-
come the parents of a son, Nevin Gordon. Botli W. J. and Thomas Bowen are republi-
cans in their political views and both are members of the Modern Woodmen of America.
The father and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, while Mr. and
Mrs. Thomas Bowen hold membership in the Congregational church. Both couples are
well known and highly esteemed socially, while no one questions the right of th^
father and son to rank with the representative business men of northern Iowa. They
are men of progressive spirit, ruled by more than ordinary intelligence and good judg-
ment. They display a deep earnestness, impelled and fostered by indomitable perse-
verance, and native justice expresses itself with them in correct principle and prac-
tice.

L. R. FISHER.

L. R. Fisher, a farmer residing on section 28, Chickasaw township, Chickasaw
county, was born near Cresco, in Howard county, Iowa, February 18, 1875, his parents
being Henry and Mary (Hawk) Fisher, who are natives of New York and of- Penn-
sylvania respectively. In her girlhood days the mother came to Iowa with her parents,
who settled in Cresco. The father served throughout the Civil war and after his
discharge made his way to the middle west, he, too, becoming a resident of Iowa. At
Marble Rock, this state, he wedded Mary Hawk and soon afterward they took up their
abode upon a farm near Cresco, In subsequent years Mr. Fisher made several removals
but continued to engage in farming until his retirement from active business, having
in the meantime acquired a comfortable competence that now enables him to rest from
further labor. At the present writing he is making his home in Bradford, Chickasaw
county.

L. R. Fisher was educated in the district schools and was reared to the occupation
of farming, which he has made his life work. The year following his marriage he
began farming on his own account and for six years carried on agricultural pursuits
as a renter. In 1903 he purchased his present home farm, comprising eighty acres, on
which he has since lived. He is diligently engaged in the development of the fields
and his enterprise and progressiveness have made him one of the successful farmers of
the neighborhood.

In 1896 Mr, Fisher was united in marriage to Miss Gertrude Hall, a daughter of
John and Mary (Jones) Hall, of Chickasaw county. They have become the parents of
seven children, namely: Lloyd, Roy, Vernie, Bernice, Victor, Marjorie and Gertrude
Wave.

In his political views Mr. Fisher is a republican but has never been an aspirant
for office, as he has preferred to concentrate his thought, efforts and attention upon his
business affairs. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and he possesses
social qualities that have made for him many friends among his wide acquaintance in
Chickasaw county.

H. H. TIMMERMANS.

H. H. Timmermans, a general merchant and one of the progressive citizens of
Alta Vista, was born in Grant county, Wisconsin, August 30, 1874, a son of God-
fred and Hubertena Timmermans, who were natives of Holland, where they were
reared and married. In June, 1865, they crossed the Atlantic to the new world
and first became residents of Grant county, Wisconsin, where the father purchased
a farm, residing thereon to the time of his death, which occurred on the 19th of
May, 1891, His wife survived him for about a decade and spent her last years in
Alta Vista, where she passed away in February, 1916.

412 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

H. H. Timmermans was educated in the public schools and in the Bayless Busi-
ness College at Dubuque, Iowa. Following the completion of his studies he was
employed in various ways in Grant county, Wisconsin, until October, 1894, when ho
came to Alta Vista and in company with his brother, John H. Timmermans, estab-
lished a general merchandise business under the firm style of Timmermans Brothers.
This association was continued for twelve years and in connection with general mer-
chandizing the firm conducted a successful business as grain merchants. In 1908
the brother died, after which H. H. Timmermans conducted the business alone for
four years. He then admitted his brother-in-law, William Enloe, to a partnership
and for five years their interests were carried on under the firm name of Timmer-
mans & Company. At the end of that period H. H. Timmermans purchased his
partner's interest and has since conducted the business independently. He has a
large and well appointed store, carrying a carefully selected line of goods, and the
business is one of gratifying proportions.

In June, 1899, Mr. Timmermans was united in marriage' to Miss Anna Norton,
of New Hampton, Iowa, and to them have been born seven children, six of whom
are yet living: Thelma L., who is a graduate of St. William's Parochial school of
Alta Vista; Maurine M. E.; Colletta M.; Reta G.; Camilla M.; and John H. All of
the children are being educated in St. William's parochial school.

In politics Mr. Timmermans is a democrat and for six years he served as a mem-
ber of the town council of Alta Vista, exercising his official prerogatives in support
of many plans" and measures for the general good. He and his family are members
of the Catholic church and he is a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus.
From early times he has been a resident of Alta Vista and throughout the entire
period has been classed with its representative business men. Recognizing and
utilizing the opportunities here offered, he has worked his way steadily upward until
he has gained a place among the men of affluence in Chickasaw county.

J. F. FELLOWS.

J. F. Fellows, who is residing on section 27, Jamestown township, is one of the
well-to-do and progressive farmers of Howard county. He was born in Merrimac
county. New Hampshire, December 15, 1855, a son of Franklin and Martha Jane
(McCurdy) Fellows. They, too, were natives of the Old Granite state and were
representatives of families that had long lived in New England. The mother died
in Canton, Massachusetts, in 1906, while the father passed away in Jamestown
township, Howard county, Iowa, in 1904.

Although a native son of New England, J. F. Fellows has resided in Howard
county from the age of thirteen years, at which time his parents removed with their
family to the west and established their home at Riceville. Here he was reared
and his education, begun in the public schools of New Hampshire, was continued in
the public schools of Riceville. When nineteen years of age he purchased a farm on
section 27, Jamestown township, upon which he now resides, and it has been his
home for forty years. He has added modern improvements as time has passed and
his labors have converted it into a rich and productive tract from which he an-
nually gathers good harvests.

Mr. Fellows was married in Riceville to Miss Ida Reynolds, a daughter of Alex-
ander and Lyda Reynolds, the latter still a resident of Riceville, but the father has
passed away. To Mr. and Mrs. Fellows have been born seven children, namely:
David McCurdy, Lloyd Harris, James Califf, Howard Glendon, Ruth Ida, Robert Gor-
don and John Franklin.

Mr. and Mrs. Fellows are members of the Baptist church of Riceville and do
everything in their power to promote its growth and extend its influence. Their
lives have been characterized by high and honorable principles and Mr. Fellows is
a devoted member of Riceville Lodge, No. 211, A. F. & A. M., and of the Inde-
pendent Order of Odd Fellows. His political endorsement is given to the re-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 413

publican party. He studies closely the questions and issues of the day and has ever
believed the republican party to be the one that has stood stanchly for progress and
improvement in affairs relative to the national welfare. He is imbued with the
spirit of western enterprise, and throughout his entire life his aid and influence have
been given on the side of progress and improvement in connection with matters of
public concern as well as in the conduct of his private business affairs, whereby he
has won substantial success.

REV. BERNARD AUGUST ERDLAND.

Rev. Bernard August Erdland is the pastor of St. Michael's church of the Roman
Catholic faith at Nashua. He was born in Oelde, Westphalia, Germany, on the 11th
of October, 1874, his parents being Gerhard and Maria (Boeckenfoerde) Erdland.
In the acquirement of an education Rev. Erdland attended school in his native town,
also at Antwerp, Belgium, and at Chezal, Benoit, France, pursuing his studies in
these various places from 1883 until 1897. He next attended the Mission Academy
and the University of Muenster, Germany, from 1897 until 19 00 and was ordained
to the priesthood in the latter year. In the year 1901 he became superior of the
mission in the Marshall islands, and in 1905 became administrator apostolic of the
vicariate of the Marshall islands, where he continued until 1910. During the ten
years which he passed there he studied the native language and folk-lore of the
people on the islands and also the language of Nauru or Pleasant island. He be-
came a traveling missionary of the Missionary Society of the Sacred Heart and his
experiences among the various peoples whom he met were indeed varied and inter-
esting.

Rev. Erdland's writings cover a broad scope and include "Woerterbuch und
Grammatik der Marshall-Sprache," 1906 and "Leben und Religion eines Sudsee-
volkes," 1914, two scientific works that have received favorable criticism from many
of the noted scientists of the world. In subsequent years he has largely directed
his studies to linguistic research work and is at present master of eight different
languages.

Rev. Erdland was appointed pastor of St. Michael's church at Nashua in 1914
and here he presides over his parish and continues his study of languages. He is
one of the learned and scholarly men of his church, genial in manner and most en-
tertaining by reason of his wide travel, for he has visited nearly all of the countries
of the world. His mind is stored with many reminiscences of his journeys, for he
has ever been a keen and intelligent observer and possesses a most retentive memory.

JOHN ZIPSE.

John Zipse is the proprietor of the Forest Hill Stock & Dairy Farm, one of the fine
farm properties of northern Iowa. It comprises three hundred acres of valuable land
and upon this place he has made his home since 1902, continually promoting its devel-
opment and improvement. The farm Is situated on section 19, Stapleton township.
Chickasaw county, and is the visible evidence of the life of well directed energy and
thrift which Mr. Zipse has lived. Born in Stephenson county, Illinois, on the 12th of
December, 1858, he is a son of Jacob and Katherine (Northacre) Zipse. who were
natives of Germany, where they were reared and married. Coming to the United
States, they established their home in Stephenson county, Illinois, where the father
engaged in farming until his death on the 27th of January, 1874. His widow survived
him for a decade, passing away on the old home place in Illinois, April 27, 1884.

At the usual age John Zipse entered the district school near his father's home and
mastered the common branches of learning. When his textbooks were put aside he
worked in the fields and continued to assist his father until the latter's death and

414 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

then took charge of the farm, which he conducted for the benefit of his mother, the
property being sold soon after his mother's death.

John Zipse was married on the 18th of December, 1884, to Miss Jane Hershman, a
daughter of Joseph and Anna Herthman, natives of Germany. Mrs. Zipse, however, is
a native of Stephenson county, Illinois, and it was there that she met and married Mr.
Zipse. After his marriage Mr. Zipse began farming his father-in-law's land of eighty
acres in Stephenson county, Illinois, and subsequently he bought that tract and thirty
acres additional, which he continued to cultivate for fifteen years. He then disposed
of his property and moved west, locating upon his present farm in 1902. Today he is
the owner of three hundred acres of fine land. The tract is arable, responding readily
to ihe care and labor which he bestows upon it, his activity being crowned with splen-
did results. The place is appropriately termed the Forest Hill Stock & Dairy Farm,
for thereon Mr. Zipse is engaged in raising stock and in conducting a successful dairy
business. He has put practically all of the improvements upon his land and there is
no accessory or convenience of the model farm property that is not to be found upon
his place. At one time he milked as high as thirty-five cows and the sale of his dairy
products adds materially to his income. In addition to his dairying he has engaged in
stock raising and is the owner of a registered Poland China boar and a shorthorn Dur-
ham bull. Thus breeding to fine stock, he is continually improving the grade of hogs
and cattle which he raises, and his live stock interests constitute an important feature
of his business.

Mr. and Mrs. Zipse became the parents of twelve children, of whom eleven are
living, Joseph having died in infancy. The others are: John Franklin, Mrs. Laura
M. Benz, Mrs. Martha Trewin. Mrs. Edith E. Judge, Charles C, Mrs. Katherine R.
Whitman, Esther V., William R., ClarenCe O., Lula I. and George C. The last named
served with the One Hundred and Fortieth Infantry of the Thirty-fifth Division of the
United States Army in France, being overseas for a year and participating in all of the
engagements in which that division took part. He was in some of the most hotly con-
tested sectors of the war, bearing his part in winning the victory that finally crowned
the American arms, giving the army an important place in promoting the democracy
of the world.

Mr. Zipse is identified with the Farmers Equity Association. His political alle-
giance is given to the democratic party, and fraternally he is connected with the
Modern Woodmen of America at Fredericksburg, while he and his family are identified
with the Methodist Episcopal church of that place. His life has ever been characterized
by high and honorable principles, his acts prompted by upright motives, and his career
indicates that success and an honored name may be won simultaneously.

OTTO KOERTH.

Otto Koerth. occupying the position of cashier of the First State Bank of Freder-
icksburg, was born in Dayton township, Bremer county, Iowa, on the 2d of July, 1870,
a son of Samuel and Caroline (Frisch) Koerth, who were natives of Germany, where
they were reared and married. The father came to the United States in 1868 and his
wife followed him a year or two later. They settled in Bremer county. Iowa, where Mr.
Koerth engaged in blacksmithing, conducting a shop in that county for many years.
He is now living retired, making his home in Sumner.

Otto Koerth was educated in the public schools of Sumner and when seventeen
years of age he became a wage earner, securing a position in a general store at that
place. He worked as utility boy and as clerk and was associated with a mercantile
business there for five years. On the expiration of that period he established business
on his own account, forming a partnership with Charles Golding. They opened a
general store in Fredericksburg under the firm name of Golding & Koerth and carried
on the business in that way for five years. Mr. Koerth then sold his interest in the
firm and entered into partnership with F. H. Davis, organizing the firm of Koerth &
Davis for the conduct of a general merchandise establishment at Ionia, Chickasaw

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 415

county. They remained in business there for four or five years, after which Mr. Koerth
disposed of his interests and turned his attention to banking. He became associated
with Shaffer Brothers in the organization of the Exchange Bank of Ionia, their inter-
ests being carried on under the firm name of Shaffer Brothers & Koerth. Subsequently
the business was incorporated under the name of the First State Savings Bank of
Ionia, with Mr. Koerth as cashier of the institution. He remained in that position for
thirteen years and is still vice president of the bank. During his association with this
bank Mr. Koerth, together with Shaffer Brothers, organized the State Savings Bank of
Bassett. Iowa, of which he is the president. In 1915 he bought into the State Bank of
Fredericksburg and entered the institution as cashier and director of its financial
policy. He has closely studied all phases of the banking business and is recognized as
a prominent representative of financial interests in his part of the state. He has been
a very active business man and has earned well merited success.

In 1895 Mr. Koerth was married to Miss Anna Davis, of Sumner, Iowa, and they
have become the parents of three children: Ethel H.. who is attending the State Agri-
cultural College at Ames; Marjorie, who is a student in the Fredericksburg high
school; and Stanley, who is still in the graded schools.

In his political views Mr. Koerth is a republican, having stanch faith in the prin-
ciples of the party as factors in good government. He belongs to Mount Horeb Lodge,
No. 333, A. F. & A. M., and also to Fredericksburg Lodge, No. 661, I. 0. O. F., and the
Modern Woodmen camp. What he has accomplished represents the fit utilization of the
opportunities which have come to him. Time and his talents have been made to serve
his purposes, and his labors have been an effective element in the attainment of desired
results. He is a strong, forceful, and resourceful man — strong in his ability to plan
-lid nerform, strong in his honor and his good name.

L. J. SIMPSON.

The Silverdale Farm, situated on section 34, Dayton township. Chickasaw county, is
the property of L. J. Simpson, whose progressive methods have found expression in the
further development and improvement of this place. He was born in Sac county, Iowa,
October 15, 1876, and is a son of John and Ruth (Schull) Simpson, who were natives
of New York and Pennsylvania respectively. They were married, however, in Clinton,
Iowa, where they had taken up their abode in young manhood and young womanhood.
They remained residents of Clinton county for a few years and then removed to Sac
county, where they have since resided. Although long connected with farming inter-
ests, the father has now retired from business life and he and his wife make their
home in Early. He is an honored veteran of the Civil war, having served for three
years as a member of Company A, Twenty-sixth Iowa Infantry, during the period of
hostilities between the north and the south. He took part in a number of hotly con-
tested battles and may well be proud of the record which he made as one of the de-
fenders of the Union. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity and the Independent Order
of Odd Fellows and has long been accounted one of the progressive and well known
residents ot Sac county.

L. .1. Simpson, after acquiring a district school education, worked upon the home
farm tlirough the period of his youth. In 1900 he was united in marriage to Miss Jessie
Drury, of Sac county. Iowa, and then began farming on his own account. For seven
years he cultivated rented land and in 1907 he invested his savings in one hundred and
twenty acres in Sac county, on which he lived for five years. He then traded that
property toward the purchase price of his present home farm of two hundred and forty
acres, on which he has resided since the early spring of 1913. His labors have wrought
a marked transformation in the appearance of the place, converting it into a valuable
property.

To Mr. and Mrs. Simpson have been born four children, of whom three are living,
namely: Crystal L.. who was graduated from the New Hampton high school with the
class of 1919: and Leland D. and Millard L.. who are pupils in the grammar school.

416 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

In his political views Mr. Simpson is a republican but has never been an office
seeker. Fraternally he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His
life is that of an enterprising and progressive farmer whose labors are being crowned
with well merited success, and the upright life that he has lived has won for him the
confidence and regard of all who know him.

A. J. BLAZEK.

Bohemia has furnished to northern Iowa a substantial portion of its citizenship
and the representatives of that land, adapting themselves readily to new and
changed conditions, have become leading farmers and active business men of this
section of the state. To this class belongs A. J. Blazek, who is living on section 19,
Utica township, Chickasaw county. He was born in Bohemia, June 13, 1871, a son
of John and Mary (Bouska) Blazek, who, leaving their native country, came to the
United States in 1890, a year and a half after the arrival of their son, A. J. Blazek.

The latter spent the first seventeen years of his life in his native land and
then, attracted by the opportunities of the new world, bade adieu to friends and
native country in order to try his fortune in America. He traveled westward across
the United States to Cresco, Iowa, and for a time worked on the farm of his uncle,
Anton Bouska, in that district. After the father and mother reached the United
States a year and a half later they also lived with Anton Bouska, Mr. Blazek aiding
in the cultivation of the farm. At a subsequent period he and his son, A. J.
Blazek, rented a tract of land of two hundred and twenty acres in New Oregon
township, Howard county, near Protivin, and thereon resided for three years. Sub-
sequent to that period the father made investment in one hundred and forty acres
of land, constituting the farm upon which his son, A. J. Blazek, now resides.
Throughout his remaining days the father devoted his attention to general agricul-
tural pursuits and his life's labors were ended in death in 1911. In the meantime
he had converted the old home farm into a valuable and productive property, hav-
ing brought his fields to a high state of cultivation. For a number of years he sur-
vived his wife, who passed away in 1900.

From the time of his arrival in Iowa until the present A. J. Blazek has been
identified with farming interests. He established a home of his own through his
marriage on the 18th of May, 1897, to Miss Mary Bouska, after which he bought
his father's land and still occupies the old homestead, although he has since greatly
extended its boundaries by the purchase of other property until his holdings now
embrace four hundred and forty acres of valuable land. It was upon this property
that he and his wife took up their abode following their marriage. Mrs. Blazek
is a daughter of John and Anna Bouska, who came to America from Bohemia, and
the latter passed away in Protivin, Iowa, February 9, 1919, but the father still
survives and makes his home in Protivin. Mr. and Mrs. Blazek have become the
parents of ten children who are yet living, namely: Mary, who was born March 5,
1898; John, born August 24, 1899; Vennie, September 20, 1901; Aurelia, December
23, 1903; Anton, October 13, 1905; Agnes, February 21, 1908; Edward, February
27, 1910; Adolph, May 2, 1912; Louis, November 16, 1915; and Clarence, February
10, 1919, all of whom are yet at home.

This large family are communicants of the Catholic church of Little Turkey.
Mr. Blazek is a democrat in politics and is now serving for the second year as road
commissioner of Utica township. He has also been a school director in his district
for a period of nine years and has been active in advancing the educational in-
terests of the community. These things, however, are side lines in his life work,
for he gives the major part of his time and attention to his farming and other
business interests. He has become a stockholder in the Protivin Telephone Company
and he is a director of the Farmers Equity Association of Lawler. He likewise owns
stock in the Farmers Cooperative Creamery Company of Lawler and in the Farmers
Elevator Company of Lawler. His connection with these corporations indicates

MR. AND MRS. A. J. BLAZEK

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 419

his progressive spirit and sound business judgment, which has enabled him to care-
fully select the interests yielding the best financial returns. In the development
of his farm he has shown himself to be a most progressive agriculturist and in
addition to improving the fields he is successfully breeding full blooded Poland
China hogs. He certainly deserves much credit for what he has accomplished, as
he started out in the business world empty-handed, coming to America alone when
a youth of seventeen years. From that point forward he has made steady progress,
working diligently and persistently to overcome all obstacles and difficulties in his
path, and, advancing step by step, he has at length reached the goal of success.

GEORGE E. HIMES.

George E. Himes is active in control of the financial interests and situation in
Chickasaw county inasmuch as he is the cashier of the First National Bank of Lawler.
He was born in Adams county, Iowa, September 27, 1876, and is a son of Jacob M. and
Elizabeth P. (Prine) Himes, the former a native of Pennsylvania, while the latter was
born in Mahaska county, Iowa, where they were married. The father had come to this
ftate with his parents as a boy of twelve or thirteen years, the Himes family being
among the pioneer settlers of Mahaska county. In 1862, or when eighteen years of
age, Jacob M. Himes enlisted for service in the Civil war, becoming a member of Com-
pany E of the Thirty-third Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He was with his regiment for
three years and six months, participating in a number of hotly contested engagements
which led up to the final victory that crowned the Union arms. After receiving an hon-
orable discharge he returned to Mahaska county and there engaged in farming until
1873, when he removed to Adams county, where he again devoted his attention to gen-
eral agricultural pursuits for a period of twenty years. In 1895 he retired from active
business life and took up his abode in the town of Cromwell, where he resided until
1902, when he removed to Des Moines, where he has since lived. While he is not active
in business at the present time, he is a stockholder in the University State Bank of
Des Moines. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, loyal to the teachings and pur-
poses of the craft, and he and his wife are consistent members of the Congregational
church.

George E. Himes, after attending the district schools near his father's farm, con-
tinued his education in the town schools of Cromwell and in the Iowa Business Col-
lege at Des Moines. Starting out in the business world, he was connected with clerical
work for a number of years and for a time was cashier and assistant secretary of the
Mutual Life & Trust Company of Des Moines. He afterward became associated with
the Brotherhood of American Yeomen in an official capacity, acting as chief auditor, in
which position he served for ten years. On severing his association with that fraternity
on the 1st of July, 1914, he became connected with the Bank of Lawler, a private institu-
tion owned by William H. Parker & Company. This business was later reorganized, re-
ceiving its charter as the First National Bank on the 15th of August, 1914, at which
time Mr. Himes was made cashier and has since occupied that position. His long con-
nection with the banking business has made him thoroughly familiar with every phase
of the work and he is putting forth earnest effort to further upbuild the bank and
make it a factor in the business development of this section of the state.

On the 3d of October, 1909, Mr. Himes was united in marriage to Miss Fannie E.
Parker, a daughter of William H. Parker, who has passed away. They now have one
child. May. Mrs. Himes is a graduate of the Upper Iowa University at Fayette, receiv-
ing her degree with the class of 1898. Subsequently she engaged in clerical and educa-
tional work for ten years prior to her marriage. She is a member of the Daughters of
the American Revolution, her great-great-grandfather, John Parker, having served in
the war for independence, Mrs. Himes is a lady of liberal culture, natural refinement
and many accomplishments and occupies an enviable position in the club circles of the
city. She belongs to the Congregational church and is interested in many good works.
Mr. Himes has membership with the Modern Woodmen of America, the Knights of The

420 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Maccabees and the Brotherhood of American Yeomen. His political endorsement is
given to the republican party, but he has never been an aspirant for office. His business
affairs make ample claim upon his time and energies and he prefers to devote his leisure
to his home and friends.

S. L. DEAL.

S. L. Deal, a florist, who is the proprietor of the New Hampton Greenhouses, was
born February 16, 1886, in the city which is still his home, his parents being Cyrus
and Pearl (Johnston) Deal, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of
Chickasaw county. Her birth occurred in Jacksonville, her father, William Johnston,
having been one of the pioneer settlers of this section of the state and for many years
one of the leading business men of New Hampton, where he conducted a furniture store.
Cyrus Deal came to Chickasaw county from Wisconsin in the early '70s and settled on a
farm near Jacksonville. Subsequently he removed to New Hampton, where he en-
gaged in the ice business, with which he was identified to the time of his death, Which
occurred on the 16th of September, 1907. For a number of years he had survived his
wife, who died in 1898. They were among the substantial and representative residents
of this section of the state and enjoyed the goodwill and high regard of all who knew
them.

S. L. Deal of this review was educated in the public schools of New Hampton and
after his textbooks were put aside worked for his father in connection with the ice
business until his twentieth year. At that time he was married and soon afterward
purchased his father's business and for seven years he conducted the ice trade of the
city, enjoying a liberal patronage. He disposed of the business in 1913 on account of
ill health and on the 1st of June, 1916, he purchased the greenhouses of Kutish &
Moetsch and devoted his attention to the growing of plants and hothouse flowers. In
the intervening period he has made good in this business and his patronage is con-
stantly increasing. He is today rated among the leading business men of New Hampton,
alert and enterprising, studying closely every phase of his business and giving to the
public the best possible service in this connection. He also owns two residence prop-
erties in New Hampton and is contemplating the erection in the near future of a hand-
some home near his present residence.

Mr. Deal was united in marriage to Miss Fannie Houser, of Monroe, Wisconsin.
She is a member of the German Lutheran church and in social circles they occupy an
enviable position. Fraternally Mr. Deal is connected with Launcelot Lodge, No. 183,
K. P.; with Phoenix Lodge, No. 556, I. 0. O. F. ; the Modern Brotherhood of America;
and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is also connected with the New Hampton
fire department and in matters of public concern is deeply interested, giving his active
aid and cooperation to all well defined plans-and measures for the general good. There
have been no unusual or spectacular phases in his life record. He has always re-
mained a resident of New Hampton, acquiring his education in the public schools,
choosing this as the theater of his business career and by persistent and untiring effort
steadily working his way upward. His course has at all times been above criticism, and
that his has been a well spent life is indicated in the fact that many of his stanchest
friends are those who have known him from his boyhood days to the present time.

PETER B. FICHTEL.

Modern business enterprise finds a worthy representative in Peter B. Fichtel, the
manager of the Farmers Luniber Company of Alta Vista. He started upon life's journey
in Germany, July 16, 1859, a son of Peter and Sophia (Schwab) Fichtel, both of whom
remained residents of Germany throughout their entire lives.

In his native country Peter B. Fichtel was reared and educated, but the opportuni-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

421

ties of the new world attracted him and in 1S82, when twenty-three years of age, he
severed home ties and sailed for the United States. He did not tarry upon the Atlantic
coast but made his way into the interior of the country and settled at West Union,
Iowa. Here he was married in 1889 to Miss Elizabeth Fritz, a daughter of George and
Elizabeth Fritz, who were also natives of Germany but became residents of Iowa in
early life. The father passed away in Alta Vista, and the mother's death occurred in
Fayette county, this state. In the '90s Mr. Fichtel was called upon to mourn the loss
of his wife, who died in Alta Vista, leaving one son, Clifford Archie. Mr. Fichtel after-
ward married again, his second union being with Miss Mary Pohel, a daughter of
Henry Pohel, who also came from Germany and established his home in Iowa. To the
second marriage of Mr. Fichtel has been born a son Harry Henry.

The business career of Mr. Fichtel has been one of steady progress. After coming
to Iowa he remained at West Union for three or four years and then removed to Alta
Vista, where he engaged in the lumber business, at f-rst entering the employ of Henry
Kiene while later he worked for the Standard Lumber Company of Dubuque in the Alta
Vista yards. He next became connected with the Central Lumber Company of Dubuque
as its representative at Alta Vista and in 1909 the business was taken over by the
Farmers Cooperative Lumber Company of Alta Vista, of which Mr. Fichtel is now the
manager. He is thoroughly acquainted with every phase of the business, and his en-
terprise and industry have been salient factors in the success attained by the com-
pany. He is also one of the stockholders in the Farmers Cooperative Lumber Company
and in all business affairs manifests sound judgment and unfaltering diligence.

Mr. Fichtel and his family are members of the German Lutheran church at Alta
Vista and their aid and influence are given to every plan and project for the public
good. He is a republican in politics and has served on the school board of Alta Vista
for a number of years. When matters of public concern are at stake his aid and influ-
ence are always given on the siife of general progress and improvement and he has
gained recognition as one of the substantial citizens and leading business men of his
adopted town.

JOHN S. OWENS.

John S. Owens, a farmer living on section 2 3, Dresden township, Chickasaw
county, was born near Springfield, Illinois, June 18, 1852, a son of George and
Minerva Jane (Staley) Owens. The father was a native of Tennessee, while the
mother was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, where she formed the acquaintance
of Mr. Owens, who sought her hand in marriage, the wedding being celebrated in
1847. Mr. Owens afterward worked as a farm hand for a year and then removed
with his wife to Macoupin county, Illinois, settling near Scottville, where he pur-
chased eighty acres of land for a dollar and a quarter per acre, the place being
at that time a tract of raw prairie. About 1855 he bought two hundred acres addi-
tional of prairie land and eighty acres of timber land situated two and a half miles
north of his first purchase. Some of the timber land was bought for twelve and a
half cents per acre. Mr. Owens remained upon the farm which he there developed
until his son John was seventeen years of age, at which time he bought one hundred
and eighty acres adjoining his two hundred acre tract on the south and settled upon
that place. He retained all of his land, putting all of the buildings and improve-
ments upon his farm, and ere his death, which occurred in Macoupin county, Illinois,
March 5, 1876, he had accumulated six hundred and twenty-six acres of valuable
land. He farmed the entire place with the assistance of his children and some
hired help. He had freed the entire place from indebtedness and was regarded as
one of the most prominent, influential and successful farmers of his part of the
state. His life record is indeed worthy of consideration and of emulation. What-
ever he undertook he carried forward to successful completion, recognizing the
fact that when one avenue of opportunity seemed closed he could carve out other

422 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

paths whereby he might reach the desired goal. In all of his business life he fol-
lowed constructive methods, his path never being strewn with other men's failures.

It was amid an admirable home environment that Mr. Owens of this review
was reared. He enjoyed the educational opportunities afforded by the common
schools and was thoroughly trained in farm work by his father, his youthful ex-
periences well qualifying him for duties and responsibilities that have come to him
in later life. On the 26th of October, 1876, when twenty-five years of age, he was
married to Miss Ida A. Fletcher, a daughter of William and Elizabeth Fletcher.
Her father passed away in Macoupin county, Illinois, on the farm where he was
born and which is still in possession of the family. Mrs. Fletcher is still living and
now makes her home in Palmyra, Illinois. Although she has attained the age of
eighty-one years she is remarkably well preserved and is able to care for all of the
work of her own household.

To the time of his marriage Mr. Owens had assisted his father upon the home
place, and he then rented a farm, which he cultivated for a few years, taking over
the development of one hundred and sixty acres of land. He afterward purchased
eighty acres of land near his father-in-law's place in Macoupin qounty and con-
ducted that farm for thirteen years, at the end of which time he sold the property
and purchased one hundred and sixty acres adjoining his former farm on the
north. This he developed and improved for a decade, when he again sold out and
at that time removed to Daviess county, Missouri. For eight years he cultivated
rented land in that state and then came to Iowa, since which time he has made his
home in Chickasaw county. He has lived upon various farms and at present is
cultivating one hundred and twenty-one acres on section 23, Dresden township,
which he owns. He makes a business of breeding registered Poland China hogs
and also registered shorthorn cattle, having on hand stock for sale all of the time.
His farm is pleasantly situated a mile south and a mile west of Frederickburg
and he is conducting a profitable business.

Mr. and Mrs. Owens have become the parents of four children: Mrs. Delia
Scott; G. W., Mrs. Osie T. Faulkner and Mrs. Elizabeth Troy. In politics Mr. Owens
is a democrat but he has never been an office seeker. He belongs to the Farmers
Equity Association and fraternally is connected with the Independent Order of
Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen Camp at Lawler. He is loyal to the teach-
ings and purposes of these organizations and has many friends in the membership
of the lodges.

NORMAN L. FRITCHER.

Norman L. Fritcher, a wide-awake an energetic farmer of Chickasaw township,
Chickasaw county, residing on section 20, was born two miles south of Ionia, in
the township where he still resides, on the 25th of November, 1871. His parents
were L. E. and Helen (Smith) Fritcher, the former a native of the state of New
York, while the latter was born in Wisconsin. They became acquainted in Iowa,
however, and were married in Chickasaw township, subsequent to which time the
father devoted his attention and energies to general agricultural pursuits in that
township, where he lived for a number of years. He afterward worked in the
creamery at Ionia for a period of eighteen years and then, severing his business
connections in Chickasaw county, took up his abode in Hubbard county, Minnesota,
where he now resides. His first wife passed away and he afterward married again,
his second wife living, however, for but a year. Later he married a third time and
with this wife now makes his home in Hubbard county, Minnesota. He is yet
remembered by many friends in Chickasaw county, who ever esteemed him as a
progressive business man and reliable citizen.

Norman L. Fritcher obtained a district school education of a somewhat limited
character, for he left home when but twelve years of age, at the time of his mother's
death, and went to live with his maternal grandparents. He continued with them

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 423

for fourteen years and upon attaining his majority he began farming on his own
account on a tract of rented land. He cultivated that place but made his home
with his grandparents until he reached the age of twenty-six years, when he com-
pleted his arrangements for having a home of his own by his marriage.

It was on the 9th of December, 1897, that Norman L. Fritcher wedded Edith
F. Read, a daughter of Smith and Sarah Read. Her mother is still living at Nashua,
Iowa, but the father passed away in Chickasaw township in 1919. They were
natives of England, where they remained until after their marriage and then sought
the opportunities of the new world. They established their home in Bremer county,
Iowa, and it was there that Mrs. Fritcher was born. By her marriage she has
become the mother of a son, Dale Le Roy, who is twenty years of age and assists
his father upon the home farm.

Three years after his marriage Mr. Fritcher bought his present farm, although
at that time he acquired but twenty acres of the place. He has since extended its
boundaries until he now has eighty acres and has converted this into a rich and
productive tract, from which he annually gathers good harvests. He is a man
of notable thrift and industry and in addition to the cultivation of his fields he does
carpentering and mason work. He is likewise a member of the Farmers' Equity
Company of Nashua.

In community affairs Mr. Fritcher is much interested and his aid is a valuable
asset in the promotion of public progress along various lines. He is now serving as
one of the trustees of Chickasaw township and for many years he has been one of
the school directors, doing everything in his power to promote educational advance-
ment in his community. He and his family are leading members of the Baptist church
of Chickasaw and their genuine personal worth has made them most highly esteemed
citizens of the district in which they make their home.

JOHN H. ERNWINE.

John H. Ernwine, deceased, was born, reared and always lived upon the farm
on section 20, Bradford township, Chickasaw county, on which his death occurred.
His natal day was September 7, 1857, his parents being Michael and Anna (Lyman)
Ernwine, who came to this county about 1850. The father had served as a soldier
of the Mexican war and after his discharge at the close of hostilities with Mexico
he reenlisted in the regular army and served for five years on the frontier. In
recognition of his military aid he received a land warrant from the government
and applied this on the purchase of one hundred and sixty acres of land on the old
military road in Bradford township. This is the present site of the Ernwine home.
On this land Mr. Ernwine built a log cabin and made a home for himself and
family. Pioneer conditions everywhere existed and residence in this section of
the state was then fraught with various hardships and privations. He marketed his
grain and stock in McGregor, selling dressed hogs for two dollars and a half per
hundred after hauling them eighty miles to market by ox team. Prices were very
low and times hard but he persevered and in the course of years his labors brought
him substantial returns. He lived and died in the old pioneer cabin and was one
of the well known early settlers of his section of the state.

Following the death of his father John H. Ernwine succeeded to the ownership
of the home place and continued to live thereon until he was called to his final
rest. At one time he owned three hundred and eighteen acres of rich and valuable
land, of which two hundred and twenty-eight acres still remain in possession of the
family. The farm is probably the oldest one in the township which has never passed
out of the possession of one family.

In 1896 Mr. Ernwine was married to Miss Mina Cagley, a daughter of George
W. Cagley and a granddaughter of Levi Cagley, one of the most prominent of the
pioneer settlers of Chickasaw county, of whom extended mention is made else-
where in this work. To Mr. and Mrs. Ernwine were born three children: Amy L.,

42-t CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Forrest M. and Charles H., all at home with their mother. Mrs. Ernwine and her
daughter are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are highly
esteemed wherever known. They enjoy the hospitality of the best homes in the
neighborhood and their friends are many.

In politics Mr. Ernwine was a republican but never an office seeker, yet he ever
took a helpful interest in public affairs and especially in educational matters. For
many years he was a member of the school board and exerted his official prerogatives
in support of advanced standards in the schools at all times. He belonged to the
Knights of Pythias lodge and also to the Modern Woodmen camp and he was ac-
counted one of the foremost citizens of Bradford township, where he passed away
February 25, 1914, being laid to rest in Greenwood cemetery. All who knew him
attested the sterling worth of his character, his loyalty to principles, his fidelity in
citizenship and his devotion to the welfare of his home and family.

HON. PRESLEY L. KEPPLE.

Hon. Presley L. Kepple is a member of the Iowa state legislature and not only
is leaving the impress of his individuality and ability upon the records of the general
assembly but is also contributing to the material development of Chickasaw county
as one of the leading business men of Ionia. He was born in this county on the 11th
of July, 1857, a son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Byers) Kepple, who were natives of
the Keystone state, where they were reared and married. They resided in Pennsyl-
vania until after the birth of two sons and in the fall of 1855 or 1856 came to Iowa,
establishing their home in Washington township, Chickasaw county, where the
father took up a claim of government land. Not a furrow had been turned nor an
improvement made on the property and with characteristic energy he began its
development by building the little log cabin in which Presley L. Kepple was born.
The family experienced many of the hardships and privations which are conditions of
frontier settlement. About 18 65 the father removed to Chickasaw township,
where he became owner of two hundred acres of land, and later he lived for a
number of years in the old town of Chickasaw, where he engaged in merchandis-
ing. He removed from there to Nashua and the last fifteen years of his life were
passed in Ionia, during which time he was retired from active business, enjoying
a rest which he had truly earned. He passed away in 189 3, at the age of eighty-
three years, and his wife died in 1894, at the age of seventy-eight years.

Presley L. Kepple has been a lifelong resident of Chickasaw county, acquainted
with its development and progress through a period of sixty-two years. He was
educated in the district schools and on attaining his majority began farming on
his own account, devoting seven years to general agricultural pursuits. He then
left the farm and in company with his brothers, John W. and Fred Kepple, en-
gaged in merchandising at Ionia. After a considerable period the firm sold the
business and for two years or more Presley L. Kepple was engaged in the real
estate business. He afterward returned to mercantile pursuits, conducting a store
independently, and was prominently associated with the commercial interests of
the town until about 1912, when he was succeeded by his son, G. D. Kepple, of
whom mention is made elsewhere in this work. Not only did Mr. Kepple make
for himself a place of prominence in commercial circles but also was actively iden-
tified with public interests. For twelve years he filled the position of postmaster
of Ionia and occupied the office of justice of the peace, that of constable, member
of the town council and member of the board of education for a number of years.
His fellow townsmen at all times have recognized his capability and his loyalty
and fidelity to public duty and thus have again and again called upon him for of-
ficial service. He has ever been an earnest republican in politics and upon his
party ticket was elected to represent his district in the Iowa state legislature in
1914. Commendation of his first term's service came to him in re-election and he
has now been a member of the general assembly in the thirty-sixth, thirty-seventh

HON. PRESLEY L. KEPPLE

Vol. 11—27

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 427

and thirty-eighth sessions. He has the notable distinction of having been the
only republican ever elected from Chickasaw county to the state legislature for
three successive terms in the history of this county. His course has been marked
by absolute fidelity to duty and devotion to the interests of his constituents.

On the 12th of December, 1883, Mr, Kepple was united in marriage to Miss
Elizabeth Rumbaugh, of Charles City, Iowa, by whom he had six children, five of
whom survive; Madge L., who is the wife of Dr. W. L. Hanson, of Greene, Iowa;
Carl D., a ranchman residing in Montana; Trula F., who is a stenographer em-
ployed in the state dairy and food department at Des Moines; Glenn D., who has
succeeded his father in the conduct of the mercantile establishment at Ionia; and
Gladys W., who is a public school teacher and lives at home. Excellent educational
privileges have been accorded by Mr. and Mrs. Kepple to their family, for they
have ever recognized the value of thorough intellectual training.

Mr. Kepple is a member of Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M., of Nashua,
and is a worthy follower of the teachings of the craft. His life has ever been
guided by high and honorable principles and over his official record there falls no
shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. He has done important work as a member
of the state legislature and was chairman of the state dairy and food committee in
the thirty-eighth general assembly. In his political career he has ever placed the
general welfare before partisanship and the upbuilding of the state before personal
aggrandizement. The record of no man in public office in Chickasaw county has
been more faultless in honor, fearless in conduct or stainless in reputation than
that of Hon. Presley L. Kepple.

LOUIS A. LARSON.

Louis A. Larson is widely known as a leading merchant of Lawler, where he has
been continuously and successfully engaged in business for almost a third of a
century, while the period of his residence in the town covers thirty-seven years.
He was born in Norway on the 13th of April, 1848, his parents being Baker and
Josephine (Peterson) Larson, who emigrated to the United States in 1853 or 1854.
They established their home in Crawford county, Wisconsin, where the father entered
a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres and later purchased an adjoining
tract of eighty acres. The cultivation and improvement of that property claimed his
attention throughout the remainder of his active business career and both he and
his wife continued to reside thereon until called to their final rest. The place is
still in possession of the family, being now owned by one of the sons of Baker
Larson.

Louis A. Larson, who was but five or six years of age when brought by his
parents to the new world, was reared to manhood on the home farm in Crawford
county, Wisconsin, and acquired his education in the district schools. On attaining
his majority he went to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and entered the employ of
the general mercantile firm of L. Case & Company, with which he remained for
thirteen years, gaining knowledge and experience that proved the basis of his
later business success. After severing his connection with the house in 1882 he
came to Lawler, Io-«i^a, as manager of the elevator of Bassett, Huntting & Company,
spending five years in the service of that concern as a grain buyer. In 1887, feeling
that his capital and experience justified the step, he embarked in the mercantile
business at Lawler on his own account and through the intervening period of thirty-
two years has continuously conducted his establishment with a steadily growing and
gratifying patronage. He carries an extensive and well selected line of general
merchandise, enjoys a justly merited reputation for thorough reliability and fair
dealing and has long been numbered among the foremost business men of the town.

In 1874 Mr. Larson was united in marriage to Miss Bridget A. O'Malley, of
Allamakee county, Iowa, by whom he has seven children, as follows: Nora E.,
who is now the wife of T. H. Goheen, a practicing attorney of Calmar, Iowa; Jose-

428 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

phine, who gave her hand in marriage to Frank Connolly, a well known lawyer of
New Hampton, Iowa; Gertrude, the wife of A. M. Russell, of New Hampton, Iowa;
Ada, who is the wife of D. V. Murphy, a jeweler of Lawler, Iowa; Charles E., who is
engaged in clerking in his father's store; Louis E., who holds the position of office
man for the Buick Motor Company at Flint, Michigan; andZetha, who is also em-
ployed as a clerk in her father's store.

In his political views Mr. Larson is a democrat and on that ticket was elected
to the office of mayor of Lawler, in which capacity he served for six years, giving
to the city a most progressive and businesslike administration characterized by
various needed reforms and improvements. He likewise served for several
years as secretary of the school board of Lawler and the cause of education has
ever found in him a stanch champion. For a brief period he also acted as sec-
retary of the Lawler Creamery Association. In religious faith he and his family are
Catholics. Though he has now passed the Psalmist's allotted span of three score
years and ten, he is still an active and forceful figure in business circles and hi:;
life has ever been such as to merit the warm esteem which is uniformly accorded
him.

J. W. PECINOVSKY.

J. W. Pecinovsky is one of the most enterprising citizens of New Oregon township,
Howard county, his home being on section 35. where he owns a good farm of forty acres.
He does not confine his attention, however, to his farming operations, for he is in-
terested in several other enterprises, and in his business affairs is meeting with most
excellent success. He is one of Howard county's native sons, his birth occurring July
29, 1870. His parents were Anton and Annie Pecinovsky, who came to the United
States from Bohemia with their respective parents and later became acquainted and
were married in Winneshiek county, Iowa. Subsequently they removed to Howard
county and were numbered among the pioneers of this region. The father died in Mon-
tana in 1918 but the mother is still living and now makes her home in that state.

Reared upon his father's farm in New Oregon township, J. W. Pecinovsky was edu-
cated in the district schools of the neighborhood and assisted his father in the work of
the farm until twenty-eight years of age. He then rented the place for two years and
in 1901 was united in marriage to Miss Mary Pecinovsky, a daughter of F. J. and Katie
(Hrabe) Pecinovsky. To our subject and his wife have been born six children, namely:
George, Ida, Anna, Mae. Clara and Ernest, all at home.

In 1909 Mr. Pecinovsky purchased his present farm, consisting of forty acres on
section 35, New Oregon township, and has since successfully engaged in its operation.
He is the owner of a threshing machine and a corn shredder, which he operates during
the busy season, and he also owns a cement mixer, doing all kinds of mason work. He
is a mechanic of more than ordinary ability and often does both carpentering and
blacksmithing. He is industrious, enterprising and progressive and is meeting with
well merited success in all that he undertakes. By his ballot he supports the men and
measures of the republican party and for seven years served as school director in New
Oregon township.

G. E. SCOLES.

G. E. Scoles, filling the position of postmaster at Nashua, is a representative of
one of the old and prominent pioneer families of Chickasaw county and has therefore
long been a witness of the development and upbuilding of this section of the state. He
was born in Elkhart county, Indiana, July 15, 1864, and is a son of John W. and Sarah
J. (Hyler) Scoles, the former a native of the Buckeye state, while the latter was also
born in Elkhart, Indiana. They were married in the latter state, to which place the

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 429

father had removed with his parents when a boy of about thirteen years. Following his
marriage he engaged in farming in Elkhart county until the close of the Civil war and
in the fall of 1865 he came west to Iowa, settling in Chickasaw county, where he car-
ried on general agricultural pursuits throughout the remainder of his active business
life, being classed with the representative farmers of this section of the state and con-
tributing in substantial measure to the development and progress of Chickasaw county
along agricultural lines. He died in Nashua in 1904 and for about fourteen years was
survived by his widow, who passed away in 1918.

G. E. Scoles pursued a district school education and in vacation periods worked
upon his father's farm, while after his textbooks were put aside he concentrated his
entire attention upon the further development and improvement of the fields until his
marriage. It was in 1888 that he wedded Miss Martha McLarner, a daughter of Johnson
McLarner, one 6f the earliest of the pioneer settlers of Chickasaw county. Following his
marriage Mr. Scoles took his bride to Greene, Butler county, Iowa, where he established
a barber shop, which he conducted for ten years. He then returned to Chickasaw county
and opened a shop in Nashua, where he soon gained a very liberal patronage, con-
ducting a large and gratifying business for twelve years. In 1914 he was appointed
postmaster of Nashua and has since filled this office, making a most creditable record,
so that at the end of his first term he received reappointment for a second term. He
has always been a democrat in politics and has served as a member of the town
council at Nashua.

To Mr. and Mrs. Scoles have been born two daughters: G. Merle, now the wife of
Charles L. Pierce, of Waverly, Iowa; and Lulu M., the wife of C. L. Castor, a resident
farmer of Chickasaw county.

Fraternally Mr. Scoles is connected with Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M.,
and his wife is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. He is also a member of
Nashua Lodge, No. 391. I. O. 0. F., and he is well known in this section of the state, not
only among his brethren of these fraternities but to the community at large. Much of
his life has here been passed and he has been an interested witness of the growth and
development of his adopted county.

HENRY KONST.

Henry Konst is one of the earliest of the pioneers of Chickasaw county and is now
living retired in Alta Vista. He was born in Germany, August 4, 1842, and has there-
fore passed the seventy-seventh milestone on life's journey. He is a son of Anthony W.
and Theresa (Hannamann) Konst, who came to the United States in 1852 and took up
their abode in Walworth county, Wisconsin, upon a rented farm. Later they pur-
chased a farm in the same county, where the mother's death occurred in April, 1869,
while seven years later the father passed away in the same county.

Henry Konst was educated in the district schools of Germany and of Wisconsin
after coming to the new world. In 1869 he removed to Chickasaw county and pur-
chased a small farm, comprising forty acres of wild prairie land on the southeast
quarter of section 25, Washington township. Later he added to this place, extending
the boundaries of his farm until it comprised one hundred and twenty acres. He con-
tinued to make his home upon the farm for twenty years and during that period suc-
cessfully carried on general agricultural pursuits. About 1889 he removed to Alta Vista
and for some years conducted a saloon but it was said of him that he was too much
of a man to succeed in the saloon business. If he felt that a customer had had enough
to drink he refused to sell him more and if the family needed the man's wages he re-
fused to take his money. In later years Mr. Konst has lived retired, enjoying the fruits
of his former toil.

On the 22d of February, 1868, Mr. Konst was married to Miss Anna Kramer, of
Racine, Wisconsin, and to them were born three children: Anthony W., living in Capa.
South Dakota; Margaret, the wife of A. Holden, a resident of Salt Lake City, Utah;
and Ella, who is the wife of C. M. Erion, of Tacoma, Washington. The wife and moUier

430 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

passed away in 1885 and on the 1st of February, 1892, Mr. Konst was married to Mrs.
Anna W. Rechner, of Howard county, Iowa, who by her former marriage had two chil-
dren: George Rechner, now living at home with Mr. and Mrs. Konst; and Lilly, the
widow of Richard Tietjen, of Alta Vista.

Mr. Konst is a member of the Independent Order of Foresters. His religious
faith is that of the Catholic church, while his wife holds membersuip with the Lutheran
church. In politics he is a democrat but cast his first presidential vote for Abraham
Lincoln. It is characteristic of him that he does not hesitate to support any cause or
project which he believes to be for the best interests of the community, and the sub-
stantial traits of character which he has displayed have made him one of Alta Vista's
esteemed citizens.

0. B. TAYLOR.

O. B. Taylor is filling the position of mayor at Lawler and is well known in grain
circles as grain buyer and manager of the Lawler elevator for Gilchrist & Company.
He was born in Lawler on the 15th of October, 1881, a son of Olivei* A. and Ellen (Noon)
Taylor, the former a native of Wisconsin, while the latter was born in Illinois. The
father came to Lawler when a young man of twenty-two years and was here married,
his wife having been brought to Lawler during hfer infancy, her parents locating upon
a farm near this place. An extended mention of this worthy couple is found elsewhere
in this volume.

0. B. Taylor was educated in the schools of Lawler and Ionia and during his youth-
ful days worked in the grain elevator with his father, who is manager of the Gilchrist
& Company interests at Ionia. In 1903 the son was placed in charge of the elevator of
Way, Johnson & Lee at Ionia and the following year this firm was succeeded by Loomis,
Johnson & Lee, with whom Mr. Taylor remained for a year. In 1906 he came to Lawler
as manager for Gilchrist & Company, taking charge of the elevator at this point, and
through the intervening period of thirteen years he has controlled the grain trade at
Lawler in the interests of the corporation which he represents.

On the 26th of June, 1906, Mr. Taylor was united in marriage to Miss Rose Rink,
of Ionia, by whom he has five children: Basil C, George W., Helen C, Mary J. and
Arthur R. In his political connection Mr. Taylor is a democrat and is now serving for
the third term as mayor of Lawler, his reelections coming to him in recognition of the
capability and progressiveness which he has displayed in the discharge of his duties.
He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and the Catholic Order of Foresters,
also to the Knights of Columbus, the Homesteaders and the Royal Neighbors. Both he
and his wife are members of the Catholic church. They are highly esteemed as valued
residents of this section of the state and they enjoy the warmest regard of all with whom
they have been associated. Mr. Taylor has made not only an excellent record in busi-
ness but also as a public official — one who subordinates self-aggrandizement to the gen-
eral good and partisanship to the public welfare.

J. A. YARGER.

J. A. Yarger, mayor of Nashua and a member of the Chickasaw county bar, was
born in Green county, Wisconsin, January 11, 1868, a son of Joseph and Mary (Hard-
ing) Yarger, both natives of Pennsylvania, in which state they were reared and mai^
ried. Soon after the close of the Civil war they removed to Wisconsin, establishing
their home in Green county. The father was a wheelwright by trade and for many
years he conducted a wagon shop in that county. In 1876, however, he removed with
his family to Iowa and purchased a farm in Webster county, but on the trip contracted
a severe cold which caused his death shortly after his return to his family in Wiscon-
sin. Following his demise the mother removed with her family of six children to the

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 431

Iowa farm which her husband had purchased and thereon they resided for ten years.
On the expii-ation of that period they became residents of Clarksville and not long after-
ward removed to New Hampton. Mrs. Yarger passed away in 1906 in Eldora, Iowa,
where she was then making her home with a son.

J. A. Yarger of this review was educated in the common schools of Webster county
and the public schools of Clarksville and when about eighteen years of age he began
reading law in the office of D. W. Dow, of Hampton, Iowa. In January, 1889, he was
admitted to the bar, taking his examination a few days before attaining his twenty-
first year. For two years after his admission he remained with his preceptor, Mr. Dow,
and in 1891 he came to Nashua, where he entered into partiaership with the New
Hampton law firm of Springer & Clary, conducting their Nashua office as a branch of
the New Hampton office. The firm of Springer, Clary & Yarger continued its existence
until the senior partner was elected to the bench, after which the firm became Clary &
Yarger and so remained until Mr. Clary's death in 1915, since which time Mr. Yarger
has practiced alone. He enjoys a large and distinctively representative clientage and
is regarded as an able member of the bar, clear in his reasoning, logical in his deduc-
tions and seldom if ever at fault in the application of a legal principle.

On the 17th of September, 1894, Mr. Yarger was married to Miss Mary Davidson, of
New Hampton, and they became the parents of two children: Edwin H., now an officer
of the United States navy; and Austin M., a student in the Nashua high school. The
wife and mother passed away January 22, 1903, her death being the occasion of deep
regret to many friends as well as her immediate family.

Mr. Yarger belongs to Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M., and to Charles City
Lodge, B. P. 0. E. His political endorsement is given to the republican party but he
has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking. However, he keeps well in-
formed on the questions and issues of the day and his fellow townsmen, recognizing
his ability and his devotion to the public welfare, persuaded him to accept the mayor-
alty of Nashua and he is said to be one of the best city executives that Nashua has ever
had. He studies closely the conditions here found and not only seeks to meet present
needs but to prepare for the future as well. His administration is strictly businesslike
and progressive, and Nashua has reason to be congratulated upon having at the head
of her interests a man of such genuine public spirit and farsightedness. The practice
of law, however, he regards as his real life work and his steady advancement in a
profession where progress results only through merit and ability indicates the power
that he has developed in his chosen life work.

J. R. WHITCOMB.

J. R. Whitcomb, a farmer of Fredericksburg township, Chickasaw county, living on
section 17, was born in Cook county, Illinois, December 1, 1855, his parents being Justus
and Lovisa (Putnam) Whitcomb, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume
in connection with the sketch of their son, C. L. Whitcomb.

After attending the public schools of his native county and reaching man's estate
J. R. Whitcomb was united in marriage on the 11th of March, 1880, to Miss Belle Web-
ster, of Cook county, and immediately afterward the young couple took up their abode
upon a rented farm in Kane county, Illinois. There they lived for three years and in
1883 removed to Chickasaw county, Iowa, where Mr. WhitComb purchased two hundred
and forty acres of land in Fredericksburg township in partnership with his brother, C.
L. Whitcomb. Three years later the brothers divided their holdings and J. R. Whit-
comb acquired one hundred acres on section 16, Fredericksburg township. He then
began farming independently and as his financial resources increased he purchased
eighty acres on section 8, directly across the road from his present home. He after-
ward sold twenty acres of his one hundred acre tract to his brother. C. L.. and still
later Mr. Whitcomb of this review and his son, Floyd W.. bought the eighty-acre tract
on section 17 whereon the family home now stands. As the years/ have passed Mr.
Whitcomb has carefully carried on general agricultural pursuits and has brought his

432 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

fields under a high state of cultivation, so that large crops are annually gathered
therefrom. He also established himself in the live stock business in the early years
of his residence here and developed the Homeside Stock Farm. For the past ten years
his two hundred and forty acre tract of land has been conducted under the name of the
Homeside Stock Farm by the firm of J. R. Whitcomb & Son, the latter being now an
equal partner in the stock business and also the owner of eighty acres of their land
holdings. They breed thoroughbred Durham cattle and are very extensively engaged
in the dairy business, milking sixteen cows. Their place is splendidly equipped for
carrying on dairying, as they have large barns and every facility to take care of the
milk in the most sanitary manner.

To Mr. and Mrs. Whitcomb have been born a son and a daughter: Floyd W., the
partner of his father in business; and Blanche, the wife of W. G. Case, a resident
farmer of Fredericksburg township.

Since age conferred upon Mr. Whitcomb the right of franchise he has voted with
the republican party and is a stanch advocate of its principles. He is now serving on
the present board of township trustees for the third term — a fact that indicates his
loyalty to the best interests of the community. He has long been a stockholder of the
Fredericksburg Creamery Association and for some years he served as a member of
its board of directors, thus aiding in shaping its policy and in guiding its development.
Fraternally Mr. Whitcomb is connected with Mount Horeb Lodge, No. 333, A. F. & A.
M., and he and his wife are members of Mount Horeb Chapter, No. 163, 0. E. S., of
which Mrs. Whitcomb is a past matron, while for several years she served as secretary
of the chapter. They attend the Methodist Episcopal church, guiding their lives by its
teachings, and they are held in the highest esteem as people of genuine worth. Their
geniality, their social qualities and their thorough reliability have gained for them the
respect and confidence of all and they are numbered among the leading and representa-
tive residents of northern Iowa.

C. A. LOWRY.

C. A. Lowry, proprietor of the Fredericksburg Stock Farm and living within the
corporation limits of the town of Fredericksburg, was born near Geneva, Nebraska, on
the 30th day of May, 1881, a son of David W. and Lillie E. (Thorne) Lowry, the former
a native of Illinois, while the latter was born in the state of New York. They were
married in Chickasaw county, Iowa, to which district the mother removed in j'oung
womanhood in company with her parents, while David W. Lowry arrived in this sec-
tion of the state in young manhood. Prior to coming to Iowa Mrs. Lowry had taught
for nineteen terms as a primary teacher in the schools of Illinois. Following their mar-
riage Mr, Lowry took his bride to Nebraska, settling near Fairmont, where he was
engaged in general agricultural pursuits for some years. In the fall of 1883 he returned
to Chickasaw county and at that time purchased one hundred and thirty-seven acres of
land situated a mile north of Fredericksburg. Later he bought another quarter section
adjoining his first purchase and the fractional quarter section he sold a short time prior
to his death. He had three hundred and twenty acres which still remain a part of the
estate. He carefully and systematically developed his property and made a specialty
of raising shorthorn cattle, becoming one of the prominent cattlemen of the county,
his labors being attended with marked success. He passed away November 30, 1913,
and is survived by his widow, who makes her home in Fredericksburg.

In the acquirement of his education C. A. Lowry attended the schools of Fred-
ericksburg and was graduated from the high school with the class of 1900. He remained
at home assisting his father up to the time of his marriage, which occurred on the
5th of November, 1902, when Miss Grace Kidder, of Dresden township, Chickasaw
county, became his wife. She passed away September 1, 1917, leaving a daughter,
Helen Janet. On the 12th of September, 1918, Mr. Lowry was married to Miss Nellie
Wesp, a daughter of Philip Wesp, one of the well known retired farmers of Fredericks-
burg.

C. A. LOWRY

MR. AND MRS. DAVID W. LOWRY

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 435

Following his first marriage Mr. Lowry rented a portion of his father's farm, which
he continued to cultivate until 1914, when he bought his present home place of one
hundred and thirty-seven acres, twenty-three acres of this tract being now within the
corporate limits of the town. Upon this portion of the farm stands his home. He es-
tablished the Fredericksburg Stock Farm and is giving his attention to the raising of
Holstein cattle, Poland China hogs and pure blooded barred Plymouth Rock and White
Wyandotte chickens. The various branches of his business are bringing to him deserved
and substantial success and he is regarded as one of the most progressive and enter-
prising of the residents of Fredericksburg. His political allegiance is given to the re-
publican party.

J. W. KRIEGER.

J. W. Krieger, of New Hampton, enjoys the reputation of beng a forceful, re-
sourceful and extremely progressive business man and is displaying splendid business
qualifications as the secretary of the New Hampton Farmers Creamery Association.
He was born July 30, 1855, in Davenport, Iowa, a son of Gerhard and Mary Anna
(Brus) Krieger. The mother came to the United States in young womanhood from
Prussia, Germany, in company with her parents, the voyage being made in 1847.
Mr. Krieger crossed the Atlantic alone in the same year, being at that time twenty-
four years of age. While they came over about the same time, the voyage was
made on different vessels. Mr. Krieger was born November 7, 1823, while his wife
was born about 1825. They were acquainted in Prussia and the friendship was
renewed after they reached the new world and found its consummation in marriage
in St. Louis, Missouri, in May, 1848. Mr. Krieger afterward purchased one hundred
and sixty acres of land near Warrenton, Missouri, and for six years engaged in
cultivating that property. When he started farming he bought one hundred and
sixty acres of land and he paid seven dollars for his first cow and nine dollars for his
first horse — a notable contrast to the prices that are now asked for live stock. When
he sold his original one hundred and sixty acres the farm netted him nine hundred
dollars. He then removed to Davenport, Iowa, where he engaged in carpentering
until his son, J. W. Krieger, was ten years of age, when the father resumed agricul-
tural pursuits, purchasing forty acres of land three miles from Davenport. There
he engaged in truck gardening for eight or ten years, peddling his garden produce
from house to house in Davenport. He afterward bought eighty acres adjoining his
forty-acre tract and still later acquired eighteen acres additional, so that his place
became a good farm of one hundred and thirty-eight acres. He remained thereon
until 1875, when he sold that property and came to Chickasaw county, taking up
his abode in Dayton township, where he bought one hundred and sixty acres of
land that is now known as the old homestead. It is now owned and occupied by his
son, Theodore Krieger. The father conducted this farm until the marriage of
Theodore in 1887, when he retired to New Hampton and there resided until his
death, which occured in 1903, when he had reached the very venerable age of
eighty years. Ere he had put aside the cares of active business life Mr. Krieger had
accumulated four hundred and eighty acres of land in Dayton and New Hampton
townships and had thereby won a place among the prosperous farmers of his
adopted county. His wife reached the notable old age of ninety years and passed
away in 1911. Both were people of genuine personal worth. Mr. Krieger was widely
known as a kind and devoted husband and father and a highly respected citizen,
his value in the community being attested by all with whom he came in contact.

J. W. Krieger spent the period of his minority under the parental roof and when
he had attained the age of twenty-one years began working as a farm hand for
others. After a year, however, he rented eighty acres and cultivated this tract
for two years prior to his marriage. He completed his arrangements for having a
home of his own by his marriage on the 28th of April, 1880, to Miss Mary T. Pap-

436 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

penheim, a daughter of John and Theresa Pappenheim, both of whom passed away
in Chickasaw county.

Following his marriage Mr. Krieger and his bride took up their abode upon one
of his father's farms, comprising one hundred and sixty acres of land in New
Hampton township, and this he continued to develop and improve as a renter until
his father retired and gave the farm to his son. To this tract the latter later added
eighty acres and eventually became the owner of a valuable and productive farm of
three hundred and twenty acres. Year after year he carefully tilled the soil and
developed his crops, which brought to him a splendid financial return. In 1909,
however, he retired from farming and has disposed of all of his property except
the home in which he lives and which is situated on the north side of New Hampton.
For the past fourteen years he has occupied the position of secretary of the New
Hampton Farmers' Creamery Association and has contributed in marked measure
to the success of that business. He is also at present the vice president of the Chicka-
saw County Mutual Fire Insurance Company of New Hampton, having occupied
that position for a period of twelve years. Whatever he undertakes he carries for-
ward to successful completion. He is a man of sound judgment and unfaltering
enterprise and his progressiveness has been a most potent force in the success of the
two corporations with which he is now identified.

As the years have passed Mr. and Mrs. Krieger have become the parents of four
children: Gerhard, Adeline, Joseph W. and Richard W. The son Joseph has for the
past nine years been the assistant cashier of the First National Bank of New
Hampton save for the period of his service in the great World war. He was with the
famous Thirty-third or Prairie Division as a member of the One Hundred and Thirty-
first Machine Gun Battalion and participated in many of the engagements overseas
in which that battalion took part. He was again and again under shell fire and
machine gun fire and it seemed that only a kindly fate intervened to keep him from
death. Mr. Krieger and his family are members of St. Mary's Catholic church of
New Hampton. He belongs to Knights of Columbus Council No. 169 7 of New Hamp-
ton and also to the Catholic Order of Foresters at New Hampton. His political
allegiance is given to the democratic party and he has long been recognized as one
of the leaders in local political circles. He filled the office of township trustee of
New Hampton township and served as a member of the board of county supervisors
for six years — frorn 1891 until 1897. He was appointed assessor of Dayton town-
ship to fill out an unexpired term of a year and at the end of that time he was
elected and by reelection was continued in the office for four consecutive terms of
two years each, covering the period from 1899 to 1908. For three terms of two
years each, from 1913 until 1919, he was a member of the city council of New
Hampton and still higher political honors were also accorded him, for through
two years he served as a member of the state legislature and was a member of
various important committees during the sessions of the twenty-seventh assembly.
Over his official career there falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion of evil. He has
been loyal to the trust reposed in him and has placed the public welfare before
partisanship and has made self-aggrandizement subservient to the general good.

LEE J. CHESTEK.

Lee J. Chestek, a well known farmer of Deerfield township, Chickasaw county,
living on section 30, was born November 6, 1879, in the township which is still his
home. His father, John Chestek, is a native of Austria and came to the United
States when a young man of eighteen years. He resided for a number of years in
Illinois and then came to Iowa, settling in Deerfield township, Chickasaw county.
His first purchase of land was the farm that is now owned by his son Lee. He
married Amelia Cummings, a native of Waukegan, Illinois, and she passed away
in July, 1907, since which time Mr. Chestek has made his home with a daughter !n
Bassett.

CHICKL^SAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 437

Lee J. Chestek supplemented his district school education by a course of
study in the Nora Springs Commercial College at Nora Springs, Iowa. In his boy-
hood and youth he assisted in the work of the farm and his training well qualified
him for later duties and responsibilities. After his marriage he rented land in
Floyd county, near Charles City, and there carried on farming for a year. He
then returned to the old homestead, his father removing to Bassett, and took
•charge of the farm which he has since operated. In June, 1919, he purchased the
place, which comprises one hundred and forty-two acres of rich and productive
land. He is carefully cultivating his fields and his progressive methods are mani-
fest in the excellent appearance of the place.

On the 25th of July, 1907, Mr. Chestek was united in marriage to Miss Florence
Tibbitts, a daughter of Nelson Tibbitts, of Floyd county, Iowa. They now have
four children, namely: Thelma A., Leland N., Robert W. and Bernald E. In his
political views of Mr. Chestek is a republican and he is numbered among the pro-
gressive citizens, and representative farmers of Deerfield township. He has never
sought or desired office, but his support can always be counted upon to further any
plan or measure for the general good.

ROGER FOGARTY.

Roger Fogarty is busily engaged in the further development and improvement of
his farm, which is situated on section 14, Howard township, in Howard county. He is
a native son of this county, his birth having occurred within its borders March 22, 1874,
his parents being John and Mary (Richards) Fogarty, both of whom were natives of
Ireland. Coming to America, they established their home in this state and the father
passed away in Afton township, Howard county, on the 14th of May, 191S. To him and
his wife were born the following children, the brothers and sisters of Roger Fogarty be-
ing Mrs. Mary Beaumeister, Mrs. Kate Conley, Mrs. Hannah Conley, John, Mike and
Patrick. Another son, Edward G., was killed in the World war in France in 1918 and his
brothers, Patrick and Roger, were made trustees of the estate for ten years, at the end of
which time the property will come to thenj.

In the district schools near his father's home Roger Fogarty pursued his education
and in the summer months he worked in the fields, early acquainting himself with the
best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He has always carried on
farming and in 1900 purchased eighty acres of his present farm property, while upon
the death of his father he came into possession of an piehtv acre tract adjoining, so
that he is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of good land, which he has
brought under a high state of cultivation and to which he has added various modern
improvements. He uses good machinery to facilitate the work of the fields and every-
thing about the place indicates his careful supervision;

Mr. Fogarty is a member of the Catholic church at Elma. His political endorse-
ment is given to the democratic party but he has never sought nor desired office, pre-
ferring to concentrate his energies and attention upon his business interests, and his
diligence and determination have been the basis of his success.

JOHN MIKES.

John Mikes, of the firm of Mikes Brothers, proprietors of the Fredericksburg
Meat Market, was born in Lisov, Bohemia, Austria, on the 15th of May, 1867, ^
son of Matthias and Antonia (Hanzel) Mikes, both of whom passed away in Bo-
hemia. The son was educated in the public schools of that country and upon
reaching manhood entered upon an apprenticeship to the butcher's trade. Later he
served three years in the Austrian army and in 1890 came to the United States,
settling first at Bristow, Iowa, where he had a brother engaged in the butchering

438 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

business. He entered the employ of his brother, with whom he remained for two
years, and tlaen went to Elma, where he conducted a shop for his brother for a
period of two years. In 1894 he came to Fredericksburg and in company with his
brother Adolph opened a meat market, the business being conducted under the firm
name of Mikes Brothers. In 1901 Charles Mikes purchased the interest of his
brother Adolph in the business, which has since been continued under the old firm
style. John Mikes has been identified with the business interests of Fredericksburg
for a period of a quarter of a century and the firm of Mikes Brothers is said to be
one of the most successful of the town. They carry a large line of fine meats and
their honorable business methods, their thorough reliability, their enterprise and
their straightforward dealing have gained for them a very liberal and gratifying
patronage.

In 1901 Mr. Mikes was united in marriage to Miss Rosa H. Ruska, of Elma,
Howard county, and they have become the parents of eight children, namely:
Frank J., John P., Rosa A., Victor E., Edwin M., Isabelle A., James R. and Anna V.

In his political views Mr. Mikes maintains an independent course, voting for men
and measures rather than party. He served for four years as a member of the town
council and is interested in all that has to do with public progress and improvement.
Fraternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. He deserves
much credit for what he lias accomplished in a business way and may truly be
called a self-made man, for he started out in life empty-handed. In fact he had no
capital when he came to the new world and from that point in his career he has
steadily worked his way upward, utilizing the opportunities and advantages which
have come to him. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to es-
tablish a home on this side of the Atlantic, for through the intervening years he
has advanced steadily step by step and is now one of the prosperous citizens of
Fredericksburg.

CHARLES HENRY LEONARD.

Charles Henry Leonard, who has made the Lawler Dispatch, of which he is
editor and publisher, one of the dynamic forces in the development and upbuilding of
his section of Chickasaw county, was born March 2, 1872, in the town which he
still makes his home. His parents were Phillip Henry and Maggie Isabelle Leonard.
The father was born in Minnesota in 1847 and was active in the development of
the west along various lines. He superintended the men who built the railroad in
1869 and eventually he took up the business of grain dealing in the new town of
Lawler. Previously he had served as a Union soldier in the Civil war. He married
Maggie Isabelle O'Hanlon in the year in which he established his home at Lawler
and for thirty-five years he continued a resident of this city. His wife passed away
at Lawler, August 15, 1901, and Mr. Leonard now resides at Minneapolis.

Charles Henry Leonard was educated in the public schools of Lawler and in the
Mount Carmel parochial school of Lawler, from which he was graduated with the class
of June, 1897. He followed farming until he reached the age of twenty-three years
and then became manager of a restaurant, which he conducted for three years. He
afterward secured a clerkship in Landon's drug store, occupying that position for
nine years, and for three years he managed a store for Mr. Landon at Jerico, Iowa.
On the 1st of July, 1912, he purchased the Lawler Dispatch and has since been its
owner and publisher, making it one of the most alive newspapers of the county.
It is his purpose to keep in closest touch with the news of the day and to make the
journal of keen interest to the public. The business has been attended with success.
The paper, which was a five-column sheet when he took hold of it, has been enlarged
to six columns, a linotype machine has been installed and the Dispatch has become
the official paper of the county.

On the 31st of October, 1900, at Afton, Iowa, Mr. Leonard was united in mar-
riage to Miss Margaret Daly, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Daly, of Thayer,

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 439

Iowa. They have become the parents of four children, as follows: Mary Aneta, who
died on the 26th of December, 19 01; Angeline Daly; Charleen Margarite; and Anna
Rose.

The religious faith of Mr. Leonard is that of the Catholic church and fraternally
he is connected with the Catholic Order of Foresters and with the Modern Woodmen
of America. He belongs also to the Lawler Commercial Club and is one of its most
progressive representatives. In politics he has always supported democratic prin-
ciples but has never been an aspirant for oflfice, feeling that his business affairs have
claimed his entire attention. Alert and energetic, he is well qualified for the line
of business in which he has engaged and he has made of the Lawler Dispatch a
paper which would be a credit to a city of much greater size.

0. J. FREDERICI.

More than fifty years have been added to the cycle of the centuries since 0. J.
Frederici started upon life's journey as a native son of Chickasaw county. He was born
January 1, 1868, in the old town of Bradford, and he now makes his home on section 34,
Chickasaw township, where he is busily and successfully engaged in farming. He is a
son of Valentine and Theresa (Boiler) Frederici, who were natives of Germany, whence
they came to the United States. The father had reached young manhood ere he emi-
grated to the new world, and the mother came to this country in her girlhood with her
parents, who settled in Guttenberg, Clayton county, Iowa. It was in that county that
Mr. and Mrs. Valentine Frederici were married, and in 1867 they established their
home in Chickasaw county, taking up their abode at Bradford. The father was a
hrewer by trade and in this county he purchased a brewery at Bradford, continuing its
operation until it was destroyed by fire some time in the '70s. He then removed to
Bassett and afterward to Nashua and in 1894 took up his abode in the home of his
son, 0. J. Frederici, with whom he continued to reside until his death about 1902.

O. J. Frederici was educated in the rural school and in the Bradford schools and
in 1894 he began farming on his own account. He had been trained to this occupation
from boyhood and for fifteen years he cultivated rented land but was ambitious to own
property and carefully saved his earnings until he was able to purchase his present
farm of one hundred and ten acres in 1909. Since that time he has resided upon the
place, and his enterprise and diligence have wrought a marked transformation in its
appearance and productiveness.

In 1897 Mr. Frederici was married to Miss Ethel Trask, a daughter of John Trask,
of Deerfield township, who was one of the earliest of the pioneers of Chickasaw county
arriving here in 1854. He is mentioned at length elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and
Mrs. Frederici have two children, Leon O. and Cecil C, both at home.

In his political views Mr. Frederici is a democrat and fraternally he is connected
with the Modern Woodmen of America. He has long occupied a position among the suc-
cessful farmers and progressive citizens of Chickasaw townehin jind has throughout his
entire life been an interested witness of the growth and development of this section of
the Ftate at all times bearing his part in the work of public progress and improvement.

W. F. JACOBS, D. V. M.

Dr. W. F. Jacobs, one of the successful veterinarians of Chickasaw county, filling
the office of assistant state veterinarian, was born in Allison, Butler county, Iowa,
November 18, 1882, a son of William and Johanna (Toll) Jacobs, both natives of Ger-
many. The father came to this country in young manhood and settled in Butler Cen-
ter, Butler county, Iowa. The mother crossed the Atlantic when a child of seven or
eight years in company with her parents, who after landing at New York city made
their way direct to Iowa, establishing their home in Butler county. On the Journey

440 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

west they went through Chicago and from that point to Belvidere, Illinois, by train,
which was then the terminus of the railroad. There they outfitted for the trip across
the country and the journey was made with eleven yoke of oxen. In the party with
which they were traveling there were nine families. The trip by wagon covered six
weeks and they reached Butler county in 1852, forming one of the first colonies to settle
within the borders of that county. William Jacobs, father of Dr. W. F. Jacobs, had
been a soldier in the German army before coming to the new world and fought in the
Franco-Prussian war. He was a baker by trade but on coming to America took up his
abode upon a farm in Butler county and continued to engage in general agricultural
pursuits throughout the remainder of his active life. He is still living and makes his
home in Clarksville but the mother passed away in 1917 at the age of seventy-three
years.

Dr. Jacobs attended the Clarksville high school, from which he was graduated with
the class of 1905. He afterward became a student in the Jones National School of Auc-
tioneering in Chicago and completed his course there by graduation in 1912. He next
entered the McKillip Veterinary College of Chicago and received from that institution
his D. v. M. degree as a member of the class of 1917. When his course was completed
he came at once to Nashua, where during the intervening period of two years he has
built up a remunerative practice. Four months after opening his office here he was ap-
pointed assistant state veterinarian, in which official capacity he has since served.

In 1908 Dr. Jacobs was married to Miss Helen 0. Miller, of Butler county, and they
have made many friends during the period of their residence in Nashua. Dr. Jacobs
belongs to Bradford Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Nashua, and both he and his wife are
members of the Order of the Eastern Star. He is also connected with Nashua Lodge,
I. 0. O. F. ; Nashua Lodge, No. 110, K. P.; and the Modern Woodmen camp. He belongs
to the Evangelical Lutheran church, while his wife is a member of the Methodist Epis-
copal church. He has been a lifelong resident of Iowa and in all that he does or un-
dertakes is actuated by the spirit of western enterprise and progress.

CHRIS RUSSLER.

Chris Russler, who is the capable butter maker with the Fredericksburg Butter
Company at Fredericksburg, Chickasaw county, was born in Germany, September 16,
1875, his parenls being Simon and Margaret (Koehler) Russler, who spent their entire
lives in their native land. There Chris Russler was reared to his seventeenth year and
the public schools afforded him his educational opportunities. In 1892 he determined
to enjoy better conditions by emigrating to the United States, and having a sister in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, made that city his destination. After spending thirty days
■ftrith his sister, however, he continued his westward travel until he reached Hawkeye,
Fayette county, Iowa, where he had a brother living. For five years he resided at Hawk-
eye and engaged in farm work. In 1897 he entered upon an apprenticeship to the
butter maker's trade and for seventeen years was associated with that business at
Hawkeye. In the winter of 1901-2 he attended the State Agricultural College at Ames
and further qualified for the difficult task of the scientific making of good butter.
He subsequently occupied the position of butter maker with the Hawkeye Creamery for
ten years and in 1914 came to Fredericksburg to take charge of the plant at this place.
In the past six years he has been one of the dominant factors in placing the products
of the Fredericksburg Butter Company among the highest rated butter products of
the country. During the summer of 1918, from the 1st of May to the 15th of Novem-
ber, this company made one hundred and seventy-eight thousand pounds of butter for
the United States navy and since the 15th of July, 1919, the navy has taken the entire
product of me Fredericksburg plant.

On the 11th of February, 1904. Mr. Russler was married to Miss Anna M. Reichel,
of Hawkeye, Iowa, and they have become the parents of three children: Luella F.,
Hazel M. and Howard E. Mr. and Mrs. Russler are members of the German Lutheran
church and they are well known in Fredericksburg, where they have many friends.

CHRIS RUSSLER

Vol. 11—28

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 443

In politics Mr. Russler is a republican. He has had neither the time nor the inclina-
tion to seek office, however, preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his
tusiness interests and duties. He has well won the reputation of being one of the best
butter makers in the state of Iowa and has gained for the product which he makes
the highest award of public approval. Butter from the Fredericksburg tactory has
won prizes at the Iowa State Fair at Des Moines, at the Dairy Cattle Congress at "Water-
loo and in fact has taken awards wherever exhibited.

REV. J. J. ZEYEN.

Rev. J. J. Zeyen, pastor of St. Bernard's church of Alta Vista, was born in Treves,
France, January 1, 1883, his parents being Joseph J. and Barbara (Weyer) Zeyen, who
came to the United States in 1885 and established their home in Spokane, Washington,
where the mother and some of the children now reside. The father, however, passed
away December 31, 1917.

J. J. Zeyen obtained his elementary schooling in Spokane, Washington, and later
.attended the St. Lawrence College at St. Lawrence, Wisconsin, where he remained for
seven years, completing the full classical course during that period. He afterward went
to Europe and attended the Imperial University at Innsbruck, in tlie Tyrol of Austria.
There he spent three years in the pursuit of a theological course and later he pursued
a post graduate course at the French Seminary and in the Gregorian University in
Rome. He was graduated from the latter institution in 1907 and was ordained to the
priesthood at Innsbruck by the Rt. Rev. Altenweisel, of Brixen Tyrol, in 1906.

In the following year Father Zeyen was given his first charge as assistant priest at
Gilbertville, Iowa, where he remained for five years. In 1912 he was sent to Dubuque,
Iowa, as assistant pastor to Rt. Rev. Mgr. George W. Heer of St. Mary's church. He
remained there until May, 1915, when he was appointed pastor of the Sacred Heart
church at Meyer, Iowa, over which he presided for a year. In May, 1916, he came to
Alta Vista as pastor of St. Bernard's charge, over which he now presides. This parish
is in a prosperous condition and the school has an attendance of ono hundred and
twenty-five pupils. Fatlier Zeyen is greatly beloved by the people of his parish and is
doing excellent work for the Catholic cause in this section of the state.

J. W. McKONE, M. D.

Dr. J. W. McKone, physician and surgeon of Lawler, whose practice is of substan-
tial proportions and of important character, was born January 26. 1872, in the town
which is still his home. He is a son of James and Elizabeth (McCartin) McKone, the
former a native of Ireland, while the latter was born in Dubuque, Iowa. The father
'.ame to the United States with relatives when a boy of nine years and became a resi-
dent of the state of New York, where he was reared to manhood. He afterward made
his way to Iowa, where he took up blacksmithing. He worked at his trade in the
Union army during the Civil war and it was subsequent to this period that he estab-
lished his home in Chickasaw county. Here he was married and for some years there-
after he conducted a blacksmith shop in Jacksonville. Following the building of the
railroad into Lawler he removed to the new town and opened a smithy, which he car-
ried on for several years but retired from active business some time prior to his death,
which occurred in 1912. His widow survives and still makes her home in Lawler.

Dr. McKone, whose name introduces this review, was educated in the schools of
Lawler and in the State University of Iowa at Iowa City. After pursuing a two years'
preparatory course he entered the medical department of tlie State University and there
won his professional degree upon graduation with the class of 1896. Following the com-
pletion of his course he came direct to Lawler and opened an office. Here he has con-
tinuously practiced for twenty-three years and his professional career has been marked

444 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

by steady progress that has followed broad reading and continuous study that has kept
him in touch with the latest scientific researches and discoveries of the medical fra-
ternity. During the summer of 1895, while attending the State University of Iowa, he
took up three months' special work at the College of Physicians and Surgeons In Chi-
cago and In 1900 and once more In 1909 he pursued post-graduate work In the Chicago
Post Graduate School. He has ever been actuated by the laudable ambition of making
his service of greatest possible benefit to his patients, who have the utmost confidence
in him, recognizing the superiority of his methods and his devotion to his professional
duties. He Is a member of the Chickasaw County Medical Society, the Austin Flint
Medical Society, the Iowa State Medical Society and the American Medical Association.

In June, '1901, Dr. McKone was united In marriage to Miss Maria Burk, of Chicka-
saw county, by whom he has a son, John Robert, who Is now attending school.

In his political views Dr. McKone is a democrat and Is Interested In party successes
because of his firm belief in the party principles. He served as mayor of Lawler and also
ns county coroner for one term. He and his wife are members of the Catholic church
and he belongs to the Catholic Order of Foresters, also to the Modern Woodmen of
America and its ladies' auxiliary, the Royal Neighbors. He has a very wide acquaint-
ance in this section of the state and is held in the highest esteem because of his personal
worth as well as his professional powers.

RUSSELL H. PIERCE.

Russell H. Pierce is a partner in the firm of J. W. Pierce & Sons, dealers In
country produce, hides and furs at Nashua and maintaining also branch houses
at Plainfield and Waverly. The members of this firm are recognized as alert and
progressive business men and have built up a trade of large and gratifying pro-
portions.

Russell H. Pierce was born in Richland township, Chickasaw county, on the 30th
of August, 1890, a son of John W. and Nettie (Cory) Pierce, the former a native
of England, while the latter was born in Wisconsin. The father came to the
United States when a child of but six years In company with his parents, who settled
in Ohio. There his mother passed away and about 1869 or 1870 the father with his
seven children removed to Iowa. After a brief residence in Bremer county he
brought his family to Chickasaw county, taking up his abode upon a farm in Rich-
land township, where he purchased eighty acres of land. Upon this farm his son and
namesake, John W. Pierce, was reared to manhood, meeting the usual experiences
of the farm-bred boy who spends his youth in a frontier district. About 18 84 John
W. Pierce was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Cory and they began their domestic
life upon a farm, .his attention being devoted to the further development and im-
provement of his fields until 1891, when he turned his attention to merchandising
in Republic, Chickasaw county. For twenty years he conducted his store, meeting
with substantial success in the development of his trade. In 1911 he removed to
Nashua and for one year was engaged in the restaurant business in company with
his two sons, Charles L. and Russell H. In 1912 they bought out the produce busi-
ness of C. A. Moody, of Nashua, and from that time have steadily prospered in the
conduct of their affairs. In 1915 they established a branch house in Plainfield
and further extended the scope of their activities by opening a branch house at
Waverly in 1919. The business has now grown to large and gratifying proportions,
the father and Charles L. Pierce looking after the business in Waverly, while Rus-
sell H. Pierce manages the parent house in Nashua. The extent and growth of
their trade is indicated by the fact that the amount of their business is now written
in six figures and theirs is regarded as one of the most important commercial en-
terprises of Nashua.

Russell H. Pierce spent his youthful days under the parental roof, devoting his
attention largely to the acquirement of a public school education and to such tasks
as were assigned him by parental authority. Becoming an active assistant of his '

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

445

father, his business training was thorough and he became well qualified for the
onerous duties that devolve upon him in his present connection as manager of
the Nashua branch of the produce, hides and fur business of J. W. Pierce & Sons.

In 1913 Russell H. Pierce was united in marriage to Miss Iowa L. Badger, of
Chickasaw county, a daughter of F. J. Badger, a retired farmer who is now residing
in Nashua. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce have become parents of a son, Russell B.

Politically Mr. Pierce is an earnest republican and is serving as the present
clerk of his township. Fraternally he is connected with Bradford Lodge, No. 129,
A. F. & A. M., and also with Nashua Lodge, No. 391, I. O. O. F., Nashua Lodge, No.
110, K. P., and the Modern Woodmen of America. Both he and his wife attend the
Congregational church and guide their lives by its teachings. They are people of
prominence in social circles, and the hospitality of their own home is greatly en-
joyed by their many friends. Mr. Pierce is regarded as one of the most progressive
business men of his city, a dynamic force in its commercial circles and one who
can always be counted upon to further public progress or advance in any way the
welfare and development of the district in which he has so long resided.

LEONARD NOURSE.

Among Chickasaw county's pioneer settlers Leonard Nourse, of Fredericksburg, is
numbered. He is. moreover, one of the venerable residents of this section of the state, as
he has passed the eighty-seventh milestone on life's journey. He was born in Vermont,
January 2, 1832, a son of Timothy and Lucretia (Flint) Nourse, the former a native of
Barre, Massachusetts, while the latter was born in Connecticut. The father was twice
married, the mother of Leonard Nourse being his second wife. He spent the greater
part of his mature life in Vermont but some time prior to his death removed to Athol,
Worcester county, Massachusetts.

Leonard Nourse was educated in the common schools of the Green Mountain state
and in 1855 left the parental roof to try his fortune in the middle west. He made his
way to Dane county, Wisconsin, and there on the 1st of January, 1857, was united in
marriage to Miss Mary E. Smith. Later in the same year they came to Iowa, reaching
Fredericksburg on the 3d of May. Mr. Nourse had previously learned the carpenter's
trade and worked along that line in Wisconsin, while for four years after taking up his
abode In Fredericksburg he was also employed at carpentering. In 1871 he purchased
a farm of eighty acres three miles northeast of the town and started upon his career as
an agriculturist. However, he worked intermittently at his trade when his services
were not needed upon the farm, but he made agricultural pursuits his main business in-
terest. To his first purchase of eighty acres he added from time to time as his finahcial
resources permitted until his present farm holdings comprise two hundred and eighty
acres. He continued to reside upon the old homestead until December 6, 1918, when
he came to Fredericksburg, where he is now living, enjoying in well earned rest the
fruits of his former toil.

To Mr. and Mrs. Nourse was born a son, Duane B., who has cooperated with his
father in farming, their business interests being now closely associated. Duane B.
Nourse married Miss Anna Churchill, of Fredericksburg, a daughter of Elias A. and
Lucy (Watkins) Churchill, the former a native of Vermont, while the latter was born
in Illinois. They were married, however, in Waverly, Iowa, on the 12th of December,.
1857, having come to this state in young manhood and womanhood. They took up (heir
abode in Bremer county and in 1868 removed to Chickasaw county, where for the-
following twenty years Mr. Churchill resided upon a farm in the vicinity of Fredericks-
burg. In 1888 he took up his abode in the town ard t'lere liis wife passed away in
July. 1913, while his demise occurred in January, 1917. when he was in the eighty-
eighth year of his age. He was a veteran of the Civil war and was one of the well
known men of Chickasaw county.

Leonard and Duane Nourse are both members of Mount Horeb Lodge, No. 333, A.
F. & A. M. Leonard Nourse became one of the twelve charter members of the lodge

446 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

and is the only one of this number now living. His son is also connected with the Mod-
ern Woodmen of America. Both father and son are stanch republicans in their political
views and the former served fcr a nv ml ar of years as township treasurer and also
was treasurer of the school board, while for two terms he filled the position of member
ef the board of county supervisors. While now a man of eighty-seven years he retains
his faculties to a remarkable degree and is a very active man and an interesting con-
versationalist. His son served for several years as secretary of the school board, also as
township assessor for four years and is now serving for the third term as townshiip
clerk. There are few if any families better known and more highly respected in Chicka-
saw county than the Nourse family, which from pioneer times has been closely asso-
ciated with the work of development and progress here. The memory of Leonard
Nourse forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the progressive pres-
ent. The labors w'hich he began in the early days have been taken up and carried for-
ward by his son, and both are classed with the representative business men and valued
citizens of this section of the state.

S. B. ZOLLER, M. D.

Dr. S. B. Zoller, one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Chickasaw county
practicing at Fredericksburg, was born in Waucoma, Iowa, June 29, 1884, a son of
James L. and Mary J. (W^heater) Zoller, who were natives of the state of New York,
where they were reared and married. About 1879 or 1880 they came to Iowa and took
up their abode upon a farm in Fayette county, where Mr. Zoller continued for some
years. Subsequently he removed to Waucoma, where he engaged in the grain and
lumber business, and later he turned his attention to the hardware and furniture
trade, with which he was identified for fourteen years. On expiration of that period
he removed to Fredericksburg and managed the Farmers Elevator for a period of four
or five years. He next became a resident of Hawkeye, Iowa, where he has since been
engaged in the grain business on his own account. His life has been one of diligence
and enterprise, and his close application and thorough reliability in business have been
the basis of his growing success.

Dr. Zoller completed a course in the Waucoma high school as a member of the
graduating class of 1899. He afterward received private instruction in Latin and in
1901, at the early age of seventeen years, he took up the study of medicine, entering
Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, from which institution he was graduated with
the class of 1905, being the youngest member of the class. The college, however, could
not accord him his license until he reached his twenty-first year as it is against the
law for a young man to be licensed to practice medicine until he has attained his ma-
jority. On the twenty-first anniversary of his birth, however, he opened an office in
Fredericksburg, where he has since been in active and continuous practice. There are
probably few if any physicians in Chickasaw county who have built up a larger or
more important country practice than Dr. Zoller. He is constantly overburdened by
the demands put upon him in a professional way. In 1912 he took a post graduate
medical course in the Post Graduate Medical School and Hospital of Chicago and
throughout his professional career he has remained a close student of the science of
medicine, keeping in touch with the latest researches and discoveries that have to do
with medical practice here.

On the 2d of May, 1906, Dr. Zoller was married to Miss Louise E. Morf, a daughter of
John Morf, now deceased. They have become parents of two children, Carlotta E. and
Hadwen L. In his political views Dr. Zoller is a republican and fraternally he is con-
nected with Mount Horeb Lodge, No. 333, A. F. & A. M., and with Fredericksburg Lodge,
No. 661, I. O. O. F. He is also identified with the Modern Woodmen of America, the
Woodmen of the World, Brotherhood of American Yeomen and the Rebekahs. Along
strictly professional lines Dr. Zoller's connection is with the Chickasaw County Medical
Society, the Iowa State Medical Society, the Austin-Flint Medical Society and the
Northeastern Medical Society and through the proceedings of these organizations he

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 447

acquaints himself with mucii that is most modern in professional thought and prac-
tice. He adheres to high professional standards and combines a broad humanitarian
spirit with comprehensive scientific knowledge and training, so that his work is proving
indeed a potent factor in the restoration of health in Fredericksburg and throughout
the surrounding district. Mrs. Zoller is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star
and of the Rebekah Lodge and she and the Doctor are consistent and faithful members
of the Methodist Episcopal church.

HON. CHRISTIAN SALTZMAN.

With many phases of activity in Chickasaw county Hon. Christian Saltzman has
been closely connected. He has represented his district in the state legislature, is the
vice president of the State Savings Bank of Lawler and follows farming on section 17,
Stapleton township. He was born in Alsace-Lorraine, April 25, 1855, a son of George and
Selma Saltzman, who were also natives of that district, in which they spent their en-
tire lives. The son was educated in the public schools of his native country and in
1871, when sixteen years of age, came to the United States, making his way first to
Naperville, Illinois, where he was employed as a farm hand. He afterward spent ten
years in that state and in 1880 he bought one hundred and sixty acres of his present
home farm and the following year removed to Chickasaw county, where for thirty-
eight years he has continuously resided. He now owns four hundred and ninety-six
acres of valuable land, constituting one of the best improved farms of the county.

In 1877 Mr. Saltzman was united in marriage to Miss Magdalena Becker, of Dupage
county, Illinois, and they have become the parents of eight children, of whom five sur-
vive, namely: Sadie, Alma, Leo, Leander and Ronald, all of whom are residing at
home with the exception of Leo, who owns and operates a farm in Stapleton township.

In politics Mr. Saltzman is a democrat and a recognized leader in party ranks. His
opinions have carried weight in the party councils for many years. He has served as
township trustee for several years and also filled the office of county supervisor for six
years and in 1912 was elected to the Iowa state legislature, in which he represented his
district during the thirty-seventh general assembly. In public office he has ever been
loyal to the duties and responsibilities that have devolved upon him and has untiringly
sought to promote the general good. He and his family are members of the Lutheran
church and are most highly esteemed throughout the community in which they live.

While Mr. Saltzman has figured prominently in public affairs, he has been pre-
eminently a business man. He has thoroughly acquainted himself with the science of
farming and is one of the most progressive agriculturists of his section of the state.
He brought with him to Iowa a herd of shorthorn cattle and in the years that have since
come and gone has specialized in the breeding of shorthorns. He is also a stockholder
in the State Bank of New Hamplon and a stockholder and the vice president of the
State Savings Bank of Lawler. Whatever he undertakes he carries forward to suc-
cessful completion. Obstacles and difficulties in his path seem to serve but as an im-
petus for renewed effort on his part, and his energy and determination have made him
a leading figure in business circles, while his recognized ability has brought him to the
front in connection with the public interests of county and state.

ALBERT ZIPSE.

One of the attractive farm properties of Chickasaw county is that owned by Albert
Zipse. It is a tract of two hundred acres situated on section 30, Utica township, and
the improvements which he has placed upon it are many, adding to the beauty and
value of the farm, while his labors are continually enhancing its productiveness. Mr.
Zipse is a native of Cedarville, Illinois. He was born March 16, 1866, of the marriage
of Christian Zipse and Caroline Smith, the former a native of Germany, while the latter

448 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

was born in Switzerland. Both came to the United States in 1844 and took up their
abode in Buftalo, New York, where they were married, and for seven years thereafter
ihey continued to reside in Buffalo, where Mr. Zipse worked at the trade of shoemaking,
which he had previously learned in his native country. With their removal to the Mis-
sissippi valley they took up their abode in Cedarville, Illinois, and while they were
there residing their son Albert was born. The father continued to work at the trade of
shoemaking for twelve years and subsequently he established his home three miles north>
west of Cedarville, where he turned his attention to farming, and that occupation
claimed his time and energies throughout his remaining days. His first purchase of
land made him owner of seventy acres, and as his financial resources increased he
added to his holdings until at the time of his death he was the owner of one hundred
and twenty acres. His wife also passed away on the old home farm near Cedarville,
Illinois.

Albert Zipse had no especial advantages at the outset of his career. In fact his
youth was quietly passed, and he pursued his education in the common schools of Red
Oak or assisted his father in the work of the home farm. He continued with his par-
ents until he reached the age of twenty-three years and on the 10th of January, 1889,
he was united in marriage to Miss Maggie Heiselman. Immediately afterward the
young couple started for Iowa and established their home three miles south of Lawler,
where Mr. Zipse engaged in the cultivation of a rented farm for six years. They prac-
ticed close econorny and industry in order to gain a start and bravely faced the diffi-
culties and hardships incident to settlement in a new locality. Eventually their labors
brought to them a sufficient sum to enable them to purchase property and they made
investment in one hundred and twenty acres. This constituted the nucleus of their
present farm, the boundaries of which have since been extended until it now embraces
two hundred acres of the rich and fertile land of Chickasaw county. The improvements
which have been placed thereon and the care and labor manifest in the development of
the fields have made it one of the excellent farm properties of northern Iowa.

Mrs. Zipse was a daughter of Michael and Prederika Heiselman and the mother is
now living with Mr. and Mrs. Zipse, the father having passed away about thirty-five
years ago. The other members of the household are their five living children: Lloyd
W., Edward B., Arthur V., Myron M. and Martha M. The family belong to the Con-
gregational church of Lawler and in the social circles of that part of the county they
occupy an enviable position.

Mr. Zipse is identified with the Farmers Equity Association of Lawler and in mat-
ters of citizenship is always found on the side of progress and improvement. For three
years he has served as school director in Utica township, and his aid can always be
counted upon to support any project that looks to the material, intellectual, social and
moral development of his community.

JOHN D. FRAZEE.

The farm upon which he now resides on section 5, Chickasaw township, Chicka-
saw county, was the birthplace of John D. Frazee and he has spent his entire life
thereon. His natal day was April 23, 1873, apd his parents were John and Cyrena
(Beckwith) Frazee, the former born near Frankfort, Clinton county, Indiana, Feb-
ruary 5, 1841, while the latter was born in the state of New York. They came to
northern Iowa as children with their parents, the Beckwith family settling in River-
ton township, Floyd county, while the paternal grandfather, James L. Frazee, pur-
chased the farm that is now owned by John D. Frazee of this review, residing thereon
to the time of his death. He entered one hundred and sixty acres of land as a claim
from the government and this land has never passed out of the ownership of the
family. John Frazee and Cyrena Beckwith were married in New Hampton, April 28,
1868, and afterward settled upon the home farm, which the former continued to
cultivate until his father's death, when he became owner of the property. In 1900
he retired from active business and removed to Bassett, where he resided for nine

JAMES L. FRAZEE

MRS. JOHN FRAZEE

JOHN FRAZEE

I
I

JOHN D. FRAZEE

MRS. JOHN D. FRAZEE

JOHN LLOYD FRAZEE

p

CHICKASAW AXD HOWARD COUNTIES 451

years. Called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, he afterward returned to the
old homestead in order to reside with his son, John D., with whom he remained
to the time of his demise November 7, 1917, when he was seventy-six years of age.
He was a man of prominence in Chickasaw county and his worth was widely recog-
nized by all with whom he came in contact. He filled various township offices, was
a member of the board of county supervisors and was honored by his district by
election to the Iowa state legislature, serving in the twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth
general assemblies. He was a broad-minded, public-spirited citizen, a man of sterling
character, and over his official record there fell no shadow of wrong or suspicion
of evil. His wife, a most estimable lady, passed away November 9, 1909, at the
age of sixty-four years.

Following his father's death John D. Frazee purchased the home farm, which
then comprised two hundred and forty acres of land. Previous to this time he had
bought from his father eighty acres, so that his present holdings comprise three
hundred and twenty acres. He is one of the successful and progressive agricul-
turists of the community, his enterprise and diligence being the source of his con-
tinued prosperity.

In 1900 Mr. Frazee was united in marriage to Miss Emma Gillsbeck, of Chicka-
saw township, her parents being George and Elizebet Gillsbeck, the former a native
of Germany, while the latter was born in France. They were married in Galena,
Illinois, and subsequently came to Chickasaw county, Iowa, settling on a farm in
Chickasaw township, where they still make their home. Mr. and Mrs. Frazee have
one son, John Lloyd, who is a high school student at Charles City, Iowa.

Politically Mr. Frazee is a democrat and fraternally he is connected with the
Modern Woodmen of America. He h^s always lived upon the farm which is now his
home and which is endeared to him through the associations of his boyhood and
youth as well as those of manhood days. His business affairs have been most
wisely and carefully conducted and his enterprise has brought him steadily to the
front as one of the leading farmers of Chickasaw township.

JERRY J. BURESH.

Jerry J. Buresh, living on section 36, Jamestown township, Howard county, was
born in Linn county, Iowa, October 28, 1872, and is a son of George and Katherine
(Moses) Buresh. The parents were both of Austrian birth and came to the United
States with their respective parents in childhood. The two families settled in
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and it was there that Mr. and Mrs. George Buresh were mar-
ried in the year 1861. When their son, Jerry J. Buresh, was a little lad of but three
years they removed to Howard county, settling in Saratoga township upon a farm
situated on section 36. The father purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land
and at once began the active work of developing and improving that property.

Jerry J. Buresh was reared in the usual manner of the farmbred boy. He
worked in the fields during the summer months and in the winter seasons attended
the public schools. He continued to give his father the benefit of his services
until he was twenty-five years of age, when he started out in business life inde-
pendently, taking up the work of farming upon rented land. He first had forty
acres in land in Afton township, and this tract he successfully cultivated for a time.
Afterward he secured eighty acres in Jamestown township, where he has since
made his home, purchasing his farm from his brother Walter in 1906. Through the
intervening period he has concentrated his efforts and attention upon the cultivation
and improvement of his property and has made his an excellent farm. He facilitates
the work of the fields by utilizing the most highly improved farm machinery and in
all of his methods he is thoroughly progressive and enterprising.

On the 17th of May, 1898, Mr. Buresh was united in marriage to Miss Mary
Simon, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Anton Simon, who came from Austria to the new
world and are now living near Cedar Rapids, Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Buresh have

452 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

been born eight children, namely: Blanche, George, Otto, Orige, Benjamin Frank-
lin, Charles, Mary and Wesley, aged respectively eighteen, sixteen, fourteen, ten,
seven, six and three years. Of these Otto and Orige are twins, and all of the chil-
dren are yet under the parental roof.

Mr. Buresh and his family hold' membership in the Presbyterian church of
Saratoga and are people of genuine worth, enjoying the warm regard and good will
of many friends. In politics Mr. Buresh has always maintained an independent
course, voting for the candidates whom he regards as best qualified for office and
thus directly seeking the welfare and upbuilding of community, commonwealth and
country. He was a director of the Jamestown district school for three years. He
has ever been actuated by a patriotic spirit and during the recent war was ever
ready to respond to the call for aid in the Liberty Loan drives and in support of the
Red Cross. He stands for everything that is of benefit to the public, whether in
times of peace or in times of war, and his worth as a man and citizen is widely
acknowledged.

H. W. HOLSCHLAG.

The Holschlag family has long been identified with the farming and stock rais-
ing interests of Chickasaw county and has thus contributed in substantial manner to
the material development and upbuilding of this part of the state. H. W. Holschlag
now follows farming on section 20, New Hampton township, and was a boy of but
eleven years when his parents came to Chickasaw county. He was born in Scott
county, Iowa, March 29, 1866, and is a brother of B. A. Holschlag, in connection
with whose sketch on another page of this work appears mention of his parents.
He was reared in the usual manner of the farm-bred boy, attending the district
schools, and on reaching manhood he became the active assistant of his father in
the work of the home farm. He was thus engaged until 1894, when he took charge
of the farm and cultivated it as a renter for six years or until 1900. He then pur-
chased hi? present home place of one hundred and sixty acres, at which time the
farm was in a poor condition. The buildings upon it were little more than shacks.
All these have been torn down by Mr. Holschlag and replaced by substantial and
commodious modern farm buildings, so that he has today one of the splendidly im-
proved properties of Chickasaw county. He is also a stockholder in the New Hamp-
ton Farmers' Creamery Association and a member of the Chickasaw County Equity
Cooperative Association. His life has been one of thrift and diligence and his suc-
cess is the merited reward of persistent and earnest labor.

On the 29th of April, 1896, Mr. Holschlag was united in marriage to Miss Clara
Burgart, a daughter of Frank Burgart, who was one of the early pioneer settlers
of Chickasaw county and is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Holschlag have become
the parents of four children, as follows: Olivia E., who is the wife of Charles
Shiek, of Waterloo, Iowa; Wilfrid W.. who married Viania Kearns, of Chickasaw
county, and operates the home farm; and Lucena M. and Clair H., who are at home.
The family are members of St. Mary's Catholic church of New Hampton and socially
they are well known in their section, the hospitality of the best homes of New Hamp-
ton township being freely accorded them.

RAY I. LANDON.

One of the leading business establishments of Lawler is the drug and grocery
store of Ray I. Landon, who was here born on the 9th of April, 1886, a son of Judd
E. and Flora (Rigby) Landon. The father is a native of Wisconsin and the mother
of Iowa and in this state they were married. In the latter part of the '70s they
removed to Lawler, Mr. Landon establishing the present drug and grocery business.

CHICIC\SAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 453

which he developed to one of the foremost commercial enterprises of Chickasaw
county. In 1911 he went to Montana, where he homesteaded and bought land in
one of the pioneer sections of the state, his home being in Musselshell county, in
the northern central section of Montana. There had been few settlements made
at that time and with the development of the district Mr. Landon has made exten-
sive investments in property and is now the owner of sixteen hundred acres, on
which he is engaged in general farming and is also successfully conducting a general
country store.

Ray I. Landon was educated in the public schools of Lawler and at the Nora
Springs Seminary prior to entering the State University of Iowa at Iowa City, from
which he was graduated on the completion of a pharmaceutical course as a member of
the class of 1908. When he had completed his studies he returned to Lawler and
entered his father's store. In 1912 he was placed in charge of the business, over
which he has since presided, and he has been very active in developing the interests
of the house, the trade having grown to extensive proportions.

In 1910 Mr. Landon was united in marriage to Miss Madonna Keegan, of Lawler,
Iowa, by whom he has two sons, Lowell B. and Robert V. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lan-
don are members of the Catholic church and he is identified with the Knights of
Columbus. In politics he maintains an independent course. While he is giving his
attention largely to his mercantile interests, he has also become the owner of a
homestead in Musselshell county, Montana, of one hundred and sixty acres, which
he entered in 1910, proving up on the property in 1911. He spent sixteen months
in that state in 1910 and 1911 and as the years have passed his holdings there have
grown in value with the settlement of the district. However, he confines his atten-
tion largely to the management of his commercial interests in Lawler and he is one
of the alert and enterprising citizens of the town, wide-awake to the possibilities
opened in the natural ramifications of trade, while his sound judgment enables him
to avoid all the commercial pitfalls into which unrestricted progressiveness is so
frequently led.

THEODORE SCHOENFIELD.

A lifelong resident of Chickasaw county, Theodore Schoenfield was born in
Chickasaw township, March 3, 1877. He now makes his home on section 26 of the
same township and is busily and successfully engaged in farming. His parents,
Louis and Minnie Schoenfield, were natives of Germany, where they were reared
and married. Two of their children were born ere they emigrated to the new world,
crossing the Atlantic in the early '60s. For a few years they were residents of
Wisconsin and then came to Iowa, establishing their home in Chickasaw county,
where the father purchased a farm in Chickasaw township. He afterward bought
several other tracts of land and in later life occupied the farm which is now owned
by his son Theodore. He died upon this place in July, 1914, and thus passed away
one of the well known pioneer settlers of the county, who had contributed in sub-
stantial measure to its agricultural progress. He had long survived his wife, who
died in 1878, during the infancy of their son Theodore.

In the district schools Theodore Schoenfield received his education. He was
the youngest of the children in his father's family and as his elder brothers grew
up and left home the work of further developing and improving the farm devolved
upon him. He looked after his father and assisted in the operation of the home-
stead and in this way helped to pay for the farm which he now owns, his father
afterward turning over the property to him and giving him a deed for it.

In 1899 Mr. Schoenfield was married to Miss Anna Erion, a daughter of Michael
Erion, of Chickasaw township, who cast in his lot with the pioneer settlers of this
district. Mr. and Mrs. Schoenfield have become the parents of ten children, of
whom nine are yet living, namely: Frankel, Victor, Irene, Dora, Eva, Gladys,
Clarence, Helen and Leo, all of whom are yet at home.

454 CHICKASAW AXD HOWARD COUNTIES

Mr. Schoenfield is a member of the Evangelical church, and in political belief
is a republican. He has never sought nor desired political office or prominence of
any kind aside from business. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Cooperative
Creamery of Ionia and also in the Farmers Equity Association of Ionia and con-
centrates his efforts and attention almost solely upon his agricultural activities,
whereby he has gained a place among the men of affluence in Chickasaw township.

H. D. FALLOWS, M. D.

Dr. H. D. Fallows, a specialist in the treatment of diseases of the eye, ear, nose
and throat, has been actively engaged in practice along this line at New Hampton for
the past eight years and has won a place among the foremost representatives of
this branch of the profession in Iowa. He was born in Waucoma, Fayette county,
this state, on the 31st of May, 1883, his parents being Fred and Maggie (Barbour)
Fallows, also natives of that county. The paternal grandfather was born in Eng-
land, while the grandmother emigrated to the United States from Germany, and
the grandparents in both the paternal and maternal lines established their home
among the early pioneers of Fayette county, Iowa. The grandfather of Dr. Fallows
on the paternal side is still living at the venerable age of ninety years, making
his home at Waucoma, where also resides the maternal grandmother, who has now
reached the age of seventy-seven years. Fred Fallows, the father of our subject,
has for the past fourteen years been a resident of Winona, Minnesota, where he
is successfully engaged in the harness business.

Following his graduation from the Waucoma high school in 1901, H. D. Fal-
lows entered the State University of Iowa at Iowa City, where he pursued a medical
course and won the degree of M. D. in 19 05. He then opened an office at Fredericks-
burg, Chickasaw county, Iowa, and was there engaged in general practice until
1910, after which he spent a year in Europe, devoting seven months to the study
of diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat in Vienna, Austria, and later attending
different clinics throughout the continent. On returning to the United States in
1911 he located for practice at New Hampton, Iowa, and has since given his atten-
tion to his chosen field of professional activity with such success that he has gained
a place in the foremost ranks of eye, ear, nose and throat specialists in the state.

On the 21st of September, 1907, Dr. Fallows was united in marriage to Miss
Blanche Tompkins, of Fredericksburg, Iowa, by whom he has two children, Evelj'n
and Ronald. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and in
Masonry he has attained high rank, belonging to Fredericksburg Lodge, A. F. &
A. M.; Adelphia Chapter, No. 113, R. A. M.; New Hampton Council, No. 29, R. &
S. M.; Eudora Commandery, No. 53, K. T.; and El Kahir Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.
of Cedar Rapids. He is likewise identified with the Knights of Pythias as a member
of Lancelot Lodge, No. 183, of New Hampton. Dr. Fallows has already achieved a
measure of success in his profession that many an older practitioner might well
envy and bis many friends feel that a bright future lies before him.

L. A. GRANGER.

Since 1909 L. A. Granger has owned, and occupied a farm on section 27, Chicka-
saw township, Chickasaw county, and he is further known as a representative busi-
ness man of his community by reason of the fact that he is successfully engaged in
selling automobiles and auto trucks, making Nashua the headquarters for this
branch of his business. He was born in Bremer county, Iowa, April 2, 1872, and is
a son of E. A. and Olive (Marsh) Granger, who are mentioned in connection with
the sketch of W. A. Granger on another page of this work.

In the public schools of Nashua, L. A. Granger mastered the branches of learn-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 455

ing that usually constitute the common school curriculum and in his youthful days
aided his father in the conduct of business interests. He was married on the 16th
of March, 1892, to Miss Carrie Dana, a daughter of Osman and Mary Ann (Suther-
land) Dana, who were born in the east but became acquainted and were married in
Illinois. They afterward removed to Bremer county, Iowa, and still later became
residents of Chickasaw county, casting in their lot with its pioneer settlers, and here
they spent their remaining days.

It was after his marriage that L. A. Granger rented his father's old home
place in Bremer county, continuing its cultivation for five years, at the end of which
time he purchased a part of the farm and lived thereon for another period of
eight years. He then sold his property in Bremer county and came to his present
place on section 27, Chickasaw township, Chickasaw county, in 1909. Through the
intervening period he has carried on general agricultural pursuits here and his
place presents a most attractive appearance, indicative of the care and labor which
he bestows upon it. He is also engaged in the sale of automobiles and auto trucks,
handling the Commerce truck, and his business along this line is conducted with
Nashua as his headquarters.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger have become parents of seven living children: Mrs. W.
B. Hammond; Mrs. C. H. Isley; Hazel, who is a teacher in the Nashua high school;
Florence and E. A., who are high school students; and Williard A. and Harold, who
are pupils in the graded schools. The daughters Helen and Hazel are also graduates
of the Iowa State Teachers College at Cedar Falls. It is one of the strong purposes
of Mr. and Mrs. Granger to give their children excellent educational opportunities
and thus qualify them for life's practical duties and responsibilities.

Mr. Granger is a member of Ionia Lodge, No. 206, M. B. A. He and his
family attend the Congregational church at Ionia and are well known in the town and
through the surounding country. The hospitality of their home is greatly enjoyed
by many friends and they are highly esteemed wherever known.

FRED REINHART.

Fred Reinhart, a successful farmer and public-spirited citizen living on section
3 2, Washington township, Chickasaw county, was born in Paris township, Howard
county, September 4, 1875. He is a son of Samuel and Anna (Lehmann) Reinhart,
both of whom were natives of Switzerland. The father left the land of the Alps to
become a resident of America in young manhood. The mother crossed the Atlantic
when a girl in her teens in company with her parents, who settled at Elgin, Iowa.
Mr. and Mrs. Reinhart were married at West Union, this state, in May, 1853, and
afterward took up their abode near Lawler, in Howard county, where they resided
for a quarter of a century. They then became residents of Cresco, where the fol-
lowing eighteen years of their lives were spent and on the expiration of that period
they established their home in Alta Vista, living with their son Samuel, who resided
on a farm one mile from the town, on the Howard county line. The father passed
away March 2, 1914, at the age of eighty-five years, ten months and twenty-six
days, and the mother is still living, now making her home with her daughter, Mrs
Fred Heimerdinger, in Paris township, Howard county. Mr. Reinhart was a man of
sterling character, a citizen of loyal and progressive spirit and was one of the
pioneer builders of northern Iowa.

Fred Reinhart, after attending the district schools and working for a time on
his father's farm, began earning his living as a farm hand and for nine years
worked for wages. In 1903 he began farming for himself and in connection with
his brother William carried on agricultural pursuits for two years. After his
marriage he rented land adjoining Schley, Iowa, and later came to Chickasaw county,
buying eighty acres of land on section 18, Washington township. This he cultivated
for four years and then traded the property for his present farm of eighty-five acres,
which he has since owned and occupied.

456 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

In 1905 Mr. Reinhart was united in marriage to Miss Loise Lipplca, of Le Mars,
Stanton township, Plymouth county, Iowa. They now have two daughters, Leona C
and Oletha H. In his political views Mr. Reinhart is an earnest republican, having
supported the party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He and
his wife are consistent members of the Evangelical church and in Washington
township they have an extensive circle of friends, the hospitality of the best homes
being freely accorded them. A life of diligence has gained for Mr. Reinhart a place
among the successful farmers and leading citizens of his township and at all times
he has manifested a public-spirited devotion to the general good.

REV. F. J. GUNN.

Rev. F. J. Gunn, pastor of the Immaculate Conception parish of the Roman
Catholic church at Elma, was born in Strokestown, in the county of Roscommon,
Ireland, on the 26th of December, 1851. His early education was acquired in
private schools and subsequently he attended All Hallows College of Dublin, from
which famous institution he was graduated on the 24th of June, 1877. He there
pursued courses in philosophy and theology and he afterward spent six months in
travel in Europe and America. On the 11th of January, 1878, he was given his
first charge, being assigned to the Immaculate Conception parish at Charles City,
Iowa, where he remained for five years. He was then transferred to Elma in the
fall of 1882 and throughout the intervening period, covering thirty-seven years,
has been the priest in this parish. All of the present church buildings have been
erected under his direction, including the church edifice, the convent and the
parsonage. These three buildings today could not be erected for one hundred
thousand dollars and there is not a dollar's indebtedness upon them. In his years
•of church work in Elma, Father Gunn has made himself popular with people of
all classes and creeds and is greatly beloved by those of his own flock. He also
acts as counselor in temporal as well as spiritual affairs and has been the guide
and friend of his people in the fullest sense of the term.

EDWARD W. STALEY.

Edward W. Staley is well known as one of the prominent and representative
citizens of Nashua, where he is successfully engaged in the real estate and insurance
business. His birth occurred in Tallula, Illinois, on the 6th of January, 1880, his
parents being John W. and Emma (Dickinson) Staley, the former born near Millers-
burg, Kentucky, while the latter is a native of Petersburg, Illinois. They were
married in Virginia, Illinois, on the 12th of February, 1879, and for several years
John W. Staley was proprietor of the Occidental Nurseries at Tallula, that state.
In 1886 he took up his abode on a farm and three years later removed to Chandler-
ville. Illinois, where he conducted a nursery throughout the remainder of his life,
passing away on the 12th of November, 1912. His widow still survives and now
makes her home in Nashua, Iowa.

Following his graduation from the high school of Chandlerville, Illinois, as a
member of the class of 1897, Edward W. Staley continued his studies in Berea
College of Berea, Kentucky. In 1900 he went to Kansas City and through the
•succeeding four years represented a wholesale millinery house as traveling sales-
man. Becoming identified with the rubber business, he was for two years associated
with the old Trenton Rubber Company, while in 1908 he went to St. Louis, Missouri,
as city salesman for the Diamond Rubber Company. A year or more later he suc-
ceeded to the management of the latter concern and continued in that important
capacity until 1914, when he associated himself with the Republic Rubber Company,
which he represented in the state of Iowa, making his home in Nashua. In 1918

REV. F. J. GUNN

Vol. 11—29

1

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 459

he severed his connection with the Republic Rubber Company and embarked in the
real estate and insurance business in Nashua, where he has since conducted his
interests along that line with gratifying success. He is thoroughly acquainted with
realty values and has negotiated many important property transfers, while the
insurance branch of his business has also become extensive and profitable.

On the 11th of January, 1911, Mr. Staley was united in marriage to Miss Ethel
Granger, a daughter of W. A. Granger, a lumber dealer and prominent business man
of Nashua. Mr. and Mrs. Staley now have two children, Harlan G. and Edward R.

Mr. Staley gives his political allegiance to the republican party and fraternally
is identified with the Masons, belonging to Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M.;
De Molay Consistory, No. 1, A. & A. S. R., of Clinton, Iowa; and El Kahir Temple,
A. A. O. N. M. S., of Cedar Rapids. In religious faith both he and his wife are
Congregationalists. They are widely recognized as people of genuine personal worth
and have gained many friends during the period of their residence in Nashua, where
the hospitality of the best homes is freely extended them.

SMITH B. BELLAMY.

Smith B. Bellamy is the proprietor of the S. B. Bellamy Lumber Company and
has won a substantial position in the ranks of the foremost business men of Nashua.
He was born April 6, 1871, in the city which is still his home, his parents being
George T. and Sarah A. (Smith) Bellamy. The father was born in the state of
New York, where he resided to his fifteenth or sixteenth year, when he removed to
New York city, where he was employed for a time as a clerk. Subsequently he
drifted westward and took up his abode in Cedar Falls, Iowa, where he became
identified with the grain and live stock business, entering into association with A.
A. Turner under the firm style of Turner & Bellamy. His firm prospered in their
undertakings and later controlled a line of elevators from Hayfield, Minnesota, to
Dubuque, Iowa, thus becoming owners of a business of extensive proportions. While
in Cedar Falls the father was married and later he and Mr. Turner removed to
Waverly, Iowa, where they established a grain and live stock business. The year
prior to the building of the railroad into Nashua they moved the seat of their opera-
tions to this point and in addition to handling grain and live stock they established
a lumberyard and also dealt in agricultural implements and coal. The parent
house of the concern from this period (about 1860) remained in Nashua but their
operations extended over an extensive section of northern Iowa and southern Min-
nesota, the firm of Turner & Bellamy becoming known as extensive operators along
these various lines. Mr. Bellamy passed away February 21, 1903, but the mother
of our subject is still living and resides in the old Bellamy home in Nashua.

Smith B. Bellamy, whose name introduces this review, was educated in the
public schools of Nashua and in the Minnesota State University. From his boyhood
days he worked in his father's office and grew up in the business. Following his
father's demise in 1903, he conducted the business for his mother for a year and
•in 1904 he purchased the lumber, coal and implement business at Nashua that had
been previously conducted by the firms of Turner & Bellamy, Bellamy & Smith and
the Bellamy Lumber Company. This firm disposed of their line of elevators and
all of the business outside of Nashua. When Mr. Bellamy bought into the business
in 1904 he was associated with F. E. Gates, of Marble Rock, and A. W. Dawson,
of Mason City, as partners. The business was incorporated under the name of the
Bellamy-Gates-Dawson Company and the firm existed in this form for six years, at
the end of which time Mr. Bellamy took over the interests of his partners, becoming
sole owner. He has large lumber and coal yards, and his trade has reached very
gratifying proportions as the result of his capable business management, his straight-
forward dealing and his enterprising methods.

On the 15th of September, 1891, Mr. Bellamy was married to Miss May Putney,
of Nashua, and they have become the parents of three children, of whom two survive.

460 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Ruth and Doris. The former was educated in the State Teachers College at Cedar
Falls, Iowa, and at the Waterloo Business College and has recently returned from
Camp Wheeler, Georgia, where she was in the Training School for Nurses. The
younger daughter is still a high school pupil.

In his political views Mr. Bellamy is a democrat but not an office seeker. He
belongs to Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M., and has attained the thirty-
second degree in the Scottish Rite in De Molay Consistory No. 1, S. P. R. S., at Clin-
ton, Iowa. He is likewise connected with El Kahir Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at
Cedar Rapids. His wife is a member of the Episcopal church. Nashua claims this
worthy couple as leading and representative citizens and Mr. Bellamy's position in
business circles is among the foremost. He is keenly alive to the possibilities of
every new avenue opened in the natural ramifications of trade and has passed over
the pitfalls into which unrestricted progressiveness is so frequently led, thus being
enabled to focus his energies in directions where fruition Is certain.

G. J. SCHMIDT.

G. J. Schmidt carries on general farming on section 23, Afton township, How-
ard county, where he has one hundred and thirteen acres of land. He was born
in Germany, January 18, 1873, and is a son of John G. and Paulina (Riska) Schmidt.
He came to this country when a youth of sixteen years and after landing on the east-
ern coast made his way at once to Iowa, establishing his home in Alta Vista, Chick-
asaw county. Two years later his parents also crossed the Atlantic and became
residents of Alta Vista. In the interval G. J. Schmidt began work as a farm hand
and thus provided for his own support for a period of five years. Later he took up
his abode with his parents and assisted his father in farming for five years. On the
17th of July, 1900, he purchased the place upon which he now resides, becoming
owner of one hundred and thirteen acres of good land on section 2d, Afton town-
ship. His labors have since converted it into a rich and productive place and all the
evidences of modern progressive farming are there seen. The father of Mr. Schmidt
passed away in 1899, but the mother is still living, making her home with a son
in Alta Vista. She has reached the age of seventy-six years.

It was on the 30th of August, 1899, that Mr. Schmidt was united in marriage
to Miss Abbie Bower, a daughter of Jake and Lenora (Fortune) Bower, the former
a native of Scotland, while the latter was born in the state of New York. Mrs.
Schmidt was born in Alta Vista, Iowa, and by her marriage has become the mother
of five children: Lenora, who has completed her public school course and is living
at home; Hazel, who has finished school and is at home; Max, who is attending the
public schools; John, three years of age; and Olga, who is but a year old.

Mr. Schmidt and his family attend the Lutheran church. As soon as he had
attained his majority he took out his citizenship papers and has ever been a loyal
adherent of American interests. During the period of the World war he was a
liberal supporter of all the Liberty Loan drives and made generous contribution to
the Red Cross. He has served on the school board for four terms and is a stalwart-
champion of the cause of public education. In fact his aid and cooperation can be
counted upon to further any plan or project for the public good and his interest in
the general welfare has been manifest in many tangible ways.

WILLIAM G. HERRICK.

William G. Herrick, residing upon his farm which lies within the corporate
limits of Fredericksburg, was born in the state of New York, July 23, 1856, a son of
James H. and Elizabeth L. (Eldrett) Herrick. The father was a native of Schenec-
tady county. New York, and the mother was born in England, coming to this country
with her parents during her girlhood. The family settled in Montgomery county.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 461

New York, where Mrs. Herrick attained to womanhood and was married. In 1865 Mr.
and Mrs. James H. Herrick removed westward to Iowa, settling in Fredericksburg
township, Chickasaw county, where the fatlier purchased a farm of one hundred and
sixty acres, to which he added from time to time, and in subsequent years he bought
and sold several farms. His home farm, however, through a considerable period
comprised two hundred and forty acres, on which he carried on general agricultural
pursuits and stock raising, annually producing good crops and selling considerable
stock. He died in 1909, having for many years survived his wife, who passed away
in 1385.

William G. Herrick was educated in the district and town schools of Fredericks-
burg and in the spring of 1878 he began farming on his own account on land which
his father had contracted to buy for him, William G. Herrick to make the deferred
payments. The first crop which he raised was wheat but this was the first of the
three years of the failure of the wheat crop in Iowa, and unable to produce the
crop, Mr. Herrick was compelled to lose his farm. He then returned home and
worked with his father until the spring of 1889, when he removed to a small place
of his own in Dresden township. He first made investment in eighty acres and
later added forty acres to that tract. For twenty-five years he continued to reside
upon that farm, which he still owns. In 1914 he bought twenty-three acres in the
corporate limits of Fredericksburg and built thereon a modern residence supplied
with electric lights, hot and cold water, bath and all modern conveniences. He took
up his abode there and is most comfortably situated in life, his success in the cultiva-
tion of his farm enabling him to enjoy all of the necessities and many of the com-
forts of life.

In 1888 Mr. Herrick was united in marriage to Miss Luemma Dayton, a daugh-
ter of Henry Dayton, who came to Chickasaw county from Wisconsin about 1868,
settling in Stapleton township. To Mr. and Mrs. Herrick have been born two chil-
dren: Mabel E., who is a student in her senior year in the Pestalozzi-Froebel Train-
ing School of Chicago, was a primary teacher in the Fredericksburg schools for six
years and was a junior supervisor for the Mutual Chautauqua Company during the
summer of 1918, while in the summer of 1919 she traveled with the Ellison & White
Chautauqua Company as junior supervisor. John D. is operating his father's old
home farm.

In politics Mr. Herrick has always been an earnest republican, thoroughly versed
on the questions and issues of the day but never an office seeker. He is connected
with Mount Horeb Lodge, No. 333, A. F. & A. M., and with the Modern Woodmen
of America. His life has been characterized by high and honorable principles,
making him a citizen of worth in his community, and through the careful and syste-
matic conduct of his business affairs he has not only advanced his individual fortunes
but has also contributed to public prosperity and to the agricultural development
of this section of the state.

JERRY C. MARR.

Jerry C. Marr, a dealer in produce at Alta Vista, was born in Howard county,
Iowa, September 12, 1877. His father, William Marr, was a native of Hamburg,
Germany, but was brought to this country by his parents when but three years
of age, the family home being first established in Buffalo, New York. Later a
removal was made to Mineral Point, Wisconsin, where the grandparents spent their
later years. It was in that state that William Marr was reared to manhood and after
attaining adult age he wedded Rosella Yeager, who was probably born in Wisconsin.
A year after their marriage, or in the spring of 1864, they came to Iowa, traveling
westward with an ox team and wagon. They took up their abode in Afton township
Howard county, where Mr. Marr purchased eighty acres of government land. He had
but little money and could make only a small cash payment. He built thereon a log
cabin to provide shelter for his wife and baby and a log barn for his cattle. He

462 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

then proceeded in earnest to make a home for his family, but in the early days they
had to endure all of the hardships and privations which are incident to the settlement
of the frontier. His marketing in those days was done at McGregor, making the
journey of more than eighty miles each way by ox team. It required an entire week
to complete the trip with favorable weather. Various difficulties were endured by
the family in those pioneer times, but as the years passed on conditions changed
and in his farming operations Mr. Marr prospered. As he was able to save some-
thing he added to his land and in time became one of the very prosperous residents
of Howard county, owning twelve hundred acres of Iowa's rich and productive soil.
He died March 5, 1899, and for a decade was survived by his wife, who passed away
in March, 1909.

The youthful days of Jerry C. Marr were unmarked by any event of special
importance. He attended the district schools and in his youth worked with his
father upon the farm. Following his father's death in 1899 he took charge of the
home place and continued its cultivation for seven years. In 1906 he removed to
Alta Vista and for two years represented a company in the purchase of flax. In
1908 he engaged in the produce business on his own acount and has since been
prominently identified with that work, winning substantial success as the years
have gone on.

In 1903, while still residing upon the farm, Mr. Marr was united in marriage
to Miss Bertha Doyle, a daughter of Matt Doyle, who was one of the earliest of the
pioneer settlers of Deerfield township, Chickasaw county. Mr. and Mrs. Marr have
become the parents of two sons, Glenn F. and Elvoy M.

Voting with the democratic party since age conferred upon him the right of
franchise, Mr. Marr is regarded as one of its stalwart supporters but has never been
an aspirant for public office. He and his family are members of the Catholic church
and his position in commercial circles is that of one of Alta Vista's most prominent
and representative business men.

D. P. O'CONNOR.

D. P. O'Connor, the efficient postmaster of Lawler, was appointed to that posi-
tion on the 1st of September, 1913, and has since made a most creditable and com-
mendable record In that connection. His birth occurred in Independence, Buchanan
county, Iowa, on the 19th of January, 1874, his parents being Timothy and Ellen
(Curran) O'Connor, both of whom were natives of Ireland. The father came to the
United States as a youth of seventeen years, while the mother was brought to this
country by her parents when but two years of age. Their marriage took place at
Garry Owen, Jackson county, Iowa, and they settled on a farm in Dubuque county
which Timothy O'Connor owned. In the early '70s they removed to the vicinity of
Independence, Iowa, where the father continued farming until about 1905, when
he put aside the active work of the fields and took up his abode in the town of In-
dependence. His wife had passed away on the farm in 18 90. In November, 1915,
Mr. O'Connor came to Lawler with the intention of establishing his home here, but
his demise occurred about two weeks later and before he had unpacked his goods.

D. P. O'Connor pursued his education in the schools of his native town and on
attaining his majority went to Chicago, where he was employed at the stock yards
for a year. At the end of that time he returned to Independence, where for six-
teen months he worked in the Iowa Hospital for the Insane. In 1899 he came to
Lawler and here secured employment in the store of O'Connor Brothers, conducted
by his two brothers, Timothy and James O'Connor, in whose service he remained
for about two years. Subsequently he spent six years as assistant cashier in the
Merchants' Exchange Bank, now the State Savings Bank of Lawler, and later had
charge of the station of the Standard Oil Company in Decorah, Iowa, for one year.
He next devoted a year to the buying of horses and then became traveling salesman
and station manager at Calmar, Iowa, for the Hawkeye Oil Company, who he rep-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 463

resented for about three years, spending about half of the time on the road. He
was afterward placed in charge of the Farmers' Elevator at Lawler, ably serving
in that position for three years. On the 1st of September, 1913, he was appointed
postmaster at Lawler, in which capacity he has since continuously served, making
a most excellent record by capable and faithful discharge of his duties.

In 1902 Mr. O'Connor was united in marriage to Miss Anna Burke, of Lawler,
Iowa, by whom he has three children, Charles F., Helen and Timothy, who are still
under the parental roof. Mr. O'Connor gives his political allegiance to the demo-
cratic party, while the religious belief of himself and family is that of the Catholic
church. Fraternally he is identified with the Catholic Order of Foresters. His
career has been upright and honorable in every respect and he has become widely
recognized as one of Lawler's leading and representative citizens.

WILLIAM LUNDT.

William Lundt, one of the foremost business men of Nashua, where he has suc-
cessfully conducted his interests for nearly a quarter of a century, is a dealer in
furniture, rugs and musical instruments and also carries on an undertaking estab-
lishment. His birth occurred in Clayton county, Iowa, on the 7th of December,
1872, his parents being Henry and Margaret (Brockmann) Lundt, the former a
native of Germany, while the latter was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1853, when
a youth of fourteen years, the father emigrated to the United States with his parents,
who settled in Clayton county, Iowa. There he wedded Miss Margaret Brockmann,
who had been taken by her parents to that county in 1860. Following his mar-
riage Mr. Lundt carried on general agricultural pursuits in Clayton county for about
three years and then in 1874 removed to Butler county, purchasing a farm four
miles from Clarksville. To the cultivation and further improvement of that prop-
erty he devoted his attention throughout his remaining days, his death occurring in
1903. His widow subsequently sold the farm and has since resided in Clarksville.

William Lundt attended the district schools in the acquirement of an education
and was married at the age of twenty-two years, after which he cultivated the farm
of his father-in-law for two years. In October, 1896, he came to Nashua, Chickasaw
county, and in association with Henry Luhring embarked in the furniture and under-
taking business under the firm style of Lundt & Luhring. Six years later he pur-
chased his partner's interest and has since conducted the business alone. During
the period of his association with Mr. Luhring the latter carried on the undertaking
branch of the business, and in order to acquaint himself therewith, Mr. Lundt at-
tended the Barnes School of Embalming at Dubuque, the Eckles School at Milwaukee
and the Hohenschuh-Carpenter College of Embalming in Des Moines, receiving his
diploma from the last named institution. He was given his license on the 29th of
January, 1903, after passing the required examination before the state board.
Throughout the intervening years he has conducted his interests independently as a
furniture dealer and undertaker and has built up a most extensive and gratifying
patronage, enjoying an enviable reputation as a reliable, progressive and leading
merchant.

On the 18th of April, 1895, Mr. Lundt was joined in wedlock to Miss Laura
Leiteritz, a native of Butler county, by whom he has three children: Theckla L.,
who is the wife of H. S. Bell, superintendent of the public schools of Nashua; and
Loren W. and Laura A., twins, who are attending high school.

Mr. Lundt gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and is a valued
member of the city council, with which body he has been connected for about six-
teen.years. For the past five years he has also served as a member of the school
board, the cause of education finding in him a stalwart champion. Fraternally he is
identified with the following organizations: Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M.,
of Nashua. Iowa; Almond Chapter, No. 53, R. A. M.. of Charles City, Iowa; Nashua
Lodge, No. 391, I. O. O. F.; Nashua Lodge, No. 110, K. P.; the Modern Woodmen of

464 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

America; the Modern Brotherhood of America; and the Brotherhood of American
Yeomen. His wife belongs to the Nashua chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star
and both Mr. and Mrs. Lundt are consistent and devoted members of the Lutheran
church. Mr. Lundt has long been recognized as one of Nashua's most enterprising
and public-spirited citizens and one whose efforts have contributed in no small
measure to the business development of the city as well as to its intellectual, moral
and political progress.

NICK NOSBISCH.

The enterprising little city of Alta Vista profits by the labors of Nick Nosbisch, who
is a member of the firm of Hentges & Nosbisch, dealers in farm implements. He is num-
bered among Chickasaw county's native sons, his birth having occurred in Washington
township, September 9, 1881, his parents being Michael and Katherine (Spoden) Nos-
bisch. The father was born in Germany and the mother was a native of Dubuque county,
Iowa. Coming to the new world with his parents when quite young, tne father became
a resident of Iowa, the family home being maintained near Waterloo for a time. Mrs.
Nosbisch passed away in North Washington, Iowa, October 10, 1903.

In the public and parochial schools of Washington township Nick Nosbisch acquired
his early education and afterward spent a year in college at New Hampton, Iowa. He
remained with his parents to the time of his marraige, which was celebrated Novem-
ber 19, 1903, Miss Susie Hentges becoming his wife. She is a daughter of Nick and
Anna (Maiers) Hentges, both of whom are residents of New Hampton. Following his
marriage Mr. Nosbisch carried on farming for two years in Deerfield township, renting
a place during that period, and later he worked for E. C. Brenner, of Alta Vista for
four years. He then engaged in business with Peter Hentges under the style of Hentges
& Nosbisch as dealers in farm implements and they have since conducted their
trade with good results, their patronage steadily increasing. Mr. Nosbisch is also a
stockholder in the Farmers Cooperative Lumber Company at Alta Vista and the Farmers
Telephone Company of that place.

To Mr. and Mrs. Nosbisch have been born six children: Bertha, Mabel, Alfred,
Hazel, Marie and Ralph, all yet at home. The parents are communicants of St. Bernard's
Catholic church at Alta Vista, and in politics Mr. Nosbisch is a democrat. He has
served as a member of the town council for four years and has done effective work
in promoting public welfare through the exercise of his official prerogratives. Fra-
ternally he is connected with the Knights of Columbus at New Hampton. He is inter-
ested in all that has to do with public welfare and improvement, and his cooperation
can be counted upon in support of any measure for the general good. At the same
time he is a most progressive business man, largely giving his time and efforts to the
conduct of his trade, and the firm of Hentges & Nosbisch now handles a general line
of farm implements, buggies, wagons, cream separators, gas engines, tractors, thresh-
ing machines and windmills, displaying the output of the best manufacturing con-
cerns of the country. Their business methods are such as will bear the closest in-
vestigation and scrutiny, and integrity as well as enterprise constitute the foundation
upon which their success has been buil't.

PETER P. HENTGES.

Peter P. Hentges is engaged in the implement business at Alta Vista as senior
partner in the firm of Hentges & Nosbisch, and at all limes his record measures up to
the highest commercial standards and ethics. Thoroughly reliable in his dealings, he has
ever recognized the fact that satisfied patrons are the best advertisement and he has put
forth every effort to please his customers and win a trade that will make the business
a source of gratifying income.

NICK NOSBISCH

PETER P. HENTGES

I

i

4
I

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 467

Mr. Hentges was born at North Washington, Iowa, February 12, 1886, a son of
Nicholas and Anna (Maiers) Hentges. His father was born in Dubuque county, Iowa,
September 26, 1857, his parents being Peter and Mary (Sclimidt) Hentges. He obtained
a district school education in Concord township, Dubuque county, and afterward de-
voted his efforts and energies to the work of assisting his father upon the home farm
until his marriage on the 31st of January, 1882, to Miss Anna Maiers. She was born
in Liberty township, September 15, 1862, a daughter of John and Susan (Griner) Maiers.

Following his marriage Mr. Hentges remained upon the old homestead with his
parents for a year and then came to Chickasaw county, Iowa, establishing his home in
North Washington. Here he and his brother Peter conducted a general store for nine
years, at the end of which time their place of business was destroyed by fire. Having
thus lost his store, Mr. Hentges turned his attention to farming, having one hundred
and twenty acres of land, which was his share of the old family estate. He settled
upon this place in September, 1891, and continued its operation until October, 1911,
when he retired from active business. In the meantime he had been very successful
and had become the owner of two hundred and eighty acres of excellent land in Deer-
field township, Chickasaw county, and eighty acres in Richland township. He and his
wife now make their home in New Hampton, where they are most pleasantly situated.
They have reared a family of three sons and three daughters: Mrs. Susan Nosbisch, Mrs.
Mary Hilsman, Frank, Mrs. Barbara Delsing, Arthur and Nicholas.

The youthful days of Peter P. Hentges were quietly passed upon the home farm and
he continued to assist his father until he reached the age of twenty-four years, when he
was married and started out in business independently. He wedded Susan Lentz. a
daughter of Nick and Susan Lentz, both of whom were natives of Germany. Mrs. Lentz
still lives on the old home farm, which is situated two and a half miles west of North
Washington, but Mr. Lentz passed away upon that place about sixteen years ago. The
wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Hentges was celebrated September 26, 1911, on the anni-
versary of his father's birth. In the meantime Mr. Hentges after attending the paroch-
ial schools of North Washington had pursued his education in the Interstate School of
Commerce at New Hampton for a period of six months, taking a commercial course
there. He likewise attended the district schools of Deerfield township and thus his
training well qualified him for the important duties which have since devolved upon
him. He started in business with his present partner, Nick Nosbisch, a year prior to
his marriage and through the intervening period the firm of Hentges & Nosbisch has
been identified with the agricultural implement trade at Alta Vista. They carry a
large and carefully selected stock, including all kinds of farm machinery and tractors,
and their patronage is now extensive. Mr. Hentges is also a stockholder in the Farmers
Telephone Company of Alta Vista.

To Mr. and Mrs. Hentges have been born four children: Clifford, Clement, Elroy
and Robert. The parents are members of St. Bernard's Catholic church at Alra Vista,
and he is a member of Council No. 1697, K. C, of New Hampton. He votes with the
democratic party and when matters of public moment seek his aid and support it is
generously and quickly given. He is justly numbered among the representative mer-
chants and business men of his section of the county, and the course that he has always
pursued well entitles him to the liberal support accorded him.

WILLIAM DRAPE.

William Drape, the period of whose residence in Chickasaw county now covers
more than three decades, has made his home in Fredericksburg since 1915 but has
long been actively and successfully identified with agricultural interests and still
owns' two hundred and ninety-two acres of valuable land in the county. He has
also devoted considerable attention to con-tracting and building operations and has
moreover been an effective public servant, now acting as a member of the board of
county supervisors for the second term. His birth occurred in Germany on the 12th
of February, 1865, his parents being Henry and Marie (Shutte) Drape, who

468 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

emigrated to the United States in 1868 and made their way to Bremer county, Iowa.
There the father purchased a farm of one hundred and ten acres and carried on
general agricultural pursuits until about 1895, when he put aside the active work of
the fields and took up his abode in Tripoli, where he spent the remainder of his life
in well earned retirement. His demise occurred in 1915, when he had reached the
age of eighty-four years.

William Drape, who was but three years of age when brought by his parents
to the new world, obtained his education in the district schools of Bremer county
and when a youth of nineteen turned his attention to carpentering. In the spring of
1888 he purchased a small farm in Chickasaw county and began its cultivation but
at the same time continued his operations as a contractor and builder, supervising
the labors of a crew of workmen in this connection. He has resided in Fredericks-
burg since 1915 but still owns two hundred and ninety-two acres of rich and pro-
ductive land in Chickasaw county and has long been numbered among its most pro-
gressive, substantial and enterprising citizens. In November, 1914, he was elected
a member of the board of county supervisors, making so creditable a record that he
was reelected in 1918 and is now serving for the second term in that capacity.

On the 3d of May, 1888, Mr. Drape was united in marriage to Miss Alvina
Karnatz, of Dresden township, Chickasaw county, a daughter of John and Wilhel-
mina (Wahlfield) Karnatz, who came to the United States from Germany in 1874
and established their home in Chickasaw county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Drape have
become parents of four children, namely: Alma A. and Marie L., both at home; Min-
nie D., the wife of William Harms, who cultivates one of her father's farms; and
Herbert, who is yet under the parental roof.

In politics Mr. Drape is a stanch democrat and his fellow townsmen, recognizing
his worth and ability, have called him to public office. He served as township clerk
for six years and was a member of the election board when first a candidate for the
board of county supervisors, to which position he was chosen in spite of the fact
that he made no canvass. Both he and his wife are consistent members of the
Evangelical church and have an extensive circle of warm friends throughout the
community in which they make their home.

FRANCIS A. GLASS.

Francis A. Glass, engaged in the flour and feed business at Cresco, was born in
Carrolltown, in Cambria county, Pennsylvania, on the 30th of August, 1849, and is a
son of William A. and Mary A. (Miller) Glass. The father was a native of Westmoreland
county, Pennsylvania, while the mother's birth occurred in Munster, Cambria county.
Her mother was also a native of Pennsylvania but her father was born in the province
of Alsace, France, and was a soldier in Bonaparte's army. Solomon Glass, the great-
grandfather of Francis A. Glass, was also a native of France, and on emigrating to the
United States settled in Center county, Pennsylvania. William A. Glass pursued his
education in the public schools of Pennsylvania and followed the occupation of farming
as a life work, in connection with which he also operated a sawmill on the banks of the
Susquehanna river. His attention was directed to those two lines of activity until 1864,
when he removed westward with Iowa as his destination and took up his abode in New
Oregon township, Howard county. He then purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty
acres and with characteristic energy began its further cultivation and improvement. He
continued to operate that tract of land until about 1890. His wife passed away at the
age of eighty-two years and Mr. Glass then retired from active life and took up his
abode in Cresco, where his death occurred in 1892, when he was eighty-two years of
age.

Francis A. Glass spent his early boyhood upon the home farm in Pennsylvania and
was a youth of fifteen at the time of the removal of the family to Howard county, Iowa.
From that time to the present he has been identified with the interests of the middle
west. He continued his education in the country schools of Howard county and in the

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 469

Cresco high school and then took up the profession of teaching, which he successfully
followed for three terms, imparting readily and clearly to others the knowledge that he
had acquired. He afterward spent one year in Nevada county, California, but on the
expiration of that period returned to Howard county and entered the employ of Piatt &
O'Malley of Cresco, Iowa, who were proprietors of a general store. In that establishment
he continued for seven years, after which he devoted a year to general agricultural
pursuits, and he later became deputy county treasurer of Howard county, in which capac-
ity he served for a year and a half. He was next called to the oflBce of city recorder of
Cresco and was also elected to the position of alderman, in both of which offices he
discharged his duties with marked capability, promptness and fairness. He subsequently
turned his attention to the grocery trade, entering into partnership with C. F. Webster,
with whom he remained for two years. At the end of that time he bought out the in-
terest of his partner and he remained in the grocery business for twenty years, conduct-
ing a well appointed store and enjoying a large and continually increasing patronage. His
business methods would bear the closest investigation and scrutiny and his integrity as
well as his enterprise constituted one of the strong features in the growth of his trade.
While engaged in the grocery business he was also appointed postmaster of Cresco and
occupied that position for four and a half years. At length he disposed of his stock of
groceries and became the manager of the Copeland lumber yard, with which he was thus
connected for four years. He afterward engaged in the flour and feed business and is
now directing his efforts and attention along that line.

In 1886 Mr. Glass was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Fitzgerald, a daughter of
Patrick and Mary Fitzgerald of Winneshiek county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Glass became
the parents of three children: Francis R., Mary B. and Loyola A.

Mr. Glass votes with the democratic party, which he has supported since age con-
ferred upon him the right of franchise. He is always interested in matters of citizen
ship and those activities which have to do with the public welfare but has never sought
political preferment himself. His has been preeminently that of a business career. He
has concentrated his efforts and attention upon commercial pursuits and, making good use
of his time and opportunities, he has steadily advanced along lines leading to success.
He now has one of the substantial business enterprises of Cresco and his liberal pat-
ronage is well deserved.

W. A. GRANGER.

W. A. Granger is a member of Granger & Putney, dealers in lumber, coal and
agricultural implements and also conducting a successful business as grain buyers
at Nashua. A life of activity is bringing to him gratifying results in the attainment
of that success which is the legitimate goal of honorable business endeavor.

Mr. Granger was born in Bremer county, Iowa, September 12, 1858, a son of
Ebenezer A. and Olive (Marsh) Granger, the former a native of the province of
Ontario, Canada, while the latter was born in the state of New York. They were
married in De Kalb county, Illinois, where they had gone as children with their
parents. Prior to their marriage, in the fall of 1855, Mr. Granger came to Iowa
and located upon a farm in Bremer county. He then returned to De Kalb county
for his wife and in the spring of 1856 brought his bride to the pioneer home in Iowa
which he had established. In subsequent years he increased his holdings to three
hundred and twenty acres and resided upon his farm until 1888 or 1889, when he
rented the place and removed to Nashua. Here he became president of the Nashua
Water Power Company and was a dominant factor in the management of the cor-
poration, continuing in that capacity until his death, which occurred in October,
1907, when he was in his seventy-fourth year. His widow survived him until June,
1917, passing away at the age of seventj^-six years.

W. A. Granger, after attending the district schools, remained upon the home
farm and assisted his father in its development and management to the time of his
marriage. That important event in his life occurred November 28, 1879, Miss Mary

470 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

M. Nafus becoming his wife. The young couple took up their abode upon a farm
which was purchased by his father at the time of the marriage of the son. The
latter continued to cultivate the land for two years and assisted his father in paying
for the farm, in recognition of which he was subsequently deeded eighty acres. In
the spring of 1883 Mr. Granger of this review removed to Nashua and accepted a
position in the lumberyard of H. B. Laird. On the 1st of September of the same
year he purchased a half interest in the business and the firm style of Laird &
Granger was adopted. Under this name the partnership was maintained for twenty-
one years, at the end of which time Mr. Laird sold his interest to A. H. Nafus and
the firm became Granger & Nafus. The business was thus carried on until 1912,
when C. L. Putney became the successor of Mr. Nafus and the present partnership
of Granger & Putney was formed. Their business has reached large proportions.
They carry all kinds of lumber and builders' supplies, also coal and agricultural im-
plements, and in addition to their trade along these various lines are doing a profit-
able business as grain buyers.

Mr. and Mrs. Granger became the parents of two daughters: Ethel, now the
wife of E. W. Staley, who is engaged in the real estate and insurance business in
Nashua; and Mildred, who is principal of the schools of Adair, Iowa. The wife and
mother passed away June 9, 1912, and on the 3d day of May, 1917, Mr. Granger was
again married, his second union being with Mrs. Mary Dodd, who in her maiden-
hood was Miss Mary West, a daughter of Frank West, one of the well known early
settlers of Chickasaw county now living retired in Nashua. By her former marriage
Mrs. Granger had two children: Edith, the wife of Beam Patterson, a druggist of
Westside, Iowa; and Norris E., who is the proprietor of a sheep ranch at Haines,
Oregon. Mrs. Granger is a member of the Congregational church.

Politically Mr. Granger is a republican, having stanchly supported the party
since age conferred upon him the right of franchise, and in local political circles
he has long been a recognized leader. He served for two terms as mayor of Nashua
and did effective work on the side of law and order, completely putting out of ex-
istence the "blind pigs" that were operating in the town. He served for several
years as a member of the town council and ever exercised his official prerogatives in
support of the public good. He belongs to Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M.,
and has attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite in De Molay Consistory,
No. 1, A. & A. S. R., at Clinton, Iowa. He has likewise crossed the sands of the
desert with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine as a member of El Kahir Temple of
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and his wife and two daughters are members of Nashua Chap-
ter, No. 248, O. E. S. Mr. Granger likewise belongs to Nashua Lodge, No. 110, K.
P., and at all times he is a loyal follower of those different fraternities with which he
is affiliated. He is a man of social and genial nature, whose circle of friends constant-
ly broadens as the circle of his acquaintance widens. Those who have business rela-
tions with him speak of his capability and trustworthiness; those who know aught
of his official career attest his loyalty in citizenship, and those who meet him in so-
cial relations prize his friendship.

i

O'CONNOR BROTHERS.

James and Joseph O'Connor are the partners in the firm of O'Connor Brothers,
proprietors of one of the most important mercantile enterprises of Chickasaw county.
They are conducting business at Lawler and their progressive methods have resulted
in the upbuilding of a trade of very large and gratifying proportions. Their worth
to the community as representatives of mercantile interests is widely acknowledged.

James O'Connor was born in Independence, Iowa, April 23, 1871, and the birth
of Joseph O'Connor occurred in that place, August 21, 1883. They are sons of
Timothy O'Connor and in their youthful days had but limited educational oppor-
tunities. James O'Connor went to Chicago in 1893 and was employed in various
ways during the three years of his residence in that city. In 1896 he came to

CHICKASAW AND HOWAED COUNTIES 471

Lawler, where he engaged in merchandising, establishing business in a small way
on the site that the present extensive establishment of O'Connor Brothers now occu-
pies. His brother Timothy was a partner in the business until 1913, when he sold
his interest to another brother, Joe O'Connor, and the trade has since been carried
on by James and Joe O'Connor under the style of O'Connor Brothers. In 1916
they purchased three buildings, giving them command of the principal business cor-
ner of the town, and on this site they erected one of the most commodious and
finest business blocks in Chickasaw county with a frontage of sixty-six feet on Main
street and a depth seventy feet on the two east lots and a depth of sixty feet on the
west lot. They occupy two floors of the building with their business, carrying a
large and carefully selected line of general merchandise, and their sales have reached
a very substantial figure.

On the 20th of May, 1902, James O'Connor was married to Miss Agnes McEn-
aney, of Waucoma, and to whom have been born five children: Leo, Madonia,
Clarice, James J. and Catherine.

The brothers are both democrats in their political views and both are members
of the Catholic church. James O'Connor is a member of the Knights of Columbus
and the Catholic Order of Foresters. He takes a deep and helpful interest in pro-
moting the work of the church and in advancing many activities of public benefit.
In addition to his mercantile interests he owns a farm near Cresco, Iowa, in partner-
ship with his brother Timothy. The name of O'Connor has long been regarded as a
synonym for enterprise and progressiveness in commercial affairs, and Lawler may
well be proud of the establishment conducted by the firm of O'Connor Brothers.

EMIL J. POLASHEK.

One of the well known commercial establishments of Alta Vista is the meat
market owned by Polashek & Kaderabek, of which firm Emil J. Polashek is the
senior partner. He has always lived in Iowa, his birth having occurred in Tama
county, March 26, 1887, his parents being William and Rose (Bittner) Polashek,
who came originally from Austria. They arrived in the United States in 1880 and
established their home in Tama county, Iowa, where the father followed farming
for a quarter of a century. In 1905 he sold his farm property there and removed
to Chelsea, Tama county, where he bought a butcher shop, which he conducted for
five years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Protivin, and, disposing
of his meat market at Chelsea, bought another shop at Protivin, which he conducted
until 1916, when once more he sold out and on this occasion retired from active
business life. He still makes his home in Protivin, where for a long period he occu-
pied an enviable position in business circles.

Emil J. Polashek was a pupil in the district schools of Tama county and after-
ward attended the St. Prokopius College at Lisle, Illinois, for ten months, pursuing a
commercial course there and thus qualifying for life's practical and responsible
duties. When twenty years of age he began working at the butcher's trade, being
first employed at Garwin, Iowa, where he continued for a year with the firm of
Brechtbill, Morrison & Company. At the end of that time he bought out the busi-
ness in connection with W. H. Tode and became active in the organization of the firm
of Morrison, Conant & Company. A year later Mr. Polashek sold his interest in
the business to W. H. Tode and removed to Howard county in company with his
parents, his father having also disposed of his business interests in Tama county.
The family home was established in Protivin and Emil J. Polashek became the ac-
tive assistant of his father in the conduct of the meat market which the latter ac-
quired at that place. He continued as his father's assistant until 1910, when he
purchased a shop at Waucoma, Iowa, which he conducted for fifteen months. At
the end of that time he sold his business there and removed to Monona, Iowa, where
he again became the owner of a butcher shop, which he carried on for two years.
Once more he sold out and on this occasion removed to Cresco, Iowa, where he

472 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

entered the employ of V. N. Zender, with whom he remained for six months. His
next change in business made him the partner of Mr. Kaderabek in the ownership
of a market at Alta Vista. They acquired the business in 1914 and have since con-
ducted their interests under the present firm name of Polashek & Kaderabek. They
have a well appointed meat market with a good refrigerator and facilities for handling
the meat and by reason of their progressive methods and straightforward dealings
they have been accorded a very liberal patronage. As the years have passed Mr. Pola-
shek has prospered and besides his interests in the business at Alta Vista he is a stock-
holder in the Jacob E. Decker Packing Company of Mason City, Iowa.

On the 14th of February, 1911, Mr. Polashek was married to Miss Anna Novak,
a daughter of T. M. and Fronia (Kus) Novak. The father was born on this side
of the Atlantic but the mother is a native of Bohemia. Both are still living, their
home being in Protivin. Mr. and Mrs. Polashek have become the parents of two
children: Evelyn Margaret, six years of age; and Dorothy Irene, a little maiden of
three summers.

Mr. and Mrs. Polashek are members of St. Bernard's Catholic church of Alta
Vista, and his political faith is indicated in the allegiance which he gives to the
democratic party. Throughout the greater part of his life he has been identified
with the meat trade and his ability in this direction, combined with his indefatigable
energy and thrift, have been salient features in the attainment of his present day
success.

FRANK D. ELWOOD.

Frank D. Elwood is senior partner in the Elwood Land Company, in which con-
nection an extensive business is conducted. Mr. Elwood was born August 4, 1S60, in
Jackson county, Iowa, a son of Knisey and Percey (Dawse) Elwood. The father was
born at Sheridan, Mercer county, Ohio, June 23, 1826, and passed away at Wyoming.
Iowa, in 1902, at the age of seventy-six years. He had there been extensively engaged in
farming and stock buying and became one of the prominent live stock dealers of the
state. The mother was born at Birdhill, Ohio, November 14, 1835.

Frank D. Elwood pursued his education in the public schools of Wyoming, Iowa,
to the age of sixteen years, when he began buying and trading in live stock. In 1881
he left Iowa and traveled west through Colorado and Wyoming, working at various places
and having the usual experiences of the cowboy on the western plains at that period.
He was employed in connection with a number of the famous western outfits of those
days, being for a time in the employ of Bass & Bacon and also with the Black outfit.
In 1882 he returned on horseback, riding through the wild horse district, from Laramie,
Wyoming, to West Union. Iowa, the trip requiring from the 9th of December, 1882, until
the 26th of July, 1883. After a few months spent at West Union, Mr. Elwood removed
to Elma, Iowa, where he began trading and selling stock, and in 1888 he turned his atten-
tion to operations in land and is today associated with his sons in the latter connection.
They are numbered among the largest operators in northwestern Iowa and conduct busi-
ness under the firm style of the Elwood Land Company. They handled eleven thousand
acres of land in Howard county in 1919.

On the 30th of August, 1884, Mr. Elwood was married to Miss Katherine Harris, a
daughter of Martin and Katherine (Dunn) Harris. Mrs. Elwood was born in Toronto,
Canada, and in 1867 her parents came to the United States with their family, remaining
in Green Bay, Wisconsin, for six months and then removing to Vernon Springs town-
.ship, Howard county, Iowa. In 1876 they settled in Saratoga township, Howard county,
upon the farm where they resided until called to their final rest, the father in 1902 and
the mother in 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Elwood became the parents of four children: Reed,
born October 1, 1885, and Lee. born December 28, 1888, both represented elsewhere in
this work; Dale, who was born December 21, 1896, and is now a member of the Elwood
Land Company of Elma; and Frank, who died in infancy.

FRANK D. ELWOOD

Vol. II— SO

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 475

In his political views Mr. Elwood is a republican but not an office seeker, preferring
to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs, which have been care-
fully, wisely and profitably conducted.

ERNEST SCHULTZ.

Ernest Schultz, who carries on general farming on section 30, Washington town-
ship, Chickasaw county, was born August 17, 1880, on a place two miles south of his
present home. His parents, Herman and Johanna (Glienke) Schultz, were natives
of Germany, where they were reared and married. In 1874 they came to the
United States and first established their home in Chicago, where the father worked
as a mason for about four years. He then removed to Chickasaw county and took up
his abode on what is now known as the old Schultz homestead — the place upon which
Ernest Schultz was born. The father's first purchase of land made him the owner
of forty acres and he thereon engaged in general farming to the time of his death.
Both he and his wife spent their remaining days in Washington township, the latter
dying in 1910 and the former in 1913.

The youthful training and experiences of Ernest Schultz were those of the farm-
bred boy, for when quite young he began to assist his father in the tasks of plowing,
planting and harvesting as the farm work was carried forward from one season
to another. He determined to continue in the same line of work on reaching adult
age and originally purchased fifty acres of land from his father. He has increased
his holdings until his farm now comprises one hundred and twenty acres and the
place is now carefully and profitably cultivated and developed. The fields give
promise of substantial harvests and the methods followed in the cultivation of the
crops are of the most progressive character. In addition to his farming interests Mr.
Schultz is a stockholder in the Farmers Lumber Company of Alta Vista, also in the
Farmers Creamery of that place and in the creamery company he is one of the
directors.

On the 21st of February, 1906, Mr. Schultz was joined in wedlock to Miss Ida
Glienke, a daughter of Henry and Alvina (Schmidt) Glienke, who are now residents
of Alta Vista. Mr. and Mrs. Schultz have become parents of two daughters and a
son: Luella, born September 9, 1907; Ada, born July 28, 1909; and Harry, March
13, 1916.

The parents belong to the German Lutheran church of Alta Vista, and at the
polls Mr. Schultz gives his political allegiance to the republican party. Diligence
and thrift have constituted the foundation upon which he has built his present pros-
perity. His life has been quietly passed, his attention being always given to his
farming interests, and thus concentrating his efforts along a single line, he has won
the merited reward of labor. At the same time he is actuated by a progressive spirit
that has led him to study business conditions and opportunities and made him a
cooperant factor in the lumber company and in the creamery of Alta Vista.

S. H. SIMMONS.

S. H. Simmons, a retired farmer residing in Nashua, where he now conducts a pool
and billiard parlor, is numbered among the worthy native sons of Chickasaw county, his
birth having occurred in Richland township on the 19th of January, 1872. His parents
were Julius J. and Mary (Cooper) Simmons, the former a native of Pennsylvania, while
the latter was born in the state of New York. They were married in Kane county, Illi-
nois, where the father had taken up his abode as an orphan of eleven years and to
which place the mother had accompanied her parents in girlhood. Following his mar-
riage Julius J. Simmons devoted his attention to farming in Kane county, Illinois, for
a few years and in 1866 came west to Chickasaw county, Iowa. He purchased a farm

476 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

in Richland township and there carried on general agricultural pursuits with excellent
success throughout the reminder of his life. His demise, which occurred on the 8th of
February, 1912, was the occasion of deep and widespread regret, for he had gained an
extensive circle of warm friends during the forty-six years of his residence in the
county. His widow afterward became the wife of William Cole and now resides in
Yorkville, Illinois.

S. H. Simmons acquired his education in the district schools and when twenty-four
years of age was married. He continued on the home farm in Richland township and
was actively engaged in its cultivation until 1913, annually gathering good harvests as
a reward for the care and labor which he bestowed upon the fields. On abandoning ag-
ricultural pursuits he removed to Waterloo, where he was connected with the land
business, but in 1914 he came to Nashua, here devoting his attention to the land busi-
ness until September 1918. He then purchased a billiard and pool parlor in Nashua,
of which he has since remained proprietor and which he has conducted in such a man-
ner as to make it a popular and well patronized establishment.

On the 24th of January, 1896, Mr. Simmons was united in marriage to Miss Anna
Caswell, of Richland township, Chickasaw county, by whom he has five children, as
follows: Nellie, who is a teacher in the schools of Floyd county; Maurice, who is attend-
ing high school ; and Madge, Nora and Marian, who are pupils in the graded schools.

In local political circles Mr. Simmons is a well known worker in democratic ranks
and while living on the farm he served for several years as a member of the dem-
ocratic county central committee. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to Nashua Lodge, No. 391, and he is likewise a mem-
ber of the Modern Woodmen of America. His wife belongs to the Christian church.
Practically his entire life his been spent in Chickasaw county and that his career has
ever been an upright and honorable one is indicated by the fact that the acquaintances
of his boyhood and youth are still numbered among his stanch friends.

JOHN CHESTER.

Nature seems to have intended that man should enjoy a period of rest in the even-
ing of his days. In youth he is possessed of vigor and energy and hope. In mature
life sound judgment is developed and enterprise is intelligently directed. Therefore
if one uses his talents wisely and well he can reach a point where success is his in
later years and he is able to put aside further business cares. Such has been the
record of John Chestek, who now makes his home in Bassett but who for many years
was connected witli farming interests in Chickasaw county. He was born in Austria,
October 31, 1837, and is a son of John and Anna Chestek, both of whom passed away
in Austria.

John Chestek came to the United States in 1855, when a youth of eighteen years.
He made his way to Chicago, where he engaged in cutting timber for a time, and later
he removed to Racine, Wisconsin, but afterward returned to Chicago. He next became
a resident of Lake county, Illinois, where he carried on farming for eleven years. Mr.
Chestek came to Chickasaw county, Iowa, in the early days of the development of this
section of the state and first established his home in Deerfield township. He was quite
successful in carrying on his farming operations there and has accumulated two hun-
dred and forty acres of valuable farm land, together with ten acres of timber land.
As the years passed he brought his fields under a high state of cultivation and added
may improvements to the home place, which since his retirement some years ago has
been conducted by his son, Lee J. Year after year, however, Mr. Chestek carefully car-
ried on the farm work and won thereby a substantial measure of success that has en-
abled him in later years to live retired in Bassett.

In 1865 Mr. Chestek was married to Miss Emelia B. Cummins, a daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Levi Cummins. The latter made her home with Mr. Chestek for some years
prior to her death and subsequent to the death of her husband, which occurred in Wis-
consin. In 1907 Mr. Chestek was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 477

away in a Chicago hospital on the 17th of July of that year, having been taken to the
metropolis for medical treatment. To Mr. and Mrs. Chestek were born seven children,
three sons and four daughters, who are yet living, namely: Mrs. Ellen Stuart; Mrs.
Lillian Boutelle; Mrs. Mae Clark; Mrs. Louise Ebert; Edward and Lee J. both of whom
are married; and H. B.

Mr. Chestek has led a most useful, honorable and upright life and has long been a
consistent member of the Christian church of Charles City, Iowa. In politics he is a
stanch republican and served as road supervisor of Deerfield township and also as one
of the school directors of that township. He has ever endeavored to do unto others as
he would have them do unto him and has been loyal to every duty and responsibility
of life. He has thus come to an honored old age, and while he has now passed the
eighty-second milestone on life's journey, he still retains a keen interest in affairs of
the day and keeps in close touch with questions of the time.

GUY M. PADDEN.

Guy M. Padden, a representative and resourceful young business man of Fredericks-
burg, is now filling the position of cashier of the First National Bank of that place.
He was born in Superior, Nebraska, November 14, 1879, and is a son of Frederick and
Valeria A. (Babcock) Padden, the former a native of Ohio, while the latter was born in
Binghamton, New York. They were married in New Hampton, Iowa, having come to
Chickasaw county in their childhood with their respective parents. Following their
marriage they made several removals and the father passed away in Independence,
Kansas, in May, 1916. The mother, however, is still living and makes her home at In-
dependence.

Guy M. Padden was educated in the schools of Superior, Nebraska, graduating from
the high school with the class of 1897. Soon after the completion of his course he went
to Chicago and for four years was employed in the wholesale house of Marshall Field &
Company. In 1903 he came to Fredericksburg and entered the banking business, secur-
ing a position in the private bank of Shaffer Brothers & Padden. He made good in this
connection and was advanced to the position of cashier. Later the bank was converted
into the First State Bank and Mr. Padden continued as cashier of the institution until
1911, when he became connected with the First National Bank, then called the State
Savings Bank, as cashier. The bank upon being nationalized assumed the name
of the First National in 1914. Mr. Padden remains as cashier and is a most popular
official, extending the courtesies of the bank in every possible way to its patrons and
maintaining at all times a safe, conservative policy that thoroughly protects the inter-
ests of depositors.

In 1910 Mr. Padden was united in marriage to Miss Katharine Young, of New Hamp-
ton. Fraternally he is connected with Mount Horeb Lodge, No. 333, A. F. & A. M., and
Adelphia Chapter, No. 113, R. A. M., of New Hampton. He is also a member of Fred-
ericksburg Lodge, No. 661, I. O. 0. F., and of the Knights of Pythias Lodge at
New Hampton. He is always loyal to the teachings and purposes of these organiza-
tions and his life by reason thereof measures up to high standards. He is regarded as
one of the representative residents of Fredericksburg and by a wide acquaintance is
spoken of in terms of warm regard.

CHARLES L. PUTNEY.

Charles L. Putney is a prominent representative of the business interests of
Nashua as junior member in the firm of Granger & Putney, grain buyers and dealers
in lumber, coal and agricultural implements, which connection he has maintained
continuously since 1912. His birth occurred in Appleton. Wisconsin, on the 29th
of June, 1866, his parents being Samuel W. and Aurelia (Stone) Putney, both of

478 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

whom were natives of the state of New York. In childhood, however, they removed
with their respective parents to Wisconsin and in that state were reared and married,
after which the father engaged in farming near Appleton. In 1874 he came with
his family to Chickasaw county, Iowa, locating in Richland township, where he re-
mained for three or four years. On the expiration of that period he took up his
abode in Nashua and there continued to reside throughout the remained of his life,
passing away about 1914, while the death of his wife occurred about a year later.
They had resided in the county for a period covering four decades and had become
most widely and favorably known, so that their passing was the occasion of deep
regret.

Charles L. Putney acquired his education in the public schools of Nashua, pass-
ing through consecutive grades to his graduation from the high school with the
class of 1885. Later he attended a business college at Fayette, Iowa, and following
the completion of his studies accepted a position with the Appleton Manufacturing
Company of Appleton, Wisconsin, manufacturers of agricultural implements, being
in charge of the office for about eight years. In the spring of 1898 he returned to
Nashua and was made manager of a creamery conducted by the Sharpless Separator
Company, acting in that capacity for four years, while for seven years he served as
manager with the Gurler Creamery Company. Subsequently he spent three years in
the offices of the Bellamy-Gates-Dawson Lumber Company and in 1912 purchased the
interests of A. H. Nafus in the lumber business of Granger & Nafus, forming tiie
present firm of Granger & Putney. They conduct an extensive and profitable busi-
ness as grain buyers and dealers in lumber, coal and agricultural implements, and
the enterprise and excellent executive ability of Mr. Putney have contributed largely
to the continued growth and success of the concern.

On the 25th of July, 1891, Mr. Putney was united in marriage to Miss Helen R.
Enos, of Appleton, Wisconsin, by whom he had five children, four of whom still sur-
vive, namely: Leona, who is principal of the Junior high school at Rolfe, Iowa;
Truman, a stockholder in the firm of Granger & Putney of Nashua; Edith, who is a
teacher in the schools of Newell, Iowa; and Catherine, at home.

Since attaining his majority Mr. Putney has exercised his right of franchise in
support of the men and measures of the republican party, being a firm believer in
its principles. He has been an important factor in business circles and his pros-
perity is well deserved, as in him are embraced the characteristics of an unbending
integrity, unabating energy and industry that never flags. He is progressive and
public-spirited, giving his cooperation to every movement which tends to promote the
general welfare of community and state.

JOSEPH J. PROCHASKA.

Joseph J. Prochaska, proprietor of the Plain View Stock Farm of one hundred
and sixty acres, situated on section 22, Utica township, Chickasaw county, is well
known as a successful dealer in registered Poland China hogs, registered black polled
Angus cattle and pure bred Percheron horses, together with pure blooded Plymouth
Rock chickens. His live stock interests constitute a most important feature in his
business and he is known as one of the prominent and progressive stock raisers
of his section of the state.

He was born in Utica township, July 8, 1874, and is a son of Frank and Mary
(Ptacnik) Prochaska, both of whom were natives of Bohemia. They came to the
United States after reaching adult age and took up their abode in Chickasaw
county, where they were married. They settled upon a farm in Utica township
and as the years passed Mr. Prochaska prospered in the conduct of his business
affairs and became the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land,
of which he still owns one hundred and sixty acres. For many years he carefully,
systematically and profitably conducted his farm, and when he had acquired a

JOSEPH J. PROCHASKA AND FAMILY

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 481

handsome competence he retired from active business life and is now living in
Protivin, enjoying all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.

Joseph J. Prochaska was educated in the district schools and his training made
him thoroughly familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and cultivating the
crops during his boyhood days. Arrived at years of maturity, he was married on
the 18th of November, 1907, to Miss Mamie Fisher, of Winneshiek county, a daughter
of John Fisher, who was one of the early settlers of that county. To Mr. and Mrs.
Prochaska have been born four children, namely: Clarence J., Alice M.. Joseph R.
and May A.

In the spring following his marriage Mr. Prochaska began farming on his own
account and settled upon his present home place, which he rented from his father
for three years. In 1911, however, having carefully saved his earnings, he pur-
chased the farm and has since been the owner of this valuable property, which is
known as the Plain "View Stock Farm. In 1910 he began the breeding of thorough-
bred Poland China hogs and in 1918 began the breeding of thoroughbred polled
Angus cattle. In 1919 he took up the breeding of pure blooded Percheron horses
and he is well known as one of the leading stock breeders and raisers of this section
of the state. His reputation as a breeder of hogs is particularly wide, for he ships
his products as far as New York and New Jersey. He shipped thirty head of hogs
in the month of June, 1919, to Nebraska and Minnesota. He likewise raises fine
poultry and his business affairs are being most wisely and successfully conducted.

Since age conferred upon him the right of franchise Mr. Prochaska has voted
with the democratic party and is a firm believer in its principles but has never
sought nor desired office. He and his family are members of the Catholic church and
he belongs also to the Catholic Workmen. His attention, however, centers in his
business, which has been wisely managed, his efforts being put forth along lines
leading to continued success, and today he is one of the widely known and pros-
perous stock breeders of his native state.

M. W. MURRAY.

M. W. Murray is numbered among those men whose activities make them a dynamic
force in business circles. Lawler numbers him among her foremost citizens and he ia
well known in that section of the county as a dealer in live stock. He was born in
Chickasaw county, August 19, 1883, a son of Andrew and Margaret (Rourke) Murray,
both of whom were natives of Wisconsin. They came to Chickasaw county with their
respective parents in childhood and were here married. They began their domestic
life upon a farm a mile north and a half mile east of Lawler, the father becoming the
owner of three hundred and twenty acres. He bought and sold various farm properties
during the course of an active business life and was long and prominently identified
with the agricultural development of this section of the state. He passed away in 1906
at the age of fifty-eight years and is still survived by his widow, who resides with her
son, Roy Murray, in Utica township, Chickasaw county.

M. W. Murray, after attending the common schools and assisting in the further de-
velopment and improvement of the home farm until twenty years of age, then began
farming on his own account. It is said that he made a hand in the fields at the age of
nine years and handled three horses at the plow and on the drag. His life has ever been
one of marked industry, intelligently directed, and the results which he has achieved
have been most gratifying. Following his marriage in 1907 he continued to engage in
farming until 1911, when he removed to Lawler and concentrated his efforts and atten-
tion upon the live stock business. However, he still owns one hundred and twenty acres
of the old homestead and from this property derives a substantial annual income. He
is an excellent judge of live stock and his purchases and sales are therefore judiciously
and profitably made.

In November, 1907, Mr. Murray was married to Miss Genevieve Burns, a daughter

482 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

of 0. F. Burns, one of the prominent farmers of Stapleton township, and they became the
parents of four children: Mabel, Russell, William and Helen.

Mr. Murray is a democrat in his political views and has served as a member of the
town council. He has also filled the position of president of the Commercial Club for two
years and this, added to his six years' service on the town council, has made his work
in behalf of public progress and improvement one of great importance to the commun-
ity. His family are members of the Catholic church, and he is identified with the
Knights of Columbus, the Homesteaders and the Modern Woodmen of America.

J. C. HEWITT.

J. C. Hewitt is a member of the board of county supervisors in Chickasaw county
and is well known in its business circles as a live stock dealer. He was born in this
county, August 30, 1863, a son of John H. and Calista (Taylor) Hewitt, who were na-
tives of the state of New York. In childhood they accompanied their respective parents
to Whiteside county, Illinois, where they reached adult age and were married in 1855.
In the same year they removed westward to Chickasaw county and they were the first
couple to begin housekeeping in New Hampton. In 1858 they settled on a farm in
Washington township, four miles north of New Hampton, where Mr. Hewitt acquired
three hundred and twenty acres of land. As one of the pioneer settlers he contributed
in marked measure to the early development and improvement of the district and was
a most prominent and influential factor in the public life of the community. He held
practically all of the offices in Washington township and was one of the foremost citizens
of his part of the county, honored and respected for his sterling worth and his devotion
to the public welfare. His death occurred in New Hampton in March, 1916, when he
had reached his eighty-second year, and the mother still makes her home in New
Hampton, being now in her eighty-fourth year.

J. C. Hewitt was educated in the district schools and in the public schools of New
Hampton and at the age of twenty-one years worked in a general store of that place,
occupying the position for a year. On the expiration of that period he reurned to the
home farm and assisted his father up to the time of his marriage, which was celebrated
in 1888, Miss Amanda Davidson becoming his wife Mrs. Hewitt is a daughter of John
Davidson, a native of Union county, Pennsylvania, who removed with his parents to
Ohio in 1835, when a boy of ten years. In 1845 he became a resident of Laporte
county, Indiana, where he worked at the trade of carpentering and joining. The year
1856 witnessed his arrival in Iowa, at which time he took up his abode on Crane creek,
in Jacksonville township, Chickasaw county, where he invested in forty acres of land.
Two years later he bought land on section 10 of the same township and eventually by
additional purchase acquired four hundred acres. He resided tliereon to within five
years of his death and during the last period of his life was a resident of New Hamp-
ton. Through his untiring efforts and indefatigable labors he had become the owner
of one of the best improved farms of Chickasaw county.

After his marriage Mr. Hewitt served for one year in a clerkship in a New Hampton
mercantile establishment and in 1889 he began farming on his own account, cultivating
rented land for a period of five years, during which time he carefully saved his earn-
ings, and in 1894 was enabled to purchase a farm of one hundred and eighty acres in
Jacksonville township. He bought the same place which he had cultivated as a renter
and which was the farm on which Mrs. Hewitt was born. He continued to reside there-
on until 1909, when he removed to New Hampton and engaged in the live stock busi-
ness. In 1914 his son Lucian B. was admitted to a partnership under the firm style
of J. C. Hewitt & Son. Mr. Hewitt still owns his farm, which is now being operated
as a stock farm by a tenant, who conducts it on shares. Mr. Hewitt is devoting his
time and energies largely to his live stock dealing and has developed a business of ex-
tensive proportions.

To Mr. and Mrs. Hewitt have been born five children, four of whom are yet living.
Lucian B., a graduate of the New Hampton high school, is the junior partner of the

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 483

firm of J. C. Hewitt & Son, live stock buyers. Lowell C. is a graduate of the Ames Ag-
ricultural College, in whicli he took the ceramic course, and is now superintendent of
that branch of work in the largest clay working factory in the United States, at St.
Louis, Missouri. Myrtle B. is attending the Ames Agricultural College, and Marshall D.
is a pupil in high school.

In politics Mr. Hewitt is a democrat and was tlie only representative of his party
elected at the county's last election, on which occasion he was chosen for a second term
as one of the county's supervisors, winning with a vote of three to one over his oppo-
nent This fact certainly indicates his personal popularity, the confidence reposed in
him and the capability which he displayed during his first term's service in that posi-
tion. He also filled the office of city councilman for a period of four years and while
living upon the farm served for several years as president of the school board and for
four years was a member of the board of township trustees. He belongs to Arcana
Lodge, No. 274, A. F. & A. M., and he and his wife are members of the Order of Eastern
Star. They likewise hold membership in the Baptist church and its teachings guide
them in all the relations of life. In the work of the church they are deeply interested
and contribute generously to its support. Mr. Hewitt is ever found as the champion
of plans and measures for the public good, and his labors have been an effective force
for the material, intellectual, social, political and moral progress of the community.

SAM BARKER.

Sam Barker is now living retired in Fredericksburg but for many years was ac-
tively identified with farming in Chickasaw county. He was born in Yorkshire, Eng-
land, October 13, 1849, and has therefore reached the seventieth milestone on life's
journey. His parents were George and Isabella (Swale) Barker, who came to the United
States in the spring of 1854 and for a few years were residents of Cook county, Illinois.
In 1857 they removed to Chickasaw county, Iowa, reaching this place in June. The
father purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land froni the government on the
Bremer county line in Chickasaw county, paying a dollar and a quarter per acre, and
built thereon a frame dwelling. He continued to develop and further improve his farm
until the time of his death, which occurred July 26, 1891. At one time he owned eight
hundred acres of land, for as his financial resources increased he kept adding to his
holdings, realizing that real estate is the safest of all investments. His wife passed
away about ten years prior to the death of her husband and thus were called from the
scene of earthly activities two of the most worthy pioneer people of this section of the
state.

Sam Barker was educated in the district schools and in 1872, when twenty-two years
of age, began farming on his own account on a tract of eighty acres which had been
deeded to him by his father. Ambitious to win success, he subsequently purchased an-
other eighty acres from his father and from time to time invested in still other land
until he became the owner of about seven hundred acres. He has disposed of a portion
of this property but still owns three hundred and fifteen acres of valuable farm land,
from which he derives a substantial annual income. Year after year he carried on the
work of the fields and annually gathered good crops as a result of his care and labor.
He worked diligently, employing the most progressive methods in farming, and his
labors brought substantial returns. In 1915 he removed to Fredericksburg and the fol-
lowing year built one of the beautiful homes of the city, which he now occupies.

In 1872 Mr. Barker was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Knight, of Dresden town-
ship, and they became the parents of seven children, six of whom are yet living, namely:
Lena, the wife of Leland Hubbard, a farmer of Fredericksburg township; Harry G. and
Henry, twins, the former of whom is engaged in the operation of a farm in Dresden
township, while the latter is manager of a store in Sumner, Iowa; Roy, a farmer of
Dresden township; Maud, the wife of Roy Schoonover, a farmer of Fredericksburg
township; and Neil R., who is operating the home farm. The wife and mother passed
away on the 22d of June, 1914, and on the 14th of October, 1915, Mr. Barker was mar-

484 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

ried to Mrs. Theodore Kendall, of Chickasaw county, a daughter of Erastus Cain, who
came to this county in 1856, settling in Fredericksburg. By ner former marriage Mrs.
Barker has three children: C. A. Kendall, who is engaged in the drug and jewelry
Dusiness in Earlville, Iowa; R. W. Kendall, a druggist and jeweler of Janesville, Iowa;
and Lawrence Kendall, who is also a druggist and in the medical department of the
United States army at Camp Custer, Battle Creek, Michigan.

In religious faith Mrs. Barker is connected with the Methodist Episcopal church. In
political belief Mr. Barker is a democrat and both are widely and favorably known in
this section of the state. He is a representative of one of the old pioneer families and.
ha? witnessed the growth and progress of northern Iowa from early times. Sixty-five
years have been added to the cycle of the centuries since he took up his abode in Chicka-
saw county, then a little lad of but seven years. He has witnessed all of the changes
which have occurred, placing the once wild frontier district in the ranks of the progres-
sive counties of the middle west. In his business career he has made substantial ad-
vancement through industry, perseverance and determination and is now numbered
among the men of affluence of Fredericksburg.

WILHELM MANNING. '

Wilhelm Manning, a resident farmer of Deerfield township, Chickasaw county,
his home being on section 19, is actively engaged in the further cultivation and
improvement of a valuable farm property of four hundred and forty acres. This
is the visible evidence of his life of well directed energy and thrift, for whatever
he has acquired has come to him as the direct result of his own labor.

He was born in Germany, October 29, 1852, a son of John and Dorothy
(Nieman) Manning, who came to the United States in 1862, when their son Wil-
helm was a lad of but ten years. Proceeding across the country to the Mississippi
valley, they first settled in Cook county, Illinois, where the father worked on the
railroad for a year. He afterward rented farm land in that county for a time and
his last days were spent in Chicago. Following the great Chicago fire of October,
1871, the mother with her children removed to Iowa, the family home being es-
tablished in Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, on the section which is now
the home of Wilhelm Manning. On this property they built a log house near
the site of the present modern farm residence. From 1872 until 1876 Wilhelm
Manning was allowed the crops from one hundred and twenty acres in return for
fencing the tract and breaking the sod. Later he purchased this one hundred
and twenty acre farm from R. M. Cleveland and gradually kept adding to his
holdings from time to time until his landed possessions aggregate four hundred
and forty acres. He enjoys the reputation of being one of the most enterprising
and successful farmers of this section of the state and his progressiveness is evi-
denced in the fine appearance of his place. The basis of his advancement was a
common school education, obtained in Dupage county, Illinois, and to the powers
which he thus developed he has added the habits of industry, thrift and persever-
ance. His fields are splendidly cultivated at the present time, producing large and
abundant harvests, and in addition thereto he breeds Durham cattle and Poland
China hogs, keeping only registered stock.

On the 27th day of May, 1883, Mr. Manning was married to Miss Emma Hilma,
a daughter of Henry and Dora Hilma, who came from Germany to the United
States. Mrs. Manning passed away upon the home farm in 1905. In their family
were seven children: Mrs. Emil Klingbeil; Ernest, who is married; and William,
Eliza, Esther, Henry and Doris, all yet at home. The son William, responding to
the call of the colors, served with the Eighty-eighth Division of Iowa in the Three
Hundred and Thirty-seventh Machine Gun Battalion in the great World war and
was on active duty in France.

Mr. Manning and his family are members of the German Lutheran church of
Bassett and in political belief he is a republican, having continuously supported

S3

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 487

the party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. Much of his life
has been passed in Iowa and the enterprising spirit which has been the dominant
factor in the rapid upbuilding of the west has always been manifest in his busi-
ness career.

HERMAN L. PIEHN.

Herman L. Piehn, proprietor of the H. L. Piehn Telephone Company of Alta
Vista, was born in Chickasaw county, August 10, 1871, a son of August and Bertha
(Schoenfeldt) Piehn, who are natives of Germany. The father came to the United
States in his boyhood days with his parents, while the mother had attained young
womanhood when she crossed the Atlantic. They were married in Chickasaw county
and located on a farm in Washington township, whereon they resided until about
1909, when Mr. Piehn sold the farm to two of his sons and removed to San Jose,
California, where he has since lived.

Herman L. Piehn mastered the branches of learning taught in the district
schools and through vacation periods and after his school days were over worked in
the fields on the old homestead until 1894, when he left the farm and established his
nome in Alta Vista. He turned his attention to photography and in addition to con-
ducting a gallery he afterward opened a jewelry and watch repairing establishment,
building up a good business along those lines. In 1905 he organized the H. L. Piehn
Telephone Company, starting in a small way. He has built up a telephone system
with almost three hundred patrons and is making every effort to give to these an
excellent service. In 1913 he withdrew from the photographic business but still
continues in the jewelry trade. He is likewise a stockholder in the Alta Vista
Farmers' Lumber & Coal Company and his position is that of one of the foremost
business men of his town.

On the 30th of September, 1897, Mr. Piehn was united in marriage to Miss
Emma Walters, a daughter of William Walters, of Howard county. They now have
three children: Melinda, Orville and Waldon. The parents are members of the
Evangelical church, while in political faith Mr. Piehn is a republican. He is a
public-spirited citizen and his devotion to the general welfare is attested in many
practical ways, but he has never been an aspirant for office. Business activities
have claimed his time and attention and he has developed various interests which
have featured in connection with the material progress of his section of the county.

EDWARD E. SIMPSON.

This is an age of intense activity and the man who would win must make wise use
of time and opportunity. A modern philosopher has said: "Success does not depend
upon a map but upon a time-table." That Edward TE. Simpson has won a place among
the representative farmers of Chickasaw county is due to his life of well directed energy
and toil. He lives on section 4, Bradford township and was born in this township,
March 21, 1880, a son of William and Urania (Parks) Simpson, who were natives of
Canada and Illinois respectively. They were married, however, in Bradford township,
Chickasaw county, Iowa, having come to this state with their respective parents, who
were among the pioneer families who settled in Bradford and Richland townships, the
home of the Simpson family being established in Bradford township, while the Parks
family took up their abode in Richland township. The maternal grandfather was a
fioldier of the Civil war and died while in the service. William Simpson, the father, is
still living, and for the past three years has made his home in Nashua, having retired
from business cares. For more than forty years he had been actively engaged in farm-
ing in Bradford township and is one of the well known and highly esteemed residents of
that section of the county. His wife passed away in 1898 at the age of forty-five years.

488 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Edward E. Simpson pursued his education in the district schools and in the schools
of Bradford and remained upon the home farm until after attaining his majority. In
1909 he married Miss Grace Bird, a daughter of John Bird, one of the earliest of the
pioneers of Bradford township, who is still living and now makes his home in Nashua.
For the past ten years Mr. Simpson has been engaged in farming independently and in
the spring of 1913 located on his father-in-law's farm of three hundred and twenty-acres,
which he has since cultivated, annually gathering good crops as the result of the dili-
gence and energy with which he tills and cultivates the fields.

In his political views Mr. Simpson is a republican and while not an office seeker,
has served as secretary of the Bradford school board. He is a loyal follower of Ma-
sonic teachings and belongs to Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M., one of the oldest
Masonic organizations in the state. He is likewise connected with the Modern Wood-
men of America, and both he and his wife are consistent members of the Methodist
Episcopal church.

GEORGE C. HOYER.

George C. Hoyer is now living retired in Nashua but for many years was an
active factor in business circles. His life is indicative of the opportunities that are
offered to men of enterprise and progressive spirit. His entire life has been passed
in this state, his birth having occurred in West Union, Fayette county, November 8,
1866. His parents were Jacob A. and Margaret (Lippencott) Hoyer and the father
arrived in West Union, Fayette county, in 1854 in company with his parents. The
grandparents in the maternal line had previously come to Iowa, there being but one
log cabin in West Union at the time of their arrival. It was in that little western
hamlet that Mr. and Mrs. Hoyer were married on the 11th of April, 1858. The former
engaged in farming during his active life and accumulated a substantial fortune. He
retired from farming in 1888 and removed to West Union, where his death occurred in
1912, when he was in his seventy-fifth year. For a decade he had survived his wife,
who died in 1902, in her sixty-fifth year. He was of the Presbyterian faith, while his wife
was a member of the United Brethren church, and both were people of the highest
personal worth, enjoying the warm and unqualified regard of those who knew them.

George C. Hoyer after attending the public schools of West Union and the Ains-
worth Academy at that place continued his education in the Upper Iowa University
at Fayette, which he attended for four years, pursuing a scientific and also a com-
mercial course. Following the completion of his studies he engaged in farming for
five years and during that period also conducted a live stock business. In 1894 he
came to Nashua and established a meat market, also continuing his operations in
stock buying. In 1897 he purchased the Nashua electric light plant and in the year
following began buying the stock of the Cedar Valley Power Company as it could
be purchased until he was the owner of seventy per cent thereof. In 1914 this plant
was sold to an eastern syndicate and the present Cedar Valley Electric Company's
plant was built, which is said to be one of the most modern and up-to-date electric
light plants in the state. Mr. Hoyer was the father and promoter of this project.
It was he who developed the electric business to a point where it could be put upon
a paying basis and was able to attract eastern capital, resulting in the building of
the present plant. Since disposing of his interests in the business Mr. Hoyer has lived
retired in a handsome home at Nashua, enjoying the fruits of an active and well
spent life.

On the 24th of December, 1888, Mr. Hoyer was united in marriage to Miss
Maizie Dye, of West Union, and to them was born a daughter. Daphne, who is the
wife of John F. Nafus, assistant cashier, director and stockholder in the First State
Bank, of Nashua.

Mr. Hoyer belongs to Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. P. & A. M., of Nashua;
also to Alma Chapter, No. 53, R. A. M., of Charles City; to Joppa Commandery,
No. 5, K. T., of Charles City; De Molay Consistory, No. 1, A. & A. S. R.; and El

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 489

Kahir Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Cedar Rapids. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hoyer are
identified with Nashua Chapter, O. E. S., and Mrs. Hoyer belongs to the Baptist
church. Mr. Hoyer gives his political allegiance to the democratic party, but the
honors and emoluments of office have had no attraction for him, as he has always
preferred to do his public duty as a private citizen and not as an office holder. He
has ever stood on the side of progress and improvement in community affairs, and
his labors have been a forceful element in the work of general development here.

JOHN HUENEKE.

John Hueneke. proprietor of the billiard and pool hall and refreshment parlors at
Alta Vista, was born in Dubuque county, Iowa, September 16, 1873, a son of Otto and
Anna (Feldermann) Hueneke. The father, a native of Germany, came to the United
States in his boyhood with his parents, but the mother was born in Jackson county,
Iowa. After his marriage Otto Hueneke settled on the old home farm owned by his
father and spent his remaining days upon that place. He became the owner of the
property and continued to further develop and improve it until his death in 1906. His
wife had passed away many years before, her death occurring about 1877.

John Hueneke was a pupil in the district schools and after his textbooks were put
aside he continued to work upon the home farm with his father to the time of his mar-
riage. He then purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Washington town-
ship, Chickasaw county, four miles east of Alta Vista, and thereon resided until 1910,
when he took up his abode in the town, having sold his land the previous year. For
two years after settling in Alta Vista he engaged in grain buying for the Gilchrist Ele-
vator Company and subsequently devoted his attention to dealing in horses. In 1915
he purchased the billiard and pool hall and refreshment parlors which he has since con-
ducted and in the intervening period of four years has built up a business of substan-
tial proportions.

On the 2Sth of October, 1902, Mr. Hueneke was united in marriage to Miss Minnie
Joachim, a daughter of Carl Joachim, who came to Chickasaw county from Illinois in
1886. To Mr. and Mrs. Hueneke have been born seven children, four of whom survive,
namely: Florence A. A., Elva M., Arnold 0. C. and Vera L. A.

Politically Mr. Hueneke is a republican and he and his family are members of the
Lutheran church, while fraternally he is connected with Alta Vista Lodge, No. 658,
I. 0. O. F. He has become a stockholder in the Farmers' Lumber & Coal Company and
through well directed efforts has won a position among the wide-awake and alert busi-
ness men of his town.

HON. WILLIAM HUGH SCOTT.

Hon. William Hugh Scott, of Nashua, a member of the state senate of Iowa and a
well known attorney at law in Chickasaw county, was born in Fayette county, Iowa,
October 4, 1883, his parents being Alexander and Margaret (Scott) Scott, who are na-
tives of Scotland. They came to this country in early life, the father crossing the At-
lantic with his parents in his boyhood, while the mother arrived in young womanhood.
They were married in Fayette county, Iowa, in 1882 and there Mr. Scott devoted his
attention to the occupation of farming until 1909, when he retired from active busi-
ness and took up his abode in West Union, where he and his wife now make their
home.

William Hugh Scott, reared under the parental roof, obtained his early education
in the schools of West Union, passing through consecutive grades to his graduation
from the high school with the class of 1901. He afterward matriculated in the Upper
Iowa University, from which he received his Ph. B. degree in 1908. Thus with broad
literary learning to serve as a foundation upon which to build the superstructure of his
Vol. ir— 31

490 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

professional knowledge, he entered the law department of Drake University at Des
Moines and there was graduated with honors in the class of 1915. In June of the same
year he was admitted to the bar and on the 1st of July opened an office in Nashua,
where he has since remained in active practice. Advancement at the bar is proverbially
slow but no dreary novitiate awaited Mr. Scott. He soon won recognition of his powers
by reason of his ability in presenting causes before the courts and his clientage has
steadily grown in volume and importance. Moreover, his ability in other directions has
been recognized by his fellow citizens, who on the 5th of November, 1918, elected him to
the Iowa state senate, in which he is now serving. He most thoughtfully and earnestly
considers the vital questions which come up for settlement and his progressive course
has won warm commendation from his constituents. In April, 1916, he was elected
mayor of Nashua and was reelected to this position in April, 1918, resigning January
15, 1919, to enter the state senate. His administration of municipal affairs was of a
most practical and progressive character, bringing about various needed reforms and
improvements in the city life.

On the 5th of June, 1909, Mr. Scott was married to Miss Ada Evelyn Heckel, of
Clayton county, Iowa, and they have become the parents of a son, Everett Greig. Mr.
Scott is identified with Bradford Lodge. No. 129, A. F. & A. M., of Nashua, and is a loyal
follower of the teachings of the craft. Both he and his wife are consistent members of
the Congregational church and their position in social circles is an enviable one. In
all that he has undertaken Mr. Scott has made steady advancement, and the high posi-
tion to which he has attained in professional circles and the high honors accorded him
in political circles indicate that his future career will be well worth watching.

THEODORE C. HOLSCHLAG.

Theodore 0. Holschlag, who follows farming on section 30, New Hampton town-
ship, Chickasaw county, was born in Scott county, Iowa, February 5, 1875, and is a
brother of B. A. Holschlag, in connection with whose sketch is made mention of the
parents on another page of this work. During his youthful days Theodore C. Hol-
schlag assisted his father in the work of the home farm and at the age of six years
became a pupil in the district schools of New Hampton township, there acquiring
the education that qualified him for life's practical and responsible duties. The
occupation to which he was reared he has made his life work and following his
marriage he began building on his present farm of one hundred and twenty acres.

It was on the 10th of October, 1905, that Mr. Holschlag wedded Miss Rose De
Muth, a daughter of J. P. and Barbara (Gross) De Muth, who are residents of New
Hampton, where the father- has been a prominent figure in business circles since
1869. The young couple began their domestic life upon the farm which is still their
place of abode and in January, 1906, they removed into their new home, one of the
fine farm residences of the county. Here they enjoy the comforts and many of the
luxuries of life as the result of their industry and capable management. Mr. Hol-
schlag devotes his time and energies to the further development and improvement
of his farm of one hundred and twenty acres and in addition he rents pasture land.
His activities have been carefully directed and energy and determination have been
the salient factors in winning his present-day success.

Prior to her marriage Mrs. Holschlag engaged in teaching school for twenty-
seven consecutive terms in District No. 4 in New Hampton township. No higher
testimonial of efficiency and capability could be given than the fact that she was
so long retained as teacher of one school. By her marriage she has become the
mother of two children: Harold Clemens John, born January 2, 1907; and Carl
Bernard, October 15, 1912. The parents are communicants of St. Mary's Catholic
church of New Hampton. In politics Mr. Holschlag maintains an independent
course, voting for men and measures rather than party. He is now serving as
treasurer of the school board in District No. 4, New Hampton township, in which
his wife was so long a teacher. Their interest in community affairs is deep and

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 491

sincere and is manifest in many tangible ways. Their friends speak of them in
terms of high regard and attest their sterling worth as shown in every relation
of life.

WARD B. SMITH.

While Ward B. Smith has retired from farming he is still actively engaged in
business as a dealer in live stock and is devoting considerable time and effort to
the discharge of the duties of his office as a member of the board of county supervisors
of Chickasaw county. He was born in Bradford, March 20, 1858, and is a son of
Leander and Eliza A. (Hickok) Smith, natives of Connecticut, where they were reared
and married. The year 1856 witnessed their arrival in Iowa, at whicli time they
took up their abode in Bradford, where Mr. Smith purchased one hundred acres
adjoining the city. Thereon he resided to the time of his death, which occurred
in 1906, when he was eighty years of age. His wife passed away in 1910 at the
advanced age of eighty-six years.

Ward B. Smith was educated in the Bradford Academy and afterward devoted
his time to the profession of teaching through two terms. He then took up the
occupation of farming, purchasing three hundred acres of land in the southeastern
section of Bradford township, on which he resided for twenty years, bringing his
fields to a high state of cultivation and adding many modern improvements to the
property. He still owns that farm and from it derives a very gratifying annual
income. About 1904, however, he removed to Nashua and has since been engaged
in buying live stock in the city. He has long been accounted one of the foremost
business men of his section of the county, alert and enterprising, carrying forward
(.0 successful completion whatever he undertakes. In addition to his other interests
Mr. Smith is a stockholder in the Commercial State Savings Bank and is justly
accounted one of Nashua's successful business men.

In 1882 Mr. Smith was married to Miss Rose McCreary, a daughter of Leonard
McCreary, whose residence in Chickasaw county dated from early pioneer times.
He came here from Pennsylvania in 1855 and took up his abode in Bradford town-
ship. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have become the parents of a daughter, Hazel M., now
the wife of Ernest G. Meier, who is engaged in the grocery business in Nashua.

In his political views Mr. Smith is a republican and in 1915 was elected a mem-
ber of the board of county supervisors, to which position he was reelected in 1918,
so that he is now serving for the second term. In this connection he labors un-
tiringly and effectively for the welfare and benefit of the county. He and his wife
are members of the Congregational church and there is no plan or project for the
benefit and upbuilding of the county along material, intellectual, social and moral
lines which does not receive their endorsement and if possible their active support.

S. B. WESP.

S. B. Wesp, filling the position of postmaster at Fredericksburg and making a most
creditable record by efficient and faithful service, was born in the province of Ontario,
Canada, February 10, 1852, a son of Frederick and Mary (Davis) Wesp, of whom ex-
tended mention will be found on another page of this work in connection with the
sketch of their son, W. N. Wesp.

S. B. Wesp, after attending the district schools of Ontario, Canada, and of Wiscon-
sin, to which state his parents had removed in his early youth, came to Chickasaw
county when sixteen years of age. During that summer he helped to build the first
fence around the fair grounds at New Hampton. On reaching young manhood he de-
termined to see something of the country before settling down and traveled throughout
the middle and Pacific coast states. He spent two years in California, where he was

492 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

variously employed, and then returned to Iowa. He next engaged in buying cream for
the firm of Hood & Bailey of Williamstown for three years and while thus employed he
was married in the summer of 1881 to Miss Jennie McGee, of Williamstown. In the
spring of 1882 he removed to Wisconsin, where, in connection with Mr. Hood, he op-
erated a creamery at Reedsburg for a Mr. Harris. Mr. Wesp remained in that locality
for a year and a half, after which he again came to Chickasaw county and began farm-
ing on rented land. Two years later, as a result of his industry and economy, he was en-
abled to purchase a farm of forty acres, on which he lived for four years. He then
sold that property and in 1892 bought a home in Fredericksburg, taking up his abode
in the town. Some time later he established a butcher shop, which he conducted for
two years, and later he spent several years in buying and selling live stock. Subse-
quently he removed to Fairbank, Iowa, where he managed an implement business for
the firm of Wesp & Shaffer of New Hampton, conducting a branch house for them. He
remained for eighteen months in that connection, after which he returned to Fred-
ericksburg, where he was engaged in various lines of business for two years. On the
16th of October, 1914, he was appointed postmaster of Fredericksburg, in which capacity
he has since served, and has made an excellent record in office by his prompt and faith-
ful discharge of duty.

To Mr. and Mrs. Wesp have been born six children, four of whom are living:
Frances, who is the wife of A. H. Milne, of Fredericksburg, and is acting as assistant
postmaster; Florence, the wife of Charles H. Boiler, of Greene, Iowa; Charles F., who
was attending the Chicago Technical College, pursuing a course in architecture, and
would have graduated in June, 1919, but entered the service of his country and was on
duty in the registry department of the United States postoffice at Greves, France; and
Ruth, who is attending the Upper Iowa University at Fayette.

Mr. V/esp is a member of Fredericksburg Lodge, No. 661, I. 0. 0. F., and he and his
wife and two daughters, Ruth and Frances, are identified with the Rebekah Lodge. His
political endorsement is given to the democratic party and he is a loyal supporter of
its principles. He is regarded as one of Fredericksburg's leading and progressive citi-
zens and is widely and favorably known in this section of the state.

I

WILLIAM BANDLE, Jr.

William Bandle, Jr.. a representative of the farming interests of Howard county,
where he is busily engaged in the cultivation of a good tract of land on section 17,
Howard township, was born September 27, 1868, on the same section where he now
resides, his parents being William and Mary (Fallgetter) Bandle, the former a
native of Germany, while the latter was born near Watertown, Wisconsin. They
were married, however, in Howard county, Iowa, where the mother had taken up
her abode in her girlhood days when her parents removed to this state, while the
father arrived in young manhood. He had come to the United States from Germany
when a youth of eighteen years and as it was his intention to become a loyal Ameri-
can citizen, he at once allied his interests with those of his adopted land and soon
after his arrival joined the Union army as a member of the Thirteenth Regiment
of Wisconsin Infantry. He thus served through the Civil war and after the close
of hostilities he removed to Howard county and later purchased a farm of one
hundred and twenty acres from General Jones of Dubuque. In subsequent years
he has purchased other land from time to time and is now the owner of five
hundred and sixty acres of valuable farm property in Howard county. In 19 01 he
left the farm and for a number of years resided in Pocahontas county, but during
the past eight or ten years has made his home in Cresco, Iowa, enjoying in well
earned rest the fruits of his former toil.

William Bandle, Jr., obtained a district school education and while his opportunities
were limited in that direction he has been a broad reader and is today classed among
the well informed men of his section of the state. When the father left the home
farm in 1901, William Bandle took charge of the property and has since given his

WILLIAM BANDLE, Jr.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 495

attention to the further cultivation and development of two hundred and forty
acres of his father's holdings. He keeps a family employed, the man acting as
assistant in the work of the fields and the woman as housekeeper. Mr. Handle is
not only winning substantial prosperity as an agriculturist but is also a stockholder
in the Farmers Lumber & Coal Company of Alta Vista and in the Farmers Coopera-
tive Creamery Company of Alta Vista.

In his political views Mr. Handle Is a democrat where national questions and
issues are involved but at local elections casts an independent ballot. He is a member
of the present board of township trustees, and his cooperation is always to be counted
upon in matters relative to the public welfare. He is a member of Maple Leaf
Lodge, No. 528, A. F. & A. M.; also of Adelphia Chapter, R. A. M.; and Alta Vista
Lodge, No. 658, I. O. O. F., while his religious faith is that of the Lutheran church.
He is ever loyal to any cause which he espouses and exemplifies in his life the
teachings of the fraternities with which he is connected and with the church in which
he holds membership. Having always lived in this section of the state, he has a
wide acquaintance and all who know him speak of him in terms of warm regard,
for his life record has ever been as an open book and his business integrity is above
question.

W. B. SIMPSON.

W. B. Simpson, a retired farmer living in Nashua, was born in Huntington, Canada,
April 24, 1854, his parents being William and Elizabeth (Laird) Simpson, who were
natives of New York city and of Canada respectively. They were married in the latter
country, the father having gone to Canada in young manhood. There he engaged in
farming until 1856, when he brought his family across the border into the United States
and established his home in Chickasaw county, Iowa, living in the old town of Brad-
ford. He is a carpenter by trade and while he owned and cultivated a farm he also
devoted much of his time to carpentering. Some years after his arrival he made in-
vestment in one hundred and sixty acres of land in Bradford township, on which he
resided for a number of years. He then retired from active business and removed to
Nashua, where his death occurred when he was sixty-three years of age, having sur-
vived his wife for only one week, and she was fifty-seven years of age at the time of
lier demise.

W. B. Simpson was educated in the public schools of Bradford and at intervals for
two or three years attended the Bradford Academy. When about twenty-two years of
age he began farming on his own account and for some time cultivated rented land
but during that period carefully saved his earnings and at length was able to purchase
a farm in Bradford township. Afterward he sold his original property and bought one
hundred and forty acres three miles northeast of Nashua, on v.iiich he resided for
twenty years. He later spent eight years in Greenwood, where he owned a small farm,
and he there conducted a dairy business. In 1918 he removed to Nashua, where he is
now enjoying a well earned rest. For a long period he was active in business circles
and worked diligently and untiringly to gain a comfortable competence, which he at
length obtained.

In 1875 Mr. Simpson was married to Miss Urania Parks, of Richland township,
Chickasaw county, whose parents were among the pioneer settlers of this section of
the state. Two children were born of this marriage: Edward E., who is mentioned
elsewhere in this work; and Gertrude, who is the wife of R. E. Neal, of Powersville,
Floyd county. The wife and mother passed away on the 5th of June, 1898, and on the
10th of October, 1900, Mr. Simpson was married to Miss Susan Blimm, a native of
Chickasaw county and a daughter of William and Nancy (Pettit) Blimm, who in 1854
established their home in this county when the work of development and improvement
had scarcely been begun. The father was a wagon maker by trade and conducted a
shop in the old town of Bradford for many years. He came to Chickasaw county from
Rockton. Illinois, traveling across the country with one of the old-time prairie schoon-

496 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

ers and a team of horses, making the trip with a train of emigrants. He also crossed
the plains to California by wagon and horse team in 1850 but returned in February of
the following year. He was long identified with the early development and improve-
ment of this section of the state and was numbered among those pioneer settlers who
aided in laying broad and deep the foundation upon which has been built the present
progress and prosperity of the county. He died in 1896 and is still survived by his
widow, who is now in her eighty-seventh year and makes her home with Mr. and Mrs.
Simpson.

In politics Mr. Simpson has always been an earnest republican but has never con-
sented to become a candidate for office. He belongs to the Modern Brotherhood of
America, and he and his wife are loyal members of the Methodist Episcopal church,
guiding their lives according to its teachings.

FRED J. MAURER.

Fred J. Maurer, who follows farming on section 13, Chester township, Howard
county, was born in Switzerland, November 28, 1859. He came to this country with his
parents when a lad of eight years, the family home being established in Alliance, Ohio.
There he resided for a period of four years, during which time his father was engaged in
mason work in that city. Later the family home was established in Winneshiek county,
Iowa, but subsequently his parents returned to Alliance, Ohio. It was in 1871 that Fred
J. Maurer became a resident of Winneshiek county. For a period of three years, with his
brother Rudolph and sister Sophia, he rented a farm of one hundred and sixty acres
in that county and subsequently removed to Howard county, settling north of Cresco.

In 1884 Fred J. Maurer was united in marriage to Miss Emma Burr, of Winneshiek
county, Iowa, and immediately thereafter they removed to Vernon Springs township,
Howard county, where Mr. Maurer and his brother rented a farm which they cultivated
for four years. He next took up his abode in Kendallville, Iowa, where he resided for
three years upon rented land and then in Chester township, settling on his present farm.
For fifteen years he continued to cultivate leased land and afterward purchased the farm
upon which he now resides, comprising one hundred and sixty acres situated on section 13.

To Mr. and Mrs. Maurer were born six children, of whom one has passed away, while
five are yet living, namely: Alfred J., at home; Edwin F., who is married and resides at
Ottumwa, Iowa; Claude S., who is married; and Herbert E. and Edna Remona, both at
home. The deceased child was Elmer, who died at the age of six months.

Mr. Maurer is a republican in politics and is a substantial citizen, loyal to the best
interests of the community and giving hearty support and cooperation to any well defined
plan or measure for the general good. He has in his business career made wise use
of his time and opportunities and the success which has come to him is the direct reward
of his diligence and determination.

LOREN PADDEN.

Loren Padden, deceased, was a well known and substantial citizen of Fredericksburg
and Chickasaw county. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1846, a son of Robert and Lu-
vina (Todd) Padden. In 1857, when eleven years of age, he came to loAva with his
mother and at the age of eighteen offered his services to his country in defense of the
Union cause, enlisting as a member of Company F, Ninth Regiment of Iowa Volunteer
Infantry. This was one of the hard fighting regiments of the war and was with Sher-
man on the celebrated march to the sea. Mr. Padden remained in active service until
the close of hostilities and was honorably discharged in July, 1865, when he returned to
his home with a most creditable military record.

Subsequently he laid the foundation of his later modest fortune through his specula-
tions in what was then cheap Iowa farm land. In 1880 he engaged in the implement busi-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 497

ness, also handling pumps and windmills and in the latter line probably did a larger busi-
ness than any other dealer in northeastern Iowa. As he prospered in business he built
a number of residences and business blocks on Main street and the two largest brick
business buildings in Fredericksburg stand as mohuments to his enterprise and pro-
gressive spirit. In 1900, in company with Shaffer Brothers of New Hampton, he pur-
chased the banking business of Charles A. Moody, which they then conducted as a pri-
vate bank until 1905, when it was incorporated as the First State Bank of Fredericks-
burg and Mr. Padden became its first president. He was preeminently a business man,
alert and energetic, ready for any emergency and at all times displaying keen discern-
ment in recognizing opportunities that others passed heedlessly by. He may well be
termed one of Fredericksburg's foremost citizens. He was a true friend and good
neighbor, who ever held friendship inviolable. He counted character as far more valu-
able than wealth or fame and he would never sacrifice the iiiterests of public concern or
his friends in the slightest degree. He was most loyal in citizenship and the many
splendid traits of character which he displayed caused him to be esteemed and loved
by all who knew him.

On the 1st of August, 1874, Mr. Padden was married to Miss Clara Tisdale, a daugh-
ter of Gilbert J. Tisdale, who came to Chickasaw county about 1857. He served through-
out the Civil war, enlisting as a member of Company B, Seventh Iowa Volunteer In-
fantry, on the 21st of July, 1861. He was wounded at the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkan-
sas, and after recovering from his injuries he rejoined the regiment, with which he re-
mained until honorably discharged in 1864. The following year he was chosen to repre-
sent his district in the state legislature and proved an able member of the general as
sembly of Iowa. His widow is now living, in her eighty-fourth year, and is a well
preserved woman, retaining her mental faculties as well as many women twenty years
her junior. She makes her home with her daughter Mrs. Padden. The latter became
the mother of seven children: Cora, who died August 8, 1880; John, a prominent farmer
of Fredericksburg township, Chickasaw county; Nellie, the widow of James Eckenrod
and a resident of Springfield, Missouri; Harry, an automobile dealer of Waterloo, Iowa;
Tiillie, the wife of James McCook, of Pendleton, Oregon; Edith, the wife of Howard
Fuller, of Mason City, Iowa, who is state bank examiner and whose father filled the
office of attorney general under President Roosevelt; and Marjorie, at home.

At the time of his death Mr. Padden owned extensive and valuable property in Fred-
ericksburg and had excellent farm holdings. He was not a fraternity man; his home
served as his lodge and his club. His tastes were simple and he preferred above all
else to spend his time with his family, to whom he was a most loving and devoted hus-
band and father. He felt that the greatest blessing in life was the companionship of a
true wife and a family of happy children, who always had a warm welcome for the
master of the house. Mr. Padden passed away November 8, 1910, his death being the
occasion of deep regret not only to the members of his immediate household but to all
who knew him and recognized in him the possessor of many sterling traits of charac-
ter.

ROBERT HERD FAIRBAIRN.

Robert Herd Fairbairn was born in Napanee, Ontario, Canada. October 9, 1842,
and with his parents removed to St. Mary, in Perth county, Ontario, where he resided
until 1848, when they crossed the border into the United States, establishing their home
in Winnebago county, Wisconsin. They afterward removed to Waushara county in the
same state, and there, in 1867, Mr. Fairbairn's health became so impaired that his phys-
icians ordered him to try the west coast, and he went to California, where he remained
for more than two years. He then returned to the east and for a brief period resided in
Stratford. Canada. In 1872 he came to Chickasaw county, Iowa, where he has since re-
sided with the exception of a year spent in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For several years
he engaged in the practice of law at Nashua, Iowa, but became imbued with an uncon-
querable desire to enter upon newspaper work, having previously been correspondent for

498 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

newspapers both in the east and the west. In 1884 he purchased the New Hampton
C/Ourier, which he has owned and published for almost a third of a century. He has
made of the Courier a clean paper and has been quite influential in promoting various
reforms. Along this line he has done notable work in securing school books at a lower
price, and, moreover, Mr. Fairbairn was the first to openly advocate through the columns
of his paper the consolidation of rural schools in order to give the boys and girls of the
rural districts just as good opportunities as those of the villages, towns and cities.

As a public speaker he is quite well known, having been employed by the state
central committee to canvass Iowa in the interests of the republican party. He has an
extensive acquaintance with the public men in the state, particularly men of ripe years
who do not feature as prominently in politics as at a former period, but who have left
the mark of their impress for good upon the public history of the state.

While never accumulating wealth, for he has never made that the end and aim of his
existence, he has been generous in extending a helping hand to others and has been in-
strumental in sending more young men and women to college or to commercial schools
perhaps than any man in the county where he resides. Not a college man himself, he
has felt the handicap of a limited education all his life and has eked out with hard work
that which would have been comparatively easy had he been more thoroughly equipped
for the activities in which he has engaged.

Such is the man and such has been his work. Notwithstanding the handicap men
tioned, he is yet found a virile writer, with a clear mind and good memory, his state
ments noted for their accuracy and for the broad charity that silences captious criticism.
Perhaps the best criterion of his life is found in the fact that the friends of his youth
are still his friends. To any work that he undertakes he gives most careful attention, and
his knowledge of men, his memory of events, his industry and his desire to procure re-
sults constitute a desirable equipment for such a work as he has undertaken in the
preparation of his history of Chickasaw and Howard counties.

TIMOTHY DONOVAN, Sr.

Timothy Donovan, Sr., deceased, was born in Ross, Carberry, County Cork, Ire-
land, April 20, 1822, and died upon the old Donovan homestead in Jacksonville township,
Chickasaw county, on the 17th of March, 1890. He came to the United States in 1837,
when a youth of fifteen years, and first made his way to Boston, Massachusetts, where he
became identified with railroad work, in which connection he rose to the position of
roadmaster.

On the 1st of July, 1854, he was united in marriage in the Immaculate Conception
church at Lawrence, Massachusetts, to Miss Abbie Harrington, who was born at Castle-
town, County Cork, Ireland, on the 20th of April, 1835. While she was still a small girl
her parents died and at the age of fourteen years she came to the United States to make
her home with a sister, who resided at New Market, New Hampshire. For a time after
their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Donovan lived in New Hampshire but on account of failing
health he brought his family to Iowa, where he arrived in 1858, settling first on Crane
creek, in Chickasaw county. Two years later he removed to what became the old family
homestead in Jacksonville township and there he resided until his death.

Mr. Donovan was born to poverty in a land where, while men are not exiled to Si-
beria, many of them are at least deprived of the opportunity for education and culture
and left to do as best they can the tasks incident to drawing their support from the earth.
While Mr. Donovan had little chance of educational advancement, he seems to have over-
come his lack of this advantage to a large degree. Nature endowed him with keen and
quick perceptions and he was a close observer and a student of all that came within his
grasp. He realized, however, the value of educational training and gave to each of hia
children the opportunity to obtain a good knowledge of the branches of learning neces-
sary as a basis for business advancement. He qualified them for the duties of citizenship
and instructed them concerning their obligations and responsibilities. He taught them
to fear debt and despise shiftlessness, and he ever looked upon dishonesty with abhor-

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 499

pence. He endured uncomplainingly the privations and hardships of early pioneer life
and practiced frugality and industry. He was a man of clean life, honorable in all of his
dealings with his fellowmen and by reason of his carefully directed labors he won a place
among the substantial farmers of Chickasaw county. The old homestead is today one
of the well improved farm properties of Jacksonville township. It may well be said that
the world is better from the fact that Mr. Donovan lived. He was a Christian gentle-
man of Catholic faith, who throughout his life held to high principles and sought to
advance toward the highest ideals. His wife departed this life June 3, 1913, and when
they were called to their final rest Chickasaw county lost two of its most worthy and
esteemed pioneer residents.

P. E. McGINN.

P. E. McGinn, a well known figure in the business circles of New Hampton, is con-
ducting an insurance and real estate office and has gained a good clientage along both
lines. He is numbered among the native sons of Chickasaw county, for his birth
occurred in Utica township, April 18, 1869, his parents being James and Bridget (Hard-
mon) McGinn, who were natives of Ireland. They came to the United States in young
manhood and womanhood and were married on Staten Island, New York, in 1854. There
they resided for two years and on the expiration of that period removed westward to
Illinois. They settled first in Ogle county, where they resided for a decade. The father
was a poor boy when he came to the United States and for years he worked as a day la-
borer or by the month as a farm hand. But he was ambitious to engage in business on
his own account and made the most of his opportunities toward that end. Eventually he
began farming for himself in Ogle county upon rented land and in 1865 he removed from
Illinois to Chickasaw county, Iowa, where two years before he had purchased one
hundred and forty acres of land in Utica township, buying this from the man for whom
he had worked in Ogle county, Illinois. His farm was situated on sections 30 and 31,
Utica township, and upon this place he took up his abode, making it his home to the
time of his death or for a period of thirty-five years. He passed away September 17,
1900, at the venerable age of eighty-four years, leaving to his family not only a comfort-
able competence but also the priceless heritage of a good name. His wife survived him
for about seventeen years, her death occurring June 26, 1917, when she had reached the
age of eighty-nine. During her later years she made her home with her two sons, P. E.
and Frank McGinn. The record of the father is one which should well serve as a source
of encouragement and inspiration not only to his sons but to all who read his life his-
tory. Starting out in the business world a poor boy without capital and without the
aid of influential friends, he steadily worked his way upward and ultimately became
the owner of six hundred acres of the most fertile land of Chickasaw county and was
numbered among its men of affluence.

P. E. McGinn has been a lifelong resident of Chickasaw county. He was educated
in the district schools near his father's farm, in the public schools of New Hampton and
in the Breckenridge Institute at Decorah, from which institution he was graduated with
the class of 1891. When his school days were over he took up educational work and for
ten years devoted his time to the profession of teaching. He also engaged during that
period in farming and more and more largely concentrated his efforts and attention upon
agricultural pursuits and stock raising. He began specializing in the breeding of
thoroughbred Percheron horses, black polled Angus cattle and Chester white hogs and his
live stock interests have constituted an important branch of his business, bringing to him
gratifying success. At the time of his marriage he was deeded one hundred and twenty
acres of land by his father, this tract constituting a part of the old homestead upon which
he was born. Subsequently he bought one hundred and forty acres more, on which was
located the old family residence and farm buildings, and he continued to reside upon the
farm until December, 1914, when he removed to New Hampton, where he has since made
his home. He still owns the farm of two hundred and sixty acres, however, and it is
now being further developed and cultivated by tenants under his direction. Since taking

500 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

up his abode in the city Mr. McGinn has given his attention to the real estate and insur-
ance business and has gained a very large clientage. He was one of the organizers of
the Saude Cooperative Creamery Company and a member of the committee that drafted
its by-laws. For ten years after its organization he served as president and placed the
business upon a substantial basis.

Mr. McGinn has always been an earnest democrat in his political views and for many
years was chairman of the Utica township democratic central committee, thus being
very active in formulating the policy and directing the interests of the party in
Chickasaw county. He has served as a member of the board of township trustees and
was acting in that capacity when the board introduced the first tractor into the county
for the purpose of road grading. He likewise served on the school board for a number
of years and for eleven years was secretary of the school board. In the November
election of 1914 he was chosen for the office of county auditor of Chickasaw county and
it was in the fall of that year that he took up his abode in New Hampton in order to more
easily discharge his duties. He filled the position for four years and upon his retirement
from office entered upon the real estate and insurance business.

On the 19th of September, 1899, Mr. McGinn was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary
Commerford, a daughter of Terrence and Mary Commerford, who are numbered among
the earliest of the pioneer settlers of Utica township, there being but two families in
the township at the time of their arrival. Mr. and Mrs. McGinn are the parents of
five children: Irene, James, Olivette, Ambrose and Virgil. All are yet at home and are
being accorded excellent educational advantages. The religious faith of the lamily is
that of the Catholic church and Mr. McGinn is identified with the Knights of Columbus.
His position in Chickasaw county is that of a representative citizen, honored for his
s.terling worth, for what he has accomplished in a business way and for what he has
done in behalf of public progress.

JOHN TRASK.

More than a century ago George Washington said that "agriculture is the most
useful as well as the most honorable occupation of man." This statement is as true
today as when uttered, it being a well known fact that farming is the basis of all
business development and material progress. To the work of tilling the soil John
Trask has confined his attention from early life and he is classed with the pioneer
settlers of northern Iowa, although he was born in Franklin county, Massachusetts,
near the town of Deerfield, August 19, 1845. He is a son of S. B. and Rebecca
H. (Eaton) Trask, the former a native of Franklin county, Massachusetts, while
the latter was born in New Hampshire. They became acquainted in Franklin county,
Massachusetts, where they were married, and in 1854 they made arrangements to
try their fortune in the growing west. Iowa was made their destination and in the
old town of Chickasaw they lived for a year. During this period Mr. Trask was
building the first frame house in Deerfield township — across the road from the
present site of the home of John Trask. With the early development of the com-
munity the family became closely associated and with the passing years representa-
tives of the name have ever borne their part in the work of general improvement
and upbuilding.

John Trask was but eight years of age at the time the family home was estab-
lished in Iowa and his education, begun in the common schools of Massachusetts,
was continued in the graded schools of Waterloo, this state. He remained with his
parents until they were called to the home beyond, both the father and mother
dying at the home which John Trask now owns, the former departing this life at
the advanced age of eighty-nine years, while the latter reached her eighty-seventh
birthday. On the pages of pioneer history their names are emblazoned. The father
was one of those who secured land from the government, obtaining one hundred
and twenty acres as a preemption claim, for which he paid a dollar and a quarter

JOHN TRASK

MRS. JOHN TRASK

S. B. TRASK

MRS. S. B. TRASK

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 503

per acre. This tract is situated in Deerfield township and when he died he stili
had one hundred acres of the original farm, having sold but twenty acres.

Under the parental roof John Trask was reared and his boyhood experiences
were those of the farm lad reared upon the frontier. Having arrived at adult age,
he married Lucy A. Jenkins, a daughter of John and Lydia Jenkins, both of whom
have departed this life. Her father died in New York city, while her mother's
death occurred in Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, to which she had removed
at an early day. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Trask was celebrated on the 2 3d of
October, 1868, and they became the parents of six children: William Henry, who is
now married; Mrs. Ethel Fredreci; Mrs. Hattie Nyham; Mrs. Eva Michaels; and
Emily and Charles E., both deceased.

At the time of his mother's death John Trask came into possession of the one
hundred acre farm which his father had entered as a claim from the government.
He still owns and occupies this place, which is situated on section 30, Deerfield
township, and its productiveness is the result of his careful cultivation and super-
vision. He has worked diligently to enhance the value of his land and has added
to his farm many modern improvements. In politics he is a democrat and has
held practically all of the offices in Deerfield township, while for three years he
served as a member of the board of supervisors of Chickasaw county, proving a most
capable and efficient officer in that connection. He has ever been loyal to public
interests and the trust reposed in him and has earnestly promoted every project
which he has regarded as of public worth. He has now passed the seventy-fourth
milestone on life's journey but is still an active factor in farming circles and is
a well known citizen in this district, with which he has so long been associated.

E. W. LOOMIS.

E. W. Loomis is successfully engaged in business at New Hampton as a member
of the firm of Loomis Brothers, cream buyers and dealers in poultry, eggs, hides, fur
and wool, which has had a prosperous existence of sixteen years. His birth occurred in
Charles City, FlOyd county, Iowa, on the 23d of February, 1879, his parents being J. M.
and Laura (Brown) Loomis, who were born, reared and married in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
In 1857 the father came west to Iowa, locating at Spirit Lake in Dickinson county, where
he followed general agricultural pursuits for about six years. At the end of that time
ne removed to Charles City and after a short period devoted to farming he took up car-
pentering and building, which pursuits claimed his attention for many years and in
which he won substantial success. In 1915 he removed to Wells, Minnesota, where his
demise occurred two years later. His widow is still living and makes her home in
Charles City.

E. W. Loomis acquired his education in the schools of his native city and in early
manhood was variously employed for about four years. On the 5th of April, 1898, he
enlisted for service in the Spanish American war as a member of Company D. Forty-
ninth Regiment of Iowa Volunteer Infantry, with which he was on active duty in the
Cuba campaign. After being honorably discharged on the 5th of May, 1899, he returned
home and was in the employ of the firm of Waller & Waller, produce dealers of Charles
City, until 1902. He then embarked in the produce business on his own account at
Charles City but the following year came to New Hampton and founded the firm of Loomis
Brothers in association with his brother William. Later they established branch houses
at Lyle and Kenyon, Minnesota, and at Bridgewater, North Dakota. They are cream
buyers and dealers in poultry, eggs, hides, fur and wool and during the past sixteen
years have built up an enterprise of extensive and profitable proportions. In 1918 their
business amounted to more than a half million dollars. The continued growth and suc-
cess of the concern is attributable in no small measure to the sound judgment and un-
faltering enterprise of E. W. Loomis, who has won a well merited reputation as one
of New Hampton's foremost business men and substantial citizens.

On the 6th of April, 1906, Mr. Loomis was united in marriage to Mrs. Harriett Spen-

504 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

cer, who bore the maiden name of Harriet Mills and who is a daughter of Robert H.
Mills, a well known retired farmer and representative resident of New Hampton. By
her first husband Mrs. Loomis had two children, Allison and Ulia Spencer.

Mr. Loomis is independent in his political views and has never been an aspirant
for public office, preferring to concentrate his time and energies upon his business
affairs, in the careful management of which he has gained a gratifying measure of pros-
perity. Fraternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias, belonging to Lancelot
Lodge, No. 183. Those who know him, and he has a wide acquaintance, entertain for
him warm regard, for his life has measured up to high standards in every relation.

FRANK PROCHASKA.

Frank Prochaska, now living retired in Protivin, spent his early days on the other
side of the Atlantic, for he was born in Bohemia on the 4th of December, 1842, and was
reared and educated in that country, attending the parochial schools there. He is a
son of John and Anna Prochaska. His parents spent their entire life in Bohemia.

It was in 1867 that Frank Prochaska crossed the Atlantic and became a resident of
Postville, Iowa, near which place he worked on a farm for three years. After his mar-
riage in 1871 he continued in the employ of others for several years but at length was
able to purchase three forty-acre tracts of land in Utica township, Chickasaw county,
and later another tract of eighty acres. He labored untiringly to make this productive
and in his farming operations he met with excellent success, so that he was at length
able to retire from active labor and is now spending his last years in ease and retire-
men at Protivin, where he located in 1914.

In 1871 Mr. Prochaska was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ptacnik, and to them
have been born seven children who are still living: Frank, Annie, Stella, Mary, Joseph,
Charlie and Minnie.

The family are consistent members of the Catholic church of Protivin and are held
in the highest esteem by all who know them. Since becoming a naturalized citizen Mr.
Prochaska has affiliated with the democratic party and for a number of years he held the
office of road supervisor in Utica township. The success that he has achieved in life
is well merited, for he came to this country empty-handed and all that he possesses has
been acquired through his own untiring efforts.

WILLIAM GLIENKE.

The broad praries of Iowa have furnished splendid opportunites to the agriculturist.
The soil is naturally rich and productive and nature has been kind in the matter of
rainfalls and in other conditions which lead to successful agricultural activity. William
Glienke is now classed with the representative farmers of Washington township. Chick-
asaw county, making his home on section 6. He was born in Germany. April 5, 1850,
a son of Ernest and Kathleen (Ingnow) Glienke, who came to the United States in 1872.
After residing for a year in Chicago they took up their abode upon a farm in Cook
county, Illinois, near that city, and there the father passed away in 1879.

William Glienke was reared and educated in his native country, being twenty-two
years of age at the time of the emigration of the family to the new world. In 1878
he married Albertina Schultz and in 1880 with his wife and one child, together with two
brothers and his mother, he removed to Chickasaw county. Here he purchased thirty-
three acres of his present home farm and his two brothers also made investments in farm
l^nds. the mother making her home with her son Henry. As the years have passed
William Glienke has prospered in his undertakings and, adding to his original farm,
is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of Chickasaw county's most fertile
land.

In 1881 Mr. Glienke was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 505

in Chickasaw county, leaving two children: Anna, now the wife of Michael Erion,
of Howard county, Iowa; and Emma, who is the wife of William Vick, a farmer of
Washington township. In 1884 Mr. Glienke was again married, his second union being
with Miss Alvina Pesch. They have five living children: Minnie, the wife of Fred Semm,
of Alta Vista; and Louis, Alfred, Herman and Arthur, all at home.

Mr. Glienke has become a stockholder in the Farmers Creamery Association of Alta
Vista and in the Farmers Cooperative Lumber & Coal Company and the Farmers Coop-
erative Telephone Company. All three corporations are business concerns of Alta Vista.
In becoming connected therewith Mr. Glienke has recognized the trend of modern busi-
ness toward cooperation and has utilized his opportunities for aiding in the promotion
of important interests. He is a member of the Lutheran church, and the sterling worth
of his character is attested by those who have had business or social relations with him.

JAMES H. LUSK.

James H. Lusk, actively engaged in farming on section 22, Chester township, How-
ard county, is the owner of eighty acres of fertile and productive land from which he
annually gathers good harvests. He was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, August 10,
1861, his parents being Elizabeth and Peter Lusk, both of whom were natives of Scotland,
whence they came to the new world in 1853, settling at Marshall, Wisconsin. The
father, responding to the call of his adopted country for aid to crush out rebellion in the
south, joined the army at the time of the Civil war and went to the front. He was
captured and sent to Andersonville prison, where he died from the rigors and hardships
of prison life. His widow afterward married again, becoming the wife of George Wil-
son.

In the fall of 1879, when a youth of eighteen years, James H. Lusk came to Howard
county, making his way to Cresco. Ambitious to start out in the business world for him-
self, he rented a farm in Vernon Springs township and continued the cultivation of that
place for thirteen years or until 1892, this being indicative of the fact that he made a
success of his initial venture into business life. He afterward removed to Chester town-
ship, where he has since lived, spending the entire intervening period of twentj'-seven
years upon the same farm. He purchased the property at the time he located thereon
and as the years have passed he has converted it into rich and productive fields from
which he annually gathers good crops.

In 1884, at Cresco, Iowa, Mr. Lusk was united in marriage to Miss Sophia Maurer
and to them have been born two children: Bertha M., now the wife of Raleigh Jones,
a resident of Lime Springs, Iowa; and Leona, who is now living in California. Mr. Lusk
is a republican in his political views and fraternally is connected with the Modern Wood-
men of America.

FRANK K. MOUDRY.

Frank K. Moudry, a retired farmer living at Protivin, was born in Bohemia, Decem-
ber 3, 1863. His parents were John and Annie Moudry, also natives of Bohemia, where
they spent their entire lives. Frank K. Moudry came to the United States when twenty
years of age, making his way direct to Howard county, Iowa, and was employed at Pro-
tivin for about five or six years. During that period he carefully saved his earnings,
with which he purchased his present farm of two hundred acres, which today is under
a high state of cultivation and is equipped with many modern improvements, placed
thereon by Mr. Moudry.

On the 5th of February. 1889, Frank K. Moudry was united in marriage to Miss An-
nie Prochaska, of Chickasaw county, a daughter of Frank and Mary Prochaska. farming
people of that county. Mr. and Mrs. Moudry have become the parents of three children:
Joseph C, who died upon the home farm in January, 1918, when twenty-seven years of

Vol. 11—32

506 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

age; Frank, who married Elizabeth Lukesh, of Howard county, and is farming with his
father; and Mary T., who married James Svoboda and is also farming in Howard county.
Mr. Moudry sold his farm to his son Frank and now makes his home in Protivin.
He attends the Catholic church and he gives his political allegiance to the democratic-
party. He has served as school director in New Oregon township for a year and has
always been interested in the welfare and progress of the community in which he makes
his home and in which for many years he was numbered among the successful and
enterprising agriculturists. His former toil and activity have constituted the basis upon
which he has built the prosperity that now enables him to live retired.

R. W. OESTRICH.

R. W. Oestrich, who carries on general farming on section 9, Jamestown township,
Howard county, was born in Wisconsin on the 4th of July, 1872, a son of Henry and
Albertina Oestrich. Their parents were natives of Germany but came to the United
States many years ago, taking up their abode in Wisconsin, where they lived until their
removal to Iowa. Coming to this state, they established their home in Howard county,
and the father purchased the farm on which his son, R. W. Oestrich, now resides. Henry
Oestrich devoted his time and attention to the cultivation and improvement of his place
throughout his remaining days and the mother also passed away on the old home-
stead.

R. W. Oestrich acquired a common school education in Iowa and in the period of his
youth his time was divided between the duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the
playground and the work of the fields. When his schooldays were over he concentrated
his time and attention upon the task of assisting his father in the work of the home
farm and ultimately he came into possession of the property. He now has eighty acres
of land which he carefully cultivates, and to his place he has added many modern im-
provements. He uses the latest improved farm machinery to facilitate the work of the
fields and annually gathers golden harvests as a reward for the care and labor which he
bestows upon the place.

After reaching man's estate Mr. Oestrich was married to Miss Grace Bywater, a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Bywater, who were natives of England. Mr. and Mrs.
Oestrich have two children, Bessie and Pearl, both at home.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Congregational church and they are
loyal to its teachings, their lives being guided by high purposes and principles. Mr.
Oestrich is identified with the Farmers Equity Association of Riceville. His political
allegiance is given to the republican party and for six terms he served as school director
in Jamestown township, the cause of education ever finding in him a stalwart champion.

FRED P. JOACHIM.

One of the finest farm properties of Chickasaw county is that owned by Fred
Joachim, situated on section 31. Washington township. Its splendid buildings, its beauti-
ful trees, its highly cultivated fields and many improvements are all indicative of the
progressive spirit which characterizes him in the conduct of all of his interests.

Mr. Joachim comes to Iowa from Illinois. He was born in that state, March 3, 1864,
a son of Charles and Mary (Schultz) Joachim, M^ho were natives of Germany. Coming
to the United States, they settled at Proviso, Illinois, and there became acquainted and
were married. Subsequently Mr. Joachim carried on farming for a time in that section
of the country but in the year 1884 removed with his family to Iowa, establishing his
home in Washington township, Chickasaw county, a short distance north of Alta Vista.
His place was on the county line and was known as Mike Falgetter's farm. Mr. Joachim
purchased two hundred and forty acres of farm land and twenty acres of timber land
and continued to own, develop and occupy that place until his retirement from active

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 507

business, at which time he took up his abode in Alta Vista in 1900. He had been very
successful in his farming operations and his labors had also materially aided in the
growth and development of Washington township. He was not long permitted to enjoy
his well earned rest, however, for death called him soon after his removal to Alta Vista.
His wife passed away in La Grange, Illinois, and her remains were brought back to Alta
Vista for interment.

Fred P. Joachim pursued his education in the public schools of La Grange, Illinois,
and remained with his parents upon the home farm until his marriage. He has since
lived upon his present home place of two hundred and forty acres, which was purchased
from his father. This is today one of the attractive farm properties of northern Iowa
and is most pleasing and desirable by reason of its many modern improvements. Mr.
Joachim has put all of the buildings upon it that stand today and has planted the fine
trees, which constitute a most pleasing adornment in the landscape. He is now building
a very large barn of hollow tiled brick unsurpassed throughout the state. In all that he
undertakes he is actuated by a most progressive spirit and his labors have produced
splendid results. He is a stockholder in the Farmers Lumber Company of Alta Vista,
also a stockholder in the Farmers Telephone Company of that place and in the Farmers
Creamery Company. His agricultural and stock raising interests, however, claim the
greater part of his attention and he is now breeding full blooded Hereford cattle. His
farm is pleasantly situated a mile and a half south of Alta Vista and upon it he has
placed four hundred rods of tiling, planned by A. F. Kemman and laid by Peter Johann
and Adam Alt. The tiling and other measures have made his fields most productive and
he does everything to enhance the \alue of his place and make it one of the model farm
properties of Chickasaw county.

On the 23d of December, 1897, Mr. Joachim was married to Miss Gusta Wallwage, a
daughter of Fred and Rose Wallwage, natives of Germany. Her father died in Wash-
ington township, Chickasaw county, about twenty years ago but the mother still occupies
the old homestead there. To Mr. and Mrs. Joachim have been born three children who
are yet living: Mrs. Malinda Johann, Evelyn and Herbert.

Mr. Joachim and his family are members of the Lutheran church of Alta Vista, and
his political faith is that of the republican party. He is widely and favorably known
owing to the progressiveness and reliability that he has displayed in his business affairs
and his interest in and support of all measures of citizenship that are calculated to up-
build and develop the community at large.

CLARA A. BLOMQUIST.

Clara A. Blomquist is conducting the leading photographic studio in Howard county
and does an extensive and profitable business. She came to Cresco in 1909 and has here
since remained. She was born in Iggesund, Sweden, where she lived until the age of
fourteen years, when, in company with her sister, Johannah Catherine she crossed the
Atlantic to the new world. They made their way to St. Paul, Minnesota, and Miss Blom-
quist while a resident of that city took up the study of photography, to which she has
since devoted her energies. She has at different periods continued her study in Chicago
and in New York and has been connected with some of the leading photographic estab-
lishments of the country, including the Sarony studio of New York, the W. L. Koehne
studio of Chicago, the studio of J. A. Brush in Minneapolis and of George Craft in St.
Paul. She has thus gained broad and intimate knowledge of every phase of the pro-
fession, keeps in touch with the latest scientific methods, and her artistic sense teaches
her the value of light and shade and all the elements which add the artistic touch to the
work. Today she has the largest and best equipped photographic studio of Howard coun-
ty and her business is steadily growing. She has the faculty of obtaining a natural and
life-like expression in her work and in the nine years in which she has conducted her
studio in Cresco her patronage has steadily increased. Many most beautiful and artistic
pictures adorn the walls of her studio and indicate the superior skill which she has de-
veloped. Moreover, she has excellent business qualities, as is shown by the success

508 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

which has attended her labors. Starting out to provide for her own support in early
womanhood, she has advanced step by step, ever actuated by a laudable ambition, and
her position in professional circles in Howard county is one of well deserved prom-
inence.

0. J. LYMAN.

O. J. Lyman, a retired farmer residing in Fredericksburg, was born in Grant county,
Wisconsin, July 16, 1859, a son of William and Abigail C. (Chandler) Lyman, the former
a native of Cattaraugus county, New York, while the latter was born in Vermont, in
which state they were married. They afterward removed to Illinois and in 1875 came to
Iowa, making their way to the home of a daughter in Fredericksburg, where the mother
passed away in the same year. The father afterward removed to Kansas but returned
to Iowa to make his home among his children. His death occurred, however, in Wis-
consin about 1904.

O. J. Lyman was educated in the district schools and in the Baptist Seminary at
Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. He went west with his father to Kansas in 1878 and there
began farming on his own account, purchasing one hundred and sixty acres of land in
Clay county. About 1883 he returned to Iowa and bought a farm of one hundred and
twenty acres in Fredericksburg township, a tract on which he resided until 1904. He
then left the farm and removed to the town, where he began speculating in land in North
and South Dakota.

In 1890 Mr. Lyman was married to Miss Flora C. Ferris, a daughter of John M.
Ferris, one of the earliest settlers of Chickasaw county and now deceased. Mr Lyman
votes with the republican party but political honors and emoluments have had little at-
traction for him. He has preferred the exciting game of business and opportunity is
ever to him a call to action. He prospered as a farmer and as a land speculator and is
now in very comfortable financial circumstances as the result of his keen discernment
and close application. »

FRANK KLIMESH.

Frank Klimesh is a farmer of Utica township, residing on section 3, and belongs
to one of the old pioneer families of Chickasaw county. He was born on the old
family homestead, February 9, 1884, and is a son of Frank J. Klimesh, whose place
in the business circles of Protivin is among the foremost. An extended sketch of
the father appears on another page of this work.

The son, after obtaining a district school education, concentrated his efforts
and attention upon the task of assisting his father until he had reached a position
where he felt that he could engage in business on his own account. He has always
continued to follow farming and makes his home on section 3, Utica township, where
he is busily engaged in the development of the fields, annually gathering rich crops
as the reward of his labors. He has extended his efforts also into various other
lines and is now a stockholder in the Protivin Cooperative Creamery Company, the
Protivin Telephone Company and in the Beseda Hall Corporation of Protivin. He
is likewise connected with the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company of Lawler
and in all that he does displays a laudable ambition and a progressive spirit that
cannot fail to reach desired results.

In February, 19l08, Mr. Klimesh was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Bouska,
a daughter of John Bouska, of Protivin, to whom reference is made elsewhere in this
volume. It was the year after his marriage that Mr. Klimesh located upon his present
home farm, which was owned by his father, and a year later he purchased the prop-
erty, comprising one hundred and forty-two acres of rich and productive land. Upon

MR. AND MRS. FRANK KLIMESH

I

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 511

this place he and his wife are now rearing an interesting little family of four
children: Frank M., Edward, Mary and Angeline.

Mr. Klimesh and his wife are communicants of the Catholic church at Pro-
tivin, and his political endorsement is given to the democratic party. He has served
as a member of the school board and is deeply and helpfully interested in many
matters of public concern. That he is a most wide-awake and alert business man
is indicated in his various connections with important corporations. He readily
recognizes and utilizes opportunity and quickly differentiates between the essential
and the nonessential in all business affairs.

JOHN McCOOK.

While numbered among the particularly successful lawyers of Cresco, Howard
county, John McCook ranks as well among the most public-spirited of its citizens, will-
ing to give of his time, his thought, his money and his energies to advancing the nation's
interests. He comes of Irish and Scotch ancestry. His father was born in County An-
trim, Ireland, while the mother was a native of Edinburg, Scotland. With her parents,
however, she removed to Antrim, Ireland, in her girlhood days and was there married,
after which Mr. and Mrs. McCook crossed the Atlantic to the United States, establishing
their home first in Philadelphia, while subsequently they removed to Altoona, Pennsyl-
vania. The father was a landscape gardener in Ireland but in later years gave his atten-
tion to agricultural pursuits. After living in the Keystone state for some time he brought
his family to Iowa, settling at Riceville, Howard county, where he purchased a farm, upon
which he erected a residence and at once began the further development and improve-
ment of the property. The town now stands on a part of the old homestead. After devot-
ing many years to the cultivation of his land Mr. McCook took up his abode in Riceville
nnd was president of the Riceville State Bank, which was the first bank established there.
He continued as the head of the institution until his death and his sons. Nelson, R. D.
and J. B , were associated with him in the banking business. He became one of the most
substantial and prominent residents of Howard county. He was a man of marked busi-
ness ability and enterprise and as his financial resources increased he kept adding to his
holdings until he had very extensive landed possessions in addition to his banking in-
terests. He gave his political allegiance to the democratic party and for a number of
years filled the office of supervisor, discharging his duties with marked promptness and
capability His religious faith was that of the Congregational church and its teachings
guided him in all of the relations of life. He died at the age of eighty-three years, while
his wife reached the age of seventy-eight years, and they were long numbered among the
most esteemed and honored couples of Howard county.

As previously stated, John McCook accompanied his parents to Iowa and after com-
pleting his public school education he became a student in the Decorah Institute at De-
corah, Iowa. His literary training served as an excellent foundation upon which to build
the superstructure of professional knowledge. He determined upon the practice of law
as a life work and to that end became a student in the office and under the direction of
H. C. McCarty, of Cresco, with whom he continued his reading until April. 1882. when
he was admitted to the bar. He afterward entered into partnership with his former pre-
ceptor, an association that was maintained until 1887. He then continued in the practice
of law alone until 1916, when he admitted J. E. Lyons of Cresco to a partnership. The
latter is now a first lieutenant in the One Hundred and Thirteenth Trench Mortar Bat-
tery and is stationed for training at Camp Dodge, Iowa. Mr. McCook has been in the
practice of law in Cresco since 1885 and the consensus of public opinion names him as a
leading attorney of Howard county. He has been connected with some very important
cases and his opinions are largely accepted as authority upon legal questions. Thor-
oughly conversant with the principles of jurisprudence, he has been most accurate in
applying these principles to the points in litigation, is clear in reasoning and logical in
his deductions and the force of his argument drives home the truth which he presents.

On the 4th of January, 1888, Mr. McCook was united in marriage to Miss Clara E.

512 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Webster, a daughter of Calvin F. and Serena (Irvine) Webster. Mrs. McCook was born
in Laporte, Indiana, while her parents are natives of Ohio. Her father spent his boyhood
days in Indiana, where he acquired his education, and subsequently he removed to How-
ard county, Iowa, where he took up the occupation of farming. He was also clerk of the
court of Cresco for a number of years and later he removed to Minneapolis, where he died
in 1918 at the notable old age of ninety years, and his wife had reached an equal age at
her death. This is surely a marvelous history, for seldom does any couple attain such
an advanced age. Mr. Webster is a republican in his political views and fraternally is
connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while both he and his wife have
long been devoted and faithful members of the Congregational church. They were early
settlers of Howard county and are yet most kindly remembered by many who knew them
during the period of their residence in this state.

To Mr. and Mrs. McCook have been born three children: Allie May, now the wife
of C. G. Meredith, of Rochester, Minnesota; Clara Elizabeth, at home; and Florence, who
completes the family.

Mr. McCook gives his political allegiance to the democratic party, of which he has
long been a stalwart champion, and his prominence in political circles is indicated in the
fact that he was chosen a delegate to the national convention of his party in Denver. He
is now giving of his time and effort to the interests of his country as a member of the
Council of Defense. Fraternally he is a Mason and his religious faith is that of the Con-
gregational church. His life has been well spent and he has always lived up to high and
honorable standards of manhood and citizenship. There have been no spectacular phases
in his career but the worth of his work is acknowledged by all, for his aid and influence
have ever been on the side not only of the material advancement of the county but of its
intellectual, social, political and moral progress.

L. H. GOODALE, M. D.

A prominent and successful representative of the medical profession in Chickasaw
county is Dr. L. H. Goodale, who has now been in continuous practice at Nashua for
nearly a third of a century. He was born in Pierpont, New York, on the 8th of April,
1863, his parents being Stephen and Mary E. (Hubbard) Goodale, likewise natives of
the Empire state. Their marriage was celebrated at Martinsburg, New York, and they
continued to reside in that state until 1866, when they came west to Iowa, settling at
Farley in Dubuque county. There Mr. Goodale purchased the hotel and livery stable,
both of which he conducted with success and profit for a period of thirty-five years.
He passed away at Farley in 1907, when seventy-seven years of age, but his widow
still survives and yet makes her home in Farley at the age of eighty-nine years.

L. H. Goodale, who was but three years of age when his parents established their
home in Iowa, pursued his education in this state and was graduated from the high
school of Farley with the class of 1878. In 1883 he began preparation for his chosen
profession under the preceptorship of Dr. Wittmer, of Farley, who directed his read-
ing for a year, and in 1884 he entered the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, which
conferred upon him the degree of M. D. upon his graduation with the class of 1887. He
personally provided the funds necessary for his medical course and the strength of
character which he thus displayed has ever been one of his dominant qualities. On
the 22d of August, 1887, he began practice in Nashua, where he has remained contin-
uously throughout the intervening period, covering almost a third of a century. He
is widely recognized as a physician and surgeon of pronounced skill and ability and his
practice has steadily grown as the years have passed. He has membership with the
Chickasaw County Medical Society, the Austin Flint Cedar Valley Medical Society,
the Iowa State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. In financial
circles he has also become known as a member of the board of directors of the Com-
mercial State Savings Bank of Nashua.

On the 19th of September, 1888, Dr. Goodale was united in marriage to Miss Jennie
M. Spear, of Nashua, by whom he had two children, one of whom has passed away.

DR. L. H. GOODALE

\

4
V

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 515

The surviving daughter is Florence S., who was graduated from Grinnell College with
the class of 1914 and was later a high school teacher. She was married October 18,
1919, to Charles E. Rundorff, of Flint, Michigan, and now resides there.

Dr. Goodale gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has served as
health officer for eight or ten years, making a most commendable record in that connec-
tion. In Masonic circles he has become well known as a member of Bradford Lodge,
No. 129, A. F. & A. M.; Almond Chapter, No. 53, R. A. M., of Charles City; Joppa Com-
mandery. No. 55, K. T.; El Kahir Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Cedar Rapids; and De
Molay Consistory, No. 1, A. & A. S. R., of Clinton, Iowa. Both he and his wife are iden-
tified with the Order of the Eastern Star. Dr. Goodale likewise belongs to Nashua
Lodge, No. 391, I. 0. 0. F.; Nashua Lodge, No. 110, K. P.; and the Modern Woodmen
of America. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Congregational
church, with which his wife is also identified. They are well known and highly
esteemed in the community in which they make their liome and the Doctor has long
enjoyed an enviable reputation as one of the leading and progressive representatives of
♦he medical fraternity in Chickasaw county.

OREN MORRISON LANDON, M. D.

Dr. Oren Morrison Landon, a physician and surgeon of New Hampton, has engaged
in practice continuously since 1882 and throughout all the intervening years has kept in
close touch with the onward march of the profession. He was horn at Busti, Chautauqua
county. New York, in 1854, a son of Harvey and Mary Jane Landon. Spending his youth-
ful days under the parental roof, he pursued his early education in the country schools
and afterward entered the University of Iowa, in which he pursued his professional
course, winning the M. D. degree in 1882. He became a resident of this state in 1867.
His early life was devoted to farm work, but thinking to find other pursuits more con-
genial to hira than the tilling of the soil, he turned his attention to the drug business
and this ultimately led to his preparation for the practice of medicine and surgery, in
which he has attained a substantial measure of success.

In 1879, at Lime Springs, Iowa, Dr. Landon was married to Miss Hattie E. Rigby.
His second marriage, celebrated at Lawler, Iowa, in 1893, was to Miss Ada M. Ditmars.
daughter of H. J. Ditmars, for many years a prominent business man of Lawler and for
the last eighteen years a representative of the business interests of West Liberty, Iowa.
Dr. Landon has a daughter and a son: Pearl May, now the wife of Major James A.
Marmon; and Roy S., who married Mildred Martin and is a teacher in the manual train-
ing department of the public schools of Galesburg, Illinois.

With Dr. Landon the social demands of nature largely find expression in his mem-
bership in the Masonic fraternity. He has been an active worker and exemplary mem-
ber of the order for a number of years, has attained the Knight Templar degree and was
eminent commander of Eudora Commandery for three years. His political allegiance is
given to the republican party, but he has had neither time nor inclination to seek office.
His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Congregational church and by
an upright life that recognizes his duties and obligations to his fellowmen and to the
community at large.

GUSTAV ADOLF HERMAN LANGE.

Gustav Adolf Herman Lange, living on section 11, Forest City township. Howard
county, where he devotes his attention to general agricultural pursuits, was born in
Germany on the 28th of December, 1860, his parents being Gottlieb and Anna (Menzel)
Lange, who spent their entire lives in their native country. The son was reared to
young manhood in Germany and was educated in the common schools of that country.
At the age of fourteen years he apprenticed himself to the miller's trade, completing his

516 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

term of indenture in three years, and in the summer of 1879 he came to the United
States, hoping to find better business opportunities than he believed he couid secure in
Germany. He did not tarry on the Atlantic coast but made his way at once into the
interior of the country, settling first in Calumet county, Wisconsin, where he began
Avork as a farm hand. He remained there for about four years, working one winter in
the pineries, while in the summer seasons he continued his labors in the fields.

In 1883 Mr. Lange came to Iowa and for about two years worked at the miller's
tra,de in Allamakee county. In the spring of 1885 he removed to Howard county and
for over two years was employed in the Forreston Roller Mills in Forest City township.
On the expiration of that period he went to Minnesota and was employed in three differ-
ent mills in that state during the succeeding two years. In the spring of 1889 he returned
to Germany on a visit and spent the summer with his parents, but he had formed a
deep attachment for the land of his adoption and in the fall of the year returned to
America, making permanent location in Howard county. Here he worked in the For-
reston Roller Mills by the month for about five years and in the fall of 1894 leased the
mill, which he continued to operate on his own account for five years. In 1893 he for
the first time became a landowner, making investment in a portion of his present farm,
which was then a tract of wild timber land. He cleared away the trees and brush and
began the development of the property, continuing its improvement, and in 1S99, after
leaving the mill, he settled upon the farm, the boundaries of which he has since ex-
tended until it now comprises one hundred and seventy-seven acres. This constitutes
an excellent farm property which has been won through his earnest and persistent
effort in business and his straightforward dealing.

In November, 1890, Mr. Lange was married to Miss Maria Wilhelms. a native of
Germany, who came to the United States with her parents, Henry P. and Maria (Prue-
ser) Wilhelms, when but three years of age. Both her father and mother are still
living, the former having reached the advanced age of eighty-eight years, while the
latter is eighty years of age. They are still well preserved and very active and live in
Granger, Minnesota, where they are one of the most highly esteemed as well as one
of the most venerable couples of the community. To Mr. and Mrs. Lange have been
born four children, of whom three are living. Paulus H., who won a scholarship at the
State University of Illinois, served in the great European war. He was stationed at
Camp Pike, Arkansas. Karl H. now follows farming in Wisconsin r.nd Reuben H., the
youngest son, is at home.

Mr. Lange votes with the republican party, which he has supported since becoming
an American citizen. He served for three terms as a member of th'i board of township
trustees and he is regarded as one of the foremost residents of Forest City township-.
Both he and his wife are members of the Lutheran church and their many excellent
traits of character have gained for them the warm regard and respect of many.

LOUIS WILLIAM URBAN.

An excellent farm property on section 12, Howard township, in Howard county,
pays tribute to the care and labor bestowed upon it by the ov/ner, Louis William Ur-
ban, who has for a long period been identified with the agricultural development of
northern Iowa. He was born in South Dakota, June 21, 1884, a son of Wencel and Mary
Urban, who are natives of Bohemia but came to the United States in childhood days
with their parents, both families settling in Wisconsin, where the father and mother
became acquainted and were married. They lived for some time in Wisconsin follow-
ing their marriage and thence removed to South Dakota, while in 1890 they came to
Howard county, Iowa, where Mr. Urban purchased the present home farm of his son,
Louis William, comprising one hundred and forty-seven acres of land situated on sec-
tion 12, Howard township. He afterward bought another farm of one hundred and
sixty acres cornering upon his home place and on this property he resided until 1907,
when he turned the farms over to his two sons and removed to Lourdes, where he has
since lived retired, enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and richly merits.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 517

liOuis William Urban, after pursuing a district school education, devoted his atten-
tion to farm work and thus gained practical experience which has been of great value
to him in carrying on his farming interests in later life. In 1907 he was united in mar-
riage to Miss Mary Falada, a native of Howard county and a daughter of James F.
Falada, one of the early settlers of this part of the state, who is still living and now
makes his home in Howard township. After the marriage of Louis W. Urban his
father removed to the city and the son took charge of the home farm, which he con-
tinued to cultivate as a renter for five years, while in 1911 he purchased the property
that he now owns and is further developing and improving.

To Mr. and Mrs. Urban have been born eight children, as follows: Wencel, Fran-
cis, Clara, Helen, Aloysius, Cledith, Anna and Mary. The parents and family are mem-
bers of the Catholic church and in political faith Mr. Urban is a democrat. He has never
sought or desired office, however, for he has always preferred to concentrate his efforts
and attention upon his business interests and his diligence and industry have been the
basic principles upon which he has built his success.

FRED KRUGER.

Fred Kruger, who is engaged in farming on section 32, Afton township, is one of
the native sons of Howard county, his birth having occurred within its borders on the
23d of December, 1886. His parents are Edward J. and Amelia Kruger, both of whom
were born in Wisconsin but came to Iowa at an early age. When a young man of about
twenty-five years the father began farming on his own account and made for himself a
creditable place among the substantial agriculturists of this part of the state.

It was upon the old homestead place that Fred Kruger was born and reared, his
youthful experiences being those that usually fall to the lot of the farm-bred boy. He
attended the district schools and worked with his father until about the age of twenty-
two years, when he started out in life independently as a farmer. For three or four
years he cultivated rented land and then purchased the place upon which he now re-
sides, comprising a good tract of land in Afton township. He has since erected a new
residence upon the farm and has remodeled all of the buildings, which are kept in an
excellent state of repair. A most progressive spirit guides him in his work and the
results which he achieves are gratifying.

On the 15th of September, 1908, Mr. Kruger was married to Miss Annie Rieken, a
daughter of Henry and Barda Rieken, of Mitchell county, Iowa. They have become
parents of three children, Elmer, Bessie and Irving, all living upon the home farm.

Mr. Kruger is a director of the Howard County Equity Cooperative Association. In
politics he is a republican and his religious faith is that of the Lutheran church. His
life has been actuated by high and honorable principles and in every relation of life he
has measured up to the advanced standards of manhood and citizenship.

ROY L. CAGLEY.

Roy L. Cagley, the foremost grocer and one of the leading business men of Nashua,
has there conducted a store continuously throughout the past eleven years and has met
with a most gratifying and well merited measure of success. He is numbered among
the worthy native sons of the town, his birth having occurred in Nashua on the 16th
of July, 1879. His parents, John and Charlotte (Carey) Cagley, were natives of In-
diana and Michigan respectively but were married in Chickasaw county, this state.
Michael Cagley, the paternal grandfather, was one of the earliest of the county's pioneers
and the maternal grandfather also took up his abode among the early settlers of Chicka-
saw county. Following his marriage John Cagley located on a farm in Bradford town-
ship, near Nashua, where his active life was spent in farming, his well directed labors
as an agriculturist being rewarded with substantial success. He passed away in Nashua

518 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

about 1913, having for but two years survived his wife. They had become widley known
during the long period of their residence in Chickasaw county and in their passing the
community mourned the loss of two of its esteemed and honored pioneer settlers.

Roy L. Cagley received his education in the public schools of Nashua and when
twenty years of age apprenticed himself to the miller's trade, which he learned in the
mill at Greenv/ood. He worked as a miller for ten years and then met with an acci-
dent which resulted in the loss of his right hand. In 1908 he embarked in the grocery
business in Nashua, with which he has since been continuously identified and in the
careful conduct of which he has gained well deserved prosperity. He carries a large
and carefully selected line of staple and fancy groceries and is accorded an extensive
patronage by reason of his reliable business dealings, courteous treatment of customers
and reasonable prices.

On the 19th of April, 1899, Mr. Cagley was united in marriage to Miss Orpha Zwan-
ziger, of Nashua. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has
served for four years as a member of the town council of Nashua, making a most com-
mendable record in that connection. Fraternally he is identified with Nashua Lodge,
No. 110, K. P.; Nashua Lodge, No. 391, I. O. 0. F. ; the Modern Woodmen of America and
the Brotherhood of American Yeomen. Both he and his wife are Baptists in religious
faith, but as there is no church of that denomination in Nashua, they attend the Con-
gregational church. Mr. Cagley is a thoroughly progressive and public-spirited citizen,
always to be found in the vanguard of any movement tending to advance community
welfare. His career has ever been actuated by high and worthy motives and he en-
joys the regard and esteem of all who know him.

FRANK FREEMIRE, M. D.

For twenty-five years Dr. Frank Freemire was a practicing physician of Chester.
He was of that type of the physician that Ian Maclaren has immortalized in "Beside
the Bonnie Brier Bush," a man who never refused to respond to a call for medical ser-
vice day or night, going in fair or in stormy weather, no matter how poor the patient
nor how long the distance. He responded immediately to the call of suffering humanity
even when he knew there was no hope of remuneration for his service. His life was
actuated by broad humanitarian principles that caused him constantly to reach out a
helping hand.

Dr. Freemire was born January 24, 1849, in Tioga, New York, a son of Nicholas
and Emeline (Oakley) Freemire, who were also natives of the Empire state and who
on removing west settled in Fillmore county, Minnesota, in the early '50s. There they
resided until called to their final rest.

Dr. Freemire was but a child when his parents came to the Mississippi valley and
in Minnesota ho was reared to manhood, acquiring his education in the public schools.
After completing a high school course he took up the study of medicine, entering the
College of Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk, Iowa. He specialized in the study of
diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat and also obstetrics and diseases of women.
He won his professional degree on the 27th of February, 1882. and first located for
practice in Roscoe, South Dakota, where he remained for two year?, but the water in
that district did not agree with him and he removed to Chester, Iowa, where he resided
to the time of his death, remaining an active practitioner of this place for many years.
He was a most sincere and honorable man and in the case of dangerous illness he would
remain at times for hours at the bedside of a patient to observe the effects of his medi-
cine and that he might be ready to meet any change that might arise. He became one
of the best known and ablest physicians of northern Iowa and his professional service
was in constant demand.

In 1873 Dr. Freemire was married to Miss Ellen Moore, of Fountain, Minnesota, and
they became the parents of a son, Frank Nicholas, D. D. S., who is a graduate of the
dental department of the Northwestern University of Chicago and is now practicing in
Chester. Dr. Freemire was a Royal Arch Mason, holding membership in the lodge and

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 519

chapter at Chatfield, Minnesota, and he also belonged to the Odd Fellows lodge at Ches-
ter. Death called him on the 8th of June, 1904, and In his passing Ches-
ter lost one of her most esteemed citizens. A modern philosopher has said: "Not the
good that comes to man, but the good that comes to the world through man, is the meas-
ure of his success." Judged by this standard, the life of Dr. Freemire was a most suc-
cessful one.

F. E. SILVER.

F. E. Silver, cashier of the Elma State Savings Bank and displaying a laudable am-
bition and unfaltering enterprise in his business career, was born in Deerfield town-
ship, Chickasaw county, July 29, 1889, a son of Maurice and Elizabeth (Greenwood)
Silver, the former a native of Wisconsin, while the latter was born in Floyd county,
Iowa. A history of the father appears elsewhere in this volume.

The son was educated in the district schools and in the State Normal School at
Cedar Falls, Iowa, and following the completion of his school course he entered banking
circles and for three and a half years was identified with the First State Bank as assist-
ant cashier. In October, 1913, he founded and organized the Elma State Savings Bank
and has since presided over its financial policy, occupying the position of cashier, while
his father is president of the institution, and George W. Keefe its vice president. His
previous experience well qualified him for the responsibilities which he assumed in this
connection and his powers as a business man have fully measured up to the require-
ments made upon him.

On the 16th of June, 1916, Mr. Silver was married to Miss Lina Adams, of Roches-
ter, Minnesota, a daughter of Dr. A. S. Adams, one of the prominent physicians of that
place. Mr. and Mrs. Silver have become the parents of two children, Mary Elizabeth
Gail and Joseph Harrison.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Silver are members of the Catholic church and he is identified
with the Knights of Columbus and with the Modern Woodmen of America. His political
endorsement is given to the democratic party but he has no time nor inclination to seek
public office, preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs.

MAURICE SILVER.

Maurice Silver is now largely living retired from business although for many years
he was actively identified with agricultural interests in Howard county and at the
present time is president of the State Savings Bank at Elma. The active control of
the bank, however, is left to his son, who is cashier of the institution.

Mr. Silver was born in Green county, Wisconsin, October 22, 1856, a son of Patrick
and Anna (Dunn) Silver, who were natives of Ireland and in young manhood and
womanhood came to the United States. They settled in the state of New York, were
there married, and one child was born to them ere their removal to Green county, Wis-
consin, where they took up their abode upon a farm. They continued residents of that
county throughout their remaining days and were among the enterprising representa-
tives of agricultural interests in that district. The father died when his son Maurice
was but two and a half years of age and as the mother was then in humble financial
circumstances Maurice Silver had to devote most of his time and attention in his boy-
hood to the farm work. This necessarily limited his educational privileges although he
attended the common schools for about two months during the winter season. His
youth, however, was largely a period of earnest and unremitting toil and on attaining
his majority in 1877 he had thorough training to equip him for life's practical and re-
sponsible duties. In 1877 he came west to Iowa, settling in Chickasaw county, where
he purchased a fractional eighty acres and engaged in farming. He prospered as the
years went on and subsequently added to his landed possessions as his financial re-
sources increased until his holdings comprised two hundred and sixteen acres of land.

520 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

which he still owns. In 1910 he removed to Elma, Howard county, where he has since
resided. In 1913 he and his son organized the Elma State Savings Bank, of which he
became the president in 1917, and remains as the head of the. institution.

In 1884 Mr. Silver was married to Miss Elizabeth Greenwood, of Floyd county, Iowa,
and they have become the parents of five children: Anna, now the wife of Thomas
Kelly, of Elma; Frank E., who is cashier of the Elma State Savings Bank; Blanche,
the wife of B. R. Keefe, a farmer of Minnesota; and Clara and Alice, at home.

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and Mr. Silver is
identified with the Knights of Columbus. His political allegiance is given the demo-
cratic party but while he is conversant with the questions and issues of the day he does
not seek nor desire public office but has concentrated his efforts and attention upon his
business affairs and therein met success, so that he is now numbered among the sub-
stantial residents of Howard county.

MATHEW VIRGIL MILLER.

Mathew Virgil Miller, one of the leading farmers of Chickasaw county and a prom-
inent breeder and raiser of shorthorn cattle, makes his home in Utica township. In
fact he was born September 1, 1886, on the farm which he now owns, his parents being
Dominick and Mary Elizabeth (Lansing) Miller. The father was born in Prussia,
Germany, but came to America as a youth of fifteen years and made his way direct to
a farm owned by his uncle in Utica township, Chickasaw county. Here he worked as
a farm hand for a number of years and in 1870 purchased eighty acres from his uncle,
Mathias Kant. He then began farming on his own account, clearing away the forest
growth and breaking the virgin soil. He used oxen in the early development of his
place and met the usual hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. As the
years passed, however, he prospered and at his death was the owner of three hundred
and twenty-five acres, now constituting the home farm of Mathew V. Miller. In Febru-
ary, 1872, Dominick Miller wedded Mary Elizabeth Lansing, who was born at Burling-
ton, Wisconsin, October 31, 1852. They became parents of nine children: John, born
December 18 1872; Mary, whose birth occurred in December, 1874; Margaret, whose
natal day was May 28, 1876; Agnes, born September 6, 1879; Nella, who was born
August 5, 1882; Hubert, whose birth occurred October 5, 1884, and who has passed
away; Mathew Virgil, of this review; Anna, born November 3, 1890; and Oriole, who
was born on the 4th of January, 1895.

Mathew V. Miller attended the parochial schools at Lawler, Iowa, and the Globe
Business College at St. Paul, Minnesota, and when twenty-three years of age he began
farming on his own account, purchasing two hundred acres of the old home property
on section 33, Utica township. This he has since developed and improved until he has
one of the best equipped farms in northern Iowa. In 1913 the old barn was struck by
lightning and was replaced by a new and commodious one with cement floor and many
sanitary features. Mr. Miller has specialized in the raising of shorthorn cattle and
all of his cattle are bred on the farm from a famous imported sire known as Imported
Villager. In 1916 Mr. Miller also undertook the work of breeding pure bred Poland
China hogs and since that time has developed Pilot, the champion sire of the United
States. Mr. Miller has recently refused twenty thousand dollars for this animal. He
has upon his place sires which he considers the equal of the champion. His entire herd
is of the same breed and strain and his production was so great that he has erected a
selling pavilion on the ranch and there conducts his sales. His entire farm is fenced
and cross-fenced and he has a fine artesian well, with water piped to all buildings. In
the summer of 1919 sixteen carloads of tiling were laid upon the farm, or four thousand
rods, making this the best tiled farm in northwestern Iowa. Everything about the
place is indicative of his progressive spirit and methods. His hog pens are sanitary,
having cement floors, and the buildings are all excellently appointed.

On the 7th of June, 1915, Mr. Miller was married to Miss Mary D. McGinn, a
daughter of John and Katherine (Spain) McGinn. Her father was born in Clinton

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DONALD JOSEPH MILLER

MADANE KATHERINE MILLER

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 525

county, Iowa, where he spent his entire active life in farming, and he has for the last
ten years been president of the People's Savings Bank of Delmar, Iowa. He also owns
a section of land in Bloomfield township, Clinton county, whereon he spends most of
his time He is a son of William and Eliza (Fitzgerald) McGinn, who came to the
United States from Toronto, Canada, and, settling in Clinton county, Iowa, preempted
one hundred and sixty acres of government land, the first grant being signed by Presi-
dent Madison Both Mr. and Mrs. William McGinn passed away in Clinton county, the
latter dying upon the home farm in 1897, at the age of sixty-three years, while Mr. Mc-
Ginn retired from active life and spent his last days in Delmar, there dying in 1907,
at the age of seventy-four. Mrs. Miller attended Our Lady of Angels' Seminary at
Lyons, Iowa, and completed her education in St. Joseph's College at Dubuque. She was
afterward graduated at the Mercy Hospital at Clinton after pursuing a course in nurs-
ing. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have two children: Madane Katherine, born July 5, 1916; and
Donald Joseph, born July 29, 1917.

The religious faith of the parents is that of the Catholic church, their membership
being at Lawler. In politics Mr. Miller maintains an independent course, voting for
men and measures rather than party. In his business affairs he has displayed a most
progressive spirit and in the conduct of his farming and stock raising interests em-
ploys scientific methods which show his thorough understanding of questions relative
to the development of his herds and the production of his crops. He is of the third
generation to reside upon the Miller farm in Utica township and that the work of farm
improvement has been carried on along most practical and progressive lines is manifest
in the present productivity of the place. They have never allowed the soil to become
exhausted but have practiced the rotation of crops and the judicious use of fertilizers, so
that the fields have always been kept in excellent condition. Moreover, Mr. Miller en-
joys a well deserved reputation as the owner of some of the finest shorthorn Villagers
and Poland China hogs that the country has produced.

JOE R. MARK.

Among the well known farmers of Howard county is numbered Joe R. Marr, who
is living on section 18, Afton township. He is one of the native sons of this county,
his birth having here occurred September 6, 1879, his parents being William and Ros-
ella (Yager) Marr. The father was born in Germany, while the mother was a native
of Aurtria. The former came to the United States with his parents when but four
years of age and the mother crossed the Atlantic with her parents when a maiden of
fifteen summers. They became residents of Wisconsin and in that state reached adult
age and were married. They afterward removed to Iowa, taking up their abode in
Afton township, Howard county, about the year 1869. The father preempted land from
the government, a tract that was in its primitive condition. He also bought land in
Afton township upon his arrival and to the time of his death was identified with the
farming interests of this section of the state. He converted a wild tract into produc-
tive fields and to his place added many modern improvements, being classed with the
representative and progressive farmers of the district. He died in Afton township in
1899 and was survived by his widow for eight years, her death occurring in 1907.

By the terms of his father's will Joe R. Marr came into possession of the farm of
two hundred acres upon which he now resides on sections 17 and IS, Afton township.
He had been reared upon the old homestead farm and pursued his education in the com-
mon schools near his father's home. He had been accorded thorough training in farm
work and remained in his father's employ until the death of the latter, which occurred
when the son Joe was twenty years of age. He then took over the management and
further development of the land which he inherited and has made for himself a most
creditable and enviable position as a prominent and representative farmer of Afton
township.

In his political views Mr. Marr has always been a stanch democrat, voting for the
men and measures of the party since age conferred upon him the right of franchise.
Vol. n— 33

526 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

During the World war he was an active worker in behalf of the Red Cross and also in
support of the Liberty Loan drives. He early recognized the fact that industry wins
in business and saw that honorable success is only to to be attained by persistency of
purpose and unfaltering diligence; that it slips away from the sluggard and tauntingly
plays before the dreamer but yields its fruits to the man who works persistently and
earnestly. This Mr. Marr has done and he is now numbered among the men of affluence
in Afton township.

JAMES ADAMEE.

James Adamee, living on section 14, New Oregon township, Howard county, was
born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, on the 28th of October, 1868. His parents were na-
tives of Bohemia and on coming to the United States made their way across the coun-
try and took up their abode in Howard county. In early life the father turned his at-
tention to the occupation of farming and continued to engage in that pursuit to the
time of his death, which occurred in 1901.

His son James, who had been reared to farm life, then took over the work of the
farm and has since been engaged in the further cultivation and improvement of the
old home property, assisted by his son. All of the present excellent improvements upon
the place were put there by James Adamee, who now has a thoroughly modern farm,
supplied with all the equipment common in the twentieth century. His has been an
active and useful life. He was educated in the public schools of Howard county and
as the years have passed he has made good use of his time, his talents and his oppor-
lunities.

Mr Adamee is the father of two children: Albert, twenty-two years of age; and
Mary, eleven years of age, both upon the home farm. He and his family are members
of the Holy Trinity church of Protivin. His entire life has been passed in this sectioh
of the state, and the spirit of enterprise which has actuated him in his business affairs
has been the basic element of his growing success.

THOMAS H. KELLY.

Among Howard county's well known farmers is Thomas H. Kelly, who resides on
section 5, Afton township. He was born upon this farm July 27, 1865, and has here
spent his entire life. His parents were Thomas and Bridget Kelly, natives of Ireland,
who on commg to Howard county cast in their lot with the pioneer settlers of Afton
township. They contributed to the early development of the district and remained resi-
dents of the county until called to their final rest. The father passed away in Afton
township in 1877, and the mother died upon the old homestead in 1892.

In his youthful days Thomas H. Kelly of this review attended the public schools
near his father's home and when not occupied with the duties of the schoolroom largely
gave his- attention to work in the fields. When his textbooks were put aside he con-
tinued to assist in the further development and improvement of the old homestead. Hav-
ing arrived at years of maturity, he was united in marriage to Miss Lizzie Martin, a
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Martin, who were natives of Ireland. On coming
to the new world they made Iowa their destination and were identified with farming
interests in Afton township from pioneer days. They shared in all of the hardships
and privations incident to the settlement of the frontier and bore their part in the work
of general improvement. Both passed away in Afton township. To Mr. and Mrs. Kelly
have been born three children, Gladys, Bernard and Timothy, all yet at home.

The religious faith of Mr. and Mrs. Kelly is that of the Catholic church and they
have membership in the St. Cecelia church in Afton township. Mr. Kelly is also con-
nected with the Catholic Order of Foresters. He has filled several local offices, serv-
ing as township clerk for a number of years and also as township trustee of Afton town-

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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 531

ship. His worth as a man and citizen is widely acknowledged by those who know aught
of his career. His course in business has been characterized by a diligence and de-
termination that have enabled him to overcome all difficulties and obstacles in his path
and work his way steadily upward. He has many admirable and substantial traits of
character that have not only brought him success in business but have also gained for
him the high regard of those with whom he has come in contact.

JOSEPH MALEK.

Bohemia has furnished a very large quota to the substantial citizenship of Howard
county. Among those born in that land and now living in Paris township is Joseph Ma-
lek, who makes his home in Schley, while owning a good tract of land on section 13.
He was born in Bohemia, October 17, 1841, and there spent the first twelve years of his
life, coming to the United States in 1853 in company with his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Jacob Malek. The father, settling in Cleveland, Ohio, worked in a stone quarry there
for a brief period, after which he left that city and removed to Winneshiek county,
Iowa, where he purchased land and began farming. Year after year he carefully tilled
the soil and continued the work of improving his farm property, on which he resided
to the time of his death in 1870, after which the farm was divided among his sons, while
John was to take care of the mother. He afterward turned over the home farm to his
brother Michael, who later sold the property.

His wife, Mrs. Sophronia Malek, was born in Bohemia, where her parents were
farming people. Mr. Malek has served as school director for seven years and in politics
has always been a democrat since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. He
belongs to the Catholic church of Protivin and is widely and favorably known through-
out Howard county. At the present he is living retired, making hiy home in Schley.
Throughout a long period he was an active factor in the agricultural development of
Mie community and succeeded in bringing his fields under a high state of cultivation.
He ever carried his work diligently forward and he never had occasion to regret the
determination of the family to come to the new world, for he here found business op-
portunities which he sought and in their utilization made for himself a place among
the men of affluence in his community.

OLE E. HOVEY.

Ole E. Hovey, who follows farming on section 11, Forest City township. Howard
county, was born in Norway on the 22d of March, 1862, his parents being Andrew and
Ture fOlPon) Iverson. The father died in his native country, after which the mother
came to the United States with her son Ole and at a subsequent period became the
wife of Gilbert Olson, with whom she is now living in Minnesota.

Ole E. Hovey, spending his youthful days in the land of his nativity, attended the
public schools there and after his father's death, which occurred when the son was
eighteen years of age, he worked for two years at the shoemaker's trade. The favora-
ble reports which he heard concerning business opportunities and conditions in the
United States led him to the determination to try his fortune on this side of the At-
lantic and in 1884 he bade adieu to friends and relatives and sailed for America.
Traveling across the country to Decorah, Iowa, he hired out as a farm hand and for
six years worked for wages, but was ambitious to engage in business on his own ac-
count and carefully saved his "earnings during that period until his economy and labor
had brought him a sufficient sum to enable him in 1890 to purchase a farm of one hun-
dred and fifty acres. Since that time he has resided upon his present place, covering
twenty-nine years, and the fruits of his toil are seen in the highly cultivated fields and
pplendid improvements. His has been a life of diligence, fraught with gratifying re-
sults.

532 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

In June, 1890, Mr. Hovey was united in marriage to Miss Gena Hovey, a native of
Fillmore county, Minnesota, whose father was a native of Norway, while her mother
was born in Minnesota but of Norwegian parentage. To Mr. and Mrs. Hovey were born
ten children, namely: Lena, the wife of Toleff Bergen, a resident of Howard county;
Carrie, who married Harry Owens, of Lime Springs, Howard county; Ole, who follows
farming in Howard county; Bertha, who acts as housekeeper for her brother, Ole;
Emma, the wife of Clinton Lewis, a resident of Fillmore county, Minnesota; and Get-
rie. Clarence, Edward, Oliver and Goldie, all yet at home.

The Avife and mother passed away in 1912, in the faith of the Norwegian Lutheran
church, of which Mr. Hovey is also a member. His political allegiance is given to the
republican party and while he is not an oiTice seeker he is interested in everything per-
taining to the welfare, development and progress of the district in which he has so
long resided. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the
new world, for here he found the business opportunities which he sought. Centuriea
ago a Greek philosopher said: "Earn thy reward; the gods give naught to sloth."
Mr. Hovey early realized that industry is the basis of advancement and week after
week, month after month and year after year he has diligently toiled and has most
creditably won his present enviable position among the capable and prosperous farmers
of Forest City township.

HENRY J. BIWER.

Henry J. Biwer, engaged in general farming in Howard township, Howard county,
was born upon the old Biwer home farm in the same township, September 29, 1887, a
son of John and Margaret (Clear) Biwer, mentioned in connection with the sketch of
J. F. Biwer on another page of this work.

Henry J. Biwer spent his youthful days in the usual manner of the farmbred boy.
He began his education in the district schools and in vacation periods as he advanced in
years he was busily employed in the work of the farm. In 1910 he began farming on
his own account on a tract of land of eighty acres in Howard township which he then
owned. In 1915 he sold that property and bought a farm of one hundred and twenty-
seven and a half acres, which he cultivated for two years. He sold that farm in 1917
and has since been renting land.

On the 4th of February, 1913, Mr. Biwer was united in marriage to Miss Cecelia
Ragan, who resided near Riceville, Mitchell county, Iowa. Both are members of the
Catholic church, and in politics Mr. Biwer is a republican. He manifests a commend-
able interest in community affairs and supports all well defined plans for the upbuilding
and progress of the district in which he has always lived.

EDWARD H. MULLER.

Edward H. Miiller has devoted much of his time to farming but is now living re-
tired In the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. He was born in Prussia in the
.year 1848 and came to the United States in 1861, the family home being established at
Manistee, Michigan. Edward H. Miiller was at that time a youth of thirteen years. He
early began to provide for his own support, working in the sawmills of Manistee, where
he was busily employed until 1873. He came to this country with his parents, his
father also working in the sawmills of Manistee for a number of years.

When twenty-five years of age Edward H. Miiller, whose names introduces this
review, left Michigan and made his way westward to Albion township. Howard county,
Towa, accompanying his parents on the westward trip. Here he and his father pur-
chased eighty acres of land and became identified with the farming interests of the
community. In the year 1874 Edward H. Miiller married Elvina Greenwald and they
began their domestic life upon the farm. In 1876 he sold his eighty acre tract to his

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 533

father and with his family removed to Bristol, Minnesota, where he purchased one hun-
dred and sixty acres of land. He had to grub out the stumps from the greater part of
this tract, but with characteristic energy he continued the arduous work of developing
the pk.ce, which he converted into rich and productive fields.

In 1899 Mr. Mliller sold his one hundred and sixty acres at Bristol, Minnesota, and
removed to Albion township, Howard county, Iowa, where he made investment in four
hundred acres of land. He continued to farm that property until 1904, when he again
sold his farm and retired from active business. He then removed to Florenceville, Al-
bion township, where he purchased a pleasant home and about an acre and a' half of
land and through the intervening period he has occupied that place. He is most pleas-
antly located, his former toil and industry bringing to him a competence that now
.supplies him with not only all of necessities and comforts but many of the luxuries
of life. To Mr. and Mrs. Miiller have been born six children: Mary, who is now the
wife of Mitchel Bruner; Albert, who married Anne Rung; Herman, who wedded
Amanda Walters; Gustave, who married Alvina Biel; Martha M., who lives with her
sister Clara, the latter being the wife of Charles Biel.

The Miiller family has long been represented in this section of the state. The
father of Mr. Miiller passed away in 1891, the mother surviving for a considerable
period, her death occurring in 1904. In community affairs Mr. Miiller has always been
deeply interested and he has served as school trustee of his district in Albion town-
ship for two years. In politics he is a republican and is keenly interested in affairs of
general moment. He is regarded as one of the substantial citizens of the county and
during the recent war activities was a most earnest supporter of the Red Cross.

JOSEPH A. PECINOVSKY.

Joseph A. Pecinovsky, living on section 12, New Oregon township, Howard county,
was born April 17. 1866, in the county which is still his home. His father, Frank Pecin-
ovsky, was a native of Bohemia, born in 1833, and the mother's birth likewise occurred
in that land They carhe to the United States on the 23d of December, 1854, and after
a short time settled in Howard county, Iowa, where the father purchased the home-
stead farm. This he developed and improved, continuing the cultivation of the place
until 1889, when it was taken over by Joseph A. Pecinovsky, and the father retired
from active business life to spend his remaining days in the enjoyment of a rest which
he had truly earned and richly merited. He died December 21, 1905, while his wife
survived for several years, passing away March 16, 1911.

The educational opportunities which Joseph A. Pecinovsky enjoyed were those af-
forded by the public schools of Howard county. He was reared to farm work and thus
had had broad and valuable practical experience when he assumed the management of
the old home farm of one hundred and ninety-seven acres. Since that time he has
added various improvements and at the present time has one of the fine farms of the
c'ounty, neat and attractive in its appearance and giving every evidence of the practical
and progressive methods of the owner.

On the 11th of November, 1889. Mr. Pecinovsky was married to Miss Katherine
Holub, a daughter of Joseph and Mary Holub. of Linn county, Iowa, who were formerly
farming people there. Mr. and Mrs. Pecinovsky have become parents of four sons and
a daughter who are yet living, these being: Mary, Aloise. Joseph, John and William.
The eldest daughter is the wife of John Klimesh, of Chickasaw county, Iowa, where her
husband follows farming. Aloise enlisted in the United States army September IS,
1917, as a member of Company E, Three Hundred and Fifty-first Infantry, and was in
overseas service for fourteen months. The other children are yet under the parental
roof. There was also another daughter, Rosalia, who at the age of thirteen entered St.
Joseph's convent at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but died five years later. At the time of
her death she was known as Sister M. Mathilda and was a member of the Order of
St. Francis.

The family adheres to the Catholic faith, having membership In the church at

534 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Protivin. In politics Mr. Pecinovsky is a democrat but while he keeps informed on the
questions and issues of the day he does not seek nor desire office, preferring to concen-
trate his efforts and attention upon his business affairs, which are wisely and carefully
directed and have brought to him a substantial measure of success. He has always lived
in Howard county and has therefore through a period of fifty-three years been a wit-
ness of its development and upbuilding, while at all times his aid and influence are given
on the side of progress and improvement.

MRS. ANN JEANNETTE SLAWSON.

Mrs. Ann Jeannette Slawson is a well known resident of Howard county, where
she owns an excellent farm property. She is the widow of Eben Slawson and is a na-
tive of the state of New York, her birth having there occurred on the 9th of March,
1847. Her parents were Thomas and Abby Ann (Potter) Jinney, both of whom were
natives of New England and representatives of old American families. Mrs. Slawson
came to the west in 1871 to visit an uncle, James Potter, who resided in Iowa. Six
months later she was united in marriage to John Slawson, the ceremony being per-
formed on the 29th of June, 1871. Mr. Slawson died November 14, 1872, at the age of
twenty-three years and ten months, and in January, 1873, Mrs. Slawson was married
to Eben Slawson, the brother of her first husband. They traveled life's journey together
for a long period but on the 19th of March, 1906, Mr. Slawson passed away at the age of
fifty-one years, seven months and twenty days. He was one of the successful farmers
of Albion township, having carefully and persistently carried on his business affairs
until he had acquired a most substantial competence. He left an estate of six hundred
acres of rich, fertile and valuable land, of which Mrs. Slawson now owns two hundred
and forty acres, constituting one of the excellent farms of Albion township. Mrs. Slaw-
son has one daughter, Ida May, the widow of T. H. Stevens, of Cresco.

Mrs. Slawson belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church and also has membership
with the Royal Neighbors. She is widely known in Howard county and enjoys the
friendship of all. She has passed the seventy-second milestone on life's journey and for
forty-eight years has made her home in Iowa, so that she has long been a witness of
the development and progress of this section of the state.

JOHN J. BROWN.

John J. Brown, a decorating contractor carrying on business at Cresco, was born
in Freeport, Illinois, in 1848, his natal day being the 10th of December. His parents
were James H. and Malinda Brown, who in the year 1851 removed from Illinois to
Iowa, establishing their home in Winneshiek county, at which time their son John J.,
was a little lad of but three summers. The father preempted land, acquiring one hun-
dred and sixty acres, and built thereon a log house. Later he removed to Cresco when
the town was started.

John J. Brown was a pupil in the public schools of Iowa through the period of his
boyhood and youth and after attending the district schools near his father's farm con-
tinued his education in Cresco. He later learned the painter's trade under the direc-
tion of William Barber and has continued to follow it since that time, now doing paint-
ing and decorating, for which he takes large contracts that he most carefully executes.
He is today recognized as the leading contractor in his line in Cresco and likewise does
a large amount of contract work in neighboring cities and towns. His work is always
highly satisfactory not only by reason of his skill but also owing to the straightforward
and reliable business methods which he follows.

In 1875 Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Hattie Covey, a native of Frank-
lin county. New York, and a daughter of John R. and Miranda (Williams) Covey. The
parents were natives of Albany, Vermont, wherei they were married in 1853. The

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 535

father was a traveling salesman and also a hotel man in Vermont for two years but
afterward continued his salesmanship in the state of New York. In 1862 he enlisted
in response to the country's call for troops, joining the Union army as a member of the
Eighteenth New York Cavalry, with which he served for three years, engaged in camp
and field work. He was at one time president of the army hospital at Fort Schuyler
and at the close of the war he was honorably discharged. When the country no longer
needed his aid he returned to the Empire state and afterward removed to the west,
with McGregor, Iowa, as his destination. He traveled by way of the Great Lakes to
Milwaukee, then across the country to McGregor, where he established a hotel, which he
conducted for some time. He afterward cultivated a farm at National, Iowa, and still
later removed to Winneshiek county, Iowa, establishing his home in Orleans township,
where he secured a farm upon which he lived for three years. On the expiration of
that period he took up his abode in Cresco, where he is now living retired. He has
served as marshal and constable for a number of years and has been prominently iden-
tified with public interests, discharging every public duty with marked loyalty to the
trusts reposed in him. His political allegiance has always been given to the republican
party, while his religious faith is that of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is also
a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and proudly wears the little bronze button
that indicates him to have been one of the defenders of the Union during the dark days
of the Civil war.

To Mr. and Mrs. Brown has been born a son, James Monroe. The parents are con-
sistent members of the Congregational church and guide their lives according to its
teachings. Mr. Brown is an exemplary representative of the Masonic fraternity, loyally
adhering to the teachings of the craft, and his political allegiance is given to the re-
publican party, which he has supported since attaining adult age. He is widely and
favorably known in Cresco, where much of his life has been passed. He has lived in
Howard county from pioneer times, his memory forming a connecting link between the
primitive past and the progressive present. He can relate many interesting events
concerning the early history of the county as well as its later development, for Iowa
has numbered him among its citizens for sixty-seven years.

ALBERT MILLER.

Albert Miller, who is living on section 7, Afton township, Howard county, was born
in Wisconsin. January 24, 1872. He came to Howard county when a small boy with his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Miller. His father is still living and resides upon the old
home farm in Afton township, having for many years been a representative agriculturist
of this section of the state.

Albert Miller was reared under the parental roof and his youthful days were spent
in the usual manner of the farm boy who divides his time between the duties of the
schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the work of the fields. His educa-
tional opportunities were only those afforded by the common schools and in later life
he has learned many valuable lessons in the school of experience. His training in farm
work was not meager, for he early began to assist his father in the work of the fields and
had had valuable experience along this line when he started in farming on his own
account. He purchased his present farm in 1895 and through the intervening period
of almost a quarter of a century has resided thereon, bending his efforts to its further
development and improvement. He has brought his fields to a high state of cultivation,
and the place is now very productive annually yielding splendid crops.

In 1906 Mr. Miller was united in marriage to Miss Sophia Lubbert, a daughter of
Louis Lubbert, one of the old settlers of Afton township. Both of her parents have
passed away. To Mr. and Mrs. Miller has been born a daughter, Tena, who is now twelve
years of age.

The parents are members of the German Lutheran church of Riceville and guide
their lives according to its teachings, their many sterling traits of character gaining for
them the warm regard and good will of all who know them. In politics Mr. Miller is

536 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

a republican and keeps well informed concerning the vital questions and issues of the
day but never seeks oflBce as a reward for party fealty. His entire time and attention
have been concentrated upon his farming interests and his work in this connection is
bringing him substantial results.

P. E. STUART, M. D.

Dr. P. E. Stuart, one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Chickasaw county,
has continuously practiced his profession in Nashua for the past nineteen years. His
birth occurred at Kellogg, Jasper county, Iowa, on the 26th of July, 1877, his parents
being Jasper N. and Isabelle (Muir) Stuart, who were born, reared and married in
Ripley county, Indiana. Immediately following the close of the Civil war they came
to Iowa, taking up their abode on a farm in Jasper county, where the father successfully
carried on general agricultural pursuits throughout the remainder of his active business
career. They now reside in Kellogg, where Mr. Stuart has lived retired for several years,
enjoying in well earned rest the fruits of his former toil.

P. E. Stuart acquired his early education in the district schools and later attended
the Newton Normal School at Newton, Iowa. In 1896 he took up the study of medicine
in the medical department of the State University of Iowa at Iowa City, which institu-
tion conferred upon him the degree of M. D. on the 28th of March, 1900, and throughout
the intervening period of nineteen years he has remained in active and successful prac-
tice at Nashua. He is now well known as one of the able representatives of the profession
in northern Iowa, his practice having steadily grown as he has demonstrated his ability
to cope with the intricate problems which constantly confront the physician in his efforts
to restore health and prolong life. In 1910 he pursued post-graduate work in Phila-
delphia, Pennsylvania, and he keeps in close touch with the advanced thought of the
profession through his membership in the Chickasaw County Medical Society, the Austin
Flint Cedar Valley Medical Society, the Iowa State Medical Society and the American
Medical Association.

On the 20th of June, 1900, Dr. Stuart was united in marriage to Miss Grace G. Barber,
of Kellogg, Iowa, by whom he has two children, Margaret Jean and Robert James.

In his political views Dr. Stuart is independent, supporting men and measures
rather than party. He takes an active interest in all that pertains to the welfare and
upbuilding of the community in which he resides and is widely recognized as one of its
most progressive and public-spirited citizens. He is now president of the Big Four Fair
Association and also president of the Nashua school board, the cause of education ever
finding in him a stalwart champion. In Masonry he has also become prominent, belong-
ing to Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M., of which he was past master before reaching
the age of twenty-five years; Almond Chapter, No. 53, R. A. M. ; Joppa Commandery,
No. 55, K. T., of Charles City; De Molay Consistory, No. 1. A. & A. S. R., of Clinton, Iowa;
and El Kahir Temple, A. A. 0. N. M. S. Both the Doctor and his wife are identified with
the Order of the Eastern Star. The former is likewise a member of Nashua Lodge,
No. 391, I. O. 0. F.; Nashua Lodge, No. 110, K. P.; the Modern Woodmen of America and
the Mystic Workers. Dr. and Mrs. Stuart are devoted and consistent members of the
Congregational church and have gained an extensive circle of warm friends during the
period of their residence in Nashua.

JOSEPH A. HRUSKA.

Joseph A. Hruska, living on section 30, New Oregon township, Howard county, is
engaged in the cultivation of a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, of which he is the
owner of eighty acres. He was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, December 7, 1894,
and is therefore yet a young 'man. The qualities which he has already displayed argue
well for further success in the future. His father became identified with farming in-

p^U^d^

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 539

terests in Howard county in early life. He was married when quite young to Mary
Huka, of Howard county, and purchasing land, he became closely associated with the
farming interests of the county. He actively tilled his fields until about four years
ago, when his son took over the farm, since which time the father has lived retired. la
community affairs he takes quite a deep interest, serving as school director for a con-
siderable period and otherwise supporting plans and projects for the general good.

Joseph A. Hruska was reared to farm life, early becoming familiar with the best
methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops. He attended the public schools
ani after his textbooks were put aside concentrated his entire thought and attention
upon farming. About 1915 he took over the old home place, purchasing eighty acres
from his father, aiid at the present time he is renting an additional tract of eighty
acres. He has placed many substantial improvements upon his land and now has an
excellent farm property.

On the 19th of September, 1915, Mr. Hruska was united in marriage to Miss Mary
Stika, a dau<?hter of Frank and Helen Stika, of Howard county, and they have become
the parents of a daughter, Helen. Mr. and Mrs. Hruska attend the Catholic church
at Protivin and he gives his political allegiance to the democratic party. He does not
seek nor desire office, however, preferring to concentrate his efforts and attention upon
his business affairs, which are wisely and carefully managed and are bringing to him
a substantial measure of success.

F. W. BROWN.

F. W. Brown is a dealer in farm lands at New Hampton, in which business he has
continued successfully for a number of years. He had previously filled the position
of sheriff for two terms and in all public relations has proven his fidelity to the gen-
eral welfare and his interest in the progress and upbuilding of the community.

Mr. Brown is a native of the state of New York. He was born January 25, 1863,
of the marriage of August and Julia Brown, who were natives of Germany. The father
came to United States prior to his fifteenth year, following the death of his parents. He
located in Erie county, New York, where he attained his majority. The mother came
to the United States in her girlhood with her parents, who established their home in
Erie county. New York, and it was there that Mr. and Mrs. Brown were married. For
some years they continued to make their home in Erie county but afterward removed
to Green Lake, Wisconsin, where they resided for ten years. In 1876 they came to
Chickasaw county, Iowa, and Mr. Brown purchased a farm in Dayton township, upon
which he still resides. He is now in the eighty-sixth year of his age.

F. W. Brown is indebted to the district schools for the educational opportunities
which he enjoyed, but at an early age he began providing for his own support and
this terminated his school life. He worked for a time as a farm hand and subsequently
secured a position as clerk in a drug and grocery store in Ionia, in which the post office
was also maintained. He thus received his initial commercial training. In 18S6 he
ventured in business on his own account, establishing a general merchandise store at
Ionia, but aftfer two years he disposed of that business and for a brief period resided in
Nashua, Iowa. He next came to New Hampton, where he arrived in the latter part
of the summer of 1888. He was appointed to a position in the railway mail service
but after four months spent on the road he decided that the work held no future for
him and he gave up the position. He then returned to New Hampton and accepted a
clerkship in the postoffice. In the summer of 1889 he became active in politics and was
elected sheriff of Chickasaw county, to which position he was reelected two years later.
Upon the expiration of his second term as sheriff he established a real estate and loan
business In New Hampton and has since been active along that line. For ten years he
was identified with the First National Bank of West Minneapolis, with the Darrow
Trust & Savings Bank of New Hampton and the State Bank of Waucoma as a stock-
holder, but disposed of all of his bank holdings in 1916 and has since given his entire at-

540 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

tention to his land business. He has now a large clientage as a dealer in farm lands
and his business has reached very gratifying proportions.

In his political views Mr. Brown has been a lifelong democrat and became the can-
didate of his party for mayor of New Hampton in the spring of 1919. He belongs to Ar-
cana Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and is a loyal follower of the teachings of the craft Public
opinion classes him with New Hampton's foremost residents and representative business
men, who by the wise utilization of time and opportunity has advanced steadily step by
step until he now occupies an enviable position on the plane of affluence.

E. D. McWILLIAMS.

E. D. McWilliams, cashier of the Chester Savings Bank of Chester, Howard county,
was born in Postville, Allamakee county, Iowa, on the 15th of January, 1879, a son of
Brown and Sarah E. (Neeling) McWilliams, both of whom were natives of Pennsyl-
vania. However, in early life they removed westward and were married in National,
Clayton county, Iowa, to which state the mother had come with her parents. Soon
after their marriage they established their home in Allamakee county and the father
here engaged in farming, bringing his land under a high state of cultivation. He
passed away March 11, 1896, and was long survived by his wife, whose death occurred
on the 11th of September, 1918.

E D. McWilliams was reared upon the homestead farm, early becoming familiar
with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the farm-bred boy. He acquired his
education in the schools of Postville, passing through consecutive grades to the grad-
uation from the high school as a member of the class of 1896. Following the completion
of his studies he remained at home, his parents having in the meantime removed into
Postville, until 1904, when he became a resident of Chester and entered the German Sav-
ings Bank as assistant cashier. His capability and fidelity led to his promotion to the
office of cashier and in 1907 and in 1918 the name of the institution was changed to the
Chester Savings Bank. For the past twelve years Mr. McWilliams has had charge of
the financial policy of the bank and under his direction the business of the bank has
largely grown, the deposits having increased from twenty-five thousand dollars in
1907 to almost one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars in 1919.

On the 5th of June, 1918, Mr. McWilliams was married to Miss Mary A. Young, of
Cresco, Iowa, and they are numbered among the highly esteemed residents of Chester.
In politics he is a democrat. In Masonic circles he is prominent, belonging
to Brotherly Love Lodge, No. 204, A. F. & A. M.. of Postville; Bruce Chapter,
R. A. M., of Cresco; Iowa Consistory, No. 2, A. & A. S. R. ; and Kilwinning
Lodge of Perfection, No. 2, of Cedar Rapids. He is also identified with Utopia
Chapter, No. 379, O. E. S. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal
church. The steps in the orderly progression of Mr. McWilliams are easily discernible.
Persistent purpose has brought him to the front in a business way and at all times
he is willing to lend his aid and cooperation to any plan or measure for the general
good. Those who know him, and he has a wide acquaintance, esteem him highly, his
genuine worth being recognized by all.

HOMER DE FOREST JEWETT.

Homer De Forest Jewett, a photographer of Bradford and Nashua, was born in
Potsdam, St. Lawrence county. New York, June 12, 1858. The family comes of Holland
Dutch ancestry, the paternal grandparents of H. D. Jewett being representatives of that
stock. In the maternal line, however, he is of English lineage, for the Stickney fam-
ily, of which he is a representative, trace their ancestry back through several genera-
tions to the town or parish of Stickney, near London, England. His parents, John
and Lucy (Stickney) Jewett, were natives of Franklin county, Vermont, and on leaving

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 541

the Green Mountain state removed to Potsdam, New York, in the year 1847. There
they settled upon a farm in the south part of the town, living in a log house, the
father taking up the arduous task of clearing a part of the land of the timber and
stumps before the crops could be planted. Thus he aided in the pioneer development
of that region.

His son. Homer D. Jewett, attended the district schools between the ages of six
and sixteen years. Through the period of his boyhood and youth he worked on farms
after leaving school, being thus employed until twenty-four years of age, when, think-
ing to find other pursuits more congenial, he entered a studio and learned the art of
portrait painting, which profession he followed until coming to the middle west in
1904. Since that time he has been a resident of Minnesota and Iowa and has been en-
gaged in photographic work. Before removing west of the Mississippi he was employed
in some of the leading studios of Potsdam and Syracuse, New York, and of Chicago Illi-
nois, and it has been his privilege to paint portraits of some very notable personages,
including governors of states, principals of large schools and people in other prominent
walks of life.

At Potsdam, New York, on the 30th of August, 1887, Mr. Jewett was married to Miss
Lottie E. Stickney, a daughter of J. Dennison and Beulah M. Stickney. Mrs. Jewett
was born in Madrid, St. Lawrence county. New York, in March 1860. Her father was
born in Jay, Essex county, New York, while her mother was a native of Madrid. They
were farming people.

In religious faith Mr. and Mrs. Jewett are connected with the Methodist Episcopal
church. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and fraternally he
was connected with the Independent Order of Good Templars, while from 1885 until
1888 inclusive, or for two terms, he served as financial secretary of his lodge. In all
matters of citizenship he stands for those things which he deems of greatest worth to
the community and his aid and influence are ever on the side of those projects which
are for the uplift of the individual and the upbuilding of the state. He is a stanch
advocate of the cause of temperance and in many ways has manifested his interest in
forces for righteousness and public benefit. During the period of the world war he
was a most loyal and eariaest supporter of the government in its efforts to advance the
cause of democracy among the people of the world and contributed to the extent of
his ability to the support of the Liberty Loan drives and all war measures.

D. H. TIDGWELL.

D. H. Tidgwell is well known as a representative citizen of Elma. He was for
many years engaged in the lumber trade but is now living retired in the enjoyment
ot well earned rest. He was born in Racine county, "Wisconsin, September 30, 1859, a son
of John and Margaret (McDonald) Tidgwell, the former a native of Bradford, Eng-
land, while the latter was born in the north of Ireland. They came to the United States
with their respective parents, the former as a youth of seventeen years and the latter
as a little maiden of ten summers. Both of the families located in what was known
as the English settlement in Racine county, Wisconsin, and there the parents of D. H.
Tidgwell were later married. The father purchased one liundred and twenty acres of
land and engaged in farming, residing upon his farm property to the time of his death.

D. H. Tidgwell was educated in the district schools and left home when twenty-two
years of age to seek his fortune independently. In April. 1882, he came to Iowa, settl-
ing in Chickasaw county, where lie rented a farm a mile east of the present site of
the courthouse. There he kept bachelor's hall and devoted his attention to his farm
work for five years. In the fall of 1886 he bought lumber in New Hampton and hauled
it to the present site of Elma, where he built a hardware store. This was prior to the
time when the railroad was built and his was one of the first buildings erected in
the town. He conducted a hardware trade for six years and success attended the new
venture.

About this time, in the fall of 1892, Mr. Tidgwell was united in marriage to Miss

542 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

Ida M. Trickle, of New Hampton, and retiring from the hardware trade, he turned his
attention to the breeding and raising of race horses. About 1894 he established a lum-
ber business in Elma but continued to follow the races until 1898. He was very suc-
cessful in the lumber business and conducted his yard at Elma until about 1900, when
he sold to the C. W. Chapman Lumber Company. A little more than a year later he
engaged in the grocery business but after two years disposed of his stock of groceries
and purchased the Church & Hoyt hardware store, which he conducted successfully for
four years. He then sold the business and has since been engaged in buying and trad-
ing in farm lands. He is now the owner of seven hundred and sixty-five acres of val-
uable farm lands in Howard county. In all of his business affairs he has displayed
sound judgment and keen enterprise and his carefully directed interests have brought to
him a substantial measure of prosperity.

To Mr. and Mrs. Tidgwell have been born three children, of whom two are living:
Lyla M., who is assistant principal of the Elma public schools; and Thelma I., who is
attending high school in Elma. Mr. Tidgwell gives his political allegiance to the re-
publican party and keeps well informed and the questions and issues of the day but does
not seek nor desire office. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church
and he made most liberal contribution toward the erection of its house of worship. He
stands loyally for every plan or movement which he believes will prove of benefit to
the city, and his worth in this connection and as a business man has long been ac-
knowledged. He has a wide acquaintance and all who know him speak well of him in
terms of kind regard.

C. W. SCHNURR.

C. W. Schnurr is a dealer in agricultural implements at New Hampton and also
agent for the Ford car, thus being actively identified with the business interests of
the city. He was born in Buffalo, Scott county, Iowa, July 27, 1867, and is a son of
Daniel and Catherine (Bald) Schnurr, the former a native of Germany, while the
latter was also born in Buffalo, Scott county, Iowa. The father came to the United
States when a youth of sixteen years in company with four brothers, and all located
in Scott county, this state, where Daniel Schnurr was afterward married to Catherine
Bald. They settled upon a farm there, which remained their home for a number of
years, and in the fall of 1872 they removed to Chickasaw county, purchasing a farm in
Richland township, which Mr. Schnurr continued to further develop and improve until
about 1901, when he r^ired from active business life and established his home in New
Hampton, where he now resides at the venerable age of eighty-seven years. On the
mother's side of the house there are five generations of the family living, including
the grandmother of C. W. Schnurr and his own grandchildren.

C. W Schnurr was educated in the common schools and on attaining his majority
turned his attention to carpentering. He subsequently engaged in contracting and
building on his own account, erecting barns and other farm buildings. Later he re-
moved to New Hampton, where he entered the employ of Bigelow Brothers, lumber
merchants, remaining with that firm and its successors, Bigelow & Donovan, for a
period of eight years. In 1901 he was elected to the oflSce of county sheriff, in which
capacity he served for five years, and when he had retired from the position he went
upon the road as a traveling salesman for the International Harvester Company, which
he thus represented for three years. On the expiration of that period he purchased an
interest in the New Hampton Implement Company and the business is now owned by
Mr. Schnurr and J. Blankenheim. They have built up a gratifying trade as dealers in
agricultural implements, handling farm machinery of the latest and most improved man-
ufacture, and they are also agents in New Hampton for the Ford car. They have also
built up a large business in this particular and as the result of his iiiduslry, close appli-
cation and enterprise Mr. Schnurr is now enjoying a liberal annual income.

Mr. Schnurr married Miss Teresa Peters, of Chickasaw county, and to them have
been born eight children, seven of whom are yet living: Arthur, who is assistant

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 543

postmaster at New Hampton, Clemens, who served in the European war, being on
active duty in France; Clarence, a twin brother of Clemens, who joined the army but
was not sent overseas; Marie, who is attending St. Mary Academy at Prairie du Chien,
Wisconsin; and Frank, Aloysius and Evelyn, who are yet under the parental roof.

In politics Mr. Schnurr is a republican and for some years he served as a member
of the city council, cooperating heartily in plans and projects for the welfare and up-
building of the community. He is now a member of the New Hampton fire department.
Fraternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America and with the Knights
of Columbus, and both he and his wife are members of St. Mary's Catholic church.
New Hampton accounts him one of her leading and representative business men and
his career is illustrative of what can be accomplished through individual effort, for he
has worked his way upward entirely unaided.

WILLIAM CONNOLLY, M. D.

Dr. William Connolly, a member of the medical profession, who in his practice
specializes in the treatment of the eye, in which connection he has gained high efficiency,
was born in County Waterford, Ireland, on the 4th of March, 1861, a son of Patrick and
Catharine (Hannigan) Connolly. He was brought by his parents to the United States
when but three years of age, the family settling at McGregor, Iowa, which was then
the only market in the northern part of the state. Mr. Connolly, the father, there es-
tablished a grocery store and conducted business successfully until 1873, when he re-
moved to Cresco, where he was again identified with commercial interests. He re-
mained there until his death, carrying on business in the store now occupied by the
firm of Mott & Company. He passed away in Cresco at the age of sixty-seven years and
is still survived by his wife, who now resides in Spokane, Washington, and has reached
the age of eighty-seven years. He gave his political allegiance" to the republican party
and served as city treasurer of Cresco for a number of years, proving a most faithful
custodian of the public funds. His religious faith was that of the Roman Catholic
church.

Dr. Connolly spent his boyhood days in McGregor, where he resided to the age of
eleven years. He then accompanied liis parents on their removal to Cresco. where he
continued to attend the public schools, having begun his education in McGregor. At a
later period he became a pupil in Notre Dame University at Notre Dame, Indiana,
and his professional training was received in Rush Medical College of Chicago, from
which he was graduated in 1883, when a young man of twenty-one years, having pur-
sued the full course in that institution. He then came to Cresco, where he opened an
office and entered upon the practice of his profession, in which he continued until
3887. He then sold his practice to Dr. George Kessel and became engaged in the drug
business in connection with a Mr. Lowry, with whom he was thus associated until 1912.
when he withdrew from activity as a druggist to devote his entire time and attention
to the eye. He is well known as an optician and oculist and is doing excellent work
in that connection. During his medical practice he bought a farm of one hundred and
thirty-two acres in Cresco at a hundred dollars per acre, it being the first farm sold in
Howard county for that price. It is today a very valuable tract of land, on which
his son, W. F. Connolly, is now engaged in raising full blooded Holstein cattle. Dr.
Connolly is also a director in the Cresco Union Savings Bank and is thus identified
with various lines of business which contribute not only to his individual success but
also to the progress and prosperity of the general public.

In 1884 Dr. Connolly was united in marriage to Miss Catharine Mullen, a daughter
of Martin and Mary (O'Malley) Mullen. She was born at Bear Cre.^k, Wisconsin, while
her parents were natives of Ireland, whence they came to the United States in the
early '50s, crossing the Atlantic in one of the old sailing vessels common at that
period. They established their home in the state of New York, where Mr. Mullen fol-
lowed the occupation of farming, but later he removed to the middle west, locating in
Cresco. He retired from active business, spending his remaining days in the enjoyment

544 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

of well earned rest. His widow still survives. Dr. and Mrs. Connolly became the
parents of three children: William F., who is giving his attention to the breeding and
raising of Holstein cattle upon his father's farm; Ruth, who has become a Sister of
Charity and is now teaching at Emmetsburg, Iowa; and Irene, who died at the age of
five months. The wife and mother passed away in 1907 at the age of forty-seven years,
and her death was deeply regretted by many friends as well as her immediate family.

Dr. Connolly is the only member of his father's family still living in Howard county
and he is the eldest of a household that once numbered eight children, the others being:
Ella, now the wife of William Fitzgerald, a resident of Spokane, Washington; Anas-
tasia, Mary, Augustine and Joseph, all of whom are residents of Spokane; Robert, who
died at the age of two years; and James F., living in Seattle, Washington.

Dr. Connolly votes with the republican party, of which he has been a stalwart
adherent since age gave him the right of franchise. He is a member of the city
council and has served in that office for six years, discharging his duties with marked
promptness and capability. He was one of the builders of St. Joseph's Hospital in
Cresco and has always been interested in plans and measures for public progress and
improvement in the city and county of his adoption. His fellow townsmen esteem him
as a man of sterling worth.

JOHN McDANNELL, M. D.

Wide and comprehensive study and broad experience have placed Dr. John Mc-
Dannell in the ranks of the leading physicians and surgeons of Iowa. He is practicing
at Nashua, Chickasaw county, where he has made his home since 1908. He was born
in Rock Island, Illinois, on the 9th of March, 1871, and is a son of Decatur S. and
Etola Mary (Hughes) McDannell, the former a native of Ohio, while the latter was
born in Pennsylvania. They were married in the Buckeye state, where the mother had
removed with her parents in her girlhood days. The father was an artist and among
his many works of art was a painting of the battle of Gettysburg, which was shown in
a panorama on Wabash avenue in Chicago for many years, a notable work that drew to
it thousands of spectators annually. He resided in Rock Island in early manhood and
for many years was a resident of Chicago. His labors included many canvases made in
the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, several of these being notable pictures of the Garden
of the Gods. His last days were spent at Moline, Illinois, where he passed away about
1890.

Dr. McDannell was educated in the public schools of Illinois and in the State
University of Wisconsin. He lived in Wisconsin with Dr. W. P. Hartford, then of Bee-
town, and it was through his influence that he took up the study of medicine, remaining
for three years under the preceptorship of Dr. Hartford. In 1888 he entered the Ken-
tucky School of Medicine at Louisville and was there graduated as a member of the
class of 1891. He located for practice at Glenhaven, Wisconsin, where he remained
in active professional work for eight years and then came to Iowa. For a similar
period he lived at Arlington and in 1908 removed to Nashua, where through the inter-
/ening eleven years he has enjoyed a large and remunerative practice. He has taken
post graduate work in the Chicago Post Graduate School, where he studied in 1900, and
in 1907 and 1908 he devoted six months to post graduate work in the New York Poly-
clinic. He is constantly broadening his knowledge by reading and study, and experience
if also adding to his efficiency day by day. He is a member of the Chickasaw County
Medical Society, the Austin Flint Cedar Valley Medical Society, the Iowa State Medical
Society and the American Medical Association and through the proceedings of these
bodies keeps in close touch with the trend of modern professional thought and prac-
tice. He is at all times most careful in the diagnosis of his cases and is seldom if
ever at fault in foretelling the outcome of disease.

On the 18th of September, 1892, Dr. McDannell was married to Miss Lottie E.
Ishmael, of Cassville, Wisconsin, and to them has been born a daughter, Lucille, who
is now a student in Grinnell College at Grinnell, Iowa.

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 547

Dr. McDannell is a valued member of Bradford Lodge, No. 129, A. F. & A. M., of
Nashua, also of Nashua Lodge, L O. 0. F., and Nashua Lodge, K. P., the Modern Wood-
men of America and the Royal Neighbors, while his wife is a member of the Order
of the Eastern Star, the ladies' auxiliary of Masonry. Both are held in the highest
esteem in the community, and Dr. McDannell occupies a most enviable position in pro
fessional circles.

THOMAS R. PERRY.

Thomas R. Perry, county highway engineer, residing in Cresco, was born in San
Francisco. California, on the 9th day of April, 1890, and is a son of Herbert and Bello
(Young) Perry. The father was born in New York, while the mother's birth occurred
near Elma, Howard county, Iowa. Herbert Perry was only a year old when brought
by his parents to Iowa, the family settling at Howard Center, in Howard county, where
the grandfather took up government land. This was a wild and largely uninhabited
district to which he made his way and gave little indication of the changes which
»vere to rapidly develop it. He obtained a claim from the government, upon which he
built a sod house and therein lived in true pioneer style. He concentrated his efforts
and attention upon the cultivation of his land and in time brought his fields into a most
productive state. In the later years of his life he established his home in Cresco,
where he lived retired and there both he and his wife passed away. His son, Herbert
Perry, continued upon the old homestead farm through the period of his boyhood and
youth and was married in Howard county. He afterward removed to San Francisco,
California, where he owned and managed a vineyard, but 'after continuing for a time
on the Pacific coast he returned to Howard county and once more occupied the old
homestead farm, upon which he and his wife are now living, the former at the age of
sixty-three years, while the latter is sixty-two years of age. Throughout the years of
his manhood Herbert Perry has been a stalwart advocate of republican principles and
in fraternal relations he is a Mason, loyal to the teachings of the craft.

Thomas R. Perry spent his boyhood days in Howard county and mastered the
branches of learning taught in the public schools of the home neighborhood and at Lime
Springs. In 1909 he entered the Iowa State College at Ames and there pursued a
thorough course in civil engineering, being graduated with the class of 1915. He after-
ward followed his profession in Toledo, Iowa, where he had charge of sewer construc-
tion. He also did similar work at State Center. Union, Nevada and Cairo, Iowa. In
1917 he removed to Cresco, where he is now located and he is filling the position of
county h'ghway engineer. He is doing excellent work in that office, closely studying
the needs and opportunities of the county along that line and his labors have had
real practical value to the community.

Mr. Perry votes with the republican party, of which he has been :i stanch cham-
pion since age conferred upon him the right of franchise. His religious faith is that of
♦^he Methodist Episcopal church and he is interested in all that pertains to its welfare
and upbuilding.

H. J. KRONINGER.

H. J. Kroninger is a retired farmer residing in Fredericksburg. He comes
to Iowa from the Keystone state, his birth having occurred in Pennsylvania, September
12, 1844. He is a son of Joseph K. and Elizabeth (Slonecker) Kroninger, the former
a native of Delaware, while the latter was born in Pennsylvania, in which state they
were married, the paternal grandparents having removed to Berks county, Pennsyl-
vania, in 1821. About 1847 Joseph K. Kroninger went with his family to Ohio, estab-
lishing his home among the pioneer settlers of Delaware county, where he resided until
18.'>4. In that year he came to Iowa, first locating in Clayton county near Elkader,

548 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

where he put in a crop. There he left his family but the following spring came to
Chickasaw county and took up his abode upon a farm of one hundred and twenty
acres in New Hampton township. He entered this land from the government as a
homestead claim and it was entirely destitute of improvements, not a furrow having
teen turned upon the tract. There were only seven families in this vicinity at that
early day and they formed a Pioneers Association, agreeing to stand by each other in
sickness and adversity as well as in prosperity. Mr. Kroninger built a log cabin upon
his farm, and having thus prepared a home for his family, he removed his wife and
children to Chickasaw county in 1856. He recalls the fact that his first crop of one
hundred and fifty bushels of buckwheat and his corn crop were destroyed by a prairie
fire, leaving only a few bushels of buckwheat in the center of the pile that were fit
for use. Deer were numerous, however, in those early days and venison was easily
secured. This, with the buckwheat, constituted the food of the family through the
winter. The buckwheat was ground in an old coffee mill, one of the children grinding
the amount necessary for breakfast, another for dinner, and a third for supper, each
thus taking his turn. That season — the winter of 1856-57 — was the winter of the big
snow. The children of the family, H. J. Kroninger among the number, went through
the winter without shoes, wrapping old sacks around their feet in lieu of other foot-
gear. In later years, however, Joseph K. Kroninger prospered in his undertakings and
to his home farm added a tract of forty acres. He was thus able to provide a good liv-
ing for his family through the sale of his crops. He was one of the organizers of the
first school district of the county — school district No. 1, comprising the four townships
of Dresden, New Hampton, Stapleton and Fredericksburg, a log schoclhouse being built
on the corner of the four townships. Mr. Kroninger served as a member of the first
school board and was deeply interested in the work of progress and improvement in the
county along all lines. In subsequent years he served as township trustee and in
1863 was elected a member of the board of county supervisors. His worth as a citizen
was widely acknowledged and his labors proved a resultant force in bringing about
progress along many lines. The community mourned the loss of one of its valued
pioneer settlers when in 1894 he passed away. His widow survived him until March,
1898.

H. J. Kroninger acquired only such schooling as it was possible to obtain in
early pioneer times. In those days the only qualifications required of a teacher were
that he could give instruction in the three R's — "readin', writin' and 'rithmetic." When
he reached the age of fourteen his schooldays were over. His father was a blacksmith
by trade and devoted much of his time to the work of the shop, so that H. J. Kroninger
took up the burden of operating the farm. He remained at home, giving his services
to his father until he attained his twenty-first year, when he began farming on his
own account as a renter. He was married in 1867 and in that year bought his first
land, becoming the owner of forty acres in Dresden township, on which was a log
house. To this place he removed with his wife and while farming his own land he
also cultivated other land, which he rented in the neighborhood. In subsequent years
he added to his original purchase until his present farm comprises one hundred and
eighty acres, constituting a valuable place, to which he has added many modern im-
provements. He has divided his farm into fields of convenient size by well kept fences,
has secured the best farm machinery and has done everything possible to enhance the
value and productiveness of the place. In the spring of 1903, however, he left the farm
and removed to Fredericksburg, where he has since made his home. He was one of
the organizers of the First National Bank of Fredericksburg and was later made a
member of its board of directors, while in 1912 he was elected vice president of the
bank, in which oflRcial capacity he has since served.

On the 25th of March, 1867. Mr. Kroninger was united in marriage to Miss Rozena
Zoller, of Winneshiek county, Iowa, a daughter of Frederick Zoller, who came to this
country from Germany in 1854 and established his home in Winneshiek county, where
he resided to the time of his death.

In his political views Mr. Kroninger is a republican, always giving stanch support
to the party. He has served for several years as a member of the city council, having
been the incumbent in that position when the electric light plant was installed, and he
was also a member of the school board when the new school building of Fredericksburg

CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES 549

was erected. He stands at all times on the side of advancement and improvement and
is one of the public-spirited residents of Fredericksburg, where his work has been
of substantial worth to the community.

HERMAN RUESINK.

Herman Ruesink, actively identified with farming on section 22, Forest City town-
ship, Howard county, has come to Iowa from the state of Wisconsin, his birth having
occurred in Sheboygan county, May 10, 1864. His parents, Aaron J. and Jane G.
(Hopeman) Ruesink, were natives of Holland and came to the United States in child-
hood with their respective parents. They settled in Wisconsin, where they were reared
and married, and in 1877 left that state to become residents of Howard county, Iowa.
They took up their abode upon a farm in Chester county which Mr. Ruesink had pur-
chased three years previous to his removal to this state, and upon that farm he resided
until his death, which occurred in 1890. His wife survived him for more than two
decades, passing away in 1911.

Herman Ruesink was a lad of thirteen years when the family came to Iowa, and
his education, begun in the schools of Wisconsin, was continued in the public schools
of Howard county. His early training was that of the farm-bred boy, who soon becomes
familiar with the work of the fields and the best methods of caring for the crops. In
March, 1889, he married Miss Georgia Anna Chick, of Bangor, Maine, and in the spring
of that year engaged in farming on his own account, purchasing at that time a tract
of land of one hundred acres adjoining the city limits of Lime Springs on the east. He
continued to develop that property until 1902, when he sold the farm and bought fifteen
acres west of Lime Springs, upon which place he remained until the death of his wife
in 1908. He then sold the property and in 1910 made investment in his present farm,
which comprises one hundred and sixty acres of rich and productive land on section
22, Forest City township. From the time of the early spring planting until the crops
are harvested in the late autumn he is busy with the work of the fields, and the results
of his persistent and intelligently directed labors are found in very substantial crops.

To Mr. and Mrs. Ruesink were born four children: Abbie E., the wife of John Metz,
who is engaged in the automobile business at Stacyville, Iowa; and John A., Ada L.
and Frances R., all at home.

Politically Mr. Ruesink is a republican, believing firmly in the principles of the
party as factors in good government, and he is now serving on the board of trustees
of Forest City township. He belongs to Howard Lodge, No. 214, A. F. & A. M., and is
a loyal adherent of the craft. During the period of the recent war with Germany he
was very active in support of the Red Cross and the Young Men's Christian Associa-
tion, serving on the committees in all of the drives for these two organizations. He is
a loyal, public-spirited citizen, and his fidelity to American interests and welfare is
again and again manifest.

JOSEPH SOCK.

Joseph Sock, who carries on farming on section 24, Howard township. Howard
county, is of Bohemian birth. He was born December 31, 1866, of the marriage of
Joseph and Barbara (Bokola) Sock, both of whom remained residents of Bohemia until
called to their final rest. When twenty years of age, or in 1886. Joseph Sock left his
native land, attracted by the broader business opportunities that he could secure on this
side of the Atlantic. He did not tarry on the eastern coast but made his way at once
across the country to Howard county, Iowa, and here he began work as a farm hand, for
he had no capital at the time of his arrival. In fact his funds were so exhausted that
it was necessary for him to find immediate employment, but when it was recognized
that he was an industrious and energetic man he had no difficulty In obtaining work.
He carefully saved his money and after four years was able to purchase his present

Vol. 11—34

550 CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES

nome place, which comprises one hundred and fifty-eight acres of land that is rich
and productive, responding readily to the care and labor that he bestows upon it. He
works diligently and persistently in the further developnaent of his place and is now
meeting with substantial success. He is also a stockholder in the Maple Leaf Creamery
Company.

In 1888 Mr. Sock was united in marriage to Miss Wincina Soback, who was born
in Bohemia and came to the United States with her parents in girlhood days. They
now have seven children, as follows: William, who follows farming in Paris township,
Howard county; John, Joseph, Frank and James, all at home; Anna, the wife of
Charles Marek of Cedar Rapids; and Mary, the wife of Louis Ounderk, of Wilder,
Montana.

In his political views Mr. Sock is a democrat and in religious faith he and his
family are Catholics. He came to the United States a poor boy and has made steady
advancement in the business world. He has never had occasion to regret his determina-
tion to try his fortune on this side of the Atlantic, for he here found opportunities
which are always open to the industrious and ambitious. His industry has been the
basic element of his success and has brought him prominently to the front as a repre-
sentative farmer of Howard county.

FRANK A. FECHOTA.

The student of history cannot carry his investigations far into the records of Chick-
asaw county without learning the fact that the Pechota family has long been actively
identified with the agricultural development of northern Iowa. In pioneer times the
family home was established in this section of the state and it was upon the old home-
stead farm that Frank A. Pechota was born on the 26th of October, 1880, in Utica
township, his parents being Frank and Mary Pechota, more extended mention of whom
is made in connection with the sketch of their son, W. A. Pechota, on another page of
this work.

Frank A. Pechota now resides on section 1, Utica township, and throughout his
entire life since reaching adult age he has been identified with farming interests. In
his youth he was a pupil in the district school near his father's home, dividing his time
between the duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the playground and the work
of the fields. His early training well qualified him to engage in farming on his own
account and following his marriage he settled at his present place of residence — a
farm of one hundred and thirty-five acres, of which his father deeded to him one hun-
dred acres. Five years later the son purchased a thirty-five acre tract adjoining and
he is now busily employed in the further development of this property, to which he
has added many modern improvements. His place is well equipped with good buildings,
is divided into fields of convenient size by well kept fences and the latest improved
machinery facilitates his labor.

In September, 1905, Mr. Pechota was united in marriage to Miss Anna Landa, a
daughter of Frank Landa, who became one of the pioneer residents of Winneshiek
county and is still living upon the farm which he secured at an early day. To Mr. and
Mrs. Pechota have been born six children, five of whom survive, namely: William F.,
Celia, Philomene, Blanche and Marguerite.

In the exercise of his right of franchise Mr. Pechota supports the men and
measures of the democratic party, in the principles of which he is a firm believer. He
served for two terms as a member of the board of township trustees but otherwise has
not been active in office. He and his family are members of the Catholic church and
their interest in everything that pertains to the welfare and progress of the community
is manifest by active and helpful cooperation in many plans for the public good. Mr.
Pechota is a stockholder in the Protivin Cooperative Creamery Company and there is
no phase of progressive agriculture with which he is not familiar. He closely studies
the best methods of tilling the soil and producing his crops and that his efforts are
ever guided by sound judgment is indicated in the substantial results which reward
his labors.

INDEX

Adamee, James 526

Andera, Joseph 275

Arndt, Adolph 259

Ashley, C. B 246

Ashley, J. G 219

Ashley, W. L 70

B

Babcock, J. F., Jr 132

Babcock, J. F., Sr 128

Baethke, J. F 341

Baethke, W. C 148

Bailey, H. H 152

Ball, William 307

Bandle, A. C 248

Bandle, William 492

Barker, A. E 134

Barker, Sam 483

Barnes, Andrew 303

Barnes, M. L 192

Bartels, August 245

Bartels, F. C 375

Bartels, P. H 252

Beaumaster, J. A 271

Bellamy, S. B 459

Berckes, J. P 325

Bernett, D. M 311

Biwer, A. P 349

Biwer, H. J 532

Biwer, J. F 295

Biwer, L. P 356

Blazek, A. J 416

Blomquist, Clara A 507

Bouska, C. B 74

Bouska, John 84

Bouska, J. D 280

Bowen, W. J. & Son 408

Bradley, E. L 197

Brannon, P. H 182

Bratrud, T. C 135

Brookins, A. T 16

Brown, F. A.
Brown, F. W.
Brown, J. J. .
Brown, M. A.
Brown, Peter
Brown, W. C.

359
539
534
360
53
5

Bruger, Will 125

Bunston, William 331

Buresh, J. J 451

Burgess. H. C 181

Burke, John 62

Burns, Frank 344

Button, P. G 97

Cagley, J. S. 368

Cagley, R. L 517

Cagley, R. R 371

Capper. E. D 98

Carey, M. H 83

Cashman, J. J 373

Caudill, J. P 254

Cerwinske, O. A 109

Channer, J. G 288

Chestek, John 476

Chestek, L. J 436

Church, E. A 204

Chyle, Frank, Jr 247

Chyle. Thomas 215

Clark, F. M 69

Clark, L. W 25

Cole, E. M 52

Commerford, Charles 68

Commerford, P. J 49

Condon, M. F 46

Conley. F. J 163

Connolly, William 543

Corolan. T. J 24

Cray, A. J 14

Cray. Joseph 29

Cray. J. A 106

Cray. W. W 192

Curran, James 407

551

552

INDEX

Dane, Francis 309

Dane, H. H 301

Dargan, T. J 51

Darrow, G. B 174

Darrow, Job 355

Darrow, W. L 114

Davis, B. F 286

Davis, D. W 296

Davis, J. E 166

Davis, M. B 173

Davis, R. W 104

Davis, W. 0 81

Deal, S. L 420

De Noyelles, Wellington 339

Derr, Martin 285

Deterding, Louie 155

Diekmann, William, Sr 364

Donovan, Timothy, Sr 498

Donovan, T. T 10

Doolittle, J. E 243

Dostal, J. A 13

Drape, William 467

Drewelow, G. A 404

Dugstad, Edmund 73

Duncan, R. A 23

Duncan, W. W 158

E

Eldridge, E. M 287

Ellingson, Filing 235

Ellingson, Filing 291

Ellison, G. E 397

Elwood, F. D 472

Elwood, L. W 268

Elwood, Reed 331

Emmons, L. E 44

Enos, Mrs. J. C 315

Erbe, J. E 238

Erdland, B. A 413

Ernwine, J. H 423

Everingham, B. D 26

F

Fairbairn. R. H 497

Fallows, H. D 454

Faust, Henry 384

Fellows, J. F 412

Ferrie, D. J 88

Feuling, E. J 14

Fichtel, P. B 420

Fischbach, John 164

Fisher, Christian 299

Fisher, L. R 411

Flood, Bernard 151

Fogarty, Roger ; 437

Fogle, Frank 382

P"'orkenbrock, B. H 78

Fortin, E. C 215

Frantzen, J. J 74

Frazee, E. R 184

Frazee, J. D 448

Frazee, J. 0 187

Frederici, 0. J 439

Freemire, Frank 518

Fritcher, N. L 422

G

Gamrow, C. M 395

Gardner, W. B 159

Garmen, C. J 207

Garmen, J. E 99

Gates, Thomas 263

Gesell, 0. L 405

Getsch, W. F 383

Gillette, Edmund 9

Glass, F. A 468

Glienke, William 504

Goetzinger, C. B 220

Goodale, L. H 512

Gordon, L. F 166

Granger, L. A 454

Granger, W. A 469

Grover, D. C 87

Gunn, F. J 456

H

Hamilton, S. A 139

Hansen, H. M 267

Hansen, Peter 190

Harnoss, F. G 191

Haven, Norman A 236

Haven, Norman Allen 155

Hayes, Jess 89

Heimerdinger, Fred 336

Heit, John 255

Heller, Casper 120

Hentges, P. P 464

Herold, P. M 319

Herrick, W. G 460

Hewitt, J. C 482

Hildman, L. J 81

Himes, G. E 419

Hockspeier. G. P 352

Hoffmann, M. R Ill

Holschlag, B. A 399

Holschlag, H. W 452

Holschlag, T. C 490

Hooper, Thomas 18

Hooper, T. J 117

Horton, D. E 140

INDEX

553

Hovey, O. E 531

Hovorka, Albert 203

Howard, F. E 17

Hoyer. G. C 488

Hruska, J. A 536

Hueneke, John 489

Huntting, Benjamin 172

I

Irvin, J. J 37

J

Jacobs, W. F 439

Jacoby, J. C 358

Jarred, W. B 294

Jewert, M. J 351

Jewett, H. D 540

Jinderlee, Joseph 165

Jinderlee. J. W 253

Jirak, Joseph 269

Joachim, F. P 506

Johnson, A. R 239

Johnson, C. V 211

Johnson, Peter 200

Jones, E. T 206

Jones,- J. B 270

Jones, M. H 54

Jones, R. H 335

Jones, T. H 208

K

Kacher. J. S 118

Kakae, Adolph 97

Kakac, Thomas 195

Kalishek, Charles 91

Kalishek, Frank 311

Kalishek, W. J 175

Kalishek, W. M 110

Keefe, R. P 127

Kellershon, E. W 98

Kelly, T. H 526

Kemman, A. F 212

Kepple, G. D 125

Kepple, M. A 406

Kepple, P. L 424

Kessel, George 38

Klimesh, Frank 508

Klimesh, F. J 143

Klimesh, J. J 288

Knox, H. H 227

Kobliska, Frank 168

Kobliska, F. W.. Jr 238

Kobliska. Matthias 41

Koerth, Otto 414

Konst, Henry 429

Koudelka, Anton 231

Koudelka, Joseph 222

Kramer, Anthony 237

Kratz, Philip 366

Krieger, J. W 435

Krieger, T. A 406

Kroninger. H. J 547

Kruger, Fred 517

Kubik. A. J. 142

Kubik, John 91

L

Lakomy, Rudolph 360

Landon, O. M 515

Landon, R. I .' 452

Landsverk, J. P 284

Lange, G. A. H 515

Larrabee, S. W 59

Larson, L. A 427

Larson, Nels 160

Lauck, August 320

Laue, Diedrich 76

Laws, Major 328

Lebow. Fred 183

Lee, F. W 236

Leferink, G. M 359

Lenth, H. F 219

Leonard, C. H 438

Livingston, J. C 373

Long. T. F 57

Loomis, E. W 503

Lowe, J. B 276

Lowry, C. A 432

Lukes, F. J 294

Lukes, G. G 61

Lukes, J. J 100

Lundak, John 229

Lundt, William 463

Lusk, J. H 505

Lusson, John 58

Lusson, Theodore 105

Lydon. M. P 293

Lyman, O. J 508

Lyons, D. A 347

Mc

McArthur. M. J 164

McCarville, Frank 301

McCarville, R. E 58

McCook, John 511

McDannell, John 544

McGinn, P. E 499

McGrane. P. J 367

McHugh. O. J 400

McKone, J. W 443

McWilliams. E. D 540

554

INDEX

M

Mackenburg, A. H 284

Malek, Joseph 531

Malek, J. E 222

Manning, Henry 100

Manning, Wilhelm 484

Maravetz, L. J 292

Marr, J. C 461

Marr, J. R 525

Marsh, A. E 224

Marshall, C. A 342

Maruska, F. J 256

Masemann, Otto 324

Maurer, F. J 496

Mead, C. A 183

Mead, N. 1 395

Merrick, W. J 199

Merrill, A. G 149

Merrill, G. W 272

Meyer, L. E 247

Mikes, John 437

Mikesh, A. J 156

Miles, Bert 36

Miles, Jesse 57

Miles, W. W 200

Milham, August 392

Millenbaugh, G. H 157

Miller, Albert 535

Miller, Anthony 45

Miller, C. J 304

Miller, Gerd 277

Miller, G. H 277

Miller, M. V 520

Miller, P. N 381

Mishak, John 190

Mitchell, C. H 323

Moen, H. C 357

Moore, S. P 388

Moudry, F. K 505

Moudry, Peter 367

Mulick, J. F 332

Mulick. J. W 341

Mulks, C. S 88

Muller, E. H 532

Munson, T. W 251

Murphy, T. J 240

Murray, M. W 481

Musel, James 76

Musel, J. N 123

N

Nehl, H. P 147

Nelsen, Peder 174

Neubauer, Anton 292

Nichols. C. D 278

Nohale, John 365

Norton, Barclay 244

Norton, B. P 50

Nosbisch, Michael 171

Nosbisch, Nick 464

Nourse, Leonard 445

Novak, H. J 317

Novotny, John 189

Nye, A. J 216

O

O'Connor Brothers 470

O'Connor, D. P 462

O'Donnell, D. J 308

O'Donnell, Gus 141

Oestrich, R. W 506

Oswold, R. R 95

Owens, G. H 232

Owens, J. S 421

Owens, William 231

Owens, W. H 113

P

Padden, G. M 477

Padden, Loren 496

Palmer, D. A 90

Panos. F. J 148

Panos, J. L 126

Parker, C. M 387

Parker, W. H 32

Pechota, F. A 550

Pechota, J. J 167

Pechota, W. A 374

Pecinovsky, C. L 160

Pecinovsky, F. A 334

Pecinovsky, John 335

Pecinovsky, J. A 533

Pecinovsky, J. F 119

Pecinovsky, J. P 43

Pecinovsky, J. W 428

Perry, H. L 310

Perry, T. R 547

Pesek, Charles 375

Peter, Adolf 300

Peters, P. H 212

Phillips, J. M 176

Piehn, H. L 487

Pierce, R. H 444

Pierson, A. J 275

Plambeck, Jens 396

Polashek, E. J 471

Praska, James 159

Praska, James 189

Prinz, Carl 82

Prochaska, Frank 504

Prochaska, J. J 478

Putney, C. L 477

INDEX

555

R

Radtke, Herman 42

Reed, C. W 307

Reed. H. T 15

Reinhart, Albert 149

Reinhart, Fred 455

Reinhart, William 283

Richards, W. L 363

Ries, Mathias 403

Rinn, W. B Ill

Roberts, J. W 61

Rose, W. W 262

Roths, J. P 198

Roths, Theodore 142

Ruesink, Herman 549

Russler, Chris 440

Ryan, P. H 136

S

Saltzman, Christian 447

Samec, Joseph 348

Saul, H. H 103

Schilling, Nicholas 376

Schmidt, G. J 460

Schnurr, C. W 542

Schoenfield, Theodore 453

Scholz, G. J 389

Schuetz. F. A 390

Schultz, Ernest 475

Schwake, Henry 106

Schwickerath, Henry 83

Scoles, G. E 428

Scott, W. H 489

Seery, J. H 96

Seery, T. F 140

Shaffer, A. H 326

Shaffer, W. G 228

Shelhamer, Frank 45

Shores, Frank 325

Sigler, Charles 261

Silver, F. E 519

Silver, Maurice 519

Simmons, S. H 475

Simpson, E. E 487

Simpson, L. J 415

Simpson, W. B 495

Slawson, Mrs. A. J 534

Smith, E. T 214

Smith, J. J 221

Smith, W. B 491

Sock, Joseph 549

Sovereign, W. C . 133

Spaulding. H. L 318

Spencer, G. M 157

Staley, E. W 456

Stejskal, John 350

Strike, F. B 123

Strother, Enoch 327

Stuart, P. E 536

Svestka, J. C 188

Svestka, J. M 333

Svestka, L. V 264

Swenson, J. S 180

Swenson, M. 0 391

Swenson, W. 0 260

Swenumson, J. J 316

T

Tank, H. W 43

Taylor, O. A 150

Taylor, 0. B 430

Tetzner, Frank 17

Thies, H. H 230

Thomas, D. H 223

Thompson, E. R 312

Thomson, R. M. 77

Thorne, B. E 68

Thorne, F. E 398

Tidgwell, D. H 541

Tietjen, John 66

Timmermans, H. H 411

Tjaden, Frank 302

Torney, W. E 167

Trask, John 500

Tucker, F. W 317

U

Urban, F. W 365

Urban, L. W 516

V

Vaala, A. 0 52

Venz, A. J 340

Vopava, C. 1 256

W

Wagener, J. P 147

Walker, G. N 334

Wallace, C. H 60

Walters, C. G 221

Watts. R. E 179

Webster, J. C 65

Wells, J. E 349

Wells, J. W 67

Wentworth. A. W 372

Wentz, F. P 196

Wesp, A. H 253

Wesp, S. B 491

Wesp, W. N 205

Whalen, J. H 92

z

5o6 INDEX

Whelan. J. P 75 Y

Whitcomb, C. L 144

Whitcomb, J. R 431 varger, J. A 430

Whitinger, J. D 382 Young, T. K 239

Whitney. L. D 112

Wilkes, A. G 198

Wilkins, G. E 25

Wilkins. W. M 175

Williams. Joe ,... 179 ^ahasky, Adolph 36

Williams, L. R '. . . . 213 ^^^' ^- ^ 95

Williams, 0. 0 124 Zeyen, J. J 443

Wilmot, S. J 252 ^ipse. Albert 447

Wilson. Stewart 379 Zipse, John 413

Wilson, William 171 Zobeck, Frank 134

Wood. J. A 343 Zoller, S. B 446

i