See other formats

Full text of "History of Chickasaw and Howard counties, Iowa"

r 



(' CV\cV.»-s>.v .^^ 






XrW^'f*^ 



HISTORY 

OF 

Chickasaw and Howard 
Counties, Iowa 



ILLUSTRATED 



VOLUME II 



CHICAGO 

THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 

1919 



THE NEW YORK 



■l.i. ■. ■■ *»NK 

K 1943 L 



cr- 







e / 



^ 



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 



> 
r 











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 



r 




o 

CO 

> 
:2 




\i 



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 



a 
r 

r 
> 

w 
o 
z 

> 
z 

o 







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 



H 

r 

en 

r 

en 
O 

> 

d 



r 




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 







IF" 


■ 


1 


1 


1 


■ 


^^^^^^^^ 


■1 


■ 






M^"'^' 










^^^B 




3tl 


f|^| 






v"^ 










,* 






pB 














M 

^ *• 


3ta| 


^^^^^Hb*^<(«^« n 


i'*'^jn 


^^^^Hfl 






^^^91 








■' ^ 


3^H 


^^^K/^^ 


Ifw^ 


b^ 


I 




wM 


^^K^ 




" "" W^ 




9 




^B ^^H 


■ 


H^. ' 




■P^P*W 


^^^^B^Wl^ 




^« 


1 


1 


^^ 




1 



Vol. 11—13 



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 



> 



> 

w 

> 
D 

> 



r 




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 




^-7<]Q 



'0-^l^—£^ 



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