PAST AND PRESENT OF
O'Brien and Osceola Counties, Iowa

BY HON. J. L. E. PECK and HON. O. H. MONTZHEIMER
For O'Brien County
AND HON. WILLIAM J. MILLER
For Osceola County
VOL. II
ILLUSTRATED 1914
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc.
Indianapolis, Indiana


BIOGRAPHIES

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REV. JAMES McCORMACK.

O'Brien county has been the home and the scene of labor of many men who have not only led lives which should serve as a lesson and an inspiration to those who follow them onto the stage of life's activities, but who have also been of important service through important avenues of usefulness in various lines. The honored and highly esteemed subject of this sketch is a man of well rounded character, sincere, devoted and loyal, so that there are manv salient points which render consonant a tribute to him in this compilation. Standing as he does today as the head of one of the most important churches in O'Brien county, his labors have long been directed for the amelioration of the people of this community and rewarded with gratifying results.

Rev. James McCormack, pastor of St. Patrick's church, Sheldon, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born August 4, 1856, in county Langford, Ireland. His parents were John and Anna (Brennan) McCormack, who lived all their lives in the land of their birth.

Father McCormack was educated in St. Mell's College, in his home county in Ireland, taking work in view of entering the foreign missionary field. He was a student at St. Patrick's College, county Carlow, Ireland, and upon his graduation from that college was ordained November 30, 1885.

Father McCormack at once came to Dubuque, Iowa, from Ireland and became the assistant at Ackley, in this state. Fifteen months later he was transferred to the cathedral at Dubuque, a position which he filled for the following two years. He then became the first resident pastor of the Ashton, Osceola county, church and had charge of the missions of Ashton and Sibley, in that county, as well as those at Rock Rapids and Largewood, in Lyon county. He first came to O'Brien county in 1890 and was pastor at Sheldon, but four years later was transferred to the mission at Alvord, in Lyon county. After four years' work at Alvord he was transferred to Sanborn, in O'Brien county, with the missions of Primghar and Hartley under his charge. Then, in April, 1910, he came to Sheldon, where he is still in charge. Since coming to Sheldon, he has erected a fine, large church, at a cost of forty thousand dollars, an edifice which compares favorably with any in the northwestern part of the state. He now has one hundred and twenty families under his charge at Sheldon.

Father McCormack has been an indefatigable worker since coming to this state, and has been of invaluable aid to the young missions of his

Picture of REV. JAMES McCORMACK.

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church in this section of the state. He built the parsonage and first parochial school in Ashton and taught there with three sisters of the Order of St. Francis from Dubuque. He purchased the land for the Catholic cemetery at Alvord during his administration in that town. He erected the first Catholic church in Primghar and remodeled the church and its property in Sanborn at a cost of thirty-eight hundred dollars. During his first ministry at Sanborn in the early part of the nineties, he raised money to liquidate a four-thousand-dollar debt which was bearing heavily upon the mission at Sheldon. He not only has the hearty support and affection of the members of his own church, but is held in high esteem by men of every denomination, because of his interest in the welfare of the various communities in which he has lived and worked.

JOHN J. O'DONNELL.

Among the most thrifty settlers who have come to this county with no other asset than willing hands and a strong heart, there have been none who have attained greater success than the descendants of the Emerald Isle. With these assets they have literally carved a fortune for themselves out of the black prairie land of O'Brien county. While John J. O'Donnell was not a native of Ireland, yet he had those sterling qualities which marked his father's career.

John J. O'Donnell was born in 1857 in Virginia and is the son of Thomas and Mary (Kennedy) O'Donnell. Thomas O'Donnell was born in 1831 in Ireland and came to America when a young man and worked as a railroad laborer. During the Civil war he served in the Confederate army a short time and made an excellent record as a soldier. After the war he returned to Massachusetts where he and his wife reared a family of seven children: Patrick, deceased; James, a retired farmer of California; Mary, deceased; Bridget, deceased; two who died in infancy, and John J., whose history is here presented.

John J. O'Donnell received his common school education in Virginia and Massachusetts and remained with his parents until he was twenty-one years of age. At that time his parents were living in Massachusetts and John was working in a basket factory. In 1878 he left his home in Massachusetts and settled in Minnesota and worked on a railroad. In 1883 he came to O'Brien county, Iowa, and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land. He set out four acres of trees and since then has done five thousand dollars

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worth of improvements. He has been a successful farmer from the start and now has his place in a high state of cultivation. He raises good crops and in addition keeps a good grade of live stock.

Mr. O'Donnell was married in 1891 to Sarah Carroll, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Carroll, of O'Brien county. To this union have been born five children, Bernard, Emmet, Mary, Hubert and Margaret, all of whom are living at home with their parents.

In politics. Mr. O'Donnell is affiliated with the Republican party and has taken a deep interest in political affairs in his township and county. He has been a school director for twelve years and at one time served as justice of the peace. In these various official capacities he has served his people efficiently and faithfully. All of the family are loyal members of the Catholic church, to which they give their earnest support at all times. Two of his sons, Bernard and Emmet, are members of the Knights of Columbus and Mr. O'Donnell is a member of the Yeomen. Mr. O'Donnell is a fine example of a self-made man ‐ a man who came to this county with nothing but a willingness to work, yet has succeeded in the course of thirty years in accumulating a very comfortable competency for himself. He is a man who has worked hard for his family and has the gratification of knowing that in all of his career in this cnunty he has never done anything which would bring upon him the censure of his neighbors.

SAM LINQUIST.

A descendant of one of the old families of Sweden and a worthy representative of that excellent country is Sam Linquist, a prosperous farmer of Carroll township, O'Brien county, Iowa. While he was born in this country, yet his father was a native of Sweden. Sam has inherited all of those sterling qualities which have made the people of his land famous the world over for their thrift. He was born in Illinois in 1866 and is the son of Andrew and Sophia (Longreen) Linquist.

Andrew Linquist was born in Sweden in 1837 and was reared to the life of a farmer. In 1862 he came to Cook county, Illinois, where he worked on a farm and spent the remainder of his days. To Andrew Linquist and wife were born three children: Alfred, deceased; Katherine, who lives in Michigan, and Sam, with whom this narrative deals.

Sam Linquist received a good common school education in Cook county,

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Illinois, and then worked on his father's farm and on the farms of his neighbors until he was twenty-five years of age. He then rented lands and farmed for three years in O'Brien county. In 1805 he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Carroll township and later bought one hundred and six acres in Grant township, O'Brien county. Since buying the land he has put four thousand dollars worth of improvements on it and thereby greatly- enhanced its value. In addition to raising all of the crops which are grown in this part of the state, he also raises graded stock and makes a handsome addition to his annual income in this way. He is a director of the Farmers Elevator Company at Archer, Iowa, and is also treasurer of the Grand Trunk Telephone Company of Carroll township.

Mr. Linquist was married in 1891, in O'Brien county, Iowa, to Matilda Tanner, and to this marriage have been born eight children: Alta, who graduated from the Sheldon high school and is now teaching in this county; Williard, Flossie, Nellie, Elmer, Charlie, Gladys and Marion.

In politics, Mr. Linquist is an independent, reserving the right to cast his vote at all times for the best man, irrespective of party affiliations. While advancing his material interests, Mr. Linquist has not neglected his duty to the body politic and has taken his part in the public affairs of his township. He served one term as township trustee of Carroll township, a position which he filled to the entire satisfaction of all the citizens. Quiet and unassuming in demeanor, Mr. Linquist has ever attended to his own affairs and because of this is highly regarded by everyone with whom he associates.

CLARENCE C. SCHAAP.

It is proper to judge of the success and status of a man's life by the estimation in which he is held by his fellow citizens. They see him at his work, in his family circle, in his church, at his devotions, hear his views on public questions, observe the outcome of his code of morals, witness how he conducts himself in all the relations of society and civilization and thus become competent to judge of his merits and demerits. After a long course of years of such daily observation it would be out of the question for his neighbors not to know his worth, because, as has been said, "Actions speak louder than words." In this county there is nothing heard concerning the subject of this sketch but good words. He has passed so many years here that his

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worth is well known, but it will be of interest to run over the busy events of his life in these pages.

Clarence C. Schaap. a clothing merchant of Sheldon, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born in 1875 in Ackley, Iowa. He is the son of Cornelius C. and Nellie (Kuyper) Schaap. Cornelius Schaap was born in Holland in 1836 and was a seaman acting as shipmate on the sailing vessels on the high seas. In 1865 he settled in Freeport, Illinois, and engaged in farming and in 1867 he located near Ackley, Iowa, and again engaged in farming. At the same time he began to buy and sell land, making a nice profit on his various transactions. He finally sold out all of his land in Grundy and Butler counties and bought land in Sioux county, Iowa. He continued in the real estate business, buying and selling farms and city property, until he retired in 1900, dying in 1904. His wife, Nellie Kuyper, was born in Holland in 1837. To Cornelius Schaap and wife were born nine children: Cornelia, who died in Holland; Emma, deceased; Mrs. Mary Bos, of Hull, Iowa; Mrs. Emma Bos, of South Dakota; Mrs. Cornelia Overkamp, of New Jersey; Rev. John C. and Clarence C., with whom this narrative deals. Rev. John C. Schaap is a graduate of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and a minister in charge of the First Reformed church of Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Clarence C. Schaap remained with his parents until he was sixteen years of age, receiving a good elementary education. At the age of sixteen he began to work in a dry goods store at Ackley, Iowa, as a clerk and remained there for a number of years. He then went to Orange, (sic) Iowa, where he acted as an agent for the selling of sewing machines, pianos and organs. Three years later he sold out his stock and went to LeMars, Iowa, and clerked in a dry goods store. In 1905 he came to Sheldon and clerked in a department store for six years, and in 1911 bought an interest in a clothing firm which is now known as Hospers & Schaap. They carry from fifteen to twenty thousand dollars worth of stock all the time and has a large and increasing trade in Sheldon and the surrounding country. His store is equipped with up-to-date conveniences and presents a very attractive appearance. Mr. Schaap has an attractive home in Sheldon, where he lives.

Mr. Schaap was married in 1902, at Orange City, Iowa, to Katherine Vos and to this marriage has been born one son, Clare, who is now in the public schools.

In politics, Mr. Schaap is a Republican and has always taken an interest in political affairs. At the present time he is a member of the board of education of Sheldon and takes an active part in the educational affairs of his city. He and his wife adhere to the Methodist Episcopal church and give

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their earnest support to it at all times. Mr. Schaap has been a hard working man and deserves the success which he has attained, which has been wholly through his own efforts. He is recognized as a pubhc-spirited man who is always willing to lend his assistance to such measures as will improvv the conditions of his community. For this reason he is justly regarded as a representative man of his city.

WILLIAM A. SIMS.

It is a well authenticated fact that success comes as the result of legitimate and well applied energy, unflagging determination and perseverance in a course of action when once decided upon. She is never known to smile upon the idler or dreamer and she never courts the loafer, only the men who have diligently sought her favor being crowned with the blessings. In tracing the history of the influential commission merchant, creamery man and representative citizen of Hartley, O'Brien county. Iowa, whose name forms the caption of this review, it is plainly seen that the prosperity which he enjoy's has been won by commendable qualities and it is also his personal worth that has gained for him the high esteem of those who know him.

William A. Sims was born in Delaware county, Iowa, in 1874. He is the son of Charles and Flora (Eahard) Sims. Charles Sims was born in Clayton county, Iowa, in 1850, and is the son of Albert and Sarah (Joslin) Sims. Albert Sims was born in 1830 in Pennsylvania.

Albert Sims, the grandfather of William A., whose history is here presented, had nine children: Mrs. Harriet A. Park, deceased; William, who was killed during the Civil War; Hiram, who died in the Civil War; Mrs. Mary Horn, deceased; Thomas, of Dakota; Samuel, deceased; Beatrice, deceased; Mrs. Phoebe Harth, and Charles, the father of William A.

Charles Sims remained with his parents until he was twenty-four years of age and then rented land in Delaware county and farmed for himself. He gave up farming and moved to Earlville, Iowa, where he engaged in the produce business in the spring of 1888. He then sold out and settled in Sheldon, Iowa, and followed the same business there for about six months. He then came to Hartley, Iowa, and engaged in the produce and commission business until he retired in 1905. He now owns a fiue residence in Hartley. Charles Sims was married in 1873 to Flora Eahard and to this union have been born four children: Clara, deceased; Phoebe, deceased; Arthur, deceased, and William A., whose history is here briefly set forth. Charles Sims

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has been a life-long Republican, but has never taken an active interest in politics. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity.

William A. Sims remained with his parents until he was twenty-five years of age and then engaged in the commission business at Emmetsburg, Iowa, for a short time, after which he went to Sibley, in this state, and engaged in the same lbsiness. He sold out his business at Sibley and came to Hartley in 1905. where he has since remained. In addition to his regular commission business, he is vice-president of the Hartley Creamery Company and handles all of the output of that firm. He is an enterprising business man, with keen business ability and a man who is absolutely honest in all of his dealings. Mr. Sims is a conscientious and hard working member of the city council.

Mr. Sims was married in 1901 to Nina Kroft. In his politics he is a Republican, but has been so busy with his interests that he has not had the time to engage in the game of politics. He and his wife are earnest members of the Presbyterian church and render it their zealous support at all times. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. While he has been only a comparatively short time in business here, yet he has won the esteem of all he has been associated with by his frank manner and his sincerity of purpose.

WILLIAM LEMKE.

It can not be other than interesting to note in the series of personal sketches appearing in this work the varying conditions that have compassed those whose careers are outlined, and the effort has been made in each case to throw well focused light onto the individuality and to bring into proper perspective the scheme of each respective career. Each man who strives to fulfill his part in connection with human life and human activities is deserving of recognition, whatever may be his field of endeavor, and it is the function of works of this nature to perpetuate for future generations an authentic record concerning those represented in its pages. The value of such publications is certain to be cumulative for all time to come, showing forth the indixvdual and specific accomplishments of which generic history is ever engendered.

William Lemke, a merchant of Hartley, O'Brien county, Iowa, was

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born in O'Brien county in 1883 and is the son of Fred and Fredricka (Westfall) Lemke. Fred Lemke was born in Germany in 1843 and came to this country after his marriage and settled in Illinois, where he became a successful farmer and stock raiser. Later he came to Beuna (sic) Vista county, Iowa. and purchased eighty acres of unimproved land. In 1881 he moved to O'Brien county and bought one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land, which he just got improved when the tornado of 1882 destroyed every building which be had erected. After this terrible disaster, he again erected buildings and in a few years had recouped his losses. He died October 10, 1891, leaving a comfortable estate to his widow and children. His wife, Fredricka Westfall, was also born in Germany and died in O'Brien county, October 10, 1904, at the age of fifty-six. They were married in 1869 and to their union were born seven children: Rudolph, a farmer of Grant township; Anna, deceased; Albert, deceased; Mrs. Mollie Brush, of O'Brien county; Robert of O'Brien county; Mrs. Martha Eddington, of O'Brien county, and William, with whom this narrative deals.

William Lemke received his education in the O'Brien county schools and helped his father on the farm until he was twenty-one years of age. He then bought the home place, which he farmed for three years, after which he sold it and moved to Hartley. In 1907 he bought a grocery store, which he soon sold and bought a half interest in a department store with W. C. Vogel. He remained in the mercantile business for four years, when he, with his two brothers, Robert and Rudolph, purchased a general mercantile establishment in Hartley, which they have since managed. They carry a large and assorted stock of goods such as is usually found in a department store of a town the size of Hartley. The store is well equipped with modern conveniences and draws a large and lucrative trade from the town of Hartley and surrounding county. In addition to his mercantile interests, Mr. Lemke has an interest in a five-acre orchard tract in Idaho, as well as a share in the plow factory of Hartley. He also has a beautiful home which he has built and improved in Hartley at a cost of six thousand dollars.

Mr. Lemke was married in 1905 to Pearl M. Stanley, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. (Weightman) Stanley, of O'Brien county. They have one son, Kennith LeRoy, who is now in the public schools of this city. Politically, Mr. Lemke is a Republican, although he is independent in local politics. He is rendering efficient service to the community as a member of the city council and the school board. He and his wife are attendants of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which they contribute generously of their means. He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Independent Order

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of Odd Fellows and the Yeomen and takes an interest in the work of these various lodges. Mr. Lemke is a man of keen business ability and because he has exercised tact and courtesy in dealing with his customers, as well as honesty and uprightness in all his financial transactions, he is looked upon as a successful business man in every sense of the word. He is a fine type of the reliable, self-made American, a friend of the poor, charitable to his neighbors and always stands ready to unite with them in every good work which promises to benefit the community at large. Although a comparatively youngman in years, yet he has already established a reputation which ranks him as one of the representative men of Hartley.

LEVI SHELL.

A life of forty-two years in this county entitles one to the name of pioneer, and Levi Shell, who has lived here since 1871, is one of the distinguished pioneers of this county. Schooled in the humanitarian principles which characterize life on the frontier, he caught the spirit of that larger life that is not warped by the spirit of materialism, his life having been built on the broad and generous lines that one seldom meets nowadays. He is a generous, open-hearted man and many are the burdens which he has lifted and many are the tears which he has dried. Not only is he honored today because of the work he did for this county in pioneer times, but also for his distinguished service during the Civil War.

Levi Shell, the president of the Sibley Cement Company, was born in New York state, in St. Lawrence county, September 2, 1838, and is the son of David and Lovina (Kentner) Shell, who were of German extraction and commonly known as "Pennsylvania Dutch." Levi Shell comes of a family noted for its longevity, his grandmother having lived to the advanced age of one hundred and two.

David Shell and his family moved from Xew York to Wisconsin in 1849, coming by boat to Buffalo, New York, and making the trip around Niagara Falls by the horse car which was then in use. They embarked on the lake at Lewiston again and continued by boat to Milwaukee, which at that time contained only twenty houses, most of which were mere shacks. From Milwaukee the family proceeded to Sauk county and settled on a piece of prairie land near Prairie due Sac. Here the family lived until the death of David Shell, in 1883, the mother dying in 1898. To David Shell and

Picture of LEVI SHELL

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wife were born a large family of children: Conrad, who died in 1908; Mrs. Elizabeth Farnum, of Sauk Prairie, Wisconsin; William, of Sauk Prairie; Levi; Mrs. Barbara Baxter; Daniel, of Worthington, Minnesota; David, of Portland, Oregon; Mrs. Mary Hiland, of Sac City, Iowa; Mrs. Laura Page, of Sauk Prairie, Wisconsin, and Maria Hiland, of Sac City, Iowa.

Levi Shell received a good common school education in the schools of Sauk county, Wisconsin, and left the school room to enlist in the service of his country when it was threatened with disunion. He enlisted August 13, 1862, in Company K, Twenty-third Regiment Wisconsin Infantry, and served until May 22, 186, when he was wounded at Vicksburg, Mississippi. He was shot in the right jaw and shoulder and was so disabled that he was finally discharged on account of disability, in December, 1863. He participated in the battles of Fort Gibson, Arkansas Post, Grand Gulf, Champion's Hill, Black River Bridge and many others. He was with Sherman before Vicksburg, and fought in the skirmishes during the spring of 1862 around Vicksburg. The battle of Champion's Hill, in which he was engaged, is called by historians the bloodiest battle of the Civil War.

After receiving his final discharge from the service, Mr. Shell returned home and then went to Monroe county, Wisconsin, where he engaged in the lumber business with his brothers, Daniel and Conrad. For two years he drove a team. In 1865 he went to Salem, Wisconsin, and managed a lumber yard for two years. In the spring of 1871 he came to Sibley, Osceola county, Iowa, crossing the county by the aid of his compass. At that time there were no settlers, no roads, no trees, except along the water places, and not much encouragement for a prospective farmer. In making his trip across the county he met only one man, but this did not discourage him and on December 6, 1871, he finally selected the southeast quarter of section 36, in Viola township, and immediately erected a house and began to improve the land. In the spring of 1872 he opened a lumber yard at Sibley and when the railroad reached there, on June 5th of that year, he put in a good stock of lumber, shipped from Minneapolis. However, times were hard, money was scarce and within two years he was six thousand dollars in debt. However, the firm in Minneapolis which backed him had every confidence in his ability to succeed, and carried him on their books until he was on his feet again. The "grasshopper days," in the latter part of the seventies, affected not only the farmers, but every other industry in this section of the state. During that period he sold much of his lumber for wood. In the midst of this discouraging period his wife died and everything began to have a very gloomy

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appearance. They thought the county was on the verge of starvation and had it not been for outside support many of the people would have actually starved to death. The new Methodist church was turned into a relief depot and the food and medical assistance was generously extended to all those in distress. During the terrible conditions existing at that time, Mr. Shell kept his credit good and managed to pull through. In 1893 he sold out his business on account of ill health, but two years later bought back a half interest in the business. He also owns a lumber yard at Little Rock, in Lyon county. In 1908 the Shell Lumber Company was incorporated with the following officers: President, W. D. Shuttleworth; vice-president, Levi Shell; secretary, treasurer and general manager, G. F. Sokol. The company has yards at Sibley, Little Rock and Allendorf and does an extensive business throughout this section of the state.

Mr. Shell was married in 1868 to Alice Mack, a native of Vermont, and upon her death, in 1874, he was left with two children, now Mrs. Maud Alice Newell, of Portland, Oregon, and Mrs. Mabel Kate Lehman, whose husband is now farming one of Mr. Shell's farms. In 1876 Mr. Shell was married to Lucy Brown, a sister of C. E. Brown, one of the earliest merchants of Sibley. She had been a school teacher previous to her marriage and was born in Patch Grove, Wisconsin. To this second marriage have been born two daughters, Mrs. Nellie Clark, of Marquette, Michigan, and Mrs. Vera Blanche Bahne, of Sibley, Iowa.

Mr. Shell has taken an important part in the life of Sibley in many ways. He has served one term as treasurer of Osceola county and twelve years as treasurer of the school board of Sibley. It is needless to say that in both of these official capacities he served with eminent satisfaction to everyone of the citizens of the county. His interests have always been identified with the Republican party, yet he is not a partisan in the strict sense of the word. He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church and he has been a zealous worker in that denomination for the past forty years in Sibley. In fact, he has been a trustee of the Methodist church of Sibley for more than forty years, serving in that capacity since the first church of that denomination was established in the city. He has also been a member of the board of stewards for the same length of time. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and holds membership in the Royal Arch and the Knight Templar branches of Masonry. He is an enthusiastic member of the Grand Army of the Republic at Sibley and has been commander of the local post. Such is the life history of Levi Shell, a man who has been as prominently identified with the interests of Osceola county

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and its county seat as any other man in the county. Every enterprise which he thought would be of benefit to the community at large found in him a hearty supporter. For this reason he is one of the distinguished as well as the representative men of his county.

JAMES S. WEBSTER.

The man whose life history is presented in the following narrative is one of those strong, self-reliant and eminent characters who are occasionally met with and who are of such a distinct type as to seem to be born leaders of their fellow men. It is safe to say that when you come across men in O'Brien county today who went to the front during the Civil War and fought through some of the severest struggles of that immortal conflict, such men are bound to be men of action. The roll of our honored war veterans is fast melting away with the flight of years and each Memorial day fewer and fewer of the gray haired veterans march to the sound of fife and drum. They are fast answering the last roll call and we can not give them too much honor for the fight they made to save the Stars and Stripes.

James S. Webster, a distinguished veteran of the Civil War and a prominent business man of Hartley, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born in 1847 in Clark county, Missouri, and is the son of Charles and Anna (Schee) Webster. Charles Webster was born in 1817 in New York state and was educated at Oberlin College. He was a school teacher by profession and died in 1847, when only thirty years of age. Charles Webster was twice married. By his marriage in the year 1836 there were two children, Charlie, deceased, and a daughter who died in infancy. In 1840 he was married to Anna Schee, who was born in 1827 in Ohio and died in 1887 in Illinois. To this second marriage were born three children: Mrs. Eleanor Millikan, of Riverside, California; West B., of Gaza, Iowa, and James S., whose history is here delineated.

Charles Webster died before James S. was born. Five years later, in 1852. his widow married Simon Shonkwiler, of Ohio, a farmer then living in Illinois. To this marriage were born six children: Mrs. Phoebe J. Welfley, of Illinois; Oliver M., of O'Brien county; Mrs. Martha Moore, of Atwood, Illinois; Frank M., a lawyer and judge of Monticello, Illinois; two who died in infancy.

As has been stated, James S. Webster never saw his father, so he lived

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with his mother and stepfather, who was an excellent man, until he was seventeen years of age. He received a good common school education and was still in the school room when the war broke out in 1861. Although he desired to go to the front, yet he was too young to enlist and it was not until 1864, when he was seventeen years of age, that he was mustered in. He joined Company B, One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served until he was mustered out, in September, 1865. He came through the war uninjured and with his health unimpaired. Immediately after he was mustered out he returned to the farm in Illinois and remained until he was twenty-five years of age, then married and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Illinois, but sold it three years later and took charge of his stepfather's farm of four hundred acres. He remained here for eight years, at the end of which time he came to O'Brien county, Iowa, arriving here in 1883. He at once purchased one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land, set out three acres of groves and orchards and otherwise improved it so that when he sold it three years later he realized a handsome profit on his investment. He then went to Hartley, in this county, and bought an interest in a hardware store, where he worked for the next seven years, after which, in 1890, he purchased an interest in the Hartley lumber firm, with which he has been connected up to the present time. He is now manager of the firm. He also has a share in the Fullerton Lumber and Hardware Company, of Fullerton, North Dakota, as well as an interest in a lumber and furniture company at Louisburg, Minnesota. He also is heavily interested in land and has an interest in eight hundred and eighty acres of land in North Dakota. Mr. Webster is regarded as a man of good business ability and has won the confidence of the people by his uprightness and strict honesty in everything which he does.

Mr. Webster has been twice married, first, in 1873, to Viola Holtz, and to this marriage was born one daughter, Maud, whose husband, E. S. Thomas, is manager of the Fullerton Lumber and Hardware Company of Fullerton, North Dakota. She is a graduate of the Hartley high school and later attended Highland Park College at Des Moines, after which she taught school for four years. Mr. Webster's second marriage, in 1887, was to Emma Beach, who was born in 1858 in Indiana, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cephas Beach. Cephas Beach was born in 1824 and died in 1890 and his wife was born in 1824 and died in 1912. Mrs. Beach made her home with her daughter, Mrs. James Webster, for the sixteen years previous to her death. The second wife of Mr. Webster had taught school for ten years in O'Brien county, five years being spent in the schools of Hartley. Mr. and Mrs. Web-

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ster adopted two children: Helen, the wife of L. A. Douglas, of Akron, Iowa, graduated from the Hartley high school and went one term to Morningside College at Des Moines, after which she taught school four years at Akron, Iowa. May, the older child of Mr. and Mrs. Webster, is still with her parents and is now attending the Hartley high school.

Mr. Webster is a stanch Republican in politics, hut has never felt inclined to take an active part in political affairs. He is an earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and a great worker in the church and Sunday school. He is superintendent of the Sunday school at the present time and president of the O'Brien County Sunday School Association. Fratenially, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and the Grand Army of the Republic at Hartley. Mr. Webster has lived a Inisy and useful life and from the time he was seventeen years of age he has been an active citizen of the commonwealth, serving his county faithfully. All public measures which promise to help his community have found in him a sympathetic helper. On the other hand, everything which he felt would be a detriment to his comnmnity has met with his strong opposition. Such a man is a blessing to any community and it is such men who make this a better county in which to live.

THOMAS BERNE.

Among the men of sterling worth and strength of character who have made an impress on the life of the locality in which they live, no one has received a larger regard than Thomas Berne, a popular furniture man and funeral director of Hartley. Born of Irish parentage, he has those excellent, characteristics which are common with the people of the Emerald Isle, and the success which attended his father after coming to this country shows that his son comes by his ability naturally. Although he has been in Hartley only a comparatively short time, yet his life here has given the people an opportunity to know him in every phase of his character. That he has been true to life in every phase is manifest in the degree of confidence and regard in which he is held by all of those who know him. He is strictly a self-made man and the success which he has attained was won by hard knocks.

Thomas Berne was born in Niagara Falls, New York, in 1866, and is the son of John and Bridget (Croak) Berne, both of whom were natives of Ireland. John Berne was born in Ireland in 1818 and came to Niagara Falls, New York, from his native land when he was thirty years of age.

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For the next twenty years he followed railroading, but, feeling that there were more opportunities for advancement in the West, he came to Independence, Iowa, and purchased eighty acres of land in 1868, on which he lived until his death in 1902. He had all of those sterling characteristics which mark the natives of the Emerald Isle and he and his good wife reared a large family of children to useful lives. They were the parents of ten children: Margaret, deceased; John, of Missoula, Montana; Mrs. Catherine Pohl, of Montana; William, of Montana; Michael, of Montana; Ellan, deceased; James, of California; Martin, of California; Mrs. Agnes Sauntry, and Thomas, whose life history is here briefly portrayed.

Thomas Berne came with his parents from Niagara Falls, New York, to Independence, Iowa, when he was two years of age and received his education in the schools of this state. When a small lad he began to assist his father on the home farm, and thus early learned those habits of industry which have characterized his later career. He continued to reside at home until he was thirty years of age, rented land adjoining his father's farm and working by the day's labor at any honest toil which would yield him a fair wage. During these years he was saving his money with the intention of going into business for himself and in 1896 he felt that he had laid by a sufficient amount of capital to indulge his desire for an independent career. Accordingly, he went to Hartley, O'Brien county, Iowa, and worked in an implement store in order to become thoroughly acquainted with the business. While working in the implement store he married and began to plan to purchase a furniture store in Hartley and in 1906 he bought a furniture store and undertaking establishment and has been conducting it successfully up to the present time. In order to be a competent embalmer and undertaker, he took a course in the Hohenschuh Carpenter Embalming School at Des Moines and thus equipped himself for the embalming profession. He was the third man in the state of Iowa to purchase and put in use an automobile hearse, at a cost of $4,500, and the first one built by the Des Moines Casket Company. The success which has attended him since embarking in his new venture shows that he is a man of keen business ability. He needed but the chance to show what he could do when he had a business of his own. He has increased his stock in the furniture store from year to year and thereby brought a better class of trade to his store. His courtesy in dealing with his customers and his honesty in all of his dealings, has won for him the confidence of the people of Hartley and the surrounding country.

Mr. Berne was married in 1901 to Barbara Wachtel and to this union have been born two children, who are still with their parents, Clarence J. and

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Mary A. Politically, .Mr. Berne adheres to the Democratic party, but has always been so busy with his own individual interests that he has not had the time to take an active part in politics. However, he takes an interest in all public enterprises such as he deems will benefit his community, by giving his hearty and sympathetic support. He and his family are loyal members of the Catholic church and contribute freely of their means to its support. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. His interest in public affairs is shown by the fact that he has been a member of the city council of Hartley. Every measure which he felt would help the city has found in him an enthusiastic supporter. In addition to his mercantile interests he has invested in property in the city and now owns two handsome houses which he has improved in various ways. Such is the life history of Thomas Berne, who tries to do his everyday duty as he see it, having taken the Golden Rule for his guide. The fact that he has the unbounded confidence of everyone with whom he has been associated indicates that he has done to others as he would that others should do unto him.

ALBERT TAGGE.

Clearly defined purpose and consecutive effort in the affairs of life will inevitably result in the attaining of a due measure of success, but in following out the career of one who has attained success by his own efforts there comes into view the intrinsic individuality which made such accomplishment possible, and thus there is granted an objective incentive and inspiration, while at the same time there is enkindled a feeling of respect and admiration. The qualities which have made Mr. Tagge one of the prominent and successful men of Hartley have also brought him the esteem of his fellow townsmen, for his career has been one of well-directed energy, strong determination and honorable methods.

Albert Tagge, for many years a prosperous merchant of Hartley, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born in Scott county, Iowa, in 1871. He is the son of Peter and Lena (Richie) Tagge, both of whom were born and reared in Germany. Peter Tagge was born in 1824 and spent his boyhood days working on his father's farm in his native land. He was married in Germany to Lena Richie in 1858 and they at once came across the ocean and settled in Davenport, Iowa. There Peter bought two hundred and sixty acres of land, which he improved and lived there for several years. He permanently

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retired from farming in 1893 and moved to Durant, Iowa, where he died in 1906. Peter Tagge and wife were the parents of seven children: One who died in infancy; Mrs. Sophia Peterson, of Durant, Iowa; Fred, a farmer of Canada; Henry, of Hartley, Iowa; Rudolph, a merchant of Durant; Amanda, of Durant, and Albert, with whom this narrative deals.

Albert Tagge lived with his parents until he reached his nineteenth year. He received a good common school education in the schools of Scott county and when nineteen years of age went to Durant where he clerked in his brother Rudolph's store. In 1894 he came to Hartley and bought an interest in a mercantile establishment and later acquired the controlling interest in the business. Here he continued until 1912 when he sold the store and then bought an interest in a clothing store. He also has a third interest in three hundred and twenty acres of land in O'Brien county as well as property in the city of Hartley.

Mr. Tagge was married in 1904 to Helen O'Brien, of Des Moines, Iowa, and to this union have been born three children, Dorothy, Marguerette and Edward, all of whom are still with their parents. Politically, Mr. Tagge is a Democrat, but owing to his business interests he has never had the time to take an active part in political affairs. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias and takes an interest in the various activities of these fraternal organizations. He has always been a man of public spirit and one who takes a great deal of interest in public affairs. He has been a member of the city council of Hartley and in that position favored such measures as he thought would benefit his city.

E. L. HELMER

Any man who receives the official sanction of President Woodrow Wilson is sure to be a man of sterling worth and integrity, for it is well known that he does not appoint any man to a position in the United States government without he first has his record thoroughly examined. E. L. Helmer, whose history is here presented, was appointed postmaster of Sanborn by President Wilson on July 23, 1913, and is now filling that office to the entire satisfaction of its patrons.

E. L. Helmer was born April 7, 1851, in DeKalb county, Illinois, and is the son of James and Charlotte (Crippen) Helmer, both of whom were natives of New York. James Helmer was born in 1816 and was the son of

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John A. Helmer, who was born and reared in Herkimer county, New York, and died in the state of his birth. James Helmer came to DeKalb county, Illinois, in 1840, although he had previously come west and settled in Michigan in 1838. He met his wife in DeKalb county. Illinois, and they were married there and shortly after their marriage they entered land. In 1855 they sold their DeKalb county farm and came to Iowa and settled near Anamosa, in Jones county. The first two years after coming to Iowa Mr. Helmer followed the carpenter trade and then went on his farm, where he remained until his death, in 1893. Mr. and Mrs. James Helmer were the parents of the following children: Emily C, deceased; E. L., with whom this narrative deals; Frank, deceased; Jesse, deceased; May, deceased; Mrs. Leona Hart, of Anamosa, Iowa.

E. L. Helmer was only four years of age when his parents left Illinois and settled in Jones county, Iowa. He received his education in the Jones county schools and remained there until 1885, when he came to O'Brien county and located at Sanborn. He worked for a railroad company a short time and then opened a retail meat market, which he conducted until October, 1911. Mr. Helmer conducted his retail meat market for twenty years in Sanborn.

Mr. Helmer was married in June, 1875, to Anne Ryan, of Jones county, and to this union has been born one son, James, who is now a farmer of South Dakota, living near Chester. Politically, Mr. Helmer is a Democrat and has always taken an active part in politics. His services to his party, as well as his worth, were recognized by President Wilson in his appointment to the postmastership at Sanborn on July 23, 1913.

JULIUS F. EICHNER.

One of the influential citizens of Hartley is Julius F. Eichner, who ranks as one of the city's leading merchants and representative citizens. He is a man of excellent endowment and upright character and is a valued factor in local affairs, having ever commanded the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens. He takes an active and intelligent interest in public affairs and as a member of the city council is doing everything he can to further the interests of his home city.

Julius F. Eichner was born in Davenport, Iowa, in 1875 and is the son of Claus and Hannah (Peters) Eichner. His father was born in Germany

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in 1851 and came with his parents to Scott county, Iowa, in 1861. He assisted on the home farm until he was twenty-three years of age and then went to Dixon, Iowa, where he managed a hotel and opera house for eight years, after which he bought a meat market and in connection with this business he bought and sold cattle in Dixon. In 1888 he disposed of his meat market and came to O'Brien county, where he farmed and operated a threshing machine. In 1898 he purchased two hundred acres of improved land, for which he paid thirty dollars an acre. He farmed this land until 1905, when he retired from active work and removed to Hartley, where he owns three acres of land and improvements, which are easily worth four thousand dollars. He was married to Hannah Peters in 1873 in Davenport, Iowa. She was born in 1853 in Germany and came to the United States when thirteen years of age with her parents. To Claus Eichner and wife were born four children: Leonard, who is a farmer at Spring Valley, Minnesota; William, who is in partnership with his brother, Julius F.; Amil, who is with the Failing Hardware Company, of Hartley, and Julius, whose history is the theme of this narrative.

Julius F. Eichner remained with his parents until twenty-four years of age. After completing his common school education he assisted his father with the farm work. He then married and rented two hundred and forty acres in this county which he farmed for ten years, after which he came to Hartley and bought a share in the clothing business with his brother-in-law, William Vogt. They carry a stock valued at fourteen thousand dollars and have a large trade in Hartley and the surrounding country. The store is well arranged and presents a very attractive appearance. They are courteous in the treatment of their customers and by their honesty in all of their dealings they have won the confidence of everyone with whom they have transacted business. Mr. Eichner also owns a share in the Moneta Elevator Company of Moneta, Iowa.

Julius F. Eichner was married in 1900 to Anna Vogt, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Vogt, of Traer, Iowa, and born in 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Eichner have four children, Sadie, Melvin, Edna and Milo, all of whom, except the youngest, are now in the public schools of Hartley.

In politics, Mr. Eichner is a stanch Republican and has taken an interest in politics since reaching his majority. An indication of the esteem in which he is held by his fellow citizens is shown by the fact that he was elected a member of the city council of Hartley and in this position he finds many opportunities to assist in the material advancement of his community. He is also interested in music and is the president of the Hartley Band at the

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present time. His main diversion is found in connection with the Gun Club of Hartley, of which organization he is president. He and his family are members of the German Lutheran church and give it their earnest support at all times. In his fraternal relations he is found affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Mr. Eichner is still a young man and in the prime of life. He takes an active part in the life of the city and as a public-spirited citizen never neglects to give his support to everything which he feels will benefit the city and render it a better and happier place in which to live. It is needless to say that such a man is justly entitled to a place among the representative men of his city and county.

HUGO EWOLDT.

It may be taken for granted that in every history presented in this volume which deals with the life of a German settler or his children, the two words "successful" and "prosperous" are the keynotes to their life history. It is said that only the most enterprising and ambitious people have the courage to leave their native land and journey thousands of miles to a strange land of which they can possibly know but little. This may account for the fact that every German resident of O'Brien county has made an excellent citizen in every sense of the word. Such a word as failure was not in their vocabulary. They dropped it into the ocean on their way across, for it is a Word that is never found in current use among the Germans or their children who are today living in O'Brien county, Iowa.

Hugo Ewoldt, the proprietor of the retail meat market in Hartley, and a prosperous stock dealer, was born in Scott county, Iowa, of German parentage, and is a son of J. H. and Lena Ewoldt, both of whom were natives of Holstein, Germany, the father being born in 1846 and the mother in 1848. J. H. Ewoldt came to this country when eighteen years of age and came direct to Scott county, Iowa, where he engaged in farming. A few years later he went to Tama county, in this state, where he rented land, and from thence came to O'Brien county, where he purchased a half section of land in Liberty township in 1892. He planted an acre of fruit and forest trees, and put eight thousand dollars worth of improvements upon his acreage. In 1905 he felt that he had worked hard enough to earn a rest for the remainder of his days and accordingly purchased a house and lot in Sutherland, Iowa, and moved there in that year, having built an attractive home on his place. His

926 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

son, Emil, is now operating his farm in Liberty township. J. H. and Lena Ewoldt were married in 1865, and to their union were born seven children: Mrs. Augusta Tehelman, whose husband has a book store in Davenport, Iowa ; Adolph, who is with his parents; Emil, who is operating the home place; Cora; Hattie ; James, who has a hardware store in Calumet, Iowa; Hugo, whose history forms the theme of this sketch.

Hugo Ewoldt received a meager education in the public schools and from the age of ten he began to work on the farm. He married at the age of twenty-four and at that time began to rent land and for the next seven years followed the life of a farmer. He saved his money with true German thrift and in 1907 moved to Hartley and purchased a meat market and now owns the only retail meat market in the city. Since moving to Hartley, he has bought and sold stock and realizes a handsome return from his stock sales each year. He owns a handsome home in Hartley, where he and his wife dispense genuine hospitality to their many friends.

Mr. Ewoldt was married in Cherokee county, Iowa, in 1890, to Lelia M. Cleghorn, and to this union has been born one daughter, Lillian, who, after graduating from the Hartley high school, entered Oberlain and later, Grinnell College, where she is now taking a course in piano and voice culture.

Politically, Mr. Ewoldt is a Republican and has been honored by his party by being nominated and elected as councilman of the city of Hartley. While in this position he found opportunity to advocate such measures as would benefit his city and he never failed to espouse those movements which would redound to the credit of the town. Religiously, he and his family are loyal and faithful members of the German Lutheran church and take an active interest in all of the affairs of that denomination. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, in which he has taken the consistory degrees, and the Knights of Pythias and Mystic Shrine. Mr. Ewoldt has been working for himself from a very tender age, and has never ceased from hard labor from the time that he began to make his own fortunes. He was one of the youngest pioneers in Tama and O'Brien counties, and experienced many hardships while living on the farm. Nevertheless the obstacles which he met and conquered made him stronger to overcome succeeding trouble and disaster, and he stands today an excellent type of the self- made man and has the satisfaction of feeling that although he has won material success that he has not done it at the expense of his fellowmen. He has always been fair in his dealings and for this reason has won the admiration of his fellow citizens and evervone with whom he has been connected.

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WILLIAM C. VOGEL.

In the daily laborious struggle for an honorable competence and a solid career on the part of a business or professional man there is little to attract the casual reader in search of a sensational chapter, but to a mind thoroughly awake to the reality and meaning of human existence there are noble and imperishable lessons in the career of an individual who, without other means than a clear head, strong arm and true heart, directed and controlled by correct principles and unerring judgment, conquers adversity and finally wins not only pecuniary independence, but what is far greater and higher, the deserved respect and confidence of those with whom his active years have been spent.

William C. Vogel, a prosperous shoe merchant of Hartley, Iowa, was born in Marshall county, this state, in 1858, the son of William and Fredericka (Mosehanka) Vogel. Both his parents were natives of Germany, his father born in 1823 and coming to this country at the age of thirty-one years of age. He had learned the trade of a stone mason in his native land and followed this occupation after coming to Marshall county, this state. Later he bought a farm in that county, on which he lived until 1902, when he retired from the active duties of life and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he is now living. He was married in 1853 to Fredericka Mosehanka, who died in Kansas, and to this marriage were born five children: Bertha, whose husband, W. B. Marsh, is pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church at Tacoma, Washington; Matilda, wife of John H. McNamara, who lives in Minneapolis; Mrs. Lulu Williams, of Hutchinson, Kansas; Henry, a newspaper reporter of Des Moines, Iowa, and William C, whose life history is here delineated.

William Vogel remained with his parents until he was twenty-four years of age and was given an excellent education, and after leaving school assisted his father on the home farm. He then, married and accepted a clerkship in a general mercantile establishment at Quarry, Iowa, where he remained for twelve years. In 1887 he bought a general establishment at Dillon, in Marshall county, which he managed for three years, after which he bought a farm of eighty-seven acres; but, not finding the pursuit of agriculture to his liking, he sold out his land interests and went to Latimer, Iowa, where he managed a general merchandise store for Williams Brothers, of Primghar, Iowa, and after spending three years at this place he came to Hartley, O'Brien county, in 1895, where he continued to work for the same firm for eight

928 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

months. He then went into business for himself by establishing a novelty store, and gradually increasing his stock until he had a general merchandise store. He then disposed of this business, and, in partnership with Edward Ewoldt, purchased the general merchandise store of Williams Brothers. The firm of Ewoldt & Vogel prospered for fifteen years, and in 1911 they sold to the Lemke Brothers. Mr. Vogel then opened a shoe store in Hartley and has continued to manage this business up until the present time. He carries a complete stock of the latest styles in shoes and has his full share of the patronage of Hartley and vicinity.

Mr. Vogel was married January 1, 1883, to Elizabeth Steeptelon, who was born in 1862, in Mahaska county, Iowa, and to this marriage have been born four children: Mary, the wife of H. C. Guenther, of North Dakota; Lessie, the wife of W. F. Arrowsmith, of Melvin, Iowa; Lucile and William D., who are still in school.

Politically, Mr. Vogel is a member of the Progressive party, or, rather, he is an independent in politics with progressive tendencies. He takes an active interest in all public affairs and has been a member of the council of the city of Hartley for four years. In his religious relations he is found affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church, while, fraternally, he is a member of the Masonic order and the Yeomen. Mr. Vogel is a man of education and has the command of seven languages. German was the language of his parents, and to this he has added six other languages, an accomplishment which is little short of remarkable. In every relation of life Mr. Vogel has conducted himself as a true American citizen, taking his full part in the public affairs of the day and throwing his influence to all measures which are calculated to benefit his community.

JOHN C. MANSMITH.

A retired farmer and stockman of Hartley, O'Brien county, Iowa, who has long been identified with the agricultural and business life of this county, is John C. Mansmith. A residence of more than twenty-five years in this county has given him a reputation for honesty and strict integrity which has made him a man of prominence in his community.

John C. Mansmith was born in 1866 in Ohio, the son of Anthony and Amanda (Oswald) Mansmith. Anthony Mansmith was also a native of the Buckeye state, his birth having occurred there in 1829, and he followed the

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trade of a cabinet-maker. In 1869 he came to Marshall county, Iowa, where he purchased two hundred and forty acres of unimproved land. After improving this land and greatly increasing its value, he sold it and bought another quarter section, which he farmed until his retirement in 1876. He then moved to Hartley, O'Brien county, where he is now living at the advanced age of eighty-five years. He was married to Amanda Oswald, who was born in Ohio in 1822, and to this marriage have been born two children. Levi, deceased, and John C. whose life history is here presented.

John C. Mansmith received a good, common school education in the schools of Marshall county, Iowa, and when thirteen years of age he came to Iowa and settled in Marshall county. In 1887 he came to O'Brien county, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres which he improved and then sold at a handsome profit, after which he purchased the west one-half of section 35, which he still owns. He has placed ten thousand dollars worth of improvements on the farm since he became the owner of it, including buildings of all kinds, fencing, drainage and groves of fruit and forest trees. He has always kept a high grade of live stock, and has made a specialty of the breeding of Hereford cattle. He is now the owner of three hundred and fourteen acres of excellent farm land, besides four acres in lots in the city of Hartley.

Mr. Mansmith was married in 1874 to Julia Anna Paul, the daughter of David and Sarah (Runkle) Paul, and who was born in Illinois in 1852. David Paul was born August 20, 1829, was a native of Germany, and was a farmer in Pennsylvania for many years. He died February 11, 1901. He was married to Sarah Runkle in 1857, in the state of Indiana, and to this union were born ten children, all of whom, except two, Mrs. Mary C. Beye and Mrs. Ida M. Martin, are living in Marshall county, Iowa. The eight children who are living in Iowa are as follows: James I., William H., John R., George E., Fred, Charles C. and David H.

Mr. and Mrs. John C. Mansmith are the parents of eleven children: Mrs. Sarah Williams, who lives in Hartley, Iowa; Wilbur, of this county; John E., who is farming on the old home place; Mrs. Cora Loushen, who is a resident of Hartley; Mrs. Ethel F. Vilmek, whose home is in Hartley, Iowa; Jessie B., of Arnolds Park, this state; Mrs. Bessie Hunt, of Hartley; Claude C. of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; Ralph A.; Edith, deceased, and David, deceased. Ethel is a graduate of Morningside College, Des Moines, Iowa, and taught school for seven years in O'Brien and Cherokee counties. Her husband is a merchant. Mrs. Bessie Hunt has one daughter, Doris Violet.

Mr. Mansmith is a Republican in politics and has always taken an active

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interest in local politics. In fact, he has filled every township office except that of justice of the peace and constable, and in all of these important positions he has rendered satisfactory services to his fellow citizens. He and his family have been loyal members of the Methodist Episcopal church and have given of their means and time to the support of this denomination at all times. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a man who has a host of friends throughout the community, who have been attracted to him because of his clean life and high character.

BEN OLSON.

O'Brien county has opened welcoming arms to all the world, and from all parts of this country and many sections of Europe have come stalwart, courageous men who were not afraid of the arduous labor required in a new country if with it came hope of future competence. Among these, some have come from the northlands of Europe, where the descendants of the mighty Vikings still are noted for their strength of sinew and high moral character. Among the numerous immigrants who have sought the smile of fickle fortune in this land of the free none have given more in return to the land of their adoption than these hardy sons of the north, and it is of one of these we would speak in this short article.

Ben Olson was born in the year 1856, in Sweden. His father, Ole J. Olson, was a prosperous Swedish farmer who was born in the year 1811, and spent his days in the land of his birth. He was the father of eight children, but three of whom are now living. Jens, Swan, Olof, Monse and Hagen are deceased, while Bessie, now Mrs. Johnson, is still a resident of that country. Sarah is now making her home with her brother Ben, the gentleman of whom we speak in this sketch.

Mr. Olson left his native land in the year 1872, finding his way directly to the city of Moline, Illinois, where he found employment in an iron foundry. Here he remained until 1884, toiling diligently and living economically. But Mr. Olson believed that greater opportunities for advancement awaited him in the work of the open country, and as he thought of the fields and meadows through which he had roamed in his boyhood the determination grew within him to return to the natural, wholesome life of the country. Hearing of the opportunities open to homesteaders in the state of Iowa, he

Picture of BEN OLSON.

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journeyed westward and settled upon a tract of railroad land, taking a claim of one hundred sixty acres. In 1902 he bought a tract of the same size, which he sold at a profit in 1907. He reinvested this capital in Summit township, but moved to Archer, where he is living retired. His homestead at the present time comprises two hundred forty acres of well improved ground, all in a high state of cultivation, a comfortable house and all necessary buildings for the housing of his stock and the shelter of implements and produce of various kinds. His sister Sarah has been a faithful friend and companion, keeping his house in order and performing the various duties which fall to the mistress of an establishment of this size.

Mr. Olson has never married, but takes much pride in his home. As he has demonstrated his ability to earn for himself a competence, so has he shown the ability to enjoy the fruits of his toil, and now, in his later years, he has retired from active farming, with its arduous labor, and husbands his strength for the years that are to come. He is a member of the Lutheran church, and is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Politicaly, he is deeply interested in the success of the Independent Progressive party.

Mr. Olson is typically a self-made man, one who has started at the foot of the ladder and by his own efforts has risen to a position of affluence. Industrious, conscientious and persevering in whatever he undertakes, he is deserving of the position he now occupies in the community.

ISAAC M. SILVERTHORN.

One of the oldest patriarchs in O'Brien county, Iowa, and the first marshal of the city of Hartley, is Isaac M. Silverthorn, who was a man past middle age when the Civil War broke out. The threescore and ten years which is said to be the allotted time of the average man was passed twenty years ago by him and within the next ten years he will reach the century mark. He was a small boy running around when Thomas Jefferson was still living and was born only twenty-five years after the death of George Washington. This "grand old man" of Hartley was one of the earliest pioneers of O'Brien county, and since coming here he has the pleasure of seeing it emerge from a broad and treeless prairie to its present condition of prosperity.

932 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

Isaac M. Siherthorn was born October 1, 1824. in Ohio, and consequently will celebrate his ninetieth birthday anniversary in the fall of 1914. He was the son of William D. and Polly (Ringland) Silverthorn. His father was born in Pennsylvania and lived the greater part of his life in Ohio and died in the latter state. To William Silverthorn and wife were born nine children: John, deceased; James, deceased; Jacob, who is a resident of Ohio; Mrs. Lucretia Fields, who lives in Ohio; Lusia, a resident of Michigan; Augusta, who died in the Civil War; William fought in the Mexican War, but his subsequent history is unknown; a daughter who died in infancy, and Isaac M.. whose history is here presented.

Isaac M. Silverthorn started out when he was but eleven years of age to make his living at the time when Andrew Jackson was President of the United States. He was tossed about from pillar to post until he came in touch with a family by the name of Thorn, in the state of Ohio, with whom he stayed two years, after which he went to Ashtabula, Ohio, where he found work in a carriage shop with Jesse Phillips. By this time he was sixteen years of age and was a boy of sturdy constitution and eager to work. He remained in the carriage shop at Ashtabula four years and in that time learned the trade which earned him a livelihood for many years afterwards. He then worked in different places for the succeeding eight years and in 1856 journeyed on west and finally landed in Hardin county, Iowa, and here he settled down as a carpenter and wagon-maker and lived in this county for twenty-one years. He was married many years before, in fact, he was married the year before the Mexican War broke out. He traded a hotel property at Steamboat Rock, Hardin county, Iowa, for a section of land in O'Brien county, Iowa. He came to O'Brien in 1876 and to this tract he added from time to time. He made extensive improvements on his farm and set out eight acres of fruit and orchard trees. When the terrible grasshopper plague came on, in 1876, he had a fine prospect for crops. He had sixty acres of corn, ninety acres of wheat, ten acres of oats, and in the short space of a few days, during July of that memorable year, every vestige of his crop disappeared before the voracious appetites of the grasshoppers. By actual count he found that these insects ate two acres of potatoes in one hour. However, he was not to be discouraged by a mere grasshopper. He stayed by his farm and laid aside a very comfortable fortune in the course of a few years. He has now sold all of his farm with the exception of eighty acres, which he still retains. In 1888 he retired from active farm life and moved to Hartley, where he is still living. He is the owner of two lots in the city of Hartley.

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Mr. Silverthorn was married, in Ohio, nearly seventy years ago to Rebecca A. Willis, who was born September l0, 1826, in New York state, and her death occurred October 30, 1899. To this marriage, which occurred in 1845, have been born eight children: Milo G., who is a resident of Leavenworth, Kansas; Mrs. Fannie M. Doscher, deceased; Mrs. Flora Kingman, who lives in Des Moines, Iowa; Frank E., who is in California; Cora C, deceased; Dwight, deceased; Mollie, who is now keeping house for her father in Hartley; John H., manager of a cream station in Hartley.

Mr. Silverthorn was voting many years before the Republican party was born. in 1856. In fact, he has the distinction of being old enough to vote for the second Whig candidate for President in 1845. He has never been an aspirant for public office, although he has been justice of the peace for many years and was the first marshal of the city of Hartley. Religiously, he is an earnest attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church and tries to live a life consistent with its teachings.

Such in brief outline is the life history of one of the oldest and most respected citizens of O'Brien county. Few men reach the patriarchal age of ninety years, and the very fact that a man lives to such an age is an indication that he has lived a clean and wholesome life. Mr. Silyerthorn is still hale and hearty and able to enjoy life and in his declining years has the satisfaction of looking back over a long career which has not all been for self, but has been devoted to the adyancement of civilization in his community and the upbuilding of those interests which widely affected his fellow men.

JOSEPH O. SHELDON.

Any profession, if honorable, has its place in human existence, constituting a part of a plan whereby life's methods are pursued and man reaches his ultimate destiny. It is not within the province of man to say that one occupation is more important than another, nor is it possible to do more than say that a profession is important so far as it is useful to the community. So dependent is man at the present time upon his fellow man that the work of each individual is largely reckoned by what he has done for humanity. There are more than one thousand different professions recognized by the United States government, in the last census, and yet the occupation of the farmer is really the one on which all others must depend.

Joseph O. Sheldon, the son of Irian and Katherine (Ellis) Sheldon,

934 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA

was born in Clinton county, Iowa, in 1870. His father was a native of New York state, his birth having occurred there in 1843, and who came to Clinton county, this state, and engaged in farming. Shortly after coming to this county his death occurred and his widow was remarried, in 1875, to Nathan Hayes. To the first marriage were born nine children: Emma, deceased; Samuel, deceased; William, who lives in the state of Washington; Frank, a resident of Liberty township, this county; Mrs. Delia Carr, also a resident of this county; Nelson, who is a manager of a feed store in Missouri; James, a farmer living in Nebraska, and Joseph, who forms the theme of this narrative. To his mother's second marriage was born one daughter, Mrs. Lulu Banister, who is now living in O'Brien county.

Joseph Sheldon received his education in the schools of his native county and remained under the parental roof until he was nineteen years of age, and then began to work out by the day at farm labor, after which he secured employment in a brick yard. After a short time he rented a farm from his stepfather, where he lived for eight years, at the expiration of which time he and his brother, James, purchased two hundred and forty acres of land in Cherokee county, this state, where he farmed until 1900, when he sold his interest in this tract and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in O'Brien county. Since securing this farm he has made extensive improvements on the place, expending more than five thousand dollars on it in the way of buildings, fences, drainage, etc., until it is now rated as one of the most productive and valuable farms in the county. Besides general farming he is also engaged extensively in stock raising, making a specialty of the breeding of Duroc Jersey hogs and he finds this a profitable source of income. In addition to his land holdings in this county, he is the owner of thirty acres of land in Orange county, Florida, and also has an interest in the Farmers Elevator Company and also the Hartley Lumber Company both of Hartley, Iowa. Mr. Sheldon has always been very successful, in all of his business ventures until today he is the owner of three hundred and forty-three acres of excellent farming land in this county and thirty acres in Florida.

Mr. Sheldon was married in 1899, in Cherokee county, Iowa, to Lula Johnson, who was born in 1873, and four children have been born to this union. Rufus, Joseph. Lula and Vera, all of whom are at home with their parents.

Politically, Mr. Sheldon is a Republican and always takes an active interest in politics and at the present time is holding the important ofiice of trustee of Hartley township, filling this place to the entire satisfaction of

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all the citizens of the community. He and his family are earnest and faithful members of the Latter-Day Saints and contribute liberally of their means to its support. Fraternally, he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He enjoys the respect and esteem of those who know him for his friendly and genial manner, business ability, his interest in public affairs and upright living. For this reason he is regarded as one of the substantial and worthy citizens of his community.

OLIVER EVANS.

Forty-five years have come and gone since Oliver Evans, a retired farmer of Hartley, came into O'Brien county, Iowa. These forty-five years have seen this county grow from a broad, barren prairie to its present prosperous condition, covered with cities and villages and hundreds of prosperous farms. According to the 1910 census there are eleven towns in O'Brien county, three of which are over one thousand in population. The residents of O'Brien county who have lived in this county for nearly two score and a half years have had the opportunity to witness the great change which has come about, not only in this county, but in this whole section of the state. In 1870 there were no railroads in this county, not an improved road, and but one school house had been built. Today there are over three hundred school buildings, several hundred miles of improved highways, as well as five railroads running through the county. From the date of the first election in this county,when nineteen votes were cast, down to 1910, there are several men living in the county who can remember the whole history of the county.

Oliver Evans, one of the earliest of the pioneers of this county, was born December 3, 1841, in Utica, New York, and is the son of Edward and Margaret (Jones) Evans. Edward Evans was born in Wales in 1812 and his wife was born two years earlier in the same country. They were reared and educated in the land of their birth and married before they came to this country. He landed in New York city in 1837, where he worked for a short time as a laborer. In 1840 they moved to Utica, New York, where they lived a few years. In 1848 they went to Martinsburg, New York, where they purchased fifty acres of land and lived there the remainder of their lives. Edward Evans proved to be a successful farmer and at the time of his death, in 1898, he owned two hundred and fifty acres of land and died in 1880. To their marriage were born four children: John, of Lowville, New York, and a

936 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

soldier of the Rebellion and later a homesteader of O'Brien county, Iowa; Mrs. Margaret Boshart, deceased; Henry, deceased, and Oliver, with whom this narrative deals.

Oliver Evans received his education in the schools of New York state and remained at home until he was twenty years of age. He then left home and worked out among the neighborhood farmers by the day for three years and a half, after which he traveled for some time seeking a location. He came to O'Brien county. Iowa, November 9, 1869, and immediately homesteaded eighty acres, the east one-half of southwest quarter of section 24, in Center township, patent No. 9640. The year fullowing he had no improvements or crops after the terrible fire of 1870 swept across the whole county. In a short time there was not a tree, not a house and no improvements whatever which were left after that terrible disaster. Later he hauled wood and fuel from near Old O'Brien, which is situated on the Sioux rivcr. The postoffice was O'Brien, where he received mail once a week. In order to provide himself with fuel for the coming years, as well as lumber, he planted what was then the largest grove of forest trees in the county; he put out fifteen acres of forest trees and for the past twenty years has had plenty for fuel. He also planted two acres of orchard trees — in fact, he has put at least ten thousand dollars worth of improvements upon his farm of three hundred and sixty acres of land. He also has other farms, making a total of seven hundred and forty-nine acres in the state. The improvement on all his land is estimated at between twenty-five and thirty thousand dollars. In addition to raising all of the crops which are peculiar to this section of the country, he has been a large breeder of thoroughbred stock, including Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs. He started to farm with a team of oxen, and during the first summer all they had to eat was pancakes made of course flour and creek water. In giving the data for this history, Mr. Evans remarked that the food which they had to eat during this year was hardly fit for a dog to eat, and yet they lived upon it and thrived and as the years came and went Mr. Evans acquired more of this world's goods so that today he can look back upon that period of deprivation and misfortune through which he went during the early years of his life in this county. In addition to his large land interests, he also has an interest in the Hartley Lumber Company and in the Moneta Savings Bank. He has been president and vice-president of the First National Bank of Hartley, Iowa. Some vears ago he sold all his interest in this bank. He owns nine acres of land and a residence adjoining the corporation of Hartley, where he has set out an acre of trees.

Mr. Evans was married in 1871, in Harrisburg, New York, to Marietta

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English, who was born in Martinsburg, New York, in 1849. To their marriage have been born fonr children: Harry J., a graduate of Ames College in the dairyman course, he then taught in the dairy school of Ames, Iowa; he is now residing in Lovejoy, Montana, where he is raising stock and homesteading; Jesemine, the wife of J. M. Hawley, a farmer of Canada, is a graduate from the Hartley high school and taught school ten years in O'Brien county. Evelyn, the third child of Mr. and Mrs. Evans, is the wife of George P. Powers, a farmer of Moneta, Iowa. She graduated from the Hartly high school and taught three years. Edward O. is a farmer and auctioneer in Omega township in this county. He attended Ames College one year and then graduated from the Jones Auctioneer College at Chicago, Illinois.

In politics, Mr. Evans is independent, reserving the right to cast his ballot at all times for the man he feels best qualified to hold the office. Religiously, he is affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church, as are the other members of his family. He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and takes an intelligent interest in the work of that order. He has always been a man who was interested in public affairs and has served as trustee of Center township in his county.

THOMAS M. CORNS.

Among the earnest men whose enterprise and depth of character have gained a prominent place in the community and the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens is the honored subject of this sketch. A leading farmer of the township in which he resides and a man of decided views and laudable ambitions, his influence has ever been exerted for the advancement of his kind, and in the vocation to which his energies are directed he ranks among the representative agriculturists of the county.

Thomas M. Corns is a son of Thomas B. and Harriet (Hale) Corns. The father is a native of England, in which country he supported his family by stock raising. In 1851 he emigrated to the United States and settled on a farm in Illinois, near Rock Island, where he engaged in the cattle and stock business. There were five children in this family: Sarah (Vivian), of Colorado; John, of Illinois; Hattie (Grant), of Moneta, Iowa; Thomas, the subject of this sketch, and George, who died a few years ago.

In 1883 Mr. Corns went to O'Brien county, Iowa, where he bought

938 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

raw land. He has made improvements on the place and now has a comfortable country home, with ample shade and a beautiful grove of about two acres. The improvements on the farm could conservatively be estimated at five thousand dollars. At this time he is the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of some of the choicest land in O'Brien county and has fourteen valuable lots in Moneta, Iowa.

In 1884 Mr. Corns was married to Anna Dawson. They have but one child, Thomas R., who remains at home helping with the cares of the farm. Mr. Corns is a stanch Independent Progressive. He is not affiliated with any church, but is a man in whom every one reposes the utmost confidence, for his word is to him a sacred obligation and he is always ready to lend assistance to those in trouble. He is a member of the Masonic lodge.

JOHN H. BURNS.

The subject of this article is a striking exemplification of what can be accomplished by an energetic and determined man when the goal for which he strives is a worthy one. And here it may be pertinent also for us to speak of the golden opportunities which this beautiful state has held forth to those willing to accept of her gifts and cultivate their growth.

John H. Burns, one of the prominent citizens of Carroll township, with large holdings also in Summit township, is the typical, self-reliant, aggressive man of affairs of our western civilization. His father, Thomas Burns, was one of the high-class immigrants which America has been glad to welcome to her shores; the class which has assisted so largely in the development and upbuilding, not only of our beautiful state, but also of the country at large. He was born in Cavanaugh, Ireland, in 1834, on the 22d day of December, but came to this country with his parents in 1841. While still a child, he labored in a cloth factory in the state of Massachusetts, remaining there until he was fourteen years of age, when he was taken to Dane county, Wisconsin. In that place he learned the glories of the out-of-door life of a farmer, and this life appealed to him so strongly that the rest of his days were spent far away from the noise of cities, in the free, wholesome atmosphere of the open country. When he reached the age of maturity, in the year 1855, he met and married Bridget Cowan, of Dale county, Wisconsin, and from that time forth he was assisted in all his ventures by man's most faithful friend and ally, a devoted wife.

Picture of JOHN H. BURNS

O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 939

In 1863 Mr. Burns took his little family to the state of Minnesota, where he spent ten years in profitable farming. In 1873, hearing of the wonderful opportunities offered the homesteader in Iowa, they undertook the journey, and there purchased one hundred sixty acres of land in the prairie country at the low price of one dollar and seventy-five cents per acre, and later he added another tract of the same size to his holdings, this time paying two dollars and a half per acre.

Life for the pioneer on the broad prairie, in those days, was far removed from the luxurious existence now enjoyed by the modern farmer. The barest necessities were difficult to obtain, and endless toil was necessary in order to erect a comfortable habitation and bring forth a harvest for the sustenance of the family. But they were brave and willing, and as the years passed the fruits of their toil became apparent. Fertile fields supplanted the broad stretches of prairie; an orchard was planted, and requisite buildings dotted the landscape; and finally comforts and luxuries were added to the bare necessities which formerly were their portion.

And in the meantime, eleven children were born to them, as follows: Charles, who is now a retired farmer at Sanborn, Iowa; Marguatte, now Mrs. Madson, who also lives at Sanborn; William and Thomas, both of whom are prosperous farmers of Floyd township, O'Brien county; Mollie, now Mrs. Fitzgerald, who resides in North Dakota; James, a resident of Sheldon; Nellie (Donohue), who lives in Sheldon, Iowa; Kate (Kennedy), whom death called from her home in Sheldon, Iowa; Jennie (Maroney), a resident of Worthington, Minnesota; Edward, who still resides on the old homestead in Franklin township, and John H., the immediate subject of this review.

This latter gentleman assisted his father in the labors of the farm until he attained the age of twenty-two years, when he left the old homestead and came to the then new country in O'Brien county in 1873. Here he worked for others for a time, and finally rented a place for himself, spending the year 1875, however, with his father on the home place. He finally succeeded in purchasing a tract of eighty acres of land for himself at ten dollars per acre. Since that time he has gradually added to his holdings, at prices ranging up to one hundred seven dollars per acre, until now he is in possession of five hundred and seventy-five acres of O'Brien county land. On this ground he has placed many thousands of dollars worth of improvements, and a fine mixed orchard of two acres bountifully supplies the family with fruit. His land is well cultivated, and he is an extensive breeder of fine

940 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COINTIES, IOWA.

live stock, making a specialty of Percheron horses, Shorthorn cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs.

In 1886 Mr. Burns was united in marriage to Jane Kennedy, of Floyd township, O'Brien county, the daughter of Patrick Kennedy, also one of the early pioneers of the county and a native of Ireland. Early in life he came to this country and settled in Norwich, Connecticut. being employed on a line of steamships. In 1871 he journeyed westward and homesteaded a claim in Floyd township, O'Brien county, Iowa. Here he endured all the toil and privations of the early settler, but his courage was undaunted, and with the fine wit and humor characteristic of his race he laughed at obstacles and found joy in making the face of Mother Nature smile with him and produce of her alundance for the sustenance of himself and family. And now, in his later years, the joy of living is still bright within him, and he loves to remember the days when he joined the "grasshoppers" of the glorious West. Five children came to his home, but only two have been spared to solace his declining years. the rest having been called by an all-wise Father to their final home. The two yet surviving are a daughter, Jane (Mrs. J. H. Burns) and Bridget, now Mrs. Thomas Burns.

To Mr. and Mrs. P)urns have come seven children, all of whom still enjoy the protection of the parental roof and the comforts of their beautiful home. These children are: Thomas; Frank, who spent a year in St. Joe College, at Dubuque; Edward, Bert, Kate, Mary and John.

Mr. and Mrs. Burns and their family are members of the Catholic church and are active in its councils. He is also a member of the order of Knights of Columbus and the Modern Woodmen of America at Sheldon. Politically, he is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, which ticket he has consistentenly voted from his youth.

The progress which has been made by Mr. and Mrs. Burns, as well as the improvement in the country which surrounds his beautiful home, can be appreciated by mentioning the fact that in 1876 Mrs. Burns drove to the new town of Primghar in a lumber wagon, using a board as a seat. Exactly thirty-seven years later, to the day, she made the same trip in an elegant new touring car, a striking example of the transsition(sic) from the old era to the new.

Mr. and Mrs. Burns hold an enviable position in the life of the community, and are well known for their hospitality and genial ways. Again we say he is the exemplification of what can be accomplished in life by an earnest, intelligent worker, and his example should encourage the youth of the community to greater efforts for their advancement in life. The Burns estate comprises over two thousand six hundred acres in O'Brien county.

O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 941

DAVID BYERS.

The man who causes two blades of grass to grow where one formerly grew is conferring as distinct a benefit upon civilization as the man who invents a patent washing machine or wins a suit in court. It cannot be said that one occupation is more important than another, and yet it is conceded that the occupation of the farmer is the most independent and at the same time the basic occupation of mankind. Cain and Abel were farmers; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were farmers and stock raisers, Cincinnatus, the old Roman hero, dropped his plow handles in the furrow when his country called him. From ancient times down to the present most of our greatest readers have come from the soil and have been instrumental in making two blades of grass grow where formerly grew but one.

David Byers, a farmer and stockman of this county, was born in 1876, in Livingston county, Illinois, the son of John and Susan (Wilson) Byers. John Byers was born in 1848 in Ireland and when a young man came to this country and first settled in Illinois, where he followed the occupation of a farmer, and some time after settling in Illinois he purchased a farm of his own, on which he lived until 1892, when he went to O'Brien county. Iowa, and bought six hundred and forty acres of land, on which he lived until he retired from active labor, in 1904. He improved his farm until it was one of the most productive and valuable farms in the county. He was married in 1876 to Susan Wilson, and to this marriage were born nine children: Robert, a farmer of Osceola county. Iowa; David, with whom this narratve deals; Mrs. Mary Page, who lives in Delta, Colorado; William, a farmer of Osceola county; Mrs. Ella R. Page, who lives in North Dakota; Mrs. Belle Sauer, who is a resident of Osceola county; James, a farmer of Osceola county; Mrs. Martha Hoppie, who lives in Minnesota, and Susan, who is living with her father in Hartley.

David Byers remained with his father upon the farm until twenty-eight years of age and assisted him in the management of his large landed estate. Upon the retirement of the elder Mr. Byers to Hartley, in 1904, David Byers purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in O'Brien county, which he has improved at a cost of thirty-five hundred dollars. He has set out three acres of orchard and forest trees and improved the farm in various ways. He is a heavy feeder and breeder of live stock, making a specialty of the raising of Poland China hogs and Percheron horses.

Mr. Byers was married in 1905 to Minnie Sauer, the daughter of Mr. and

942 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES. IOWA.

Mrs. William Sauer, of Des Moines, Iowa, and to this marriage have been born two children, Leola and Verna, who are both at home with their parents. Politically, Mr. Byers is identified with the Democratic party and, while taking an interest in its various activities, yet he has never been an aspirant for any public office. He is a regular attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church and tries to live a life consistent with the teachings of that denomination. He is a man who has worked for what he owns and because he is a fine type of the self-made man, he is truly a representative citizen of his community and county and well worthy of mention in a work of the character of the one in hand.

HENRY J. KILLMER.

Among the German settlers, farmers and public-spirited citizens of Omega township, O'Brien county, Iowa, is Henry J. Killmer, who is a typical example of the hundreds of the native citizens who have come to this county from across the ocean and become prosperous and substantial citizens. He was born in 1860 in Germany and is the son of George and Christina (Roesing) Killmer. George Killmer was born in 1822 and has been a stone mason all his life. He was married in 1850 to Christina Roesing, and to this union have been born six children: Carl; Mrs. Gertrude Dies, deceased; Mrs. Minnie Backer; Mrs. Anna Liese; George, and Henry J., with whom this narrative deals. All of the living children except Henry are now in their native land. The father and mother never came to this country, but are still living in the land of their birth.

Henry J. Killmer was educated in his native land and when twenty- two years of age he decided to come to America and seek his fortune. Immediately after coming to this country he located in Benton county, Iowa, and farmed for two years. In 1885 he came to O'Brien county, Iowa, and rented land. In 1911 he purchased one hundred and twenty acres in Omega township, where he is now living. In addition to his farm in Omega township he owns six lots in Moneta and is also a shareholder in the Farmers Elevator and Moneta Savings Bank. He is a large breeder and raiser of live stock and makes a specialty of Shorthorn cattle, Duroc Jersey hogs and Norman horses. Since coming into possession of his present farm he has made two thousand dollars worth of improvements on the farm. Mr. Killmer is a progressive farmer and takes advantage of all the latest improvements in farming machinery and agricultural methods.

O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 943

Mr. Killmer was married August 13, 1888, to Bertha Hirch, and to this union have been born four children, Carl, Emma, Albert and George, all of whom are still living with their parents. Politically, Mr. Killmer is a Democrat and takes an interest in public affairs. He has been especially interested in the educational affairs of his township and has been for some years a school director in Omega township. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Yeomen, while in his religious belief he and the other members of his family are strong adherents of the German Lutheran church. He is a great believer in the work of the churches and has always donated to the churches of Hartley and Moneta. Mr. Killmer has been a hard working man since coming to this country, and has seen many hardships. During the winter of 1893 he hauled hay at a time when it was so cold that the air was so full of snow that he could not see his horses before him. However, he has persevered and now has the satisfaction of being able to look back over a life which has been well spent in every way. His clean and wholesome way of living and the frank and open manner in which he treats his fellow men has won him the unqualified esteem of all of those with whom he has been associated.

DENISON C. PUTNAM.

A retired farmer of Hartley, O'Brien county, Iowa, who, as a farmer in this county, laid by a sufficient quantity of this world's goods in order to spend his declining days in comfort, is Denison C. Putnam, who was born in 1847 in Phoenix, Oswego county, New York, the son of William and Mary (Crary) Putnam. William Putnam was born in Connecticut in 1812, and was a merchant in Phoenix, New York, for a number of years, operating the mercantile business in that place until 1864, when he came to Hardin county, Iowa, and engaged in the mercantile business there for a number of years. At that time all provisions had to be freighted overland from Marshalltown, Iowa, a distance of twenty-seven miles. He finally disposed of his mercantile interests in Hardin county and engaged in the hotel business at Rockwell, Iowa, where he remained until his death, which occurred on January 8, 1876. William Putnam was twice married, his first marriage occurring in 1839 to Mary Crary, and to this union six children were born: Frances, the wife of O. A. Sutton, of South Dakota; Mrs. Eliza Names, deceased; two who died in infancy; Denison C, whose

944 O BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

history is here presented, and Lewis, deceased. The second marriage of Wilham Putnam occurred on February 28, 1853, to Martha L. Reynolds, and to this second union were born four children: Thomas, of North Dakota; Mary, the wife of Doctor Miller of Brookings, South Dakota; Frank, who was killed in 1881 while helping to clear the snow blockade; Fred R., a banker of Morris, Minnesota.

Denison C. Putnam was a son of his father's first marriage and was only six years of age at the time of his father's second marriage. He remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-one years of age, during which time he received a good, common school education and learned the rudiments of agricultural life. Shortly after reaching his majority he married and then rented land in Hardin county, Iowa, and began to follow the occupation of a farmer on his own account. He continued to farm in Hardin county until 1883, when he came to O'Brien county and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of unimproved land for six dollars and a quarter an acre. He improved and cultivated this land and lived on it many years. He always raised a great deal of live stock and was especially interested in the breeding and raising of Percheron horses, and at one time he was the winner of the second prize at the Sutherland fair. Several years ago Mr. Putnam sold his farm and invested his money in one hundred and twenty acres of land in Brookings county, South Dakota. In 1909 he came to Hartley, Iowa, built a livery barn and engaged in the livery business, and here conducted a prosperous livery business until 1908, when he permanently retired from active work. He has a home in Hartley, where he is now living.

Mr. Putnam was married in 1869 to Josephine Walker, who was born in 1847, in Pennsylvania, and to this marriage have been born nine children : William, deceased; Lewis, who is a farmer of this county; George, deceased; Mrs. Martha Harness, who lives in Minnesota; Edson, who is a carpenter in Hartley, Iowa; Mrs. Addie McDonald, also of Hartley; Thomas, deceased; Frank, who is a dealer in horses, of Hartley, and Glenn, deceased.

The Republican party has received the support of Mr. Putnam for many years and he has been honored by his party on several occasions by being elected to public office. For nine years he served as a constable in his township and at different periods in the history of his township he has been school director and road overseer. Religiously, he and his family are members of the Church of God, of Omega township, this county, and give their earnest and hearty support to this denomination. Fraternally, he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Hartley.

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He is always in sympathy with any movement looking toward the betterment and advancement of his community and has always been regarded as a man of sterling honesty and worthy of the utmost confidence and respect.

CHARLIE CLARKSEAN.

Among the enterprising citizens of O'Brien county who owe their success and advancement in life to their own industry and well directed efforts is Charlie Clarksean. He hails from New York state, but has spent the greater part of his active and successful life in Iowa, where, by his individual and unaided efforts, he has made a success of his chosen calling and has won the respect of all with whom he has had dealings in either a business or a social way.

Mr. Clarksean was born in New York state in 1858 and is the son of Fred and Sophia (Bowman) Clarksean, both of whom were born in Germany, the father in 1827. His father was for many years a shepherd in the land of his nativity, but located in New York in 1857, where he worked in the lumber camps for several years. Later he removed to Wisconsin and engaged in farming, in which he spent the remainder of his active life. He retired a few years ago and now makes his home with his son, August, in Wisconsin.

The subject left the parental roof in 1873, when but fifteen years of age, and worked out as a farm hand for several years. In 1884 he and his brother, Fred, bought one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land. Together they began the arduous task of improving and stocking their new possession, planting trees, a grove and generally creating a home-like atmosphere about the place. The original farm has been increased until he now owns a farm of three hundred and twenty acres of land, and there are many improvements on it amounting to a value of seven thousand dollars. Like many other progressive farmers in his neighborhood, he has no place on his farm for scrub stock, but gives his attention to the breeding and raising of grades and pure bloods. He also has stock in the Moneta Elevator, a company whose stock is largely subscribed to by the farmers of that vicinity.

In 1886 Mr. Clarksean was united in marriage to Mary Rietzow. This union has been strengthened bv the birth of four children, of whom two.

946 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

Walter and Bernhart, are engaged in agricultural pursuits in O'Brien county; the other two, Ray and Esther, are at home with their parents.

Mr. Clarksean has three brothers and two sisters: Fred, with whom the subject first began farming, lives in Montana; William and Elmer, in South Dakota, and August, in Wisconsin; Anna (Heiter) lives in Wisconsin, and Mary (Sauter) lives in Chicago, Illinois.

Mr. Clarksean is a Republican in politics, but he has never aspired to office, preferring the quietness of his farm home to the glamour of political activity. He is a modest, unassuming gentleman, respected by all who know him, and that includes almost every one in Omega township.

Since 1884 Mr. Clarksean has been on the farm which continues to be his home. He has made nearly all of the improvements on the farm, and he carries on a general farming business, having devoted his life to this line of usefulness. His farm home is one of the modern residences for which this part of the state is notable.

NICHOLAS BOOR.

In this memoir of the life of the late Nicholas Boor, who is now numbered with the honored dead, those who knew him best cannot help but recall his numerous kindly acts, his charitable and public-spirited deeds. Coming to Osceola county in its early history, he became one of the worthy and honored men of the county and filled a large place in the life of the community in which he lived for so many years. For this reason it seems eminently fitting that this tribute be here recorded that coming generations may know the worth of such a man.

Nicholas Boor was born in August, 1845, in Prussia and died in Ashton, Osceola county, Iowa, February 5, 1897. He came to this country with his parents when he was twelve years of age and settled in Kenosha county, Wisconsin. In 1871 he, together with two of his friends, John Streit and William Schultz, came to Osceola county, Iowa, and homesteaded in section 4, Gilman township. After building a small house on this tract, Mr. Boor returned to Wisconsin, where he wwas married to Eva Streit, and in the spring of 1873 he came with his young wife to Osceola county, where they lived until his death. He resided on the farm which he homesteaded until 1881, when the family moved to Ashton, where Mr. Boor engaged in the lumber and grain business until his death. He was highly successful as a business

Picture of NICHOLAS BOOR

O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 947

man and was widely respected by everyone who had any dealings with him. He took an active interest in public affairs and served nine years as supervisor of Osceola county. He always took an active part in the Republican party, and was considered one of its leaders in the county. He was a firm believer in the possibilities of land in Osceola county and invested heavily during his business career in Ashton. At the time of his death he was the owner of twelve hundred acres of land in the county. His widow still owns four farms, aggregating seven hundred acres, besides the finest modern home in Ashton.

Nicholas Boor was married in 1872 to Eva Streit, who was born in Prussia on June 13, 1853. Her parents, Michael and Helena (Strout) Streit, left their native land and settled in Kenosha county, Wisconsin, in 1857. They came to Osceola county, Iowa, in the fall of 1873, the same year in which the Boor family permanently settled in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Boor were the parents of ten children: Reinold J.. Mathias J., Katherine E., Helena M., John L. (deceased February 14, 1907), Charles S., Frederick T., Anna V., Anthony L. and Francis M. Reinold H. is married and has five children. Martin. Hilda, Vincent, Marie and Bertha, and resides at Ashton, this county; Mathias J. also lives in Ashton, and he and his wife had two sons, Donald and Mark, the mother dying September 2, 1903; Katherine E. married a Mr. Hubbard, of Rock Rapids, Iowa, and has five children, Eva, Helen, Marcella, Jack and Alice; Helena M. married Mr. Osweiler, of Lewistown, Montana, and has two children living, Paul and Helen; Charles S. Boor is living in Lewistown, Montana, while the other children are still living with their mother in Ashton.

WILLIAM BYRON ELLIOTT.

The history of the Hawkeye state is not an ancient one, in fact, there are many settlers living in Iowa today who are older than their state. William B. Elliott, whose history forms the theme of this narrative, was only one year of age when Iowa was admitted to the Union, in 1846. The history of Iowa from December 28, 1846, when it was admitted to the Union, down to the present time, is a record of steady growth of the community, planted upon the wide, treeless and trackless plains of the prairie beyond the Mississippi. From the twenty-seven counties which were in existence in

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1846, it has grown to ninety-nine counties, with a population that has increased about as rapidly as any state in the Union. This history of this state is but a record of the things which have been done by its people. Every nation of Europe has contributed of its best citizens that Iowa might attain its present position of honor among its sister states. From Norway and Sweden on the north, to Italy and Greece on the south, from Ireland on the west, to Russia on the east, have come men who have labored for the common good of their state. The little island of Ireland has contributed some of the sturdiest citizens to this state and among them William Byron Elliott is an honorable descendant.

William B. Elliott, a retired farmer and stockman of Hartley, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born in Canada in 1847. He is the son of Jeremiah and Rebecca (Bothwell) Elliott. His father was born in Ireland in 1816, where he lived the life of the simple farmer until his death. He and his good wife reared a large family of children to lives of usefulness: John, a farmer of Saskatchewan, Canada; Alexander, deceased; Samuel, a railroad employee of British Columbia, Canada; Jane, of Saskatchewan, Canada; Jeremiah and Ralph, deceased and buried in Canada; Mrs. Elizabeth Waters, of Waterloo, Iowa; Richard, who is farming the old home place in Canada; Mrs. Mildred McLarion, of British Columbia, Canada; Trotter, deceased and buried in Mexico, and William B., with whom this narrative deals.

William B. Elliott received his education in the schools of Canada and worked with his father on the farm until he was eighteen years of age, then left home and started to seek his fortune in the western states of this county. He roamed around in different parts uf the Mississippi valley and finally settled in Grundy county, Iowa, in 1867. Here he secured employment as a farm hand and worked for the next nine years. He then purchased eighty acres of land with his savings and lived on it until 1892, then sold it at a good profit, putting all of his possessions in a covered wagon and drove across the country to O'Brien coimty. Here he purchased two hundred and forty acres of prairie land in Lincoln township, and began to make extensive improvements on the farm in order to make it yield better returns. He has been an extensive raiser and breeder of high class stock, including Shorthorn cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs. A few years ago he retired from active farm life and moved to Hartley, where he now owns four acres of land and a residence in the western part of the town. He confines his activities in town to the breeding of White Wandotte chickens.

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Mr. Elliott was married in 1887, in Hampton, Iowa, to Margaret Dorcas Hyndman, a native of Canada, and to this marriage have been born five children: Bryant, deceased; Mrs. Anna Smith, of Hartley, Iowa; Mrs. Edna Huston, whose husband is a farmer of O'Brien county; George, a farmer of South Dakota, and Jermina, of South Dakota.

Since reaching his majority, Mr. Elliott has been casting his vote for the candidates of the Republican party and in the affairs of his party he has taken an active interest. He has been honored by his party by being elected township trustee as well as being made a member of the school board of Lincoln township. He and his family are earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which they contribute generously of their means. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and takes an. active interest in the affairs of that fraternal organization.

GEORGE E. RECTOR.

The history of O'Brien county is a history of the men who have made it what it is today. There are leaders in every conimunity who force to the front in their respective professions and set the pace for the quiet plodders who have not the native ability or the energy themselves. It has been estimated that in a town of two thousand there are at least two hundred different occupations represented. It is impossible to say which one is the most important, since everyone contributes its share to the success of the community. Among the men of Hartley who have contributed in their way to the success of this communitv there is no one who is more deserving of mention than George E. Rector, a cement contractor. He is interested in the construction of anything which is made out of cement.

George E. Rector was born in 1853 in Delaware county, Iowa, and is the son of Andrew Jackson and Elizabeth (Walsmith) Rector. Andrew J. Rector was born November 26, 1823, in Rowan county, North Carolina, and when a young man settled in the southern part of Indiana. A few years later he went to South Bend, Indiana, where he farmed and worked by the day. In 1849 he came to Delaware county, Iowa, and was one of the earliest pioneers to settle here. He pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres of government land and in the course of time became a prosperous farmer and stock raiser. He took an active interest in all public affairs and was a man of considerable influence throughout the county. He died Janu-

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ary 7, 1904. He was married December 22, 1846, to Elizabeth Walsmith and to this union were born six children: John, deceased; Mrs. Delia Sargent, of Independence, Iowa; Mrs. Sarah Warnick, of Wayne, Nebraska; Martha Trewin, deceased; Mary, deceased, and George E., whose history is here briefly delineated.

George E. Rector remained with his parents until twenty-three years of age, was given an excellent education in the common schools of Iowa and later attended the college at Hopkinton, Iowa. In 1876 he went to Sac county, Iowa, and farmed during the summer and taught school during the winter. His excellent education made him a good teacher, and he taught school for five years in Delaware and Sac counties with marked success. During the year 1877 he, with a party of three others, including J. E. Wheelock, the present postmaster of Hartley, Iowa, started with a mule team from Delaware county, Iowa, for the Black Hills of South Dakota. They went to prospect and carried a large amount of provisions. Only one could ride at a time, so they took turns at riding. From South Dakota the party went on west to Montana. However, the prospecting trip did not produce any returns from the investment. Mr. Rector returned to Sac county, sold his farm and for a time engaged in the cattle business. He bought one hundred and sixty acres in Sac county, again, and lived on it for five years. He then moved to South Dakota, where he purchased three hundred and twenty acres and farmed it for eight years. He had the im fortunate experience of living through the terrible blizzard of 1887. In 1895 he came to Hartley, O'Brien county, and engaged in the produce business, buying butter and eggs. Later he traded his South Dakota land for a shoe store in Hartley and for three years managed the shoe store, but still continued the produce business. He then traded his building and business for one hundred and sixtyacres of land in Osceola county, Iowa, and within a short time he traded his farm in Osceola for a business building in Hartley, the present site of the Earl Miller Drug Company. A few years ago he sold that building and is now a cement contractor, doing a large amount of work in Hartley and the surrounding country. He owns his home in Hartley and is one of the most influential men of the town.

Mr. Rector was married in 1882 in Delaware county, Iowa, to Eleanor Helbron and to this marriage have been born two children: Mark, who died at the age of seventeen, and Mrs. Neva Knaack, of Rock county, Minnesota. Politically, Mr. Rector is a Republican and as a member of his party has been elected to the county council of his county. Mr. Rector has

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been a busy man all of his life and has been engaged in many different enterprises, being a man of sterling honesty and uprightness of character. He is a man of pleasing personality and has a host of friends throughout the county.

LORENZ SCHUBERT.

From the land of the Kaiser some hundreds of O'Brien county's best citizens have come and the prosperity of this county is due in a large measure to these enterprising sons of Germany. The success which has attended their efforts in this county has been the result of their early training in their mother country, together with the natural fertility of the soil of this county and the many opportunities for investment. In this country every man may aspire to the head of his country; no matter what his birth or how poor the advantages in his youth, there is a chance for any man who is willing to work. Lorenz Schubert had little idea when he came here, at the age of twenty-one, that in the course of time he would be holding one of the responsible official positions of his community, but such has been his life in this county that he is today the efficient trustee of his township.

Lorenz Schubert was born in Germany in 1864, the son of Lorenz and Mary (Ablass) Schubert. His father was born in 1829 and died in 1865, at the age of thirty-six. He was a prosperous farmer in his home country and one of his sons is still living on the old home farm in Germany. To Mr. and Mrs. Schubert were born six children, all of whom were born in Germany: Jacob, who is farming the old home farm in the fatherland; Christopher, a farmer of Lyons county, Iowa; Mrs. Catherine Scherner, who lives in Ida county, this state; Hans, also of Ida county; Marie and Lorenz. Jr., whose life history forms the theme of this narrative.

Lorenz Schubert was educated in his native land and remained with his parents until he was eighteen years of age, then, as was the custom of his country, he served three years with the German army, and upon the expiration of his enlistment he decided to come to America to seek his fortune. He crossed the ocean in 1885 and immediately came to Ida county, Iowa, where he secured employment as a farm hand for four years. He then married and rented two hundred and forty acres of land in Ida county and lived on this tract until 1907. With the intention of purchasing a farm of his own, he and his wife saved their money and bought one hun-

952 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

dred and sixty acres of land in Omega township, O'Brien county. Two years later they sold this farm, at a profit, and purchased three hundred and twenty acres in Omega township, in sections 12 and 13. This is one of the best and most valuable farms in the township and has a large eighty acre grove of fruit and forest trees upon it. He raises a large amount of stock in addition to the grains of this locality and is counted among the most progressive and substantial farmers of his township. He owns a share in the Co-operative Elevator in Moneta, Iowa, an enterprise which has been of great benefit to the farmers of that locality.

Mr. Schubert was married in 1889 to Anna Rice, and to this union have been born six children: Otto, of Minnesota; William; Albert; John; Mrs. Emma Gotch, who lives in this county, and Lillie. Albert, John and Lillie are still with their parents on the old home farm.

Politically, Mr. Schubert has identified himself with the Democratic party and, for a naturalized citizen, has taken a deep interest in political affairs. His worth as a citizen is shown by the fact that his party nominated him for the office of township trustee, and his subsequent election to this office allows that he is highly regarded by the citizens of his township. He is now filling this important office to the entire satisfaction of all the citizens of the township, irrespective of their politics. He and his family are earnest and devoted members of the German Lutheran church and are interested in its various activities. Mr. Schubert is one of the leading citizens of his township and enjoys, in a marked degree, the confidence and esteem of his neighbors and friends throughout the community. His career, since coming to this country, has been eminently honorable, and those who know him speak in high terms of his many sterling qualities and characteristics.

ANDREW HOEVEN.

The prosperity and substantial welfare of a community are in a large measure due to the enterprise and wise foresight of its business men. It is the progressive, wide-awake men of affairs that make the real history of a community, and their influence in shaping and directing its varied interests is difficult to estimate. The well-known gentleman of whom the biographer writes in this connection is ranked among the leading business men of O'Brien county, and it is to such enterprising spirits as he that the locality is indebted for its recent substantial growth and for the high position it occupies as a center of industrial activity and progress.

O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTEES. IOWA. 953

Andrew Hoeven was born in Marion county, Iowa, in 1870, the son of Everett and Ella (Mulder) Hoeven. Everett Hoeven was born in 1832 in Holland and was reared and educated in his native land. His wife also is a native of the Netherlands and before coming to this country they had reared a large family of children. They came to American shores in 1868 and immediately settled in Marion county, Iowa, and three years later they came to Sioux county, where Everett Hoeven now owns eight hundred acres of land. Some years ago he retired from the active labor of his farm and moved to Alton, Iowa, where he is now living.

Everett Hoeven and wife are the parents of fourteen children: Benjamin, an implement dealer of Lyon county, Iowa; John, deceased and buried at Newkirk, Iowa; Mrs. Gertride Oolbekkink, deceased; Gerat, of Olin, Iowa, where he conducts an implement store; Mrs. Hattie DeBruin, of Hospers, Iowa; Joseph, a real estate man at Hull, Iowa; Henry, deceased and buried at Newkirk, Iowa; Mrs. Mary Dejong, of Hospers, Iowa; Mrs. Ella Idma, who is living on the old homestead farm; Mrs. Maggie Braskamp, of Alton, Iowa; Jacob, of Sioux City, this state, who is a proprietor of an automobile garage; Isaac, who is lving with his parents; Abraham, living at Alton, Iowa, and Andrew, with whom this narrative deals.

Andrew Hoeven was two years old when the family moved to Sioux county, where he received all of his education. He remained with his parents until he was twenty years of age and then rented land in Sioux county for a short time. He then sold out his interests in his farm and engaged in the general mercantile business at Hospers, Iowa, but after a few years he disposed of his store at this place and went to Sioux Center, where he engaged in the implement business for six years, after which he sold his store and moved to Orange City, where he managed an implement store for nine years. While living in Sioux county he was deputy sheriff for four years. In 1911 he came to Sanborn and established a hardware store, putting in a new stock of goods. He now carries four thousand dollars worth of standard hardware goods, such as are carried in hardware stores of this size, and he has a goodly share of the patronage of Sanborn and vicinity.

Mr. Hoeven was married in 1895 to Dora Kits, and to this union have been born seven children: Everett, who is now attending the National Business College at Sioux City, Iowa; William, John, Allison, Katherine, Ella May, Dorothy. The six younger children are still with their parents. Politically, Mr. Hoeven votes the Democratic ticket and has always

954 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

been a factor in his party wherever he has lived. He and his family are earnest members of the Holland First Reformed church and contribute generously of their means to its support. Mr. Hoeven is an excellent example of the sturdy business man, and has taken an active interest in every movement which he thinks would be of benefit to his community. He is a man of genial manner and easily wins friends and since living in Sanborn has gained the respect and esteem of all of those with whom he has been associated.

JOHN FRANKLIN GLOVER.

Osceola county is proud to honor John Franklin Glover as one of her citizens. During the course of a long and busy career he has filled many important positions. He has been a soldier in the Civil War, a clerk of the district court, a member of the state Legislature, the mayor of the city, newspaper editor, a lawyer, a public speaker, a gardener and a minister of the Gospel. He was born September 16, 1845, in Hartleton, Union county, Pennsylvania, the son of William and Eliza (Fisher) Glover. In 1846 his parents moved to Stephenson county, Illinois, where they lived until their deaths. The subject, when a day old, moved to Monroe, Wisconsin, and was living there when the Civil War broke out. In 1864 Mr. Glover enlisted in Company D, Thirty-eighth Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and was later transferred to Company F in the same regiment. During the course of his service he was promoted and made first sergeant and subsequently commissioned as second lieutenant and was mustered out as sergeant. He served under General Grant in the campaigns in Virginia.

Mr. Glover had not completed his education when he enlisted in the cause of the Union. He had had some schooling in Freeport, Illinois, and Monroe, Wisconsin, but after the war was over he entered Wisconsin University and graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1871 and Master of Arts in 1874. The same year he came to Osceola county and shortly afterwards was elected clerk of the court of this county. In the meantime he was studying law and in 1878 he was admitted to the practice of all the courts of this state. Rapidly forging to the front as a lawyer and being a man of ability as a public speaker, it is not surprising that he was elected a member of the Legislature of the state. For a number of years he was editor of an Iowa weekly newspaper and while in charge of this paper he made it a source of power for the Republican party in that community. After moving to Sibley

Picture of JOHN F. GLOVER

O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES. IOWA. 955

he was elected mayor and served in that important office for three years. He has also served as justice of the peace in this county, as well as county attorney.

Mr. Glover was married to Mary Frances Upton, who died Mav 23, 1886, leaving one son, Lyn Fisher Glover, who is now living in Sibley. Mr. Glover has always been a stanch supporter of the Republican party and has been one of the leaders in Republican politics in Iowa for many years. He is frequently called into campaigns and has given political and patriotic speeches throughout this section of the state. He is a man of eloquence and has a flow of language which charms his hearers. In 1908 he was ordained to the ministry of the Congregational church, and since that time has served as a supply minister in Iowa, Missouri and Minnesota. He is now living in Sibley, where he is engaged as an attorney and public speaker. For many years he was pension attorney, and because of the fact that he served in the war his services were in great demand by the old soldiers who were seeking pensions. He is a man of strong and upright character and an honorable and useful citizen, and a man who has been a power for good in this county. He is also a man of lofty attainment and ripe judgment and has been eminently successful as a lawyer. He is probably wider known over the state of Iowa than any other of the citizens of this county and it may be assumed that he has always so conducted himself as to reflect honor upon his county.

JOHN STEINBECK.

It is the purpose of this volume to preserve as far as possible an authentic record of the lives and deeds of those who have assisted in the upbuilding of the various interests of O'Brien county, Iowa. The rank that a city or county holds is very largely dependent upon the achievements of its citizens. The history of Iowa dates back many years, the first act of Congress concerning this territory being passed June 28, 1834. At that time the territory of Iowa was made a part of Michigan territory and four years later it was organized as a separate territory. It was admitted as an independent state on December 28, 1846, wdth twenty-seven counties and a population of one hundred thousand, and the state has grown until today it has ninety-nine counties and a population of over two and a quarter million. O'Brien county dates its organization from February 6, 1860, and at its first election, held in November of that year, there were only nineteen votes

956 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES. IOWA.

cast in the whole county, and from that time until the present the county has made as rapid progress in population and material prosperity as has any county in the state. The younger generation will never know the trials and discourgaments which faced their fathers and grandfathers in this county. Never again will this county have to go through with the terrible "grasshopper wars" which ate this county out of house and home in the latter part of the seventies. Among the younger generation of farmers who are to bear the burdens of agricultural life in the years to come is John Steinbeck, who is a native of this county.

John Steinbeck, the son of William and Anna (Merkord) Steinbeck, was born on April 20, 1891, in O'Brien county. Iowa. His father was born in Germany in 1853 and his grandfather, Henry Steinbeck, was born in the same country in 1816.

Henry Steinbeck married Mary Marie Isrell, and to this marriage were born five children: Frederick, deceased; Henry, deceased; Dick, who is a resident of Sutherland, this county; Mrs. Sophia Lang, who lives in New York state, and William, the father of the subject of this review. William Steinbeck received his early training in his native land and when thirty years of age came to this country and settled in Wisconsin. He came here on a prospecting trip in order to satisfy himself that this country was the land of opportunities, which had been pictured to him. He was satisfied that he could find a better opportunity for advancement in this country than in his native land, and accordingly he went back in 1886 and married Anna Merkord, immediately returned to the United States and settled in O'Brien county, Iowa, where he worked for two years as a laborer, after which he rented one hundred and sixty acres of land, and by thrift and frugality saved enough money so that he was able to purchase one hundred and sixty acres of land in 1897. He has been a prosperous and successful farmer in Hartley township, and is classed among the most successful agriculturists and stock raisers of the township. Mr. and Mrs. William Steinbeck were the parents of four children, Alfred, Mary, Laura and John, all of whom are still living with their parents.

John Steinbeck was given a good common school education and after leaving school continued to assist his father upon the home farm. He and his father are Democrats in their political affiliations, but have never taken an active part in public politics. All of the family are loyal, and earnest members of the German Lutheran church and subscribe liberally to its support at all times.

O'BRIEN and OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 957

JOHN H. FOGLE.

One of the retired farmers and stockmen of Hartley, O'Brien county, Iowa, is John H. Fogle. who, after a strenuous life on the farm, is now quietly living a life of ease and retirement in the city of Hartley. Born of German parentage, he has inherited those characteristics which have made the German people prosperous citizens in whatever occupation thy (sic) chose to enter.

John Fogle was horn in Henry county, Iowa, in 1867, and is the son of John and Katherine (Swalp) Fogle, both of whom were natives of Germany. John Fogle, Sr., was born in 1821 and, after receiving a common school education in his native land, began to learn the carpenter's trade. His wife was bornn in 1826 and they were married in 1845 in the land of their birth. Four years after their marriage they decided to come to America with the hopes of giving their children better oppurtunities. They first settled in Canada, remaining there until 1851 on a farm. From there they came to Henry county, Iowa, and purchased eighty acres of timber land, which they cleared and improved. Here they lived until the death of John Fogle, Sr., in 1896. John Fogle, Sr., and wife were the parents of nine children: Mrs. Mary Everts, of the state of Oregon; Mrs. Diana Franklin, who is a resident of California; Mrs. Katherine Hopfe, who lives in Minnesota; Mrs. Lizzie Foster, deceased; Frank, a farmer of Minnesota; Mrs. Ella Fyler, also a resident of California; two who died in infancy and John H. Jr., with whom this narrative deals.

John H. Fogle remained with his parents until he was twenty-eight years of age and received such education as was afforded by the country schools of his neighborhood, and after finishing his common school education he assisted his father in the work on the farm. In 1895 he came to O'Brien county, Iowa, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Center township for thirty-two dollars and a half an acre. Here he set out four acres in orchard and forest trees and otherwise improved the place so that at the end of seven years he was able to sell the tract at a handsome profit. He then bought two hundred and forty acres in Hartley township, and within a few years had put six thousand dollars worth of improvements upon this land. While living on the farm he made a specialty of raising cattle and sold from one to four car loads of cattle from his farm each year. Recently he sold his farm and has built a home in Hartley, where he expects to spend the remainder of his days. He still owns two hundred and

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forty acres of land in Minnesota, and has a share in the Farmers Elevator Company and the lumber company at Hartley.

Mr. Fogle was married in 1891 in Henry county, Iowa, to Katie Garick, who is a native of that county, born in 1865, and to this marriage three children have been born: Alma, a graduate of the Hartley high school, Ralph, deceased, and Walter, who is now attending the Hartley public schools. Mr. Fogle has been affiliated with the Republican party since reaching his majority, and although he is deeply interested in all public questions, he has never found time to take an active part in political affairs. He and his family are earnest and devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church and give to this denomination their undivided support at all times. Mr. Fogle stands for the highest and best standards of living and has given his support unreservedly to such movements as promise to advance the welfare of his fellow citizens in any way.

WILLIAM WAGNER.

William Wagner, a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Beitzel) Wagner, was born in 1891 in Wheatland, Clinton county, Iowa. His father was a native of Germany, in which country he was employed on a farm, later being apprenticed to a stone mason. In 1887 he was attracted to this country by reports of the opportunities which were to be found here. He first settled in St. Louis, Missouri, where he worked at his trade for five years. Leaving St. Louis, he went to Clinton county, Iowa, where he rented land for a short time, a little later buying one hundred and sixty acres of raw land. On this farm he made his home until a few years ago, when he moved to Wheatland and retired from active farming. He was married early in life to Elizabeth Beitzel and to them were born eight children: Henry, who died in Germany; Elizabeth (Schnider), of Clinton county, Iowa; Albert, a mail carrier of Wheatland, Iowa; Anna (Balhorn), of Wheatland, Iowa; Lena (Morgan), of Clinton county, Iowa; Louis, a laborer of Clinton county, Iowa; Otto, who is at home with his parents, and the subject.

William Wagner has begun an active life. After leaving college he went to Davenport, Iowa, where he secured employment as a salesman of mill work. The company by which he was employed soon recognized his ability and he was promoted to the position of estimator. Finding a good

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opening in the restaurant business at Wheatland, he returned to his native county and conducted a restaurant. After being here for some time he disposed of his interests and purchased the Bader & Byers restaurant in Hartley, Iowa. After a few years in this location he was able to purchase the Schlidt building, where he now owns his present cafe.

The subject of this review received a liberal education. After graduating from the Wheatland high school he entered the College of M. H. C. in Wisconsin.

Mr. Wagner was married in 1913 to Velma Horstman of Wheatland, Iowa. Since that time they have made their home in Hartley. He is an Independent Progressive in politics. He and his wife are members and regular attendants of the German Reformed church and contribute of their means to its support. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and the Yeoman Lodges.

MICHAEL DENNY.

Change is constant and general. Nations rise and pass away and it is the duty of posterity, as well as the present generation, to place upon the printed page a true record of the lives of those who have preceded us on the stage of action and left to their descendants the memory of their struggles and achievements. The succeeding generations of O'Brien county, Iowa, will be interested to read of the hundreds and even thousands of citizens of German extraction who have made this county their home. One hundred years from now this book will be invaluable in showing the early history of this county and the original homes of its first settlers. Not less than twenty-five countries of Europe have contributed of their best blood to this county, and there is hardly a state east of the Mississippi but what has sent some of her sturdiest sons as settlers to this county. However, this particular history deals with a son of Germany, who was one of the many who have come to this county and made a success.

Michael Denny, a farmer and stockman of Hartley, Iowa, was born in Germany in 1861, the son of George and Mary (Mahl) Denny. George Denny was born in Germany in 1810, and lived the life of a laborer there until his death. To George Denny and wife were born eight children, and whose life history is here presented is the only one of the family who left his native land and came to America. The other seven children are George, Jacob, Margaret, Anna, Katherine, John, deceased, and one who died in infancy.

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Early in life Michael Denny made his plans to come to this country, feeling that here was a good chance to get out of the rut into which he was afraid he would fall should he stay in his native land. Accordingly, when he reached the age of twenty years, he boldly crossed the Atlantic to seek his fortunes in a strange land. With little money, with no knowledge of the language, but with a brave heart, he landed on the docks at New York City. He had the good sense not to linger in the city, hut immediately went out into the farming regions of New York, where he obtained employment on a farm. Two years later he had saved up enough in order to travel and look for a better position. He finally settled in Stevenson county, Illinois, where he worked as a laborer and farm hand for six years. In 1891, when thirty years of age, he came to O'Brien county and purchased four hundred acres of land in Hartley township. It is superfluous to add that he made a success, for from the very beginning he was unusually prosperous. He is now the owner of four hundred acres of fine farming land, on which he has placed six thousand dollars' worth of improvements. He has the honor of putting up the first fence and placing the first cornerstone of Hartley township. While raising all of the crops common to this localitY, he has had his largest financial returns from the good grade of live stock which he has marketed each year.

Mr. Denny was married in LeMars, Plymouth county, Iowa, to Anna DeVries, the daughter of Reka and Aljette (Poppen) DeVries, and to this marriage have been born six children, George, Cora, August, Arthur, Margaret and Addie, all of whom are still with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Denny are justly proud of their children and are giving them the advantages of a good education.

Mr. Denny is a Republican in politics and for the past six years has been holding the office of school director in his township. He is deeply interested in educational affairs and everything which promises to better the educational system of his township has found in him a ready and enthusiastic supporter. He and all of his family are earnest and devoted members of the German Lutheran church and subscribe liberally to the support of that denomination. Mr. Denny is a man who deserves a great deal of credit for the success he has made of his career in this country. He is scrupulously honest in all of his dealings with the business world, generous and pleasant with his friends and advocates wholesome politics, clean living and honesty in business. It is needless to add that such a man who has lived such a life has a host of friends and acquaintances who admire him for what he has done for himself, as well as for the way in which he has helped his friends.

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ALEXANDER GRANT.

Under a popular government like that of the United States, where the democratic idea of equality is as fully developed as the present imperfect condition of mankind will permit, we expect as its legitimate result the triumph of individual worth and energy over all the competition that wealth and class may array against them. Here the avenues of wealth and distinction are fully opened to all, which fact enhances rather than detracts from the merits of those whose energy and integrity have triumphed over all obstacles intervening hetween an humble position and the attainment of these laudable ends. Obscurity and labor, at no time dishonorable, never assume more attractive features than when the former appears as the nurse of those virtues which the latter, by years of honest and persevering effort, transplants to a higher and richer soil; hence, the biography of those men of sterling worth, whose active enterprise has won for them distinction, pre-eminence and commanding influence in the society in which they move, must be replete with fact which should encourage and instruct the young.

Alexander Grant, a prosperous farmer of Omega township, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born in Henry county, Illinois, in 1862. His parents were Daniel and Ellen {Furguson) Grant. His father was born in 1831 in Scotland and when a young man left his native country and settled in Pennsylvania, where he followed the trade of a carpenter for several years, after which he went to Ohio, where he worked as a carpenter for a short time and then moved on west to Illinois, where he engaged in farming in Henry county until his death, which occurred in 1899. He married Ellen Ferguson in the state of Pennsylvania, and to this union were born three children. Mrs. Anna J. McMeekin, who lives in Illinois, John, deceased, and Alexander, with whom this brief biography deals.

Alexander Grant received a good common school education in the schools of Henry county, Illinois, and after finishing his school work contintied to assist his father upon the farm until he reached his majority. Shortly after his marriage he came to O'Brien county, Iowa, where he bought eighty acres of land in 1885. For the past thirty years he has bought and sold several different farms and at the present time has one hundred and sixty acres of well improved land in Omega township. Since acquiring this farm he has made eight thousand dollars' worth of improvements on it in the way of erecting buildings of various kinds, constructing fences and making extensive drainage. He raises a large amount of stock and is counted as one of

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the most progressive farmers of his township. In addition to his agricultural interests he is a stockholder in the Moneta Savings Bank and in the Farmers' Elevator Company, of Moneta.

Mr. Grant was married in 1883 to Hattie Corns, and to this union has been born one son, John, who is now assisting his father on the home farm. Politically, Mr. Grant is a Republican, but has never held any official position other than that of road superintendent of his home township. He and his family are regular attendants of the Methodist Episcopal church and take an active interest in the work of the church. Mr. Grant is a man who has attained success through his own efforts, having been practically dependent upon his own resources since reaching manhood, and because of his business success, integrity of character and genial disposition he has won and retains a host of warm personal friends throughout this section of the county.

ROBERT P. JONES.

Inherent honesty in the individual is certain of being demonstrated in behalf of his fellow men at some time during the course of his life if the right opportunity presents itself. When that honesty of purpose is tested to the extrem.e and the man himself is able to resist every blandishment and proffers of reward if he would but betray his fellows — then he is marked as a man among men and one of nature's noblest creations. Sad to relate, there are many persons in the world who hesitate when tempted, prevaricate, stitle their consciences, and fall before the tempter. However, the world and the people in it is growing better. Nowadays a higher standard of morality prevails than ever before in history. Men and women are both growing more tolerant of others' opinions — instead of an honest man being the exception, he is everywhere prevalent. There are many reasons for this great change. Wider publicity is being given to the doings of mankind and people have learned that it is better, far better in the end, to lead honest and upright lives. Were Diogenes on earth today, searching for his mythical honest man, he would not have far to seek — such a man is found in the person of Robert P. Jones, of Primghar, one of the most highly respected and best beloved personages in O'Brien county.

Mr. Jones was born April 1, 1846, on a farm in Jackson county, Ohio. His father was Griffith J. Jones and his mother was Elizabeth Rowland Jones, both natives of Argylshire, North Wales. They emigrated to Ohio

Picture of ROBERT P. JONES.

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from their native land and there settled on a farm. They later moved to Wisconsin and lived on a farmstead thirty-six miles west of Madison. They sold out their Wisconsin holdings in 1871 and moved to Clay county, Iowa, where they bought a farm and resided until death took them in 1894. They were the parents of the following children: Mrs. Helen Pond; Mrs. Jane Pond; William R., who gave his life in defense of the Union during the great Rebellion; Griffith R., of Minnesota, who was also a Union soldier; Robert P.

During the Civil War it was necessary for Robert P. to remain at home and assist in the support of the family. In the year 1870 he left Wisconsin for the oil regions of Pennsylvania and was located in the vicinity of Shamberg for four years, operating in the oil fields. In 1874 he traveled to the Black Hills section of South Dakota, where he followed mining for one year. He returned to Clay couny in 1875. but was again overtaken with wanderlust and went back to the Pennsylvania oil region to try his fortunes. He followed the exciting life of the oil operator with its various vicissitudes and varying fortunes until 1880, when he went to Arkansas and prospected for gold in the mountains. He was successful in his mining operations, discovered and developed a fine claim which he sold and invested in eighty acres of land in Clay county. In 1886 he sold out and came to O'Brien county, locating on the southwest quarter of section 13, in Dale township. Here he built a "shack" and homesteaded on railroad land. He was a "squatter" on land claimed by the Sioux City & St. Paul railroad. He broke up his land and planted a portion of it to crops. The railroad company sent parties to sell him out and his "squatter" holdings were disposed of to outside parties. Many "squatters" suffered exiction and dispossession through the power wielded by the railroads, but they eventually organized themselves into what is known in history as the Taxpayers' Association, of which Mr. Jones was made president. The circuit or district judge decided against them at Primghar when their cases were called for trial and gave possession of the lands to the railway. The cases were appealed to the supreme court of the state of Iowa and the squatters were eventually given possession of the lands. The full history of this remarkable controversy is given in the pages of this O'Brien county annals. The agents of the railway tried repeatedly to coerce or bribe Mr. Jones to abandon the fight in behalf of his constituents and promised him immunity, possession of his land and monetary rewards, but he resisted their blandishments and cast his lot with the men who had trusted him with their fortunes. Mr. Jones tilled his fine farm in Dale town-

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ship until 1908, when he removed to Primghar, where he engaged in business and is very active in lodge affairs. It is recorded of him in the squatter litigation history that Mr. Jones replied to the charges of the railway agents as follows: "I do not care so much for myself, but I am working for the settlers." Through his personal integrity and with the assistance of several famous and able attorneys, thousands of acres of rich land were saved for the settlers and wrested from the grasp of the railroads. D. M. Mullen (now deceased) was the secretary of the association.

Mr. Jones has led an adventurous and exciting life, the details of which would make interesting reading. While in Arkansas, he served as a Pinkerton detective. He has ever evinced qualities of leadership among his fellow men, been prominent in Republican politics and has held all township offices. He has attended many state conventions as a delegate and has always taken an active and leading part in behalf of Republican policies. He is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows lodge, of which fraternal body he is the efficient secretary. All members of his family are identified with the Baptist church.

Mr. Jones was married in 1867 to Emily Pond, who was born in 1845. No children have blessed this union, but they have attempted to satisfy the child hunger by adopting and rearing as their own five orphaned children as follows: Mrs. Ella Culberson, of Primghar; Arthur Selma, of South Dakota; Mrs. Belle Henderson Thayer, of Montana; Mrs. Ethel McKay Gurney, of Omaha; Charley Jenkins, a resident of Clay county.

Further mention of this respected character is made in the chapter devoted to the squatter litigation as written by the historian of this volume. The details of the litigation in which he was such a prominent and influential figure are fully and completely given. The foregoing review is intended as an appreciation of his manly qualities and as a permanent record of his life.

LYMAN F. WILSON.

All credit is due a man who wins success and by persistency and energy gains a competence and apposition of honor as a man and citizen. The record of the subject of this sketch is that of such a man, for he came to O'Brien county in the day of her rapid growth and here worked out his way to definite success and independence. He quickly adapted himself to the conditions which he found here and has labored so consecutively and effectively that he

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is now held in high regard by all who know him, having here maintained his home since 1882.

Lyman F. Wilson, a prominent farmer and stockman of Omega township, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born April 8, 1857, in Delaware county, Iowa, and is the son of Nicholas and Jemima (Martin) Wilson. Nicholas Wilson was born in 1820 in Clarion county, Pennsylvania, and remained there until he was nineteen years of age and then went west and settled in Ogle county, Illinois, near Palo, where he farmed until the year 1852. Then he moved to Delaware county, Iowa, and purchased two hundred and forty acres of government land and lived upon it until a few years before his death. He then moved to Delhi, Iowa, where he resided until his death on March 30, 1906. Nicholas Wilson and Jemima Martin were married September 29, 1846, and to this union were bom seven children: Mary Jane, deceased; Rebecca, of Delhi, Iowa; Sarah, deceased; John, a farmer of Delaware county, Iowa; Robert, deceased; Lyman F., whose life history is here briefly presented, and one who died in infancy.

Lyman F. Wilson received a good common school education and then finished wnth a three-year course at Lenox College. He then assisted his father on the farm until he was twenty-six years of age. In 1882 he bought one hundred and sixty acres of unimproved land in O'Brien county and in the year of 1885 he worked the entire winter for seventeen dollars and twenty-five cents. This was their family's first year upon the farm and probably the most severe winter through which they ever passed. Fuel was very scarce and they were compelled to burn hay and flax in order to keep from freezing to death, but after the first winter prosperity began to smile upon them and in a few years they were free from all troubles and cares. Mr. Wilson made extensive improvements on his farm and soon became one of the largest stock raisers of the township. He made a specialty of Galloway cattle and added not a little to his annual income by the sale of cattle. He was one of the organizers of the Hartley Lumber Company and is now a director in that company. He is also president and manager of the O'Brien County Rural Telephone Company.

Mr. Wilson was married in 1885 to Sarah J. Dawson, who was born in Cedar county, Iowa, in 1861. To this marriage have been born five children, Lew H., a farmer of O'Brien county; Cora Bell, who is a school teacher in this county, and three who died in infancy.

Mr. Wilson is prominently identified with the Republican party and at different times has held township offices in Omega township. At the present time he is assessor of Omega towriship and is filling that important office in a

966 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

very satisfactory manner. In all of his official positions he has shown marked administrative ability, so that he is one of the most efficient officials the township has ever had. He and his family are loyal members of the Methodist Episcopal church and are interested in all the activities of that denomination. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Imbued with the deepest and most helpful public spirit, Mr. Wilson is well set in his opinion as to matters of public policy and gives of his best to the serving of good government. His personal relations with his fellow men have been ever mutually pleasant and agreeable and he is regarded highly by everyone with whom he has been associated in the county.

JOHN W. JEPSEN.

Among the prosperous business men of Moneta, O'Brien county, Iowa, is John W. Jepsen, a hardware merchant and the present postmaster of the town. His whole life has been spent in business and with a success which is commensurate with his efforts. He was born in 1875 in Davenport, Iowa, and is the son of Hans and Christina (Nagel) Jepsen.

Hans Jepsen was born in Germany in 1843 and followed the occupation of a gardener in his native land. In 1866 he came across the ocean and settled in Davenport, Iowa, where he followed gardening for fifteen years. In 1889 he moved to Clay county, Iowa, and bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, on which he lived for several years. He improved the land and then sold it at a good profit, after which he retired to Davenport, Iowa, where he is now living. His wife, Christina, was born in Germany in 1849 and to this union were born nine children: Frank, deceased; Katherine, of Davenport, Iowa; George, a farmer of Clay county; Jacob, a druggist of Davenport and a graduate of Highland Park College of Des Moines; Mrs. Paullina Soehren of Minnesota; Harry, a partner in the hardware business with John W.; Margaret, of Davenport; Louisa, of Davenport, and John W., with whom this narrative deals.

John W. Jepsen received a good common school education and helped his father on the farm until he was twenty-six years of age. He then became interested in the hardware business at Spencer, Iowa, where he learned the intricacies of the business by serving as a clerk for one year. In 1902 he came to Moneta, in O'Brien county, where he and his brother, Harry, purchased the hardware stock of E. E. Dodge & Company, and they have been in

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charge of this store for the past twelve years. They have built up a large and lucrative trade in Moneta and the surrounding country. The brothers carry three thousand dollars worth of stock the year round. In addition to their hardware interests, they have a share in the Farmers Elevator Company of Moneta. Mr. Jepsen is also manager of the telephone company at Moneta and is a stockholder in the company. He owns five acres of lots in Moneta in addition to his handsome residence.

Mr. Jepsen was married in 1905 to Marguerite E. Unangst, at Spencer, Iowa, and to this union have been born four children, who are still with their parents. Lulu, Laura, John and Jacob. Politically. Mr. Jepsen is a Democrat, but his business interests have kept him from taking an active part in politics. He and his family are earnest members of the German Lutheran church and subscribe liberally to its support. Mr. Jepsen is a self-made man and owes his present success to the fact that he has been diligent in his various undertakings. As a graduate of the Davenport Business College he was able to do administrative work in any line and consequently makes an efficient manager of the telephone company. He has a large number of friends and acquaintances in Moneta and the surrounding country who admire him for his many good qualities.

OMER L. LIGHTER.

O. L. Lighter was born in 1884 in Grundy county, Iowa, and is the son of George and Jennie (Wilhelm) Lighter. George Lighter was born in Carroll county, Illinois, and after his marriage became a prosperous farmer of Grundy county, Iowa. In 1888 he moved to O'Brien county and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of unimproved land. He improved the farm and in 1902 he sold it at a good profit and purchased two hundred acres, which he still owns. Since purchasing his last farm, he has placed six thousand dollars worth of improvements upon it. George Lighter and wife are the parents of four children: Clinton, who is farming the home place; Gladys, Clyde, and Omer L., whose life history is here briefly set forth.

After leaving college Omer L. Lighter was first made manager of the Fleete Lumber Company and in 1908 he came to Moneta to manage the lumber yard of the same concern. He owns a share in the lumber company as well as a residence and three acres in Moneta.

Mr. Lighter was married in 1909 to Estella Jones. Politically, Mr. Lighter is a Republican, but has never taken an active part in politics. Fra-

968 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

ternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Lighter is still a young man and has a long and useful life yet before him. His success in his forepart of life indicates that he will become one of the substantial business men of the county in the years to come.

OLE F. OLSON.

Among the substantial business men of Hartley, O'Brien county, Iowa, whose labor and influence has given aid to the material welfare of the city, is Ole F. Olson, the proprietor of a prosperous clothing business in that city. His whole life has been filled with hard work and by industry and close attention to business he has risen to his present place of prominence in the business world. He was born November 22, 1871, in Albert Lea, Minnesota, and is the son of Theo and Mary (Helle) Olson, both of whom were born in Norway. Theo Olson was a farmer in his native land and after coming to this country he settled in Minnesota and engaged in farming until his death in 1875. He was born in 1841 and his wife was born in 1838. There were two children born to Theo Olson and wife, Mary, deceased, and Ole F.. whose history is here briefly portrayed.

Ole F. Olson received a good practical education in the schools of Minnesota and when fifteen years of age he began clerking in a clothing store. He worked there for eight years and, although other clerks came and went, he always retained his position. In those days it was a disgrace to lose a position of this kind. In order that he might be secure in his clerkship he applied himself with unusual energy to his daily tasks. Considered as an excellent clerk, he received better wages than those who worked by him. In 1894, when only twenty-three years of age, he came to Oelwein, Iowa, and purchased a clothing store known as the Hawkeye Clothing Company. He operated this store for eleven years and did a prosperous business. Most of his trade was with the railroad men, since Oelwein was a division point on the Chicago & Great Western Railway. In 1905 he sold out and moved to Hartley, where he purchased an interest in the firm of Broders, Tagge & Company. He became the manager of the company and continued in this capacity until September 24, 1913, when he purchased the entire interest of the other members of the firm. He now carries the largest stock of goods in this city. His courteous treatment of his customers and his honesty in all of his transactions have won him the confidence of a large circle of people in Hartley and the surrounding community.

O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA. 969

Mr. Olson was married January 15, 1900, in Chicago, to Clara Duncan and to this union have been born two children, Thelma and Teddy, both of whom are still with their parents. Politically, Mr. Olson belongs to that large class of men who are classed as independent voters, preferring to cast his ballot for the best man irrespective of their politics, and in so doing he feels that he is serving the best interests of his community. He and his family are earnest members of the Norwegian Lutheran church and subscribe liberally to its support. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Foresters. Mr. Olson deserves a great deal of credit for the success which he has attained. In order to qualify himself for better and more efficient work he went to night school in Albert Lea, Minnesota, and later took a business course. He has worked hard for his present success and deserves a great deal of credit for the large business which he has built up in this city. He is a man of genial nature and a winning personality and has a large number of friends and acquaintances in Hartley and the surrounding community.

EDGAR WRIGHT.

The following is a sketch of a plain, honest man of affairs, who by correct methods and a strict regard for the interests of his patrons has made his influence felt in Sanborn, Iowa, and won for himself distinctive prestige in the business circles of that city. He would be the last man to sit for romance or become the subject of fancy sketches, nevertheless his life presents much that is interesting and valuable and may be studied with profit by the young, whose careers are yet to be achieved. He is one of those whose integrity and strength of character must force them into an admirable notoriety which their modesty never seeks, who command the respect of their contemporaries and their posterity and leave the impress of their individuality deeply stamped upon their community.

Edgar Wright, a prosperous hardware merchant of Sanborn, was born in 1880, in Linn county, Iowa, the son of John and Catherine (McRay) Wright. John Wright was born in New York state and operated a farm there until he came to Summit township, O'Brien county, this state, in 1884. Upon arriving in this county he purchased land and farmed until his death in 1898. He was twice married and by his first marriage there were three chil-

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dren: Silas, a resident of Wisconsin; Ernest, a retired farmer of Sanborn, Iowa, and Ellis, deceased. Edgar is the only child by his second marriage to Catherine McRay.

Edgar Wright received his education in the common schools of O'Brien county, his father moving to this county when he was four years of age. He worked on his father's farm until he was twenty-seven years of age and in 1912 purchased a half interest in a hardware store in Sanborn, where he is now building up a large and increasing trade. He owns a share in the Farmers Elevator and Lumber Company, of Sanborn, a co-operative concern which is of great benefit to the farmers of the county.

Politically, Mr. Wright has always voted the Republican ticket since he reached his majority, but has been so busy that he has never had time to take a very active part in political affairs. He is an attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church and a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons at Sanorn. Mr. Wright is a young man who has the promise of a bright business career before him. Since buying an interest in the hardware store, he has increased its stock, while the trade of the store has been increased as a result. He is courteous in his treatment of his customers and because he is honest in all of his business transactions he has earned the confidence and esteem of all the people with whom he has been associated.

W. D. SHUTTLEWORTH.

One of the substantial business men of Sibley, who has always taken an active interest in the affairs of the city, is W. D. Shuttleworth, the president of the Shell Lumber Company and vice-president of the Sibley Cement Company. He is a man of rare business ability and integrity and, although he has only been connected with the business life of Sibley a comparatively short time, yet he has impressed his individuality upon all of those with whom he has been associated. He was born May 12, 1869, at Fennimore, Grant county, Wisconsin, and is the son of Craven and Nancy (Kayley) Shuttleworth.

Craven Shuttleworth was born in Helsfield, Yorkshire, England, and came to America in 1856, first settling in Madison, Wisconsin, for two years and then went to Grant county, where he followed his trade as a cabinetmaker until his death, in February, 1903, at the age of seventy-eight years. Craven Shuttleworth and wife were the parents of eight children: Job, of

Picture of W. D. SHUTTLEWORTH

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Centralia, Illinois; Mrs. Ella McDougall, of Melvin, Osceola county, Iowa; Farrand K., a lawyer of Madison, Wisconsin; Fred, of Idaho Falls, Idaho; W. D., whose history is here narrated; Craven, of Allendorf, Iowa; Ina D., a lawver of Avoca, Iowa, and May, a teacher of music in Northfield, Minnesota.

W. D. Shuttleworth was educated in the public schools of Wisconsin and came to Iowa in the fall of 1890, when he was twenty-one years of age, and took employment in the Shell lumber yards and remained there for three years, learning the intricacies of the business. He then went to Minneapolis and took a business course, after which he located in Ocheyedan and operated a lumber yard for Armin &asp; Shell. A little later he purchased an interest in the Ocheyedan lumber yards and remained there for the next fifteen years. In 1909 he came to Sibley and assisted in the organization of the Shell Lumber Company and the Sibley Cement Company. He is now president of the lumber company and vice-president of the cement company. The cement company was organized in 1903 for the purpose of manufacturing cement blocks and tile, making a specialty, however, of tile. The factory is located along the Rock Island railway and covers five acres of space. It does a large business in Sibley and the surrounding community and employs from fifteen to twenty men the year round.

Mr. Shuttleworth was married in 1896 to Blanche B. Sokol, the daughter of F. J. and Anna Sokol. The reader is directed to the life history of George F. Sokol, which is found elsewhere in this volume, for the ancestral history of the Sokol family. Mr. and Mrs. Shuttleworth are the parents of two sons, Frank and Craven.

In addition to his interests in Sibley, Mr. Shuttleworth is vice-president of the Ocheyedan Savings Bank. Politically, he is an ardent Republican, but the affairs of his business have kept him from taking an active part in political affairs. He and his family are loyal members of the Congregational church and contribute liberally of their means to its support. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and has attained to the thirty-second degree, belonging to the consistory at Sioux City. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias. He is a self-made man and owes his large success solely to his own efforts. While intent on promoting his own interests, he has not been indifferent to the interests of his fellow citizens, as is indicated by the part he takes in advancing the material prosperity of the community and the zeal which he manifests in all enterprises having for their object the uplift of his fellow men.

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GEORGE HAKEMAN.

Among the successful, self-made men of a past century in O'Brien county, the late George Hakeman occupied a conspicuous place. A distinguished veteran of the Civil War, he came to this county shortly after its close, starting in to make his home upon the broad prairies of Highland township. He arose, in time, to a prominent position in the agricultural and financial circles of his community. He realized early that there is a purpose in life, that there is no honor not founded on worth, no respect not found on accomplishment. With his death, there passed away one of the earliest pioneers of this county and a man who contributed his full share to the present prosperous condition of the county.

George Hakeman was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1841 and died February 15, 1913. He came to this country from his native land when a youth and settled in Iowa. At the outbreak of the Civil War he was seized with the same enthusiasm which inspired the native sons of the country and enlisted in the Union Army, August 5, 1862, at Tipton, Iowa, in Company C, Twenty-fourth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He was in continuous service until his final discharge on August 4, 1865, at Davenport, Iowa. He saw hard fighting during his three years at the front and served his country in a distinguished and faithful manner.

Immediately after the close of the war he returned to Iowa and in 1872 came to O'Brien county, in this state, and homesteaded in Highland township. He continued to reside on his farm until 1882, when he moved to Paullina, O'Brien county, and engaged in the lumber business. Four years later he retired from the lumber business and again began to farm near the town of Paullina. After operating his farm for the next four years he sold it and moved to Sanborn where he and his son Clare engaged in the grain and elevator business. Thev also managed a lumber vard with their other interests. He continued in active business until 1909 when he retired, and continued to reside in Sanborn until his death in 1913.

Mr. Hakeman was twice married, his first marriage being in 1861 to Sarah Albaugh, and to this union nine children were born: Charles, deceased; Mrs. Margaret Alard, of Sutherland, Iowa; James, a hardware merchant at Sutherland, Iowa; Clinton, of May City, Iowa; Mrs. Lily Bryant, of North Dakota; Nora, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Mrs. Mary Wagner, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Clare, of Sanborn, Iowa; Mrs. Nellie Fisher, of Belleplane, Iowa, and Sadie, now Mrs. E. Hendrickson, of Mason City, Iowa.

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The second marriage of Mr. Hakeman was in 1882 to Sarah Delapp. She was born in 1855 in New York state and is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Delapp. She came from New York state and lived with her uncle, Samuel Spencer, in Adair county, Iowa. She lived with her uncle for several years and then spent two years in Wisconsin. In 1879 she came back to Iowa and lived in O'Brien county with Mrs. D. C. Fields, her sister, until her marriage in 1882. To this second marriage were born two children, Callie, who is living with her mother, and Mrs. Amy Raymond, of O'Brien county.

Mr. Hakeman and his wife were long members of the Methodist Episcopal church and subscribed liberally to its support. He was a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Grand Army of the Republic. Mrs. Hakeman is a member of the Eastern Star. Mr. Hakeman is remembered by his friends as a man of fine presence and an influential man in the circles in which he moved. With a sound character and unflagging energy he stood as an example of the self- made man. His life was filled with good deeds and kindly thoughts and in all of life's relations he was true and faithful to his duty and thereby won the unqualified confidence and regard of his fellow citizens.

PATRICK J. DOUGHERTY.

This utilitarian age has been especially prolific in men of action, clear- brained men of high resolve and noble purposes, who give character and stability to the communities honored by their citizenship, and whose influence and leadership are easily discernible in the various enterprises that have added so greatly to the high reputation which O'Brien county enjoys among her sister counties of this great commonwealth. Conspicuous among this class of men whose place of residence was in O'Brien county was the progressive citizen under whose name this article is written, and to a brief outline of whose career the biographer is herewith pleased to address himself.

Patrick Dougherty, a former clothing merchant of Sanborn and a member of the firm of Dougherty & Kelley, was born at Erin Prairie, Wisconsin, in 1876. He was the son of John and Julia (Crowe) Dougherty, his father being a native of Ireland. John Dougherty was born in 1817 and early in life left his native country and settled in Wisconsin where he became a farmer. After living fifteen years in that state he came to O'Brien county

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in 1877 and purchased one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land in Carroll township. For a number of years the family lived in a log house, but later he put up a substantial dwelling and improved his farm so that it became a valuable piece of property. John Dougherty was twice married, and to his first marriage were born four children: Thomas, a banker of North Dakota; Mrs. Katherine Gifford, of Seattle, Washington; Frank, a farmer of Floyd towmship, in this county; Charles, a real estate agent of Sheldon, Iowa. In 1869 John Dougherty was married to Julia Crowe and to this union four children were born: Mrs. Mary Beacom, of O'Brien county; James, a farmer of South Dakota; one which died in infancy, and Patrick, whose life history is here delineated.

Patrick Dougherty was educated in Northfield, Minnesota, and after leaving school he returned to his parents home in O'Brien county where he worked for a time. His father dying, he and his mother moved to Sheldon, where he secured employment as clerk in a general mercantile establishment. For fifteen vears he clerked in different stores in Sheldon and then in 1905 he went to Primghar, Iowa, and managed the clothing department for the Williams Mercantile Company at that place. After a service of nine years with that company lie moved to Sanborn and with his brother-in-law, Joe Kelley, bought a clothing store. He was in the firm only a short time, but had already become thoroughly familiar with all the details of the establishment. His long experience as clerk in different stores and as manager of the clothing department of the Williams Mercantile Company at Primghar had made him a business man of exceptional ability. He knew every angle of the purchasing part of the business, and was able to stock his store with the best judgment at the lowest prices.

Mr. Dougherty was married in 1901 to Mae Kelley, and to this union have been born two children, John and Winifred. The Democratic party had always claimed the support of Mr. Dougherty, but he had been so busy with his own interests that he had no time to indulge in politics. He and his family were loyal members of the Catholic church, while he was a member of the Catholic fraternity, the Knights of Columbus. He also held membership in the Brotherhood of American Yeomen. Genial and unassuming in manner, Mr. Dougherty easily won friends and always retained them, and because of his high personal qualities and business success he is eminently entitled to representation in a work of this nature. He was killed in the awful cyclone that struck Sanborn June 5, 1914, being on his way home, from the store to his supper.

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MARTIN HICKEY.

The subject of this review is a representative farmer and stock grower of Frankhn township, O'Brien county, Iowa, and he is known as one of the alert, progressive and successful agriculturists of this favored section of the Hawkeye state. In his labors he has not permitted himself to follow in the rut in a blind, apathetic way, but has studied and experimented and thus secured the maximum returns from his enterprising efforts, while he has so ordered his course at all times as to command the confidence and regard of the people of the community in which he lives, being a man of honorable business methods and advocating whatever tends to promote the public welfare in any way.

Martin Hickey, a farmer and stock raiser of Franklin township, O'Brien county, was born August 2, 1849, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of John and Mary (McCardel) Hickey, who were natives of Ireland. John Hickey was born in 1823, and left his native land with his parents and came to America, settling in Chicago when he was seven years of age. He grew to manhood in this city and became a stage driver and a miner in Illinois. Later in life he moved to Clinton county, Iowa, where he engaged in farming for a few years and then moved to Buchanan county, where he followed the vocation of a farmer until his death in 1888. He was married in 1846 to Mary McCardel, who died in 1908, and to this union were born eleven children: Martin; Peter, who is a farmer of this county; John, who was killed by an automobile in this county in 1913; Michael, who is a resident of Montana; Ellen, living with her brother, Peter; William, a farmer living in Minnesota; Patrick, of Sheldon, Iowa; Thomas, a farmer in O'Brien county; two who died in infancy; Mary, deceased, and Martin, with whom this narrative deals.

Martin Hickey started to work for himself when he was eighteen years of age and for several years worked as a farm laborer, and for a time he drove a cab in the city of Chicago and later freighted with a team across the Rocky mountains from Fairplay to Leadville, Colorado. In 1888 he came to O'Brien county, Iowa, where he worked on a farm for the first three years, after which he bought eighty acres of unimproved land in Franklin township, and is still operating this land. Since purchasing this tract he has made extensive improvements in the way of erecting buildings, fencing and installing a splendid system of drainage. He makes a specialty of raising Norman horses and has taken first prizes on his Norman stock at the county fair.

Mr. Hickey was married in 1896 to Mary Rathford. Politically, he is a

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member of the Democratic party, but has never taken an active interest in political affairs. Religiously, he and his wife are earnest and faithful members of the Catholic church and subscribe generously to its support. Mr. Hickey is a self-made man and is deserving of great credit for the success which has attended his efforts in the county. He takes an intelligent interest in local movements which make for the advancement of the best interests of his community. He is a man of social tendencies, kind and obliging and straightforward in all the walks of life, and is highly respected and popular with his fellow citizens.

JOHN J. NEUMAN.

The history of any man is merely a recital of those things which have marked his progress along his pathway in life. Every man fills his niche in society and the value of a man to society depends upon how important is the niche he fills. In this day of specialization there are so many hundreds of different occupations that it is impossible to set a comparative value upon the work of men, but it must be conceded that there is no occupation which outranks that of a farmer in importance.

John J. Newman, a prominent farmer and stockman of Franklin township, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born in Lee county, Illinois, in 1856, the son of John and Martha (Wagner) Neuman, who were both natives of Germany and came to this country after their marriage in 1855. John Neuman, Sr., settled in Lee county, Illinois, on a farm and remained there until a few years before his death, when he moved to Ashton, in Lee county, where he died in 1900. John and Martha Neuman were the parents of eight children: Mrs. Christina Teal, who lives in Hartley, Iowa; Mrs. Mary Krug, who is a resident of Illinois; Mrs. Elizabeth Heipenthal, who also lives in Illinois; Mrs. Sophia Kersten, deceased; Mrs. Katherine Kersten, of Lee county, Illinois; Henry, who lives in Lee county, Illinois; Mrs. Anna Schafer, who lives in Illinois, and John J., whose life history forms the thread of this narrative. In addition to these eight children, there were two others who died in infancy.

John J. Neuman received a good common school education in the schools of this native county in Illinois, and upon marrying in that state rented land from his father, on which he lived until 1904, after which he moved to O'Brien county, Iowa, and purchased two hundred and forty acres of land in Franklin and Lincoln townships, where he is now living. He has improved his farm in various ways by erecting buildings, constructing fences and put-

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ting in an extensive system of drainage until the farm is now one of the most highly cultivated and productive, as well as among the most valuable of the township. In addition to the raising of all the grain crops common to this locality, he also engages extensively in the breeding of live stock and makes a specialty of Aberdeen Angus cattle, finding that this line of endeavor adds not a little to his annual income. He is also a shareholder in the Farmers Elevator Company at Sanborn.

Mr. Neuman was married in 1882 to Sophia Krug, who died in 1900, and to this union there were born eight children, all of whom are still living in O'Brien county: William, a farmer; Mrs. Ida Neinthorp; Mrs. Minnie Muxlow ; Albert, who is assisting his father on the home farm; Nora, Harvey and Clara, who are still with their parents on the home place, and Charlotte, who is living with her grandparents.

Mr. Neuman, from the time he attained his majority, has been active in the support of the Republican party, but his farming and stock interests having made such heavy demands on his time and attention that he has never felt that he had the time to take an active part in politics. He and his family have been earnest in their support of the Methodist Episcopal church and have advanced its interests in every way. Mr. Newman has always given his support to every movement which was calculated to advance the welfare of his community along any legitimate lines. By his advocacy of wholesome living, pure politics and honesty in business, he has enjoyed the undivided respect and esteem of all who know him.

WILLIAM BRAHAN.

Practical industry, wisely and vigorously applied, never fails of success. It carries a man onward and upward, brings out his individual character and acts as a powerful stimulus to the efforts of others. The greatest results in life are often attained by simple means and the exercise of the ordinary qualities of common sense and perseverance. The every-day life, with its cares, necessities and duties, affords ample opportunities for acquiring experience of the best kind and its most beaten paths provide a true worker with abundant scope for effort and self-improvement.

William Brahan, son of Michael and Catherine (Smith) Brahan, was born in 1870, in Jasper county, Iowa. Michael Brahan was born in 1818 in Ireland, while his wife was born in the same country in 1823. He died in

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1913. Mr. and Mrs. Michael Brahan were the parents of five children: Northrop, a resident of Baxter, Iowa; Mrs. Agnes Leamer, of Melbourne, this state; Mrs. Josie Jack, of Newton, Iowa; Mrs. Agnes Ieamer, of Ashton, Iowa, and William, whose life history is here delineated.

William Brahan settled in Sanborn, Iowa, in 1887, and for the next three years worked as a farm hand in the immediate neighborhood, after which he rented land in Franklin township, this county, until 1907, at which time he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land in Franklin township, this county. Since acquiring a farm of his own he has improved the tract in various ways, so as to greatly enhance its value, and in addition to raising all the crops common to this section, keeps graded stock of high quality and is recognized as a farmer who is progressive in his methods and a man who understands thoroughly the details of modern agriculture.

Mr. Brahan was married on March 12, 1895, to Sarah Dummitt, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Dummitt, a homesteader of Franklin township, this county, and to this marriage have been born two children, Beulah and Earl, who are now attending school.

The Republican party has claimed the support of Mr. Brahan since reaching his majority and, although he has never been a candidate for a public office, he takes an intelligent interest in political affairs. Religiously, he and his family are attendants of the Methodist Episcopal church and try to live a life consistent with the teachings of that denomination. Mr. Brahan is recognized as a man of enterprising and progressive ideas and has not been backward in giving his support to every movement for the upbuilding and development of his county. Personally, he is a genial and companionable man and an appreciative member of the various circles in which he moves.

PATRICK L. PEISLEY

A well remembered and honored pioneer citizen of Osceola county who passed to his reward many years ago was Patrick L. Peisley. He was a man who united those qualities of head and heart which insure success in any field of endeavor. Born of sturdy Irish parents, he was taught self-reliance, independence of thought and a sturdy belief in strict adherence to the accepted rules of life. He served with distinction in the Civil War and after the close of that struggle came to this county where he became one of the earliest pioneers.

Picture of PATRICK L. PEISLEY

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Patrick L. Peisley was born in Ireland in 1844 and died in Osceola county, Iowa, September 13, 1900. He came to this country with his father, Michael, when he was five years of age and the family settled in Grant county, Wisconsin, and there Patrick Peisley was reared to manhood. In that state he enlisted for service in the Union army in 1861, in Company C. Second Regiment Wisconsin Cavalry, and served until he was mustered out at Austin, Texas, November 15. 1865. He was appointed corporal Junw 1, 1864, and finally discharged at Madison, Wisconsin, on December 11, 1865, with this rank. Among the battles in which he took part may be mentioned the following: Bayou Cache, Arkansas; Oakland. Mississippi; Lick Creek, Arkansas; Cold Water, Mississippi; Hour Lake, Tennessee; siege of Vicksburg; Clinton, Mississippi; Bayou Pierre and James Landing, Arkansas; Jackson, Mississippi; Mentonia, Missouri; Prairie Grove, Arkansas; Van Buren, Arkansas; Hall's Plantation, Mississippi; Woodville, Mississippi; Yazoo City; Egypt Station and several skirmishes in Texas.

After being mustered out of the service in Wisconsin, Mr. Peisley remained there until his marriage in 1873. He and his wife then came to Osceola county and homesteaded on section 32, in Viola township, and on this farm they lived and reared a family, remaining there until 1910. In that year the family moved to Sibley, where she is now living. Mr. Peisley was successful as a farmer and at the time of his death was the owner of two hundred and ninety-three acres of excellent farming land. He put extensive improvements on his farm in the way of new buildings, fencing and drainage until it became one of the most valuable tracts in the township.

Mr. Peisley was married on July 3, 1873, to Mary Jane O'Neil, who was born December 15, 1850, in Dutchess county, New York, and is the daughter of John and Julia (Phillips) O'Neil, who were both natives of Ireland. They left New York in 1874 and settled in Grant county, Wisconsin, where they lived until 1883. In that year they came to Osceola county, Iowa, where the father and mother both died, the mother passing away in 1889 and the father in the year following. Mr. and Mrs. O'Neil were the parents of three children: Mary J., the wife of Mr. Peisley; Eliza Ann, who died in the fall of 1906, and Daniel, who is the clerk at the Osceola House in Sibley. Mr. and Mrs. Peisley are the parents of four children: Mrs. Maria R. Corkell, who is living with her mother in Sibley; Mrs. Emma Walbran, who is a resident of Tracy, Minnesota; Daniel L., who is living on the homestead in Viola township, this county, and one who died in infancy.

Mr. and Mrs. Peisley were both members of the Catholic church and

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always rendered it their earnest support. In politics Mr. Peisley was a Democrat and always took an active interest in local politics. He had been a school director in Viola township for a number of years preceding his death and served several years as trustee of Viola township. Mrs. Peisley is a woman of most estimable character and is highly esteemed by all who know her for her many deeds of kindness and charity. She and her husband lived a full and complete life and were happy in their home relations. Mr. Peisley thought much of the family name and strove to keep it untarnished before the world. He took pride in his children and did everything in his power for their welfare. To those who were very near to him and knew him well he was regarded as a good man in every sense of the word, faithful and true, a kind neighbor, and an honor to his county and state.

ROBERT W. BOYD.

The history of him whose name heads this biographical sketch is closely identified with the history of O'Brien county, Iowa, which has long been his home. He began his career in this locality in the pioneer epoch and throughout the subsequent years he has been closely allied with its interests and upbuilding. His life has been one of untiring activity and has been crowned with a degree of success commensurate with his efforts. He is of the highest type of progressive citizen and none more than he deserves a fitting recognition among those whose enterprise and ability have achieved results that have awakened the admiration of those who know them. The cause of humanity never had a truer friend than Mr. Boyd, and in all the relations of life — family, church, state and society — he has displayed that consistent Christian spirit, that natural worth, that has endeared him to all classes. His integrity and fidelity have been manifested in every relation of life, an example which has been an inspiration to others and his influence has been felt in the community honored by his citizenship.

Robert W. Boyd, a distinguished veteran of the Civil war, and now living a retired life in Sutherland, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born in Ireland in 1844. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Boyd, whose family history is sketched elsewhere in this volume, in the history of Richard Boyd.

Robert W. Boyd came over to this country with his parents before the Civil War, and in 1862, although only a lad of eighteen, he offered his services for the cause of his adopted country and enlisted at Marion, Iowa.

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on October l0, 1862, in the Sixth Iowa Cavalry. A short time after entering the services he became sick with lung fever and was discharged on account of disability, on Febrnary 10, 1863, at Davenport, Iowa, having been in the active service only about four months. In 1865 he started to work in Linn county, Iowa, as a laborer, and continued to work in that county until 1871. In that year he came to Grant township, O'Brien county, and homesteaded a tract of land and eventually proved his title to his land. He put out one of the largest groves and orchard trees which has ever been set out in the township and his seventeen acres of trees is one of the pleasing sights of this section of the state. He is a progressive farmer in every sense of the word and erected a barn, which at the time it was built was the largest barn in the township. This barn was later destroyed by fire. For the first three years after coming here Mr. Boyd lived by himself in a sod house, and one must live in such a house in order to appreciate the disadvantages and discomforts which he suffered. In 1874 his mother sent him money to build a little house, and the lumber had to be hauled from Sheldon, a distance of twenty-five miles. In the early days of the county he was a grain freighter, hauling grain from Primghar to Sheldon, and he has the honor of selling the first load of wheat which was sold in Sheldon, the purchaser being Benjamin Jones. He also hauled the first load of wheat to Hartley, where he sold it to a Mr. McAndrews. In the early days of the county there were no roads and the trails between towns was constantly changing, a fact which often caused travelers to be led astray and even lost. As well acquainted as Mr. Boyd was with the different trails in that early time, it has happened that he has been lost himself more than once on the prairies of O'Brien county, in the days gone by. Mr. Boyd continued to reside upon his farm until 1910, when he moved to Primghar to educate his only son and child. In 1911 he moved to Sutherland, where he is now living, having a fine home and four acres of land within the corporate limits of the town. Mr. Boyd at one time owned and operated a livery barn in Sutherland, but has disposed of his interests in this business.

Mr. Boyd was married in 1878 to Hannah Snyder, the daughter of Palmer and Polly Snyder, who are now living with Mrs. Boyd, Mrs. Snyder being one of the oldest women in the county, having reached the advanced age of ninety-six years in October, 1914. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd have one son, John W., who is still living with his parents.

The Republican party has claimed the stanch support of Mr. Boyd since he was old enough to cast his first ballot. However, he has never had as-

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piration along political lines, being content to devote his time and energies to his agricultural interests. However, he has been a school director for several years and in that capacity gave his aid to every measure which promised to benefit the schools of his township. He and his family are earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal church and subscribe liberally to the support of that denomination. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and takes a deep interest in the work of these fraternal organizations. Personally, he is popular throughout the community, possessing those amiable qualities which attract friends and is rightfully ranked among the leading citizens of his township and county.

JOHN BLAHAUVIETZ.

The prosperous farmer and stock raiser of O'Brien county, Iowa, whose career is here briefly portrayed is one of those self-made men who have put O'Brien county in the front ranks of the agricultural counties of the state of Iowa. Although he has been in the county only ten years, yet such has been his life that he has gained the confidence and esteem of the people of his community. He is justly termed a self-made man and as such his life is one which may be studied with profit by the young men of the rising generation.

John Blahauvietz was born in Michigan in 1869 and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Blahauvietz. His father was born in Germany in 1804 and settled in Michigan, where he lived until his death. Jacob Blahauvietz and wife were the parents of six children: Vence, who is in the employ of a brick yard in Michigan; Joseph, a machinist of Michigan; Frank; Albert; Charles, and John, with whom this narrative deals.

John Blahauvietz has made his own way since he was twelve years of age, starting in at that early age as a horse driver in a brick yard at Detroit. Michigan. He worked for five years. At the age of nineteen he left home and came to O'Brien county, where he worked for six years as a farm laborer. He then rented land in Benton county and farmed for four years, after which he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Carroll county, Iowa. He improved this land and in three years sold it out at a good profit and invested his ,oney in one hundred and sixty acres of land in O'Brien county. Since purchasing his farm in O'Brien county, in 1904, he has made seven thousand dollars worth of improvements upon it. While raising all of

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the crups which are common to this locality, he has made a specialty of the breeding of Duroc Jersey hogs. He owns a share in the Farmers Elevator Company at Sanborn.

Mr. Blahauvietz was married in 1898 to Mary Reisser, and to this union have been born two children, William and Margaret, both of whom are now attending the high school at Sanborn. Politically, Mr. Blahauvietz is a Republican and has been active in civic and public affairs of his township and is now serving as a school director in Franklin township. He has always taken an interest in public affairs and gives his support to such movements as he feels will benefit his community. He and his family are loyal members of the Presbyterian church and render it their support at all times. Fraternally, he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.

ALBERT H. WEINKE.

America is known the world over as the land of opportunity, and this fact accounts for the millions of people who come to our shores each year seeking new homes. They come from practically every quarter of the globe and while all of them do not make good citizens, yet within the course of a few vears the maiority of them become imbused with the true American spirit and settle down to lives of usefulness. There is one country in Europe, however, whose citizens are always acceptable in any community, and O'Brien county, Iowa, is proud of her numerous German citizens, all of whom have been important factors in the upbuilding of this county.

Albert H. Weinke, a prosperous farmer and stock raiser of Franklin township, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born in Germany in 1859. His father was born in 1819 and his mother in 1831, and both of them lived all of their days in the land of their birth. William and Katherine (Pankie) Wienke, the parents of Albert H. Weinke, had a family of thirteen children, only six of whom are living, and of the six children living, Albert is the only one who has made his home in America. The other five children, William, Augustus, Julius, Herman and Mrs. Alvira Frederick, live in their native land of Germany.

Albert H. Weinke received a good common school education in the schools of his native land and when twenty-two years of age decided to come to America to seek his fortune. He first settled in Wisconsin and for

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six years worked on a farm in that state. In 1881 he came to O'Brien county and worked out as a farm laborer for six years, after which he rented land for a period of seven years, after which he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Franklin township, where he now lives, and has put extensive improvements upon this tract so that its value has greatly increased. He keeps his farm to the highest standard of agricultural excellence and by its general appearance of neatness and prosperity makes a favorable impression on the passerby. In addition to carrying on a general system of diversified farming he also engages extensively in the breeding of live stock, which he finds a profitable source of income.

Mr. Weinke was married in 1888 to Antonie Mell and to this union have been born six children, William, Henry, Hetty, Anna, Elsie and Edwin William is living in Dakota and the other five children are still living with their parents on the farm. Mr. Weinke is an earnest advocate of the principles of the Republican party, but has never felt inclined to take an active part in political affairs. He and the members of his family are zealous and faithful members of the German Lutheran church, to which they give a liberal support. Personally. Mr. Weinke enjoys a wide popularity for he has taken an intelligent interest in the welfare of his community and has at all times given his earnest support to everything tending to advance the welfare of his fellow men. Courteous and kind to all, broad-minded in his views of men and events, it is a compliment worthily bestowed to speak of him as one of the representative citizens of his locality, and he enjoys, to a marked degree, the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens.

JOHN PROTEXTOR.

Among the substantial men of Franklin township, O'Brien county, Iowa, whose labor and influence have given an impetus to the agricultural interests and general material welfare of the county, there is no one who occupies a higher place in the esteem of his community than John Protextor, a prosperous farmer and stock raiser of Franklin township. Connected as he has been with the history of his county for the past thirty-three years, he has been a forceful factor in agricultural circles and a leading citizen in all that concerns the public good.

John Protextor was born in Bremer county, Iowa, in 1867 and is the son of George and Charlotte (Ehrke) Protextor. George Protextor was

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born in Germany in 1834 and when a young man settled in Illinois and was employed as a brakeman on the railroad in that state. He enlisted in Company B, Twelfth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, at Davis, Illinois, on September 29, 1864, and served until he was discharged at Washington, D. C. on June 3, 1865. On coming back to Illinois after the war he continued to follow the occupation of a brakeman for several years, when he resigned and went to Bremer county, Iowa. After farming in this county for three years he bought land in Grundy county, Iowa, and farmed it for ten years. In 1881 he bought one hundred and twenty acres of prairie land in Franklin township, O'Brien county, but five years later sold it at a good profit and moved to Sheldon, where he worked for the Springfield Land Company and operated a hotel for the next twelve years, and is now living a retired life at Sibley, Iowa. George Protextor was married in 1858 to Charlotte Ehrke and to this union have been born twelve children: Charles, deceased; Frank, deceased; Louise, deceased; George W., a land agent of Sibley, Iowa; Mrs. Ella Julian, of Rock Rapids, Iowa; William, a farmer of Lake Wilson, Minnesota; Henry, of Little Rock, Iowa; Mrs. Flora Johnson, of Noble county, Minnesota; Walter, of Little Rock, Iowa; Daniel, of Minnesota; Christ, deceased, and John, whose history forms the theme of this narrative.

John Protextor received a good common school education in the schools of Iowa and remained with his parents until eighteen years of age. He then worked as a farm hand for three years, after which he rented land and lived upon it for three years. He then purchased eight acres of land in Lyons (sic) county, in this state, which he sold two years later and at once invested in Franklin township, O'Brien county, buying one hundred and sixty acres of unimproved land for seventeen dollars an acre and has made about eight thousand dollars worth of improvements on the land since acquiring it. He has been very successful as a farmer and stock raiser since coming to this county and has added to his farm from time to time until he now owns three hundred and sixty acres of land in Franklin township. He is an extensive raiser of live stock and makes a specialty of good cattle and horses and Duroc Jersey hogs. He owns a share in the Farmers Elevator at Sanborn and was the manager of the elevator for two years.

Mr. Protextor was married in 1887 to Anna Getting and to this union have been born three children: Mrs. Clara Dingel a graduate of the Sanborn high school; Earl, a graduate of the Sanborn high school and now assisting his father on the farm, and Emmett, in school. Politically, Mr. Protextor has always been a Republican, but his heavy agricultural interests have prevented him from taking an active part in political affairs. He and

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his family are attendants of the Presbyterian church and render it their hearty support at all times. Mr. Protextor is not only an excellent man, personally and in business affairs, but in the civic life of his community he has taken a large interest and gives his support to every movement which is for the advancement of the educational, moral and social welfare of his citizens.

ALBERT V. BRADY

Among the younger agriculturists of O'Brien county, Iowa, who are rapidly forging to the front as successful farmers, there is no one who is more deserving of mention in this volume than Albert Verne Brady, a farmer and live-stock man of Sanborn. He was born September 9, 1885, in Sanborn, and is the son of Ezra M. and Clara A. (Roberts) Brady.

Ezra M. Brady was born March 29, 1845. in Hamden, Geauga county, Ohio, and was one of the early pioneers of O'Brien county, Iowa, coming to this county in an early day. He was the son of Barney Brady, whose father was a native of Ireland. Ezra M. Brady came to Iowa in the sixties and settled in Waterman township, O'Brien county. He was a member of the board of county supervisors early in the history of the county and later kept a mercantile establishment at Primghar. He was one of the very few business men who did not go into bankruptcy during the famous "grasshopper'" years. He rose to a prominent place in his county and even in the councils of his state. He was one of the leaders of his party and served two terms in the General Assembly of Iowa, and was a leader in Republican politics for many years. He removed from Primghar to Sanborn, where he conducted a general store for several years. In addition to his mercantile interests, he was a live stock breeder and shipper. He had large holdings of land, on which he would place sheep, which he bought in the West. He was the owner of four hundred and thirty-seven acres in O'Brien county and five hundred acres in the state of Minnesota at the time of his death. Clara A. Roberts, the wife of Ezra M. Brady, was born in Filmore county, Minnesota, June 27, 1859, and was married to Mr. Brady on April 28, 1881, and to this union there were born five children: Ralph Ray, who died in infancy; Eva Myrtle, a teacher in the Fort Dodge schools; Albert Verne, whose history is here presented; Ezra McKlimm, who was born January 1, 1888, and is now living in Mason City, Iowa, and Lawrence William, who was born June 1, 1897, and is now attending school at Fort Dodge.

Picture of EZRA M. BRADY

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Albert Verne Brady was educated in the schools of Sanborn and graduated from the high school at that place. He then studied at the business college at Spencer. Iowa, and later attended the State University of Iowa. His college education was interrupted by the death of his father on August 26, 1906, when he was called home to take charge of his father's large estate. He continued in the same general line of farming which his father had found profitable, the buying and feeding of live stock, and he is a large feeder of live stock, particularly of sheep, annually feeding from one thousand five hundred to two thousand head for the markets. He is the owner of two hundred acres of land, besides having general charge of the extensive interests of his father.

Mr. Brady was married January 1, 1910, to Margaret King, of Sanborn, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. G. H. King, the former being one of the oldest railroad men in Sanborn, and to this marriage there has been born one child, Verne, Jr., born June 2, 1913.

Politically, Mr. Brady is a Democrat, but has never held any public position other than that of being a member of the Sanborn school board. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and has attained to the thirty-second degree and is also a member of the Mystic Shrine at Sioux City. He and his wife are attendants of the Presbyterian church, and contribute liberally of their substance and time to its support.

JOHN J. DELAN.

Far-away Norway has furnished but few residents for O'Brien county, Iowa. Those who have made this county their home have prospered to an unusual degree. The same spirit still animates the people of that country which induced them to cross the unknown Atlantic in the year 1000 (sic) to the bleak coast of northern North America. During the Middle ages the people of Norway and Sweden were great sea rovers and from the time of the Saxon invasion in the sixth century the people of Norway have been important factors in the history of Europe. No more prosperous people are found in Europe today than are the people of Norway, and the same holds true of those who have made their homes in O'Brien county.

John J. Delan was born in Norway in 1859 and is the son of John and Julia Delan. John Delan was born in that country in 1827, married in the land of his birth and lived there on a farm for several years after his mar-

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riage. In 1869, hoping to better his condition, he brought his family to America and immediately came overland to Benton county, Iowa, where he began to homestead a farm. For ten years he followed the vocation of a farmer in Benton county, and then retired from active life and moved to O'Brien county, where he lived with his children, Julia and John, until his death. John Delan and wife were the parents of three children: Mrs. Julia Axtel, whose husband is a farmer in this county; Ole, deceased, and John J., whose life history forms the theme of this narrative.

John J. Delan received his elementary education in the schools of his native land of Norway and although he was only ten years of age when his parents came to this country he had but little opportunity for schooling in the region where his parents settled in Iowa. At the age of twelve he began to work out by the day and continued to work in Benton county, Iowa, at farm labor until 1887, when he came to O'Brien county and invested his savings in two hundred acres of prairie land. Two years later he married and from that time his prosperity has been assured. He has put eight thousand dollars worth of improvements on his farm since acquiring it and has made it one of the most productive farms in the township. He is an extensive breeder of graded stock, including Shorthorn cattle, Poland China hogs and Norman horses, and, in common with most of the farmers of this locality, owns a share in the Elevator Company at Sanborn.

Mr. Delan was married in 1889 to Julia Ellingson, and to this union have been born four children: Elmer, who is assisting his father on the home farm; Ida, who is a teacher in the schools of Lincoln township, O'Brien county; John and Clarence, who are still under the parental roof. Mr. Delan is independent in his politics, believing that the citizen who serves his country best votes for the best man, irrespective of their politics. He has always taken a prominent part in all public affairs in his township and county and for six years was trustee of Franklin township. During his incumbency he gave eminent satisfaction in the conduct of his office and thereby won the commendation of all the citizens of his township. He and the members of his family are zealous adherents of the Methodist Episcopal church and render to it earnest and faithful support at all times. Mr. Delan has established a reputation for honorable dealing and just treatment of his fellow citizens and has never violated the confidence which they have reposed in him. Quiet and unassuming, he has never been a seeker for public office and only served in the office of township trustee at the earnest solicitation of his many friends.

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OTTO KIRCHHOF.

There are some men who win in life's battle by sheer force of personality and determination and have to make their own way, unaided, from the bottom of the ladder. On the other hand there are many good men who must inherit half of this world's goods in order to make them independent from the beginning of their career. To the former class of citizens belongs Otto Kirchhof, of Sutherland, Iowa, and who has shown his ability and integrity in everything which he has undertaken. Thirty years of his life have been spent in this city and he has never failed to lend his aid in defending principles affecting the public good. He has ably and conscientiously served his city as mayor, and in every phase of civic life he has so ordered his course that he has earned the unqualified endorsement and support of his fellow citizens.

Otto Kirchhof was born in Germany in 1841 and is the son of Henry and Fredrica (Peterson) Kirchhof. The father was born in Germany in 1797 and lived the life of a druggist there, dying in 1876. His wife, Fredrica Peterson, was born in 1815 and died in the land of her birth in 1907. There were four children born to 'Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kirchhof: Otto, whose history is here given, the only one to leave his native land for this country; the other three children are still living in Germany, Mrs. Maud Schichting, Airs. Louise Peterson and Antone.

Otto Kirchhof received a good common school education in his native country and at the age of twenty-two decided that he wanted to come to America. He had heared (sic) about the fortunes which were made in this country and felt that here was an opportunity which should be investigated. Accordingly, he came to this country and at once settled in Davenport, Iowa, where he worked on a farm for three years. He then managed a stone quarry in Clinton county, Iowa, for a year, after which he went to Grundy county and farmed for eight years. In 1884 he came to Sutherland and for the next twenty-one years operated a retail meat market in this city. In 1905 he disposed of his interest in the meat market and retired from active life. He now owns a beautiful home in Sutherland and until recently owned one hundred and forty acres of land in O'Brien county. He is one of the stockholders of the Farmers Elevator Company of Sutherland.

Mr. Kirchhof was married in 1883 to Bertha Homfeldt and to this union have been born two children, Frieda, a clerk in the postoffice at Sutherland, and Antonia, clerking in one of the stores at Sutherland.

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Mr. Kirchhuf has been a stanch Democrat since hecoming a naturalized citizen in this country and has always taken an active interest in political affairs. He was mayor of the city of Sutherland for six years and took a prominent part in bringing the city to its present state of prosperity and all public improvements were given his hearty support at all times. He and the members of his family are earnest adherents of the German Lutheran church and subscribe liberally to the support of that denomination. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Mr. Kirchhof has so ordered his life as to command the confidence, respect and esteem of the citizens of his community and, being a man of honorable business methods and advocating whatever tends to promote the public welfare, he has justly earned the title of a representative man in his community.

SLICK & McFARLAND.

Among the various business enterprises of the city of Sutherland, O'Brien county, Iowa, which have been effective in raising the standard of refinement and education throughout the community, none perhaps are more deserving of special mention than the firm of printers and publishers whose name forms the caption to this article. Of John N. Slick, the senior member of the firm, improvement and progress may well be said to form the keynote of his character, and he is one of the best known and most influential citizens of the community. He has not only been interested in advancing his individual affairs, but his influence has been exerted for the like benefit of those about him. He has been an industrious man all his life, striving ever to keep abreast of the times in every respect and. as a result, every mile post of the years he has passed has found him further advanced toward the goal of his desires. Associated with him in the business enterprise in question is his son-in-law, Elmer McFarland, a young men of sterling principles and great force of character who gives promise of becoming even a greater power for good in the community as the years pass by.

John N. Slick is a native of the state of Illinois, born in Carroll county in 1855, the son of Jerry and Elizabeth (Ledy) Slick, the former of whom was born in Maryland in 1821, engaged in farming in Illinois in 1847 and there remained until his death in 1910. The mother of the subject was born in 1822 and in 1901 met instant death in the railroad yards at Lanark, Illinois. They were the parents of five children, two of whom, George C.

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and Jerome R., have passed into the great beyond. Besides the subject, there are still living Jerry L. and David A., both located in Illinois. John N. Slick attended the district schools of Carroll county, Illinois, where his elementary education was received, and when seventeen years of age he entered a general merchandise store as clerk, where he remained for eleven years. After these years of faithful service he saw greater opportunities for himself elsewhere and severed his connection with his old employer, coming to Sutherland in i882. Here he engaged in the mercantile business, which enterprise claimed his time and attention for thirty-one years. Comparatively recently he disposed of his old established business and purchased the printing establishment, which now bears his name as above. In addition to this business Mr. Slick is also interested in a tract of two hundred and forty acres of land in O'Brien county, on which general farming and stock raising is carried on.

In 1881 Mr. Slick was united in marriage with Charlotte Lowell, and to their union have been born three daughters: Grace, the eldest, is Mrs. Hurless, the wife of a farmer of O'Brien county; Maye is Mrs. Elmer McFarland, wife of her father's business associate, and Mabel, the youngest daughter, is attending college at Chicago, Illinois. The family is considered one of the best of the county, being prominent in the various social, religious and educational circles, shedding a kindly influence upon all with whom they come in contact. In politics, Mr. Slick is aligned with the conservative Republican faction and brings considerable influence to bear upon his party's affairs. His religious affiliation is with the Christian church, and to the local oreanization he gives generouslv of time and means to further the cause. His fraternal affiliation is with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in the workings of the local society he takes more than a passing interest. Mr. Slick is a man whose genial good nature and sterling qualities have won for him many friends, for he is esteemed as one of the township's solid and substantial citizens, a man who has been successful in the formation of a strong character and one whose judgment is much respected. He is well known throughout the county and enjoys the good will and confidence of a large circle of friends.

Elmer McFarland, editor and publisher, junior member of the firm in question, was born in 1885 at Lee Summit, Missouri. He came to Sutherland when quite a young man and became identified in the mercantile store owned by Mr. Slick, since when their business interests have been closely allied. He received his early education in the schools of his native locality, later attending Drake University, from which he was graduated. In 1910 he

992 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

was united in matrimony with Maye Slick, daughter of John N. Slick, and to their union has been born a daughter, Charlotte. Mr. McFarland is but a young man in years, but he has already established a reputation as a man earnestly desiring the best things of life for himself and the community as well, and it is safe to predict that as the years pass over his head, bringing with them still greater opportunities, he will take his place as one of the strongest and best citizens the county can boast.

EDWIN W. McCRACKEN.

The biographer finds it extremely difficult in a brief sketch of any living citizen to do the subject exact and impartial justice, not perhaps so much for space or words to set forth the familiar and passing events of his personal history, as for the want of the perfect and rounded conception of the whole life which can only be obtained after the life has closed and may be viewed through the perspective of years. Daily contact with man so familiarizes us with his virtues that we ordinarily overlook them and are often guilty of underestimating their possessor. It is not often that true honor, public or private, comes to a man without basis in character and deeds. Not a few men live unheralded and almost unknown beyond the narrow limits of the community in which their lots are cast, yet who have in them, if fortune had opened to them a wider sphere of life, the elements of character to make statesmen, public benefactors or financiers of world-wide fame. However, there is a sure, if lowlier, way to tell the worth of a man, and that is by the regard in which he is held by his fellow citizens. They see him in every relation of life and if the years stamp him with approval in the eyes of friends and neighbors, he may be regarded as worthy indeed. Throughout his residence in Paullina, men have come to know what manner of man Edwin W. McCracken is and the consensus of opinion is that he is a good citizen in the highest sense of the word and a business man worthy of every confidence.

Edwin McCracken, well known shoe merchant of Paullina, O'Brien county, Iowa, is a native of Illinois, born in McClain county in 1873, being the son of William and Nancy (Reaney) McCracken. William McCracken was a native of Scotland, where his vocation was that of a farmer. He was eminently successful in the breeding and selling of graded horses also, and after emigrating to this country he continued to follow his accustomed vocation. He settled in McClain county, Illinois, where he remained a few

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years and later came to O'Brien county, locating in Baker township. He had not been a resident of this connty long when his death occurred in 1880. He left his widow, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1857, and at present resides in Panllina. There were three children in the family, all sons. Those other than the immediate subject of this sketch are Francis T., who is located in Worthington, Minnesota, where he is interested in the real estate business, while William lives in Sioux City, Iowa. He is considerable of a mechanic, with an inventive turn of mind, and in addition to numerous smaller devices, has to his credit an excellent gas engine and also a machine to facilitate the manufacture of cement tiling.

After the death of the father, the subject assumed the burden of responsibility, remaining on the farm with the mother in Baker township until he was twenty-six years of age. They were early settlers in that part of the County and owing to scarcity of fuel, burned straw, hay and corn, in order to keep themselves sufficiently warm throughout the long winters. This would be rather an expensive proceeding in this day, but at that time those products named commanded an extremely small figure in the markets. Corn sold for nine cents per bushel, the other products in like proportion and eggs brought but three cents per dozen. After leaving the farm the subject went to Goldfield, Iowa, and became identified with the drug business at that place, operating a store there until 1912. During the years of his residence in Goldfield he had become possessed of an excellent tract of land in the state of Minnesota and this he traded for the shoe store which he now owns and operates in Panllina. This business is in a most gratifying condition, Mr. McCracken carrying a stock worth about seven thousand dollars. He also owns one hundred and sixty acres of land in Baker township, O'Brien county, where general farming is carried on.

In 1899 Mr. McCracken was united in marriage with Evah Carfield, a native of Illinois, born in 1880. Their union has been blessed with two children, Kenneth and Helen, both of whom are at home and attending school. In politics, Mr. McCracken has always been afiiliated with the Democratic party and takes more than a passive interest in that party's affairs. He served Baker township as clerk for a few years and has always been identified with the party's local affairs. While not a member of any church society, he is an attendant on the means of grace and interested in all that pertains to the betterment of the higher life of the community. His fraternal affiliation is with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Mr. McCracken is widely known throughout the county and is deservedly popular among all classes of people by whom he is known.

994 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

ANTHONY WILLIAM SOLON.

When James Watts was perfecting his steam engine, he little dreamed that the day would come when his invention would be the means of advancing civilization in a manner which was little short of wonderful. Today, with the thousands and tens of thousands of railroads which are serving our country, it is an industry which employs hundreds of thousands of men. When the first railroad was built across the western plains and San Francisco was united with New York, it was thought that at last this country was really bound together. Today there are more miles of railroad in Iowa than there were in forty-nine states in 1850. Thousands of men in Iowa today find employment upon one or the other of the great railroad systems which are in this state.

Anthony William Solon, a passenger conductor on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, was born December 26, 1849, in Carbondale. Pennsylvania. He is the son of Martin and Anna (Corcoran) Solon, both of whom were born in Ireland. Martin Solon was born in 1806 and came to America when he was about thirty years of age and found employment in the mines of Pennsylvania. There he married and in 1857 came to Iowa and settled in Allamakee county where he purchased a farm and improved it. In 1870 he moved to Mason City, where he died in 1893. His wife, Anna Corcoran, passed away in 1889. To Martin Solon and wife were born seven children: Anthony W., whose history forms the theme of this narrative; Mrs. Margaret McDevitt, of Oelwein, Iowa; Martin, of Greenville, Montana; Mrs. Mary Crowley, of Mt. Carmel, Illinois; Patrick, a railroad man in the state of Washington; Mrs. Annie Appleton, of Boston, Massachusetts, and Mrs. Libbie Welch, of Des Moines, Iowa.

Anthony W. Solon received his education in the common schools of Pennsylvania and Iowa and worked with his father on the farm until he was twenty-three years of age. He then began to work for the Iowa Central Railroad. In the spring of 1881 he became an employee of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad. He was gradually promoted until he became a passenger conductor in 1889. He then moved to Sanborn and for the past twenty-four years has had the run from Sanborn to McGregor. Mr. Solon has investment in the Sanborn State Bank and is a director of that financial institution. He owns a half section of farm land in Kingsbury county, South Dakota, and a fine home in Sanborn.

Mr. Solon was married January 28, 1878, in Mason City, Iowa, to

Picture of ANTHONY W. SOLON

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Catharine Farrell, who was horn in Halifax, Nova Scotia, June 29, 1855, the daughter of William and Catharine (Walsh) Farrell, natives of Cork, Ireland, and St. John's, Newfoundland, respectively. Her parents moved to Cerro Gordo county, Iowa, in 1866 and were among the pioneers of that county. William Farrell had been a sailing master on the sea, and was an aged man when he came to Iowa and settled with his nine children. Two sons had preceded the family to Iowa. Mr. Farrell died in 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Solon have three children: Mrs. Josephine Johnson, who lives in West Virginia and has two sons, William and Solon; William A., who is cashier of the Sanborn State Bank, and Eugene, who is assistant cashier in the Sanborn State Bank. Eugene was born in November, 1887, and was educated in the Sanborn high school and the Globe Commercial College of St. Paul, Minnesota.

Mr. Solon has been a life-long Democrat, but, owing to the nature of his work, has never been able to take an active part in politics. He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Order of Railway Conductors. He and his family are earnest members of the Catholic church and belong to the St. Cecilia church at Sanborn. Mr. Solon is a man who is highly respected by everyone who knows him because of his upright life and the interest which he shows in the various enterprises which affect the welfare of his city. He is a man of pleasing appearance and has a host of friends who admire him for his many good qualities.

ADOLPH BOCK

Tireless energy, keen perception, honesty of purpose, genius for devising and executing the right thing in the right place and time, are the chief characteristics of the successful business man whose name heads this article. Adolph Bock, well known hardware merchant of Paullina, O'Brien county, Iowa, is deserving of more than passing mention, for he has come into his present gratifying circumstances wholly through and by his own personal effort. Born on a foreign soil, he came to this country after attaining years of maturity, facing conditions wholly different from those to which he had been accustomed, but, being possessed of a determination to succeed, he allowed no stone to remain unturned and gradually has nearer and nearer approached his goal. It would be impossible to enter fully into the struggles

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of his earlier years, or the success of his later manhood, hut suffice it to say that while putting forth strenuous effort to attain material success, he has also ever sought to win that greater and more lasting success, the confidence and liking of his fellow men, and in this latter ambition he has been highly successful.

Adolph Bock was born in Germany in 1845, being the son of John and Lena (Knutsen) Bock, the former born in 1805 and the latter in 1802, both natives of Germany, where their entire lives were passed. The father followed the trade of a brick-maker throughout his life, dying in the year 1870, while the mother lived until the year 1879. They were the parents of nine children, all deceased except one half-brother. The subject received his education under the excellent school system of his native country, and when twenty-four years of age, in 1869, he emigrated to this country, locating first in Davenport, Iowa. At that point he passed a few years, working at various trades, but finding nothing entirely to his liking. He then secured a position as clerk in a hardware store, where he remained for nine years, mastering the ins and outs of the business. However, the vocation of farming strongly appealed to him and after severing his connection with the hardware company he came to Primghar, near which place he secured land which he rented and farmed for a time. In this venture he was highly successful from the first and soon saw his way clear to purchase a tract of land in Union township, O'Brien county, containing two hundred and forty acres. In this location he remained for eighteen years, carrying on general farming. As he advanced in years the thought of being owner and proprietor of a hardware business recurred to him and he finally saw his great opportunity. He traded his farm for the business which he now owns and in which he is highly successful. He carries about eight thousand dollars worth of stock, owns the building in which his business is located, and has associated with him his two sons, John and Henry. In addition to his unquestioned honesty and integrity, Mr. Bock possesses a pleasing and genial manner, which is a rare asset for one catering to public patronage and which has borne no small part in his general success.

In 1872 Mr. Bock was united in marriage with Alvine Guhn, also a native of Germany, born in 1850, and to their union have been born five children: Alma, the eldest, is Mrs. Gauden and lives in South Dakota; Lulu (Mrs. Curen) resides in Hawarden, Iowa; the two sons above mentioned are located in Paullina, and Ella, the youngest daughter, remains in the paternal home. Politically, Mr. Bock is a Democrat and he holds his fraternal affiliations with the Free and Accepted Masons and also is a member

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of the Yeomen of America, holding membership in these orders through the local organizations at Paullina. Mr. Bock's early life story is not uncommon in our western country and serves as an object lesson to those who would mount the ladder of success. His beginning was characterized by hard work and conscientious endeavor, and he owes his rise to no train of fortunate incidents or fortuitous circumstances, It is the reward of application of mental qualifications of a high order to the affairs of business, the combining with keen perceptions of mental activity that enabled him to grasp the opportunities that presented themselves. This he did with success and. what is more important, with honor. His integrity has ever been unassailable, his honor unimpeachable, and he stands today one of the successful men and representative citizens of his town and county.

ARTHUR W. McBRIDE.

It is a well recognized fact that the most powerful influence in shaping and controlling public life is the press. It reaches a greater number of people than any other agency and thus has always been and always will be a most important factor in the moulding of public opinion and, in a definite sense, shaping the destiny of the nation. The gentleman to a brief review of whose life the following lines are devoted is prominently connected with the journalism of western Iowa, and at this time is editor and publisher of the Paullina Times, one of the most popular papers of O'Brien county, comparing favorably with the best local sheets in this section of the state in news, editorial ability and mechanical execution. The county recognizes in Mr. McBride not only a keen newspaper man, but also a representative citizen, whose interests in all that affects the general welfare has been of such a character as to win for him a high place in the confidence and esteem of the people. In view of the fact that the sheet in question has a weekly circulation among one thousand subscribers, it is easy to judge the regard in which the publication, in question is held.

Arthur W. McBride was born in Tama county, Iowa, in 1884, the son of Frank and Mary (Wood) McBride, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania in 1854. For a great many years prior to his death, in 1894, he was engaged in the insurance business. His widow, and the mother of the immediate subject, was born in Tama county in 1860, and at present resides in Traer, Iowa. The subject was the only child born of that union

998 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

and at the age of nineteen he matriculated at Grinnell College, where he took a course in liberal arts. At the age of twenty-three he was graduated from the institution in question and went to Sioux City, where he secured employment with the Journal, one of the leading newspapers, in the capacity of reporter and assistant editor. Two years later he severed his connection with the Journal, going to Grinnell, Iowa, where he became manager of one of the leading publications and there remained until the year 1909, when he first came to Paullina. Here he purchased the business to which he now so ably gives his time and attention, and in addition to this he owns his residence in the best section of the town, said residence occupying a lot and a half. Mr. McBride was married in 1912 to Ruth Babbitt, and to their union has been born a son, Arthur, junior.

Mr. McBride, in his publication, voices the principles of the old-line Republican party, being one of its most stalwart supporters in this section of the state. His religious affiliation is with the Presbyterian church and he is a member of the ancient order of Freemasonry. As may be expected, Mr. McBride takes more than a passive interest in the various enterprises making for the betterment of community life. He is now a trustee of the public library and always endeavors so to use the peculiar influence which is his as to broaden the minds and strengthen the convictions of those with whom he comes in contact, either directly or through his publication. In his business enterprise, Mr. McBride has made a distinct success, not only building up a splendid circulation and a large advertising patronage, but also gaining a wide reputation as an able and versatile writer.

JOHN COWAN.

Clearly defined purpose and consecutive effort in the affairs of life will inevitably result in the attaining of a due measure of success, but in following out the career of one who has attained success by his own efforts, there comes into view the intrinsic individuality which made such accomplishment possible, and thus there is granted an objective incentive and inspiration, while at the same time there is enkindled a feeling of respect and admiration. The qualities which have made Mr. Cowan one of the prominent and successful men of Paullina have also brought him the esteem of his fellow townsmen, for his career has been one of well directed energy, strong determination and honorable methods.

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John Cowan is a native of Scotland, that country noted for the sterling qualities of its people and their strong religious traits. He was born in 1S58, being the son of Francis Cowan, who passed his entire life in his native country. In 1881, when twenty-three years of age, the subject left his native home, emigrating to America, where he settled in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He remained at that place four years, working as a carpenter and in 1884 came to Paullina, where for eight years he followed contracting and building, and many of the better buildings of the city today owe their worth and attractiveness to his skill. However, there came a time when he saw still greater opportimities in the furniture business, and in this he engaged. In connection with that business he learned the art of embalming and is one of the foremost funeral directors of this section. In his endeavors he has attained a pleasing measure of success and also owns the block in which his business is located.

In 1883 Mr. Cowan was united in marriage with Belle Aitken, a native of Scotland, whose parents were among the earliest settlers of O'Brien county. She was born in 1856 and was quite a young girl when, with her parents, she emigrated to America. Mr. and Mrs. Cowan have a family of three children, namely: Mary (Mrs. Scott) is the wife of an O'Brien county farmer; Francis, the son, is associated with the father in his business, and Evelyn, the younger daughter, still remains at home. The family is identified with the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Cowan enjoys the distinction of having served his church as elder for the past twenty-five years and has also taken an active interest in the various other phases of church work. In politics he is a Democrat, while his fraternal affiliation is with the Yeomen of America. He is keenly alive to the various interests of community life and every enterprise having as its object the advancement of the social, educational or material side, finds in him a stanch supporter, one, too, who is willing to put his convictions into execution. At one time Mr. Cowan served on the school board for fifteen years and is a trustee of the public library. Mr. Cowan is a man of genial disposition and broad sympathies which particularly fit him for the exacting duties of his profession, and some of his warmest friends are those whom he met for the first time while in the discharge of such duties and through his kindness and consideration won their confidence and respect for all time. He has always stood for progressive ideas and wholesome living and, although his life has been without incident of an unusual nature, it has shown that steady consecutive endeavor, coupled with honesty of purpose, will accomplish large results in the end.

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WALTER A. BLAESSER.

The gentleman to whom the reader's attention is now directed was not favored by inherited wealth nor the assistance of influential friends, but in spite of this, by perseverance, industry and wise economy, he has attained a comfortable station in life and is well and favorably known throughout this section, being regarded as a man of sound business principles and thoroughlv up to date in all that pertains to his chosen vocation. While primarily advancing his individual interests, he has not neglected his general duties as a citizen and is, therefore, worthy of the trust and confidence which he enjoys.

Walter A. Blaesser, well known druggist of Paullina, O'Brien county, Iowa, is a native of this state, born at Cherokee in 1879, the son of Charles and Regina (Schmidt) Blaesser, the latter born in 1854 at Hamilton, Wisconsin. Charles Blaesser, father of the subject, is a native of Germany, born in 1845, and when twenty-one years of age he left his boyhood home, emigrating to America. Upon his arrival in this country he decided to remain in New York City and became apprenticed to the barber trade. There he remained for some time, later moving to Wisconsin, where for a number of years he worked at his trade. However, he saw greater opportunities elsewhere and in 1874 came to Iowa, locating at Cherokee, where he owned and operated the first barber shop in that place. He remained there for ten years and in 1884 disposed of his business interests there and took up his residence at Granville, Iowa, in 1884 and in 1891 moved to Hawarden, this state, where he became quite a large buyer and shipper of grain and continued in his business connections in Hawarden until 1898. He associated his son, W. A., with him in the drug business, and in 1907 he retired from active business in Cherokee and there he and his wife are passing their declining years in ease and comfort. They were married in 1879, and to their union six children were born, three of whom have passed into the great beyond.

Walter A. Blaesser, the immediate subject of this sketch, received his early education in the schools of his home neighborhood and when fourteen years of age he was taken into a drug store in Hawarden as apprentice boy. ' He remained with that firm two years and then became associated with a drug firm at Cherokee, where he remained two years also. During this time he had acquired a practical knowledge of the business, but, desiring to become a graduate pharmacist, he in 1897 entered the Northwestern

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School of Pharmacy at Chicago, Illinois, being granted his diploma one year later. Directly after graduation he returned to Cherokee and purchased the interests of the drug firm with which he had been associated before attending college. For nine years he operated this store, when he disposed of same and came to Paullina where, in partnership with his brother-in-law, William F. Eshleman, he purchased the business which they have since carried on. In addition to other lines they carry the Rexall and American Drug Syndicate goods, under the firm name of Blaesser & Eshleman.

In 1904 Mr. Blaesser was united in marriage with Louise E. Eshleman. He is aligned with the conservative Republican party and religiously is identified with the Presbyterian church. His fraternal affiliations are with the Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. Blaesser is a man of genial, thought quiet, disposition who readily makes friends and retains them. His business is conducted along most approved lines and he has the confidence of his patrons, a thing most to be desired, particularly in the business to which he devotes himself.

ANTHONY J. BRAIG.

Anthony J. Braig, identified with the harness manufacturing business at Paullina, O'Brien county, Iowa, was born in 1870 at Galena, Illinois, the son of Anthony, Sr., and Katherine (Schultz) Braig. Anthony Braig, Sr., was a native of Germany, born in 1843. IIn early manhood he emigrated to this country and settled in Galena, Illinois, in 1865, where he remained for a number of years engaged in the brewing business. In 1877 he removed to Bellevue, Iowa, and was employed there as a brewer until the time of his death in 1892. In 1869 he was united in marriage with Katherine Schultz, who also was a native of Germany, born in 1848 and whose death occurred in 1908. They were the parents of three children, all of whom are living.

The subject received his schooling at Bellevue and when but thirteen years of age was apprenticed to the harness trade, remaining in that connection for six years. At that time he went to Clinton, Iowa, where for three years he was employed by a saddlery and harness company. He returned to Bellevue, working at the retail trade for one year and in 1895 came to Paullina, O'Brien county, where for three years he followed his trade. He then bought out the firm by whom he was employed and at

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the present time owns a half interest in the business, which has grown in a most satisfactory manner since he assumed the management of it. He has more than a local reputation as an expert in his line and is known as a man of most honorable business methods, worthy of every trust and confidence.

In 1896 Mr. Braig was united in marriage with Josephine Manderschied, born in 1872 in Jackson, Iowa, and to their union three children were born, but one of whom, Eugenia, is living. Leo Anthony died when small and another child died in earliest infancy. Mr. Braig endorses the policy of the Progressive party and endeavors to keep thoroughly posted on all current events. Religiously, he is a communicant of the Roman Catholic church and his fraternal affiliation is with the Knights of Columbus. In every phase of life's activities in which he has engaged Mr. Braig has been true to every trust and because of the genuine worth of his character he retains the sincere regard of all who know him.

G. E. KNAACK.

In examining the life records of self-made men, it will invariably be found that indefatigable industry has constituted the basis of their success. True, there are other elements which enter in and conserve the advancement of personal interests, — perseverance and mastering of expedients, — but the foundation of all achievements is earnest, persistent labor. At the outset of his career, Mr. Knaack recognized this fact, and he did not seek any royal road to the goal of prosperity and independence, but began to work earnestly and diligently in order to advance himself, and the result is that he is now numbered among the progressive, successful and influential business men of O'Brien county.

G. E. Knaack, the cashier of the German Savings Bank of Hartley, Iowa, was born October 24, 1876, in Cedar county, Iowa, on a farm. He is the son of Theodore and Anna (Rohweder) Knaack, both of whom were natives of Germany. Theodore Knaack was born in 1846 and came to this country in 1849 with his parents. Anna Rohweder was born in 1854 and came to America with her parents in 1867. The parents of both families settled in Scott county, Iowa, when the country was an unbroken prairie west of Davenport. Theodore Knaack and his wife were married in Davenport and went to Cedar county, where they made their home. In 1903 they sold their farm in Cedar county and retired to Luverne, Minnesota, where they are now living.

Picture of G. E. KNAACK.

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G E. Knaack was educated in the Durant schools and later took a course in the Commercial College in Davenport. He then worked on his father's farm in Cedar county, and engaged in the grain business. Later he entered a bank at Rake, Iowa, and in 1902 came to Hartley and commenced as cashier of the German Savings Bank on Thanksgiving day.

The German Savings Bank was organized in November, 1902, with a capital stock of twenty thousand dollars. It has had a prosperous career from the date of its organization and is now in a position where it enjoys the confidence of its patrons to a marked degree. The directors are J. T. Conn, William T. Voss, C. A. Dutton, G. E. Knaack, John Hebbel, John Fick, Jochim Leth, Henry Brandt and A. T. Rohweder. The officers are J. T. Conn, president: William T. Voss, vice-president; G. E. Knaack. cashier, and H. P. Mousel, assistant cashier. The condition of the bank is shown by the report which the bank issued March 17. 1914: Resources — Loans. $368,650.03; overdrafts. $1,955.55; cash on hand and due from banks, $60,297.61; real estate, banking house furniture and fixtures, $7,000.00; total. $437,903.19. Liabilities — Capital. S20.000.00; deposits, $399,402.15; surplus and profits, $14,350.31: rediscount. $4,150.73; total, $437,903.19

In addition to his banking interest, Mr. Knaack is an extensive land dealer and handles thousands of acres of land annually, in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and other states. In 1913 he did the largest land business of any firm in O'Brien county, his business in that year aggregating six hundred thousand dollars. He has individual holdings in O'Brien county, Iowa, and in South Dakota and Minnesota. He is also president of the Welcome State Bank, at Welcome, Minnesota, which was organized in 1913, with a capital stock of $12,500 and a surplus of $2,500.

Mr. Knaack was married February 19, 1908, to Ada B. Miller, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dorr Miller. of Hartley. To this union have been born two children, Edward, born December 19, 1909, and Helen, born December 20, 1911.

Politically, Mr. Knaack is a member of the Democratic party and has always taken an active interest in politics, has been secretary of the county central committee and on September 24, 1913, was selected chairman of the O'Brien Democratic committee. He has attended the various state conventions of his party for the past several years and has a wide acquaintance among the leading Democrats of his state. While not a member of any particular church, yet he is a firm believer in the work of the church and is a liberal supporter of various churches. Fraternally, he is a member of the

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Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and is a member of the Scottish Rite, in which he has attained to the thirty-second degree. He is also a member of the Brotherhood of American Yeomen at Hartley. Mr. Knaack is a self-made man and has earned every dollar he possesses today by his own business ability and determination. He is another one of the many examples of citizens of our county who are descendants of German parents and who have made a notable success in this county. He is a man who has taken his part in public affairs and supported every movement which he felt would benefit his community. Personally, he is a man of pleasing appearance and easily makes friends wherever he goes.

CHARLES C. CANNON.

Perhaps one of the most widely known citizens of O'Brien county, Iowa, is the honored gentleman whose name forms the caption of this review. For many years he has bought grain throughout this locality, his business bringing him into contact with a vast number of citizens of this and surrounding counties, by all of whom he is held in the highest esteem by reason of his irreproachable business methods and genuine worth of character. While primarily seeking his own individual interests, he has been of inestimable assistance to farmers of this locality in affording them a ready market for their grain. He has figured prominently in the growth and development of this favored locality, his interests being identified with its progress, and he has contributed in a definite measure in his particular sphere of action to the well-being of the community and to the advancement of its normal and legitimate growth. Earnest purpose and tireless energy, combined with mature judgment and everyday common sense, have been among his prominent characteristics and he has merited the respect and esteem which are accorded him by all who know him.

Charles C. Cannon was born in 1862 at Philadelphia, Tennessee, a son of William and Susan (Bogart) Cannon, the former being a native of the same place, born in 1824. His vocation was that of a farmer, which business he carried on, on a large scale, owning two thousand acres in his native state, and in which enterprise he was highly successful. He was a veteran of the Mexican War and his death occurred at his home in Tennessee in 1898. In 1856 he was united in marriage with Susan Bogart, who was born at Athens, Tennessee, in 1836, and she is still living, making her

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home on the old plantation in Tennessee with her son Arthur. She is the mother of seven children, three of whom have passed away.

The subject received his elementary education in the schools near his boyhood home, later attending the University of Tennessee, from which he was graduated in 1886. Shortly after graduation he came to Paullina, O'Brien county, where, in company with his brother Robert and John Metcalf, he engaged in the grain business. In this venture they have been highly successful, the subject and W. C. Metcalf now owning the entire business. They buy and ship grain, handling many car loads in the course of a year. Mr. Cannon is also a shareholder in the Logan Lumber Company of Knoxville, Tennessee, which company also maintains a branch at Cincinnati, Ohio. He also serves this institution as its vice-president and is largely concerned in its management. In addition to these business interests, he also owns a tract containing five hundred and seventy-six acres, adjoining his old home in Tennessee, on which he carries on general farming as practiced in that locality.

In 1896 Mr. Cannon was united in marriage with Grace Jennings, who was born in Iowa Falls, Iowa, in 1874. To their union have been born five children, the eldest of whom, William, the only son, is deceased. The daughters, Susan, Margaret and Catherine, remain with the parents; Mary died June 24, 1914. The family is well liked, moving in the best social circles of the town, and are prominent in church and other matters pertaining to the advancement of the best interests of community life.

Politically. Mr. Cannon gives his support to the Democratic party and is one of its most stalwart adherents in this section. He had conferred on him the honor of being a delegate to the national convention of his party at Denver, Colorado, in 1907 and an amusing coincidence connected therewith, lay in the fact that his partner, W. C. Metcalf, with whom he is so closely associated, was in the same year a delegate to the Republican national convention at Chicago, Illinois. In 1912 Mr. Cannon was elected to represent O'Brien county in the Legislature. Mr. Cannon possesses considerable civic pride and has done much to advance the welfare of his home town. For several years past he has been a school director and takes a keen interest in all pertaining to the proper education of youth. His religious affiliation is with the Presbyterian church, being a faithful and consistent member of same, and to the support of the local society giving liberally of his means. He is a member of the time-honored order of Freemasonry, evincing a keen interest in the work of the local society. Endowed by nature with strong mental powers and possessing the courage and energy to direct his faculties

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in proper channels, he early became a man of resourceful capacity, as the able management of his private affairs abundantly testifies. He possesses the happy faculty of not only making friends but binding them to himself by his good qualities of head and heart.

CHRIS MELTVEDT.

Northern Europe has sent to our shores many worthy citizens, men who have accomplished much for themselves, and in so doing have brought credit to the community in which they reside. These men who have come to us from afar, those who have journeyed from the beautiful country of Norway, essentially a land of industry and thrift, have in most instances made for themselves enviable positions and acquired for their declining years a competence. Such a man is the subject of whom we wish to speak in this article.

Chris Meltvedt, a prominent citizen of Union township, O'Brien county, was born in the year 1856 in Norway, the son of Knud Meltvedt. This latter gentleman was born in the year 1828 and the early years of his life were spent in the land of his nativity. In the year 1853 he was united in marriage to Ragnild Rovnaas, whose birth occurred in the year 1829. Throughout his youth Mr. Meltvedt has heard glowing reports of the golden opportunities which awaited the willing worker in the New World, and in the year 1866 he was enabled to bring his family across the broad seas and seek their future amid the broad prairies of our own state of Iowa. Here, in Marshall county, they established their home, engaging in the pursuit of agriculture. Here they remained for twenty years, and at the expiration of this period of energetic labor and proverbial Norwegian thrift, he was enabled to purchase for himself a tract of land which should fulfill for the family their former dreams of wealth. In O'Brien county he found a tract of six hundred and forty acres, a mile east of Paullina, and this was purchased and a homestead established. The ground was soon broken and planted, comfortable buildings were erected and other necessary improvements were made, and here the declining years of Knud Meltvedt were spent. Six children were born to this worthy couple, one of whom is now deceased. Martha, now Mrs. Strangland, is a resident of Highland township; Andrew is a successful farmer of Union township; Einger, now

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Mrs. Medhus, is a resident of Union township, and Mrs. Henderson, with whom the mother resides, is also a resident of Union township. The father was called to his final rest in the year of 1914, having lived far beyond the alloted span of three score years and ten.

Chris Meltvedt remained with his parents, assisting in the labors of the farm and accompanying them in their journeyings, until he reached the age of twenty-eight years. At this time he engaged in the pursuit of agriculture for himself in Marshall county, Iowa. Shortly afterward he came to Paullina, O'Brien county, and entered into partnership with Theodore Wichner in the ownership of a general store, and in this he labored diligently for the upbuilding of the concern. Here he remained until the year of 1913, when he retired from active business life and returned to the homestead of his father east of Paullina. He is now the owner of a quarter section of well improved and cultivated land and also has an interest in a two-hundred-and-fifty-acre fruit farm in Idaho.

Mr. Meltvedt was united in marriage, in the year 1884, to Susan Jacobson, whose birth occurred in Norway in 1867. Seven children came to brighten their home, now located as follows: Vida (Mrs. Tjossem), a resident of Chinook, Montana; Kurnel and Silas, both at home, assisting in the activities and labors of the farm; Clair, clerking in a grocery in Paullina; Etta, a trained nurse of Boise, Idaho; Madeline and Christopher, attending school. In the year 1901, however, sorrow came to the family, for the Grim Reaper called from their midst the faithful wife and mother. In 1903 Mr. Meltvedt's marriage to Martha Moen, also a native of Norway, occurred, and she is now his helpmate and the mistress of his home.

The business of Mr. Meltvedt has been marked throughout by unbounded energy, perseverance in carrying out the plans previously outlined by him, and unquestioned integrity in all his dealings. One of the substantial, dependable, conservative citizens of the township, he is held in high esteem by his fellow citizens. This is evidenced by the fact that for thirteen years he has been selected by them to serve as a member of the school board of the locality, a position which he has held with credit to himself and to his constituents. He has given of his time and energy without stint, being awake to the progress of the times in educational affairs and deeply interested in all matters and movements looking toward the higher efficiency and increased purity of life and thought of the coming generation. Politically, he is a man of strong principles and firm beliefs, voting for what he conscientiously believes to be the best interests of the community at large. He

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is now a strong adherent of the Independent Progressive party. Religiously, he is an attendent of the Lutheran church and, fraternally, is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Paullina, among whom he is held in high esteem.

H. THEODORE RUTHER.

The gentleman whose name appears at the head of this article is well known to many of our readers, heing connected with a thriving butcher shop in Paullina and a retired farmer of Liberty township. Like so many other of our representatve business men, he is a native of Germany, having been born in that country in the year 1876. His father, Peter Ruther, was also a native of the fatherland and there his youth was spent. In the year 1874 he was married to Tilsie Carson, whose birth occurred in 1843. In the year 1881 he emigrated with his family to America, making his way directly to the unbroken fields of western Iowa. Here, in Tama county he remained for two years, after which he continued his journey, eventually settling in O'Brien county where he purchased a tract of land in Union township, and also one in Liberty township. Here he remained for thirteen years, diligently laboring to cultivate and improve the place which the family loved to call home. Here the children received their schooling and wandered in the broad fields, and as they grew to maturity assisted in the various duties of the place. In the year 1906, however, the father felt that the years of toil through which he had passed were sufficient and that he had earned the right to spend the declining years of his life in rest and quiet. Hence the farm was disposed of and the family was moved to Paullina and there ensconsed in a comfortable home. Of the three children who were born to this worthy couple, however, but one, the subject of this sketch, is now a resident of the county. John W. is now farming in North Dakota, and Marguret, now Mrs. Schlapkohl, is a resident of South Dakota.

Theodore Ruther remained with his father until twenty-one years of age and assisted in breaking and cultivating the western fields in O'Brien county. In the year 1901 was solemnized his marriage to Anna Holm and soon afterwards he rented a tract of land which he cultivated for a period of nine years. At the expiration of this time he was enabled to purchase a tract for himself, and after two years of successful cultivation and improvement this was disposed of and his capital reinvested in a quarter section

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of farm land in South Dakota. This farm he still owns, though he retired from active labor along this line in the year 1907, at which time he took up his abode in the town of Panllina. In the year 1913, however, he took up employment in the meat market business of Fernand Helbert, in Paullina.

Mr. Ruther is a firm believer in the principles promulgated by Jefferson and consistentlv votes the Democratic ticket. He and his wife arc both members of the German Lutheran church and he is affiliated with the order of Yeomen.

Mr. Ruther is vet a young man, but in a business way he has accomplished much, and his keen business acumen and aggresssive methods bear promise of future success.

JOHN T. JOSSEM.

Thee reader's attention is now called to a short review of the career of John T. Jossem, well known grain dealer of Paullina, O'Brien county, Iowa. Mr. Jossem was born in Marshall county, Iowa, in 1871, being the son of Ole P. and Julia f. (Norland) Jossem, both natives of Norway, the former born in 1843 and the latter in 1852. The elder Jossem left his native Norway upon attaining his majority, emigrating to America, the "land of promise" for so many ambitious young men of the old world. He came almost directly to Iowa, locating in Marshall county, where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. There he remained for a number of years and in 1884 came to O'Brien county, where he located in Dale township. He secured a tract of five hundred acres of land and this he was engaged in farming at the time of his death in 1905. He had succeeded along financial lines and was at the time of his death regarded as one of the leading men of his locality, his passing being a distinct loss to the community. He was a man of brain and ingenuity, readily solving many of the problems of pioneer life. At the time the telephone system above referred to was installed, sufficient poles to support the wires were not obtainable and the miles of fencing offered a ready solution to the difficulty, the wires being strung from house to house along the fence. Ole P. Jossem was the father of thirteen children, all living at the present time with the exception of one.

In 1895 Mr. Jossem was united in marriage with Altha Haynes, of Humboldt, Iowa, born in 1877, and to their union have been born three children, the eldest of whom, their son Clarence, they have had the misfortune to have removed from them through death. Two other sons, Ray and

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Howard, remain with their parents. Mr. Jossem's fraternal affiliation is with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and in the work of that order he takes a commendable interest.

REV. LEONARD JAMES COOPER.

This is a Christian nation, and one of the boasts of our country is the fact that each man can worship his God as he chooses. The Constitution of the United States guarantees to every one the right to worship as he pleases. This freedom of worship is one thing which has brought to this country people from every nation on the face of the globe. It was this freedom of worship which populated most of the original thirteen colonies, and today there is no one who questions the wisdom of our forefathers who incorporated that particular clause concerning religious freedom in the constitution.

Rev. Leonard James Cooper, pastor of St. Cecilia's Catholic church at Sanborn, Iowa, was born at Davenport, Scott county, Iowa, March 29, 1863, the son of Michael and Margaret (Ennis) Cooper, natives of Pennsylvania and Ireland, respectively. The Coopers are an old family and came with Lord Baltimore to Maryland more than four hundred years ago. Michael Cooper was born February 20, 1826, and was the son of Leonard Cooper, who came to Iowa in 1840, and was one of the earliest pioneers of the state. Michael Cooper married Margaret Ennis on November 24, 1854, who was born in Ireland February 1, 1834, the daughter of James and Elizabeth Crawford Ennis. Her parents came from Ireland to Canada and afterward emigrated to Scott county, Iowa. Michael Cooper died October 14, 1895, in Rock Rapids, Iowa, where he had moved in the summer of that year. The other died June 30, 1904, in Flandreau, South Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Michael Cooper were the parents of nine children: James H., born September 16, 1855, deceased; Mary E., born July 2. 1857, deceased; Charles A., born March 1, 1859, of Sanger, California; Elizabeth A., born December 8, i860, deceased; Rev. Leonard J., with whom this narrative deals; Mrs. Margaret P. Higgins, born July 14, 1865, of Sanger, California; Marcella L., born December 16, 1867, deceased; Thomas A., born June 4, 1871, now living in Seattle. Washington; Francis, born March 1, 1875, also of Sanger, California.

Father Cooper was reared on a farm in Scott county, Iowa, and was educated in St. Joseph's College at Dubuque, Iowa, where he remained from

Picture of REV. LEONARD JAMES COOPER.

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1891 to 1893, after which he spent a year in the Grand Seminary at Montreal, Canada. He then took the theological course at St. Mary's Seminary, at Baltimore, where he was in attendance three years and a half. He was ordained to the priesthood on December 19, 1896, and was first assigned to the charge of St. Joseph's church, Sioux City, as an assistant to Rev. A.W. Fowler. Two years later he was transferred to Charter Oak, in Crawford county, Iowa, where he remained for seven years. The next seven years he was in charge of the church at Alvord, Lyon county, and came to Sanborn September 14, 1911, and now has charge of the church at Sanborn, as well as St. Francis of Assisi, at Primghar. Father Cooper is a man of genial demeanor and kindly disposition, and, while he is greatly beloved by his own congregation because of the excellent work he is doing among them, he finds time to participate in the life of his community. He possesses that simplicity, purity and humility of character which are the characteristics of the man of God, and although he has firm convictions, yet his kindly way of expressing them helps to give them the greater value. He is a kind and courteous Christian, a worthy follower of him who has been called "the world's first gentleman."

WESTON D. RALSTON.

Prominent among the leading and most enterprising young men of Paullina, O'Brien county, Iowa, is Weston D. Ralston, the popular young postmaster of that place. While a young man in years, Mr. Ralston's attainments and accomplishments are such as might well be prized by many men of a greater number of years. In eveny section are found men who are born to leadership in the various vocations; men who dominate because of their superior intelligence, natural endowment and force of character. It is always profitable to study such lives, weigh their motives and hold up their achievements as incentives to greater activity and higher excellence on the part of others. Men endowed with a strong inherent force and superior ability are those from whom much is expected, as it is they alone who are naturally fitted to be leaders of men of lesser parts in all movements pertaining to the advancement of every cause that makes for a more perfect community or national life. It is gratifying to know that the sympathies of the subject in question are enlisted on the right side of every vital question of the day, and it is safe to predict that as the years pass

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by, bringing to him greater and greater opportunities for good, he will come to exert an influence far surpassing the bounds of the local community.

Weston D. Ralston is a native of O'Brien county, born in 1889 in Dale township, the son of John and Margaret (Donaghy) Ralston, both of whom are natives of Canada and both born in the year 1853. John Ralston first came to O'Brien county in 1882 and for a few years worked out as a farm hand. Being faithful and diligent in the discharge of his duties, his services were always in demand and soon he saw an opportunity for himself in the purchase of a tract of one hundred and sixty acres of unimproved land in Dale township. In this he invested and immediately set about its improvement, succeeding so well that within a short time he disposed of it to considerable advantage and again purchased for himself. This time he purchased two hundred and forty acres in Highland township, which he also industriously set about improving, carrying on general farming for a number of years. Success came to him in a most gratifying manner, due to his unfailing energy and intelligent management, and in 1909 he retired from active labor, taking up his residence in Paullina. Altogether he owns four hundred acres of land in this county, the operation of which he superintends himself. Mr. and Mrs. Ralston are the parents of an interesting family of four children.

Weston D. Ralston remained under the parental roof until eighteen years of age, receiving his elementary education in the schools of the neighborhood and assisting his father in the work about the homestead. When eighteen years old, he went to Iowa City where he took a course in liberal arts and at the close of his second term he came to Paullina where he secured employment as bookkeeper and teller in the Farmers State Bank. In that capacity he remained for four years and on January 20, 1914, he received the appointment as postmaster at Paullina, the duties of which office he bids fair to fill to the satisfaction of everyone. He is in a way to succeed financially, and already owns part of a tract of one hundred and sixty acres located in South Dakota.

Mr. Ralston's religious affiliation is with the Presbyterian church and in the affairs of this society he takes a deep and abiding interest. Politically, he has always been a Democrat and from the time he attained his majority he has always been looked upon as one of the most active workers of the party in this section. His fraternal affiliation is with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Mr. Ralston possesses civic pride in a marked degree and is always anxious to render any service which will advance the best interests of the town and community. At the present time he is acting as

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secretary of the Commercial Club of Paullina, which organization has done much to promote the general welfare of the town. Mr. Ralston possesses a kindly and genial disposition, readily makes friends and is a very agreeable companion. He believes in progress in every department of life and in order to keep himself fully alive to the demands of the time he devotes considerable time to becoming fully informed on the leading questions before the public, in all of which he takes a broad and kindly view of men and things.

THEODORE WIECHNER.

The tide of immigration has brought to American shores and to the confines of O'Brien county many types of humanity, but probably no country has sent to us a greater number of desirable citizens than has the German empire, the "fatherland" of so many of our fellow men. Almost without exception, these newcomers have proved to be industrious, thrifty, substantial citizens, and the subject of this review is a striking example of these characteristics.

Theodore Wiechner was born in the year 1848 in Germany, the son of Christian B. Wiechner. The father's birth occurred in the year 1817, and from early manhood, throughout the remainder of his life, he was engaged in the occupation of shoe making. He was married in the year 1847 and was the father of two children. The elder was called by the Grim Reaper from his home in Germany, but the younger, Theodore, grew to manhood in the home of his birth and learned the vocation of his father, becoming in his youth an expert shoemaker.

In the year 1871, however, Mr. Wiechner joined the ever-increasing tide of emmigration and sailed for American shores. He settled in the city of New York, finding employment in his chosen vocation, and here he labored for two years. Later he was employed in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in St. Louis, Missouri, always working as a shoemaker. In the year 1882 one of the most important steps of his life was taken, for in that year he was united in marriage to Dora Steen, a native also of Germany whose natal day was in 1862. From this time forth he had a faithful friend and ally, and from this time also his prosperity increased. During this same year he migrated to O'Brien county, Iowa, and opened a shoe repair shop in Paullina. For ten years he labored diligently, building up a substantial business for himself, and eventually selling out, realizing thereby enough capital to pur-

1014 O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

chase an interest in a general merchandise store of that place. This ventnre also proved a profitable one, for he labored assiduously and with sound business judgment to increase the business of the concern, and here he continued until the year 1911, when it seemed advisable for him to retire from active labor and spend the remaining years of his life enjoying the comforts which his earlier years of toil had prepared for his declining years. During the preceding years his profits had been wisely and judiciously invested, and he is now a stockholder in the Farmers State Bank of Paullina and owner of a tract of one hundred fifty acres of good farm land in Union township.

One child, a daughter, Winnie, has come to bless and brighten the lives of Mr. and Mrs. Wiechner, and she is happily still in the home of her parents.

Politically, Mr. Wiechner is a stanch Republican and consistently votes that ticket. He and his wife are also faithful members of the German Lutheran clurch. He is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, among whom he is highly respected, and is allied with the various movements which are brought about for the physical and moral betterment of the community. Quiet and unassuming, he is loved best by those who know him, and has set a notable example of industry and thrift for the profit of the coming generation.

JOHN A. HASTINGS.

Special mention is made of many of the worthy citizens of O'Brien county within the pages of this book, citizens who have figured in the growth and development of this favored locality and whose interests have been identified with its every phase of progress, each contributing in his own particular way to the well-being of the community in which he resides and to the advancement of its normal and legitimate growth. Among the number is he whose name heads this paragraph, one of the most skilled blacksmiths and automobile repair men in this section of the state.

John A. Hastings is a native of the state of Indiana, born in 1871, being the son of William and Mary (Matott) Hastings, the former of whom was born in Scotland in 1845, leaving his native country when quite a young man. Shortly after his arrival in America he took up his residence in Michigan, where for a few years he engaged in farming. However, not being satisfied with his prospects there, he went to Indiana and for ten years farmed in that state. In 1879 he left Indiana, coming to Iowa and settled in Summit township, O'Brien county. Here he farmed for two years, when he

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moved to Primghar and opened up a blacksmith shop. By the time this shop was well under way he opened up another in Paullina, being the first shop of that kind in the town mentioned. He was meeting with excellent success in his new business venture, when the now famous tornado of June 24, 1882, struck the town. At that time his home was at Primghar, though he later moved to Paullina. In this tornado he was badly injured and lay for months suffering from broken ribs and limbs, also having his entire belongings wiped out. While badly crippled at the time he was not permanently disabled, and as soon as health permitted he again set about his business. He remained in O'Brien county until 1895, when he moved to Chandler, Minnesota, where he opened up another blacksmith shop, where he was enjoying an excellent business at the time of his death in 1905. His widow, Mary Hatott Hastings, is a native of Pennsylvania, born there in 1852, and she makes her home at present in Primghar. She is the mother of nine children, two of whom are dead.

When the subject was eighteen years of age he started out in life for himself and secured employment in a flour mill at Davenport, Iowa. There he remained for two years, when he went to Sioux City, Iowa, and worked for the Silver Horn meat packing plant. In 1895 he severed his connection with the above named firm and came to Paullina, where he opened up a blacksmith and machine shop, and to this enterprise he has since devoted his time and energies, his business at the present time having attained most gratifying proportions. In addition to this business he is interested in the Cherokee well-drill manufacturing concern and owns five business lots and two residence lots, all of them most admirably located. The success which he enjoys is due solely to his own efforts, keen insight and tireless industry. There is great demand for such service as he is able to render and he has prepared himself for the growing use of the motor car and its needs.

Mr. Hastings in 1898 was united in marriage with Nancy Gruver, who was born in 1874 in Clinton county, Iowa. To their union have been born two children, Harry and Lois, both of whom are at home with the parents. Politically, Mr. Hastings is identified with the Progressive party and takes an intelligent interest in the current issues of the day. He gives loyal support to the Presbyterian church, with the affairs of which the family is prominently identified. Mr. Hastings' career, although somewhat strenuous and to a marked degree progressive and successful, has always been charcterized by honorable dealings. He is well known throughout the county and is highly respected by all because of his upright dealings with his fellow men.



Osceola County Iowa Genealogy - The IAGenWeb Project