Adair County Iowa

Gettis, who is holding the office of county auditor, was born in Clinton county, Iowa, January 19, 1861. His father, J. D. Gettis, a native of Ohio, was born September 16, 1830, of southern parentage; his father Ira E. Gettis, being a native of Maryland, and his mother, Mary Daniels Gettis, a native of Virginia. J. D. Gettis removed to Clinton county, Iowa, in 1849; and married Miss Elizabeth Anthony in 1851. Her parents, James Anthony and Sarah Oakley Anthony, were both natives of Rhode Island. They moved to western New York in about the year 1827, and settled near Buffalo. There Elizabeth was born July 16, 1835. In 1841 she came to Iowa with her parents, who located on government land in Clinton county. J. D. Gettis was a builder and millwright by occupation and lived at various times in Clinton, Jones, Tama and Hardin counties. During his active life he served in various local offices, and did some preaching in the early days, being an ordained minister of the Christian church. He came to Adair county in 1873 and he and his excellent wife now reside in Greenfield. In the family were three children, but William H. died at the age of forty-six years and Sarah died in childhood.

M. A. Gettis was educated in the common schools of this county and the Fontanelle high school, and before he reached the age of eighteen years began teaching in Washington township. He afterward attended school one year at Gould College, Harlan, Kansas, one term at Iowa State Teachers College, and two years at Palmer College, LeGrand, Iowa. He taught commercial branches in Palmer college one year and was secretary of the board of trustees and accountant for the college for three years. (Palmer College has since been removed to Albany, Missouri.) In connection with his experience in teaching he was superintendent of graded schools for several years, at Brownville, Nebraska, at Fontanelle, Iowa, and at Mitchellville, Iowa. In all his school work he proved a capable teacher, loyal to the best interests of his pupils and faithful in the discharge of every duty devolving upon him.

Mr. Gettis is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and also of the Christian church. His life is controlled by high ideals and right motives and he enjoys the respect and goodwill of those who know him best. When not engaged in school work he has spent most of his life on the farm and is familiar with the tasks and problems of practical farm work. He was secretary of the school board for nine years while living in Summerset township, and took an active interest in community affairs. He moved to Greenfield in 1902 and since then has had several years’ experience in bookkeeping and office work. In 1914 he was elected to the office of county auditor on the democratic ticket and is now filling that position in a very creditable and satisfactory manner. Mr. Gettis has spent nearly all his past life in Iowa, and being only twelve years old when the family moved to Adair county, he has witnessed its growth and development for about forty-two years, and his labors have been of a character to contribute to its progress.