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JOHN D. MOELLER. — A well-known, enterprising and progressive farmer of Leroy township, John D. Moeller is an able assistant in rendering this section of Benton county one of the finest agricultural regions of the Central West. A son of Henry D. Moeller, he was born, December 2, 1861, in Clayton county, Iowa, of substantial German ancestry. His grandfather Moeller emigrated with his family from Germany to the United States in 1845, hoping that in this land of liberty and plenty that he might acquire a competency. He located ,near New Bremen, Ohio, and had scarcely got well started in his new life when he was stricken with cholera and died.
The birth of Henry D. Moeller occurred in the Fatherland July 29, 1839, and at the age of six years he was brought to this country. He remained in Ohio until 1853, when he came with an uncle to Clayton county, Iowa, where he completed his early education, and from the age of thirteen years until seventeen years served an aprenticeship at the carpenter's trade. Coming from there to Benton county in 1864, he spent a year in Kane township, after which he sold out and removed to Blairstown, where he followed his trade for a time, at the same time running a furniture store. In 1879 he bought a farm in Leroy township, and was here employed in tilling the soil until 1899. Removing then to Blairstown, he clerked a few years for Tangeman & Book, but is now living retired from active pursuits. He married first Catherine Buch, who was born March 17, 1844, and died in 1874. Six children were born of that union, two of whom are living, as follows: John D., the subject of this brief sketch; and Louisa, wife of Lemuel Case, of Tama county, Iowa. He married for his second wife Martha Mohrmann, who was born April 7, 1844, and to them five children have been born, of whom the following named are living: Mary, wife of Payson Snow, of Kane township; Minnie, wife of Charles Bruch, of Leroy township; Christopher, a resident of California; and Laura, wife of Ira Kimm of Watkins, Iowa.
A lad of six years when his parents moved to Blairstown, John D. Moeller was there educated, attending first the public schools and afterwards the old Blairstown Academy. Starting life for himself in 1883, he went to Omaha, Nebraska, where he was employed in a wholesale hardware house for a year. Returning then to the parental roof tree, he worked on the farm with his father for eleven years, and then resumed his old position in Omaha, remaining with his former employers two years. Coming back once more to Leroy township, Mr. Moeller married and began farming for himself on his father's farm. He has succeeded well in his operations, and now owns one hundred acres of choice land, and in addition to .managing his own estate successfully has the supervision of one hundred and eighty acres of his father's farm.
Mr. Moeller has been twice married. He married first, April 5, 1899, Belle Carter, who was born September 29, 1878, and died March 19, 1900. Mr. Moeller married for his second wife, January 8, 1901, Mabel Hevener, who was born in Leroy township February 26 1878, and they have one child, Bruce Moeller, who was born August 19, 1906. In politics Mr. Moeller is a steadfast Republican, uniformly casting his vote in support of the principles of that party. He was for two years township trustee, and for the past eight years has been secretary of the school board. Fraternally he is a member of Lincoln Lodge, No. 199, A. F. and A. M., of Blairstown.
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