Ross, Albert W.

ROSS, JAQUES, GOULDEN, GERARD, MILLS, FILLMORE, HIZER

Posted By: Janelle Martin (email)
Date: 2/18/2014 at 13:10:16

History of Hamilton County, Iowa, Vol.II, 1912, pp. 257-259.

Albert W. Ross, who is engaged in the hardware business in Williams, was born in the vicinity of Epworth, Dubuque county, Iowa, on the 22d of August, 1875. His father, Norman A. Ross, was born in Massachusetts, but has long been a resident of Iowa, and now makes his home in Council Bluffs. In 1879, the family removed to Waterloo, Iowa, going from there to Fort Dodge, thence to Sedalia, Missouri, and subsequently to Williams, Iowa. Shortly before removing to Waterloo the father had entered the service of the Illinois Central Railroad Company in the capacity of telegraph lineman, but he only followed this vocation for about two years and then entered the train service and is now passenger conductor between Fort Dodge and Omaha, Nebraska. The mother, whose maiden name was Leola Ann Jaques, was born near Findlay, Ohio, whence she removed with her parents to Dubuque county, Iowa, in 1868. Her father was one of the trustees of Epworth Seminary, at Epworth, this state, and her brother W. K. Jaques, is a well known physician of Chicago. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Ross numbers three, two sons and a daughter, our subject being the eldest. The daughter, Hattie Leola, who is the next in order of birth, was born near Epworth, Iowa, on the 9th of February, 1877, and graduated from the Williams high school with the class of 1892. She is the wife of R. S. Goulden, a graduate of the Iowa State College at Ames, who is engaged in teaching mathematics and manual training in one of the Arkansas state schools, at Monticello, that state. Ozro N., who is the youngest member of the family, was also born in the vicinity of Epworth, his natal day being December 29, 1879. After graduating from the Williams high school he attended the Iowa State College for a year and subsequently became deputy clerk of the courts of Hamilton county, in which capacity he served for four years. He is now residing in Webster City and is employed in the abstract office of Varick C. Crosley.

The education of Albert W. Ross was begun in the public schools of Fort Dodge and continued in those of Sedalia, Missouri, and Williams. He was one of the first four graduates of the Williams high school and was a member of the class of 1892, as was also his sister. After leaving school he apprenticed himself to the tinner's trade in the shop of Tomlinson & Talcott of Williams, being identified with this firm for three years, with the exception of one winter, when he attended the seminary at Epworth. In 1896, he became associated with S. E. Aumiller, under the firm name of Ross & Aumiller, in the hardware business at Vincent, Iowa. The next year he withdrew from this enterprise and went to Bancroft, Kossuth county, accepting a position as tinner with Bronson & Company of that place. They subsequently sold out to Nemmers Brothers, but their successors retained the services of Mr. Ross, who was connected with this concern for a year. At the expiration of that time he returned to Williams, and was employed in the hardware store of William Sawyer, until it was destroyed in the big fire, in February, 1899. Very soon thereafter, Mr. Ross once more engaged in business for himself in the old school building at the corner of Main and Third streets, where he conducted a tin shop and bicycle store until 1901, when he moved to his present location. He carries a good assortment of shelf and heavy hardware, cutlery, and tinware in connection with which he maintains a repair department and tin shop. He owns the building where his store is located and is meeting with success, having built up a good trade in Williams and the surrounding country.

At Woolstock, Iowa, on the 1st of January, 1900, Mr. Ross was united in marriage to Miss Maggie Gerard, a native of Lee county, Illinois, who died in Williams on November 2, 1900. Her parents

were residents of Woolstock, to which place they had removed from Illinois in 1892. On the 19th of August, 1910, Mr. Ross was married to Miss Emma Mills, whose natal day was November 24, 1888. She was graduated from the Williams high school in 1906 and subsequently took a stenographic course in the Waterloo College of Commerce. She is a daughter of Samuel Fillmore and Mary L. (Hizer)

Mills, the former a native of Oak Park, Cook county, Illinois, his birth having there occurred on the 7th of January, 1850, while the mother was born in Steuben, Oneida county, New York, on August 15, 1853. They located in the southern part of Wright county, Iowa, in 1877, and there the father engaged in farming for several years. In 1907 Mr. Mills withdrew from active work and removed to Williams, where he purchased some property and erected a modern residence on the site where stood the first house built in the town. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Mills, of whom Mrs. Ross is the youngest. In order of birth the others are as follows: Clara S., who was born in the vicinity of Rockford, Illinois, on July 17, 1874, the wife of E. D. Harding, who is operating the old Mills' farm in Vernon township; Sarah J., who was born on the 14th of January, 1876, and became the wife of M. C. Peterson, of Dolliver, Iowa; Lucy L., whose birth occurred December 17, 1877, the wife of L. V. Vaughan, of Rockford, Illinois; Charles Willard Francis, whose natal day was December 11, 1879, residing near Rockford, Illinois; and James Lee Martin, who was born on the 5th of December, 1883, of Wright county, Iowa.

Mr. and Mrs. Ross attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which she is a member. Fraternally Mr. Ross is affiliated with Alamo Lodge, No. 547, A. F. & A. M., in which he has filled all of the chairs; and Hope Chapter, No. 88, R. A. M., of Webster City. He also belongs to Jungle Camp, 1844, M. W. A.; the Royal Neighbors, of which he is one of the managers of the local order, No. 633; and the Yeomen. He votes the republican ticket, and has been town recorder for four years and chief of the fire department for ten. Mr. Ross is one of the public spirited, enterprising business men of the town, where he is widely known and held in high esteem.