Buena Vista County, IA
USGenWeb Project

After a long, busy and active life, Nathaniel C. Wheat is living in honorable retirement in a pleasant home in Storm Lake.  He was born in New York city, August 4, 1830, a son of Charles Wheat, a farmer of the Empire state, where he lived and died.  His family numbered three sons and three daughters, the brothers of our subject being William and George, both now deceased, while the sisters are:  Helen, the wife of W. C. Close; and Elizabeth and Julia, both of whom have departed this life.

Nathaniel C. Wheat, the only surviving son of the family, was reared and educated in the Empire state.  For four years he operated a sawmill in the east and about the time of the close of the Civil war he left his native state and made his was to Freeport, Illinois.  Purchasing a farm near that city he continued to engage in general agricultural pursuits for about ten years, or until 1878, when he continued his journey to Buena Vista county.  He first made purchase of eighty acres of land, situated within a mile and a quarter of Storm Lake.  To this tract he eventually added an additional eighty acres, so that the place now embraces one hundred and sixty acres of valuable land, owing partly to its productive state and partly from the fact that it is so near the city.  Mr. Wheat made many improvements on his farm in the way of good buildings and was actively engaged in the cultivation of the soil throughout a long period.  He met with gratifying success in his undertakings but the establishment of a home here and the development of his land required much hard and arduous toil, for he located here during the pioneer history of the county and with other settlers endured many hardships incident to life in an unsettled district.  Although he still retains possession of his farm, Mr. Wheat is now living retired in a pleasant home in Storm Lake, enjoying in comfort the fruits of his former labor.

Mr. Wheat was married December 27, 1856, to Miss Amond Brown, who was born in Canada, and who with her parents came to the United States at an early day, the family home being first established in Illinois, while in 1891 they located in Buena Vista county.  The father departed this life in 1896, having reached the extreme old age of ninety-three years.  The mother still survives at the age of eighty-eight and makes her home in Storm Lake with her daughter, Mrs. Wheat.  The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Wheat are as follows:  Richard and Charlotte, twins, the former a civil engineer and the latter now deceased; John, James and Jacob, all of whom have passed away; Elizabeth, the wife of Charles Brown; Mary, the wife of Charles Anderson; Harriet, the wife of Aliza Brown; and James, who is a civil engineer.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wheat have been born four children but two of the number died in infancy.  Those living are:  William, who follows farming; and Libbie, the wife of Marion Harding. .Mr. Wheat gives stalwart support to the republican party and has filled the office of township clerk and he has also served in other official capacities.  Mr. Wheat is a regular attendant on church services and his life is lived in harmony with his profession.  He is a force in the moral development of the community and in those departments of activity which uplift humanity and work for the betterment of various classes and wherever lie is known he is most highly esteemed.