Lewis A. Zearley is senior
member of the firm of Gifford & Zearley, which
has a well appointed undertaking establishment in the
village of Garber and which has high reputation in
the effective and consistent handling of the
funeral-directing business for which it provides the
most approved facilities and service. Mr. Zearley has
been a resident of Clayton county, Iowa, from the
time of his birth, which here occurred on the 28th of
January, 1870. He is one of six surviving children of
John H., and Mary (Hansel) Zearley, whose marriage
was solemnized in this county, the father having been
born in Pennsylvania and the mother in West Virginia
and both having become residents of Clayton county in
the early '50's. Here they passed the residue of
their lives, and their names merit enduring place on
the list of the honored pioneers of Clayton county.
Lewis A. Zearley continued
his studies in the public schools until he had duly
availed himself of the advantages of the high school,
and he remained at the parental home until he had
attained to his legal majority, when he became a
clerk in the mercantile establishment of C. Schmeff,
at Garber. Later he devoted three years to successful
work as a teacher in the district schools, and in
1911 he engaged in the undertaking business at
Garber, where he has since remained one of the
principals in the representative firm of Gifford
& Zearley, and where also he has served as
postmaster since September, 1914. By virtue of his
incumbency of this official position it is virtually
unnecessary to state he is one of the prominent and
influential workers in the local ranks of the
Democratic party, and his civic loyalty and
stewardship have further been shown by his services
as a member of the village council, as a member of
the board of education, and as county coroner, of
which last mentioned office he was in tenure for four
years. He attends and supports the United Brethren
church, of which his wife is an active member.
In the year 1902 Mr. Zearley
wedded Miss Alta Bowman, who was born and reared in
this county and who is a daughter of James and
Rebecca (Hansel) Bowman, who are sterling pioneer
citizens of the county, where they established their
home many years ago, both being natives of the
historic old state of Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs.
Zearley have two sons: Ray, who was born on July
28th, 1895, is now holding a position in connection
with a business establishment in the city of Dubuque;
and James, who was born June 12th, 1904, is still
attending school.
source: History of
Clayton County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical
Times Down to the Present; by Realto E. Price,
Vol. II; pg. 455-456
-OCR scanned by S. Ferrall
