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MARATON WING

One of the prominent and honored old settlers of Fayette county is the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch. He is a practical, thoroughgoing farmer, understanding every department of the work connected with the proper supervision of a country home, and success has abundantly rewarded his labors. Now, in the golden sunset of his life, he may look backward over the pathway he has traversed and truly feel that his efforts have been blessed, while he can have few regrets for idle days and wasted moments.

Mr. Wing is a Yankee by birth, having been born near Montpelier, Vermont, on January 25, 1833, and is the son of David and Cynthia (Demmick) Wing. When the subject was about three years old the family moved to St. Lawrence county, New York, where the father engaged in farming, being also an extensive dealer in livestock. When the subject was about nine years old he was doubly bereaved in the death of both his parents, who died within a month of each other, probably of diphtheria, though at that time it was pronounced putrid sore throat. After the death of his parents Mr. Wing, with his brother and two sisters, lived with relatives. When he was about fifteen years old, the children returned to the home farm in St. Lawrence county and there they lived until the subject was about thirty years old. He then went west, locating in Kane county, Illinois, where he remained about ten years, meeting with fair success. He then moved to Fairbank, Buchanan county, Iowa, where he lived until the Burlington railroad was constructed through Oelwein. He then came here and bought of Alva Smith one hundred and eleven acres of land, the most of which is now included within the city of Oelwein, and this land he platted into lots, many of which he has sold. Other land which he bought of Minor Paine is also within the city.

Mr. Wing has during the most of his life followed the pursuit of agriculture and has been uniformly successful, owing to his indefatigable industry and his good management. Besides the property heretofore mentioned, he owns two hundred and eighty acres a mile and a quarter northeast of Oelwein, a tract of one hundred and twenty acres and another one of eighty acres west of Maynard, two hundred and seventy-two acres near Bryantsburg, Buchanan county, besides extensive holdings in Illinois, Arkansas, Nebraska and in the South. He has bought and sold much land and has been successful to a remarkable degree in realizing handsome profits in these deals. For a number of years he was engaged in the dairy business on an extensive scale, but has abandoned that enterprise.

He is wide-awake to the best interests of the community in which he lives and can always be counted on to give his support to every movement for the advancement of the best interests of the locality in which he lives.

In March, 1854, Mr. Wing married Azuba Minkler, who was born November 24, 1832, in St. Andrews, Canada, and to them have been born two children, as follows: Lettie, who died at the age of six years; Retta, the wife of William A. Wachtel of Oelwein.

Politically Mr. Wing gives an earnest support to the Republican party, but has never sought office, though he keeps in close touch with local public affairs. Mrs. Wing is a faithful member of the Free Baptist church, to which she gives a liberal support. Mr. Wing is widely known throughout the county and is everywhere admired because of his sterling qualities of character. He has ever stood for the best there is in life and he has himself gotten much out of life–not the least being the unbounded confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens.

~transcribed for the Fayette Co IAGenWeb Project by Cheryl Walker