The agricultural interests of Bertram township are well represented by this gentleman whose home is on section 28. A native of this county, he was born in Bertram township, February 27, 1859, and is a son of Robert BERRY, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. During the first twenty years of his life our subject attended the country schools and aided in the work of the farm.

On the 20th of September, 1882, Mr. BERRY was married in Johnson county, Missouri, to Miss Laurana J. BYERS, who was born in Ohio, August 13, 1862. Her parents, Joseph and Mary C. (LYNN) BYERS, were born, reared and married in Ohio, from which state they removed to Michigan, remaining there until the close of the Civil war, when they removed to Johnson county, Missouri where they still reside. They had three children of whom Mrs. BERRY was the oldest; Sally is the wife of Marion HERRING, of Henry county, Missouri; and Frank, who is also married and lives in the same county.

After his marriage Mr. BERRY rented one hundred and twenty acres of his father's land, which he operated until March, 1887, when he removed to Henry county, Missouri and engaged in farming there until the following fall. There his wife died September 25, 1887, and her remains were brought back and interred in Campbell cemetery, Bertram, Iowa. She left four children namely: Cordelia E., born September 1, 1883; Gertrude N., born December 26, 1884; Jennie A., born May 4, 1886; and Charles R., born August 8, 1887.

On the 1st of October, 1887, Mr. BERRY returned to this county, and was in the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad company, until July 1, 1888. Since then he has resided upon the farm which he now occupies, it consisting of one hundred and eighty acres on section 28, Bertram township, and in its cultivation he has met with excellent success. He has made many improvements upon the place, including the erection of an elegant frame residence in modern style of architecture, and also large barns and cattle sheds. He intends making a specialty of the raising of Hereford cattle, of which he has a good herd, and he also raises a high grade of hogs for market.

Mr. BERRY was again married in Ringgold county, Iowa, April 1, 1889, his second union being with Miss Sarah C. MORRISON, who was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, December 25, 1885. They have one child, Osmond R., born January 23, 1890. Mrs. BERRY's parents were John and Amanda (SHAFER) MORRISON, natives of Ohio, from which state they removed to Illinois after their marriage. There the father died April 9, 1873, and in 1876 the mother moved to Iowa with her family, locating in Ringgold county. Their children were as follows: Martha married J. T. INGLES, who lives near Springfield, Illinois, and she died in 1882; Nellie, deceased, was the wife of Edward RUSSELL, a resident of Grouse, Oregon; Sarah C., wife of our subject, is next in the order of birth; Henry, deceased, married Julia GALAWAY, who lives near Denver, Colorado; Luella is the wife of Henry BRECKENBRIDGE, of Ringgold county, Iowa; John, also a resident of Ringgold county, first married Nettie SCOTT and after her death wedded Hannah CLAUGH (sic, should be CLOUGH); Angeline died at the age of twenty years; Nancy is the wife of John ATWOOD, of North Ontario, California; William is a stock dealer, of Casper, South Dakota; Gussie is the wife of Frank PRESTON, of North Ontario, California; and Katie resides with her mother in Ringgold county, Iowa.

Mr. BERRY attends the Methodist church, and is a member of Bertram Lodge, No. 534, I.O.O.F. In politics he is a Democrat, and was elected as clerk of Bertram township, at the fall election in 1900. He is one of the up to date and progressive farmers of Berlin township, as well as one of the highly esteemed citizens of the community.

SOURCE:  Biographical Record of Linn County Iowa   S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. Chicago. 1901.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, December of 2008