1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, Iowa
Page Index:
Gillett |
Gingery |
C Graves |
F Graves |
Gregory |
F Gross |
J Gross |
Hainley |
Hanna |
C Hansen |
F Hansen |
G Hansen
The career of George T. Gillett since coming to this county in 1872, has been such as to commend him to his fellow citizens. His parents were
among the earliest pioneers of the county, and he has been a prominent farmer of Center township for more than twenty years. He now owns one hundred and eighty acres of excellent farming land.
George T. Gillett, the son of William Henry and Margaret (Ruger) Gillett, was born in Orleans county, New York, May 24, 1871. His parents were both natives of the same state and lived there until 1872, when William H. Gillett brought his family to Shelby county, Iowa, and located in Fairview township. He bought eighty acres of land and increased it from year to year until he owned two hundred and eighty acres. He lived on the farm
until 1909, when he moved to Harlan, where he lived until his death in 1911. His widow is still living in Harlan. Eight children were born to William
H. Gillett and wife, all of whom but one are living, married and have families of their own: Frank, of Harlan, Iowa; Ida, the wife of Peter
Jensen; Daniel, of Harlan, Iowa; Sadie, the wife of Chris Stofferson; George T., with whom this narrative deals; Nell, the wife of Chris Nelson; Alice,
the wife of Frank Hayward.
George T. Gillett was educated in the schools of Center township, this county. He was only one year old when his parents moved to this county
from the state of New York, and has lived in the state since 1872. After leaving school he started for himself by renting land in this township, and
after his marriage he bought one hundred acres of the farm on which he is now living. He has since added eighty acres to his original purchase. He
has placed seven thousand dollars' worth of improvements on this farm and now has one of the most attractive farms in the township. In 1914 he had
eighty acres of corn which averaged more than fifty bushels to the acre. He feeds all of his grain to his hogs and cattle and markets about one hundred and fifty head of hogs and two car loads of cattle each year.
Mr. Gillett was married October 24, 1892, to May Petersen, the daughter of Simon and Carrie (Jacobson) Petersen, and to this union eight children have been born, all of whom are single and still living with their parents: Hazel, Everett, Lois, Russell, Fern, Francis, Vere and Dorothy.
Mrs. Gillett was born in Fairview township, this county, and her father was a native of Denmark, while her mother was born in Wisconsin. The
Petersen family came from Wisconsin to Shelby county, Iowa, early in its history, and settled in Fairview township. In 1895, Mr. Petersen retired
from the farm and moved to Harlan, where he is now living. Mr. Petersen and wife are the parents of six children: Ida, who is teaching school in Boise
City, Idaho; Julius, living in Omaha, Nebraska; Octave, of Chicago, Illinois; May, the wife of Mr. Gillett; Edna, Fayette, Idaho, and Elton, of Harlan,
Iowa.
The Democratic party has claimed the loyal support of Mr. Gillett since reaching his majority. However, he has never been anxious to enter the
political game, preferring to devote his time to his farming interests and stock raising. Mrs. Gillett is a member of the American Baptist church.
Fraternally, Mr. Gillett holds his membership in the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and is a member of the lodge at Harlan.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1126 - 1127. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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In every community are found some individuals who are more active than others in advancing the general welfare of the neighborhood and pushing forward the means of disseminating information which has a tendency to advance the industrial progress of the people. This is only natural and
is to be expected in an agricultural region in which a few men are found who are gifted with the ability to lead in the work for advancing the interests of all. In John Gingery, a well-known farmer and breeder of Lincoln township, the historian finds a character deserving of special mention as a
progressive agriculturist of the first rank, and a pronounced leader in the art of better farming. As secretary of the Shelby County Farmers' Institute his influence is considerable and always to he found on the right side and in favor of the better and more advanced ways of carrying on the great
work of inducing larger and better yields from the cultivation of the soil. A successful farmer himself, his interests are broad enough to desire the
enlistment of and the co-operation of his fellow agriculturists in the work of bringing more prosperity to all concerned.
John Gingery, farmer and stock breeder of Lincoln township, was born March 25, 1873, in Cass county, Iowa. He is the son of Lewis and Cylinda
T. (Howard) Gingery. His father was born November 1, 1847, in Stark county, Ohio. His mother was a native of Rock Island county, Illinois, and
was born in 1851. Lewis Gingery was the son of Daniel and Amelia Helen Wilhelmina (Stuart) Gingery, both of whom were natives of Germany,
and were reared and married in that country. After marriage, Daniel Gingery and wife emigrated to America and settled in Baltimore, Maryland,
where they resided for a short time and then went to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, going from there to Massillon, Stark county, Ohio. Here they made
their home, and it was while a resident of Stark county that Daniel Gingery enlisted in the Mexican War and died while in the service under the flag of
his adopted country. His remains were interred on Mexican soil. He was the father of ten sons, of whom Lewis, the father of John Gingery, was the
youngest. The family moved westward to Cass county, Iowa, in 1860, when Lewis was but thirteen years of age, and he was here reared to manhood.
In 1878 Lewis Gingery removed to Shelby county and bought a tract of two hundred acres of wild prairie land in Center township. He farmed and improved this tract until 1883, when he rented out his farm and moved to Harlan. He engaged in the implement business in Harlan in partnership
with John Lorge for a period of two years, after which he returned to the farm for one year. He again removed to Harlan and embarked in the
nursery business until the fall of 1888, when he again returned to his farm and remained there until his death, in 1895. His fine farm was known as
the "Cedar Hill Stock Farm," and was noted for its pure-bred Shorthorn cattle and Chester White hogs. Mr. Gingery was widely known as a successful breeder and frequently exhibited his stock at the county fairs and the State Fair at Des Moines, and won a great number of prizes. In 1893 he carried off the first grand prize at the State Fair in Des Moines.
Lewis Gingery was married December 19, 1869, to Mary C. Howard. Four children blessed this union: John C., of whom this narrative reads;
George Eugene; Mary B. and Lewis E. George E. is deceased. Mary B. became the wife of Hoyt Fisher. Lewis is unmarried.
John C. Gingery was educated in the district schools and the Harlan public schools. After leaving school he served as deputy treasurer of the
county for four years, after which he located in South Dakota for four years, while operating a ranch. He returned to Iowa in 1906 and purchased
a farm in Pottawattamie county, which he cultivated for four years and then returned to Shelby county and located in Harlan one year and then
settled in Lincoln township on the farm of two hundred and fifteen acres which he now owns. Mr. Gingery's farm is one of the most productive and
best improved farms in Shelby county and is practically devoted to the raising of live stock. He cultivates about eighty-five acres of corn, which is
fed on the place to his hogs and cattle, enabling him to market about one hundred and forty head of hogs annually. For some years he has been a
successful breeder of Aberdeen Angus cattle and has a herd of sixty thoroughbred stock on the farm, which he maintains principally for breeding
purposes. The output of this herd brings excellent prices and are in demand by stock men seeking to improve the strain of their herds. Mr. Gingery also specializes in the Chester White variety of swine.
Mr. Gingery was married December 7, 1898, to Ida E. Paulk, a daughter of J. W. and Elvira (Miller) Paulk. This union has been blessed with
one child, Gladys Marie, aged thirteen years.
Mrs. Gingery was born in Shelby county. Her father was born in Germany January 12, 1851, and her mother was born in Jones county, Iowa,
June 9, 1854. J. W. Paulk is the son of Christian and Lucinda (Piper) Paulk and came to America from Germany when J. W. was six years of
age and first settled in Morgan county, Missouri. The family resided in Missouri until 1865, when they located in Cedar county, Iowa. J. W. Paulk
was married January 28, 1873, to Elvira Miller, daughter of E. V. and Susanna (Grauel) Miller, both of whom were natives of Ohio. In 1874
J. W. Paulk and his family came to Shelby county and he invested in one hundred and twenty acres of unimproved land. He prospered and eventually became one of the largest land owners of the county, his land holdings being principally in Lincoln township. He is now living a retired life in Harlan. Mr. Paulk was a large producer and feeder of live stock and is at present the owner of five hundred and sixty acres of land. There are six
children in the Paulk family, as follows: Laura Lucinda, the wife of Willis Oakes; Ida, wife of Mr. Gingery; Emma; Gertrude, wife of Byron E. Edsall; Charles and Esther, who are at home with their parents.
Mr. Gingery is allied with the Democratic party and takes an interest in political affairs. He and the members of his family are affiliated with the
Congregational church. He is fraternally connected with the Modern Woodmen of America, is a director of the Shelby County Fair Association,
and is the efficient secretary of the Shelby County Farmers' Institute. His most useful public service aside from the successful conduct of his own
affairs is his activity in connection with the Farmers' Institute. Mr. Gingery is keenly interested in the science of better farming and his individual
success as a scientific farmer bespeaks his influence with his associates in behalf of better farming. No citizen of Shelby county is more widely nor
more favorably known, and his prestige is due to the exercise of native ability combined with intelligence of a high order. Mr. and Mrs. Gingery
are popular and highly esteemed by all who know them.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 768 - 771. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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One of the successful tillers of the soil in Shelby county, Iowa, is Charles Graves who has been a resident of this county for more than forty years.
He came here shortly after the county was thrown open for settlement and lived through the terrible grasshopper years which caused so many of the
first settlers to get discouraged and leave the county. He started in with nothing and has succeeded so well that he now owns three hundred and
eighty-five acres of fine farming land in Center township. He has taken a prominent part in the civic life of his county and has filled various official
positions with credit to himself and satisfaction to his fellow citizens.
Charles Graves, the son of Homer and Almira (Macomber) Graves, was born April 5, 1852, in Jo Daviess county, Illinois. His father was born in the
state of New York, March 28, 1811, and was the son of Consider and Mettie (Waite) Graves. Consider Graves removed with his family in 1818 to Ohio
where shortly after he was accidentally drowned. His widow later married Mr. Moore and sometime later, after Mr. Moore's death, the family located
in Jo Daviess county, Illinois. To her second marriage one son was born, Joseph, who died several years ago. There were six children born to Consider Graves and wife: Hubbard, Alvira, Homer, Charles, William and Emelie. These six children long since have passed away.
Homer Graves, the third child of his parents and the father of Charles Graves, was a lad of seven when his father was drowned in Ohio. All of his
education was received in the subscription schools of Ohio and at the age of twenty-five he went to Illinois and found employment as a carpenter. He
followed this trade for a number of years during which time he began to invest his earnings in government land which he was able to get for one dollar and a quarter an acre. He kept adding to his holdings until he had three hundred and forty acres of land at the time of his death in 1889. His wife
died in 1865. Homer Graves was a man of influence in Jo Daviess county, Illinois, and held a number of township and county offices during his day.
He was a justice of the peace for a number of years and his decisions were always fair and impartial. He was a Whig in politics until the rise of the
Republican party and then gave his hearty support to the new party.
There were eleven children born to Homer Graves and wife: (1) Horace removed to Shelby county, Iowa, in 1869, and at the time of his death in
1899 was one of the substantial men of his community. He married Mary Fairfield and his widow is now a resident of Harlan. (2) Julia is living
at the old homestead in Jo Davies county, Illinois. She has never married. (3) Homer, a merchant of Norfolk, Nebraska, married Sarah Weorkheiser, now deceased. (4) Cyrus E. is represented by his biography in another part of this volume. (5) Emelie, the widow of Dr. J. N. Sharp, is living in Jo Daviess county. (6) Charles, the sixth child of his parents, is the subject of this sketch. (7) Mary died at the age of seventeen. (8) Anna is single and makes her home in Jo Daviess county. (9) A daughter, who died in infancy, was the ninth child. (10) John has been a lifelong farmer and is now living a retired life in Jo Daviess county: (11) George is farming in Gage county, Nebraska.
Charles Graves received only a limited education in the schools of Jo Daviess county, Illinois, being compelled at an early age to begin to work for
himself. When he reached his majority he followed the advice of Horace Greeley, the great newspaper man, and went west. He landed in Shelby
county, Iowa, on the twenty-sixth day of February, 1873, and has since made this county his home. He had no money with which to buy land and took employment as a farm hand or worked at anything he could find to do. After being in the county one year he had saved enough to make a payment on a farm of ninety-four acres and this he started to improve and get into condition for cropping. He did not build a house until the fall of 1880 and, upon
his marriage the following spring, he moved on to his farm and began the successful career which has made him one of the largest landowners of his
township. He paid ten dollars an acre for his first land and had ten years in which to pay for it. Before that time, however, he had cleared the land of
all incumbrances and bought more in addition. When he retired from his farm in 1910 he had three hundred and eighty-five acres, two complete sets
of farm buildings and one of the best improved and productive farms in the county. He was a large stock raiser, giving particular attention to the breeding of Shorthorn cattle, Poland China hogs and draft horses.
Mr. Graves was married March 10, 1881, to Emelie Jane Pascoe. She is the daughter of Thomas and Jane (Roberts) Pascoe, and was born at
White Oak, Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Pascoe reared a family of five children: Joseph, who lives at Galena, Illinois; Ella, who makes her home with
Mr. and Mrs. Graves; Emelie Jane, the wife of Mr. Graves; Hannah, deceased; John, a twin with Hannah, who is living in Cuba, Wisconsin. The
first wife of Mr. Pascoe died and he then married Rachael Fletcher. Two
children were born to the second marriage, Etta and Frank, both of whom
are living in Jo Daviess county, Illinois.
Mr. Graves and his wife are the parents of four children: Fred H., Arthur, Marion Grace and a daughter who died in infancy. Fred H. was
educated in the college at Ames and later attended the university at Lincoln, Nebraska. He is a prominent farmer and stock raiser of Center township.
He married Jessie Morgan and has three children: Charles Elliott, Esther Jane and Margaret. The second son, Arthur, graduated from Northwestern University and later attended the Chicago Business College. Marion Grace, the only daughter, and Arthur are single and living with their parents
in Harlan.
The family home is now at 1304 West Durant street, Harlan, where the Graveses have a beautiful and well-appointed modem house. Mrs.
Graves is a consistent member of the Methodist church. Politically, Mr. Graves is a Republican and has always been interested in local politics. He
has served as trustee of Center township for four years and rendered faithful and efficient service to his fellow citizens in that capacity. He is a man
who has ever been prominent in all worthy measures and well deserves the high esteem in which he is universally held.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1364 - 1366. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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The Graves family have been prominently identified with the history of Shelby county, Iowa, since 1873. Fred H. Graves, one of the several members of the family in this county, was born in the township where he is now farming. He is a man of excellent education and is one of the many college-bred men now farming in the county. He has given strict attention to the raising of live stock, and is one of the largest sheep raisers of his township
and county. He is a man who has taken an active interest in the civic life of his community and is interested in everything pertaining to its welfare.
Fred H. Graves, the son of Charles and Emily Jane (Pasco) Graves, was born April 25, 1882, in Center township, where he is now living. His
father was born April 5, 1852, in Joe Daviess county, Illinois, and his grandfather, Homer Graves, was born in the state of New York on March 28, 1811. His great-grandfather, Consider Graves, was born in the same state in the latter part of the eighteenth century.
Charles Graves was married March 10, 1881, to Emily Jane Pasco, the daughter of Thomas and Jane (Roberts) Pasco, and to this union were born
four children: Fred H., Arthur, Marion Grace, and a daughter who died in infancy. Marion Grace and Arthur are single and living with their parents
in Harlan. The interesting career of Charles Graves is set forth elsewhere in this volume.
Fred H. Graves received his elementary education in the schools of Center township, Shelby county, Iowa, and later attended the high school at Harlan. He then attended two terms at Ames College and two terms in a business college at Lincoln, Nebraska. He left school to assist his father on the home farm and there continued to help in the operation of the home farm until he became of age. He then rented a farm in Nebraska from his father and farmed this for two years, after which he returned home and rented his father's farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He has been carrying on general farming and stock raising and markets considerable stock each year. In 1913, he marketed sixty head of hogs, five hundred head of sheep, and one car load of cattle, and this is about the average amount which he places on the market.
Mr. Graves was married January 18, 1905, to Jessie Morgan, the daughter of J. W. and Hannah Jane (Chapman) Morgan, and to this union have
been born three children: Elliott, Esther and Margaret. Mrs. Graves' parents were natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively, and when her father was a young man he went with his parents to Illinois. Mr. Morgan and his wife were married in Illinois and lived in that state until 1874, when they came to Shelby county, Iowa, and located in Monroe township. They bought a farm in that township, and operated it until 1894, when he moved to Harlan and retired from active farm life. About seven years ago he moved to Wayne, Nebraska, where he is now living. Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Morgan: Fred, Olive, Wilder, Frank, Jessie, Ella, and one who died in infancy. Fred and Olive are deceased.
Politically, Mr. Graves is a staunch Republican, and has always taken an active interest in political matters. However, he has never been an aspirant for public office, preferring rather to devote all of his attention to agricultural affairs. Mrs. Graves is a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and greatly interested in all church and Sunday school work.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1130 - 1131. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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For more than three decades Barney W. Gregory has been identified with the agricultural and stock raising interests of Shelby county, Iowa.
By his own industry and perseverance he has acquired a well-improved farm of one hundred and fifty-four acres in Douglas township, on which he
has been living for more than twenty years. He has been unusually successful as a raiser of fine cattle and has made frequent exhibitions of his
stock at county fairs throughout this section of Iowa.
Barney W. Gregory, the son of Gilbert and Mary (Overholt) Gregory, was born March 27, 1867, in Ontario, Canada. He was one of eight children born to his parents: Barney, deceased; William, of Nebraska; Almeda, of Clinton, Iowa; James, a farmer of Douglas township; Isaac, a farmer of Oklahoma; Barney, whose history is here presented; and two who died in infancy.
Gilbert Gregory and his wife were both born in St. Catharine, Ontario, Canada, and lived there until 1867, when they moved to Lake county, Indiana. A short time afterward the Gregory family moved to Porter county, Indiana, where they lived until 1872. In that year Gilbert Gregory brought
his family to Iowa and located in Jackson county, where he lived for ten years. In 1882 the family moved to Douglas township, Shelby county,
Iowa, where they have since resided. The widow of Gilbert Gregory is now making her home in this county with her son, James.
Barney W. Gregory was five years of age when his parents came to Jackson county, Iowa, and sixteen years of age when they located in Shelby
county. He went to school some in Indiana and completed his education in the public schools of Harlan, in Shelby county, Iowa. After leaving school
he farmed for his father on the old home farm and later he and his brother, James, rented one hundred and twenty acres of the home farm and started
farming for themselves. They worked together for eight years and in 1894 Mr. Gregory bought his present farm of one hundred and fifty-four
acres in Douglas township. He has spent several thousand dollars improving the farm and has enclosed it with a view of engaging extensively in
cattle breeding. He handles thoroughbred Hereford cattle and has had many prize winning animals. He has a sale of his cattle every year, and
in 1913 sold forty-seven head which averaged one hundred and seventy dollars apiece. In 1914 he had eighty head of thoroughbred Herefords on
his farm.
Mr. Gregory was married March 2, 1892, to Ida Burke, the daughter of John T. and Clara J. (Hardy) Burke. To this union six children have been born: Allen Roy, Blanche, George, Gladys, Grace and Ruth, all of whom are single and living with their parents.
Mrs. Gregory was born in Monona county, Iowa. Her father was born in Greensburg, Decatur county, Indiana, June 13, 1841, and her mother was born in Pennsylvania, July 7, 1847. John T. Burke was the son of Henry S. and Darinda (Spilman) Burke, both natives of Kentucky. When
twenty-one years of age, John T. Burke went to Indianapolis, Indiana, where he attended the Purdy Commercial College. In 1865 he engaged in
the mercantile business at Wolcott, Indiana, and a year and a half later
located on a farm and took up the buying and shipping of live stock. In
1868 Mr. Burke went west and located in Monona county, Iowa, near Charter Oak, where he farmed and shipped stock until 1880. In that year he
came to Shelby county and bought one hundred and twenty acres of land
three miles north of Harlan and kept adding to his land holdings until at
one time he owned nearly a section of well-improved land in the county.
He was an extensive buyer and shipper of live stock and a man who was
successful in all of his ventures. John T. Burke was married to Clara J.
Hardy on June 28, 1866. She was the daughter of Christopher and Elizabeth (Guss) Hardy. To their union nine children were born: Clayton H.,
Ida, Elizabeth, Haslet, Christopher, Alice, Cora, Amy and John. Mr.
Burke was a member of the Indiana Home Guards during the Civil War
and was called out in the summer of 1863 to quell Morgan and his raiders.
Mr. Gregory is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Parian Lodge No. 321; a member of the Royal Arch Masons, No. 107; the
Commandery, Mt. Zion, No. 49, and the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine at Sioux City, Iowa. Mrs. Gregory and her daughter, Blanche, are members
of the Eastern Star. He also holds his membership in the Woodmen of the World and the Modern Woodmen of America. Politically, he has always
given his support to the Democratic party and has been one of his party's leaders in local matters. He served with credit as clerk of Douglas township for six years and gave eminent satisfaction to all concerned. He is a man who is intensely devoted to everything pertaining to Shelby county's
welfare and is recognized as one of the representative citizens of his township and county.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 776 - 778. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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The 1910 census showed that there were more than ten million German
citizens in the United States, who were either born in Germany or descendants of German parents, which means that one-tenth of the total population of the United States is of German descent. The great German migration to this country began in 1848, during the time of the great uprising in Germany of that year, and has continued uninterruptedly down to the present time. Thousands of the best farmers in Iowa were born in Germany, and in Shelby county may be found several hundred who left their native land for this prosperous section of the state of Iowa. Without exception the German citizens of this county have been thrifty and have accumulated land and property, while at the same time they have assumed the duties of American citizenship in a way which makes them American citizens of the highest type. Among the many German farmers of Union township who have prospered exceedingly, Frank Gross, the owner of two hundred acres, has an honorable place.
Frank Gross, the son of Adam and Joanna (Kramer) Gross, was born
in Walworth county, Wisconsin, May 9, 1866. Both of his parents were
born in Germany and came to America when they were children with their
parents and settled in Wisconsin. Adam Gross received his education in
Germany and worked in his father's brick yard there until he came to this
country at the age of eighteen with his parents. The Gross family first
settled in Racine county, Wisconsin, but a year later located in Walworth
county, where they bought one hundred and twenty acres of land. The
father of Adam Gross died shortly after the family came to Wisconsin,
and Adam managed the farm and assumed the responsibility for the caring
of the other children. He married in that state, bought the old homestead
and farmed it until 1874. In that year Adam Gross brought his family to
Mills county, Iowa, landing there on the 4th day of February, 1874. A
month later he settled in Westphalia township, in Shelby county, where he
bought forty acres of land and lived on this farm until 1880, when he
retired from active farm life to Westphalia, where he and his wife are now
living. Adam Gross and wife were the parents of eleven children: Frank,
whose history is subsequently recorded in this connection; Louisa, the wife
of Matthew Kool; Mary, who died at the age of six months; Joseph, who
married Mary Engel; Aloyious, single; Kate, the wife of Matthew Schleier;
Frederick, who married Mary Allers; Mary, the wife of Emil Zimmerman;
Josephine, the wife of Frank A. Jacobs; Gertrude, the wife of Matthew
Miller, and George, who married Clara Kinman.
Frank Gross, the oldest child of his parents, was seven years of age
when the family moved to Shelby county, Iowa, and consequently received
all of his education in Shelby county. After leaving the school room he
worked as a hired hand on the farms in the township until he was twenty-three years of age. He then learned the carpenter trade and followed this
vocation for five years, when he married and began the life of a farmer on a
rented farm. He and his wife lived economically, and were soon able to
buy a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Union township, where
they now live. In 1909 Mr. Gross added eighty acres to his farm and built
a fine modern home, new barn and various outbuildings, so that he now has
one of the most attractive farms in his township. On his farm of two
hundred acres he raises good crops and handles a large amount of live
stock each year. He is thoroughly up-to-date in his farming methods and
has all of the latest improved machinery, so that he gets the maximum
results with the least effort.
Mr. Gross was married September 7, 1893, to Bertha Rueshenberg, the
daughter of Joseph and Josephine (Sasse) Rueshenberg. The reader is
referred to the history of Joseph Rueshenberg, which is found elsewhere in
this volume, for further information concerning the family. Mr. and Mrs.
Gross are the parents of fourteen children: Joseph, Bertha, Frank, Mary,
Francis, William, John, Magdalena, Eleanor, Matthew, Alphonso, Raymond
and Alvin. Frank, Mary, Magdalena and Alphonso died in infancy, while
Bertha died at the age of eight. All of the other children are single and
still living with their parents.
Politically, Mr. Gross is allied with the Democratic party, and takes an
intelligent interest in local political matters. He has served as supervisor
of Westphalia township, and is now a school director in Union township,
where he resides. He is a firm believer in good education and lends his
hearty support to all measures which he feels will benefit the schools in any
way. He and his family are consistent members of the Catholic church, in
whose welfare they are intensely interested, and to whose support they
are generous contributors. Mr. Gross is a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Knights of America, two Catholic fraternal organizations which embrace practically all of the Catholics of this county.
Mr. Gross is a man of genial disposition, and a man who, by his clean and
wholesome life, has commanded the respect and admiration of his fellow
citizens. He and his good wife have reared a large family and are preparing them to become useful members of society.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 700 - 702. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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To make a success of agriculture it is necessary to he something more than a hard worker. A farmer might labor from dawn to twilight every
day in the year and yet fail to accomplish much. There must be sound judgment and discretion exercised at the same time; a knowledge of soils,
drainage, live stock, and a multitude of details which never concerned the farmer of fifty years ago. The man who accomplishes much as a tiller
of the soil and manager of a landed estate in these days should be accorded a place along with the men who succeed in other walks of life, for often it
requires more ingenuity and courage to be a farmer than anything else that claims the attention of men in the world of affairs. The history of Joseph
Gross indicates that he has achieved success in his life work, not only because he has worked for it, but because he has been a good manager and
has directed his energies in such a way as to command the greatest returns.
Joseph Gross, the son of Adam and Joanna (Kramer) Gross, was born in Wisconsin February 22, 1871. His parents were both natives of Germany and came to America with their parents when they were children. The parents of both settled in Wisconsin, and here they grew to manhood
and womanhood and were married. The Gross family first settled in Racine county, Wisconsin, but about a year later moved to Walworth county, in
that state, where the father of Adam Gross bought a farm of one hundred and twenty acres. The father of Adam Gross passed away shortly after
the family came to Wisconsin, and upon Adam then fell the responsibility of caring for the family. After marrying in that state, Adam Gross lived
upon the old home place until 1874, and in that year brought his family to Mills county, Iowa, reaching that county on the 4th day of February, 1874.
However, he decided not to settle in Mills county, and a month later permanently located in Westphalia township, Shelby county, where he purchased a farm of forty acres and on which he lived until 1880, when he retired from active farm life and moved to Westphalia, where he and his wife are now living. To Adam Gross and wife were born eleven children: Frank, Louisa, Mary, Joseph, Aloyious, Kate, Frederick, Mary, Josephine, Gertrude and George:
Joseph Gross attended the Catholic school at Westphalia until he was fourteen years of age and then began to work upon the farms in his neighborhood by the day. He worked as a farm hand until 1900 and then married and bought eighty acres of land in Westphalia township, where he
lived for eight years. He then disposed of it and bought his present farm in Union township, which he has greatly improved within the past five years.
He has built new and commodious barns and has erected one of the most substantial silos in the county. He devotes most of his farm of one hundred and twenty acres to the raising of corn and hogs, marketing about seventy head of hogs each year. In his various agricultural duties he keeps
fully abreast of the latest methods and holds an enviable position among the progressive farmers of his township and county.
Mr. Gross was married on February 22, 1900, to Mary Engel, the daughter of John and Kunigunda (Duesel) Engel, and to this union have been born nine children: Annie, Michael, Clara, Andrew, Leonard, Werner, Norbert, Emil and Alban. The parents of Mrs. Gross were both natives of Germany and came to this country when young. Mr. and Mrs. Engel were the parents of ten children: Michael, who married Kate Kaufman; Annie, the wife of William Foxhoven; Mary, the wife of Mr. Gross; Johanna, the wife of John Sonntag; Albert, who married Mary Schmitz; Barbara, the wife of Matthew Domino; Kunigunda, the wife of Frank Weihs; Rosa, the wife of Fred Gaul; Cecelia and Kate, who are still single. Mr. Engel died in 1897 in his old home in Westphalia.
Politically, Mr. Gross is a member of the Democratic party and gives it his hearty support at all times. He has served as school director in
Sheridan district, Westphalia township, and favored all measures which he felt would benefit the schools of his home township. He and his family are
all loyal members of the Catholic church. Mr. Gross is essentially a self-made man, having had to work hard for all he has, and consequently is deserving of a great deal of credit for the success which he has made in life.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 688 - 690. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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The proprietor of the only hardware store in Portsmouth, Iowa, is Francis W. Hainley, who is also the mayor of the city at the present time. He has spent most of his life in farming and coal mining, and as a farmer in this county, proved to be one of the most successful tillers of the soil in his township. As a hardware merchant he has built up a reputation within the short time that he has been in the business as one of the most enterprising merchants of the city of Portsmouth. Since acquiring the store in 1910, he has doubled its stock and his patronage has been likewise increased. He is deeply interested in the welfare of Portsmouth, and as mayor of the city takes the lead in advocating measures for its benefit.
Francis W. Hainley, the son of John and Barbara (Thomas) Hainley, was born in Blair county, Pennsylvania. February 13, 1868. John Hainley
was the son of Samuel and Margaret (Schonfield) Hainley, both of whom were natives of Virginia, and later residents of Pennsylvania, moving to that
state at the time the Philadelphia and Erie canal was being constructed across it. John Hainley received his education in the schools of Blair county,
Pennsylvania, and after leaving school took up the stone mason's trade and followed that occupation for several years. He then engaged in farming
and followed agricultural pursuits until seven years before his death, in October, 1899. His wife is still living in Arcadia, Pennsylvania. There were
twelve children born to John Hainley and wife: Sarah, Anna M., M. J., Francis W., Henrietta, Hattie, Samuel, Laura, Dessie, Edgar, Bertha and
Della. The last named child died in infancy, and all the rest of the children, with the exception of Francis W., are still living in the state of Pennsylvania.
Francis W. Hainley was educated in the common schools of Blair county, Pennsylvania, and after leaving school, found employment in an iron mine for four months. He then became interested in coal mining and followed that for eight years, after which he engaged in farming in his native state
and for three years farmed three hundred and ten acres of land. He then left his native state and removed to Iowa, locating near Portsmouth, in Shelby county, where for nine years he rented a farm. His next move took him to Missouri, but after farming a year in that state, returned to Shelby county, Iowa, and for five years lived on a rented farm. Having received an excellent opportunity to invest in the C. C. Cooper Hardware Company
at Portsmouth, Iowa, he disposed of his farming interests and purchased a
half interest in this hardware company, and on March 3, 1910 acquired the
other interest of the company and is now sole proprietor of the hardware
store. Since acquiring this store he has increased the stock and improved the
interior of his store for the better display of his goods, so that he now has
a very attractive and convenient place. His business has rapidly increased
and he has a large and lucrative patronage in the city and surrounding
community.
Francis W. Hainley was married November 24, 1892, to Martha Jane
Gill, the daughter of Samuel and Lydia (Wagner) Gill, and to this union
eleven children have been born: Wilfred J., Ethel R., Bertha R., Helen M.,
Cyril, Anna M., George J., Clyde, Barbara, Vivian and Edgar. Cyril and
Clyde died in infancy and all the rest of the children are still single and living
with their parents in Portsmouth.
Mr. Hainley is a leader in the Democratic party in his county and has
been very active in local politics. He served as councilman in Portsmouth
for four years, and is now administering the affairs of the mayor's office in
a satisfactory manner. He has shown executive ability of a high order and
his administration has been marked by many improvements which have been
of substantial benefit to the city. The family are all loyal members of the
Catholic church, while Mr. Hainley himself is a member of the Knights of
Columbus.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1494- 1496. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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Mr. Hanna was born in Geneseo, Illinois, on June 12, 1866, and was only four years of age when his parents removed to Colfax, Jasper county,
Iowa, and three years later became pioneer residents of Pottawattamie county, Iowa. His father, James Steele Hanna, was born in Ohio. Following the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the Union army with the Fifty-seventh Illinois Regiment of Volunteer Infantry and was wounded on his
way to Shiloh.
The ancestry of the Hanna family is traced back to John Hanna, who was born in County Derry, Ireland, in 1752, and in 1789 married Elizabeth
Miller at West Newton, Pennsylvania. Their seventh child, Robert Hanna, born in 1806, was married in 1833 to Priscilla Hamilton and their fourth
child was James Steele Hanna. As previously stated, the parents of Hon. James R. Hanna removed to Jasper county, Iowa, when he was four years
of age, and three years later became pioneer residents of Pottawattamie county, Iowa, which was then a wild prairie district in which the work of
improvement and development had scarcely been begun.
The wife of James Steele Hanna, who bore the maiden name of Hattie Louisa Hunt, was born in Massachusetts and traced her lineage directly back
to the Hon. John Alden, who married Priscilla Mullins. Their seventh child, Ruth Alden, became the wife of John Bass, and the seventh child of that marriage was Sarah Bass, who married Ephraim Thayer. Their thirteenth child, James Thayer, married Deborah Arnold, and the seventh of their children was William Thayer, who wedded Sarah Jones. Mary Thayer, a daughter of that union, became the wife of Thomas Hunt, and their eighth child, George Hunt, married Charlotte Belcher, and they became the parents of Hattie Louisa Hunt, who was their second child and who on reaching womanhood gave her hand in marriage to James Steele Hanna.
The mother died in 1875, when her son James R. was but nine years of age, leaving a family of five children, of whom James R. is the eldest.
The father made earnest effort to maintain an undivided household following the death of his wife, but financial losses compelled him to seek a new
home and he went to the cattle country of western Nebraska, remaining for some years in that state. His home is now in Defiance, Iowa.
Following the removal to Nebraska James R. Hanna began earning his own livelihood when a lad of thirteen years. He rode the cattle ranges of
the West, worked as a hand during the construction of railroads in western Iowa, was employed at farm labor in Clay township, Shelby county, and did
other kinds of work in order to provide for his own support. He farmed for some time in Jackson township. His educational privileges were extremely limited, but he availed himself of every opportunity for reading and made such substantial advance in that direction that when an accident compelled him to give up manual labor at the age of eighteen years he was enabled to pass the examination that secured for him a teacher's certificate and for four years thereafter he engaged in teaching in the country schools of Clay and Jackson townships. With money saved from his earnings he entered the Western Normal College at Shenandoah, Iowa, where he won his Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1889 and that of Bachelor of Science in 1890. He
afterward matriculated in Highland Park College at Des Moines, where he was graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1892, while in 1899 that school conferred
upon him the honorary degree of Master of Arts. He did special work in Harvard University in 1893. Following his graduation from Highland Park
College he was offered the chair of language and literature in that school and also taught Greek, Latin and literature for a number of years, but finally
centered his whole activities upon English and American literature. He was made head of the department of English in the Highland Park College
and dean of the liberal arts department in 1905.
On one occasion impaired health forced his retirement and thinking to he benefited by outdoor life he took up his abode upon his farm near Defiance, Iowa, where he still owns two hundred and forty acres of valuable land. Three years spent upon his farm completely restored him to health,
at the end of which time he resumed his connection with the Highland Park College and was occupying the position of dean of liberal arts when elected
mayor of Des Moines.
Upon deciding to enter the teaching profession Mr. Hanna had taken an inventory of stock within that profession and decided that the chief limitation of the school man was lack of touch with practical life. He therefore determined to keep in touch with the current of practical life by having some
private business of his own, and has during all this period been interested in some such business. During the time he was absent from Highland Park College he established on his farm at Defiance, Shelby county, a thoroughbred live stock business and has been interested in that line practically ever since.
Mr. Hanna was chosen school director and president of the school board at Defiance, Iowa, in 1902. In 1906 he was made a trustee of the library
board of the Des Moines public library and continued in the position until he was elected mayor. He was a member of the legislative committee of fifty that secured the passage of the Des Moines plan law in the Iowa legislature and served on the executive committee of nine that conducted the Des Moines plan campaign in 1907. He was a candidate for commissioner at the first election under the new plan and was one of the eight selected at the primary but failed of election. He entered the field as a candidate for mayor in the second election under the commission form of government and was nominated by the primary, the vote showing a lead of seventeen hundred votes over A. J. Mathis, the first mayor under the commission plan.
During the two weeks preceding the election Mr. Hanna carried his cause to the people of every section of the city. Among other things he advocated the establishment of neighborhood parks and playgrounds, municipal ownership of the waterworks, a settlement of the differences between the street railway company and the city upon a reasonable capitalization, with the right to purchase at the end of a specified number of years, and a just enforcement of law. He won his fight by votes.
During the short time he has been at the head of the city administration a movement has been begun for the establishment of neighborhood parks and playgrounds. He has stood firmly for municipal ownership of the waterworks of Des Moines, which have been condemned by a special court, at the cost of two million three hundred two thousand five hundred and twenty-two dollars and the bonds voted. Mayor Hanna has also bent every energy toward bringing about an equitable settlement of the street car franchise difficulty and the same doubtless will be satisfactorily adjusted, within a short time. Above all, however, he has consistently stood for a policy of strict law enforcement without fear or favor - a policy which would make Des Moines not only a model city in its commission form of government but also a city famed for its moral cleanliness.
On November 14, 1895, at Marne, Iowa, Mr. Hanna was married to Jessie Rosaline Pinney, a daughter of Harmon Pinney, and a native of Ohio,
born near Mentor, in 1873. In 1877 the Pinney family removed to Mitchellville, Iowa, and five years later to Shelby county, Iowa. Mrs. Hanna was
graduated from the Highland Park College in 1891, and taught in western Iowa until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Hanna are the parents of two living
children, Robert, eight years of age, and Ruth, six years of age. A little son, James Harmon, died at the age of three and a half years and two other children died at birth.
Mr. and Mrs. Hanna hold membership in the Unitarian church and he was for several years president of its board of trustees. He is also a member of the Prairie Club. He is one of the strong and forceful characters of the city because one of the best polished men. He early recognized the fact
that the concentration of one's energies upon a single line to the exclusion of all outside interests is detrimental to the best development, and therefore chose the wiser way of keeping in touch with the activities which affect the general interests of society, recognizing also that he should have a part in the public life, and that there are obligations as well as privileges of citizenship. He has closely studied the public need, and the analytical mind of the teacher and the qualities of the practical business man combine to fit him well for the position of leadership to which he has been called.
Mr. Hanna has therefore been distinguished for his firm stand in opposition to dishonesty and misrule in political affairs. His life history is another proof of the fact that it is under the pressure of adversity and the stimulus of opposition that the strongest and best in man is brought out and developed. Years of struggle prefaced his success, and thrown upon his own resources at the early age of thirteen years, he has made for himself an
honored name and become a potent force in Iowa in movements promoting the general welfare.
It is not outside of the range of probability that the name of Mr. Hanna will come before the people of Iowa for the Republican nomination for governor, at some future date, since he has been repeatedly mentioned in this connection with approval by some of the leading newspapers of Iowa.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 843 - 846. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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The citizens who have come to Shelby county, Iowa, from the little kingdom of Denmark have contributed in no small measure to the material,
moral and educational prosperity of the county. Conditions in their native land are such that it requires the strictest economy and the application of
the closest attention to one's business in order to succeed. The farmer of Denmark is fortunate if he has a tract of ten acres, and it can be readily
seen if the farmer in Denmark can make a living on a farm of ten acres that he would soon become wealthy in Shelby county, Iowa, where he had
the opportunities to secure hundreds of acres of good land at a low price. One of the many excellent Danish citizens of Harlan, Iowa, is Chris J.
Hansen, who has been engaged in the implement business in the county seventeen years and for the past eleven years in Harlan. Previous to that
time Mr. Hansen had been engaged in farming and in the implement business in Clay township and had met with no inconsiderable success in the tilling of the soil. In fact, at the time that he retired from the farm, in 1903, he was the owner of over one thousand acres of excellent land, six hundred
and forty acres of which was in Shelby county.
Chris J. Hansen, the son of Peter Carl and Marie Hansen, was born March 14, 1871, in Denmark. His father was a small farmer in his native land and came to America in 1873, bringing his family. Five children were born to Peter Carl Hansen and wife: Hans Jergen, who died at the age of four years; one who died in infancy; Chris J., the subject of this brief review; Mary, the wife of C. N. Christensen, and Alfred, who died in 1912, at the age of thirty-three. He was single and a farmer of the county.
Chris J. Hansen was only two years old when his parents came to America from Denmark and consequently all of his education, which was
limited, has been received in the district schools of this county. Mr. Hansen farmed with his father in Clay township and helped his father increase
the paternal estate to four hundred acres. His father then retired to Harlan, where his death occurred in 1911, his mother still being a resident of
Harlan. Both of his parents were members of the Danish Lutheran church.
Chris J. Hansen began farming for himself at the time of his marriage,
in 1896, by buying one hundred and twenty acres of land in Clay township.
As a farmer he has been remarkably successful and now owns not only six
hundred and forty acres of land in Shelby county, but also three hundred and
twenty in Saskatchewan, Canada, and eighty acres in Missouri. While he
has been actively engaged in the implement business for seventeen years, yet
he still maintains a close supervision over his extensive estate. He moved to
Harlan in 1903 and has since devoted the major portion of his time to the
conduct of his implement business. His store is well stocked with farm
implements, automobiles, vehicles, harness, hardware, pumps, gas engines,
seeds, oils, etc., and by his courteous treatment of his customers and his
honest methods of dealing, he has built up a large trade with the farmers of
the county.
Mr. Hansen was married January 28, 1896, to Dorothy Friedricksen,
the daughter of Andrew P. Friedricksen and wife, Kjerstine, and to this
union seven children have been born, all of whom are still living with their
parents: Etna, born February 11, 1897; Fred, born May 15, 1899; Otto,
born April 24, 1901; Chester, born October 19, 1904; Ruby, born February 9,
1907; Alice, born July 24, 1909; and Emery, born May 3, 1912. Mrs. Hansen's parents were also natives of Denmark and came to America in the
early seventies, locating in Shelby county, Iowa, first in Monroe and later in
Clay township. They died several years ago, leaving two children, Nicholas,
of Guthrie Center, Iowa, and Mrs. Hansen.
The Democratic party has claimed the loyal support of Mr. Hansen
since reaching his majority, but his extensive business and agricultural interests have been such as to require all of his time and attention. He has
served as a township officer in Clay township while living there, but since
residing in Harlan has not sought for any political honors. He is a member
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Harlan. He is a man of pleasing address and his genial manner and whole-souled hospitality have endeared him to a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 736 - 738. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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It is a notable fact that Iowa's Sons have always had a deep attachment
for their native state, and it is gratifying to note that a large number of the
citizens of Shelby county are native born. Her sons have become prominent
in every walk of life and several of them have won state-wide reputations.
One man alone or even a few men do not constitute the strength of a county
or state, but rather it is the aggregate endeavor of loyal citizenship which
places a county or state in the front ranks. The farmers of this county have
striven with natural conditions until they have made this prairie country
bloom and blossom as a rose, and have carried on the work of improvement
and progress until Iowa occupies a leading position in the great galaxy of
states. The Hansen family has had an important part in the development
of Shelby county and Frank Hansen, whose history is here presented, has
spent all of his thirty-eight years within the limits of the county.
Frank Hansen, the son of Peter and Sena (Jensen) Hansen, was born
October 7, 1876, in Monroe township, and has spent his entire life down to
the present time within the limits of this township. Peter Hansen was born
in Denmark, and at the age of twenty years left his native land and settled
in Canada, where he farmed for a short time. Peter Hansen married in
Omaha, after he had served two years as watchman in the Union Pacific
shops in that city. After marrying in Omaha, his wife being a native of
Denmark, he went to the state of Illinois, where he followed farming for a
short time. He again located in Omaha, Nebraska, and became a watchman
at a large salary in the shops of the Union Pacific Railroad Company. He
remained here for several years, and then came to Monroe township, Shelby
county, Iowa, and purchased sixty acres of land. From time to time he
added to his land holdings until, when he retired from active farm labor in
1904, he was the owner of two hundred and sixty acres of excellent farming
land. He is now living in Harlan, where he has a handsome residence on
Seventh street. To Peter Hansen and wife have been born eleven children,
four of whom are deceased: Rebecca, Andrew, Emma and Estella. The
living children, in the order of their ages, are as follows: Henry, Frank,
Mrs Cora Rold, Albert, William Oscar and Estella.
Frank Hansen attended the public schools in Monroe township, and
later went to the Normal School at Woodbine, Iowa, in order to prepare
himself for teaching. Being a young man of keen intellect and a great
amount of capacity for hard work, he became a well educated man, considering the time which he spent in school. After finishing the course at the
Normal School he taught four years in Shelby county with marked success.
However, the agricultural life appealed to him, with the result that he forsook the school room for the farm. He purchased a farm of one hundred
acres in Monroe township and has since devoted his life to general farming
and stock raising. He has been no less successful as a farmer than as a
teacher, while his experience in the school room has been of undoubted
advantage to him in his later career.
Mr. Hansen was married August 5, 1903, to Jennie Rold, the daughter
of Nels Rold, and to this union have been born three children, Earl, Lucile
and Leo. Mr. and Mrs. Hansen are fine people to meet and have a host of
friends throughout the township and county. Mr. Hansen is a man of plain
living and high thinking and is heartily in sympathy with every movement
which promises to raise the standard of civilization in his county and state.
Being a Republican in politics and his party having a majority in his
township, he has taken an active part in political matters. He has served as
assessor of his township for eight years and earned the unqualified approval
of his fellow citizens in this capacity. He is an earnest member of the
Danish-Norwegian Baptist church and takes a great deal of interest in the
work of the church. He has been treasurer of the state conference of his
church for eight years, and superintendent of the Danish Baptist Sunday
school of Monroe township for the past ten years. He is a firm believer in
the good work done by the church and Sunday school and gives his hearty
support to all the activities of his church.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 825 - 827. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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A prosperous and enterprising young farmer of Jackson township is
George Hansen, who was born in this county the same year his parents came
here from Denmark. He has acquired his present farm through his own
efforts, and has shown such ability as justifies his rank among the most progressive farmers of his county. In the civic life of his community he has
always taken a prominent part. He has been particularly interested in the
educational welfare of his township. He is one of the many farmers of
Danish birth or ancestry who have helped to push Shelby county to the front.
George Hansen, the son of Hans and Sidsel Marie (Hansen) Hansen,
was born in Jackson township, on the farm where he is now living, August
28, 1876. His parents were born on the island of Arro, off the coast of Denmark, and lived there until several years after their marriage. They came
to America in 1876 and at once located on the farm where their son, George,
is now living. Hans Hansen first bought forty acres of land and later added
another forty acres. He continued as an active farmer until 1901, when
he retired from active farm life and spent his declining years in ease. He
died November 11, 1907, his wife having passed away several years previously, February 17, 1887. Nine children were horn to Hans Hansen and
wife: Knud, deceased; Jorgenia Hansena, deceased; Knud; Hans P.; Ellen,
the wife of H. Hoogensen; Anna, the wife of Hans Petersen; Engeborg,
the wife of Chris Jensen; Jorgenia Hansena, the wife of Fred Christensen;
one died in childhood, and George, who is now living on the home farm in
Jackson township.
George Hansen received a good common school education in the public
schools of Jackson township, and remained at home assisting his father until
1901. At that time his father retired from the farm, and George married
and began renting the old home place. At the death of his father in 1907 he
bought the interests of the other heirs and since that time has placed four
thousand dollars worth of improvements upon the farm. He makes a
specialty of the raising of hogs, and feeds all of the corn which he can
raise as well as being compelled to buy considerable grain every year. He
markets on an average of ninety head of hogs each year.
Mr. Hansen was married March 22, 1901, to Anna Marie Christensen;
the daughter of Hans and Christina Christensen, and to this union have
been born four children, all of whom are still living with their parents: Hans,
Raymond, Marie and Alta.
The Hansen family are loyal members of the Danish Lutheran church,
and generous contributors to its maintenance. The Democratic party has
claimed the support of Mr. Hansen, and locally he has been one of its leaders
for many years. At the present time he is serving as justice of the peace
and also as president of the school board of his township, giving unqualified
satisfaction in both capacities.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1135 - 1136. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs
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