1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa
Page Index:
M. May |
Rasch |
Reams |
Schnieding |
Schwarte
J. Smith |
Starner |
Stofferson |
Wagemann |
Wright
Among the earnest men whose enterprise and depth of character
have gained for then prominent places in the community and the respect and
confidence of their fellow citizens few are better known in Shelby county than
is Milton C. May. A leading farmer and stock raiser of the township in which he
resides and a man of decided views and laudable ambition, his influence ever has
been exerted for the advancement of his kind, and in the vocation to which his
energies are devoted heranks among the representative agriculturists of the
county.
Milton C. May was born in Madison county, Indiana, in 1872, and is the son of
William and Lozetta (Hiatt) May. His father was born in 1834 in Rockingham
county, Virginia, and his mother's birth occurred in 1838 in Madison county,
Indiana. William May settled in Indiana before the Civil War and engaged in
farming there until 1887, when he moved to Custer county, Nebraska, where he
purchased land and farmed for eight years, at the expiration of which time he
disposed of his farm in that state and moved to Marshall county, Iowa, where he
farmed a few years and then retired from active farm labor and moved to Conrad,
this state, where he is now making his home.
Milton C. May was one of six children born to his parents, and was fifteen years
of age when his parents left Indiana for Nebraska, consequently the most of his
education was received in the excellent public schools of Madison county,
Indiana, although he has largely supplemented his education by wide reading and
observation of men and events. He remained with his parents, helping his father
with the work on the farm until 1898, when he began farming in Shelby county, in
Lincoln township. His father had previously purchased land in this township,
although he had never lived upon it. Mr. May has added to his land holdings
until he now has one hundred and five acres of excellent farming land in this
county, on which he has made some substantial improvements within the past few
years. He has a fine grove of fruit trees in accordance with the custom of every
farmer in this section of the state. He carries on a general system of
diversified farming and raises as much live stock as he can properly manage. He
is thoroughly up-to-date in all of his agricultural methods and does not
hesitate to adopt new methods of agriculture when once convinced that they will
yield better results.
Mr. May was married in 1900 to Lettie Obrecht, who was born in Shelby county,
Iowa, in 1866, and to this union have been born five children, Richard, Edna,
George, Lucy and Morris. Richard, the eldest son, is assisting his father with
the work on the farm. Mr. May is actively identified with the Republican party,
although he has never been inclined to take a prominent part in public
discussions. Official position has never appealed to him, he being content to
devote all of his time and energies to his farming interests. He and his family
are loyal members of the United Brethren church, and to its various activities
they contribute generously of their substance. Mr. May is a man of sound and
practical intelligence, keenly alert to everything relating to farming, and in
fact, all that concerns the prosperity and advancement of his community. Because
of his splendid personal characteristics and his genuine worth, he enjoys the
confidence and esteem of all who know him.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1478 - 1479. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
|
To Page Index ---
To Bio Index
It is an indisputable statement that the greatness of a community or state lies
not in the machinery of government, nor even in its institutions, hut rather in
the sterling qualities of the individual citizen, in his pride and ability in
promoting his private affairs along legitimate lines, in his capacity for high
and unselfish effort and his devotion to the public welfare. In these
particulars he whose name appears at the head of this paragraph has conferred
honor. and dignity on this county, although having first seen the light of day
under another flag than that to which he now gives allegiance. Mr. Rasch's
career has been such as to mark him in the fullest sense of the term a
progressive, virile man of affairs, thoroughly in harmony with the advanced
spirit of the age in which he lives, conducting all his business matters
carefully and systematically, and in all his acts displaying an aptitude for
successful management. He has not permitted his growing material success to
affect in any way his actions toward those less fortunate than he, being a most
sympathetic and broad-minded man with a host of warm and admiring friends.
Andrew Rasch is a native of the great German empire, having been born on
November 13, 1874, near Flensburg, the only son of Henry and Christina (Hansen)
Rasch. There were in all four children in the family, two of these being
daughters of the mother by a previous marriage. Anna married A. C. Anderson,
Minnie became the wife of C. L. Gregerson and Christina is Mrs. J. F. Peterson.
The parents were of the agricultural class and young Rasch received early and
careful training from his father in the secrets of successful husbandry. In the
year 1890 the entire family emigrated to the United States, locating in Iowa on
a farm about one mile south of the town of Poplar. Here the father purchased
eighty acres of land, later disposing of that and purchasing a tract of two
hundred acres in section 22 of Polk township, this county, where he lived until
1909. At that time, he sold his holdings to the immediate subject of this sketch
and removed to Saskatchewan, Dominion of Canada, where he still lives.
Andrew Rasch remained with his parents until the time of his marriage in 1896 to
Anna Martinsen. After bearing him two children her death occurred November 1,
1902, both of the little ones having preceded her into the Great Beyond. These
were a son and daughter, named Christina and Peter. On February 19, 1907, Mr.
Rasch contracted his second marriage when he led Maria Frees to the altar of
Hymen. This lady also was born in Germany, near Schleswig, a daughter of Henry
and Maria (Tiedeman) Frees, being one of a family of seven children. The others
are Asmus, Chris, Henry, John, Marguerite, who married Henry Behrens, and Erna.
The parents were engaged in agricultural work in the old country, and naturally
followed that vocation in the new land to which they came. They arrived in this
country in 1898 and located in Polk township, Shelby county. To Mr. Rasch by his
second marriage was born one child, who died in early infancy.
After Mr. Rasch's first marriage, he bought an eighty-acre tract in Polk
township, this county, lying in section 26, and has lived there continuously
since 1897. This first tract has formed the nucleus of his present holdings,
which total four hundred and forty acres, all adjoining. In the last few years
he has added many and valuable improvements, his fine nine-room residence being
completed in 1901. This is a commodious and comfortable home in every respect.
The same year he built a small barn, in 1908 he completed his large corn crib,
in 1912 his large barn and in the following year his large and perfectly
arranged hog house. Mr. Rasch devotes considerable time and attention to the
raising of hogs, and has made for himself more than a local reputation in this
line of endeavor. His preferred breed is Duroc Jersey, but his animals are not
registered. He is highly successful in this work, which is largely due to the
fact that he employs in the care of his swine such methods as are approved by
modern science. His hog house is a large building, in fact one of the largest of
its kind in the state. It has accommodations for forty-eight brood sows in
separate pens and a complete system of feed and litter carriers on tracks has
been installed, thereby reducing the necessary labor to the minimum. The barn is
sixty by sixty-four feet and is forty-four feet in height at peak. One of the
exceptionally interesting facts regarding this large barn is that it is
constructed mostly of lumber which was cut and sawed on the place. All of the
heavy timbers such as sills, rafters and uprights, were grown within a short
distance of where the structure now stands. In addition to his land holdings in
this county, Mr. Rasch, in partnership with Chris and Henry Frees, owns one
hundred and sixty acres of irrigated land in Idaho.
In addition to the efforts he expends on the raising of swine, Mr. Rasch also
has an excellent herd of Aberdeen-Angus cattle, all of which are registered and
among which are some exceptionally fine animals. He also has about twenty-four
head of Belgian horses, all of good strain. All his land is well tilled and
fenced, there being fully twelve hundred and eighty rods of hog-tight fencing.
In fact, in every particular this thoroughly modern and up-to-date farm speaks
volumes for the owner's wonderful executive ability and careful attention to
detail. He is thorough and methodical in everything he does, and fully posted on
all that relates to his chosen life work. In fact, he is a well-read man in
every particular, well up on all current events of the day. He is a graduate of
the Royal College of Flensburg and since coming to this country, has mastered
both the Danish and English languages, being able to read, write and converse
fluently in both of them as well as his native German.
Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Rasch are members of any church organization, but their
religious sympathies are with the Church of Christ, a branch of the Christian
denomination, and to the support of the local organization they give generously
of their means. Mr. Rasch's political affiliation is with the Republican party,
and in its affairs he has ever been active since attaining his majority. He has
never aspired to the honor of public office, but in 1914 was induced by his many
warm admirers to permit his name to appear on the ticket as a candidate for
election to the state Legislature. Throughout his years of residence in this
county, his manner of living has been such as to win for him the highest
confidence and regard from all who know him. He has ever been active in
forwarding the best community interests and was one of those who in 1903
organized the Farmers Mutual Telephone Company. He is now serving as the
president of this company and the number of subscribers has grown from thirty,
at its inception, to over eight hundred.
While laboring primarily for his individual advancement, Mr. Rasch has never
lost sight of his duties as a citizen and his obligations to the public, and his
support for such measures and movements as make for the general good always can
be depended upon. A man of vigorous mentality and strong moral fibre, he has
achieved signal success in his chosen career and is eminently deserving of the
distinct prestige which he enjoys in the community with which his interests are
identified, and it is safe to predict that should he take his seat within the
walls of the government of this state, his career there will be laudable in
every particular and resultant of much good to the state at large.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1404 - 1407. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
|
To Page Index ---
To Bio Index
The proprietor of the largest merchandise store in Shelby, Iowa, is Joseph B.
Reams, who was formerly a merchant in Defiance, Iowa. His father was one of the
first merchants of Defiance, and Mr. Reams has had the benefit of being
connected with the mercantile business since his earliest boyhood days. His
father was a very successful business man and one of the wealthiest men of his
town at the time of his death. Samuel Reams was a man of great energy and
enterprise and was not only one of the most successful merchants of Shelby
county hut one of the largest land owners of the county as well.
Joseph B. Reams, the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Bowlin) Reams, was born in
Monroe county, Iowa, on February 20, 1872. His parents were both born in
Pennsylvania, his father in 1831, and his mother in 1835. Samuel Reams learned
the carpenter's trade in his native state and fifteen years after his marriage
moved to Wapello county, Iowa, where he worked at his trade until the civil War
began. He enlisted in August, 1862, at Keokuk, Iowa, and was a member of Company
H, Thirty-sixth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of
the war. His company saw the most of its service along the lower Mississippi
river, engaging in many battles and skirmishes of more or less importance until
the close of the war. He was not wounded in the service, but came back very much
broken down in health on account of exposure and sickness.
After he was mustered out of the service, Samuel Reams returned to Iowa and
located in Monroe county in 187O, where he engaged in farming until 1881. In
that year he moved to Shelby county, Iowa, and started one of the first general
merchandise stores at Defiance. He continued in business at that place until
some years before his death, in 1908. He owned three hundred and twenty acres of
land in Union township and was not only one of the wealthiest men of the county,
but one of the most highly respected. The wife of Samuel Reams died in 1909.
There were born to Samuel Reams and wife seven children, five of whom are still
living.
Joseph B. Reams was nine years of age when his parents moved from Monroe county,
Iowa, to Shelby county and consequently his education was received in both
counties. He attended the high school at Defiance and at the same time worked in
his father's store. When his father retired he and his brother, Elmer, purchased
the store and managed it together for six years. In 1900 Mr. Reams sold his
interest in the store to his brother and moved to Shelby, where he bought a
small stock of merchandise from Newell & Company. Mr. Reams at once proceeded to
rent a large building, forty by eighty feet, erected first by the Bohlanders, in
order to put in a larger stock of goods. This building has a basement which he
uses for storing and heating purposes, a hall in the upper story and is known as
the Opera House block. Mr. Reams purchased it in 1905. His store is now the
largest in Shelby and carries a full line of general merchandise goods, such as
are found in department stores of cities of much larger size. He employs five
and six clerks the year round and his business is rapidly increasing. Mr. Reams
has a beautiful residence in the eastern part of the city, which is equipped
with all of the latest conveniences. In addition to his city property he owns
land in Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota.
Mr. Reams was married on December 9, 1896, to Lettie Lathrop, who was born in
Greeley township, in this county, on November 9, 1876. She is the daughter of
Benjamin and Sarah (Wilfong) Lathrop, early settlers of Shelby county, and now
deceased. Benjamin Lathrop was born in Union county, Ohio, on June 10, 1843, and
died, at Manning, Iowa, on September 8, 1882. He was married in 1870 to Sarah
Wilfong, who survived him until 1896. He enlisted in Company H, Eighth Regiment,
Iowa Volunteer Infantry, in 1861, at Davenport, Iowa, and served until the close
of the war. He participated in many important battles, such as Shiloh,
Vicksburg, Jackson (Mississippi), and many skirmishes, coming out of all the
active service without being wounded.
Mr. Reams is a stanch Republican in politics. Owing to his extensive business
and agricultural interests, he has always taken a passive part in political
matters. He and his wife are consistent members of the Methodist church, while
fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. Mr. Reams
is a wide-awake business man and although he has been in Shelby but a
comparatively short time, he has already won the confidence of all with whom he
has been associated.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 698 - 700. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
|
To Page Index ---
To Bio Index
Thousands of the native sons of Germany, appreciating the blessings of liberty
and the unlimited opportunities for advancement to be found in America, were not
slow to recognize the possibilities that opened out before their view in this
republic. Accordingly, ever since the beginning of our government large numbers
of these sturdy, thrifty citizens have crossed the Atlantic and sought homes in
various parts of the United States, and here their descendants have become among
the most intelligent, patriotic and industrious citizens of our great
cosmopolitan population. During the Civil War thousands of them enlisted in the
Union army and performed gallant service for their adopted country. Among the
many German citizens who have honored Shelby county, Iowa, with their residence,
none stand higher in popular esteem than John Schmieding, the proprietor of one
thousand acres of land.
John Schmieding, the son of John and Elizabeth (Springer) Schmieding, was born
in Westphalia, Germany, January 9, 1853. His parents were born, reared and
married in Germany and lived there until 1858. In that year John Schmieding,
Sr., and his family came to America and located in Delaware county, Iowa, on a
farm.
The sea voyage which was made by the Schmieding family when they came to America
was an eventful one for the children and occupied the long and weary time of
fifty-eight days in all. They set sail from Liverpool, England, after crossing
the channel from the mainland early in the spring and eventually landed at New
Orleans in the month of June. They then boarded a Mississippi river steamboat
and went up the river, arriving at Delaware county, Iowa, on June 20, 1858. They
lived with Conrad Wardeoff until the spring and then rented eight acres of land.
The second year they rented fourteen acres and put it in crops for a Mr.
Schultz, whose land was located seven miles northwest of Dyersville. In the
spring of 1862 they were able to break up fourteen acres of their own land. This
was the beginning of the fortunes of this German family in America. They were
very poor when they first came here and practically every member of the family
is now wealthy.
After renting four years he bought a farm on which he lived until his death,
July 9, 1870. John Schmieding and wife were the parents of eight children:
Theresa, the wife of Anton Krogmann; Casper, who married Mary Phelsheim, and
after her death, Josephine Mormann; John, with whom this narrative deals;
Elizabeth, the wife of Barney Niehus; Katherine, the wife of John Ocken; Anna,
the wife, of August Schafer, and two, Mary and Henry, who are deceased.
John Schmieding was five years of age when his parents came from Germany to
Delaware county, Iowa, and in that county he received his education. He assisted
his father on the home farm until the latter's death, in 1870, and then he
remained with his mother, who removed to Westphalia township, Shelby county, in
1878. He took charge of the home farm until he was thirty-six years old, when he
married and traded farms with his mother, securing the farm of one hundred and
sixty acres, on which he is now living. He has placed ten thousand dollars in
improvements on this farm in such a way as to make it one of the most productive
farms of the township and he devotes his attention to the handling of live stock
and the raising of such crops as are common to this locality. He also owns forty
acres adjacent to the town of Westphalia which cost him two hundred and twenty
dollars an acre. He has eight hundred acres of good land in South Dakota.
Mr. Schmieding was married February 25, 1889, to Mary Reilander, the daughter of
Christian and Anna (Unks) Reilander, and to this union ten children have been
born: Anna, John, Christian, Joseph, Henry, Peter, Casper, Elizabeth, William
and one who died in infancy. All of the children are still single. Anna, John
and Christian are living in South Dakota on their father's eight-hundred-acre
farm. Mrs. Schmieding was born April 22, i868, in Dubuque county, Iowa. Her
parents were born in Germany, in Prussia and Luxemburg, respectively, and came
to the United States in 1876, settling in Dubuque county, Iowa. They lived on a
farm in that. county for thirty-one years and then moved to Exira, Audubon
county, Iowa, where her father died in 1906. His widow then moved to Dunlap,
Iowa, where her death occurred in 1913. To Mr. and Mrs. Reilander were born
eight children: Henry, Mary, Clara, .Sophia, Maggie, Elizabeth, Lena and Anna.
By a first marriage with a Mr. Clements the mother of Mrs. Schmieding had four
children: John, Susie, Peter and Katherine.
Mr. Schmieding and all his family are loyal members of the Catholic church.
Politically, he is a Democrat, but his extensive agricultural interests have
prevented him from taking an active part in political matters. Mr. Schmieding
has had remarkable success, as is indicated by his large holdings of a thousand
acres. He has always kept fully abreast of the latest developments in
agricultural methods and keeps his farm stocked with the latest improved
machinery, so that he is able to secure a maximum result from the soil. In his
residence of more than thirty-six years in this county, he has so lived as to
merit the hearty approbation which is given him by his fellow citizens, and
being a man of genial personality and kindly disposition, has earned the high
respect and esteem of all who know him.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 696 - 698. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
|
To Page Index ---
To Bio Index
The farmer has always been conceded to have some advantages over his city
brother, but until within the past few years the disadvantages of farm life were
often considered to outweigh these. Now, with the establishment of good roads
and schools in country districts, the use of modern machinery which has
lightened the farmer's tasks; with the advent of the automobile and telephone
and with the mail carried to his door each day, the farmer can be said to have
practically all of the advantages of his city brother with none of the latter's
disadvantages. It is gratifying to note the large number of young men who are
remaining on the farm. When Iowa is turned over to tenant farmers, as are the
New England states, farming will rapidly become a lost art. Today there are
thousands of acres lying waste in the New England states for the want of capable
farmers to till them. Among the successful young farmers of Shelby county,
William Schwarte, the owner of two hundred acres in Westphalia township, is
deserving of a place among the progressive farmers of his county.
William Schwarte, the son of Herman and Magdalena (Nolles) Schwarte, was born
November 14, 1882, in the township where he is now living. His parents were both
natives of Germany. Herman Schwarte was employed as a shepherd and also assisted
his father on the farm in Germany before coming to this country. He came to
America in 1870 and located near East St. Louis, Illinois, where he worked on a
farm for about a year. He then moved to Shelby county, Iowa, and bought forty
acres of land in Westphalia township, where he lived until his removal to the
farm where William resides and died here one year later, July 1, 1913. He was a
successful farmer in every sense of the word, and not only accumulated a fine
farm of three hundred and forty acres, but took a prominent part in the civic
life of his community as well. He was married at Mt. Carmel, Carroll county,
Iowa, in 1874, to Magdalena Nolles. Herman Schwarte and wife were the parents of
eleven children: Annie, the wife of Benjamin Blum; John, who married Maggie
Gubbles; Herman, who married Rosa Leenan; Mary, the wife of John Blum; Bertha
and Katherine, who are nuns in St. Rosa convent at La Crosse, Wisconsin;
Waldburg, who married Antone Freund; William, whose history is here related;
Magdalena, a nun in St. Rosa convent; Elizabeth, who died at the age of fifteen
and Barbara, who died in infancy.
William Schwarte received a good education in the schools of Westphalia
township, and when a mere lad, began to assist with the work on the home farm.
He remained with his parents until 1909, when he married and bought a farm of
two hundred acres, on which he is now living. Although he has owned this farm
but five years, in that time he has demonstrated that he has all of the
necessary qualifications for the successful farmer. He understands every phase
of stock raising and gives much of his attention to this side of the
agricultural life.
Mr. Schwarte was married June 29, 1909, to Mary Schiltz, the daughter of Michael
and Caroline (Shechinger) Schiltz, and to this union have been born three sons:
Herman, Michael and Joseph.
Mrs. Schwarte's parents were born in Illinois and Germany respectively. Michael
Schiltz came to Shelby county, Iowa, when he was twenty-three years of age and
located in Westphalia township, where he became a successful farmer. Mr. and
Mrs. Schiltz are the parents of eleven children: Katherine, Joseph, Michael,
Jacob, Cecelia, Anthony, Vitus, Aloysius, Mary and two who died in infancy.
Joseph married Katherine Blum and Mary is the wife of Mr. Schwarte. All the
other children are still single and living at home.
Mr. Schwarte is identified with the Democratic party, but his extensive
agricultural interests have demanded all of his attention, so that he has not
bad the time to mingle' freely in politics. Religiously, he and his family are
earnest members of the Catholic church, to whose support they are generous
contributors. Mr. Schwarte is still a young man but the success which has
attended his efforts thus far has already given him a prominent place among the
representative farmers of his community, and every indication points to a long
and prosperous career for him.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 714 - 716. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
|
To Page Index ---
To Bio Index
Among the many enterprising farmers of Lincoln township, Shelby county, Iowa,
may be mentioned James H. Smith, who has been a resident of this county since
his boyhood days. That he has succeeded well as a farmer is shown by the fact
that he has one hundred and sixty acres of good land in Lincoln township as well
as a similar amount in South Dakota. His father was one of the pioneer settlers
of Jackson county, Iowa, coming to this state in 1864 from his native home in
England.
James H. Smith, the son of Jabez and Sarah (Wirt) Smith, was born March 30,
1882, in Sabula, Jackson county, Iowa. His father was born in England and came
to America at the age of twenty-one and located in Jackson county, Iowa. Jabez
Smith farmed for a few years and then engaged in the general mercantile business
at Sabula, after which he became a railway mail clerk, a position which he held
until his death in an accident in Illinois, in 1881. The reader is referred to
the history of Jabez Smith found elsewhere in this volume for further
information concerning the Smith family.
James H. Smith was born after his father's death. He received his education in
Shelby county, attending school in his immediate neighborhood. As soon as he was
old enough, he began to operate his mother's farm in Lincoln township and has
devoted all of his life to agricultural pursuits. He gives much of his attention
to stock raising and feeds the grain which he raises to hogs, marketing annually
about seventy-five head of hogs.
Mr. Smith was married in February, 1905, to Pearl Custer, the daughter of Arthur
and Emma Custer. To this union two children have been horn, Vera and Harold,
both of whom are still residing with their parents.
Mrs. Smith's parents were farmers of Shelby county until 1913, when they retired
and moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where they are now residing. Six children were
born to Mr. and Mrs. Custer: Myrtle, the wife of Hartley McConnell; Vernon, who
married Anna Blair; Pearl, the wife of Mr. Smith; William, single; Alvin, who
married Fern Miller; and Earl, who is still single.
Politically, Mr. Smith is not allied with any particular party, preferring
rather to give his ballot to those men whom he feels will best administer the
affairs of the office which they are seeking. In this way he contributes to good
government and if such procedure were followed by all of our citizens there is
no question that many of the evils under which we are suffering today would be
eliminated. While not desiring an office for himself, his influence has always
been sought by those seeking official positions and he has given his best
efforts toward the election of the best men. Mr. Smith is quiet and unassuming
in manner and because of his success in the material affairs of life, his
influence in local matters and the humble, character which he bears has had
accorded to him a full measure of popular confidence and esteem throughout his
community.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1439 - 1440. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
|
To Page Index ---
To Bio Index
It is probable that the youngest business man of Shelby, Iowa, is Everette
Starner, the manager of the Shelby Lumber Company. Although he is merely past
his majority, yet he has exhibited business qualities of a high degree and has
already made his impress upon the business life of his community. He is a young
man of high educational qualifications and has made a study of the business to
which he proposes to devote his career.
Everette Starner, the son of Benjamin Franklin and Maude (Foster) Starner, was
born in Shelby county, Iowa, in 1892. His father was born in Monroe county,
Pennsylvania, in 1861, and his mother was born in Wisconsin in 1871. Benjamin F.
Starner was reared and educated in his native state and in 1886 came to Iowa and
settled in Pottawattamie county. He first worked as a farm hand and after his
marriage rented a farm in that county. Subsequently he bought a farm on which he
lived for six years, after which he sold his farm and bought another near the
city of Atlantic, Iowa. He lived on this farm for two years, after which he
moved to Shelby county, Iowa, and bought a farm in Shelby township. He improved
his farm and successfully tilled it for twelve years and then sold it and moved
to Grant county, Minnesota, where he is now farming. Eight children were born to
Benjamin F. Starner and wife, Everette, Lee, Jesse, Herbert, Hazel, Viola, Ruth
and Allen. None of these children are yet married but all are living with their
parents with the exception of Everette.
The education of Everette Starner was received in the common and high schools of
Shelby. After graduating from the high school, he spent one year at the Western
Vocational College at Harlan, where he took the commercial course offered by
that institution. After graduating from the college at Harlan, in 1911, he at
once began to work for the Shelby Lumber Company. So rapidly did he learn the
business, that within two years he was appointed manager of the company and is
now one of its stockholders. This company carries about fifteen thousand
dollars' worth of general building material and also handles coal in connection
with its other stock.
Mr. Starner is independent in his political belief, but on account of his age
has not taken an active part in political matters. He is a member of the
Presbyterian church and gives it his hearty support. Fraternally, he is a member
of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and the Modern Woodmen of America.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 695- 696. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
|
To Page Index ---
To Bio Index
A prosperous stock raiser and farmer of Center township is Chris N. Stofferson,
who is the owner of the "Sunset View Stock Farm." He is a representative of that
class of farmers who have found that the greatest percentage of profit comes
from live stock. The United States government has found that on an average at
least seventy-five per cent of the farmer's profits are derived from stock. It
is in the live stock business that Mr. Stofferson has made his great success.
Chris N. Stofferson, the son of Nels and Maren Christian (Nasby) Stofferson, was
born in Denmark, August 25, 1862. His father was a life long farmer and died in
1869. His widow remained in Denmark until 1883, then came to America with her
second husband, L. C. Larsen, and lived with her children the remainder of her
days, dying in 1887. Mr. Larsen died in 1893. Twelve children were born to Nels
Stofferson and wife, of whom the following are living: Annie, Elsie,
Christopher, Lena and Chris N., with whom this narrative deals. Annie married
Louis Sorensen and Elsie married Jeppe Nelson, while the other daughter, Lena,
is the wife of Chris Jergensen. Christopher, the only other son of the family,
still lives in his native land.
Chris N. Stofferson received a good common school education in the schools of
Denmark, but early started out to work for himself. At the age of thirteen he
hired out and worked as a farm hand for five years. At the age of eighteen he
came to America and located at Marne, Iowa, but a short time afterwards came to
Shelby county where he worked for five years on the farms in this county. He
then bought a farm of eighty acres in Audubon county, Iowa, on which he lived
for two years. He left this farm after selling it and came to Shelby county,
where he rented a farm for two years. In 1892 he rented a farm which he now owns
and where he has since lived. He bought this farm in 1894 and since that time
has placed fifteen thousand dollars worth of improvements upon it in the way of
buildings, fencing, drainage, etc. He raises about seventy-five acres of corn
and forty acres of small grain each year and feeds all of it to his hogs and
cattle. In addition he buys three thousand bushels of corn each year which he
feeds to his stock. He sells on an average one hundred head of hogs and two to
four car loads of cattle each year. For the past twenty years he has averaged
two car loads of cattle annually. He is an extensive breeder of thoroughbred
Poland China hogs and Shorthorn cattle, and is also a breeder of fancy horses,
Englishshire, roadsters and driving horses. As a stock raiser he ranks among the
best in Shelby county, and has been more than usually successful in handling
high grade stock.
Mr. Stofferson was married January 6, 1887, to Sadie E. Gillett, the daughter of
Henry H. and Margaret (Ruger) Gillett, and to this union seven children have
been born: Verna Mabel, Arthur L., Lola M., Victor A., Mina F., Ivan H. and Reno
D. All of these children except Verna Mabel, who died at the age of five years,
are single and still living with their parents.
Mrs. Stofferson's parents were natives of Orleans county, New York, and lived
there until 1872, when William H. Gillett brought his family to Shelby county,
Iowa, and located in Fairview township. He proved to be a prosperous farmer, and
when he retired from active farm life in 1909 he was the owner of a good farm of
excellent farming land. He died at Harlan in 1911, and his widow is still living
in that city. Seven children were born to William H. Gillett and wife, all of
whom. are living, married and have families of their own: Frank, Harlan, Iowa,
Ida, the wife of Peter Jensen, Daniel, Harlan, Iowa; Sadie the wife of Mr.
Stofferson, Geo. F., a farmer of Center township, Nell, the wife of Chris Nelson
and Alice, the wife of Frank Hayward.
Mr. Stofferson has a beautiful country home which is strictly modern in every
respect. He and his wife have taken an active part in the life of their
community, in church work, educational work and in everything pertaining to the
general advancement of their locality. They are giving their children the
advantages of good educations and are thus fitting them to become useful members
of society. Mr. Stofferson's fine farm, which is appropriately called the
"Sunset View Stock Farm," comprises two hundred and forty acres of land, and
under his skillful management produces a substantial revenue every year. The
family are all loyal and consistent members of the Baptist church, and Mr.
Stofferson is a trustee in his denomination at the present time. He has given
his support to the Republican party since reaching his majority, and has served
as road superintendent and school director in his township, filling both
positions to the entire satisfaction of his fellow citizens. Such, in brief, is
the career of a poor Danish lad who came to this country with no knowledge of
the language and with no money and by industry and hard work he has accumulated
a competency.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1133 - 1135. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
|
To Page Index ---
To Bio Index
If the general appearance of a farm counts for anything, the casual on looker
would at once place Charles Wagemann among the progressive farmers of the
county. The attractiveness of his fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres
bears evidence of the thrift and taste of its owner and entitles him to a place
among the representative citizens of his county. Having been a resident of
Westphalia township for more than a quarter of a century, he has seen his
locality take its place among the best townships of a county which is as good as
any in the state.
Charles Wagemann, the son of Anthony and Katherine (Pfiffer) Wagemann, was born
September 17, 1878, in Freeport, Illinois. His parents were born in Germany and
married in Freeport, Illinois, near which place they bought a farm, where they
resided until the early eighties, when they moved to Shelby county and
purchased. a farm of four hundred and eighty acres in Westphalia township, where
Anthony Wagemann spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring May 30,
1888. To Anthony Wagemann and wife were born eleven children: William, John,
Joseph, Henry, Frank, Charles, Edward, Mary, Annie, Theresa and Agnes. Of these
children Henry and Agnes are deceased; Edward married Lena Klein; and all the
rest, with the exception of Charles, are still single.
Charles Wagemann was a mere lad when his parents moved from Illinois to this
county and only ten years of age when his father died. He was given a good
education in the Westphalia schools and then helped with the farm work until he
became of age. Upon reaching his majority he and his brother, Frank, farmed the
old homestead together and continued in partnership until 1911. Marrying in that
year, he bought out his brother's share of the home farm, which left him with
three hundred and twenty acres. This he is now operating with a success which
marks him as one of the most progressive farmers of his community.
Mr. Wagemann was married September 12, 1891, to Barbara Schechinger, the
daughter of Joseph and Katherine (Hennis) Schechinger, and to this union have
been born two children, Anthony and Cecelia. Joseph Schechinger was born April
29, 1866, in Altbrein, Germany, and came to this county with his parents in
1875. He grew to manhood here and married Katherine Hennis in 1890. To them were
born nine children: Martin, Elizabeth, Barbara, John, Katherine, Martin,
Cecelia, Cunnie and Herman. Martin, Elizabeth and Herman are deceased; Barbara
is the wife of Mr. Wagemann, and the rest of the children are still single. Mrs.
Schechinger died November 13, 1910. The reader is referred to the history of
Joseph Schechinger, which is found elsewhere in this volume.
Mr. Wagemann is a Democrat in politics, but has never taken an active part in
political matters. He and his family are members of the Catholic church.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1469 - 1470. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
|
To Page Index ---
To Bio Index
There is no positive rule for achieving success and yet in the life of the
successful man there are always lessons which might well be followed. The man
who gains prosperity is he who can see and utilize the opportunities that come
in his path. The essential conditions of human life are ever the same, the
surroundings of individuals differing but slightly, and when one man passes
another on the highway of life to reach the goal of prosperity before others who
perhaps started out before him, it is because he has the power to use advantages
which probably encompass the whole human race. Today among the prominent
citizens and successful farmers of Shelby county, Iowa, stands James T. Wright.
The qualities of keen discrimination, sound judgment and executive ability enter
very largely into his makeup and have been contributing elements to the success
which has come to him.
James T. Wright is a native of the Hoosier state, born in Montgomery county,
Indiana, June 25, 1845, a son of Robert E. and Elizabeth (Evans) Wright, both
natives of the state of West Virginia. Robert E. Wright was a carpenter by trade
and remained in his native state for a number of years before going westward
into Indiana. In this latter state he was married, but remained there but a
short time, in 1852 taking up his residence in the neighboring state of
Illinois, where he passed the remainder of his life. Robert Wright and wife were
the parents of nine children: William, deceased; Jane, deceased; James. T., who
lives at Moline, Illinois; Margaret, deceased; Eliza Ann, deceased; Nancy Ellen
(Sayer); Julia E. (Davis); Martha E., and Maria, deceased.
The subject was but a small boy when his parents took him with them to Illinois
in 1852 and for a few years he made his home on a farm near Rock Island, that
state. In 1869, after coming to manhood's estate, he came to Hardin county,
Iowa. However, he did not remain there, but returned almost directly to his old
home in Illinois, but in 1875 he again came to Iowa, this time locating in
Shelby county, where he has since made his home. He purchased a tract of land
containing one hundred and sixty acres, located in section 22, Lincoln township,
for which he paid ten dollars per acre. Since taking possession of this farm, he
has made about eight thousand dollars' worth of improvements on it. Among other
things, he has set out a grove of trees and an orchard and his present holdings
in Shelby county number two hundred acres, while he owns three hundred and
twenty acres in North Dakota. In addition to general farming he pays particular
attention to the feeding of stock, raising only that of good strain, and in this
department of his farm work he has been eminently successful.
Mr. Wright was united in marriage December 23, 1875, with Miss Mary J. Curtis,
born in the state of Ohio September 7, 1844, the daughter of Abel and Mary
(Roper) Curtis, both natives of Trumbull county, Ohio, the former born in the
year 1822 and the latter in 1821. Throughout his life, Abel Curtis followed the
vocation of farming and lived to a ripe old age, passing away in California in
1912. His wife also lived to a good age, but preceded him a few years, her death
occurring in 1904. The children of the Curtis family were as follows: Mary J.;
Lorinda J. Wilson, living in Illinois; Mrs. Delia Hodge, living in California;
Jarret died in infancy; Martin, deceased in Kansas; Albert, of Portland, Oregon;
Edwin, living in Kansas; Wesley, a resident of Kansas, as is Mrs. Jennie Hall.
When Mrs. Wright was a small child the Curtis family removed to Illinois. She
attended school in Rock Island and became a teacher, teaching for several years.
Her parents moved to Iowa and she taught school in Cedar Rapids for six years.
Even after her marriage she taught school in Shelby county for a time. To Mr.
and Mrs. Wright have been born four children, namely: Mamie (Mrs. Poole), the
wife of a Harlan, Iowa, grain dealer; Lula; Alma (Mrs. Marvin) resides in
Massachusetts, while Jennie remains with her parents.
The family has ever been regarded as one of the leading families of the
community, moving in the best social circles, where their excellent qualities of
heart and mind win them many friends. Politically, Mr. Wright is a stanch
supporter of the Republican party and to the Methodist church, of which Mrs.
Wright is a member, they give generously of time and means. He takes a
commendable interest in the general welfare of the community and his support can
always be counted upon for all measures which have for their object the
educational, moral, social or material advancement of his fellows.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1467 - 1469. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
|
To Page Index ---
To Bio Index
|
