1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa
Page Index:
Potter |
Rank |
Rasmussen
Rice |
Ruffcorn, Albert |
Ruffcorn, William |
Ryan
To write the personal record of men who have raised themselves from humble
circumstances in life to positions of responsibility and trust in their home
communities is the pleasant task of the biographer. In this volume are the life
stories of many of Shelby county's best citizens who were reared in. ordinary
circumstances. Self-made men, men who have won a place for themselves by reason
of their personal qualities, unwittingly, perhaps, build monuments more enduring
than marble obelisk or granite shaft. To this class of men, Thomas H. Potter
properly belongs.
Thomas H. Potter, manager of the Green Bay Lumber Company of Harlan, was born
November 6, 1867, on a farm in Carroll county, Illinois. He is the son of John
and Hannah (Percy) Potter, natives of England, who immigrated to America about
the year 1870 and first located on a farm in Carroll county, Illinois, later
settling in Montgomery county, Iowa. Five years later, in 1875, they came to
Shelby county and purchased land in Jefferson township. They resided on their
well improved farm for many years and then retired to a residence in the town of
Irwin. Mr. and Mrs. Potter are the parents of four children: Thomas H., Mrs.
Elizabeth Fogarty of Jefferson township; J. R., who is farming the old homestead
in Jefferson township; J. A., residing at Brawleigh, in the Imperial Valley of
California.
Thomas H. Potter, with whom this review is directly concerned, has resided in
Shelby county for over thirty-nine years. He was practically reared on the farm
in Jefferson township and educated in the district schools which the township
then afforded. After attending the public school he then studied in the Western
Normal College at Shenandoah, Iowa. He first became interested in the lumber
business in 1899 in the town of Irwin. After a short time, he located in Kirkman
and had charge of the lumber yards of the Green Bay Lumber Company at that
place. He lived in Kirkman for eleven years and in 1900 took charge of the
Harlan yards of the same company.
Mr. Potter was married in October, 1894, to Mattie Steen of Kirkman. To this
union have been born two children: Bruce, aged ten years, and Mabel, who is
seven years of age.
Politically, Mr. Potter casts his vote in the interests of the Republican party
but is inclined to do his own thinking when it comes time for him to exercise
the right of suffrage. He prefers to support the individual according to his
fitness for the office rather than hew closely to the party lines. He is a
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons. Mr. Potter takes an active part in civic affairs. He is always
interested in improving local conditions and in boosting the city. He is
treasurer of the Harlan Commercial Exchange. He is a good business man, a
wide-awake citizen, a kind friend and neighbor.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1107-1108. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
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To a great extent the prosperity of the agricultural sections of our country is
due to the honest industry, the sturdy persistence, the unswerving perseverance
and the wise economy which so prominently characterize the farming element of
the Hawkeye state. Among this class may be mentioned William B. Rank, who, by
reason of years of indefatigable labor and honest effort, has not only acquired
a well merited material prosperity, but has also richly earned the highest
esteem of all with whom he is associated.
William B. Rank, the proprietor of "Sunny Hillside Farm," and the present
trustee of Greeley township, was born in Will county, Illinois, in June 3, 1861,
the son of Jonathan and Ann (Watson) Rank, both of whom were natives of
Pennsylvania. John Rank was a son of Joseph and Margaret (Beard) Rank, natives
of Pennsylvania, of German ancestry with a mixture of French blood. Some members
of the family came from France several generations ago. John Rank came to Shelby
county, Iowa, from Illinois in 1882, and located in Kirkman and purchased a farm
at the western side of the town.
William B. Rank received a limited common school education in Will county,
Illinois, and came to Shelby county, this state, in 1883, locating on a farm
near his father. He lived there until 1892, when he married and purchased eighty
acres of unimproved land in Greeley township, where he has since continued to
make his home. In 1907 he built a large, eight room house which is equipped with
all the modern conveniences of life. In 1909 he added a large barn, forty by
fifty-two feet in size, and also many other outbuildings which tend to make his
farm one of the best improved in this section of the county. Mr. Rank is a
farmer who believes in taking advantage of all the latest methods in
agriculture, and in his farming he does not hesitate to depart from old methods
when he finds that the newer ideas will produce better results.
Mr. Rank was married February 17, 1892, to Mary E. Edwards, who was born in
Metcalf county, Kentucky, on January i5, 1874. She was the daughter of Alexander
and Mary (McMurray) Edwards, but was reared by an aunt, Mrs. Drusilla Carter,
due to the fact that her mother died when she was an infant. When her aunt's
family came to Shelby county in 1883, she came with them and settled in Irwin,
where she was living when she was married. Mr. and Mrs. Rank are the parents of
five children, Hazel L., born July 25, 1893; Clara F., born January 3, 1900;
Hallie, born February 7, 1901 ; Willis, born November 14, 1904, and Leroy, born
January 18, 1897, who died in infancy. The mother of these children died October
8, 1913: Hazel Rank, the eldest daughter of Mr. Rank, taught school for two
years in Jefferson and Greeley townships, but at the time of the death of her
mother she stopped teaching and took charge of the home, all of the children
still living with their father.
Mr. Rank is a Republican in politics and always has taken an active part in
local politics. He has been school director for five terms and at present is
township trustee of his home township. Fraternally, he is a member of the
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at
Irwin. Religiously, he was a Methodist. His wife was a member of the Christian
church and the children also adhere to the Christian faith. Mr. Rank is a
progressive, self-made American, thoroughly in harmony with the spirit of the
age in which he lives, and in all of his acts has displayed an aptitude for
successful management. He has not permitted the accumulation of material things
to affect in any way his actions toward those less fortunate, being a most
sympathetic and broadminded man with a host of warm and admiring friends in his
community.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1445 - 1446. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
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Shelby county is known as one of the best stock raising counties of Iowa, and
many of the farmers of this county have attained state wide reputations as
breeders. One of the younger stockmen who has attained more than a local
reputation is Chris A. Rasmussen, who has shipped Duroc Jersey hogs from one end
of Iowa to the other, and has made many exhibits at fairs throughout the state.
He thoroughly understands every angle of stock raising and has merited the
success which has come to him as a result of his efforts. He is strictly a
self-made young farmer and has worked for everything he has, a fact which speaks
well for his good management and business ability.
Chris A. Rasmussen, the son of Andrew and Sophia (Mattson) Rasmussen, was born
in the township where he is now living July 20, 1876. His father was a native of
Denmark, his birth having occurred in that country in 1846, and came to America
after his marriage to Sophia Mattson, who was born in the same country in 1846.
Andrew Rasmassen and wife located in Shelby county, Iowa, in 1873, among the
earliest pioneers of the county, and engaged in farming with marked success. At
the time of his death in 1888 Andrew Rasmussen was the owner of three hundred
acres of well improved land in Jackson township. His widow died in 1906, and
both are buried at Bowman's Grove cemetery. They were the parents of six
children, five of whom are still living: Mrs. A. M. Peterson; Mrs. T. P.
Peterson; Chris A.; T. M.; Alexander, deceased, and G. C.
Chris A. Rasmussen received a good common school education in the schools of
Jackson township, and when eighteen years of age married and began to farm for
himself. He rented land for one year and then bought eighty acres, to which he
has added from time to time until he is now the owner of two hundred acres of
excellent land in this township. He is one of the most extensive breeders of
Duroc jersey hogs in the county, and has won a state-wide reputation for the
excellence of his stock, frequently having been a prize-winner at the various
county fairs in the state and also at the Iowa State Fair. He also handles
Shorthorn cattle and is a shareholder in the Buck Valley Creamery Company. He
makes a scientific study of cattle breeding and hog raising and has attained a
success along these two different lines which indicates that he is a man of
excellent ability.
Mr. Rasmussen was married November 14, 1894, to Martha Bonnet, who was born in
Chicago, Illinois, February 19, 1876, and to this union have been born two
children, Elda and Edward. Politically, Mr. Rasmussen is a Democrat and has
always been more or less interested in local politics. He has served as
president of the school board of his township, and is highly interested in
everything pertaining to the educational welfare of his township. He and his
family are loyal members of the Danish Lutheran church, in whose welfare they
are deeply interested, and to whose support they are liberal contributors. Mr.
Rasmussen's farm is known as the "Clover Leaf Stock Farm," and is one of the
attractive places in the county. He has all of the necessary barns and
outbuildings for successful stock raising and takes a keen delight in keeping
everything in good repair. He is still a young man and has a long and prosperous
career stretching out before him.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1461 - 1462. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
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The history of Charles A. Rice, the present superintendent of the county farm of
Shelby county, Iowa, is full of many interesting incidents. As a youth of
seventeen he enlisted in the United States regular army for three years and saw
service in the Philippine Islands, during which time he conducted himself in
such a manner as to win the hearty approval of his superior officers. Since that
time he has been engaged in farming and since 1912 has been in charge of the
county farm. He is a young man of marked ability and in whatever position he has
been thrust, he has measured up to his responsibilities in such a way as to
merit the approbation of his fellow citizens. He has found that practical
industry wisely and vigorously applied never fails of success and that the
greatest results are often attained by simple means and the exercise of the
ordinary qualities of common sense and perseverance. Charles A. Rice, the son of
Arthur S. and Mabel (Brainard) Rice, was born in Comanche, Iowa, on February 18,
1884. His father was born in
Harrison county, Iowa, in 1860, and his mother was a native of the same county,
her birth occurring in 1862. Arthur S. Rice is the son of Silas Rice, who was
born in Vermont in 1830, and died in Harrison county, Iowa, in 1875. Silas Rice
married Eleanor Hopkins, who was also a native of Vermont, her birth occurring
there in 1828, and she is still living at Logan, Iowa. Silas Rice was one of the
earliest pioneer settlers of Harrison county, Iowa, was one of the most
extensive land owners of the county, and at his death was recognized as one of
the most substantial men of his county. Arthur S. Rice and his wife, who now
live in Florida, were the parents of three children.
Charles A. Rice received a good education in the schools of Harrison county,
Iowa, and when seventeen years of age was seized with a desire to join the
United States army and get a glimpse of America's new possessions. In 1902 he
enlisted in Troop G, Fifth Regiment of the United States Regular Cavalry, and
saw hard service in the Philippines before his final discharge in Arizona in
1905. Immediately after being mustered out of the service of the regular army,
he came to Iowa and attended the Normal School at Woodbine for one year. He then
went to Minnesota and farmed for three years, after which he married and settled
in Dunlap, Iowa, where he followed the barber trade for five years. In 1912 he
came to Shelby county and took charge of the county farm and is now efficiently
managing the same. Mr. Rice was married on December 31, 1907, to Esther M. Osten,
who was a native of Wisconsin, her birth having occurred in Columbia county on
August 23, 1871, and to their union has been born one daughter, Doris, who was
born September 28, 1911.
Mrs. Rice is a daughter of Martin and Nellie (Jarshorn) Osten. Her parents were
natives of Norway. Mr. Osten came to America at the age of seventeen and his
wife came later with her parents. Both settled at Rio, Columbia county,
Wisconsin, where they were married. Later they went to Blue Earth county,
Minnesota, where they remained until Mrs. Osten's death, January 18, 1889. Mr.
Osten is now living at Lake Crystal, Minnesota.
In politics, Mr. Rice is an independent voter with progressive inclinations, and
feels that the best interests of his county and state are served when he votes
for the best man, not taking into consideration the party to which the man
belongs, but rather his personal qualifications for the office. Fraternally, he
is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the
Loyal Order of Moose and the Brotherhood of American Yeomanry, and in the work
of these various fraternal organizations he takes a deep interest.
Mr. Rice is yet a young man and is at the beginning of a long and prosperous
career. His tenacity and fortitude are due in a large measure to the worthy
traits inherited from his sterling father and grandfather, whose high ideals and
correct principles he has ever sought to perpetuate in all the relations of
life. He is a man of honor, public spirit, charitable impulses and unswerving
integrity, and consequently is eminently deserving of mention in a history of
his county.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1136 - 1138. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
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It is a satisfaction to note that so many of the best young men of Shelby
county, Iowa, are preparing themselves for agriculture. Within the Past few
years there has been a return to the farm and today there are more Young men
taking courses in our agricultural colleges than ever before. With modem
machinery and improved methods of farming the agricultural Profession offers as
good opportunities for the enterprising young man as Any other profession. One
of the youngest farmers of Shelby county, Iowa, Is Albert Leslie Ruffcorn, who
is now managing a fine farm of two hundred And eighty acres of land in Union
township. He is a young man of marked Ability.
Albert L. Ruffcorn, the son of Pressly and Flora (Batchelor) RuffCorn, was born
November 17, 1886, on the farm where he is now living. His father was born in
Pennsylvania and his mother in Iowa.
Pressly Ruffcorn received his education in the schools of his native State and
at the opening of the Civil War he enlisted in a Pennsylvania Regiment, serving
throughout that struggle with distinction. After the close Of the war, in the
spring of 1866, he moved to Illinois, and remained in that State for several
years. He then went to Dubuque county, Iowa, and worked Nut as a farm hand.
After his marriage in that county he bought a farm, But lived on it only a few
years. In 1884 Pressly Ruffcorn and his wife Came to Shelby county, Iowa, and
bought the farm on which Albert L. Is Now living. The reader is referred to the
history of Pressly H. Ruffcorn, Found elsewhere in this volume;
Albert L. Ruffcorn received a good education in the public schools of Defiance,
Iowa. He worked on the farm during tile summer vacations and After leaving
school continued to assist his father on the home farm until His marriage, in
1912. His father retired from the farm and moved to Defiance, and since then
Albert L. Has been in active charge of the home Place. The farm is well improved
and yields large crops of grain annually.
Mr. Ruffcorn was married January 31, 1912, to Mae Hunter, the Daughter of
William and Hannah (Ray) Hunter, and to this union one son. Howard Gayle, has
been born.
Mrs. Ruffcorn's father was born in Linn county, Iowa, June 6, 1856, The son of
David and Lura (Reynolds) Hunter: William Hunter was married March 23, 1884, to
Anna Frances Ray, and to this union five children Were born: William, Mae,
Helen, John and Glenn. William married Velma Kanause. And has two children,
Audrey and Vasco; Mae is the wife Of Mr. Ruffcorn, while the other children are
still living with their parents. Mrs. Hunter was the daughter of William and
Helen (Longnecker) Ray, Her parents being natives of Iowa and Ohio,
respectively.
Mr. Ruffcorn is affiliated with the Republican party, and while interested In
the civic life of his community, has never been an aspirant for any public
Office. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd FelLows and
is a past grand in his local lodge. He also holds his membership In the Modern
Woodmen of America, and is connected with that fraternal Organization in an
official capacity.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1195-1196. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
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It is always pleasant and profitable to read the life of a man who has Been a
success, whose living has been such as to command the honor and Respect of his
fellow citizens. William E. Ruffcorn, a substantial farmer And chicken fancier
of Shelby county, has long been an influential citizen. As A public school
teacher of several years' experience, a farmer and business Man, a worker in the
church and Sunday school and as a citizen interested in Everything which might
in any way benefit his neighbors, he has played a Part which entitles him to a
place among the influential men of his county.
William E. Ruffcorn, the son of Pressley H. And Josephine (Hooper) Ruffcorn, was
born October 3, 1877, in Epworth, Iowa. His parents were Natives of Pennsylvania
and England, respectively. John Ruffcorn, the Father of Presslev, spent all of
his life in Pennsylvania. Pressley H. Ruffcorn lived in his native state until
the opening of the Civil War, when He enlisted in the Eighty-fifth Regiment,
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, And served as a private until the close of the
war. He was offered a Com-Mission on several occasions but always declined,
preferring service in the Ranks as a private. He had some very exciting
experiences, but he escaped Capture, and was never wounded. A short time after
the close of the war, He came to Shelby county and bought a farm of one hundred
and sixty acres In Union township. He lived upon the farm until 1911, when he
retired From active farm life and moved to Defiance. There he now lives,
surounded by all modern comforts and conveniences. Pressley H. Ruffcorn Was
twice married. By his first wife, Josephine Hooper, four children were Born:
Frank L., Mrs. Ada M. Davis, William It. And George E. After The death of his
first wife, he married Flora Batchelder, and to the second Union there were five
children born: Olan G., Albert, Everett, Wayne and Alice.
The father of Pressley H. Ruffcorn's first wife came from England With his
family in the early forties and settled in Dubuque, Iowa. He was A baker in the
old country but took up fanning upon coming here. Upon The discovery of gold in
California in 1848, he prepared to make the long Overland trip to the Pacific
coast. The following year he started across The continent with an ox-team, but
shortly after reaching California, he lost His ambition and shipped on an
old-fashioned sailing-vessel for the trip around Cape Horn. He eventually landed
in New York and at once came back To his home in Iowa and settled down as a
farmer, following that occupation Until his death.
William E. Ruffcorn was educated in the common schools of his home Neighborhood
and lived on the farm with his parents until his marriage. He then rented one of
his father's farms until it was sold in 1913 and then Bought eighty acres in
section eighteen, Greeley township. There he now Lives, and carries on general
farming, making a specialty of raising full Blooded Plymouth Rock chickens. In
1913, he shipped five of his best Chickens to the Iowa State Fair, won first and
second prizes on pullets. First and second on cockerels and first on sweepstakes
for the best cockerels In the American class. He is not only one of the best
known chicken fanciers In Iowa but has a reputation throughout the United
States. He is a member Of the Barred Plymouth Rock Club of America and the
American Poultry Association. In addition to his chickens, Mr. Ruffcorn raises
Poland China Hogs and Short Horn cattle.
Mr. Ruffcorn was married May 23, 1906, to Laura Scott, born October 22, 1886, in
Union township, this county. She is the daughter of Frank And Elizabeth (Luxford)
Scott, natives of Illinois and early settlers Of Shelby county. Mr. And Mrs.
Scott are the parents of five children: Mrs. Jennie Nordby, Robert M., Agnes I.,
Ivan K and Laura, the wife of Mr. Ruffcorn. Vera Agnes, born August 21, 1908, is
the only child of Mr. and Mrs. Ruffcorn.
Mr. Ruffcorn is a Republican but is not a partizan. He has never Aspired to any
public office, preferring to give all his time and attention to Private
interests. He and his wife are active in the Methodist Episcopal Church and are
especially interested in the Sunday school. Mr. Ruffcorn Was superintendent of
the Sunday school for five years and has been a Teacher for many years. He and
his wife are graduates of the Defiance High school. Both taught in the public
schools before their marriage, and have a large number of friends in the
community.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 1162-1164. Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
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One of the most progressive young men of Shelby county today is Earl Ryan, who
is a member of the stockbreeding firm of Escher & Ryan. He has shown a knowledge
of the stock breeding business which places him among the first rank of stock
breeders in the country, and in fact, he is regarded as one of the best judges
of cattle in the United States. The Aberdeen Angus Stock Farm, now owned by
Messrs. Escher & Ryan, has not only a national but an international reputation
for its cattle.
Earl Ryan, the son of Thomas J. and Mary A. (Grant) Ryan, was born on August 23,
1884, on the farm where he is now living. His father was born on February 15,
1852, near Rochester, New York, and is the son of Jeffrey and Sarah (Clark)
Ryan. His mother was born on October 28, 1855, in Victor, Iowa, and is the
daughter of Henry and Helen (Haggard) Grant. Thomas J. Ryan is one of the
largest land holders of the county and at present is the mayor of Irwin, Iowa.
His history appears elsewhere in this volume and the reader is referred to it
for further information concerning his career.
Earl Ryan was educated in the schools of this county and then took a business
course at Omaha, Nebraska. When he was seventeen years of age his parents moved
to Irwin, where he remained until he was married in 1907. He then moved hack to
the old home place and became a partner with Charles Escher in the management of
the Aberdeen-Angus Stock Farm. This farm is known as the "Pleasant View" farm,
and is one of the most interesting farms to be found in the state of Iowa. Among
one of the many notable newspaper and magazine accounts which have appeared
concerning this farm, the following paragraph from the "Review and Album" of the
International Live Stock Exposition is here given in full: "Picking the grand
championship was no difficult task this year. The crowd on the board walks
overhead had made the award in a popular sense long before it was officially
confirmed. The cattle had barely been penned before it was apparent that it
would clearly be an Angus year, and that these master breeders and feeders,
Charles Escher, Jr., and Earl Ryan, had left little room for competition. Of
thirty-one loads shown from all over the United States, they had seven of the
best."
This statement, which appeared in the 1913 International Stock Show Review,
gives some indication of the wide reputation of this firm. They keep from five
hundred to seven hundred head of full-blooded Aberdeen-Angus cattle the year
round. The farm consists of fourteen hundred acres of land in Greeley and
Douglas townships and is well adapted to the purpose for which it is used Earl
Ryan was married on January 22, 1907, to Bertha M. Sessions, who was born
September 27, 1886, in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, the daughter of Edward and Hulda
(Richardson) Sessions, natives of New York state. They came to Iowa about 1879
and were married after coming to this state.
In 1900 they moved to Shelby county and located in Polk township, where they
lived until 1907, when they moved to Wyoming. In 1911 they moved to California,
where they are now living. Mr. and Mrs. Sessions are the parents of four
children: Mrs. Grace Dobler, of Beverton, Wyoming; Mrs. Georgiana Purcell, of
Irwin, Iowa; Edward, of Los Angeles, California, and Bertha, the wife of Earl
Ryan. Mr. and Mrs. Ryan have two children: Charles Thomas, born October 17,
1908, and Myrtle Grace, born January 12, 1910. Mr. Ryan has been a member of the
Independent Order of Odd Fellows for several years. Politically, he is a
Democrat but the demands of business have prevented him from taking an active
part in political affairs. Mr. Ryan is still a young man with a promising future
before him and the success which has attended his efforts in the past bespeak
for him a more successful future.
Source: 1915 Past and Present of Shelby County, Iowa, pp. 705 - 707
Contributed by: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs.
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