USA > Iowa > Cedar County > A topical history of Cedar County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 19
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It was in 1890 in Cedar county, that Mr. Wagner was united in marriage to Miss Helene Peter, also a native of Waldeck, Germany, and a daughter of William and Elizabeth Peter, who passed their entire lives in that country. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wagner were born seven children, William, Kate, Carrie, Henry, Fred, Helene and Minnie.
The parents hold membership in the Evangelical church of Bennett and are most highly respected and esteemed in the community in which they make their home. In politics Mr. Wagner gives his support to the independent movement, but the honors and emoluments of office have never held attraction for him, pre- ferring as he does to concentrate his energies upon the conduct of his private interests. He has never had occasion to regret his decision to come to America, for he has found the opportunity he sought in the freedom and appreciation of this growing country, and in his record is manifested the truth of the fact that success is ambition's reward.
ALFRED CHRISTIE REEDER.
A member of the Reeder family scarcely needs introduction to those who peruse this volume, so long and prominently have the representatives of the name been connected with the history of Cedar county. During the entire period of their residence here they have stood for progress and improvement, cooperat- ing in many movements for the general good and at the same time winning suc- cess in the conduct of growing and important business interests, and Alfred Christie is no exception to the rule.
He was born in Goshen, Clermont county, Ohio, June 14, 1838, and is a son of George and Sophia (Stroup) Reeder, in whose family were seven children, Alfred C. being the youngest. In the paternal line the family is of English line- age and in the maternal line of German descent. The father was born in Vir- ginia but his marriage was celebrated in Ohio, where the family lived for a num- ber of years. The grandmother, Mrs. Rosetta (Wagner) Reeder, was a native of Virginia and during the period of the Revolutionary war she cooked and served a meal to General Lafayette. Her death occurred in Cedar county in 1852, when she had reached the age of ninety-three years, and her remains were in-
A. C. REEDER
MRS. A. C. REEDER
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
terred in Bethel cemetery. She related many interesting incidents concerning the Revolutionary war and the years which preceded it. In early womanliood she gave her hand in marriage to Jacob Reeder, also a native of Virginia, who died in Ohio in 1845, when ninety-four years of age. He was a slaveholder in his native state, but in 1821 he removed with his family to Ohio and freed his slaves. He continued a resident of that state until his demise, after which his widow came to Cedar county in 1851, her death occurring in 1852. It was in the former year that George and Sophia (Stroup) Reeder arrived in Cedar county, settling in Center township about three miles northwest of Tipton. The old homestead which the father first secured and which he developed and im- proved is now in possession of his son Alfred and has been owned continuously by the family since 1850.
Afred C. Reeder was a youth of twelve years when the family came to Iowa. He resided with his parents until after the outbreak of the Civil war, when on the 6th of August, 1862, he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting from Tipton as a member of Company C, Twenty-fourth Iowa Volunteer In- fantry, under Captain Silas Johnson. He served for three years as a corporal and took part in all the engagements of the regiment except that at Jackson, Mississippi, being ill at the time. He received an honorable discharge at the close of the war and with a most creditable military record returned home. Of the four who started the organization of Company C, only Mr. Reeder and George G. Chandler now survive, the others being S. G. Johnson and James Car- penter, who were killed at the battle of Champion Hills. Mr. Reeder still has in his possession all the equipment that belonged to him during his service and also the certificate of membership in the church to which he belonged, presented him by his pastor on leaving for the front.
Mr. Reeder had been reared to the occupation of farming and early became familiar with all the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the agriculturist, so that after his return from the war he resumed farming and was associated with his brother George W. in the operation of the old homestead for several years. The brother then married and removed to a farm of his own, but Alfred C. Reeder remained upon the homestead and continued its cultivation until he re- tired to private life in the fall of 1893, removing to Tipton, where he erected his present fine residence. He had one hundred and sixty acres of the old home- stead, which he carefully cultivated year after year, gathering therefrom abundant harvests. He still owns that property and he also has two farms in Kossuth county, one of one hundred and sixty acres and the other of one hundred and twenty acres. His land is rich and valuable but does not comprise all of his in- vested interests. For about thirty years he was engaged in the live-stock business with his brother J. W. Reeder and they became recognized as among the fore- most live-stock dealers of this part of the state. Mr. Reeder is one of the di- rectors of the Cedar County State Bank, which he aided in organizing. He is a man of sound business judgment and keen discernment and success has uni- formly attended his efforts whether put forth in his own behalf or for the bene- fit of the community, in the welfare of which he has taken deer and abiding in- terest.
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On the 12th of March, 1874, Mr. Reeder was married to Miss Eva Elizabeth McCune, who was born in Richland county, Ohio, July 22, 1852, and in Feb- ruary, 1863, came to Red Oak township, this county, with her parents, Wil- liam and Elizabeth (Dorcas) McCune, who were native of Pennsylvania, in which state the father was reared, while the mother spent her girlhood in Mary- land. They were married in the Buckeye state and came to Cedar county in 1863, settling upon a farm in Red Oak township, which continued to be their home until their demise. The mother, who was born April 20, 1825, passed away on the 5th of October, 1875. The father, who was born March 21, 1813, died July 25, 1881. In their family were seven children, four daughters and three sons: Bethania became the wife of William Sissler but both are now deceased; Mahala is the wife of Dr. E. T. Rigby, a resident of Davenport; John is living in Chicago; Charles makes his home in Des Moines; Mrs. Reeder is the next of the family; Avery is living in Davenport; and Mrs. Alice Kemp is deceased.
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Reeder was blessed with five children but three of the number died in infancy. G. Abraham, born June 24, 1875, resides in New York city, being now national secretary of the Army and Navy Young Men's Christian Association. He was the first Y. M. C. A. secretary to ac- company the American fleet. He resided on his father's farm here until he en- tered college subsequent to his graduation from the Tipton high school in June, 1892. He then became a student in Cornell College at Mount Vernon, Iowa, in the fall of 1893 and was graduated in 1897, completing the classical course. He afterward went to Evanston, Illinois, and entered the Garrett Biblical School, completing a course in 1901 with the degree of S. T. D. He next joined the Methodist Episcopal conference of upper Iowa, but after preach- ing for one year his health failed and he was taken to the Pacific coast. A year was devoted to rest and recuperation and he then entered the California conference, preaching two years at Colfax, California, and three years in San Francisco in the Hamilton church. Another year was then devoted to rest, during which time he went to the Holy Land and spent six months in the dis- trict made sacred as the seat of much new testament history. On his return to America he again resumed the pastorate, and was given an appointment but acceded to the request of the Young Men's Christian Association that he take up his present work, serving as national secretary since November, 1909. He was married in July, 1894, to Miss Mamie Able, of Postville, Towa. Elizabeth Christie, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Reeder, is a graduate of the Tipton high school of the class of 1896. She took up the study of music as well as a collegiate course at Cornell, where she spent five years, and was graduated in 1902. She was married September 8, 1903, to William Dennis, of Marion, Iowa, and they have two children, George Reeder and Margaret Elizabeth.
The Reeder family has always vied with the Rigby family in seeing which would graduate the larger number from Cornell College at Mount Vernon, and on the roll of its alumni appear the names of fourteen Reeders and fifteen Rigbys. Other Reeders, however, attended the college but were unable to complete the course on account of their health. Eighteen out of twenty-two of the Reeder children are graduates of the Tipton high school. These children are of the third
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generation in this county, their fathers having been brothers. The farm which the father purchased and developed into the homestead property is now owned by Alfred C. Reeder, who resided thereon until he took up his abode in Tipton, while the other three brothers bought farms adjoining the old homestead. All four of the sons reared their families on those adjoining farms and when they retired to Tipton the three living brothers built their homes together on Seventh street. They are among the best residences of Tipton and their owners are among the most public-spirited and progressive citizens.
Alfred C. Reeder has been a lifelong republican and has served as trustee of Center township for several years. He has also been a director and secretary of the school board of Center township, which position he filled for several years. He has been a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church since 1856 and he has been one of its trustees and class leaders. Mrs. Reeder has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church since 1872. He is connected with the Grand Army of the Republic, belonging to William Beaver Post, No. 110, of Tipton ; is also a member of the Legion of Honor and thus maintains pleasant re- lations with his old army comrades. He is as true and loyal to his country today as when he followed the old flag upon southern battlefields and is recognized throughout the community as a high type of American manhood and chivalry.
ALEXANDER MURRAY.
Alexander Murray, who follows farming on section 9, Red Oak township, comes from across the sea, for he was born in County Down, Ireland, on the 8th of November, 1840, and was five years of age when he came to this country in company with his parents Henry and Jane (Galbraith) Murray, who were also natives of County Down. On reaching the shores of the new world, the family came direct to Cedar county, Iowa, where the father in the course of time ac- quired an excellent farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Fremont township. He was born on the 7th of May, 1808, and died at the home of his son Alexander in 1894, his wife having passed away in this county in 1872. On their emigration to America they were accompanied by his brother Hugh and his wife, who lo- cated in Ohio. To Henry and Jane Galbraith Murray were born eleven chil- dren, namely: Eliza, now the wife of David L. Davis, of California ; William, a farmer of Red Oak township; Jane, who first married William Bandeen and after his death married James Mehan, while for her third husband she married Dr. Bainbridge, a resident of California; Alexander, of this review; Susan, now the widow of John Duncan, a resident of California; Mary, who married James Neff and both are now deceased; Nancy, the wife of William B. Fraseur of California ; Henry S., of Atlantic, Iowa ; Napoleon B., of Friendville, Nebraska ; Thomas, deceased ; and Julia Ann, the wife of Samuel Kinney of California.
Alexander Murray spent the first five years of his life in his native land and then with the remainder of his family took passage on the sailing vessel Olive and Eliza, which weighed anchor at Liverpool and arrived in New York six weeks and three days later. Their journey was not ended, however, on reaching
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the eastern metropolis, but for several weeks they were on their way to this state, traveling by river and canal and finally landed at Muscatine, Iowa. The first winter was spent in Linn county, two miles west of our subject's present home, but the following spring the father entered eighty acres of land in Red Oak township and here our subject has since resided. He remained under the parental roof until his marriage and then removed to an eighty acre farm on section 5, Red Oak township, that he had previously purchased in the spring of 1869. Today he is the owner of a well improved tract of one hundred and sixty acres on section 8, Red Oak township. At one time he also owned sixty-five acres of timber land, which he has since sold to his son, and still has seven and one-half acres of timber. He has made all of the improvements on his place, as there was not a tree or building standing thereon when he purchased it. His entire time and attention have been devoted to general farming and stock-raising, and he is recognized as one of the leading agriculturists of his community. On the Ioth of February, 1900, his residence was destroyed by fire, but he has since erected a more modern and substantial one, having one of the best homes in the neighborhood.
On the 14th of December, 1862, Mr. Murray was united in marriage to Miss Lucinda E. Pierce, whose birth occurred in Richland county, Ohio, on the 12th of November, 1840. She was brought to this county in 1854 by her parents, Aaron and Hannah (Cuning) Pierce, who were born in Pennsylvania and died in this county. To our subject and his wife have been born five children, as fol- lows: Aaron P., of Mechanicsville; William B., of Red Oak township; Siddie M., the wife of George W. Williams of Cass township; and Eliza Jane and Han- nah, both at home.
A pioneer of this county, Mr. Murray has witnessed almost its entire growth and development. On his arrival here deer and Indians were still numerous in this locality and most of the land was entirely wild and unimproved. At that time there were no settlers on the prairie, as those who located here preferred to make their homes in the timber. In the work of development he has ever Borne his part and as a progressive, public-spirited citizen has exerted his in- fluence for the benefit of his adopted county. For fifty-five years he has now made his home here and his circle of friends is limited only by that of his. ac- quaintances.
HON. L. J. LEECH, M. D.
Ohio has furnished to Iowa many of her valuable and prominent citizens, among whom Dr. L. J. Leech is numbered. He is now following his profession in West Branch, where he is accorded a large practice, and he is also connected with the financial interests of the community as vice president of the Citizens Savings Bank. A man of strong and determined character, he accomplishes what he undertakes, and the community profits in a large measure from his labors and activities.
I .. J. LEECH
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He was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, August 3, 1846. His parents were Thomas and Ellen (Stratton) Leech, the former a native of York county, Pennsylvania, and the latter of Salem, Columbiana county, Ohio. Both came of old Quaker stock and the Leech's were of German descent. John Leech, the great-great-grandfather of the Doctor, came to America in 1726. He was a shoemaker by trade and followed that pursuit in Philadelphia. His son, John Leech, was born in 1759 and became the father of William Leech, who was born in Pennsylvania and removed to Ohio, where he died in 1864. He was the father of Thomas Leech, who was married in Salem, Ohio, to Miss Ellen Stratton, her death occurring in 1850, and Thomas Leech afterward married again. In 1855 he came to Cedar county, Iowa, and spent his last days at the home of his son, Dr. Leech, passing away in 1898, in the eighty-sixth year of his age. He had followed farming throughout his entire life. By his first marriage he had five children: John, a retired farmer, now living in West Branch; Charles, who makes his home at Riverside, California; Deborah J., the wife of Charles E. Smith of West Branch; L. J., of this review ; and Ross, who is the editor of the West Branch Times. John, Charles and L. J. Leech and a stepbrother, Jesse James, were all soldiers of the Union army in the Civil war, serving in the same regiment, and all lived to return home.
Dr. Leech spent the first years of his life in the state of his nativity and then accompanied his father to Cedar county, Iowa, the family home being es- tablished near Downey in Springdale township. Dr. Leech has continuously resided in the county to the present time and aided in the work of the home farm until the time of his enlistment for active service in the Civil war. It was on the 15th of January, 1864, that he joined Company B, Second Iowa Cavalry, with which he served until the close of hostilities, taking part in all the engage- ments of the regiment. He was honorably discharged October 9, 1865, in Ala- bama, and with a creditable military record returned home.
In order to further promote his education, which up to that time had been acquired in the public schools, he entered the academic department of the State University. Later he resumed farming but after a few years he determined to take up the practice of medicine as his life work and to this end' entered the medical department of the State University, from which he was graduated in March, 1882. He then began practicing at West Branch, where he has since remained, and a liberal patronage has been accorded him. He was one of the organizers of the Citizens Savings Bank at West Branch and since its inception has been its vice president. He was formerly the owner of a good farm, which he bought in the early days at twenty dollars per acre and which he sold in 1909 for one hundred and twenty-five dollars per acre. His attention, however, has chiefly been given to the practice of medicine, and in this way he has won sub- stantial success and rendered valuable service to his patrons. He is now a member of the County Medical Society, of the Iowa State Medical Society, the Union Medical Society of Cedar Rapids and the National Medical Association, and through the interchange of thought and experience among the members of those organizations he keeps in touch with the advancement of the medical profession. Dr. Leech served as a member of the board of county pension
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examiners for eight years during the administrations of Presidents Mckinley and Roosevelt.
On the 15th of August, 1868, Dr. Leech was married to Miss Ruth A. Whitacre, who was born in Morrow county, Ohio, and came to Iowa with her parents in 1864. She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Aquilla Whitacre. She died in 1887, leaving two sons, Oliver J., who died when thirty-four years of age, and Albert M., living in West Branch. Dr. Leech was again married in 1893, his second union being with Miss Lydia Thomas, a native of Belmont county, Ohio, who came to Iowa in 1890.
Dr. Leech is well known through his fraternal relations. He is the com- mander of Nolan Morrison Post, No. 249, Grand Army of the Republic, of West Branch, and has filled the office for twelve years. He belongs to Wapsi- nonoc Lodge, No. 381, A. F. & A. M., at West Branch, and to the Royal Arch chapter at West Liberty. He has likewise been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for a quarter of a century and has guided his life in accord- ance with its teachings. His political support has ever been given to the repub- lican party, and he is recognized as one of its leaders in Cedar county. For twenty years he has served as a member of the city council and has been the advocate of many improvements which have been instituted during that time. He served for three consecutive terms in the state legislature from Cedar county as a member of the Twenty-ninth, Thirtieth and Thirty-first general assemblies. His political record is a credit and honor to the district which has honored him, and his political course has at all times been one of signal service and usefulness, being characterized by unfaltering devotion to the public good and actuated by a spirit of fidelity to all that works for practical progress and improvement.
JOHN P. MATHEWS.
John P. Mathews is numbered among the capitalists of Cedar county and he now makes his home in Tipton, where he gives his supervision merely to his in- vested interests in the control of which, however, he displays marked business ability and enterprise. Cedar county numbers him among her native sons, his birth having occurred in Center township, about four miles south of Tipton, on, the Ist of April, 1842.
His parents were William and Mary (Ford) Mathews, both of whom were natives of Greenbrier county, West Virginia, although the state had not been divided from the Old Dominion at the time they were born. The father's birth occurred September 13, 1808, while the mother was born June 28, 1814. After, leaving his native state William Mathews went to Indiana and it was there on the 25th of May, 1834, that he wedded Miss Mary Ford. They began domestic life in the Hoosier state but in June, 1838, came to Iowa, which was still under territorial rule. The work of civilization and development seemed scarcely begun even in the eastern counties and throughout the central and western portions of the state there were large stretches of land that had not as yet been claimed by
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the white man and upon which the work of improvement had not been begun. William Mathews secured a tract of timber land and at once began to clear away trees and cultivate the farm. He built there a little log cabin and in the course of time cultivated the fields, transforming the once wild tract into a valuable farm property. His life was ever upright and honorable and in all business trans- actions he was found thoroughly reliable as well as industrious.
In 1881 William Mathews was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on the 19th of October of that year at the age of sixty-seven years, three months and twenty-one days. She had been a consistent member of the Protestant Methodist church for more than a quarter of a century. She never murmured when she had to meet the hardships and privations of pioneer life in her early days, joining willingly with her husband in an effort to establish a new home on the frontier. She was always most devoted to her family and was a most loving mother to her children, three of whom survived her. The death of William Mathews occurred April 8, 1904, when he had passed the ninety-sixth milestone on life's journey. He was probably the oldest resident in the county at the time and was also one of the oldest settlers of Iowa, having made his home in Cedar county for sixty-six years. He counted himself an old man when he laid his wife to rest and twenty-three years passed ere he was called to join her beyond the river of death. He enjoyed good health through his later years, so that he kept in active touch with those about him and with their interests and pleasures. He remained for sixty years a devoted member of the Protestant Methodist church and his life was so upright, his manner so kindly and his intentions so honorable that he was beloved by all who knew him. During the last twelve years of his life he made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Simmermaker. At his demise one of the local papers said: "Always patient and kind, he has shown in the home the beauty of a green old age which is like the mellowness of an autumn day. Now that his sun is set, his friends linger on in the beautiful twilight of the memory of what he was and how he lived." The children of the family were: Alexander, who died in childhood; Jane, the deceased wife of Charles Millhouse; John P .; Nancy, the wife of George Simmermaker of Center town- ship; Eliza, deceased, and Frank, who died in 1908, leaving a son William.
John P. Mathews was born and reared upon the old homestead and there lived until his removal to Tipton about 1903, at which time he bought his present fine home on the boulevard. For many years, however, he was identified with general agricultural interests and is now the owner of five hundred and twenty acres of valuable and well improved land in Center township which comprises the old homestead and the addition which he made thereto. He also owns one hundred and sixty acres constituting an excellent farm one mile southwest of Tipton and a half section of land in Spink county, South Dakota. He has been a director of the City National Bank for the past eight years and is one of its large stockholders.
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