USA > Iowa > Cedar County > A topical history of Cedar County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 47
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Thomas B. Miller was not only recognized as one of the leading agriculturists of the community but was also a worthy early settler and one whose labors consti- tuted an important element in the substantial growth and upbuilding of this part of the state. Moreover, he was a leader in political circles. He always gave his support to the republican party and was nominated on that ticket as a repre- sentative to the state legislature. The election showed that he was the popular candidate for the office and by re-election he continued a member of the house for two terms, in which he served with honorable distinction, supporting many valuable legislative measures. He was widely known throughout the state as a man of good business ability and was an active and progressive farmer and stock- raiser. Moreover, he was known as a man of unblemished character, possessed of a lofty patriotism and notable public spirit, and he had the confidence, respect and honor of all with whom he came in contact.
His sons took charge of the farms and business some years prior to their father's death and purchased more land, including two farms in Jones county and one hundred and sixty acres in Cedar county, and they are today extensive stock-buyers, raisers and feeders. They also buy, feed and handle a large num- . ber of heavy draft horses. They fatten and ship from twelve to fifteen carloads of cattle each year and about four hundred hogs. Their business methods show keen discrimination, unfaltering energy and a progressive spirit. Their interests have closely connected them with the upbuilding and business enterprise of this section of the state and their labors have not only contributed to their own suc- cess but have also constituted elements in advancing the general prosperity.
Harlan Miller was married in Cedar county on the 28th of February, 1893, to Miss Dora Coppess, who was born and reared in Cedar county. They now have two children, Foster and Roy Miller. In the year 1903 Harry Miller wedded Miss Loretta Derr of Jones county, and they have one child, Clarice. Arthur Miller was married in Jones county in 1904 to Miss Nettie McCray, who
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was born and reared in that county. They have two daughters, Helen and Esther. The youngest brother is operating a two hundred acre farm in Jones county.
Politically the Miller Brothers have always been identified with the republican party but have never sought or desired office, preferring to concentrate their time and energies upon their business affairs, which have grown to considerable mag nitude, bringing to them success and gain that ranks them with the leading and representative citizens of this part of the state.
FRED CONRAD.
That the rich farm lands of Iowa hold out excellent possibilities for success to the ambitious and industrious farmer is indicated by the record of Fred Conrad who, starting out in life as a farm hand, has, by the intelligent use of his opportunities, become one of the substantial and well-to-do residents of the community. He is numbered among those whose well directed efforts in former years now make it possible for them to live retired from active life and enjoy in well earned rest those comforts which a goodly competence can provide.
He was born in Hanover, Germany, on the 19th of November, 1841, a son of Dietrick Conrad, also a native of Germany, who came to the United States in 1850. After his arrival in this country the father resided for five years in Randolph county, Illinois, and then, in 1855, came to Cedar county, Iowa, locat- ing on a farm in Springfield township. He was a poor man when he came to this country, and the first years in this frontier district were a struggle for ex- istence. His indefatigable energy and unfaltering perseverance, however, stood him in good stead and with the passing years he acquired a most creditable de- gree of success. He followed farming all his life, and his death occurred in Springfield township when he had reached the age of eighty years. His wife, Mrs. Sophia Conrad, who was also born in Germany, passed away in this town- ship when seventy years old. Of their family of three children one son, Henry, is now deceased. The sister of our subject is Mrs. Conrad Miller, who makes her home in Lowden.
The educational advantages enjoyed by Fred Conrad were acquired in the district schools of Germany, and he was a little lad of ten years when, in 1851, he left the fatherland and with his brother came to the United States. He was engaged for a number of years as a farm hand, working by the month, but dur- ing that period the thrift and frugality which were his German birthright, led him to carefully save his earnings so that he was at length able to invest in a farm of his own. He had cast in his lot with the early settlers of Cedar county, with whom he faced the hardships and privations which are always features of frontier life, and during the period of early development of this district his la- bors contributed in substantial measure to opening up and improving the lands of Cedar county. He had started out in life empty-handed, but he possessed an ambition and enthusiasm which would not permit of failure, and he steadily worked his way on through the years, his private fortune increasing with the
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development of the district. He became the owner of extensive property hold- ings which ranked him among the large landowners of Springfield township. He yet owns four hundred and forty-five acres of valuable Iowa land and has sold or given to his children three hundred and fifty acres. Although he has experienced many hardships and his life has been one of continuous activity, characterized by hard labor and earnest endeavor, his well directed efforts have found their reward in later years, for he is now able to enjoy all the comforts that wealth can provide without recourse to further labor. He makes his home in Lowden, where he occupies a prominent place among the men of affluence.
It was on the 8th of February, 1866, that Mr. Conrad was united in mar- riage, in Springfield township, to Miss Louise Rixe, a native of Germany and a daughter of Fred Rixe, of whom mention is made on another page of this vol- ume. They became the parents of ten children, nine of whom are yet living, as follows: D. W., a merchant of Lowden, whose sketch is also found else- where in this work; Louis and Henry, engaged in farming; Lena, the wife of Fred Butterbrodt; Herman, who resides in Lowden; Emil and Fred, both farming; Otto, who passed away at the age of twenty years; Paul, farming in connection with one of his brothers; and Julius, at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Conrad are prominent and influential members of the Evan- gelical church, in the work of which they are deeply interested, and they are well known in the social circles in which they move, the best homes of Lowden extending to them warm hospitality. Mr. Conrad votes with the democratic party, although he has never sought nor desired public office. He is numbered among those pioneers of Cedar county who helped to blaze the way for others to follow, and he tells many interesting tales concerning the early life of this district and of the hardships which were endured by those who were brave enough to face the dangers of the frontier that they might there plant seeds of civilization. Preeminently a self-made man, he has won a prominent place among the substantial citizens of Springfield township, but his success in life cannot be measured by his material gain alone, for the confidence, respect and good-will of his fellowmen speak for honorable manhood and a life well spent.
ANTHONY FULWIDER.
Anthony Fulwider, an honored veteran of the Civil war and a retired farmer now living on section 16, Sugar Creek township, was born in Greenbrier county, now West Virginia, on the 15th of August, 1828. His parents were John and Sallie (Kincaid) Fulwider, also natives of the Old Dominion. The father's birth occurred in Augusta county in June, 1797, and the mother's in Bath county, March 15, 1801. Extended mention is made of the family in the sketch of J. H. Fulwider on another page of this volume.
Our subject is second in order of birth in a family of eight children and during his boyhood accompanied his parents on their removal to Missouri and later to Cedar county, Iowa, arriving here in 1839. On reaching manhood he commenced farming for himself and continued to follow that occupation until
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his retirement from active labor. He became the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of land, which he improved by the erection of good and substan- tial buildings, and also placed the fields under a high state of cultivation. When the Civil war broke out he put aside all personal considerations and at the first call for three years' men he enlisted in Company K, Thirty-fifth Iowa Volun- teer Infantry, and remained in service until honorably discharged at the end of that period, serving as teamster all of the time.
In 1849 Mr. Fulwider was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Ridenour, who was born in Greene county, Ohio, March 22, 1832, and came to Cedar county, Iowa, in 1843. Her parents, Daniel and Elizabeth (Brewer) Ridenour, were natives of Maryland, who died in this county. In the Ridenour family were six children, four sons and two daughters. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Fulwider are as follows: Sarah, now the wife of Frank Smith of Warren county, Iowa; Cyrus, who died leaving a widow and four children; Malinda, the wife of Freeman Haines of Warren county, Iowa; Eliza, who first mar- ried William Nebergall and after his death wedded Kirk Leverich of Rock Island; Wilhelmina, the wife of J. W. Rochholz of Sugar Creek township; Margaret, the widow of August Dallega and a resident of Sugar Creek town- ship; Martha, the wife of Charles S. Weber, who is represented on another page of this volume; and Hattie, the wife of Charles Nauman of Sugar Creek township.
For over sixty-one years Mr. and Mrs. Fulwider have now traveled life's journey, sharing each other's joys and sorrows, and today they are probably the oldest couple living in this county. From pioneer days down to the present they have made their home in Cedar county and have not only witnessed its won- derful development but have aided in its growth and prosperity. It is sufficient to say that no couple in the community are held in higher esteem or have more warm friends than Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Fulwider.
WILLIAM S. ENLOW.
The strongly marked characteristics of William S. Enlow were such as en- deared him to all with whom he came in contact. As a reliable and enterprising business man, as a progressive citizen, as an earnest and loyal Christian and as a faithful friend and a devoted husband he is remembered. He was born January 22, 1853, in Columbiana county, Ohio, and was a son of Samuel and Hulda Enlow. When a young boy he accompanied his parents on their removal to Iowa and thereafter remained a resident of Cedar county until called to his final rest. He was reared to the occupation of farming and continued to follow it through- out his entire life.
In 1880 Mr. Enlow was united in marriage to Miss Anna M. Mattison, the eldest daughter of Philip and Mary (Sullivan) Mattison. Mr. Mattison was born near London, England, in 1837, and when seven years of age came to America with his parents, who settled near Massillon, Ohio. There his father died, and the mother with her family came to Iowa in 1855, taking up her abode
William J.Enlow
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
in the little village of Springdale. Philip Mattison was married in 1857 to Miss Mary A. Sullivan, a lady of Scotch-Irish lineage, who was born in Dublin in 1835 and came to America while in her teens, arriving in Springdale in 1854. In 1863 Mr. and Mrs. Mattison removed to their present home in Gower town- ship, four miles northeast of West Branch, and in the early days experienced the usual hardships and trials of pioneer life. Their land was a prairie tract with not a tree in sight. With characteristic energy, Mr. Mattison began the development and improvement of the property and the farm of two hundred and forty acres is now one of the finest and most productive in the county. The fields respond readily to the care and labor which is bestowed upon them, and everything about the place is indicative of the practical methods and prog- ressive spirit manifested by the owner. The death of Mr. Mattison occurred in 1898 and the community thereby lost one of its representative and valued citi- zens. Unto him and his wife were born six children: Anna M., who is now Mrs. Enlow, of West Branch; Nellie, who in 1881 became the wife of Dr. J. M. Mingus, of Iowa City, Iowa; Charles, a prominent lawyer of Butte, Montana, who married Antony Grieve, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1895; Edwin, a druggist of Omaha, Nebraska, who wedded Mary Ford, of Hubbel, Nebraska ; Clara, who died in infancy ; and Harry P., who in 1898 married Anna Barkhurst, of Springdale, and resides with his mother on the old homestead. The family have long been connected with the Society of Friends.
At the time of her marriage, Anna Mattison went with her husband to the home which he prepared and for eighteen years they traveled life's journey happily together, their mutual love and confidence increasing as time went on. They secured a home near Oasis and Mr. Enlow devoted his time and energies to general farming, manifesting good business ability in the management of his affairs. He never enjoyed very good health, however, and ten years prior to his death, accompanied by his wife, he made a trip to California, hoping that he would be benefited thereby. A year's stay convinced them that he was not improving on the coast and they accordingly returned to their Oasis home. From that time on Mr. Enlow's health seemed to improve, until a few days prior to his demise, when he was suddenly taken ill and on the 29th of Decem- ber, 1898, passed away.
He was a devoted Christian and his life exemplified his faith in the prin- ciples and teachings of the Methodist Episcopal church. He took an active interest in all the departments of church work, serving as a trustee and steward of the church and as secretary of the Epworth League. For ten years he was. superintendent of the Sunday school and was a great favorite with the children in whom he took the greatest interest and who loved him as a father. As a trustee, he was faithful, always looking after the interests of the church and standing firm in support of what he believed to be right. His efforts in behalf of the Epworth League contributed largely to its growth and improvement. For four years he was a member of Wapsinonoc Lodge, No. 381, A. F. & A. M. of West Branch, in which he filled various official positions. He was also a devoted member of the Woodmen camp at Oasis and in his life exemplified the beneficient spirit upon which those organizations rest.
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A paper published by the church of which he was a member said of him: "None knew him but to love him; none named him but to praise, and the example of his upright life will live forever in our hearts and his presence will be missed, yet we must say our loss is his gain, and surely he lived not in vain * * In his death the bereaved wife has lost a kind, devoted and loving husband; the mother a dear son; the sister, a beloved brother; the church, a faithful and earnest Christian; the community, a good, grand and noble citizen."
KOSSUTH PAULS.
The value of industry, determination and perseverance in the attainment of success is readily manifest in the life record of Kossuth Pauls, for he started out in life as a farm hand and today is living retired, enjoying in well earned rest the comforts afforded by a goodly competence. He resides in one of the finest homes in the city and is the owner of three hundred and fifty-five acres of land in Springfield and Massillon townships, which return to him gratify- ing annual income.
He is one of Iowa's adopted sons who were born in Germany, his birth occurring in Schleswig-Holstein on the 22d of November, 1849. Reared to manhood in his native country, he received his educational training in the schools of the fatherland and at the same time was thoroughly instructed in the work of the farm, early becoming familiar with the best methods of plow- ing, planting and harvesting. He continued his connection with agricultural pursuits in Germany until 1872, when, deciding to seek his fortune in the new world, he crossed the Atlantic, landing in New York city, where he remained for about six months. He then came to Cedar county, Iowa, and was here em- ployed as a farm hand for about a year, and then, with the money which he had been able to save from his earnings, he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Pottawattamie county.
After spending a year in breaking prairie Mr. Pauls returned to Cedar county and here invested in another tract of one hundred and sixty acres, upon which he carried on general farming until 1884. He then established a lum- ber and coal business, and the following eleven years were devoted to the growth and development of a business along that line, which subsequently, as a result of his careful management and excellent ability, attained large and gratifying proportions. In 1895 he sold out and again returned to the farm, where agri- cultural pursuits claimed his attention until 1909, when, in possession of a most comfortable competency, he retired from active work and took up his abode in Lowden. His home, which is one of the finest in the town, is material evidence of the success which attended his efforts during his active career, and three hundred and fifty-five acres of rich and valuable land in Springfield and Massillon townships are the source of a most substantial annual income.
It was in 1875 that Mr. Pauls was united in marriage in Springfield town- ship to Miss Minnie Rixe, a daughter of Fred Rixe, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume, and unto them were born eight children: Fred, Mary,
Philip Mattison
Mrs. Philip Mattson
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
Ernest, Emil, Mathiesen, Herman and Louise, all yet living; and Helene, who died in infancy.
The family hold membership in the Evangelical church and Mr. Pauls be- longs to the Modern Brotherhood of America at Lowden. Politically he is a democrat and has often been called to office, serving as township assessor for two years, also as township trustee and as a member of the school board and of the village council, his public record at all times being characterized by a fidelity to duty which gained for him the endorsement of the entire community. An industrious, clear-minded, progressive man, with an aptitude for success- ful management, he closely watched his opportunity for advancement in busi- ness lines, and with the passing years acquired a position among the substan- tial and representative citizens of Lowden and Springfield township which not only indicate the attainment of prosperity on his part, but also the possession of all those qualities which make for honorable and valuable citizenship.
WESLEY E. BRINK.
Wesley E. Brink resides upon a farm nine miles northwest of Lowden on sections 5 and 6, Massillon township. He is one of the public-spirited citizens of that part of the county and an enterprising business man, whose determina- tion enables him to carry forward to successful completion whatever he under- takes. Farming and stock-raising claim his attention and in the conduct of his business he utilizes a farm of two hundred and eighty acres. For more than a half-century he has resided in Cedar county, his birth having occurred in Massillon township on the 24th of August, 1858, so that he is now fifty-three years of age.
His father, Ira Brink, was a native of Bradford county, Pennsylvania, born August 15, 1827. There he was reared and married to Miss Cordelia Hagar, also a native of Pennsylvania. Later he removed westward to -Illinois, where for a time he engaged in cultivating rented land. Subsequently he and a brother bought a farm but after two years Ira Brink came to Iowa and invested in eighty acres of land in Massillon township, Cedar county. He at once began tilling the soil and improving the property which he owned until he traded that tract for a farm upon which his son Wesley E. now resides, situated on the Davenport and Delhi stage road. While living at that place he served as post- master of a country postoffice and also conducted a store and wayside inn. He owned two hundred and eighty acres of land, increasing his original holdings to that amount, and upon the farm he reared his family. Later he removed to Oxford Mills and from that place to Clarence, where he spent his remaining days in the enjoyment of a well earned rest, passing away March 30, 1904. He lost his first wife on the 4th of February, 1892, when she had reached the age of sixty-six years, one month and four days. He afterward married again, his second union being with Ortensia Segar, and following her death he was mar- ried a third time.
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
Wesley E. Brink was reared upon the old homestead farm and acquired his education in the common schools. Throughout the period of his youth he as- sisted his father in the cultivation of the fields when not busy with the duties of the schoolroom. On the 9th of April, 1881, in Massillon township, he married Miss Amanda S. Davis, who was born in Plano, Illinois, and came to Cedar county, Iowa, when about one year old. Her father, Jonas Davis, was one of the early settlers of this county. Following his marriage Mr. Brink rented land, which he cultivated for two years, at the end of which time his father removed to Oxford Mills, and he returned to the old homestead, purchasing the prop- erty. Since that time he has made many modern improvements, including the erection of a good dwelling, two good barns, a double crib, a machinery house and a hog house. He has fenced the entire place and has added all the equip- ments and accessories of a model farm of the twentieth century. In connection with his farming he raises and feeds stock, and both grain and stock return to him a good annual income. He fattens a large number of hogs each year, also sells cattle and pastures a considerable number. For twenty-nine years Mr. Brink engaged in threshing, at first operating his threshing machine by horse power and later by steam. He did threshing in Cedar, Jones, Jackson and Clin- ton counties and became well known in this district.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brink has been born a son, William E., who supple- mented his district-school education by study in the Clarence high school. He owns a farm of one hundred and fifteen acres a mile east of his father's place, and he and his father cultivate a part of the old homestead and rent the re- mainder. On the 21st of December, 1909, he married Miss Mary Bumgarner, who was born and reared in Jones county and acquired her education in the schools of Jones and Cedar counties.
Politically Mr. Brink and his son are both republicans. For fifteen years he has been officially identified with the schools, serving as township school treasurer for six years. He is now one of the township trustees and has fre- quently been a delegate to county conventions. His whole life has here been passed, and he has witnessed almost the entire growth and development of the county. He has seen its wild land converted into fine farms, its pioneer homes replaced by modern residences, and its villages converted into enterprising cities. At all times he has borne his share in the work of public progress and improve- ment, and his record both as a man and citizen commends him to the confidence and high regard of all who knew him.
JOHN Z. HOWARD.
Among the representative business men and prominent farmers of Cedar county must be numbered John Z. Howard, who was born upon his present farm on section 3, Gower township, April 27, 1867, and is a representative of and old and honored family, being the son of Ziba and Josephine (Roberts) Howard, who came to this region at an early day in its development. They were brought here by their respective parents and on reaching years of ma-
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY
turity were married in this county. The father was a son of Daniel Howard, a pioneer of Iowa, who reared a large family of children. Throughout life Ziba Howard followed farming in Gower township where he died in 1868. His widow never married again but continues to reside on the old home farm with our subject. She is the daughter of Robert and Isabelle Roberts. John Howard is the youngest of her five children, the others being: George, now a resident of Cedar Bluffs, Iowa; Robert, who died in Boulder, Colorado, in 1909; and Isa- belle and Hannah, both deceased.
ward was reared and educated in much the usual manner of farm Open Stores father died during his infancy he remained with his widowed For Hom
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