USA > Iowa > Cedar County > A topical history of Cedar County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 62
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It was in 1864, in Cedar county, that Mr. Strackbein was united in marriage to Katherine (Delkurt) Anderson, and they traveled life's journey happily to- gether until 1907, when the wife was called to her final rest. They were the parents of five children, as follows: Louise, who married George Strackbein and is now deceased; Frank; Louis, who passed away at the age of seven years; Florentine, who married Fred Ohlrogge; and Sophia, who died in childhood. Mr. Ohlrogge, who was born in Germany, came to the United States when a boy and has always engaged in farming. He owns eighty acres in Springfield township, upon which he resided until the spring of 1910, when he purchased the Strackbein homestead of his father-in-law, where he and his wife now re- side. They are the parents of three daughters, Annie, Emma and Martha.
The religious faith of Mr. Strackbein is indicated by his membership in the Evangelical church, the teachings of which have ever proven the guiding influ- ence of his life, while in politics he has been a lifelong republican. Although he has never sought nor desired public office as a reward for party fealty, he has, however, been deeply and helpfully interested in all those things which are mat- ters of interest to the true American citizen, and his influence has ever been found upon the side of reform, improvement and advancement. He is one of the oldest men living in Cedar county, and although he has long since passed the Psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten, he yet enjoys excellent health and strength. He is not actively engaged in farming, for the success which he has attained in former years makes it possible for him to live retired without further recourse to hard work, but the strong spirit of industry and en-
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ergy which has characterized his entire life makes it impossible for him to re- main idle, and he assists in the work of the farm, although leaving the actual management to others. He is well known throughout the community in which his home has been maintained for almost a half century, and he occupies a high place in the regard of his fellowmen for he has lived to good purpose and his many excellent qualities have won him the affection and honor of all with whom he has come in contact, while his salient characteristics have ever been those which speak for honorable manhood and good citizenship.
ALEX BUCHANAN.
Alex Buchanan owns and operates in connection with his sons a farm of five hundred and sixty acres lying on sections 13 and 18, Linn township, not far from Mechanicsville. This is a valuable property improved with two sets of buildings and the methods employed in its cultivation add continually to its pro- ductiveness and its value. Mr. Buchanan is one of the native sons of Cedar county, his birth having occurred in Cass township, July 30, 1841. Pioneer con- ditions still existed here through the period of his boyhood and he shared with his family in the hardships and privations of life on the frontier. The schools were primitive and he was largely self-educated but his training at farm labor was not meager. He early learned the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops and thus came to manhood well equipped for the duties that have since devolved upon him as a representative farmer of the county.
Mr. Buchanan was married in this county on the 22d of February, 1872, to Miss Sarah C. Downing, who was born and reared in this county and is a daughter of Joseph Downing, one of the pioneer settlers of the district. They began their domestic life on the farm which is still their home, although the changes which have been wrought here have produced a marked transformation in the appearance of the place. The present home was erected by Mr. Bu- chanan and is a two-story brick residence large and commodious and of an attractive style of architecture. It is well supplied with all modern conven- iences, including furnace heat, hot and cold water and bath. In fact, it is one of the finest farm homes of Cedar county and would be a credit to a city of large proportions. There are two complete sets of buildings upon the place. These include several large barns and ample outbuildings for grain and stock. A fine grove of evergreen trees has also been set out. There is also a grove of native timber to the northwest of the house and altogether the place is one of the ele- gant country homes, such as are the envy of many people whom circumstances have forced into the crowded life of the city. Mr. Buchanan and his sons make a business of raising, feeding and fattening stock for the market and sell several carloads each year. Their fields are carefully tilled according to the most modern methods and the judicious use of fertilizers and the rotation of crops keeps the land in excellent condition.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Buchanan have been born six children: Bert and Alex, both of whom are married and reside upon the home farm, which they are now
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operating; Mary, the wife of George D. Herring of South Dakota; Minnie, the wife of Mont Herring of Red Oak township; and Cora, the wife of Curtis Herring of Red Oak township, the three sisters marrying three brothers; and one child who died in infancy.
Mrs. Buchanan is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Bu- chanan has never taken an active part in politics but his son and namesake was elected and served for two years as county recorder. The father is one of the well known and highly honored business men of Cedar and adjoining counties. He takes pride in all that is progressive and "onward" has been emblazoned on his banner from his youthful days. He steadily pushes forward along lines of improvement, and what he has undertaken and accomplished has made him a successful business man. The public recognizes the fact that his prosperity is well merited, for in all his transactions he has been straightforward, and his honesty in business affairs is above question.
FREDERICK E. KAUFMANN.
Frederick E. Kaufmann is one of the most substantial farmers and stock- raisers of Cedar county. His home, known as the Spring Hill Stock Farm, is pleasantly located on section 23, Sugar Creek township. He was born on the 30th of December, 1856, in the same township and here has continued to reside throughout life. His parents are Henry A. and Gustina (Miller) Kaufmann, of whom extended mention is made on another page of this volume. He is the second in order of birth in their family of three sons, the others being Henry, now a resident of Nebraska, and Charles C., who also makes his home in Sugar Creek township.
During his boyhood and youth Frederick E. Kaufmann obtained a good practical education in the local schools and early acquired an excellent knowledge of agricultural pursuits while assisting his father in the labors of the home farm. On reaching manhood he chose the occupation to which he had been reared as his life work and is today the owner of eleven hundred acres of very valuable and productive land in this county, about seven hundred and fifty acres being in his home place in Sugar Creek township. It is a highly cultivated tract and well improved with good and substantial buildings, which stand as monuments to his thrift and enterprise. There is a fine spring upon the place, which has never been known to go dry since white men have been living here. In connec- tion with general farming Mr. Kaufmann has always given special attention to the breeding of stock, principally shorthorn cattle, Percheron and coach horses and Chester White hogs. This branch of his business he has also found quite profitable. He has become interested in the banking business, being a director of the Farmers Savings Bank of Wilton since its organization and a stockholder of the Downey Bank and the Union Bank of Wilton.
In 1885 Mr. Kaufmann was united in marriage to Miss Rosa Freyermuth, who was born in Muscatine county, Iowa, in 1864, a daughter of Jacob and Caroline Freyermuth. Her parents were both natives of Germany and came to
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the United States in early life, being married in this country. Her mother is now deceased but her father is still living in Muscatine at the age of seventy- eight years. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Kaufmann are: Richard, who died in infancy; Pearl; Harry; Carrie; George, who died in August, 1909, at the age of twelve years; Florence; and Walter.
The republican party has always found in Mr. Kaufmann a stanch supporter of its principles and he has taken quite an active interest in local politics, serv- ing as justice of the peace for about three years and as school director for about twelve years. He is a public-spirited, progressive citizen, who never withholds his support from any enterprise which he believes calculated to advance the wel- fare of his community, state or nation. As a business man he is widely and favorably known, being upright and honorable in all his dealings, and he well merits the high esteem in which he is held.
JOHN JEFFERS.
The soil of Iowa is naturally rich and productive and responds readily to the care and labor which are bestowed upon it-a truth which is manifest in the case of John Jeffers, the owner of three hundred and forty acres of valuable property in Cedar county. A native of Rochester township, this county, he was born on the 9th of May, 1855, a son of James and Allie (Fulwider) Jeffers. The former, whose birth probably occurred in Indiana, was reared in that state and as a young man came to Iowa in the late '40s. He located in Cedar county and was engaged in farming until his death, which occurred about 1864. His wife, who was a daughter of John and Sally (Kincaid) Fulwider, was born in Greenbrier county, West Virginia, in 1827, and in 1839 came with her parents to Cedar county, Iowa, the family home being established in Rochester town- ship. There she was reared and married and continued to make her home until called to her final rest.
In the family of Mr. and Mrs. James Jeffers were seven children, as follows : George, deceased; John, of this review; William, who died in childhood; Ellen, the deceased wife of John Thompson; Martha, the widow of John Rice, of Grand Junction, Iowa; Mary, the widow of J. B. Horn, of Tipton; and Jane, who became the wife of W. P. Buyer, of Armstrong, Iowa.
Being left an orphan at an early age, John Jeffers was but eleven years of age when, with one sister, he went to live with an uncle, J. H. Fulwider, a resi- dent of Rochester township, in whose home he was reared to manhood. He was early imbued with the desire of earning his own livelihood, however, and on attaining man's estate entered upon an independent career as a farmer, in which line of activity he has continued to remain to the present time. With the passing of the years he has been successful in the undertaking and is now the owner of three hundred and forty acres of valuable land in Rochester town- ship, two hundred and forty acres on section 31 comprising the home farm, and one hundred acres lying on section 32. He has brought both places under a high state of cultivation, has erected good barns and substantial outbuildings,
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and has introduced all modern equipment necessary for facilitating farm labor. He has carried on his farming according to the most practical and progressive methods, and the excellent appearance of his fields is proof of the success which has crowned his efforts.
Mr. Jeffers was united in marriage on the 6th of February, 1884, to Miss Sarah Jane Pirkey, who was born in Greene county, Iowa, on the 14th of May, 1861, a daughter of William and Mary (Edwards) Pirkey. Both parents were natives of Virginia, the latter coming to Iowa with her parents at the age of eight years. The father, who lost his mother when but three months old, came with his father to Iowa when a child of two years, taking up his residence in Greene county, where his death occurred in 1865, at the early age of twenty-five years. His widow came to Cedar county when her daughter, Mrs. Jeffers, was a little maiden of five summers, and here spent her remaining days, passing away on the 17th of November, 1897, having reached the fifty-seventh milestone on life's journey. By her marriage she had become the mother of four children, two of whom passed away in infancy. Those who survive are: Sarah Jane, the wife of our subject; and William, of Olathe, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Jeffers became the parents of five children: Elma, a high school teacher; Warren, who passed away at the age of fifteen years; Gertrude, Lulu and Everett, all at home.
Mr. Jeffers is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of South Bethel, and in his fraternal relations belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America at Tipton. Public-spirited in his citizenship, he gives stalwart support to the democrat party and at all times strongly advocates those measures which are matters of civic virtue and civic pride. A resident of this district during his en- tire life, he has become widely acquainted throughout the locality and occupies a high place in the regard and esteem of his fellowmen by reason of his honor- able methods and upright principles.
JAMES C. WALTON.
The name of Walton is inseparably associated with the history of Cedar county. James C. Walton was a resident here for seventy-two years, a record scarcely paralleled in this part of the state, and throughout the entire period his upright and honorable life commended him to the confidence and good-will of all who knew him. He was born in Jackson county, Ohio, April 27, 1830, and was the youngest in the family of eight children of David W. Walton, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume. He had a great-uncle who was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The father arrived in Sugar Creek township and staked out two claims in 1835. In 1836 he brought his fam- ily and on the Ioth of May of that year they arrived at their destination, taking up their abode upon a claim which their father had previously secured. James C. Walton was only six years of age at the time. Later, as his strength per- mitted, he assisted more and more largely in the work of the farm, at all times
MR. AND MRS. JAMES C. WALTON
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sharing with the family in the hardships and trials incident to pioneer life, when long distances and lack of rapid transportation cut one off from the comforts of the older and more thickly settled east. For fifty-five years he lived upon the old farm and always carried on general agricultural pursuits.
On the 3d of June, 1858, Mr. Walton was united in marriage to Miss Caro- line Copeland, the wedding ceremony being performed in the Fleming House at Tipton, Iowa, by William Long, justice of the peace. Mrs. Walton was born in Harrison county, Ohio, September 25, 1840, and was a daughter of James and Christena Copeland. She accompanied her parents to Muscatine county, Iowa, in 1854 and there resided until her marriage. Her people were among the wealthy and influential families of Harrison county, Ohio. Mr. Walton took his bride to the homestead in Sugar Creek township, and they resided thereon throughout the entire period of their married life, covering more than half a century. Unto them were born seven children, six of whom reached adult age, while a little daughter passed away when but four months old. One of their daughters, Carlie Mabel, who was the life and light of the old home, was called to her final rest June 16, 1905, at the age of thirty-one years. The other chil- dren are: Mrs. Laura Hanna; J. Parker, of Sugar Creek township; Mrs. Addie Victoria Barclay, the wife of Joseph Barclay; Vernon C. and Albert Bell, all of whom at the time of the father's death resided in Sugar Creek township near the old homestead with the exception of Mrs. Barclay, who makes her home in Wilton.
In his political views Mr. Walton was a lifelong republican with firm faith in the principles of the party which he supported by his ballot. He and his wife held membership in the Christian church and guided their lives by its teachings. This worthy couple traveled life's journey happily together for more than half a century and in 1908 celebrated their golden wedding. They had prospered as the years passed and accumulated a considerable portion of this world's goods. Mrs. Walton had carefully managed the household affairs, while her husband carried on the work of the farm, and as the years passed by he invested in real estate, becoming the owner of about nine hundred acres of land in Sugar Creek township. He was never known to take advantage of another in any business transaction, was never sued in all his life nor did he ever sue any one. He lived peaceably and honorably with all men and his many sterling traits of character won him the highest respect. On the 22d of June, 1908, just nineteen days after the celebration of the golden wedding, he was called to his final rest. He had the distinction at that time of being the oldest settler in the county, and he related many interesting incidents concerning the events which marked the county's history and development. He had not only been a witness of the county's upbuilding but had also aided materially in its progress as opportunity offered. He had seen the wild prairie converted into fine farms and had himself in his younger days broken acre after acre of the prairie sod. He had also hunted and killed all kinds of game, and he often told how in the early days on the present site of the Methodist church in Wilton he dug out a nest of young wolves. He never left Sugar Creek township but continued to reside there until his death, when he was laid to rest in Sharon cemetery beside his father, mother
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and daughter. Thus one by one the old pioneers have passed to the great beyond and all that are left of the Walton family in Cedar county are the widow and five children of James C. Walton, who live at or near the old home in Sugar Creek township.
LOWRY N. AYRES.
One of Cedar county's most public-spirited citizens is Lowry N. Ayres who from pioneer days has been prominently identified with the development and prosperity of this section of the state. He was born in Venango county, Penn- sylvania, on the 2d of April, 1845, and is a son of David Ayres, whose birth oc- curred in York county, that state, on the 17th of July, 1821. His paternal grand- parents were John and Rachel (Wonders) Ayers, who came west in 1854 and settled in Cedar county, Iowa, where they spent the remainder of their lives. In their family were the following children: David, the father of our subject; Mrs. Anna Wearham, deceased; Sebastian, also deceased; John, a resident of Bennett, Iowa; Mrs. Jane Wearham, deceased; Newton, of California; Mrs. Caroline Dice, of Wilton, Iowa; Mrs. Clementine Blizzard, of Malcom, Iowa; and Mrs. Leah Gano, of Cedar county.
David Ayres grew to manhood in his native state and in Venango county, Pennsylvania, was married May 5, 1840, to Miss Mary Ann Walter, whose birth occurred in that county, August 14, 1819. Her parents were John and Elizabeth (Walter) Walter, who spent their enitre lives in the Keystone state. Mr. and Mrs. Ayres continued to reside in Venango county until 1854, when they came to Cedar county, Iowa, with their five children, all of whom were born in Pennsylvania. Six others were added to the family after locating here and in order of birth they are as follows: Sheldon and Cobault, who died in Penn- sylvania in boyhood; John, who died during the first year of their residence in Iowa at the age of fourteen; Lowry N., whose name heads this sketch; Eliza- beth, the widow of Jonathan Ford and a resident of Sugar Creek township; Amanda, the wife of C. V. Kenneson of Nebraska; Henry Barkey of Wilton, Iowa; Peter, a resident of Inland township; Etta, the wife of William McCros- key. of Center township; Tabitha, who died in infancy; and Banes, who also died in infancy.
The father became one of the most extensive landowners in this section of the state, having about one thousand acres in four different townships. He con- tinued to follow farming through life, making his home at Ayresville and tak- ing a very active and prominent part in church work. He was instrumental in securing the first preacher who came to this locality from the east and organ- ized the Meneca church. In politics he was first a whig and later a republican and always took a commendable interest in public affairs. After a useful and well spent life he passed away on the 15th of October, 1901. His widow still survives him and continues to make her home in Ayresville, where at the age of ninety-one years she is still living, enjoying excellent health, being able to make and take care of her own garden and mow her own lawn. Until about a
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year ago she also kept and milked one cow, making all the butter for her own use. She is a woman of remarkable vitality and is loved and respected by all who know her.
Lowry N. Ayres was about nine years of age when he accompanied his par- ents on their removal from his boyhood home in Pennsylvania to Cedar county, Iowa. the family locating in Ayresville, where he grew to manhood and made his home until 1900, when he removed to Wilton. He remained under the par- ental roof until twenty-three years of age and then commenced farming on his own account, continuing to follow that occupation until taking up his residence in Wilton. He was the owner of eighty acres of fine farming land on section I, Sugar Creek township; also had eighty acres just across the road in Farming- ton township; and another eighty in Farmington township near Bennett. In addition to this property he still owns two hundred and forty acres of land in Inland township. In all he now has four hundred and eighty acres under cul- tivation and a tract of twenty acres of timber land in Center township. The village of Ayresville is located on the corner of four different townships, Center, Inland, Farmington and Sugar Creek, and the family has therefore been iden- tified with the development of each of these.
In 1868 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Ayres and Miss Catharine Ful- ton, who was born in Ohio in 1849 and was about fifteen years of age when she accompanied her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Fulton, on their removal to Cedar county. Six children blessed this union, namely: Perry, who lives on his father's farm in Sugar Creek township; Charles, who died at the age of four years; Frank, who died at the age of three years; Clarence, who died at the age of four years; Vera Bertha, now the wife of Dr. H. H. Johnson, a physician of Wilton; and Fay, at home. The mother of these children passed away on the 4th of July, 1907, and Mr. Ayres was again married March 24, 1910, his second union being with Miss Ella N. Duchen, a native of Cedar county, who success- fully engaged in teaching in the public schools of Wilton for seventeen years, after her graduation from the schools there.
Since becoming a resident of Wilton, Mr. Ayres has taken quite a prominent and influential part in public affairs, serving as a member of the city council for three years and mayor of the city for two terms. Never were the affairs of the city government in more capable hands and he did all in his power to promote the interests of Wilton. During his administration many needed improvements were made and he never withheld his support from any enterprise which he be- lieved would prove of public benefit. Prior to his removal to Wilton he served as trustee of Sugar Creek township for six years and was a member of the school board for a number of years. The republican party finds in him a stanch supporter of its principles, and he has always been an active church worker. At an early age he united with the Church of God and was superintendent of the Sunday school for a number of years and a trustee of Meneca church while re- siding on the farm, but since coming to Wilton has joined the Presbyterian church, with which he is now affiliated. He also belongs to the Knights of Pythias lodge at that place.
Mr. Ayres relates many interesting experiences of pioneer life and with the development of this region he has been prominently identified. Shortly after
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the arrival of the family here his father drew a furrow from Durant to Ayres- ville as a line to mark the stage route between the former place and Tipton. This furrow extended about nine miles across the prairie where no fences had been built or roads laid out. To the plow were hitched two yoke of oxen and one horse. On this horse our subject rode while his father guided the plow. The road that they then laid out was used for several years until fences began to be built and the course was changed to the section lines. In those early days . there were plenty of deer roaming across the prairie and country was decidedly wild and unimproved.
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