USA > Iowa > Audubon County > History of Audubon county, Iowa; its people, industries, and institutions > Part 59
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In 1878 the McClaran family came west and settled in the south edge of Guthrie county, Iowa, and later removed to Oklahoma, where the mother died in July, 1906. The father died at Coffeeville, Kansas, October 31, 1914. They had eight children, seven of whom are living: Benjamin, Ralph, Mrs. Swinehart, Mrs. Grace Lalley, William, Mrs. Ruth Stoner and John.
Mr. and Mrs. Joel L. Swinehart have had eight children, seven of whom are living. The children in the order of their birth are as follow: Charles,
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born on December 29, 1893; Grace, August 10, 1895; Lenora, February 17, 1897: Joel, February 15, 1901, died February 20th of the same year : Helen, August 20, 1902; Theodore, December 5, 1904; Dorothy, October 13, 1906, and Lynn, July 18, 1911. All the children are living at home, though Grace and Lenora have attended high school at Adair.
Mr. Swinehart was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, but dropped out of the lodge in 1907. A Republican in politics he has served as township trustee and clerk and also as school director, and was president of the board of trustees for two years, all of which positions he discharged with the entire satisfaction of the people of the township. Though not mem- bers of any church, Mr. and Mrs. Swinehart and family are loyal and faithful supporters of the Methodist Episcopal.
Among the men who deserve to be counted as successful farmers in this section, Joel L. Swinehart, of Audubon township, is one. He has made a conspicuous success in the business of farming, a fact which is generally recognized by his neighbors and friends. Popular in the county and town- ship where he lives, Mr. Swinehart has behind him an honorable and upright career, and one of which he can be truly proud.
REV. PETER RASMUSSEN.
The Rev. Peter Rasmussen, who is a native of the little kingdom of Denmark, in his native land, was a farin hand. In fact, he worked at this occupation until he was twenty-three years of age, when he decided to come to America.
After Mr. Rasmussen's arrival in America, he decided to prepare himself for the ministry, and began his preparation for this profession at the Trinity Seminary, at Blair, Nebraska, which is under the control of the United Danish Evangelical Lutheran church of America. He was a student at this institution for six years, after which he was ordained to the ministry in the Danish Lutheran church. His first pastorate was in the parish at Fresno, California, where he remained for nine years. He then served as the pastor of the parish at Eugene, Oregon, for five years. On April 1, 1913, he came to Exira, Iowa, and has been in charge of the religious work of the Danish; Lutheran church of Exira for more than two years.
Peter Rasmussen was born on May 5, 1865, in Denmark. His father and mother were Rasmus and Hannah (Olsen) Anderson, both natives of
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Denmark. Rasmus Anderson was a farm hand in his native country, and spent all his life there. He died more than a quarter of a century ago, in 1876. His wife, however, survived him many years, and died in 1906. Ras- mus Anderson was a soldier in the War of 1848-50 between Denmark and Germany and served during the entire period of this great war. Peter Ras- mussen was one of six children born to his parents, the others being Christina, Carrie, Anton, Nels and Ole, all of whom are still living in Denmark, Peter being the only one of the family who came to America.
Peter Rasmussen received his early education in the schools of Den- mark, and after leaving school worked as a farm hand in his native land until his twenty-third year, when he came to this country.
On June 23, 1894, shortly before he was thirty years of age and several years after his arrival in America, Peter Rasmussen was married to Mary Bartelsen, the daughter of Lars Bartelsen, and to this union nine children have been born, namely: Lawrence, Lona, Minnie, John, Martha, William, Carl, Marie, Helen, all living at home with their parents.
Rev. Peter Rasmussen is identified politically with the Republican party, but has never participated actively in politics, his preaching and pastoral duties having demanded most of his time and attention. He is not only a fluent and powerful speaker, but he has successfully discharged his duties as the pastor of an important parish, and is popular among the congregation of the Danish-Lutheran churches at Exira, Hamlin and Atlantic.
EDWIN F. JOHNSON.
Poets often tell the truth and the old song which contains the refrain, "The farmer feeds them all," states a very fundamental and economic truth. Without the farmer the rest of the populace would starve to death within a week despite the large amount of food kept in storage. Every occupation might be done away with but farming and people could live, but a total cessa- tion of farming for a short time would actually depopulate the whole world. A man can exist without banks, courts, schools, colleges, factories, mines, and mills, but deprive him of the products of the soil as produced by the farmer and he cannot live. The farmers of a community practically sustain the people dependent upon other professions. Without the farmer the banker would close his doors, the merchant cease business, the manufacturer shut down his factory and the railroads suspend operations. He is an important
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factor in the world's economic adjustment. The successful individual farmer is a man to be honored and admired and he occupies a substantial place in the community.
Among the honored and successful men of Audubon county, one who has achieved distinction in the agricultural profession and has been highly honored by the people with a high official position is Edwin F. Johnson, county supervisor of Audubon.
Edwin F. Johnson was born on September 7, 1865, at Morris, Illinois, son of John C. and Christina (Thompson) Johnson, natives of Norway and Sweden, respectively. John G. Johnson was born in 1836 and died in 1904. He migrated to America from the land of his birth in 1852 and first located in Chicago. From Chicago he went to Morris, Illinois. He rented land near there until 1882 and then came west to Audubon county. Here he purchased a farm in Sharon township. He prospered and in his old age retired to Audubon. He was the owner of a well-improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres. The children of John G. Johnson now living are: John P., of Greenfield, Iowa; Edwin F., with whom this review is directly concerned ; Mrs. Mary Weldy, residing in Douglas township, Audubon county ; Samuel R., a farmer in Melville township, and Elmer C., of Atlantic, Iowa.
Edwin F. Johnson was educated in the district schools of Illinois and came to Audubon county with his parents when seventeen years of age. He assisted his father in operating the home farm until he attained his majority. He then rented a farm in Viola township, saved his money for a few years, and then invested in eighty acres of prairie land in Sharon township at a cost of twelve dollars and fifty cents an acre. This farm had no improvements whatever when Mr. Johnson purchased it. He placed all improvements on the farm as he was able and brought the land to a high state of cultivation. When he began for himself he had very little money and was the owner of one horse. He was not able to erect a home until about five years after he began farming, but a slow beginning makes a good ending and prosperity has smiled upon this energetic citizen. He is the owner of five hundred and forty acres of fine land in Audubon county and has one thousand three hundred acres of land in South Dakota. Mr. Johnson has a fine town house in Audu- bon, where he removed in 1910.
Mr. Johnson was married in 1891, to Bertha Boyd, of Audubon county, daughter of Mahlon Boyd. To this union have been born two children, namely : Bertha E. and Edwin B.
Mr. Johnson is a Republican in politics and has taken an active part in
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political affairs, being one of the leaders of his party in Audubon county. He was elected to the important office of county supervisor in the fall of 1910 and re-elected in 1912 for a second term. He is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal church. He is a prominent member of the local Masonic fraternity and is high in the ancient rites of this order. He belongs to the Audubon chapter and commandery, is a member of Za-Ga-Zig temple of Mystic Shriners at Des Moines, and is a member of the Scottish Rite con- sistory located at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, being a Mason of the thirty-second degree.
Mr. Johnson's sterling worth as a citizen and business man was recog- nized by the people when they elected him to the office of county supervisor and during the time he has been in the office he has discharged his duties to the entire satisfaction of the people of his county. He is a quiet, unassuming man, of genial disposition, firm in his convictions and one who has always looked out for the welfare of his county.
HERMAN PAUL.
The late Herman Paul, who was a native of West Posen, Germany, and whose parents died when he was a small child, was born on May 2, 1850. After living among strangers until 1872 or 1873, he came to the United States and locating in Illinois, worked near Bloomington for seven or eight years, when he came to the state of Iowa, and located in Cass county.
Purchasing eighty acres of land in section 36, of Audubon township, in 1882, he lived alone on the farm for two years, until March 13, 1884, when he was united in marriage to Elise Schmidt, who was born on January 12, 1862, in Thuring, a part of Saxony, Germany, and who was the daughter of Nick and Elizabeth (Kirchner) Schmidt. The Schmidt family came to America in May, 1882, and after arriving in New York City, came direct to Iowa, locating in Cass county, where the parents of Mrs. Paul lived until their death.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul had eight children, seven of whom are living. Of these children, Ida, who was born December 24, 1884, married Frank Barber, an auctioneer of Cass county, and they have three children, Belle, Paul and Pearl (twins). Anna was born on July 19, 1886, and died March 11, 1899; Martha, May 27, 1887, married William Schlee ; Albert, April 25, 1890, mar- ried Bertha Holland; William, May 5, 1891, lives at home; Mary, July 8,
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1893, married George Vokt; Walter, April 21, 1899, and Eliza, January 17, 1903, also live at home.
Before Mr. Paul's death, in an accident, on October 16, 1906, he had purchased eighty acres additional land in Audubon county and a hundred and sixty acres in Cass county. During his life the late Herman Paul applied himself diligently to farming and accumulated a comfortable competence in farming land. Since his death in 1906 Mrs. Paul has ably managed the farm property which he left.
An active member of the German Lutheran church during his life, the late Herman Paul was a Republican in politics, although he never held any office. Primarily he was a man who was devoted to his home and to his family, and cared little about the outside interests of life. He is remembered as a man of honorable and humane impulses, and one who, loving his wife and children dearly, made every possible preparation for their comfort and happi- ness. Respected and admired in the neighborhood where he lived, he left at the time of his death besides his widow and children a large number of friends to mourn his loss in this community.
GEORGE J. PARKINSON.
The Parkinson family is of English descent, the parents of George J. Parkinson, George, Sr., and Anna (Annable) Parkinson, having been natives of Hull, Lincolnshire, and Liverpool, England, respectively. George J. Parkinson, the subject of this sketch, was born in 1861, in Davenport, Iowa. His parents were born in England and came to the United States at differ- ent times, the father when twenty-one years old and the mother when eight years old. The latter came with her parents, and the former came alone, having been the only member of the family ever to come to the United States.
After locating in Illinois, George Parkinson, Sr., moved from one place to another until he finally obtained work in the shops of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad, in Davenport, Iowa. After working for this com- pany for some time, he came on west to Audubon county, where he purchased a hundred and sixty acres of land, located in section 25, in Audubon town- ship. This was many years ago when land was very cheap and he obtained a hundred and sixty acres for five dollars an acre. Beginning in 1876 with a farm that already had some timber on it, he continued to improve the farm in various ways, and here he lived until 1902, when he and his wife removed to Adair. They had nine children, of whom George J. was the eldest.
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George J. Parkinson attended the school in Davenport, and after com- pleting the course of instruction there, lived at home until his marriage. After his marriage he rented his uncle's farm for ten years, and in 1896 had been able to save enough with which to purchase a hundred and twenty acres in section 23, of Audubon township. Here he lived for six years, until his parents retired and moved to town, when he moved to the home place. Of all the children born to his parents he is the only farmer, all the other sons being blacksmiths.
On February 8, 1886, Mr. Parkinson was married in Audubon county to Christina Bain, who was born on August 24, 1869, in Cayuga county, New York, the daughter of George and Elizabeth (Wey) Bain.
George and Elizabeth (Wey) Bain were natives of Scotland and Eng- land, respectively, the former having been born near Edinburgh, and the lat- ter having been born in Lincolnshire. Mrs. Bain was nine years old when she was brought to the United States by her parents. Her husband was six- teen years old at the time he came to America. Although he came alone, he had grandparents living in New York state. Eventually, Mr. and Mrs. Bain came west, locating near Genoa on the Pawnee reservation in Cass county. Nebraska, in 1879. After living here only six or eight months, and after the destruction of their crops, they moved to Audubon county, where they pur- chased eighty acres of land in Audubon township. Later they purchased two hundred acres more and here they lived until 1909, when they retired and moved to Menlo, Iowa.
Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson have been the parents of twelve children, as follow : Edna, born on June 30, 1888, married Clarence Johnson, and they have two children, Lucy and Grace ; George, February 26, 1890; Roy, January 5, 1892 : Bert, January 23, 1894 ; Anna, March 4, 1896; Grace, June 13, 1898; Paul, June 24, 1900; Clara, October 17, 1902; Mildred, December 6, 1904; Rachel, May 11, 1906; Robert, July 24, 1909, and Philip, December 12, 191I. Philip, by the way, who was the twelfth child, was born on the twelfth day of the twelfth month of the year.
Mr. Parkinson is engaged in general farming and stock raising. He feeds about seventy-five head of cattle every year and about a hundred head of hogs. He is comfortably situated and has been able to make farming pay him handsome returns. A Democrat in politics, the only office he has ever held is that of school director. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge at Adair. Mr. Parkinson's parents were members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mrs. Parkinson's parents were members of the Chris- tian church. They, however, do not belong to any church, but they are active in the work of the Oak Ridge Sunday school, of Audubon township.
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By his enterprising methods as a farmer, his fair and square dealings with all his relations with his neighbors, Mr. Parkinson has won the respect and esteem of the people of Audubon township, most of whom he knows per- sonally, and most of whom he can count as his friends. He is a man of strictly moral habits, devoted to his home, his family and to his farm.
GEORGE M. VANAERNAM.
George Vanaernam, an old-time citizen of Audubon township, Audubon county, Iowa, and one of the prominent farmers of this section was born on March 25, 1846, in Lewis county, New York, the son of Anthony and Susan (Wardwell) Vanaernam, both of whom were born in that state, the father in Herkimer county, and the mother in Lewis county. Anthony Vanaernam's father was a native of Germany. In 1855 the Vanaernam family moved to Hancock county, Illinois, where they lived and died.
In August, 1861, Anthony Vanaernam enlisted in the First Iowa Cavalry, and served mostly in Missouri and Arkansas, in the guerilla warfare of that section. In one of the battles he was shot through the arm and subsequently was discharged for disability in the latter part of the year of 1863. Anthony and Susan (Wardwell) Vanaernam never came to Audubon county. When George M. arrived in Audubon county he purchased a hundred and twenty acres of land which was entirely unimproved, and this made it necessary for him to build a shanty at once. The cattle and other stock roamed at large over the prairie. After many vicissitudes and many trials, Mr. and Mrs. Vanaernam becanie the owners of two hundred and fifteen acres of land.
George M. Vanaernam was married on October 12, 1868, in Hancock county, Illinois, to Mary Baker, who was born in Des Moines county, Iowa, and who is the daughter of Henry and Mary Baker, natives of Westfall, Ger- many, who were married in that country and who came to the United States about 1848. They settled in Missouri after coming to this country and in 1851 removed to Des Moines county. Iowa. Later they moved to Henderson county, Illinois, and still later to Hancock county, Illinois, coming to Audubon county, Iowa, in 1869, arriving here on November 8 of that year.
Mr. and Mrs. Vanaernam had three children, only two of whom are liv- ing: Charles, born on March 24. 1870, died when nine years old of pneu- monia : Edward, March 29, 1877. married Louisa Bauers, and they have one child : Clara, September 21, 1888, married Chris Reisegard.
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A Republican in politics, Mr. Vanaernam has never been active and has never been a candidate for office. He is engaged in general farming and stock raising.
Among the first families to settle in Audubon township, the Vanaernams have long been conspicuous in the agricultural life of this community. Mr. Vanaernam has been an upright citizen and an honorable man, and enjoys in a large measure the confidence and esteem of all the people with whom he has come in contact. He is a worthy citizen of this county and has done much to promote its growth and prosperity.
HANS NELSEN.
Hans Nelsen, a farmer and stock raiser of Douglas township, Audubon county, Iowa, who owns a highly productive farm of eighty acres in this township, was born in Denmark, February 10, 1850, the son of Nels and Carstin (Mathsen) Nelsen, the former of whom was a farmer and who owned about sixty acres of land in Denmark. Neither the father nor the mother ever came to this country. Of their six children, three are living in America, two in Denmark and one died in the native land. Mr. Nelsen has one brother living in Shelby county, Iowa, and another living in Minnesota.
Hans Nelsen quit school at the age of fourteen and worked on the farm for his father until he reached his majority. Upon coming of age, he joined the army and served the period of his enlistment, after which he came to America. At this time he was thirty-four years of age. Coming to this country on a German ship and landing in New York City, he came from New York to Iowa, and settled in Shelby county, where he worked as a ditcher for about two years. Mr. Nelsen then rented a farm in Shelby county, consist- ing of forty acres, and farmed until 1894, when he came to Audubon county, at which time he purchased eighty acres of land in section 22, of Douglas township, and here he still lives. His principal crops are corn and small grain. He feeds almost all the grain he raises to his stock, and markets about thirty-five head of hogs every year. He has invested about four thousand dollars in various kinds of improvements on the farm.
Mr. Nelsen was married on November 13, 1878, to Bodel Marie Mathi- sen, a native of Denmark. No children have been born to this marriage.
Hans Nelsen is a well-known citizen of this township and a devoted
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member of the Danish Lutheran church. For a number of years he served as a janitor of the church. In politics he is identified with the Republican party.
W. W. WESTON.
Among the strong and influential citizens of Audubon county, Iowa, the records of whose lives have become an essential part of the history of this section, W. W. Weston, a retired farmer of Audubon, Iowa, and proprietor of the "Hillside Stock Farm" under the firm name of W. W. Weston & Sons, breeders of Clydesdale horses and big type Poland China hogs, occu- pies a prominent place. For many years, he has exerted a beneficial influence on the locality where he resides. His chief characteristics are keenness of , perception, a tireless energy, honesty of purpose and motive and every-day common sense, which have enabled him not only to advance his interests but also to largely contribute to the moral and material advancement of the com- munity.
W. W. Weston was born on April 11, 1853, in Iowa county, Wisconsin. He is the son of Charles S. and Hannah ( Avenell) ) Weston, natives of Eng- land, both of whom came to America with their parents and who were mar- ried at Linden, Iowa county, Wisconsin. Charles S. Weston died in 1906 and his wife is still living in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. W. W. Weston is one of seven children born to his parents.
W. W. Weston was educated in the public schools of Wisconsin. In 1877 he came to Audubon county and first located in Viola township. He purchased his first land in 1880 and soon afterwards married. He improved the farm which consisted largely of prairie land. Mr. Weston bought one hundred acres at nine dollars an acre. He added to this farm until he has two hundred and eighty acres. He began breeding Clydesdale horses in 1900 and has been very successful, and now has twenty head of these useful animals. "Dorothy Vernon," which Mr. Weston's son, A. W., owns, is the champion of the state, having been awarded first premium at the Des Moines state fair in 1910. He took second. third and sixth in Futurity class in 1913. He has taken sweepstakes on stallions and fillies over all breeds in the county fair during 1913 and 1914. Mr. Weston and sons raise Poland China hogs. He began in 1914 and now has one hundred and twenty-five head of thorough- breds.
W. W. Weston was first married on October 13, 1880, to Josephine
W. W. WESTON
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Beason, a native of Illinois, who came to Audubon county with her parents. She was born in 1856 and died in February, 1907. By this marriage eleven children were born, Nellie, who died at the age of sixteen; Edith, who mar- ried Rev. N. J. Weiland, of Lansing, Iowa, who is a minister in the Evangel- ical church; Mae, who is the wife of Oscar O. J. Finch, of Goshen, Utah; Minnie K., the wife of Coyle C. Edwards, of Lake City, California; Albert W., who lives on the home farm; Charles, deceased; Frank, who lives on the home farm; Nina R., the wife of Felix Patefield, of Fenwood, Wisconsin; Louis, who lives on the home farm; Fred, deceased; and Margaret L., who is at home.
Mr. Weston was married the second time, on July 28, 1909, to Ella F. Fowler, the daughter of Caleb and Harriet Fowler, natives of New York. They settled in Illinois and are now both deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Weston and family are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church and active in the affairs of this denomination. Mr. Weston is a Republican and has held various township offices and has filled all of them with credit to himself and to the people who elected him. He is a well- known citizen, a successful farmer and stock breeder and possesses to an unaccustomed degree the confidence of his neighbors and friends.
FRANK DAVIS.
Frank Davis, the owner of a rich and well-tilled farm of two hundred and eighty acres in Audubon township, which he purchased mostly in 1906 and for which he paid sixty dollars an acre, was born on March 31, 1870, in Henry county, Illinois, the son of William E. and Martha (Davis) Davis, both natives of Wales. The former came to America with his parents, David and Lucy Davis, when five years old. David and Lucy Davis first settled in Pennsylvania near Minersville, where they lived for several years and where he was a coal miner for more than forty years. He followed his occupation, however, in different parts of the country. The father of Frank Davis was married twice as was his mother also. Each had one child by their former marriages. David, the father's son by his first wife, lives near St. Louis, and Mrs. Elizabeth Hill, the mother's child by her first husband, lives near Exira. Frank Davis was one of four children, three of whom, William, Frank and Mrs. Leona Cline, are living in Audubon county. The other child is deceased.
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