USA > Iowa > Boone County > History of Boone County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 46
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CHARLES OSCAR VALLINE.
For the past twenty-five years Charles Oscar Valline has been conducting a general blacksmith and machine ship in Luther and is regarded as one of the lead- ing business men of his community. Like many of the most enterprising citizens of Towa he is a Scandinavian by birth, having been born in the province of West- moling, Sweden, March 21, 1850. In 1880 his parents. G. W. and Ase ( Eric's- daughter ) Valline, left that country and came to America. arriving in Ogden, Iowa, on the 27th of May of that year. The father was a carpenter by trade, but after coming to this country devoted his attention to farming. He died on the IIth of December. 1909, at the age of eighty-five years, and the mother passed away August 27, 1910, at the age of seventy-nine.
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Charles Oscar Valline was their only child. He was reared and educated in the land of his nativity, remaining there until thirty years of age. His educational advantages, however, were quite meager, but being ambitious to learn he attended night school for a time. Before leaving Sweden he was married in 1874 to Miss E. M. Valline, who although of the same name, was not a relative. They have become the parents of three sons. Charles Oscar, an engineer on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad, residing at Boone, is married and has three sons living and one daughter, deceased. H. N., who conducts a shop on the college campus at Ames, is married and has two sons. William O., who is also married, is a photographer by profession and makes his home in Des Moines, but is now travel- ing on account of ill health.
Mr. Valline was thirty years of age when he emigrated to the new world and took up his residence in Ogden, Iowa, where he engaged in the blacksmith busi- ness for about ten years. At the end of that time he removed to Luther, where he has since carried on business as a general blacksmith and machinist. He also conducts the only hotel in the town and being an enterprising and progressive business man, has met with well deserved success in his undertaking. His fellow citizens, recognizing his worth and ability, have called upon him to serve in public office, and he is now a member of the village council. His political support is given to the republican party, and he is a consistent member of the Swedish Lu- theran church.
HENRY C. PAYNE.
After a useful and well spent life Henry C. Payne is practically living retired upon his valuable farm on section 2, Worth township, where he has now resided for sixty-three years. He was born in Clay county, Indiana, September 18, 1834, a son of George and Nancy ( Stigler) Payne. The father, who was a native of Virginia, died in February, 1844, leaving a widow and five sons, of whom James Robert served in the Civil war. With the exception of our subject all are now (leceased. The mother was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, in 1808, and passed away in 1892.
The first seventeen years of his life Henry C. Payne spent in his native state, and there he was educated in much the usual manner of boys of that day. In 1851, however, he accompanied his mother and stepfather, David Parker, on their removal to Boone county, Iowa, where Mr. Parker bought the farm now owned by our subject from a Mr. Kinney, paying four dollars an acre. At that time the place was entirely unimproved and in the work of development Mr. Payne bore his share. After the death of Mr. Parker in August, 1861, our subject took charge of the place and continued its operation until he retired from active labor, leaving it to the cultivation of his son. He purchased the interests of the other heirs and still owns the old homestead, consisting of one hundred and forty-eight acres, upon which he has made most of the improvements. His fine residence was destroyed by fire in 1907 but has since been rebuilt and is up-to-date in all its appointments. Thoroughly understanding his chosen occupation, he met with
MR. AND MRS. HENRY C. PAYNE
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success and became recognized as one of the most progressive farmers of his community.
In 1861 Mr. Payne married Miss Ellen Myers, who died on the 3d of June, 1907, at the age of sixty-seven years. She, too, was born in Clay county, Indiana, and accompanied her parents on their removal to this county in the spring of 1857. Her youngest brother was a soldier of the Civil war and other members of the family are still residents of Boone. To Mr. and Mrs. Payne were born ten children, of whom three sons and four daughters are still living: Mrs. Hattie Downs, of Waterloo, Iowa; Mrs. Emma Wane, a resident of Boone; Mrs. Mary Fallon, of Sioux City, Iowa; Miss Cora, now clerking in a store at Sioux City; Walter, who married Miss Hallie Hull, a daughter of the late George Hull, and is now operating the home farm; Edward, a farmer and stock buyer, who is married and resides in Worth township, Boone county ; and Harry, who is also a farmer and stock buyer living near Luther. He, too, is married. There are four grandchildren.
In his religious views Mr. Payne is liberal and in politics is independent. He has served in several local offices but has never cared for official honors, pre- ferring to devote his entire time and attention to his business affairs. Having met with success as a farmer he is now able to lay aside all business cares and spend his last days in ease and retirement During his long residence in this county he has become widely and favorably known and has a host of warm friends.
ARTHUR ALBAN.
Arthur Alban, the present mayor of Pilot Mound, was born in this county on the 30th of December, 1875, a son of John T. and Mary Alban. He assisted his father in the work of the home farm until the family home was established in Pilot Mound, in 1892. In the year 1900, in association with his brother Harry, he embarked in business as proprietor of a meat market in the town, remaining thus engaged for eight years. At the end of that time the brothers disposed of their interests in this connection, but two years later Arthur Alban again pur- chased the business, conducting the same alone for a few years. On the Ist of December, 1913, he sold out and has since devoted his attention to the buying of stock. Keen discernment, sound judgment and enterprise have char- acterized him in all of his undertakings, which have been attended with a grati- fying measure of success.
In May, 1902, Mr. Alban was united in marriage to Miss Hilma Carlson, her parents being John and Clara ( Hammerbeck) Carlson, natives of Sweden who emigrated to America in an early day and located in Marcy township, Boone county, Iowa. Mr. Carlson, who carried on farming here for many years, has now attained the age of seventy-nine and is living retired in North Dakota with his son. His wife passed away in June, 1909. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Alban have been born seven children, namely: Leslie E., whose demise occurred on the ist of March, 1903; Lola, Weldon and Lenore, who are ten, eight and Vol II-28
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seven years of age respectively ; Ferrill, five years old; Marvin, who is three years of age; and Verlin, who died August 30, 1913.
Mr. Alban is a republican in politics and has been honored by election to the office of mayor in Pilot Mound, in which capacity he is now serving, giving the town a most satisfactory and commendable administration. He has like- wise been a member of the town council and has done able service in the inter- ests of the cause of education as a school director. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Royal Neighbors, while his religious faith is that of the Methodist church. His ideals of citizenship are high and in the relations of life which are of a more strictly social character he has displayed qualities which have rendered him popular wherever he is known.
GEORGE E. STEVENS.
George E. Stevens is spoken of as one of the giants of the Northwestern. A man six feet in height and weighing three hundred and twenty-five pounds, he is as big in spirit and interests as his stature-good-natured, kindly and genial. These are the qualities which have made him popular and gained him favor among all with whom he has come in contact. His identification with the rail- way service covers a period of twenty-eight years, and for eighteen years of this time he has been a freight engineer.
Ohio claims Mr. Stevens as a native son, his birth having occurred in Toledo on the 19th of January, 1864, but during his infancy he was brought to Iowa by his parents, Jacob and Lucretia ( Brown) Stevens. The father was born in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, May 26, 1835, and spent his youth in that locality not far from Pittsburgh. He learned the butchering trade with his father and with him engaged in business as a cattle drover and butcher. They removed westward to Wooster, Ohio, where they continued in the same business, and later went to Toledo. As previously stated, Jacob Stevens brought his family to lowa about 1865, and his death occurred in Boone, December 21, 1901, when he had reached the age of sixty-seven years. For about seven years he had survived his wife, who passed away in 1894. They were people of the highest respecta- bility and during the period of their residence in this county gained the warm regard of many friends. John Stevens, the grandfather of George E. Stevens, passed away in Boone at the very venerable age of eighty-seven years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Stevens were born the following children : Luella, the wife of L. D. Sparks of Boone; Ida, now Mrs. J. L. Kail of Chicago; George E., Jacob, deceased; Mrs. Mary Manning, who has also passed away ; and Daisy, the wife of W. J. Stangy of Chicago.
Reared in the city where he still makes his home, George E. Stevens attended the public schools to the age of eighteen years, when he secured employment in a butcher shop. His father was the first butcher in Boone and furnished the Northwestern Railroad Company with meat at the time of the building of the road from State Center to Jefferson. He would go into Missouri with his part- ner, Mr. Mackey, and drive cattle from that state to Boone, where he would
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butcher and sell to the railroad company and to the general public. After work- ing for a time George E. Stevens, at the age of eighteen years, was sent to Hillsdale College in Michigan, where he continued his studies for a year, pursuing a business course. He entered the employ of the railroad company as a fireman, making his first trip with Conductor Albert Bolitho between Boone and Missouri Valley. His fidelity and industry won him recognition, and after ten years he was promoted to the position of engineer, having acted in this capacity in con- nection with the freight service for eighteen years.
On the 26th of May, 1886, in Boone, Mr. Stevens was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. O'Conner, who was born in Clinton county, Iowa, March 17, 1865, and was educated in the convent school at Alliance, Iowa. Her parents were Patrick and Catherine (Flynn) O'Conner, both of whom were natives of Ireland, but were married in Quebec, Canada. They afterward came to the United States, settling in Clinton county, Iowa. Her father engaged in the operation of sawmills and was thus actively identified with industrial interests in this state. He died in Boone in 1887, and his wife passed away in the same city in 1883. Their daughter Mrs. Stevens is a member of the Sacred Heart church, thus holding to the religious faith in which she was reared.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stevens have been born eight children: Mary L., now deceased; Sadie R .; Josephine, deceased; Charles Le Gora, who is a brakeman on a passenger train of the Northwestern; Ida May, at home; George Herbert ; Jacob Leslie; and Margaret Helen.
Mr. Stevens belongs to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. His polit- ical indorsement is given to the republican party, which he has always sup- ported since age conferred upon him the rights of franchise and citizenship. He has been practically a lifelong resident of Boone, where he is both widely and favorably known. and that his has been a well spent life is indicated in the fact that many who have known him from his youth to the present are num- bered among his stanchest friends.
NORTON BENJAMIN BRUNNING.
A valuable farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 10, Colfax town- ship, is the property of Norton Benjamin Brunning and its neat appearance testifies to his ability as an agriculturist. His birth occurred in Sherbrooke, Canada, on the Ist of August, 1846, but most of his life was passed in this country, as he was taken to Glover, Orleans county, Vermont, at the age of five. The family home was maintained there for six years, after which a removal was made to Boone county, Iowa, the family arriving here in 1857. They settled on the present site of Boone and remained there until 1860. The father, Ben- jamin Brunning, was born in England, but came to the United States at the age of fifteen with his mother and brothers and sisters. His father, John Brunning, also a native of England, passed away on the voyage to the new world. He married Mary Howe, a native of England, and they had seven children, of whom Benjamin is the oldest. One son, William, was a soldier in the Civil war and now lives in retirement at Barton, Vermont, having reached the age of seventy-
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four years. The mother of our subject was in her maidenhood Electa Sophia Norton. She was born in Glover, Vermont, in 1824, a daughter of Nathan and Rachel (Atwood) Norton, and passed away in Elmira, New York, on the 30th of May, 1888. The father later married Miss Lavinia Wetmore. He is still living at the venerable age of ninety-three years, making his home at Mansfield, Pennsylvania. His education was acquired almost entirely at home, as he never attended school but three days in his life, but he studied at night under the direction of his wife and became a well informed man. During his active life he was a Universalist minister and held charges in many parts of the country. In his family were the following children: Randall, who died in the Civil war while serving in the Fourth New York Regulars, having been wounded in the battle of the Wilderness; Norton Benjamin, of this review ; and Maria, now Mrs. Adelbert McCullum.
Norton B. Brunning was educated in Vermont, Iowa and Wisconsin. While living in the last named state he enlisted, on the 18th of March, 1865, in Con- pany G, Fifty-first Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, under Captain Tuttle and Colonel West. At the end of the war he received his honorable discharge and removed to Lake county, Illinois, where his marriage occurred. In 1869 he came again to Boone county and here rented land for thirty years, at the end of which time he purchased the farm on which he now resides. He has met with many misfortunes as for instance when his team was killed by lightning, but has never allowed himself to become discouraged and his perseverance has brought him to prosperity.
On the 25th of December, 1868, Mr. Brunning was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Murrie, of Lake county, Illinois, a daughter of John and Jane Murrie. Mrs. Brunning died on the 17th of July, 1905, mourned by many friends. Of the seven children born of this union five died in infancy, the others being Mrs. Nellie May Coil, who lives on a farm in Minnesota and has three children, Everett B., Ralph W. and Otis Murrie; and Randall W., who married Pearl Brown and also has three children, Orville Norton, Harold L. and Ben- jamin E.
Mr. Brunning is a member of the Napier Methodist Episcopal church, which he helped to build and of which he served as trustee for some years. He has been a leader in township affairs and has been particularly interested in the cause of education, having served on the school board. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party, and keeps alive the memories of the days of the Civil war through his membership in Post No. 40, G. A. R., located at Ames.
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EMANUEL B. LEBO.
Emanuel B. Lebo is a retired farmer of Boone county, owning eighty acres of land on section 14, Des Moines township, from which he derives a substantial annual income. He was born December 14, 1845, on the old Bitter- man farm, in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. His paternal grandfather, Peter Lebo, was born in France and the name was originally spelled Lebeau. On coming to the United States he settled in Pennsylvania. For his first wife he wedded
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Miss Shive. They afterward secured a legal separation, and he married again in Montour county, Pennsylvania, where his last days were spent. Throughout the entire period of his residence in Pennsylvania he followed the occupation of farming. The grandmother of Emanuel B. Lebo was married a second time, becoming the wife of John Turner, who was a soldier of the Revolutionary war. She died in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, at the home of her son, John Wash- ington, the father of Emanuel B. Lebo, who was the only child by her first mar- riage.
John W. Lebo was born in Midland township, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania. When he was three years of age his father married again, and he was reared by Daniel Bitterman, an uncle. He acquired a good education and taught the first free school in Miflin township, giving instruction in both English and Ger- man. He was also an expert mathematician. He married Miss Barbara Bodiger, a native of Upper Paxton township, Dauphin county, and a daughter of John Bodiger. Following their marriage they established a permanent home in Miflin township. Mr. Lebo became a well-to-do farmer and died upon the old homestead, at the age of seventy-five years, while his wife passed away when seventy-seven years of age. They were Lutherans in religious faith, and Mr. Lebo was a democrat in his political views. He held several minor offices. In their family were seven children: Mary, deceased; Sarah Jane, who became the wife of Ellis W. Ford of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Daniel M., who was mar- ried twice and lived and died at Port Royal, Pennsylvania: Jeremiah, who wedded Emma Bressler and died in Elizabethville, Dauphin county, Pennsyl- vania ; Emanuel B .; Cornelius, who is married and makes his home in Dauphin county ; and Jonathan, who died upon the home farm.
Emanuel B. Lebo lived upon various farms in Dauphin county and worked through the summer months as a farm hand, while in the winter months he attended school. He started to earn his living when but eight years of age and was paid only five cents per day. Later his wages were advanced to eight cents and eventually to twenty cents, and he cradled grain for fifty cents a day. In 1863 he began learning the trade of a carriage painter in Berrysburg, Dauphin county, being then about seventeen or eighteen years of age. He served a three years' apprenticeship, after which he worked as a journeyman in Dauphin, Sny- der, Perry, Juaniata and Northumberland counties of Pennsylvania. In 1884 he came to the west, settling in Boone, where he worked at his trade as a contractor for six years. He then purchased a farm, which he cultivated for twenty years, after which he removed to his present home in Boone and retired. He is now enjoying the fruits of his former toil and his rest has been truly earned and is richly deserved.
Mr. Lebo was married in Augustaville, Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, November 16, 1871, to Miss Sarah Elizabeth Martz, who was born in Stone Valley, Northumberland county, a daughter of Isaac and Mary (Emerick) Martz. The father was a farmer by occupation and at different times filled local offices. He lost his right arm in the Civil war through the shot of a sharpshooter, at which time he was on his way for water for sick comrades. He was an ardent Lutheran and a very earnest and enthusiastic worker in the church. Selling his farm in Pennsylvania, he removed to Edmunds county, South Dakota, but did not remain long and came thence to Boone, where his remaining days were
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passed. He died at the age of seventy years and his wife also reached the age of three score years and ten. In their family were four children: Lucy, who became the wife of Samuel Zimmerman and died in Aberdeen, South Dakota; Mrs. Lebo : Frank, residing in Los Angeles, California ; and Maggie, the wife of S. Zimmerman of Boone.
Mr. and Mrs. Lebo became the parents of the following children: Alberta May, who became the wife of J. Anderson and is now deceased; Anna L., the wife of Andrew Anderson; John E., who married Maud Reese and is an engi- neer on the Northwestern : Gordon Ellis, of Boone, who married Kate Shicker ; Elizabeth, a photographer of Boone; William Martz, who is living on the home farm and who married Fay Cutter; and Edwin C. and Everett B., twins, the former of whom is now deceased. The latter married Tillie Dyer and they reside in Boone. For thirty years Emanuel B. Lebo has made his home in this county, where he has a wide acquaintance. He has been identified with both industrial and agricultural pursuits, and while he is now living retired is still the owner of a good farm, and whatever success he has achieved in life is attribu- table entirely to his own efforts.
JOHN E. BISHOP.
John E. Bishop is one of Boone county's venerable citizens, having reached the age of eighty-nine years. Looking back over the past he has little to regret and looking forward to the future has nothing to fear, for his life has been an honorable and upright one and in business affairs he has never been known to take advantage of the necessities of his fellowmen. His birth occurred in Zanes- field, Ohio, Angust 16, 1825. his parents being John and Nancy (Seegar ) Bishop, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Baltimore, Maryland. The father was a millwright by trade and in early life went to Ohio, where he was employed at his trade, erecting a large number of mills on the Mad river. He spent the remainder of his days there and passed away in 1836. His wife died in 1835.
John E. Bishop was reared and educated in Ohio, but his school privileges were somewhat limited and the most valuable lessons of life which he has learned have been gained in the school of experience. He was but twelve years of age when he started to learn the tailor's trade, which he followed until he reached the age of twenty-one years. His health then became impaired and. thinking that outdoor life might prove beneficial, he turned his attention to farming and cultivated a farm in that locality for about four years. In 1854 he removed to Polk county, Iowa, where he purchased a tract of land, which he continued to cultivate for a decade.
During the period of the Civil war Mr. Bishop enlisted in 1864 as a member of Company H, Forty-fourth Volunteer Infantry, with which he served for one hundred days. In the fall of 1864 he returned to Ohio. where he remained for one year. While living there his wife became ill and passed away in 1865. Mr. Bishop then returned to Polk county, Iowa, where he carried on general agri- cultural pursuits for three years and then went to Webster county, Iowa. There
JOHN E. BISHOP
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he bought and improved land, of which he was the owner for ten years. He next removed to Pilot Mound, where he conducted a lumber business, shipping in the first lumber that was ever used in this county. He continued successfully in that business until 1896, when he retired and has since spent his remaining days in the enjoyment of well earned rest. He is still a hale and hearty man of eighty- nine years, being remarkably well preserved for one of his age.
In 1847 Mr. Bishop was united in marriage to Miss Eliza A. Bower, a daugh- ter of Joseph and Harriet Bower, and to them have been born seven children, three of whom have passed away, while those still living are: Nancy, the wife of Lewis Stoughton, a resident of Trinidad, Colo .; Clara, the widow of N. C. Petty, who died on the 15th of January, 1909; Maggie, the wife of Martin Tomlinson, a resi- dent of Pilot Mound; and John, a farmer of northern Minnesota. In 1865 the wife and mother passed away and the following year Mr. Bishop married Mrs. Lucinda Harvey, a widow, whose first husband was a veteran of the Civil war. The children born of this marriage were four in number, one of whom is now (leceased, the living being : Annis, the wife of M. M. Davis, a resident farmer of North Dakota; Minnie, the wife of Henry J. Lundblad, a farmer living near Laurens, Iowa; and Frank Baker, of St. Paul, Minnesota. The second wife of Mr. Bishop passed away in 1902, after a long and lingering illness.
Politically Mr. Bishop is a republican, having supported the party since its organization. He was serving as one of the judges of election when President Lincoln was chosen as the chief executive of the nation. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church and to its teachings he has ever been loyal. Mr. Bishop is still quite well preserved for a man of his years and makes his home with his daughter Mrs. Clara Petty. There have been no: spectacular phases in his entire career, but the faithful performance of his daily duties has made his a record well worthy of emulation. He has ever enjoyed the good-will and- con- fidence of those with whom he has been associated and as time has passed on he has become more and more firmly entrenched in the esteem and respect of those with whom business and social relations have brought him in contact.
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