USA > Iowa > Carroll County > History of Carroll County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 11
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British merchant marine and in 1849 came to America, landing at New Orleans. He went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and in 1852 took up his residence on a farm in Lee county, Iowa, where he continued until his death which occurred in 1894, he being then seventy-one years old. The mother died in 1897 at the age of sixty-eight. They were both devout members of the Catholic church. There were seven children in their family, namely: Ber- nard Charles, of this review; Mary, who married Bernard Denning and is now deceased; John, who lives in Nebraska; Maggie, wife of H. J. Meier- Otto of Clinton, Missouri; James S., of Fairfield, Iowa; Sarah, wife of Theodore Denning of Mount Hamill, Iowa; and William, of Muenster, Texas. The paternal grandfather of our subject, John Kelly, was a cap- tain in the English army. He married Mary Nolan, daughter of an Irish lord, and she inherited a large estate. They were the parents of three sons and one daughter-Peter, John, Bernard and Ann. The maternal grandfather was Timothy DeVine, a laborer, and his wife was Mary McDonald. They had six children who lived to maturity, namely : Kate, Margaret, Bridget, Ellen, Honore and Johanna.
Bernard Charles Kelly was reared on his father's farm in Lee county and gained his early education in the district schools. Later he attended the high school at Novelty, Missouri, and Howe's Academy at Mount Pleas- ant, Iowa, graduating from the latter in 1883. He then worked several months in the Mount Pleasant Insane Asylum, and having decided to fol- low a professional career. matriculated in the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, from which he was graduated in 1887 with the degree of M. D. He began practice at Seneca, Kansas, but being desirous of a wider field came to Carroll in December, 1892, and has engaged continuously in prac- tice in this city since that time. He is recognized as one of the prominent members of the profession in Carroll county. Being a man of wide read- ing and clear judgment, his opinions command respect and he ranks high in the estimation of his brother practitioners as well as in that of the public. Professionally, he is a member of the County and State Medical Societies and the American Medical Association.
On the Ist day of May, 1888, Dr. Kelly was united in marriage to Miss Anna M. Meier-Otto, who was born at St. Paul, Lee county, Iowa. Her parents were natives of Cologne, Germany, and came to Iowa in 1846, settling in Lee county. The father died at Muenster, Texas, in 1895, hav- ing reached the advanced age of seventy-eight years. The mother was called away at the age of sixty-eight. They had six children-Elizabeth, who died in infancy ; John ; Mary ; Henry ; Margaret; and Anna, now Mrs. Bernard Charles Kelly. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Kelly was Christ Meier-Otto, and his wife was Elizabeth Meier-Otto. Of their children may be named Henry, Christ, Elizabeth, Margaret and Casper. The mater- nal grandfather was a merchant in Germany and lived to be over a hundred years old. His wife before her marriage was a Miss Schöring, and they had two daughters, one of whom, Marguerite, grew to maturity. Eight children came to bless the union of Dr. and Mrs. Kelly, namely : Bernard S., Margaret Anna, Mary C. E., Casper Peter, Paulina Nellie, Paul Jo-
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seph, Frances Margaret and John Thomas. Margaret Anna died at the age of six years and ten months.
Fraternally, Dr. Kelly is identified with the Knights of Columbus and the Modern Woodmen of America and he has many friends in those or- ders. Politically, he is not allied with any party organization, preferring to remain independent and to vote for the individual. He and his estim- able wife are life long members of the Catholic church. His energies are devoted conscientiously to his profession and the high reputation he bears in Carroll and adjoining counties is convincing evidence of his skill.
G. VON GLAN.
G. von Glan, who is numbered among the extensive landowners and prosperous farmers and stockmen of Carroll county, is one of the sturdy type of Europeans who are doing so much toward cultivating the lands of the middle and far west. His birth occurred at Ost Friesland, Ger- many, on the 26th of July, 1844, his parents being Edcard and Catherine (Holdcamp) von Glan, also natives of the same place. The father was a farmer by occupation and engaged in that pursuit until his death, in 1880. His wife passed away in 1871, and both spent their entire lives in the fatherland. Their family of ten children included the following: Herr, John and Cornelia, all deceased; Ettie; G., of this review; Kuno, who was killed in the battle of Mars Latour, in the Franco-Prussian war in 1870; Peter, still residing in Germany; Higo, deceased; Anna, also in the fatherland; and Bertha, who has passed away.
G. von Glan acquired an excellent education in his native land and be- came thoroughly proficient in the German, French and English languages. He remained with his parents until twenty-seven years of age, and then, having received intelligence of the agricultural advantages offered in the new world, he left the fatherland and came to the United States, first locating at Freeport, Illinois. After one year spent at that place he came to Iowa, and for two years was employed as a farm hand at Ackley, after which he made his way to Carroll county, taking up his abode on his present farm on section 8, Wheatland township. This tract he has greatly improved, for he erected good buildings, planted fruit and shade trees, enclosed the fields with neat fences and has introduced many of the inventions in farm machinery for tilling the soil and caring for the crops, and the land for which he originally paid seven dollars per acre is now rec- ognized as as valuable and desirable property as can be found in the county. Prosperity has attended his efforts as the years have gone by and as his financial resources have permitted he has invested in more land until today he owns seven hundred and thirty-five acres, all in Wheatland township, and three hundred and twenty acres in South Dakota, making him one of the extensive landowners in his section of the county. This land is all under excellent cultivation, the Iowa land containing four good sets of im-
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provements and the Dakota land being equipped with one set of substan- tial and commodious buildings. He has large live-stock interests and now makes a specialty of raising and feeding shorthorn cattle.
Mr. von Glan was married, in 1872, to Miss Mary Garrels, a native of the United States, born of German parentage. This union has been blessed with six children, as follows: Herman, who operates one of his father's farms; Bena, at home; Higo, also at home; Gotlieb, operating a portion of his father's land; Mary, who married John Clausen, of Wheatland town- ship; and Bertha, under the parental roof.
Mr. von Glan's political allegiance is given to the democratic party, to which he has been loyal since casting his first vote, although he has never sought or desired public office in reward for party fealty. He is a man of high moral character, and being one who does not permit business affairs to crowd out his religious obligations, always finds time for church work, holding membership in the German Presbyterian church. He is one of the organizers of the church in this section, served as its first deacon and is yet acting in that capacity. Mr. von Glan is well known throughout the locality in which he has resided for more than thirty-five years, and is highly respected and esteemed by all who know aught of his career, for the success which he now enjoys has come to him entirely through his own well directed efforts and the principles which have governed him in busi- ness and private life have ever been of the most honorable and praise- worthy.
LOUIS ALBERT GNAM.
For forty years Louis Albert Gnam has been a resident of Carroll and during that time grew to manhood, entered upon his life calling and be- came one of the leading citizens of the community. He was born at Sand- wich, Illinois, November 5, 1859, and is the son of Louis and Theressa (Meier) Gnam, both of whom were natives of Germany. There were nine children in their family, namely: Amelia, now the widow of Herman Brunning, of Carroll; Charles, also of Carroll; Louis A., the subject of this review ; Herman J., who is deceased; Lena, now the wife of John M. Powers of Chicago, Illinois; John J., of Carroll; Clara, who lives in Water- loo, Iowa; Henry, of Carroll; and Mary, wife of Dr. Rogers of El Paso, Texas. Mr. Gnam, Sr., learned the brewer's trade in his native country which he followed industriously for a number of years. Coming to Amer- ica he was married and made his home at Ottawa and other places in Illinois. Believing that conditions were more favorable west of the Mis- sissippi river he moved to Ackley, Iowa, and since 1871 has made his home at Carroll, where he and his wife are now living retired. They are both sincere members of the Catholic church.
Louis Albert Gnam arrived at Carroll with his parents when thirteen years of age, having previously received a common school education at
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Mount Carmel, Iowa. He learned the tinner's trade and clerked for eight years, accumulating sufficient capital to purchase a half interest in the hardware store of J. L. Wetherill in 1884. Since 1905 he has been sole owner of the store, having been identified with this concern ever since 1876, a period of thirty-five years. He carries a large and well selected stock of hardware and has attracted patronage from a wide region around Carroll.
On the 20th day of August, 1890, Mr. Gnam was united in marriage to Miss Minnie E. Merchant, a native of Mallorytown, Canada, daughter of Ezra N. and Mertie E. (Hughes) Merchant. The father was born in Pennsylvania and the mother in Canada. He engaged in the grocery busi- ness, and he and his wife are now living retired at Carroll, having taken up their residence in this city in 1879. There were two children in their family : Minnie E., now Mrs. Louis Albert Gnam, and Lillian M., wife of H. P. Chelius of Boston, Massachusetts. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gnam, namely : Louis M., Lillian M., Florence A., Ruth M., and Carl A.
Religiously, Mr. Gnam is identified with the Catholic church and his wife is a member of the Episcopal church. Fraternally, he is connected with the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Order of Foresters. In political belief he adheres to the democracy. 'A true friend of education, he is now serving as member of the school board. As a representative business man he is interested in promoting the growth of the city and has assisted very materially in bringing about the present prosperous state of affairs at Carroll. Both he and his estimable wife have the good will of all with whom they have associated.
JOHN DAVIS.
One of those who are successfully identified with the agricultural pur- suits of Union township is John Davis, who was born in Scott county, Iowa, on the 14th of August, 1870. His parents were Joseph and Celia (Hulett) Davis, the father a native of Ohio and the mother of Connect- icut. Joseph Davis was a son of Kinsey and Abigail Davis, the father also a native of the Buckeye state, where he engaged in farming for many years. They were among the very early pioneer settlers of Carroll county, where they lived to a ripe old age. To them were born seven children : Jessie, Elizabeth, Mary Ann, Joseph, Nathan, William and Jennie. Jo- seph Davis was reared in Ohio, from which state he moved to Scott county, Iowa, where he resided until 1877. In the latter year he came to Carroll county, purchasing eighty acres of land in Union township, upon which he wrought many improvements, later adding another sixty acres to his tract. There Mrs. Davis passed away in 1888, at the age of forty-three. She was a daughter of Joel Hulett, a native of Connecticut, and a farmer, who located in Scott county during the pioneer days. Later he came to
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Carroll county, where he passed away after which his wife returned to Scott county, where she was living at the time of her demise. Three chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hulett: Elizabeth; Celia, who became Mrs. Davis; and Nathan. Joseph Davis passed away on his homestead in 1892, at which time he was fifty-three years of age. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Davis numbered seven children: Josie, the wife of Langley Parker, of Union township; John, our subject; Mabel, the wife of John Bell, of Newton township; Ida, who married Henry Bell, of Casson, Minne- sota ; Alfred, who is living in Union township; Jessie, the wife of Fred Anderson, of Newton township; and Millie, the wife of Frank Anderson, of Audubon county.
The school days of John Davis began in Scott county, where his pa- rents resided until he had passed his seventh anniversary. His education was continued and completed in the district schools of Carroll county, which he attended for several years after they located here. He remained at home until he had attained his majority and after the death of his father he operated the homestead, one hundred acres of which he now owns, for several years.
On the 14th of August, 1893, Mr. Davis was united in marriage to Miss Lena A. Titus, a daughter of Samuel and Ella (Howell) Titus. They were among the early settlers of Glidden, where Mrs. Davis was born, but are now living in Union township. They are the parents of three children : Mabel; Lena A., now Mrs. Davis ; and Clarence. To Mr. and Mrs. Davis have been born one daughter and two sons, Fred, Celia May and Boyd.
Mr. Davis' fraternal relations are confined to his membership in Char- ity Lodge, No. 197, A. F. & A. M., while politically he is a republican. Township affairs always engage his active attention and for six years he served as trustee while he is now township clerk. Practically the entire life of Mr. Davis has been spent in the vicinity where he is now residing and among whose citizens he numbers many close friends, who were the cornrades of his boyhood.
EUGENE SHEPARD.
'A' worthy representative of the business interests of Carroll, Eugene Shepard has attained deserved success, being at the head of a flourish- ing jewelry store. He was born in Ogle county, Illinois, May 30, 1867, son of Cyrenus and Christian (Wolroth) Shepard, both of whom are na- tives of New York. There were six children in their family: Laura P., now the widow of George Davis of Rochelle, Illinois; Anna C., wife of George S. Dotson, and they live in Adams county near Grant, Iowa; Flora D., now Mrs. John Redman of Red Oak, Iowa; Ida V., wife of Frank Hubbard of Elliott, Iowa; Zenus M., who died at the age of twenty-one years; and Eugene, the subject of this review. Mr. Shepard, Sr., was a
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settler of Ogle county, Ilinois, and came to lowa in 1871, locating in Red Oak. Hle returned to Illinois in 1910, and is now living retired at Ro- chelle, having reached the advanced age of eighty-eight years. Grandfather Shepard was a native of New York and devoted his attention to farming. His wife was upwards of ninety years of age when she died.
Eugene Shepard came to lowa with his parents at the age of four years and was reared in the paternal home. lle received his early education in the district schools and assisted his father in work upon the home farm until he attained the age of twelve years. At the age of twenty-one, having decided not to give his attention to farmning and stock-raising, he began learning the jeweler's trade at Rochelle, Illinois, in which he made rapid advancement. In 1895 he returned to lowa, and at Carroll, as the years passed has met with an increasing measure of success in a vocation to which he seems especially adapted.
In 1891 he was united in marriage to Miss Grace I. Stetler, daughter of Oliver and Laura (Herrick) Stetler, and two children were born to this union: Frederick Earl and Frank. llis wife having been called away, Mr. Shepard was again married June 30, 1896, to Miss Josephine M. Patty, daughter of Joseph and Rachel (Greenlee) Patty. Four children have come to brighten the home of Mr. and Mrs. Shepard, namely : Grace, Frederick Earl, Joseph and Mabel.
Mrs. Shepard was the first female child born in Carroll, lowa. She was reared and attended the public schools, being successfully engaged in teaching for a number of years before her marriage. Mr. Shepard early became acquainted with the importance of labor and applied himself with such diligence and good judgment that he has attained comparative finan- cial independence. He is intelligent, wide awake and progressive, and the success he has achieved is the result of his own efforts. He belongs to the class of men who contribute to the material advancement of the com- munity and who may always be depended upon in times of emergency. Politically, he gives his support to the republican party. He has not sought the emoluments of office, as he has devoted his energies to private affairs in the promotion of which he has found his time well occupied.
ALMON C. STEELE.
Almon C. Steele, of Coon Rapids, has passed the age of three score years and now looks back upon a life of activity and usefulness, in the course of which he attained a position of financial independence. He is now postmaster of Coon Rapids. He is a native of Winnebago county, Illinois, born August 18, 1843, a son of Wolcott and Lavina (Johnson) Steele, the former of whom was born at New Hartford, Connecticut, and the latter in the same state. They went to Ohio when they were children with their parents, who settled in 'Ashtabula county. They were married in the Buckeye state and located in Winnebago county, Illinois, in 1842,
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continuing there during the remainder of their lives. The mother died at the age of forty-two but the father survived many years, passing away at the age of eighty-three years. He served as county supervisor and also held township offices. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Steele were seven children : Orange J., who enlisted in the Civil war and gave up his life for his country; Fayette G., who is now living at Beloit, Wisconsin; Henry M., who died in Nevada; Martha, who is the wife of Job Packard, of Beloit; Wolcott, who died at Winnemucca, Nevada; Almon C., of this review ; and Alma, who died at the age of twenty-one years.
The paternal grandfather of our subject was Zadoc Steele. He was a native of Connecticut and a pioneer of Ashtabula county, Ohio. The old log cabin, thirty by forty feet in size, which he built in 1808 is still stand- ing and is one of the interesting reminders of early days in the Buckeye state. He was a soldier in the war of 1812 and became one of the flour- ishing farmers of his county. He married Miss Lyman and of their children the following names are known, Wolcott, Francis, Merritt, Abbie and Almon. The grandparents on the maternal side were also pioneers of Ashtabula county and the names of seven of their children have been handed down to the present generation, Fayette. Greene, Fannie. Loretta. Lavina, Lucy and Camden.
Mr. Steele of this review was reared on his father's farm in Winne- bago county, Illinois, and in the district schools gained the rudiments of an education. At the breaking out of the Civil war he responded to the call of President Lincoln and enlisted in Company D, Seventy-fourth Illi- nois Infantry, continuing in this regiment until the close of the war. He enlisted as a private and was honorably discharged as a sergeant, having won his stripes by faithful performance of duty. He participated in the battles of Stone River and Chickamauga; was with Sheridan's division in the charge at Missionary Ridge; was present at the front during the At- lanta campaign; was in the charge of the Second Division of the Fourth Corps at the battle of Kenesaw Mountain; and also performed his part in many other hard fought engagements up to the time of the fall of At- lanta. He returned northward with the Fourth Corps from Atlanta and fought in the battles of Franklin and Nashville under General Thomas, being a member of Updike's Brigade that saved the day at Franklin. After laying aside the uniform and accoutrements of war Mr. Steele resumed the peaceful occupation of agriculture in Winnebago county, Illinois, breaking prairie with a seven-yoke ox team. In 1871 he came to Iowa and settled in Glidden township, east of Glidden, near the town of Ralston. Here he purchased eighty acres of land, to which he added one hundred and sixty acres, and made his home upon this place until 1882, when he took up his permanent residence at Coon Rapids. In 1884 he sold his farm, receiving thirty dollars per acre. This land is now worth one hundred and fifty dollars an acre. He bought one hundred and sixty acres in Union township and three hundred and twenty acres in Guthrie county, Iowa. but has disposed of all of his landholdings.
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On the 3d of July, 1869, Mr. Steele was married to Miss Julia Aldrich, a daughter of George and Anna ( Morse) Aldrich, and to this union nine children were born, two of whom died in infancy. Gertrude, who is the widow of Christ Nelson, now makes her home in Audubon, Iowa, and has two children, Eugenia and Victor. Alice M. became the wife of Will- iam Griswold and lives in Hamburg, Germany. Cora A. is engaged in teaching in the New York State Normal School at Albany, New York. Lavinia, who is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Champaign, is employed as cataloguer in the lowa State Library at Des Moines. Abner C., who is engaged as stock buyer in Coon Rapids, married Grace Gallo- way. Henry M. lives at home and Meade G. is a clerk in a drug store. The mother of these children died in November, 1890, at the age of forty years. She was a consistent member of the Presbyterian church and a woman of many estimable traits of character. On the 20th of November, 1894, Mr. Steele was again married, his second union being with Miss Anna Cret- singer, a daughter of John and Mary (Boone) Cretsinger, and they have · four children, Marian, Harriet, Katherine and Wolcott. Mr. Steele is not a member of any religious denomination but his estimable wife is identified with the Presbyterian church, in which she is an active worker. He ap- plied himself to such good advantage in earlier years that he now enjoys the rest to which he is well entitled, leaving to younger men the work of carrying forward the development of the wonderful resources of the state. He is a valued member of Perry Wright Post, No. 148, G. A. R. and polit- ically is a stalwart supporter of the republican party, having voted "as he shot" ever since the Civil war. He served as township trustee for many years and for twelve years was a member of the county board of super- visors. displaying a clearness of judgment and an ability in protecting the rights of the people that met the hearty approval of citizens of all polit- ical parties in Carroll county.
CRATON CORTICE COLCLO.
Among the representative and honored citizens of Iowa is Craton Cor- tice Colclo, former editor and publisher of the Carroll Sentinel. He is a native of Putnam county, Ohio, born November 2, 1851, a son of James H. and Hannah J. (Cretsinger) Colclo, the former of whom was born in Ohio and the latter in West Virginia. The father came to Carroll county in 1856 and took up a claim of one hundred and sixty acres just east of Coon Rapids in Union township, being one of the pioneers of the county. He continued upon his farm until 1865 and then removed to Carrollton, the old county seat, where he engaged in the hotel business. 'After three years he settled at Carroll and followed the same line of business until his death which occurred in 1884. His wife died ten years later. They were both consistent members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Colclo was quite prominent in politics and was sheriff of the county when the county seat
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was moved to Carroll, serving most acceptably for two terms. In the early days he carried mail by stage between Panora and Sioux City and acquired quite a reputation as a mail carrier. There were seven children in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Colclo, six of whom grew to maturity : Lodema, who became the wife of Dr. H. H. Hoagland and is now de- ceased; Eliza, who married Boone Hampton and is also deceased; Craton Cortice, the subject of this review; Anna, now the wife of W. F. Steiger- walt, of Ames, Iowa; June, the wife of A. U. Quint, of Chicago; and Flora, who married Carl Caswell and is now deceased.
Craton Cortice Colclo was born in a log cabin in Putnam county, Ohio, and was two years old when he came with his parents to Madison county, Iowa. Two years later the family moved to Carroll county where he grew to manhood. Living in Carroll since 1869, he has made his home in this city longer than any other resident. He attended the public schools and graduated in 1870, after which he went to work for J. B. Cook and re- ceived an injury to his left hand that caused him to lose the use of that member. In the spring of 1874 he entered the State Agricultural College at Ames, graduating in the same class with John B. Hungerford, in 1877. Having made a thorough preparation for a useful life, he became assistant principal of the Carroll public schools, continuing in this position two years. He was then elected county superintendent, holding this office until 1885, when he was appointed postmaster of Carroll and for four years served in that position. In the fall of 1889 he was again elected county superintendent but retired from this line of work two years later, having purchased a half-interest in the Carroll Sentinel and being associated with J. L. Powers, who is now connected with the Cedar Rapids Republican. They were together until 1889 when Mr. Colclo was elected a member of the legislature from Carroll county and served four years, being present at three sessions of that body. On the Ist of July, 1906, he bought the entire plant of the Sentinel and conducted the same until August 1, 1911, as editor and publisher. Under his management the paper grew in circu- lation and influence and was one of the well established democratic organs of the state.
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