USA > Iowa > Carroll County > History of Carroll County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 6
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Mr. Snyder was married, on the 26th of February, 1891, to Miss Susie Snavely, who was born near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Chris- tian and Anna (Burkholder) Snavely. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Snyder was Christian Snavely, a native of Pennsylvania, where he carried on agricultural pursuits. He married Miss Susan Miller and both passed away at the age of seventy-five years, the latter's death occurring in Illi- nois. They had only one son, Christian Snavely, Jr. The maternal grand- father of Mrs. Snyder was Abraham Burkholder, a native of Pennsylvania, who was a Mennonite preacher and also engaged in farming. He and his wife had a large family, including Samuel, David, Abraham, Daniel, Eliza- beth. Susie and Maria. The parents of Mrs. Snyder were both natives of Pennsylvania, who removed to Illinois in 1865, locating in Ogle county. The father, who was a Mennonite minister, passed away in Shannon, Illinois, in April, 1907, at the age of seventy-four years, but his wife still survives. making her home in that city.
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Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have for many years been active and helpful mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church of Glidden, of which the former has served as treasurer for fifteen years, while the latter is now treasurer of the Ladies Aid Society. He has ever been an ardent supporter of the principles of the republican party and in local affairs has taken a deep in- terest, although he has never sought nor desired public office. He is now in the prime of life and enjoys to the fullest measure the confidence and respect entertained for him by all who know him, for his life has ever been in keeping with high standards and characterized by noble purposes.
HON. FRANK M. POWERS.
The territory of the judicial district of which Carroll county is a part also includes the counties of Greene, Crawford, Ida, Sac and Calhoun, thus embracing one of the most important sections of Iowa and involving the settlement of litigation effecting many valuable interests. Hon. Frank M. Powers, the present incumbent of the office, is now serving his third term and has so acquitted himself as to merit the confidence and respect of his brethren at the bar and of the people of the district. He was born at West Troy. New York, September 4, 1851, a son of Patrick Hayes and Catharine (Harrington) Powers, both of whom were born in Ireland. They were married in their native land and came to America about 1844, taking up their residence at Albany, New York. Later they moved to Ohio and in the early part of the '50s arrived in Iowa, locating in Black Hawk county on a piece of wild land which Mr. Powers developed into a productive farm. Subsequently he moved to Buchanan county and purchased eighty acres of land west of Independence, upon which he established his homestead. There were nine children in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Powers : Maggie, who is the wife of A. Strong, of Lake City ; Hon. Frank M., of this review ; John A., who is deceased ; James N., who lives at Greenriver, Utah ; Henry A., of Em- metsburg, Iowa; Joseph W., who is deceased; Etta, who is a teacher in the schools of Salt Lake City; Nellie M., a teacher of Spokane, Washington ; and Lizzie, who is deceased. The father of these children learned the cooper's trade in his early manhood but devoted the principal part of his life to farming, in which he gained a fair measure of success.
Frank M. Powers came to lowa with his parents in his infancy and spent his boyhood days in Buchanan and Black Hawk counties. He attended the old-fashioned district schools in the winter seasons and during the summer assisted his father upon the home farm. After arriving at the age of sixteen he attended school at Jesup and Le Claire, Iowa, and, having decided to de- vote his attention to the study of law, entered the office of Bruckart & Ney, of Independence, Iowa, where he continued for two years, then becoming a student in the law department of the Iowa State University, in 1878. He practiced for one year at Jesup and, perceiving the importance of a wider field, removed to Carroll in 1880, where he has since maintained his home.
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His abilities soon gained recognition and he secured a lucrative and growing clientage. In 1902 he was elected district judge and was reelected in 1906 and 1910, his present term expiring in January, 1915. As presiding officer of the county his fairness and impartiality have won the hearty approval of the best citizens irrespective of party, and his decisions have almost uni- formly been sustained by the higher courts.
On the 3d of October, 1882, Judge Powers was married to Miss Sarah Doherty, who was born in Illinois. She lost her parents early in life and became a resident of Carroll county, Iowa. One daughter, Edith, has come to brighten the home of Judge and Mrs. Powers. She is now a student of the Carroll high school. Judge Powers is not a member of any religious de- nomination but his wife is identified with the Methodist church. He is prom- inently connected with the Masonic order, holding membership in Signet Lodge, A. F. & A. M., Copestone Chapter, R. A. M., and Rose Croix Com- mandery, No. 38, K. T. Politically he is a republican. A man of high scholarship and practical ability as a lawyer, he achieved success in his pro- fession and is recognized as one of the thoroughly competent judges of the state. He is a close student and, as he possesses those sterling traits of char- acter which everywhere attract confidence and regard, he enjoys in an un- usual degree the respect of all with whom he comes into contact.
W. I. KORTRIGHT.
The value of the local newspaper in the upbuilding of the best interests of any community is universally conceded, and W. I. Kortright, editor and publisher of the Breda News, is becoming a factor in the growth and develop- ment of the town of Breda through his advocacy in the columns of his paper of progressive public measures and through his cooperation with many move- ments which have had for their object the general good. Mr. Kortright was born in Rockford, Illinois, on the 27th of January, 1879, a son of George W. and Jennie (Irving) Kortright, natives of Sullivan county, New York. Prior to his marriage, George W. Kortright left the Empire state and went to Illinois, locating at Rockford, while later he made his way to Sioux City, Iowa. Subsequently he went to Nebraska, Colorado and Oklahoma, and in each of those states carried on a general mercantile business. He was then engaged for a time in the wholesale photographic business in Sioux City, after which he later returned to Rockford, Illinois, whence he made his way to Des Moines, Iowa. There he now makes his home, being engaged in the manufacture of violins, in which he has always been deeply interested. He found in a pawn shop an old violoncello which he remodeled and later sold for one thousand dollars. He has offices in the Knights of Pythias block, at Des Moines, and is a workman of considerable skill and ability. He is de- scended from old New Jersey Dutch stock, tracing his ancestry back to Peter Stuyvesant, of colonial days. In his family were three sons and two daugh- ters, as follows : Jessie, deceased ; W. I., of this review ; Charles P., an elec-
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trician of Des Moines ; Fern, of the Young Women's Christian Association of Moody Institute, at Chicago, Illinois ; and Harry G., teller in the National Bank at Des Moines.
In the schools of Nebraska and Sioux City, lowa, W. I. Kortright was educated, and upon entering the business world took up journalism as a voca- tion. His first step in newspaper work was made at Fairfax, South Dakota, where for five years he was connected with the Fairfax Sun Review. Ile then went to Gillette, Wyoming, where he edited the Gillette News, owned by S. D. Perry, for almost a year, after which he went to Randolph, Nebras- ka, where he published the Randolph Reporter. He abandoned the latter, however, in order to establish the Breda News, at Breda, Iowa, and edited the first issue of that paper on the 10th of June. 1909. The News is demo- cratic in its political sympathy, and although one of the more recently estab- lished journals, is fast becoming one of the well known papers of the county, owing to the progressive spirit and business sagacity of Mr. Kortright. In the dissemination of local and general news he has developed an excellent journal which is also a good advertising medium because of its increasing circulation. He has a well equipped office and has done much for the city in his championship of those measures which he has deemed would prove of public benefit. In addition to the newspaper he also engages in the real-estate business, selling southwest and Minnesota lands.
In 1904 Mr. Kortright was united in marriage to Miss Flora Herrmann, and unto them has been born one daughter, Marian, now attending school. Mr. Kortright has always been a democrat in his political views and is now serving his first term as justice of the peace. He and his wife hold member- ship with the Royal Neighbors and he also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America. He is an energetic, enterprising business man, and while doing everything in his power to legitimately advance his own interests by in- creasing the efficiency of his paper, he is also proving a potent force for prog- ress and improvement in the community.
REV. GEORGE F. WESSLING.
Rev. George F. Wessling, a member of the Catholic priesthood now serving as assistant to Rev. Father Kuemper of SS. Peter and Paul's church at Carroll, was born in Breda, Carroll county, Iowa, December 23, 1883, a son of Joseph and Christina (Hoelter) Wessling, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father, who was born in Westphalia, was a farmer by occupation and came to America in 1861. The mother also arrived in this country about the same time and they were married in Du- buque county, New Vienna, Iowa. In 1871 they removed to Carroll county, settling in Breda, where the father engaged in farming, owning and culti- vating two hundred and forty acres of rich and productive land. He was a member of St. Bernard's Catholic church of Breda, as are his family. He died in May, 1901, and is survived by his widow.
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The Rev. George F. Wessling pursued his education in the district schools and the Cathoilc parochial school of Breda, after which he con- tinued his studies at Mount Calvary, Wisconsin, spending five years in St. Lawrence College. He next entered St. Meinrad Seminary of Indiana, from which he was graduated with the class of 1909. Ten years before he had begun his studies for the priesthood and was ordained to the Catholic ministry on the 5th of June, 1909, at St. Meinrad. He said his first mass at his old home at Breda and on the 24th of June of that year was ap- pointed assistant to Father Kuemper. His extended course of study made him a well informed man concerning topics of general knowledge as well as of church history and doctrine, and his devotion to the work ranks him with the able representatives of the Catholic priesthood in this section of the state.
JOHN GUY.
Among the prominent citizens of Carroll county now living retired is John Guy, who for eight years past has made his home in Carroll where he is enjoying a repose after many years of earnest application. He is a native of England, born May 4, 1828, a son of George and Catharine (Smith) Guy. The father was a farmer and came to the United States, locating near Oswego, New York, where he passed away well advanced in age. There were four sons in the family, William, Richard, George and John.
John Guy grew to manhood in England and received his education in his native land. About 1850 he came to America and took up his residence at Worcester, Massachusetts, where he followed various pursuits for fifteen years. In 1865, having decided that conditions were more favorable else- where, he removed to Iowa and spent several years in Clinton county, locat- ing in 1872 in Eden township, Carroll county, where he bought a farm of two hundred and forty acres which he greatly improved. By application and good business judgment he became highly prosperous and acquired more land, being now the owner of six hundred acres in this county. Since 1903 he has lived retired at Carroll.
On October 10, 1848, Mr. Guy was united in marriage to Miss Susan Taylor, a daughter of Richard and Susannah (Dingle) Taylor, both of whom were natives of England. Mr. Taylor was a laboring man and lived to an advanced age. In his family were seven children, William, Richard, John, Susan, Sarah, Jane and Betsy. Four children came to bless the home of Mr. and Mrs. Guy: William, who died in Carroll in 1907; Taylor, a record of whom appears elsewhere in this work; George F., now residing in Carroll; and Belinda, the wife of G. W. Barber, of Grandmound, Iowa. Mrs. Guy was called away in August, 1907, having then reached the age of seventy-six years. She and her husband journeyed together in peace and happiness fifty-nine years and she was, indeed, to him a true and helpful
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MR. AND MRS. JOHN GUY
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companion. Mr. Guy is now in his eighty-third year. He is a member of the Methodist church, as was his wife. In the discharge of his duties, both in business and in private affairs, he has always been governed by princi- ples of truth and justice, and as the evening of his life draws apace, enjoys in a high degree the respect of many friends in Carroll county.
FRANK H. LONG.
'A half mile north of Manning is to be found the homestead of the late Frank H. Long, who was one of the prosperous agriculturists of Warren township. He was born in Owen county, Indiana, on the 25th of March, 1858, and was a son of Jolin and Adeline (Irwin) Long, who were also natives of Owen county. The father in his younger days was a school teacher following which he engaged in agricultural pursuits, spending his entire life in the county of his birth, his demise occurring on his homestead in 1862. Mrs. Long survived until 1876. To Mr. and Mrs. Long were born one son and three daughters, the latter being: Eliza, who is the only surviving member of the family, the wife of John Weatherly, a farmer of Doon, Iowa ; and Mrs. Mary Sands and Mrs. Nancy Vanslyke, both of whom are deceased.
Frank H. Long continued to reside in Indiana until he was seventeen years of age at which time he came to Iowa, locating in Marshall county in 1875. His winters were devoted to school teaching, while in the sum- mer he did farm work. He supplemented his early education, which had been acquired in the common schools of Indiana, by pursuing courses in the schools of Spencer, Indiana, and Eldora, Iowa, while he also attended the normal schools of State Center and Marshalltown, Iowa. He was a well educated man and was fully and thoroughly qualified for the work which he elected to follow for several years. After his marriage he gave up teach- ing and devoted his entire attention to farming, which vocation he followed in Crawford county for two years. At the expiration of that time he pur- chased ninety acres of land in Warren township, where his widow continues to reside.
For his helpmate and companion Mr. Long chose Miss Rossie Arney, a daughter of Solomon and Eliza (Fulk) Arney, both of whom were born in Owen county, Indiana. The father when a lad of eleven years came to Iowa with his parents, who located on a farm in Marshall county in 1849. In later life this property came into the possession of Mr. 'Arney, who en- gaged in its cultivation until his demise on the 2d of February, 1893. Mrs. Arney came to Iowa with her sister when a young woman of sixteen years, and here she met and subsequently married Mr. Arney. She passed away on their homestead on the 19th of September, 1884. To them were born three sons and two daughters, as follows: Carey, who married Jennie Mil- ler, now living on the old home place in Marshall county ; John, a farmer in Howard county, Iowa, who married Roena Price; Rossie, now the widow Vol. II .- 4.
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of Frank H. Long; Emma, who married Edwin Crouse, a farmer of Mar- shall county ; and Perry, an implement dealer in Marshalltown, who has been married twice, his first wife being Cora Crouse, who died, and his second Cora Dill.
To Mr. and Mrs. Long there were born six children: Tura, the wife of William Schelldorf, a druggist of Manning, who has one child, Orlo; Olive, the wife of the Rev. H. C. Hurd, pastor of the Christian church of Esther- ville, Iowa, who has two children, Frank and Cuthbert; Corda, who is liv- ing at home; Dale, the wife of Robert Halford, a farmer and stockman, of Manning, who has two children, Berkley and Beverley; and Orma and Nola, both of whom are living at home and attending the high school at Manning. Mrs. Long, who is a woman possessed of unusual business sagacity, after the death of her husband took over the entire management of the farm which she is now operating with the assistance of hired help. She is carrying on general farming, every acre of her land being under cultivation, in connection with which she is also raising and feeding stock for the market. She makes a specialty of raising registered Poland China hogs, of which she now has a fine herd.
Mr. Long was a member of the Christian church at Manning, with which his widow and family continue to be identified, and fraternally he was affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Highland Nobles of Manning. He always voted with the democratic party, taking an active and helpful interest in township affairs of a governmental nature, and served for several years as assessor in Warren township. He passed away at the hospital at Carroll, his demise occurring on the 14th of Jan- uary, 1909. He was a progressive man, intelligent and well informed, with high ideals of civic duty and always readily gave his cooperation toward the advancement of any movement which he felt would promote the intel- lectual or moral welfare of the community.
LOUIS PRILL.
Glidden has a goodly proportion of retired men-men who for many years were closely associated with agricultural, industrial or commercial in- terests here or elsewhere, and in the management of their affairs won the success that now permits of honorable rest from labor. Prominent among this class is Louis Prill, now one of the venerable residents of Carroll county, having reached the eighty-fifth milestone on life's journey. He is one of the valuable citizens whom Germany has furnished to the new world, his birth occurring in Lauenburg, on the 24th of December, 1826. He is a son of Henry and Charlotte (Frohm) Prill, also natives of Germany, whose large family of five sons and six daughters included Joachim, Christina, Dorothea, Carolina, Wilhelmina, Lizetta, Frederick, Henry, Louis, William and Sophia. The father of this family, a farmer by occupation, passed away in the old country in 1848, at the age of sixty-five years. His wife survived him many
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years and had reached the remarkable age of ninety years at the time of her death.
In the common schools of the fatherland Louis Prill acquired a good education and his father's farm was the training ground whereon he re- ceived thorough preparation for life's practical duties. He served a term as a soldier in the regular army, and then, in 1854, left the fatherland and came to the United States, first locating in LaPorte, Indiana. In that city he was engaged at various pursuits for six years, after which he made his way across the plains by wagon to Pike's Peak. Finding no work there, how- ever, he continued on to Fort Laramie, Wyoming, and was there employed by the government at haying for a time. He then resumed his journey across the plains with Nevada as his destination, and in the meantime had many adventures with the Indians, who were still numerous in that region. After working in the quartz mills of that state for a while he made the trip back to Illinois by wagon, and was there engaged in farming for a period. first in Fayette and later in Coles counties. After remaining in the latter county three years he removed to Moultrie county, Illinois, where he farmed for two years, and in 1875 came to Iowa, since which year he has continued a resident of this state. He took up his abode in Carroll county, and although he purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Grant township he made his home in Glidden township, where he invested in seventy acres of land. He now owns two hundred and thirty acres of land in Glidden and one hundred and sixty in Grant townships, aside from an eighty-acre tract located within the corporation limits of Glidden on the south. Prosperity attended his efforts from the first and as the years passed his diligence and perseverance constituted the strong elements in the success which came to him, enabling him, about twenty years ago, to retire from active life, at which time he came to Glidden and has since made this his home. His bank deposits and other investments have been amply sufficient in the evening of life to supply him with all necessities and many comforts and luxuries, and thus in his declining days he has not found it necessary to labor for those things which contribute to man's welfare and happiness.
In the spring of 1854, ere leaving the fatherland, Mr. Prill was united in marriage to Miss Ida Minnie Barr, also a native of Germany, and unto them have been born nine children, as follows: William C., who resides in Glidden, and who married Miss Agnes Gibson, by whom he has one daugh- ter, Margaret : Otto G., who married Miss Lizzie Clifton, and with his wife and daughter, Nellie, resides in Wyoming : Frank, of Glidden, who married Miss Carrie Shulze, unto which union have been born two daughters, Emma and Lillian : Lena, the wife of Vetch Hefton, of Marion county, Illinois, and the mother of five daughters; Henry. a farmer of Glidden township, who married Miss Ricke Seden, and now has eight children : Emma, who married Robert Lang, by whom she has four sons, Louis, Walter. Arthur and Pal- mer ; Lizzie, the wife of George Lanspach and the mother of four children, Herbert, Fay. Margaret and Ruth, the family residing in Medford. Oregon : Charles, who married Amelia Loschen and now has one son, Orville. the family residence being located in Glidden ; and Louis, who passed away at
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the age of two and a half years. Mr. Prill has twenty-six grandchildren and there are also two great-grandchildren. In 1889 he was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who passed away at the age of sixty-two years. She died in the faith of the Lutheran church, of which institution Mr. Prill is also an exemplary member. He has always been a stanch advocate of democratic principles and has held various township offices. A life of activity and usefulness has won for him an enviable position in the regard of his fellowmen. He early learned to value life's opportunities and appre- ciate its purposes, and he is now one of the revered patriarchs of his com- munity, who was born during the administration of President John Q. Adams and has lived to witness the notable events which have not only shaped the history of the country but have also largely molded the destiny of the world. His reminiscences of the earlier days are interesting and give a glimpse into the by-gone civilization almost totally unknown to the youth of the present time.
JOSEPH M. DUNCK.
Joseph M. Dunck, a well known and respected resident of Carroll, is prominently identified with journalistic interests as the editor and manager of "Der Carroll Demokrat," a weekly newspaper. His birth occurred in Lyons, Iowa, on the 25th of January, 1874, his parents being Henry and Frances (Rehmann) Dunck, natives of Germany. His paternal grandfather, Joseph Dunck, who was also born in the fatherland, came to America with his wife, Mrs. Mary (Caspary) Dunck, and took up his abode in Lyons, Iowa, where his demise occurred when he had attained the age of about seventy-six years. His wife passed away while on a visit in Carroll county, being seventy-four years of age at the time of her demise. They were the parents of the following children : Josephine, Henry, Jacob, Leo, Julianna and Octavia N. The maternal grandfather of our subject was a farmer by occupation and died in middle life. He was the father of three daugh- ters and one son, as follows: Mary, Frances, Elizabeth and Henry. The mother of these children was again married, her second husband being a Mr. Frische, by whom she had a daughter, Margaret.
Henry Dunck, the father of Joseph M. Dunck, was educated in the com- mon schools of his native land and participated in the German war of 1865-6. He learned the carpenter's trade in early manhood and followed that occupa- tion for many years. About 1867 he crossed the Atlantic to the United States, locating in Lyons, Iowa, where he worked at his trade. In 1873 he was married to.Miss Frances Rehmann. In 1876 he took up his abode in Carroll, residing there for two years, on the expiration of which period he purchased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Maple river township, which he has brought under a high state of cultivation and improvement and on which he still makes his home. He has held various minor township offices and is widely recognized as one of the substantial and esteemed citi-
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