USA > Iowa > Clayton County > History of Clayton County, Iowa : from the earliest historical times down to the present : including a genealogical and biographical record of many representative families, prepared from data obtained from original sources of information, Volume I > Part 62
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Frank Bente is a scion of the third generation of the Bente family in Clayton county, with whose annals the name has been identified since the early pioneer days, and he is now one of the extensive and representative agriculturists and stock-growers of his native county, where he is the owner of a well improved landed estate of three hundred and twenty-seven acres, in sections 11 and 12, Boardman township and with free mail service on one of the rural delivery routes from Elkader, the county seat. Mr. Bente was born in Cox Creek township, this county, on the 17th of Feb- ruary, 1876, and is a son of William and Margaret (Kress) Bente, both of whom were born in Germany but reared and educated in the United States. William Bente was a child of three years at the time of his parents' immigration to America and he became one
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of the pioneer settlers in what is now Cox Creek township, Clayton county, Iowa, where he reclaimed and improved a valuable farm and where he continued his residence until his death, which occurred in 1910. He was one of the substantial and highly esteemed citizens of this county, was a Republican in politics and was a communicant of the Lutheran church, as is also his widow, who now maintains her home at Elkader, the county seat. Of their ten children the eldest is Henry, who is a prosperous farmer in Read township; Louis resides at Elkader; George is engaged in farming in Boardman township; Mary is the wife of Adolph Altschul, of Duluth, Minnesota; Frank, of this review, was the fifth child; Annie is the wife of Edward Messe, of Littleport, this county ; Michael is a farmer in Cox Creek township; Katherine is the wife of Robert Englart, and they reside in the city of Chicago; Ida is the wife of John Miller of that city; and Elizabeth is the wife of Morris Hesner, of Strawberry Point, Clayton county. Frank Bente passed the period of his childhood and youth on his father's farm and in the meanwhile fortified himself in mental discipline by attending the public schools. He con- tinued to be associated with the work and management of the home farm until he was twenty-three years of age, and in his independent career as an agriculturist and stock-grower he has shown himself ambitious, resourceful and progressive, with the result that he has gained distinctive success and is to be designated as one of the representative farmers of his native county. In 1907 he purchased his present fine farm of three hundred and twenty-seven acres, and he is making the same one of the model places of the county, with a consistent application to diversified agriculture and the raising of good grades of live stock. He is aligned as a staunch supporter of the principles of the Republican party, is affiliated with the Brotherhood of American Yeomen, and both he and his wife are communicants of the Lutheran church. On the first of August, 1900, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Bente to Miss Lena A. Scheer, who has likewise born and reared in Clayton county and who is a daughter of Frederick and Lena Scheer, both natives of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Bente have two children-Florence Mary, who was born October 30, 1902; and Ralph William Edward, who was born December 19, 1903.
James W. Bentley is a representative of the second genera- tion of one of the well-known pioneer families whose name has been worthily linked with the social and material development and progress of Clayton county, and, loyal to and appreciative of the manifold advantages and attractions of his native county, James Wilbert Bentley has had no desire to sever his allegiance thereto, for he has here continued an exponent of the important and basic lines of industry under whose influence he was reared and is one of the substantial and enterprising farmers of Highland township. He was born in this township on the 26th of December, 1861, and is a son of Albert and Sarah Jane Bentley, who became residents of the county in the earlier '50s and who here passed the remainder of their lives-folk of strong individuality, invincible integrity and
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that appreciation of the true value of human thought and action that made them account well for themselves in all of the relations of life. Of their children the first-born, Albert, died in infancy ; Emma, the widow of George Keeland, resides in the state of North Dakota; Charles E. is deceased; Mrs. Mary Bateman resides in the city of Minneapolis, where her husband is identified with business enterprise; and James W., of this review, is the youngest of the children. After having made good use of the advantages afforded in the public schools James W. Bentley continued as an active and resourceful assistant in the work of the home farm until he had attained to the age of nineteen years, when he went to West Union, Fayette county, where he worked about one year. He then made his way to the State of Michigan, but in the follow- ing spring he returned to his native county, where he worked on a farm until the ensuing autumn. He then went to Minnesota, where he amplified his experience, but after an absence of a year he showed his continued loyalty to his home county by resuming his residence within its borders and by renting the old homestead farm of his father. He remained with his widowed mother until her death, and shortly afterward, in 1883, he purchased his present farm, which is eligibly situated in section 23, Highland township, and which comprises two hundred and thirty-five acres of the fine land for which this section of the Hawkeye state is famed. Since assuming possession of this domain Mr. Bentley has made many high-grade improvements on the place, including the erection of a house and other buildings of the most approved modern type. He has had no aspiration for the honors of political office but has shown loyal interest in all things touching the well being of the community and gives unequivocal support to the principles and policies for which the Republican party stands sponsor. In a fraternal way he is affiliated with the Modern Brotherhood of America. His splendid rural home is about four miles distant from the village of Volga, from which place it receives service on mail route No. 1. On the 22d of June, 1884, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Bentley to Miss Margaret Waltenbaugh, who was born in Clayton county, April 28, 1865, and of the five children of this union the eldest is Mabel, who is the widow of Frederick Heiden and who now resides at Elkader; Della is the wife of William Davis, of Manchester, Delaware county; Hattie is the wife of James Meyers, of Volga; and Blanche and Mildred remain at the parental home.
Elmer E. Benton .- No history of Clayton county could be written without frequent mention of Elmer E. Benton and of his father, Willard A. Benton, both of whom served the county in the office of sheriff and both of whom took active part in all the affairs of Clayton county's civic life. Willard A. Benton, father of Elmer E. Benton, was born in Afton, New York, and was the son of Orange Benton, a descendant of one of the oldest families of New England. The life of Willard Benton was filled not only with good deeds and substantial accomplishments, but with adventure and travel such as fall to the lot of but few. He was born on the
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farm which was the ancestral home and received his preliminary education in the schools of the county. At an early age he started to earn his own livelihood and first worked as an apprentice at the tanner's trade. It was while he was working at this trade that the discovery of gold in California filled all the east with dreams of a golden El Dorado. The bold and adventurous nature of the youth was at once fired with these reports of fabulous riches and he joined the exodus to California and, with a companion, George Church, he made the voyage "around the Horn," landing in San Francisco in 1853. Three years were spent by him in the gold fields of Cali- fornia, and he suffered all the hardships and partook of all the ex- citement and vicissitudes of the early days of placer mining. His fortunes were varied and his golden dreams were not fulfilled, but his spirit was undaunted and he resolved to push on, across the broad Pacific, to the gold fields of Australia. He traveled through this new continent for about six months, finally reaching the gold fields. He arrived with no resources save strong and willing hands and a knowledge of mining gained in California. He immediately staked a claim, and fortune smiled on him, for the result of his first day's labor was an ounce and a half of virgin gold. While moder- ately successful in Australia, Mr. Benton longed for his native land and within six months he was again on the Pacific, returning to America. The good ship "Yankee Blade," on which he embarked, suffered a most tempestuous passage and was finally wrecked off the coast of Southern California. The passengers and crew were rescued by the ship "Goliath," and Mr. Benton was enabled to resume his voyage and to return to his home in the Empire State. His next, and most fortunate adventure was on the sea of matri- mony, and, in 1856, he was married to Anna Maria Buck, also a descendant from an old New England family, who proved a model help-mate in every way and who was for many years one of the most popular and beloved women of Clayton county. Two chil- dren were born to them, Nellie M., who died at the age of three years, and Elmer E., whose name heads this brief biography. In 1857, shortly after their marriage, this brave young couple decided to move to the wider opportunities of the middle west and settled on Iowa as their future home. Arriving at Prairie du Chien, they crossed the Mississippi at McGregor's Landing, and Mr. Benton bought a farm in Howard county, which he cultivated for about a year. This was in the "Golden Era" of McGregor's history and Mr. Benton decided to cast his lot with the promising young me- tropolis. He engaged in the commission and real estate business and soon established himself as one of the leading spirits of that progressive city. He was an ardent union man, and, in 1861, he was appointed postmaster of McGregor. As the magnitude of the war increased and the call for troops became more pressing, Mc- Gregor, like hundreds of other cities, was hard pressed at times to fill its quota. It was in such an emergency that Willard A. Benton volunteered to raise a company of infantry. The story of his work, how he fairly stormed the town with martial music and with stir- ring patriotic appeals, has been told in volume one of this history.
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In a short time a company of more than one hundred men had been raised and Willard A. Benton was the unanimous choice for captain. He accepted this call to duty and, amid the cheers of the people of McGregor, he and his gallant company embarked on the "War Eagle," and glided from the peace of Iowa to the grim scenes of war. The company proceeded to Camp Franklin, where it was mustered into the regular army. Captain Benton took part, with his company, in the battles of Hartsville, Mo., Port Gibson, the charge of Black River Bridge, near Vicksburg, and various other engagements under General Grant. Sickness com- pelled him to leave his command, to the great regret of his brave company, and he returned to McGregor, where, as soon as he had regained his health, he was reinstated as postmaster, during his absence the position having been efficiently filled by his capable wife. He was postmaster at McGregor for eight years and upon retiring from that office he undertook a large contract to supply wood to the C., M. & St. P. Ry., and also conducted a flourishing real estate business. It was at this time also that he introduced a unique industry into Clayton county, devoting his spare time to the raising of trout in a hatchery which he conducted for several years, thus being a pioneer in the great work now undertaken by the Government at North McGregor and many other stations. In 1873, Willard A. Benton was elected sheriff of Clayton county, serv- ing with greatest efficiency for three terms in that important office. Retiring from this position he returned to McGregor, where he spent the remainder of his life. His useful, patriotic and success- ful career ended on this earth September 9, 1905, when he died at the age of seventy-six years, having been preceded in death by his wife, who passed to the other life, March 26, 1894. Elmer E. Benton received his preliminary education in the public schools of his native city, McGregor, and later was a student of the high schools. Before graduation, however, being ambitious to make his own way in the world, he obtained a position with his father as deputy sheriff. In 1880, at the close of his father's term of office, he went to Butte City, Montana, taking a position in the mines, and later prospecting for about two years. He returned to McGregor in June, 1882, and engaged as a traveling salesman for John Elbling, being employed in this capacity for about five years. He then accepted the posi- tion of deputy sheriff under J. J. Kann, and he later served in the same capacity under Sheriff George Cook. In 1895 he was elected to the office of sheriff on the democratic ticket. He was thrice re- elected, serving a total of eight years. Such was his popularity that for his fourth term he had no opposition, the Republicans con- ceding his election, and no candidate caring to stand against him. Mr. Benton is today serving his country as field deputy revenue collector, in which work he has proven an efficient and incorruptible public servant. His name, like that of his father before him, is synonymous with kindliness, good fellowship, efficiency and ability.
James Bergan pays no divided loyalty to Clayton county, Iowa, though he claims Macoupin county, Illinois, as the place of his birth, which there occurred on the 27th of July, 1862. He has been
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a resident of Clayton county since he was a child of about four years and here he is now associated with his brother John in the ownership of one of the large and splendidly improved farms of Sperry township, where they stand forth as enterprising and influ- ential exponents of agricultural and live-stock industry in this favored section of the Hawkeye state. The parents, Patrick and Elizabeth (Stulley) Bergan were born and reared in Ireland and came to the United States in 1848. They continued their resi- dence in Illinois until 1866, when they came to Clayton county, Iowa, and settled on a farm in Highland township. There they passed the remainder of their lives, earnest, kindly and upright folk who won independence through their own endeavors and who commanded the high regard of the community in which they long lived and labored, both having been communicants of the Catholic church. Of the eight children six still survive the honored parents. James Bergan was reared on the old homestead farm and gained his early education in the schools of Highland township. He remained at home until the death of his parents and he and his brother John then purchased the farm upon which they and their families now reside, the same comprising a fine estate of two hundred and forty-five acres, in section 16, Sperry township, and the brothers having improved the property with substantial and essentially modern buildings. They are associated also in the ownership of twenty acres of land within the corporate limits of the village of Volga. James Bergan has been loyal and liberal in the support of measures and enterprises tending to advance the communal welfare, is a staunch Democrat in politics but has never been imbued with any ambition for public office. He and his wife are zealous communicants of the Catholic church, and prior to her marriage Mrs. Bergan has been a successful and popular teacher in the district schools of Clayton county. They have no children. In 1912 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Bergan to Miss Katherine Minihan, who was born in Highland township, this county, in the year 1870, and whose parents, Patrick and Mary (Gaynor) Minihan, were well known and highly esteemed citizens of this county at the time of their death, both having been born in Ireland and having been children at the time of the immigration of the respective families to the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Minihan became the parents of seven children, all of whom are living except one.
Embert Bergemeyer, the present efficient and popular sheriff of Clayton county is a Norwegian by birth but a thorough Ameri- can at heart. He was born in the city of Christiania, Norway, June 8th, 1877, the son of Elias Bergemeyer. He came to America with his parents, landing in New York July 14, 1888, and the family came at once to McGregor, where they had relatives among the early Norwegian pioneers. As a lad he worked on the farm and attended the rural schools of Clayton and Mendon townships. His has been a life of hard work and his younger days he spent farming and threshing in the northern part of the county. He was married in 1899 to Miss Anna Allen of McGregor and to them one son, Clinton
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Bergemeyer was born. The death of his wife ended this happy union. On November 24th, 1903, he was married to Miss Sarah Margaret Bertsinger of McGregor and they have a charming daughter, Marjorie Regina. For a number of years Mr. Bergemeyer was in the drayage and ice business at McGregor which business he sold in 1908. For five years he was city marshal of McGregor and also a constable for Mendon township. It was his efficiency as peace officer and his genial good-heartedness which makes him highly popular with all the men, that led to his nomination for sheriff on the Democratic ticket in 1910. There were three can- didates in the primary election, Mr. Bergemeyer winning by a plurality of thirty-six votes. At the election, however, in Novem- ber, 1910, he defeated his opponent, Doug. Brown, by a majority of 1,078. In the primary of 1912 he had no opposition and in the election of that year he received one of the largest majorities ever given a candidate for sheriff, being elected over Frank Wood, Republican, by a majority of 1,764. Again, in 1914, he had no opposition in his own party at the primary and he was elected by a majority almost as large, he receiving 1,689 more votes than his opponent, J. P. Hurley, the Republican candidate. In the primary of 1916 there was a four-cornered fight in which Mr. Bergemeyer was the winner by 125 over his nearest opponent, and he is at present the Democratic nominee for sheriff. There is no question but that he has been a faithful, efficient and capable officer and a worthy successor to such men as James Davis, W. A. Benton, E. E. Benton, Martin Dittmer, and others who have made Clayton county noted for its excellent sheriffs. During the year of 1915 from some unknown cause a fire broke out in the roof of the county jail which is also the sheriff's residence, and at this time he lost a large portion of his household goods. As an officer, Mr. Bergemeyer has been eminently successful. There have been no jail deliveries during his term and all the work of his office has been attended to promptly and with courtesy, but with due firmness and proper regard for law. While, fortunately, there have been no serious crimes committed in the county during the past few years where the criminals were unknown, nevertheless Mr. Bergemeyer is entitled to much credit for his clever detective work in a number of instances. One clever capture, due largely to his detective ability was the breaking up of an arson gang which set fire to a new resi- dence in the eastern part of the county in 1913. Mr. Bergemeyer followed the clews in the case and succeeded not only in capturing those guilty of this crime but in unearthing the burning of the Haggen barn in which horses and live stock were ruthlessly burned to death. Mr. Bergemeyer is one of the best liked men in Clayton county. He is capable, both physically and mentally, for the exact- ing office which he holds, and while he is inexorable in the perform- ance of his duty, he has a kindness of heart and a sympathy for his fellows which makes him an ideal officer. He has taken an active part in all civic movements at McGregor and Elkader and through- out the county, and his friends predict that he will be triumphantly elected this fall.
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Ernest A. Bergman .- A progressive and popular citizen of McGregor, which has represented his home from the time of his birth, holds place as one of the sterling business men of his native city, with a circle of friends that is limited only by that of his acquaintances. With recognized eligibility, Mr. Bergman appeared in the spring of 1916 as a candidate for nomination for the office of sheriff of Clayton county, on the Democratic ticket, and the result of the primary election was that he was defeated by 41 votes. Mr. Bergman was born at McGregor on the 12th of November, 1875, and is a son of Frederick and Margaret (Daubenberger) Bergman, both of whom were born in Germany. Frederick Bergman immi- grated to the United States when a young man and for a time maintained his residence in the State of Pennsylvania, whence he removed in an early day to Wisconsin and established his resi- dence at LaCrosse, where he remained about two years. In 1865 he numbered himself among the pioneer settlers at McGregor, Iowa, where for many years he successfully conducted a meat market, though he lived virtually retired for a number of years prior to his death, which occurred in May, 1910, the wife of his youth having passed away in 1874, and their children having been ten in number: Frederick, the first-born, is deceased; Frank still main- tains his home at McGregor; Henry is deceased; Edward resides at McGregor; Albert is deceased; Ernest A., of this review, was the next in order of birth; William likewise maintains his home at McGregor; Odilda is the wife of John A. Walters, of McGregor; and Misses May and Charlotte still reside in their native place. Continuing his studies in the public schools until he had duly profited by the advantages of the McGregor high school, Ernest A. Bergman then became associated with the operation of his father's meat market, and later he was engaged in the hotel business at McGregor for a period of about five years. He then resumed his connection with the meat-market business, of which he has since continued a prominent and successful representative in his native place. He has been a zealous supporter of the cause of the Demo- cratic party and an active worker in its local ranks, though he never appeared as a candidate for public office until he announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for sheriff of his native county, in the spring of 1916. He is affiliated with the local organizations of the Masonic fraternity, the Woodmen of the World, and the Modern Brotherhood of America. On the 22d of August, 1913, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Bergman to Mrs. Clara (Nelson) Elder, widow of Howard Elder and daughter of Nels Nelson. By her first marriage Mrs. Bergman has one son, Howard.
Theodore Berns became the owner of the fine old homestead on which he was born, in Jefferson township, and long held precedence as one of the representative agriculturists and stock-growers of his native county. He still retains possession of his fine landed estate, but since 1910 he has lived virtually retired in the little city of Guttenberg, where he erected a fine brick residence which has since been his place of abode and which is one of the most modern
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and attractive homes in this part of the county. Mr. Berns was born in Jefferson township on the 6th of November, 1860, and is a son of Theodore and Mary Berns, who were born in Prussia and who became sterling pioneers of Clayton county, Iowa, where they continued to reside on their old homestead farm until their death, both having been zealous communicants of the Catholic church and the father having been a staunch supporter of the cause of the Democratic party. Theodore Berns was reared and educated in his native land and came to the United States and to Clayton county, Iowa, about the year 1845. He purchased a small tract of land in Jefferson township and by his indefatigable energy and excellent business ability he achieved substantial success, as indi- cated in his accumulation of one of the large and valuable landed estates of Jefferson township. Of the children the eldest two, Herman and Peter, now reside at Garnavillo, this county ; Mary is deceased; Theodore, Jr., of this review, was the fourth child; Joseph resides at National, this county; Henry is a substantial farmer of Jefferson township; and Yetta is deceased. Theodore Berns, Jr., was favored in having the advantages not only of the district schools of Jefferson township but also those of the excellent Catholic parochial schools at Guttenberg. His entire active career was marked by close association with the work and management of the old homestead farm upon which he was born and into the ownership of which he came when he was about 14 years of age, by purchasing the interests of the other heirs. This fine rural domain comprises seven hundred and ten acres and is one of the more extensive and valuable farm properties of Clayton county, with permanent improvements of an order that mark it as a ver- itable model. While on the farm Mr. Berns gave special attention to the raising of high-grade live stock, including Shorthorn cattle and Poland-China swine. He was known for his distinctive energy, progressiveness and good judgment and made himself known as one of the representative agriculturists and stock-growers of this section of the Hawkeye state, the while his well ordered enterprise gained to him large and substantial prosperity. He has always taken loyal interest in community affairs of a public order, is a staunch supporter of the cause of the Democratic party but he has never been deflected from his course by aught of ambition for political office. Both he and his wife are communicants of the Catholic church, as was also his first wife, and he is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, as a member of a splendid lodge in the city of Dubuque. April 16, 1887, recorded the marriage of Mr. Bern to Miss Mary Lueck, daughter of Henry and Mary Lueck, of Guttenberg, and she survived her marriage by only four years, as she passed to the life eternal on the 8th of October, 1891. Mary, the one child of this marriage, is now the wife of John Hoeger, of Jefferson township. On the 16th of February, 1894, was solemn- ized the marriage of Mr. Berns to Miss Clara Lueck, daughter of Benjamin Lueck, of New Union, Iowa, and of the six children of this union all remain at the parental home except the youngest, Elizabeth, who died in childhood. The names of the children of
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