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 68
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Gustav Dittmer, Jr., is a representative of well known pioneer families of Clayton county, where he was born, in Jefferson town- ship, on the 1st of February, 1879, and he now maintains his home in the progressive little city of Guttenberg, where he controls a prosperous business as a carpenter and builder. He is a son of Martin and Carolina (Aulwes) Dittmer, the former of whom was born in Germany and the latter in Clayton county, where her par- ents established a home in the pioneer days and soon after their emigration from Germany. Martin Dittmer was a young man when he came to Clayton county, in 1850, and in Jefferson town-
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ing exponents of these basic lines of industrial enterprise in his native township and county and is a wide-awake, broad-minded and progressive citizen who well merits consideration in this his- tory. Mr. Dittmer is a son of Peter and Magdalena (Banke) Ditt- mer, who were born in Germany and who became residents of Clay- ton county in the early '60s. The father became one of the most enterprising and successful farmers of Cox Creek township, con- tributed his quota to the civic and material advancement of the county and commanded secure place in the confidence and esteem of all who knew him. He remained on his old homestead farm until his death, at the age of 75 years, and here his venerable widow still resides, in the midst of the hallowed memories and associa- tions of the past. She is a devout communicant of the German Lutheran church, as was also her husband, and the latter was a Democrat in his political proclivities. Of their children, the first- born was Annie, who died in young womanhood; Lizzie is the wife of Jacob Stemmer, of Elkader; Martin is deceased; Mary is the wife of Adolph Elvers, of this county ; and Herman, of this review, who is the owner of the old homestead, where his loved mother remains with him and is accorded the deepest filial solicitude. The district schools afforded to Herman Dittmer his early educational advantages and his long and effective association with the work and management of the home farm have made him doubly appre- ciative of its value and its manifold attractions. His landed estate now comprises four hundred and seventy acres of fertile land, in Section 30, Cox Creek township, and the residence, a substantial and commodious stone building, is one of the fine rural homes of the county. All improvements on the place are of the best order and the most approved of modern machinery, implements and other accessories are used in carrying forward operations in general agri- culture and the raising of the best grades of live stock. Mr. Ditt- mer has served as trustee of his native township, is a stalwart supporter of the cause of the Democratic party, is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America and both he and his wife hold membership in the German Lutheran church, their attractive home receiving service on rural mail route No. 3 from the village of Strawberry Point. In 1894 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Dittmar to Miss Clara Meder, who is a representative of one of the honored and influential families of Clayton county, adequate record of the family history being given on other pages, in the sketch of the career of her father, Henry Meder. Mr. and Mrs. Dittmer have three children, all of whom remain at the parental home-Arthur, Irene and Floyd.
Walter C. Dittmer, a native Iowan, was born in Elkader, Iowa, Feb. 14, 1890. His father was a well known citizen and an earnest and worthy endeavor to give to the world the best that was in him marked the course of his life. He was born on the 19th of Janu- ary, 1858, in Hamburg, Germany, the son of Peter and Magdalena Dittmer. When a boy of three years he came with his parents to America and settled in Clayton county. After the family had lived several years near Communia, they purchased a farm in Cox Creek
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ject of this sketch being the eldest in a family of six children : Will- iam, the second son, is a resident of the city of Minneapolis; Lloyd maintains his home at Boise, Idaho; Jean is the wife of Professor George L. Martin, who is a member of the faculty of the University of Montana, at Bozeman; Jessie likewise is a resident of Bozeman, and Annie died in infancy. Gilbert Donaldson became prominently identified with business activities in Minnesota, where he continued his residence until 1902, when he came to Clayton county, Iowa, and became associated with his son, Gilbert S., in the ownership of the electric light and power plant at McGregor. Here he continued to maintain his home until 1909, when he sold his interest in the plant and business to his son and removed to the city of Boise, Idaho, where he now maintains his home. Gilbert S. Donaldson profited fully from the advantages afforded in the public schools of Minnesota and after his graduation in the Minneapolis high school he was for three years a student in the University of Minne- sota. He then obtained a position in the employ of an electric manufacturing company of Minneapolis, with which he continued his association five years. He gained excellent experience in con- nection with practical electrical work and service, and after sever- ing his association with the company mentioned he went to the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he remained for one year in the employ of the Bullock Electric Manufacturing Company. At the expiration of this period he came to McGregor, Iowa, where he formed a partnership association with his father in the ownership of the local electric light and power plant, of which he has been the sole owner since 1909, as previously stated, and the service of which he keeps up to the best modern standard. He is a loyal and public-spirited citizen, is a Republican in his political allegiance, and both he and his wife hold membership in the Congregational church. On the 10th of December, 1910, was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Donaldson to Miss Caroline Peterson, who was born and reared at McGregor and who is a daughter of S. J. and Stella (Ramage) Peterson. Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson have no children.
Rev. Thomas Dowling .- The great mother church of Christen- dom finds effective representation in Clayton county in St. Mary's Church at McGregor, of which Father Dowling was the revered and zealous pastor. His consecration has been shown not only in con- nection with the spiritual affairs of his parish, but also in his earnest labors to advance its temporal welfare, and in addition to this he stands forth as a broad-minded and public-spirited citizen who commands the high regard of the entire community. A devoted worker in the vineyard of the Divine Master, his labors have been fruitful in goodly results and his prominence and influence in the community life specially entitle him to representation in this his- tory of Clayton county. Hard by the beautiful Lake Killarney, in Kings county, Ireland, Father Thomas Dowling was born on the 1st of February, 1878, a son of James and Hannah (Slattery) Dow- ling, both of whom were born and reared in that same district of the fair Emerald Isle, where the venerable father still maintains his home, the devoted wife and mother having passed to the life
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2d of February, 1878, and he is a son of John and Ruth (Williams) Downie, the former of whom was born in the Dominion of Canada, of staunch Scottish lineage, and the latter of whom was born at Lockport, New York. John Downie was a man of strong intel- lectual powers and of mature judgment, with energy and resource- fulness in connection with business and imbued with those sterling attributes of character that ever beget objective confidence and good will. In his youth he became skilled as a surveyor and upon coming to Clayton county, Iowa, about the year 1841, he not only found much demand for his interposition along this important line of civil engineering work, but also made judicious investments in land, with the result that he eventually accumulated the large and valuable estate now represented in the fine farm owned and oper- ated by his son John W., of this review. On his farm he lived in peace and plenty until the close of his life, his death having occurred in 1884. The only child of his first marriage was Henry R., who was a resident of Boardman township at the time of his death, when about 55 years of age. John Downie exemplified in his career the sturdy integrity and the business sagacity so typical of those of Scottish ancestry, and no citizen of Clayton county had more secure place in popular confidence and esteem. His po- litical support was given to the Republican party and as a citizen he was well qualified for not a little of leadership in popular senti- ment and enterprise. Mrs. Ruth (Williams) Downie long survived her honored husband and was 70 years of age at the time of her death, which occurred on the 12th of March, 1903, on the old home- stead farm which had long been her place of residence, and which was endeared to her by many hallowed memories and associations. Of the five children the eldest is Lillian, who is the wife of Samuel D. Bergerson, of Berien Springs, Michigan; Rose was 39 years of age at the time of her death in 1903; Warren W. is now a 'resident of Harrington, Washington; Ray H. resides at Davenport, that state; and John W., of this review, is the youngest of the children as well as the only representative of the immediate family in Clay- ton county. To the public schools of this county John W. Downie is indebted for his early education, and he remained on the home farm until after the death of his mother and his sister Rose, both of whom passed away in the year 1903, as noted in the preceding paragraph. Thereafter he completed an effective course in a busi- ness college at La Crosse, Wisconsin, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1906, and soon afterward he assumed personal charge of the fine old homestead farm, to the supervision of which he has since devoted himself with marked efficiency and progressiveness, with the result that he stands forth as one of the essentially representative agriculturists and stock raisers of his native county, with secure place as a loyal and liberal citizen who merits the unqualified esteem in which he is uniformly held. Mr. Downie pays unfaltering allegiance to the Republican party and is zealous in support of its cause, though he has never manifested aught of ambition for public office. Both he and his wife attend the Congregational church and are popular factors in the represen-
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no children but Mrs. Duerst has one son by her former marriage, Bert Lee Brink, who is married and now resides in the city of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Robert W. Duff, the popular incumbent of the office of post- master at Volga, has been prominently concerned with civic, indus- trial and general business activities in his native county, is a scion of an honored pioneer family of Clayton county and in both the agnatic and distaff lines traces his ancestry back to the staunchest of Scotch origin. As an influential and loyal citizen who commands unequivocal confidence and esteem in his native county, Mr. Duff is well entitled to recognition in this history. He was born in Highland township, this county, on the 3d of December, 1882, and is a son of William and Cecelia (Probert) Duff, both natives of Scotland. William Duff was a lad of ten years when he accom- panied his parents on their immigration to America, and the family home was established in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was a young man when he numbered himself among the pioneers of Clayton county, where he settled in the early '50s and where he became one of the prosperous and representative farmers of High- land township. He was a man of superior mental gifts, was a citi- zen whose aid and influence were given to those enterprises that tended to conserve the social and material advancement of the county, his political allegiance was given to the Democratic party and he was an earnest member of the Presbyterian church, as is also his widow, who now resides at Volga and who is one of the loved pioneer women of the county. Mr. Duff met a tragic death, being killed by a bull, this deplorable accident having occurred January 17, 1899. Of the children the first-born was William, Jr., who died at the age of four years; Nettie, the next born, lives with her mother; Mayme is the wife of William Glasgow, of Garden City, Kansas; George is deceased; John is a resident of Highland township; Isabel remains with her widowed mother; Mary is the wife of Arthur R. Kunzman, of Volga, and her twin brother, Albert, resides at Volga, Iowa. Robert W. Duff was reared under the sturdy discipline of the home farm and after profiting by the advan- tages afforded in the public schools he continued his studies in a college at Fayette and in Lenox College, at Hopkinton, this state, in the normal department of which latter institution he was gradu- ated as a member of the class of 1904. In the meanwhile he had made an excellent record as a teacher in the schools of his home county, and after his graduation he continued his services in the pedagogic profession for seven terms. He then engaged in the general merchandise business at Volga, and in connection therewith developed a large and prosperous business in the buying and ship- ping of live poultry for C. E. Lovett. He shipped most of the poultry to New York City, and in connection with his operations had occasion to make twenty-seven trips to the national metropolis. In 1911 Mr. Duff was elected secretary and general manager of the Farmers' Co-operative Commission & Creamery Company at Volga, and to the duties of this dual office he gave his careful and effective attention until the 1st of January, 1915, when he assumed
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his present office, that of postmaster of Volga, his appointment having been made on the 17th of the preceding November. This preferment in itself indicates that he has been influential as a Clay- ton county representative of the Democratic party, and his admin- istration in the office of postmaster has been marked by progres- siveness and by the bringing of the service up to the highest possible standard. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Presbyterian church. On the 2d of October, 1908, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Duff to Miss Augusta Brabandt, who likewise was born and reared in Clayton county, and the one child of this union is a fine son, Cecil W., who was born May 10, 1910.
William Duwe has been a resident of Clayton county since he was a lad of about ten years, and he has maintained his home in the county for more than sixty years, within which he has won for himself distinctive independence and prosperity, shown himself loyal and upright in all things and thus gained inviolable place in popular confidence and good will. He is now living virtually re- tired in the village of Clayton and is well entitled to representation in this history. Mr. Duwe was born in Germany, on the 28th of March, 1843, and is a son of George and Fredericka Duwe, who immigrated to America in 1853 and established their home in the pioneer German colony at Guttenberg, Clayton county. The mother lived only three weeks after the arrival of the family in America, and of her nine children five are now living. The father eventually became one of the representative farmers of Clayton county, and here his death occurred about the year 1875. William Duwe gained his rudimentary education in his native land and after the coming of the family to America he attended the pioneer schools of Clayton county for some time. He continued to assist his father in the work of the home farm until he had arrived at his legal majority, and he then rented a farm for one year. He next purchased a farm, but after residing on the same about one year he traded the property for a house and lot in the village of Guttenberg, where he estab- lished his residence in 1865 and where he continued to remain until 1873, when he sold his property at Guttenberg and removed to the village of Clayton, where he conducted a hotel and retail liquor business for many years and with marked success. He retired from active business in 1897 and he and his wife have since lived in peace and prosperity in their attractive village home at Clayton. Mr. Duwe is a staunch advocate of the principles and policies of the Democratic party, was for a number of years a member of the school board and has served several terms as township trustee of Clayton township, a position of which he is the valued incumbent at the time of this writing. He gives liberal support to the Cath- olic church, of which his wife is a devoted communicant. In the year 1863 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Duwe to Miss Mary Ann Osterdock, who was born in the state of Indiana and who was a child at the time of the family removal to Clayton county, where her parents passed the remainder of their lives on a farm, she being now the only one living of their three children. Mrs. Duwe is a daughter of Dominic and Mary (Cabel) Osterdock, the former a
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native of France and the latter of Germany. Upon coming to Amer- ica the parents established their home in Indiana, where they re- mained until 1846, when they became pioneers of Clayton county, Iowa, where they passed the remainder of their lives, as previously stated in this context. In conclusion is entered brief record con- cerning the children of Mr. Duwe, and incidentally it may first be stated that they have six grandchildren and one great-granddaugh- ter. Of their children the firstborn was George L., who died at the age of thirty-three years; Amelia L. is the wife of Christ Beckman, who is now manager of a pump factory in the city of Des Moines; Anna M. is the wife of Edward J. Crawford, of Dubuque; William H. resides in the city of Spokane, Washington, and is employed as an inspector in the service of the Northern Pacific Railroad Com- pany; Elizabeth E. is the wife of Floyd Duff and they maintain their home in the city of Portland, Oregon, Mr. Duff being in the employ of the Northern Pacific Railroad Company.
Hal M. Eaton, D. D. S., is engaged in the successful practice of dentistry in his native town of Strawberry Point, and is known as one of the skilled and representative exponents of his profession in Clayton county. He maintains an attractively appointed office, with the most approved equipment in both operative and laboratory departments, and his success has eminently justified his choice of vocation. The doctor was born at Strawberry Point on the 8th of April, 1873, and is a son of Dr. Adelbert D. and Nellie (Renwick) Eaton, the former a native of New York state and the latter of Illinois. The father prepared himself thoroughly for the dental profession and established his home at Strawberry Point about the year 1855. He was one of the pioneer representatives of his pro- fession in Clayton county, was a man of sterling character and genial personality, and he not only built up a large and lucrative professional business but also stood forth as a specially progressive and public-spirited citizen. He continued his residence at Straw- berry Point until his death, which occurred on the 12th of April, 1892, his widow still maintaining her home here. Of the children the eldest is Claude, who resides at Strawberry Point; Winifred is the wife of L. S. Chase, of Oakland, California; the subject of this review was the next in order of birth; Carl is now a resident of Adams, Wisconsin; Blanche resides in the city of Dubuque; and Miss Trixie is with her sister in Oakland, California. Dr. Hal M. Eaton gained his early education in the public schools of Strawberry Point and in the meanwhile, when fourteen years of age, he here found employment in a drug store. He devoted three years to serv- ice in this connection and then began the study of dentistry under the able preceptorage of his father. To perfect himself in his chosen vocation he finally entered the department of dentistry of the Uni- versity of Iowa, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1895 and from which he received his degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. His native town has been the stage of his professional activities during virtually the entire period of his practice, and he is one of the wideawake, loyal and public spirited citizens of Straw- berry Point, where his popularity has been shown by his election
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to the office of mayor, in which he gave a progressive and acceptable administration. The doctor is not a partisan in politics but gives his support to men and measures meeting the approval of his judg- ment. He is affiliated with the local organizations of the Knights of Pythias and the Masonic fraternity. On the 14th of November, 1900, was solemnized the marriage of Dr. Eaton to Miss Myrtle Gilchrist, who was born and reared in this county, and their only child is Myrwyn, who was born July 30, 1902.
Edward P. Eberhard has gained precedence as one of the vigor- ous and representative business men of his native county and vil- lage and owns and conducts a large and prosperous lumber manu- facturing business at Guttenberg, where he has a well equipped mill, the same being devoted to the production of hardwood lumber and in connection with the business Mr. Eberhard gives employ- ment to an average force of forty men during the entire year. In connection with his milling enterprise he has also done an appre- ciable amount of important rock contract work for the government. He is a progressive man of affairs, a loyal and broad-minded citizen, and his character and achievement have given him secure place in popular confidence and esteem. He has served as a member of the city council of Guttenberg and also as a member of the board of education, and his fraternal affiliation being with the local camp of the Modern Woodmen of America. Edward P. Eberhard was born at Guttenberg, this county, on the 15th of December, 1871, and is a son of Andrew and Catherine (Blankenheim) Eber- hard, both of whom were born in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Germany. Upon establishing his residence in Clayton county Andrew Eber- hard first located on a farm near Elkport, but he later engaged in the farm-implement business at Guttenberg, where he continued his association with this line of enterprise until his death. He passed to the life eternal in the year 1885, and his venerable widow still maintains her home in Guttenberg. He was one of the sub- stantial, honored and influential citizens of Clayton county, was a Democrat in politics, and served not only as a member of the county board of supervisors but also as a member of the school board of Guttenberg. Of their children, the eldest is Augusta, who re- mains with her widowed mother; Sanzie is the wife of William Ball, of Garnavillo, this county ; Louis is deceased; Edward P., of this review, was the next in order of birth ; and Mary died in child- hood. After having duly profited by the advantages of the public schools of Guttenberg, Edward P. Eberhard was employed for sev- eral years by the local firm of Zimmerman & Ives, engaged in the manufacturing of pine lumber. In 1910 he became the owner and operator of his present hardwood mill, and he has made of the business a splendid success, as he has brought to bear indomitable energy, much administrative ability and mature judgment. He has associated with him his son Eugene in this business. On the 5th of April, 1893, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Eberhard to Miss Louisa Aulwes, who was born and reared in this county, a daughter of William and Catherine Aulwes, of Jefferson township. Mr. and Mrs. Eberhard have three children-Elsie, Eugene and Alo.
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Elsie is now the wife of Irwin Chatsworth, of Guttenberg; Eugene is married to Olga Eckart, daughter of J. P. Eckart, and the other two children remain at the parental home.
John P. Eckart is a man whose initiative ability and progressive business policies have made him an influential figure in connection with the banking business and other lines of enterprise in his native village and county, and he has made a splendid record in connec- tion with the development of the substantial business controlled by the Guttenberg State Bank, of which he was the virtual founder, as he was the promoter of its organization, in the year 1900, and has served as its efficient and popular cashier from the time of its incor- poration to the present. Its original board of directors included also the following named and representative citizens : Henry Eckart, Thomas S. Ives, John Wolter, James E. Corlett, and Henry Brandt. The bank was incorporated with a capital stock of twenty-five thou- sand dollars, and its first executive corps was as here noted: President, Thomas S. Ives; vice-president, John Wolter; cashier, John P. Eckart. For the accommodation of the new institution a substantial and modern building of two stories and basement was ยท erected, and the same is owned and utilized by the bank with the second floor equipped and rented for office purposes. The person- nel of the executive officers in the year 1916 is as here designated : President, Henry Eckart; vice-president, Thomas S. Ives; cashier, John P. Eckart; assistant cashier, Oscar B. Eckart. In addition to the president and vice-president the present directorate includes also Henry Brandt, F. X. Wollers and H. J. Overbeck. The admin- istration of the affairs of the Guttenberg State Bank has been marked by circumspection and progressive policies, though its busi- ness has been directed at all times along careful and conservative lines. Its total deposits are now nearly $400,000, and its surplus fund is twelve thousand five hundred dollars. It is one of the sub- stantial and well ordered financial institutions of Clayton county and its upbuilding reflects special credit and distinction upon its able and popular cashier. John P. Eckart was born at Guttenberg, his present place of residence, and the date of his nativity was May 17, 1864. He is a son of Henry and Dorothea (Benecke) Eckart, both natives of Prussia, in which part of the great German Empire the father was born in Braunweiler Kunznacht and the mother in Seehausen, Kingdom of Saxony. Henry Eckart was reared and educated in his native land, where he learned the trade of black- smith, and in 1852 he immigrated to America. He remained in the State of New York for some time and on the 9th of April, 1856, he established his home at Guttenberg, Clayton county, Iowa, where he engaged in the work of his trade and established one of the pio- neer blacksmith shops of the county. He assisted in the erection of the first bridge across the Mississippi river in this locality and he continued in the work of his trade for nearly half a century, his retirement from the same having occurred in 1892. He has long been one of the honored and influential citizens of Guttenberg, his integrity being as sturdy as the vocation which he long followed, and he has contributed his quota to the civic and material develop-
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