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 78
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Andrew Hultgren is one of the sturdy, vigorous and determined men who has not missed the true purposes of life nor waited for circumstance to mould or change his fate. His stewardship has been shown in steadfast integrity, invincible determination and in-
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birth: Arthur Otto, Edwin B., Carl W., Elmer G., August C. and John A. The sons are identified with agricultural pursuits in Men- don township, and the eldest son, Arthur O., and his wife are the parents of two children, Alice and Richard. Ole and Christine (Beckman) Olson, parents of Mrs. Hultgren, were born in Jutland, Sweden, where their marriage was solemnized and whence they immigrated to America in 1870. They established their home in Clayton county and still reside on their old homestead farm, in Mendon township, venerable in years and honored by all who know them. Mr. Olson was born July 29, 1835, and his wife on the 22d of June 1842. Both are devoted communicants of the Swedish Lutheran church and he is a stalwart Republican in his political adherency. Of the children, Mrs. Hultgren is the first-born ; August has charge of the old homestead farm of his parents; and Hannah died in childhood.
Humphrey, James T., was born in Clayton county on August 23, 1876. He is the son of Lawrence and Mary (Fleming) Humph- rey, both natives of ireland, who came to America in 1862, and settled on a farm in Clayton county. To this union were born ten children : Richard, of Mims, Minnesota; Michael A., of Logan, Iowa; Ella, now the wife of James Ryan of Flemmington, South Dakota; Mathew, and Lawrence B., of Monona; Anna, residing with her mother; Alice, deceased; James T., the subject of this sketch ; William F., of Monona, and Emily. The worthy father of this fine family died July 15, 1900, but the mother still lives and resides in Monona. Mr. Humphreys received his education in the public schools of Decorah and Breckenridge Institute at Decorah, Ia. After the completion of his schooling he engaged in farming until he was twenty-eight years of age, taking an active interest in dairy matters, and was made secretary of the Farmers' Creamery of Lowena, Iowa. In 1904 he decided to take up a mercantile busi- ness, and accordingly with his brother, Lawrence B., bought out the Walsh and Garrity Implement House at Monona and, under the firm name of Humphrey Brothers, they are conducting a thriv- ing business in all sorts of farming implements. Mr. Humphrey was united in marriage to Miss Grace Cool, September 24, 1913. No children have been born to them. He is affiliated with the Democratic party in politics and has ever taken a keen interest in civic affairs, serving on the city council for four years. He is a member of the fraternal orders of Yeomen, Woodmen and Knights of Columbus.
Jeremiah P. Hurley has been a resident of Clayton county from the time of his birth, was here reared to the invigorating and benignant discipline of the farm and has here become one of the prominent and influential exponents of agricultural and live-stock industry. Largely through his own energy and well directed enterprise he has become one of the prominent landholders of this section of the state, where he is the owner of a well improved and valuable estate comprising a total of six hundred and eighteen acres, all of which splendid domain receives his careful and effec- tive supervision, the while he maintains his home on a model farm-
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Helen, Reta, and Dorothy. The two elder daughters are, in 1916, students in the parochial schools at Elkader.
James T. Hyde, blacksmith and implement dealer of Elkader, was born September 20, 1862. His parents were Patrick and Cathe- rine (Kelliber) Hyde, both natives of Ireland, who came to Amer- ica about 1847, locating first in New York, going thence to Chi- cago, and later settling in Clayton county on a farm in 1858. The father passed from this life February 7th, 1901, but the mother is still living and resides in Elkader. To their union nine children were born, of whom James was the eldest, followed by Mary Ellen, wife of Thomas Gill, of Oelwein, Iowa; John, Thomas, and Patrick Joseph, all of Elkader; Katie and William, deceased; Anna, who is the wife of E. W. Charleton, of Windsor, Ontario; Leo, residing on a farm near Elkader. James T. learned blacksmithing in his youth, and worked at the trade in various places throughout the state for a number of years, but finally located in Elkader, Iowa, where he and his brother Thomas set up in business for them- selves in the same line of work, and have served their patrons with dexterity and despatch for twenty-one years. They have taken their brother Patrick Joseph into partnership with them, and have enlarged the business by becoming dealers in farming implementa four years ago under the firm name of Hyde Brothers. They erected a cement block building thirty by sixty-five feet, and three stories high, and to accommodate the rapidly growing needs of their prosperous business, contemplate the erection of another building of the same size this year. James Hyde was married October 19, 1892, to Bessie Johnson, who died July 7, 1905, leaving him with two children, Joseph and Leroy J. He was wedded July 28, 1913, to Louise Royston, widow of M. J. Kelliber. She is a native of Illinois. Mr. Hyde is keenly interested in the welfare of his community and is an active worker in the Corn School of the county. He is equally alert in the service of the Republican party, having served on the City Council, and is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. Hyde is affiliated with the Republican party in politics, and is a consistent member of the Catholic church. Patrick Joseph Hyde, the executive head of the firm, obtained his early education in the public schools of Elkader and of Graham county, Kansas, and on the family's removal to Elkader, in 1897, he entered into the steam laundry business with D. C. Foley. In 1900, severing his connection with Mr. Foley, he entered the wholesale liquor business and, in 1907, together with John Gemmel, bought the Hotel Bayless. In 1909, he bought Mr. Gemmel's interest and continued in the hotel business until 1913, at which time he sold it to Mr. Asay, the present owner. He then entered into partnership with his brothers, and it is largely due to his efforts that the business has grown to be the largest of its kind in Clayton county. In 1903, Mr. Hyde was joined in the bonds of matrimony with Margaret Maley, the daughter of Michael and Katherine (Leonard) Maley, of Elkader, and formerly of Louis- ville, Kentucky. Mr. Maley died in Louisville in 1898 and Mrs. Maley now makes her home with her daughter. Mr. and Mrs.
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their pleasant home receives service on rural mail route No. 2. In the year 1879 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Ihde to Miss Anna Thoma, who was born in this county and who is a daughter of William and Margaret Thoma, pioneers to whom individual reference is made on other pages of this work. Mr. and Mrs. Ihde became the parents of nine children, concerning whom the follow- ing brief records is entered : Caroline is the wife of George Kurdel- meier ; Luella is deceased ; Elizabeth is the wife of Frederick Kurdel- meier; Anna is the wife of Richard Hinzma; Lottie is the wife of Herman Wies; Benjamin is a prosperous farmer of this county ; and Reuben, John and Amanda remain at the parental home.
George M. Jacobs has achieved special success and priority as a raiser of high-grade poultry, and his finely equipped little poultry farm is eligibly situated in immediate proximity to the village of Guttenberg. He was born in this village on the 20th of March, 1873, and is a son of G. Henry Jacobs and Elizabeth (Nolte) Jacobs, the former of whom was born in Mecklenburg-Schweren, Germany, on the 29th of November, 1838, and the latter of whom was born at Bisslagen, Germany, on the 19th of September, 1842. G. Henry Jacobs acquired his early education in the schools of his native land and was a lad of sixteen years when he accompanied his parents on their immigration to America, his father, John Jacobs, becom- ing a pioneer settler on Cedar creek, Clayton county. G. Henry Jacobs became a man of broad intellectual ken and mature judg- ment, and he long held a position of prominence and influence in the county that continued to be his home until his death. In the earlier part of his independent career he followed farming for a time, and he then became associated with Clement Schwaller in the general merchandise business at Guttenberg. With this line of enterprise he continued his identification several years, and in the meanwhile he served as postmaster of the village. For about six years thereafter he conducted the Washington Hotel at Gutten- berg, and he then engaged in the practice of law, having given care- ful study to the science of jurisprudence and thus having gained admission to the bar. He continued in the practice of his profession at Guttenberg about twenty-one years, and during much of the time he held the office of notary public. He held inviolable place in pop- ular confidence and esteem, served several years as mayor of Gut- tenberg, and was an effective advocate of the principles and policies of the Democratic party. His death occurred September 17, 1888, and his widow survived him by nearly a quarter of a century, she having been called to eternal rest on the 21st of May, 1911. Of their children the eldest is Walter G., who resides at Aberdeen, South Dakota; Hugo C. is a resident of Luxemburg, Iowa; the subject of this review was the next in order of birth; Clementine is the wife of Warner Eggerth, of Spokane, Washington, in which city also resides William H., the next in order of birth ; Matilda is the wife of William Stretch and they reside in the city of Chicago; and Addie remains at the old home in Guttenberg. George M. Jacobs is indebted to the public schools of Guttenberg for his early edu- cational discipline, and as a youth he found employment in a cigar
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factory in his native village. He became an expert cigarmaker and after being employed at his trade in Guttenberg for ten years he was similarly engaged at Charter Oak, this state, for one year. He then returned to Guttenberg, where for the ensuing sixteen years he was engaged in the retail liquor trade, and upon his retirement from this business he established his present prosperous enter- prise, in the raising of and dealing in fine poultry. He has served as a member of the city council of Guttenberg and is known as a stalwart in the local camp of the Democratic party. On the 19th of February, 1901, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Jacobs to Miss Elizabeth Kickbusch, daughter of Charles and Frederica Kick- busch, of Millville township. Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs, Freda and Vivian, the third and sixth in respective order of birth, are deceased, and all of the others remain at the parental home, namely: Walter W., Emma, Irene, Hilda, Helen and George.
John E. Jacobson, dealer in general merchandise at St. Olaf, Iowa, was born in Claremont, of that state, June 24, 1873, and is the son of Erick and Belle (Olson) Jacobson, both natives of Norway. The father came to Clayton county, Iowa, in 1860, and took up the vocation of farming, which he followed until his death. To him and his wife, who is also deceased, were born ten children, eight of whom are living: Ole, of Nora Springs, Iowa; Caroline, who is the wife of Ole Koppang, of Claremont, Iowa ; Gustave and Jacob, who are twins, the former living at Nora Springs, Iowa, and the latter at Watertown, Wisconsin; Anna, married to Gilbert Ostlie, and living at Claremont, Iowa; Edward, deceased; Emma, wife of John Peterson, of Claremont; John, the subject of this sketch; Mary, who is now Mrs. Nels Larson, of Postville, Iowa; and Eliza, deceased. John E. Jacobson remained on his father's farm until a year after his marriage, when he moved to Claremont, and was employed in a general merchandise business for five years, when he went to Gunder, going into the same line of business for himself. After remaining in that place for another five years, he went to St. Olaf, Iowa, where he started a general merchandise store, the first and only one of its kind in the town. He took H. E. Landsgard into partnership with him in the business, which is being conducted under the firm name of Jacobson and Landsgard, and in its success is a credit to the intelligent effort and efficiency which the partners devote to its upbuilding. Mr. Jacobson married Julia Skarshoug, of Clayton county, and they have reared a family of four children : Hiram E., age 15; Grace B., age 13; Clarence R., age 10; and Louis V., age 6 years. He is a staunch Republican, and in reward for his unswerving and honorable adherence to the principles of his party, was awarded the postmastership of his town, which position he held for five years. He was a school director, and is serving on the City Council at the present time. Both he and his wife are members of the Norwegian Lutheran church.
Benjamin W. James is successfully established as a manufac- turer and dealer in the best grade of cemetery monuments of granite and marble and in this line of enterprise is the worthy successor
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of his honored father, who was one of its pioneer exponents in Clayton county. Mr. James has well equipped business quarters in the thriving city of Guttenberg, and is one of the representative business men and popular and influential citizens of his county. Mr. James was born in Millville township, this county, on the 20th of June, 1863, and is a son of Charles and Amelia (Greybill) James, the former of whom was born in Dillon, Staffordshire, England, August 17, 1826, and the latter of whom was born at Richfield, Pennsylvania, October 4, 1834, coming with her parents, Thomas and Amelia (Womer) Greybill to Guttenberg on May 2, 1842. Charles James, the father of the subject of this sketch, was but four years of age at the time of the family immigration to Amer- ica in 1830, and his father, Thomas James, first established the family home in the state of New York. Later he resided at Mas- sillon, Ohio, and at Janesville, Wisconsin. He met his death as the result of a ship wreck in Thunder Bay on Lake Huron, dying as the result of the exposure. For many years prior to leaving England he was employed as a mechanic in work on Windsor Castle. Charles James acquired his early education in the schools of New York and Ohio, and at Cleveland he served a thorough apprenticeship to the trade of marble and granite cutting, in which he became a skilled artisan. After leaving the Buckeye state he resided for some time at Galena, Illinois, and was engaged as traveling representative of the R. L. Rosevro Monument Company, now of St. Louis, Missouri. In 1862 he came with his family to Clayton county, Iowa, and established his residence in Millville township, where he became the owner of a small farm and where also he continued actively engaged in the granite business for many years, many fine specimens of his handiwork being fourd in the various cemeteries of Clayton county at the present day. He died at his old home in Millville township on the 17th of August, 1896, a sterling and honored citizen of the county that had represented his home for more than thirty years. He was a stalwart advocate of the principles of the Republican party, and was a zealous mem- ber of the United Brethren church, as is also his venerable widow, who now maintains her home in the city of Waterloo, this state. Of the children, the subject of this review is the eldest; Ada is the wife of Louis Wentworth, a wholesale lumber dealer and con- tractor, of Omaha, Nebraska; Hannah is the widow of Caleb Ken- yon, and in her home at Waterloo she has the companionship of her loved mother; William is a substantial farmer of Millville township; and Dwight and Esther are deceased. After having duly profited by the advantages of the public schools of his native county, Benjamin W. James gained a higher course of academic discipline by attending Leander Clark College, at Toledo, Iowa. Under the effective direction of his father he gained thorough knowledge of the trade of granite and marble cutting, and he has been successfully established in the monument business and north- west land investment at Guttenberg since 1895, the high grade of his work and the effective service given, having combined to make him one of the leading exponents of this line of business in Clayton
HARVARD COLLEGE
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county, where he has ever held impregnable vantage place in popu- lar confidence and esteem. The Republican party has the un- swerving allegiance of Mr. James, and though he is loyal and public-spirited as a citizen he has never been troubled by aught of ambition for political office. He is the owner of an attractive home property at Guttenberg, besides his place of business and a tract of valuable land in La Moure and Stutsman counties, North Dakota. He is affiliated with the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and he and his wife are zealous and official members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Guttenberg. On the 8th of October, 1894, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. James to Miss Minnie B. McCrum, daughter of Thomas and Martha McCrum, of Earlville, this state, and they have two sons-Paul G., who was born March 20, 1897, is at present superintendent of the Consolidated Schools at Fertile, Iowa, and Dwight, who was born February 21, 1904.
Lawrence Jennings has been a resident of Iowa since he was a lad of about ten years and the fact that he has now passed the psalmist's span of three score years and ten offers conclusive evi- dence that he is a representative of one of the pioneer families of the Hawkeye State. He has maintained his home in Clayton county since 1855, has been a resourceful exponent of agricultural industry and other lines of enterprise, has achieved definite inde- pendence and material prosperity and thus is justified in the en- joyment of the peace and comfort that attend him after his retire- ment from active labors and when his life begins to see its golden shadows lengthening from the crimson west. He has accounted well for himself and to the world, and is now living virtually re- tired in the attractive little village of McGregor, where he has association with a host of friends who are tried and true and whose fealty has borne the test of many years. Mr. Jennings was born at Welland, Province of Ontario, Canada, on the 14th of February, 1843, and his parents, Matthias and Mary (Dill) Jennings, were born and reared in Ontario, where the father learned in his youth the trade of cooper, which he there followed in connection with agricultural pursuits until 1853, when he came to Iowa and num- bered himself among the early settlers of Jackson county. There he remained until the spring of 1855, when he came with his fam- ily to Clayton county and purchased a tract of wild land in Mendon township. There he reclaimed and developed a productive farm, and he also continued in the work of his trade, having established a cooperage on his farm and having found much demand for his productions as a skilled workman at his trade. Eventually he turned his attention to the study of medicine and became a suc- cessful representative of the profession in Clayton county, where he continued in active and successful practice, as one of the pioneer physicians of this section of the State until his death, which oc- curred in 1864, his wife surviving him by several years. Of the children the subject of this review is the eldest; Nancy and Euphe- mia are widows and both are residents of this State; Sarah, wife of John Kane; Anna, wife of George Kildare, of Seattle, Wash .;
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Mrs. Alice Fuller, a widow, resides in the city of Seattle and Har- riet and Jasper are deceased. Lawrence Jennings gained his ru- dimentary education in the schools of his native province, con- tinued his studies during the period of his parents' residence in Jackson county, Iowa, and was a lad of twelve years at the time of the family removal to Clayton county, where he was reared to manhood and where he has continued his residence during the long intervening years, though as a youth he was absent from the county for a time, while in the service of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company. He availed himself of the further educational advantages afforded in the pioneer schools of Mendon township, assisted in the work of the home farm and also learned the cooper's trade under the effective supervision of his honored father. Upon attaining to his legal majority he purchased his father's farm and cooperage, and to the management of both enterprises he there- after giving his attention for a period of ten years, besides which he became a successful contractor in grading work on the line of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. After the completion of this contract work he resumed his operations as a farmer in Mendon township, besides which he further showed his initiative ability and progressiveness by engaging in the manufacturing of lumber. He became the owner of an extensive tract of timber land and operated a well-equipped saw mill, in the meanwhile contin- uing his successful association with the basic industry of agricul- ture. He became the owner of a fine landed estate of six hundred and forty acres, and this valuable property he later sold. In 1911 he purchased a nice residence property in the village of McGregor, where he and his devoted wife have since maintained their home and where he finds himself, in his days of retirement, compassed by most grateful influences and associations. Mr. Jennings has always given his allegiance to the Democratic party and shown a loyal interest in all things touching the general welfare of the community. Though he has had no ambition for public office he served several years as road supervisor in Mendon township. He is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and both he and his wife are attendants of the Methodist Episcopal church. On the 12th of October, 1867, was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Jennings to Miss Sophrona Caroline Dickens, who was born in Mendon township, this county, on the 28th of August, 1847, the seventh in order of birth of the eleven children of Edward and Anne (Van Sickle) Dickens, honored pioneers of Clayton county, where their old homestead farm is one of the fine places in the Pleasant Ridge district of Mendon township. Mr. Dickens was born in Tennessee and his wife in Ohio. He was one of the very early settlers of Clayton county, where he obtained a tract of government land, in Mendon township, about the year 1835, both he and his wife having passed the remainder of their lives as honored and representative citizens of this county, where he be- came a prosperous farmer and was influential in community affairs. Of the Dickens children the first two, William and Lucius, are deceased; John W. is a resident of Boise, Idaho; Edward is de-
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may well be termed a man of affairs, and has been successful in all his undertakings because of the intelligent insight and untiring industry he has brought to bear upon them. He remained on his father's farm until he was twenty-five years of age, when he began his own work in life by buying one hundred and sixty acres of land to which he soon added another one hundred and sixty. He acquired large land holdings in South Dakota and is extensively and profitably engaged in farming and stock raising. His integrity and keen business insight have made him president of the St. Olaf's Savings Bank, and the Republican party to which he be- longs has availed itself of his clear judgment in the administration of various township offices. He has been secretary of the school board and is a member of the Norwegian Lutheran church. Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Tillie Glesne, who was born in Clayton county, and to them have been born seven children, all of whom are still at home: Irene, Helen, Johanna, Frances, Arthur, Oliver and Ruth.
Johnson, Otto O., prominent citizen and cashier of the St. Olaf's Saving Bank, was born October 2, 1871, in Clayton county, Iowa, the son of Ole and Anna (Wold) Johnson. His father was born in Norway, but came to America locating in Clayton county, Iowa, where he owned and conducted a large farm with the greatest suc- cess, until his death. His mother was born in Wisconsin and is still living on the home farm. They had an unusual family of thir- teen children, all of whom except two are living. Otto, the subject of this sketch, is the eldest; the second child, Olavus, died during the year 1908; Helen is the wife of Louis Larson of Lilly, South Da- kota; Johanna, wife of Elmer Ronquist of Clayton county ; Bertha, the wife of Herbert Olson of St. Olaf; Rudolph, Benjamin, Elaine, Olvin and Nettie living at home with their mother; and Ruth, de- ceased. Otto Johnson received his education in the common schools, remaining on the farm until he was 26 years of age. Three years later, in August, 1900, he married Caroline Helgeson, a native of Clayton county, and to them have been born two children- Alenta Josephine and Leroy. In 1900 he was appointed census enumerator for Wagner township and he then spent some time in the hardware business. On September 1, 1903, he was appointed postmaster of St. Olaf, which position he held for twelve years. In 1908 he entered the banking business and in 1915 he resigned his position as postmaster to devote his entire time to the affairs of the bank. In 1904 he was elected township clerk, being re-elected in 1906 and 1908, thus serving the public for three terms. Mr. Johnson has served as town clerk of town of St. Olaf and member of town Council for several terms and at present serving as mayor of said town; also serving as member of school board of the Independent school district of St. Olaf, Iowa. Mr. Johnson has been an ardent Republican at all times, serving several terms as county committeeman and having been honored by his party by the appointment as assistant doorkeeper at the Na- tional Republican convention held at Chicago in 1916, at which Hon. Charles E. Hughes was nominated for president. Both Mr.
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