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 92
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Christ Thoma has been a resident of Clayton county from the time of his birth to the present and has here found ample scope and opportunity for effective achievement along normal lines of enterprise, as indicated by the fact that he now has a well ap- pointed and attractive general merchandise establishment in the thriving town of Garnavillo and has secure vantage-place as one of the representative business men and progressive and popular citi- zens of his native county. Mr. Thoma was born in Garnavillo, this county, on the 9th of June, 1874, and was but two years old at the time of his father's death. He is a son of William and Mar- guerite (Poesch) Thoma, both of whom were born in Germany. Upon coming to the United States, William Thoma proved himself an ambitious young man whose courage and determination were shown in definite action. He became one of the prominent and honored citizens of Clayton county and was engaged successfully in the general merchandise business at Granavillo at the time of his death in 1876. His widow survived him by more than thirty years and was a resident of Garnavillo when she too passed to the life eternal, on the 9th of November, 1908, as one of the venerable and loved pioneer women of Clayton county. Of the eleven children in the family John, Marguerite, William, and Paul are deceased, and concerning the others the following brief data are available: Frederick is a prosperous farmer near Clayton, this county ; Annie is the wife of John Ihde, of Garnavillo; Rosina is the wife of Christ Schumacher, of Garnavillo; Paulina is the wife of L. H. Schroeder, of Guttenberg, this county; Maria is the wife of B. G. Tangeman, of McGregor, this county; Christ, the immediate sub- ject of this review, was the tenth in order of birth, and Charles J., the youngest of the children, likewise is a resident of Garnavillo On the old homestead farm which his father had acquired, neer Garnavillo, Christ Thoma was reared to maturity, the while A availed himself of the advantages of the public schools of the villede noted. At the age of twenty-five years, and shortly after his mar- riage, he engaged in general teaming work, to which line of business he devoted his attention for a few years. For six years thereafter he was employed as a clerk in the Meyers general store at Garna- villo, and after severing this association he opened a meat market in this village. He built up a prosperous business and continued to conduct the market about four years. In 1910 Mr. Thoma erected a modern brick building of two stories, twenty-four by fifty-six feet in lateral dimensions, and in the same he has since conducted a general merchandise business of substantial and representative order, his establishment being well equipped in all departments and controlling a large and appreciative patronage. In politics Mr. Thoma is found aligned as a staunch supporter of the cause of the Republican party, and while he has had no ambition for public office he served with marked efficiency as a member of the village council, a position of which he was the incumbent for four terms. He holds membership in the Modern Brotherhood of America and both he and his wife are communicants of the Lutheran church. On the 25th of August, 1898, was solemnized the marriage of Mr.
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Mr. Thomas is found aligned as a staunch supporter of the cause of the Republican party, and he served four years as township trustee, besides which he has given long and effective service as a member of the school board. Both he and his wife are earnest com- municants of the German Lutheran church. March 1, 1892, re- corded the marriage of Mr. Thomas to Miss Anna Kelsey, who was born at Genoa, Wisconsin, on the 20th of August, 1874, and who is a daughter of Ira and Louisa (Eck) Kelsey, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Minnesota. Mr. Kelsey was for a number of years engaged in railroad work and was a resident of Buena Vista, this county, at the time of his death, his wife having passed to the life eternal in 1882. Of their ten children all are living except one. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas have seven children, all of whom still remain at the parental home, namely: William, Elmer, Carlie, Amanda, Freda, Clarence and Irene.
Lars W. Thompson, a native son of Clayton county and a scion of one of its honored pioneer families, has made his influence potent in connection with civic affairs and industrial and business activities in the county, and is today one of the leading men of affairs in the thriving village of Farmersburg, where he is the efficient and popu- lar cashier of the Farmersburg Savings Bank, one of the substantial financial institutions of the county, and where he is a director and the treasurer of the Farmersburg Grain Company, of which he was one of the organizers and incorporators. He is treasurer also of the Farmersburg Co-operative Commission and of the independent school district of Farmersburg and Wagner. He is a wideawake and progressive business man, a loyal and public-spirited citizen, and is consistently given specific recognition in this history of his native county. Mr. Thompson was born in Wagner township, this county, on the 6th of April, 1873, and is a son of William and Barbro (Lunda) Thompson, both natives of Nummedal, Norway, their marriage having been solemnized in Iowa, where the father estab- lished his home in 1854, the mother having become a resident of Iowa in 1852, when her parents became pioneer settlers. William Thompson was born March 4, 1818, and was reared and educated in his native land. In 1854 he established a home in Clayton county, Iowa, where he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land in section 14, Wagner township. Later he added gradually to his holdings until he became the owner of a valuable landed estate of two hundred and sixty acres, in sections 14, 22 and 23, Wagner township, where he continued his successful activities as an agri- culturist and stockgrower until the close of his long and useful life. He died at his old homestead place on the 31st of October, 1902, and there his widow continued her residence until she too was sum- moned to eternal rest, her death having occurred October 5, 1906. Both were earnest and zealous communicants of the Norwegian Lutheran church and their lives were marked by unassuming in- tegrity of purpose and by kindliness and consideration that gained to them the high regard of all who knew them. Their marriage was solmnized in the year 1859, and of their eight children six are living: Thov, Rachel, Hans, Herbran, William and Lars. Julia
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children of the second marriage of his father, and his widowed mother still maintains her home in Fayette county, as does also the older son, Andrew; Helen, the youngest of the three children, is the wife of John Staley of Fayette county. Ole Thorson gained his early education in the rural schools of his native county and con- tinued his active association with the work of the home farm until 1884, when, at the age of eighteen years, he initiated his indepen- dent career by entering the employ of another farmer of his native county. He continued his services as a farm hand until 1887, when he purchased eighty acres of land in Marion township, Clayton county, where he began his successful career as a progressive and wideawake agriculturist and stockgrower. To this farm he eventu- ally added by the purchase of an adjacent seventy-five acres, and there he continued operations until 1911, when he sold the property and purchased his present well improved and productive farm of one hundred and twenty acres, eligibly situated in section 8, Marion township, with mail service on rural route No. 4 from the village of Elgin. Mr. Thorson and his wife hold membership in the Nor- wegian Lutheran church, and his political support is given to the Republican party. January 11, 1887, recorded his marriage to Miss Carrie Gilbertson, who was born on the Atlantic ocean at the time of the family immigration to the United States. Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Thorson the first born was Annie Paulina, who died in early childhood; Amelia Paulina is the wife of Elmer Lar- son, of Marion township, and Helen Theodora and Rosie Luella remain at the parental home.
Edward B. Tourtellot .- Clayton county has been favored in gaining the services of Mr. Tourtellot as a member of its corps of executive officers, and he is the efficient and popular incumbent of the position of county engineer, with ambition and energy that ef- fectively supplement his thorough technical training as a civil engi- neer. He is a young man who has gained distinctive success in his profession, and that he has allied himself fully with the interests of Clayton county is indicated by his having become the owner and occupant of one of the attractive residences of Elkader, the judicial center of the county. He was born in Delaware county, Iowa, on the 20th of November, 1886, and is a son of S. J. and Ruth A. (Loomis) Tourtellot, the former a native of Illinois and the latter of Ohio. Upon coming to Iowa they established their home in Delaware county, where they still reside. Of the nine children all are living except one. He whose name introduces this review gained his preliminary education in the public schools of his native county and early manifested definite scholastic ambition. In pursuance of higher academic studies he entered Lenox College, at Hopkinton, Iowa, in which institution he was graduated as a member of the class of 1907. Having formulated plans for his future career, he next entered the great University of Wisconsin, in the fair capital city of the Badger state, and there he completed a thorough course in civil engineering. He was graduated as a mem- ber of the class of 1910 and duly received his well earned degree of civil engineer. Soon after his graduation Mr. Tourtellot went to
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this favored section of the state. He whose name initiates this paragraph was born in Dalarne, Sweden, on the 28th of June, 1866, and is a son of Andrew and Anna (Hanson) Trygg, both natives of that same district of Sweden, where the former was born on the 15th of December, 1830, and the latter on the 1st of April, 1836. An- drew Trygg learned in his youth the trade of stone mason, to which he continued to devote his attention in his native land until 1885, when he immigrated with his family to the United States and es- tablished his residence in Clayton county, Iowa. He purchased a farm in Clayton township, and there continued his successful activi- ties as an agriculturist until advanced age led to his retirement from the arduous labors that had long been his portion, and he now re- sides in the home of his son Eric, concerning whom specific men- tion is made on other pages of this work. His cherished and devoted wife passed to the life eternal on the 27th of February, 1913, a de- vout communicant of the Swedish Lutheran church, with which Mr. Trygg himself has been similarly affiliated from his early youth, his political allegiance having been given to the Republican party since the time he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Of the children, the firstborn was Anna, who died in childhood; Andrew Alfred, of this review, was the second in order of birth; Eric is a substantial farmer of Mendon township and is individually represented elsewhere in this publication; and John now maintains his home in the Province of Saskatchewan, Canada. Andrew Al- fred Trygg is indebted to the excellent schools of his native land for his early educational discipline and he was about nineteen years of age at the time of the family immigration to America. He took his part in the work of the homestead farm after the family had established a residence in Clayton county, and he proved his re- sourcefulness and ambition by effective work in this connection. In 1896 he purchased his present farm, which comprises one hun- dred and six acres and which is eligibly situated in Sections 10 and 3, Mendon township, and in proximity to the little city of Mc- Gregor, which is his postoffice address. On his farm Mr. Trygg has erected modern buildings, including an attractive residence, and all improvements combine with the general productiveness and thrift shown throughout the domain to make it one of the essen- tially model farms of the county. Of sturdy rectitude and integ- rity in all the relations of life, Mr. Trygg is a loyal and public- spirited citizen and though he has had no desire for political prefer- ment he accords unfaltering allegiance to the Republican party and shows lively interest in all the things touching the communal wel- fare. At McGregor he is affiliated with the organizations of the Brotherhood of American Yeomen and the Modern Woodmen of America, and both he and his wife are zealous communicants of the Swedish Lutheran church at that place, he holding not only the office of secretary of the board of trustees of the church but being also the earnest and valued superintendent of its Sunday school. On the 27th of August, 1896, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Trygg to Miss Ateina Susanna Leibrand, who was born in Clayton township, this county, on the 5th of November, 1875, and
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retired in the home of his son Eric, of this Review. He has been a lifelong communicant of the Swedish Lutheran church, as was also his wife, who was summoned to eternal rest on the 27th of Feb- ruary, 1913. Of the surviving children the eldest is Andrew A., of whom individual mention is made on other pages of this work; Eric is the second son; and the youngest is John, who is now a resident of Saskatchewan, Canada. Eric Trygg profited duly by the advantages afforded in the schools of his native land and was a lad of about fifteen years when the family came to America and established a new home in Clayton county. Here he assisted in the work of his father's farm until 1902, when he purchased the property, comprising one hundred and sixty acres. There he con- tinued his successful activities until 1897, when he sold the old homestead to advantage and expanded his field of operations by purchasing his present fine farm of two hundred and eighty-five acres, in Mendon township. He has made numerous additions to the substantial improvements on the place and its every aspect denotes unmistakable thrift and prosperity. Mr. Trygg gives his attention to diversified agriculture and stock-growing, according to the most approved and modern methods, and makes somewhat of a specialty of the raising of Durham cattle. He is one of the vital and public-spirited citizens of the county, is a Republican in his political allegiance, is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America and both he and his wife are communicants and zealous supporters of the Swedish Lutheran church, in which he is serving as a trustee and also as a deacon. On the 11th of October, 1899, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Trygg to Miss Anna Christina Larson, who was born and reared in this county and whose parents, Ole and Anna (Solomon) Larson still reside in Mendon township. Ole Larson was born in Sweden, on the 3rd of January, 1847, and his wife was there born on the 9th of July, 1850, both having come to the United States when young. Mr. Larson became one of the representative farmers of Mendon township, Clayton county, where he is now living virtually retired. He is a staunch Republican in politics and both he and his wife are devout communicants of the Swedish Lutheran church. Of their children the eldest is Frank, who is a resident of the city of Rockford, Ill. May is the wife of James Armstrong, and they reside in the city of Chicago; Mrs. Trygg was the third child and was born January 5, 1875; Albert is a resident of northwestern Canada; Louis is a successful farmer of Mendon township; Bessie remains at the parental home; Ida is the wife of Victor Soderland of Chicago; Mathilda is the wife of Irving Wallace and they maintain their home at McGregor, this county ; Zelma is the wife of William Harnoch, of Clayton town- ship; Clara died in childhood; and Carl is a resident of the city of Chicago. Mr. and Mrs. Trygg became the parents of five chil- dren, concerning whom brief record is given in conclusion of this sketch : Florence was born March 13, 1901, and died January 30, 1902; Harold was born May 17, 1905, and died on the 31st of De- cember, 1907; and the three surviving children are Frederick, born
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and he was foremost in giving his influence and co-operation in the furtherance of political movements and civic enterprises advanced for the general good of the community. On several occasions he represented the United States government in international liti- gations. This strong and noble man who gained for himself much of distinction in the land of his adoption, acquired his preliminary education under the direction of private tutors and in private schools in his native county. He then entered the celebrated Har- row school for boys, and upon the completion of the curriculum of this historic institution of England he was matriculated in Cam- bridge University, in which he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Laws, as a member of the class of 1823. For his first wife he wedded Miss Emma Halworthy, who died in England within a comparatively few years after their marriage. About the year 1830 Mr. Turner wedded Miss Maria Patrick, whose father, Dr. Patrick, was a clergyman of the Church of England and who was a rector of a parish at Brantford, Ontario, at the time of his daughter's marriage. Mrs. Maria (Patrick) Turner passed to the life eternal in 1843, in the city of Toronto. Of the four children of this union the eldest was Maria, who became the wife of Rev. Al- fred Washington Boultbee, who was a clergyman of the Church of England and who was on the distaff side a kinsman of the Wash- ington family of England, from whom George Washington de- scended, both he and his wife having continued their residence in Canada until their death; Mary Emma remained a spinster until her death, which occurred in 1907; Frank Edmund Prince, elder of the two sons, died in 1909; and Robert Charles, a civil engineer by profession, died in Bedford, England, in 1910. For his third wife Robert John Turner espoused Miss Nura Dorothy Raines, a daugh- ter of Major R. A. Raines of the Royal Artillery, who named his daughter Nura in commemoration of the battle of· Bridgeanura, Italy, in which he fought against the troops of Joseph Bonaparte, his name being recorded in golden letters in the archives of the Italian government. Mrs. Turner survived her honored husband and was called to the life eternal in 1885. Of this union were born three sons, and of the number George Richard, subject of this review, is the eldest; Thomas William, who was born in 1850, died in 1912; and Charles Conrad, who was born August 18, 1852, now resides in the old family homestead, "Bracondale," in the city of Toronto. George Richard Turner, of McGregor, Clayton county. Iowa, acquired his rudimentary education in private schools in his native city and at the age of ten years he entered the preparatory department of Upper Canada College, in which he continued his studies three years. Thereafter he attended the Toronto Grammar School, then conducted under the direction of the distinguished Dr. Howe, and later he completed a thorough commercial course, through the medium of which he fully qualified himself as an expert accountant. In 1867 Mr. Turner went to Nashville, Tenn., where for the ensuing two years he was employed as bookkeeper in the wholesale grocery house of Robert Thompson. He passed the suc- ceeding year at his old home in Toronto, and he then went to the
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Africa, on a training cruise, and he never recovered his former physical vigor, though he lived several years after his return to the United States. On the 5th of November, 1902, was solemnized the marriage of George R. Turner to Miss Christina Katherine Gebhardt, daughter of John Gebhardt, of Giard,-this county. The names and respective dates of birth of the children of this union are here indicated: Charles John, September 6, 1903; Nura Dorothy Raines, March 5, 1905; Frank, June 10, 1908; Mary Emma, October 3, 1909; John Patrick, March 17, 1913; and George Richard, Jr., August 29, 1915. In 1911 Mr. Turner donated to the city of Mc- Gregor a plot of ground as a perpetual playground for the town of McGregor, which is now used as a baseball ground.
Charles M. Upton is consistently to be given recognition as one of the sterling citizens and representative farmers of his native county, his birth having occurred at Elkader, the county seat, on the 5th of February, 1874. He is a son of John F. and Amelia (Russell) Upton, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Pennsylvania. John F. Upton was a child at the time of his par- ents' emigration to America and he has been a resident of Clay- ton county since his boyhood. He became one of the prosperous farmers of Wagner township and since his retirement from active labors he and his wife have maintained their residence at Elkader. In that thriving little city also resides Edward, the eldest of their children; Julia is the wife of James Kelleher, of Clermont, Fayette county; William is deceased; Emma is the wife of Wallace Lam- phier, of Elkader; and the subject of this review is the youngest of the number. Charles M. Upton profited fully by the advantages afforded in the public schools of his native county and con- tinued his active association with the work of his father's farm until he had attained to the age of thirty years. He passed the ensuing four years in South Dakota and then returned to the home farm, which he rented and to the management of which he applied himself until 1912, when he purchased his present well improved farm in Section 25, Highland township, where he is carrying on most successful operations as an agriculturist and stock-raiser. He takes loyal interest in community affairs, is independent of strict partisanship in politics and is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America. On the 3rd of October, 1906, Mr. Upton wedded Miss Elsie M. Adams, who was born and reared in this county, and who is a daughter of Charles H. and Violette (Mckinney) Adams, the former a native of Clayton county, where his parents settled in the early pioneer days, and the latter a native of the state of Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Adams maintain their residence on their fine farm, in Highland township, and of their children Mrs. Upton is the eldest; Henrietta is the wife of Edward Antrim, of Strawberry Point, this county; David William resides in the village of Volga, as do also Walter F. and Phoebe; and Elvina died in childhood. Mr. and Mrs. Upton have a winsome little daughter, Elsie May, who was born January 31, 1916.
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riage of whom was solemnized in Clayton county. Henry Voss was reared and educated in his native land and as a young man he came to America and established his home in Clayton county. He first settled at Guttenberg, and eventually he became one of the prosperous farmers of that vicinity, where he continued his resi- dence until his death, which occurred when he was about 66 years of age. His widow is still living and is one of the vigorous and highly esteemed pioneer women of the county in which the major part of her life has been passed. She is a devout communicant of the Catholic church, as was also her husband. Of their children the eldest is Henry, who is successfully identified with agricultural pursuits in this county ; Herman is a farmer of Volga township; Bernard, of this review, was the next in order of birth and with him is associated in business his next younger brother, Frederick; Lizzie is the wife of Charles Zittergreen, of Volga township; Joseph is a representative of agricultural industry in his native county ; and Annie is the wife of Charles Weber, of Seattle, Washington. Bernard A. Voss gained his early education in the public schools of Clayton county and incidentally acquired due experience in con- nection with the work of the home farm. Upon attaining to his legal majority he went to Nebraska, and after having there been employed at farm work for a few months he went to the north- western part of Iowa, where he began working at whatever he found to do. He then returned to Clayton county, where he pur- chased a farm of three hundred and thirty-two acres in Volga town- ship. After giving his active supervision to the operations of this farm for a period of four years he sold the property, and during the ensuing summer he made a rather extended pleasure tour, in which he visited Nevada, Washington, California and other states of the west. He then returned to Clayton county and formed a partnership with his brother Frederick in the general merchandise business at Garber, where they have conducted a substantial and prosperous enterprise in this line since 1909. His political support is given to the Democratic party and he and his wife are communi- cants of the Catholic church. On the 14th of June, 1910, was sol- emnized the marriage of Mr. Voss to Miss Clara F. Weber, daugh- ter of Conrad and Cecilia (Bigger) Weber, who were born in the United States of German ancestry, and who are well-known citizens of Clayton county. Mr. and Mrs. Voss have three children, whose names and respective dates of birth are here noted: Menlo, May 20, 1911; Victor, May 7, 1913, and Esther, May 7, 1915.
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