USA > Iowa > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 10
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Mr. Fink was again married January 7, 1897, his second union being with Mrs. Laney Miller, the widow of Amos H. Miller, who served two years and eight months in the Civil war as a member of the Fourteenth Wisconsin Vol- unteer Infantry and was hurt by a fall from a freight train during his service. He remained an invalid during the rest of his life and at his death left his widow with four small children to care for, but she nobly performed her part, being an excellent mother. The children by her first marriage were: Abram, Eugene, George M., John T. and Frank R. Mrs. Fink was born in Alsace- Lorraine, Germany, and is the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Smith) Rice, both of whom were natives of Germany. She came to America with her parents when she was nine months old, in 1831, and was thirteen years of age when her parents moved from New York and settled in Fond du Lac county, Wis- consin. She migrated to Iowa in 1896.
Mr. Fink has passed through many vicissitudes in the course of his long and useful life. Ile gained in the great school of experience a practical education which assisted him in becoming a model farmer, setting an example in the con- duct of his business which awakened a spirit of enterprise wherever he was known. As a public-spirited citizen he has performed his part in the develop- ment of the county, taking a lively interest in the promotion of enterprises cal- culated to improve the social condition of the people. Possessing a kindly and benevolent disposition, he has generously responded to calls for assistance from those less fortunate than himself, and his actions have always reflected honor upon himself and those with whom he has been associated.
WILLIS H. WIGGINS.
One of the energetic and progressive business men of Dow City is Willis H. Wiggins, a native of this county, having been born in Union township on the 12th of May, 1872. The parents, M. G. and Sarah ( Hayes) Wiggins, are still living and also make their home in Dow City.
Mr. Wiggins acquired his education in the public schools of his native town, which he attended off and on until 1890. When old enough to begin working for himself he entered a mill, remaining there until he had thoroughly mastered the trade, at which time he left in order to assist his father in his business. Two years later he opened a place of business of his own. His first venture was a lunch counter, which he most successfully conducted for nine years, and then put in a line of groceries. He has since added general furnishings and shoes, so that he is now handling a general merchandise stock. He has met with most
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gratifying success in his various undertakings and has quite extensive real- estate interests in Dow City, owning the building in which his store is located as well as two brick business blocks.
On the 19th of February, 1901, Mr. Wiggins was united in marriage to Miss Kate E. Griffin, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Griffin, living near Buck Grove, and they have become the parents of two children: John and Martin.
Mr. Wiggins was reared in the Methodist Episcopal faith but Mrs. Wiggins is a communicant of the Roman Catholic church. Fraternally he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America, his local affiliation being with the lodge of Dow City. Ever since attaining his majority Mr. Wiggins has actively par- ticipated in all local political matters, always giving his support to the candi- dates of the republican party. He is held in high regard and served as town- ship treasurer for eight or ten years, which fact indicates his satisfactory discharge of the duties of the office.
WILLIAM H. LAUB.
For thirty years past connected with the business interests of Denison and now most acceptably filling the office of mayor of the city, it may truthfully be said of William H. Laub that he is a leading member of the community. He was born in Benton county, Iowa, June 24, 1855, a son of Henry C. and Lydia (Baer) Laub, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. He was less than six months old when his parents brought him to Denison, and he has ever since made his home in this city. He received his preliminary education in the public schools and later attended successively the Indianola, Western and Cornell Colleges. After leaving college he worked for his father until twenty-eight years of age and then on August 13, 1881, embarked in the livery business in Denison, with which he has ever since been connected. From the start he pur- sued a straightforward policy and by becoming thoroughly acquainted with the wants of the people and maintaining his establishment at a high standard of efficiency he gained a large and growing patronage. He is now reaping the fruits of many years of close application and is in the enjoyment of a handsome competency.
On the 6th of December, 1883, Mr. Laub was united in marriage to Miss Edna Goodspeed, a native of Burlington, Vermont. Her parents were both natives of England and came to this country, settling in Vermont, where they died when she was quite young. Three children came to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Laub. William Austin, the eldest, is assisting his father in the livery business. Edna Hazel is a teacher of music at Amity Conservatory of Music at College Springs, Page county, Iowa, and has charge of instruction in piano, pipe organ and harmony at that institution, and also teaches several classes in the public schools of College Springs. She is a graduate of the Denison high school, the Conservatory of Music of Simpson College at Indianola, Iowa, hav- ing received a diploma from the latter institution on June 9, 1909. Harold is now a student in the Denison public schools.
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Mrs. Laub is a member of the Methodist church, but her husband is not identified with any religious denomination. Politically he has since he attained his majority supported the republican party and has been an active worker in its behalf. He was elected mayor of the city in March, 1910, and has admin- istered the office to the general satisfaction of voters of all parties. He has always been known as a man of most admirable principles, thoroughly loyal to his friends, a liberal giver to all worthy objects and a patriotic and broad-minded citizen who has assisted in numberless ways in advancing the permanent wel- fare of Denison.
S. C. DUNHAM.
S. C. Dunham, who has devoted his attention to general agricultural pursuits throughout his entire business career, is now one of the substantial and rep- resentative farmers of East Boyer township. His birth occurred in Clinton county, Iowa, on the 26th of May, 1851, his parents being John A. and Celinda H. (Richardson) Dunham. The father, a native of Fulton county, Illinois, was a son of Cornelius Dunham. The other children of that marriage were Louisa, Cornelius and Sophronia. For his second wife Cornelius Dunham, the paternal grandfather of our subject, chose Mrs. Margaret Miller nce Scott, by whom he had five children, namely : Margaret, who is a resident of Dunlap, Iowa; Samuel S. and Flora, who are deceased; and Martha and Z. T., both liv- ing in Dunlap, Iowa. Mrs. Margaret Miller was the widow of Samuel Miller, by whom she had four children, as follows: James, who has passed away ; Elizabeth, who is a resident of Rapid City, South Dakota; and Mary Jane and George, both of whom are deceased.
On leaving his native county John A. Dunham, the father of S. C. Dun- ham, removed to Jackson county, Iowa, where he was married in 1848. Three years later, in 1851, he took up his abode in Clinton county, Iowa, while sub- sequently he went to Blackhawk county locating on the present site of Cedar Falls. In 1854 he came to Crawford county, locating near Dunham's Grove, where he passed away the same year. He was the father of three children, namely: Alice, who is deceased; S. C., of this review; and Mrs. Elsie Brink, who makes her home in Nebraska. In 1856 Mrs. Celinda H. Dunham gave her hand in marriage to Tracy Chapman, by whom she had nine children, as follows: Lois, who has passed away; Mrs. Phoebe Mason, who is a resident of Vail. Iowa ; Mrs. Hulda Martin, living in Omaha, Nebraska; Harlow H., who follows farming in East Boyer township; Delia, who is deceased; Mrs. Salinda
North, who makes her home in Milford township; Rhoda, a resident of Vail, Iowa; Tracy, an agriculturist of East Boyer township; and one who died in infancy. The mother of these children was called to her final rest on the 27th of May, 1897, her demise being the occasion of deep and widespread regret.
S. C. Dunham obtained his education in a log schoolhouse at Dunlap, Iowa, and remained under the parental roof until nineteen years of age. At that time he started out as an agriculturist on his own account and the work of the fields
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has claimed his attention almost continuously since. With the exception of seven years spent in Nebraska and a period of six years in Monona county, Iowa, he has always made his home in Crawford county. At the present time hie operates a tract of one hundred and eighty acres of land in East Boyer township-the site of the old homestead where Cornelius Dunham and Frank- lin Prentiss, the original settlers of this county, located in 1849. Mr. Dun- ham owns a farm of eighty acres in Minnesota and is widely recognized as a prosperous and esteemed citizen. He possesses considerable mechanical skill and has invented, among other things, a hay loader which has proved a very useful device, about twenty-five of them being now utilized in Crawford county.
When twenty-three years of age Mr. Dunham was joined in wedlock to Miss Mary J. Miller, by whom he had ten children, the record of whom is as follows : Kate, the wife of Rolla Christy, of Dunlap, Iowa; John A., who is a resident of Los Angeles, California; Lois, the wife of John Rowe, of Missouri Valley, Iowa; Gussie, the wife of Ed Christy, of Dunlap, Iowa; Edith, the wife of Neal Crampton, of Hayes township, this county ; Bessie, who is deceased; Tracy, living in Oroville, California; Fanny, the wife of Henry Sowder, of Chadron, Nebraska; and Jessie and Jennie, twins.
Mr. Dunham is a republican in politics and has held a number of township offices, ever discharging his public duties in a most prompt and capable man- ner. His interests are thoroughly identified with those of Crawford county and at all times he is ready to lend his aid and cooperation to any movement calculated to benefit this section of the country or advance its wonderful development.
CLAUS BIELENBERG.
Claus Bielenberg, who has lived retired in Schleswig for the past nine years, followed farming throughout his active business career and accumulated eleven hundred and ten acres of valuable land, all of which is in Crawford county with the exception of a quarter section which lies in Ida county. His birth occurred in Holstein, Germany, on the 20th of March, 1840, his parents being Hans and Dora (Rusch) Bielenberg, both of whom are deceased. Their children were nine in number, namely: Amelia, the wife of Fred Jaade, of Germany; Claus, of this review; Margaret, the wife of J. Fredricks, of Brooklyn, New York ; John, Jacob and Peter, all of whom have passed away; Herman, who when last heard from was in California; Henry, whose demise occurred in New York; Rheina, who is living in Germany.
Claus Bielenberg remained in his native land until he had attained his majority and in 1861 crossed the Atlantic to the United States, wishing to test the truth of the many favorable reports which he had heard concerning the op- portunities to be enjoyed in the new world. Making his way to Davenport, Iowa, he first worked as a farm hand for three years and then cultivated rented land for eight years. On the expiration of that period, having accumulated sufficient capital, he purchased a tract of one hundred and sixty acres in Craw-
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ford county. As his financial resources increased, owing to his untiring industry and capable management, he added to his holdings from time to time until they now embrace eleven hundred and ten acres, making him one of the exten- sive landowners of this part of the state. All of his property lies in Craw- ford county with the exception of one hundred and sixty acres in Ida county. In 1902 he put aside the active work of the fields and purchased a home at Schleswig, where he has since enjoyed well earned ease. He has added to and remodeled his residence from time to time until it is now very commodious and beautiful.
On the Ist of March, 1864, Mr. Bielenberg was joined in wedlock to Miss Margaret Stubbe, a daughter of John and Margaret ( Plaht) Stubbe, who had five children, namely: Martin, who is deceased; Mrs. Bielenberg; Sophie, the wife of Claus Warner, of Davenport, lowa; Lena, the wife of Peter Hah- mann, of Schleswig, Iowa; and John, who has also passed away. Mr. and. Mrs. Bielenberg are the parents of eight children, as follows: Henry and Fred, who are farming near Schleswig, Iowa; Rosa, the wife of Fred Fredrickson, also living near Schleswig; Dora, the wife of Fred Rienking, near Schleswig; Martha, the wife of Carl Wellendoph, of Ida county; Adolph and Claudius, living near Schleswig, Iowa; and Julius, who makes his home in Nebraska.
Since becoming a naturalized American citizen Mr. Bielenberg has sup- ported the democracy, believing firmly in the principles of that party. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Lutheran church. The hope that led him to leave his native land and seek a home in America has been more than realized. He found the opportunities he sought and through their wise utilization has won a place among the most prosperous and re- spected citizens of his community.
THOMAS AHART.
That Crawford county offers excellent opportunities for ambitious and energetic young men has often been demonstrated but in no instance more clearly than in the career of Thomas Ahart, who is a highly respected citi- zen of the county and for eight years past a member of the county board of supervisors. He was born near Lake Constance, Germany, December 10, 1863, a son of Joseph and Elizabeth (Wieland) Ahart. The father engaged in agri- cultural pursuits in his native land. He came to America with his family in the spring of 1866, arriving in Chicago without money nor did he possess any means of support except his brave heart and strong arms. The Chicago & North- western Railroad was at that time being built through Jowa and had been com- pleted as far as Boone. Mr. Ahart engaged to work upon the construction of the road and received transportation for himself and family to Boone. He continued in railroad construction until the line was completed to Dunlap and for two years afterward worked as trackman. He then began farming on a tract of land near the present town of Arion and so continued until his retirement
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from active labor in 1906. He and his wife are still hale and hearty and are liv- ing in a comfortable home north of Dow City, near their son John.
Thomas Ahart received his education in the country schools, his studies being confined to the common branches, as his assistance was needed at home and the school period was limited to a few months each winter. In those days the country schoolhouses were small and men teachers were usually hired. Spelling bees were in vogue and the boys and girls apparently enjoyed themselves fully as much as they do today. The old schoolhouse in which Mr. Ahart pur- sued his studies in his boyhood still stands about two and one-half miles south- west of Dow City and is one of the interesting historic landmarks of the neigh- borhood. At eighteen years of age he laid his books aside and, being the eldest child in the family, applied himself diligently to work upon the home farm. At the age of twenty-three he commenced farming on his own account on the southeast quarter of section 25, Union township. This land was given him by his father but was incumbered with a mortgage of seven hundred dollars. The young farmer met with the usual ups and downs of life in the earlier days, but by patience and perseverance he paid off the incumbrance and purchased two hundred acres, making a total of three hundred and sixty acres in one tract which he now owns, the last land which he bought costing ninety dollars per acre. He acquired eighty acres south of Dow City and later sold this land for thirty-four dollars per acre. He engages in general farming but has devoted a great deal of attention to stock raising and feeding. His place is well equipped and is provided with a beautiful residence, a large barn and other necessary out- buildings. He makes use of the best modern machinery and on account of his perseverance and good judgment has met with an abundant measure of suc- cess. 'Although he has engaged extensively in business for many years he has never been involved in a lawsuit.
Mr. Ahart ever since arriving at manhood has given his support to the democratic party and has been actively identified with political affairs, filling a number of offices of trust and responsibility. He was trustee of Union town- ship for four years and served as school director for many years, having for the last four years been president of the school board of Union township. In the fall of 1902 he was elected a member of the county board of supervisors, taking office January 1, 1903. He has since been continuously on the board and was chairman during 1910, his present term of office extending to January, 1912. During his incumbency the beautiful new courthouse was built at Denison and preparations are now being made to build a county home one mile east of Arion. The cost of the courthouse was one hundred and fifteen thousand dollars, and the estimated cost of the county home with outbuildings is twenty-five thousand dollars. A drainage ditch is also under construction to straighten the course of the Boyer river for eleven miles, beginning a mile east of Arion and emptying into a similar ditch at Dunlap. As a public-spirited citizen Mr. Ahart takes a lively interest in everything pertaining to the upbuilding of the county and is a stockholder in the Crawford Fair Association and the Denison Hospital.
On the 20th of December, 1886, Mr. Ahart was united in marriage at Deni- son to Miss Anna Honz, who was born in Baden, Germany, July 7, 1863, and came to America in the spring of 1886. Nine children have blessed this union,
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seven of whom are now living namely: George William, Mary Regina, Joseph Leo, Linford, Dorothy, Jolin Theodore and Bernard Raymond. A daughter, Kate, died at the age of two years and seven months, and a son died in infancy. George William is now twenty-three years of age and continues at home. Mr. and Mrs. Ahart are giving their children every desirable advantage of educa- tion, one son, Leo, now attending the high school in Dow City.
Mr. Ahart and his family are identified with the Roman Catholic church and are members of the parish at Buck Grove. He is not connected with any secret or fraternal order. He is a man of wide observation and has a mind well stored with many interesting reminiscences. He remembers as an incident of his early life that when he was two and one-half years of age his father wheeled him and all their worldly goods in a wheelbarrow from Boone to Jefferson, a distance of twenty-five miles .. The trip was accomplished in one day, after the father had traveled the same distance on that day to secure the wheelbarrow. Mr. Ahart has lived to see a great transformation in Crawford county and has assisted very materially in the upbuilding of the county. He is recognized as a man of highest honor and unimpeachable integrity whose sound business judg- ment has been of inestimable value to Crawford county. It is doubtful whether any man in this section of the state stands higher in the confidence of the people than the gentleman whose name introduces this review.
JOHN ECK.
Since the age of twenty-six years John Eck has applied himself to agricul- ture in Crawford county and his efforts have not been in vain as he is well es- tablished in his business, and a farm of one hundred and sixty acres pays tribute to his industry. He is a native of Germany, born January 10, 1856, and is a son of John and Lena ( Moeller) Eck, both of whom were born in Ger- many. The father died in 1869, when the subject of this review was thirteen years of age, and the mother was called away in 1881. In their family were seven children: Katrina, deceased ; Matilda, now living in Germany ; Lena, also in Germany; Wilhelmina, deceased; John, of this review; Theodore, who lives in Nebraska ; and Wiebke, living in Germany.
John Eck gained his education in the public schools of the old country and remained at home until twenty-six years of age. Having decided, however, that the new world offered superior advantages, he crossed the ocean to the United States and came to Crawford county, working by the month for three years as an introduction to his experience as a farmer in Iowa. Having thus obtained a practical knowledge of the work for which he showed an adaptability. he rented land for three years and at the end of that time he purchased eighty acres in Charter Oak township. He cultivated his farm for seven years, and, having decided to locate in another part of the township, he sold his land and bought one hundred and sixty acres on section 30 and 31, where he still lives. He raises the various grains best adapted to the climate and soil, and his live- stock interests contribute liberally to his income.
MR. AND MRS. JOHN ECK
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In 1885 Mr. Eck was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Hargens, who was born in Germany, November 5, 1866. She emigrated to America as a child with her mother, the father having died leaving four children: Gertrude and John, both of South Dakota; Minnie, now Mrs. John Eck; and Celia, deceased. Five children came to brighten the home of Mr. and Mrs. Eck: John, who was born January 31, 1886, and is still living at home; Lena, who was born April 1, 1889, the wife of Herman Schneekloth, now conducting the home farm for Mr. Eck; Ferdinand, born March 28, 1891 ; William, who died in infancy; and Henry, who died at the age of three months. The mother of these children died in 1895, at the age of twenty-nine years. She was a woman of many at- tractive qualities, an invaluable assistant to her husband and to her children a true and loving parent.
Mr. Eck and his family are members of the German Lutheran church and take a deep personal interest in its welfare. Ever since becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States he has supported the democratic party, believing that its principles are more conducive to good government than those of any other party. He has been prominent in local affairs and for four years past has served as township trustee and for eight years as a member of the school board. He is a true friend of education and is active, wide-awake and efficient in all his undertakings, fully deserving the respect in which he is held by those who know him.
RUFUS L. HILL.
Living retired after many years of active participation in business affairs, Rufus L. Hill, of Denison, is one of the truly successful men of Crawford county. He is a native of Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, born March 31, 1841, a son of Thomas G. and Marilla (Bliss) Hill, both of whom were also born in the Keystone state. The mother was a cousin of the noted singer, P. P. Bliss, who was killed in a wreck in Ohio several years ago. The father, who was for many years a lumberman, came west in 1851 and located near Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he engaged in farming. In 1878 he took up a homestead near Alma, Nebraska, continuing there until 1889, when he and his wife went to Holdrege, Nebraska, to live with the subject of this review. In 1902 they came to Denison and continued here until their deaths in the spring of 1908. The father was then ninety-one and the mother eighty-eight years of age. They traveled life's journey together from 1839, a period of sixty-nine years, and pre- sented a beautiful example of fidelity and harmony in their domestic relations. They were devout Methodists and died in the triumph of a living faith in God and immortality.
The paternal grandfather of our subject was Thomas Hill, a native of Ver- mont. He was a soldier of the war of 1812 and served with his regiment at Sacketts Harbor, New York. Later he engaged in farming near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and died there at an advanced age. His wife, Mrs. Permelia Hill, was a native of Massachusetts. In their family were: Charles C .; Thomas G .; Vol. II-6
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Frederick, who died from the effect of wounds received in the Civil war ; Horace, who was also a soldier in the Civil war and died in Andersonville prison ; Eliphalet P., who was a passenger conductor on the Pennsylvania Railroad for more than forty years; and Alexander, who is now engaged in the dry-goods business at Homer City, Pennsylvania. Jeremiah Bliss, the grandfather on the maternal side, was born in Massachusetts and was a farmer and carpenter. He married Mary Lucore, and they had eight children, Marilla L., James, Sylvia, Mary, Isaac, Jeremiah, Anna and John.
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