USA > Iowa > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 30
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and industrious and by means of careful management and economy had acquired an estate of two hundred and eighty acres at the time of Mr. Schmadeke's death, all of which was well improved and under a high state of cultivation. They were the parents of the following children : Mary, who died at the age of two years; J. H., our subject; Annie, the wife of Edward Hachmeister, of Du Page, Illinois ; Henry and William, who are twins, the former residing in Craw- ford county and the latter in Jackson county, this state; and the sixth who died in infancy. The father passed away in March, 1893, and the mother in August of the following year.
J. H. Schmadeke obtained his preliminary education in the common schools and after completing the course there he attended a commercial school. He remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-five years of age and then engaged in farming on his own account on two hundred and forty acres which he had bought and which forms part of his present homestead. He is a man of more than average capabilities and has made a gratifying success of his various enterprises, which has enabled him to add to his original tract at differ- ent times until at the present he owns five hundred and sixty acres in Hanover township. It is well improved and under a high state of cultivation, although when he bought the land it was unbroken prairie, and is today regarded as one of the valuable farming properties of the county. He has always engaged in general farming and stock-raising, making a specialty of thoroughbred short- horn cattle and Belgium horses, and he has also been an extensive feeder of cattle for the market. In addition to his large home farm, Mr. Schmadeke owns three hundred and twenty acres of improved land in Boyd county, Nebraska, a section in Dakota, and one hundred and sixty acres near Havre, Montana.
Mr. Schmadeke was united in marriage on the 13th of March, 1885, to Miss Ida Kukkuck, who was born in Jackson county, Iowa, on the 28th of June, 1867. By this union were born seven children: Annie, who was born on the 20th of January, 1886, and is now the wife of Ever Nielsen, of Montana ; Dora, born on the 13th of September, 1887, the wife of Andrew Lorenzen, of Olive, California ; Freda, born on the 19th of December, 1890, still at home ; Frederick, born on the 26th of January, 1893, attending college at Denison; Ida, born on the 9th of April, 1895, at home; Laura, born on the 8th of May, 1898; and August, born on the IIth of October, 1900. The wife and mother passed away on the Ist of February, 1901, and on the 8th of June, 1904, Mr. Schmadeke married Miss Wilhelmina Lange, who was born in Clinton county, Iowa, on the 8th of October, 1866. She is a daughter of Gahart and Marie (Voss) Lange, who were born in Germany but emigrated to the United States and settled on a farm in Clinton county, Iowa, which they operated until 1906, when they retired and are now living with a daughter near the old homestead. The father is seventy-seven years of age and the mother seventy-five. They are the parents of the following children: Henry, deceased; Jolin, a resident of Sac county, Iowa; Mary, the wife of Louis Schmidt, of Crawford county; Wilhel- mina, the wife of J. W. Schmadeke; William, living in Sac county ; Annie, who married John Moore, of Clinton county; and Otto, also of Clinton county. Three children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Schmadeke: Edna, whose
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birth occurred on the IIth of August, 1905; Leona, who was born on the 21st of March, 1907; and Arma, born on the 18th of February, 1910.
The family attend the German Lutheran church, of which the parents are members. Ever since attaining his majority Mr. Schmadeke has given his po- litical support to the democratic party. He takes an active interest in all local issues and for twenty-four years has served as a trustee of his township, which fact most conclusively proves that he has capably discharged the duties of the office. He is one of the highly respected men of Hanover township and during his long residence has won the friendship of many citizens whose regard he continues to retain.
A. H. COOK.
A. H. Cook was a lad of but twelve years when he first crossed the threshold of the business world, and since that time he has been dependent upon his own resources, the success which has come to him being the direct result of his own unaided efforts. One of Iowa's native sons, he was born in Jackson county, near Green Island, May 5, 1872, a son of Henry and Mary Cook, both natives of Germany. In the fatherland the parents resided until 1872 when, crossing the Atlantic to America, they made their way direct to Iowa and located first in Jack- son county. They resided in various parts of that county for about eight years and in 1880 the family started for Crawford county, the father, accompanied by one so11, coming with the stock. He was last heard of in Cedar Rapids, where he was seen talking with three men, and it is supposed that he met with foul play. In the meantime the mother with the rest of the family, traveling by rail, had arrived in Crawford county, and she established her home in Hanover township, where she remained for a time, later removing to Paradise township and subsequently to Charter Oak, where her last days were spent. She passed away in 1902. She was the second wife of Henry Cook, and by her marriage became the mother of four children: A. H., of this review; Mary, deceased; Anna, who has also passed away; and Louisa, the wife of John Thielman, of Charter Oak, Iowa. By the former marriage of Mr. Cook there were three sons : Fred, of Wyoming, Iowa; Henry, of Mapleton, Iowa; and William, like- wise of Wyoming.
A. H. Cook spent the first eight years of his life in Jackson county, after which he came with his mother to Crawford county and was a pupil in the public schools near his home until twelve years of age. It then became necessary for him to seek employment, whereby he might earn his own livelihood, and thus early in life he put aside his text-books and entered the business world as a farm hand, being engaged in this capacity until twenty-one years of age. Upon at- taining his majority he took up farming on his own account in Paradise town- ship and has since been a resident of that township with the exception of three years spent in Denison township. He is now the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of rich farm land, upon which he has placed many modern improve- ments, and the well kept appearance of the property denotes a life characterized
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by thrift, industry and perseverance. Progress has also been a forceful element in his career and has been a potent factor in the acquirement of a goodly pros- perity which has come to him with the passing years.
On the 8th of November, 1893, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Cook and Miss Ellen A. Green, a daughter of Ezra and Emily (Clarke) Green, who came to Crawford county from Wisconsin about 1870 or 1871. The father passed away in this county on the 20th of August, 1880, but the mother still survives and makes her home at Rolfe, Iowa. They were the parents of ten children, as follows: Frank, of Dow City, Iowa; Fred, deceased; Elsworth, residing near Plover, Iowa; Ellen A., who became the wife of our subject; Charles, of Rolfe, Iowa; Bessie, Arthur and Jessie, all now deceased; Earl, a resident of Rock- well City, Iowa; and Raymond, also living in Rolfe. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Cook have been born one son, Oliver Arthur, who was born July 19, 1899, and is now attending school.
Before her marriage Mrs. Cook was an educator of much ability and taught school for twenty-five terms in Crawford county. She and her husband are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Cook is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America at Dow City. Interested as all American citizens should be in the political situation of the country, he has thoroughly in- formed himself concerning the questions and issues of the day and gives stalwart support to the republican party. He was school director and is a strong advo- cate of progress along educational lines as well as in other phases of community life. He early learned the lesson that success must be purchased at the price of earnest, well defined labor, and with the passing of the years perseverance, diligence and integrity have constituted the guiding posts of his career, bring- ing him to the honorable position which he now occupies in the opinion of his fellow citizens, among whom he has long lived and labored.
PETER ATZEN.
Peter Atzen, who now lives retired in a beautiful home in Denison, is one of the self-made men of Crawford county. Thrown upon his own resources in his boyhood, he bravely met every obstacle and as the years passed became one of the successful farmers of this county. He was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Ger- many, December 14, 1857, a son of Broder and Josina (Jessen) Atzen, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father was a laboring man, and, seeking to improve his condition, he came to America in 1875 and began his career in the new world at Clinton, Iowa, removing nine months later to a farm in Olive township. Crawford county, where he died in 1897, at the age of sixty-nine years. He was a soldier of the German army from 1847 to 1852, participating in the war of 1848. His wife lived to be eighty-one years of age, passing away in 1908.
The paternal grandfather of our subject, Christian Atzen, was a farmer of Germany and his wife was Christina Jessen. They were the parents of three children, Broder, Christina and Martha. The maternal grandfather died when
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young and his history is lost, the mother of our subject being the only child in his family. She was a remarkable woman. At nineteen years of age she lost one of her limbs and for sixty-two years thereafter could move about only with the aid of a wooden leg and yet she reared her children and performed her house- hold duties with a spirit of cheerfulness seldom witnessed even in those not called upon to suffer from bodily affliction. Her father died when she was an infant and her mother married Henry Clausen, four daughters being born of this union, namely, Hannah, Christina, Frederica and Sophia.
The following children were born to Broder and Josina Atzen: Minnie, who became the wife of Erich Matsen, of Chicago, and is now deceased; Henry, of Maquoketa, Iowa ; Peter, the subject of this review ; Josina, now Mrs. Fred Walk, of Chicago; Carl, now a practicing physician of Omaha ; and John, deceased.
Peter Atzen was educated in his native land and nine days after his con- firmation started for America, arriving in New York on the 26th of April, 1873. He grew to manhood on a farm in Clinton county, Iowa, working for himself from the time he arrived in this country. After renting land for three years in Clinton county he moved to Ida county and continued renting for two years, at the end of which time he came to Crawford county and purchased two hundred and forty acres in Hanover township, which he broke, cleared and improved. He continued upon his farm until March, 1908, when he removed to Denison, where he now resides. He still owns the home place which is one of the most valuable farms in the township and also a half section in Jackson county, Min- nesota. His land in this county originally cost him twelve dollars and a half per acre but it is now worth at least one hundred and fifty dollars an acre.
On the Ist of January, 1883, Mr. Atzen was united in marriage to Miss Justina Christiansen, who was born in Risum, North Schleswig, Germany, April I, 1865, a daughter of M. F. and Hannah (Petersen) Christiansen. The fam- ily came to America in 1872 and for five years Mr. Christiansen was a teamster at Clinton, Iowa. In 1877 he removed to a farm in Scott county but seven years later came to Crawford county and acquired a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Hanover township. Subsequently he sold his farm and took up his residence in Denison, where he now lives in retirement. He is seventy-seven years of age and his wife is three years his junior. In their family were eight children, six of whom are now living: Anna Christina, the wife of Gust Rus- ing ; Justina, now Mrs. Peter Atzen; Sibbern; Julius; Amelia, the wife of Henry Kolls: and Hannah, now Mrs. John Jacobson. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Atzen was Sibbern Christiansen, a wagonmaker of Germany. He was twice married and by his second wife had two children, Christian and Anna. Hans Petersen, the grandfather on the maternal side, was the head of a family of five children, Hannah, Bertha, Lena, Niss and Christ.
Ten children came to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Atzen: George, of Washington township, who married Emma Foss and has one son, Raymond; Fred, now living on the home place, who married Bertha Foss and has one daughter, Lilian; Carl; Minnie, who married Meinhard Thompson, of Good- rich township, and is the mother of one son, Henry; Henry, who died at the age of four years; Hannah, Josina, Hilda, Walter and Bernhard, all of whom are at home.
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As head of a large and promising family Mr. Atzen has set an example of industry and perseverance which cannot fail to influence the lives of his chil- dren long after he has departed this life. He and his excellent wife are mem- bers of the German Lutheran church and politically he is affiliated with the democratic party. A man of strong individuality and great determination, he has attained a goodly measure of success in business affairs. By nature genial and social, he has readily made friends and few men of his age can claim a greater number of sincere admirers in Crawford county.
CHARLES MILLER.
The man who starts out in life with a definite purpose in mind toward the realization of which he directs his concentrated energies invariably attains his ambition ultimately. As a youth Charles Miller aspired to become a successful agriculturist, and the realization of his desire is evidenced by the beautiful farm of three hundred and twenty acres which he cultivates in Iowa township.
Mr. Miller is the eldest son of Christopher and Madeline (Hager) Miller, natives of Hamburg, Germany, from which country they emigrated to the United States in 1852, landing in New York on the 29th of April. Three days later the son Charles was born, his natal day being the 2d of May. The parents continued to live in New York city for three years and then removed to Davenport, of which city they were residents for five years. At the expiration of that period they migrated to Muscatine, where they remained until 1865 and then went to Tipton. After living there for two years they removed to Mechanicsville, Cedar county, Iowa, where they spent the remainder of their days, being laid to rest in the cemetery of that town. The father, who was a shoemaker, was actively engaged in his trade up to four days before his death, which occurred in 1903. The mother's demise occurred in 1899. They were the parents of five children, those beside our subject being: Betty, the wife of E. W. Stoddard, of Cedar Rapids; Lizzie, who married John Sutton, of Manilla; John, who is a resident of Mechanicsville; and Frank, the youngest member of the family.
The first nineteen years of the life of Charles Miller were spent under the parental roof, very largely occupied in acquiring an education, in the pursuit of which he attended the German and public schools. In 1871 he left home to begin his business career, and, coming to Crawford county, he worked by the month as a farm hand for three years, following which he engaged in breaking prairie and threshing. He broke between twelve and fifteen hundred acres of prairie during the early years of his residence in this county, which was then very sparsely settled. In 1878 he first located upon his present farm, but later spent three years elsewhere, returning in 1886. All the improvements upon the prop- erty have been made by him.
For his wife and helpmate Mr. Miller chose Miss Minnie O. Thompson, who passed away on the 14th of November, 1908, and was laid to rest in the cemetery at Manilla. Seven children were born unto them: C. F. and W. A., both residents of Isabel, South Dakota; and John M., Eli Alfred, Hugh Ed- ward, Guy Elijah and Clarence Chester, all of whom are at home.
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The family attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal church of which Mrs. Miller was a member. When he first attained his majority Mr. Miller gave his political support to the candidates of the democratic party, but being a gold standard man he transferred his allegiance to the republican party when Bryan first ran for president. Although he takes an interest in local affairs he has never been an office seeker, as his personal interests have always demanded his entire attention. No man in Iowa township is any more entitled to be termed self-made than is Charles Miller, whose measure of success is attributable to his own perseverance and thrift and is generally so recognized by those who know him.
JOHN A. DORFLER.
As a stock raiser and feeder John A. Dorfler, of Soldier township, ranks high in the estimation of his neighbors and acquaintances, having made a suc- cess of his business and acquired an established reputation for straightforward dealing. He was born in Muscatine county, Iowa, May 24, 1870, a son of John and Augusta (Stegemann) Dorfler. The parents were both born in Germany and a record of their lives appears elsewhere in this work.
Mr. Dorfler of this review was reared as a farm boy and attended the dis- trict schools, devoting his attention closely as the years passed to farming and stock-raising. He continued at home with his father until twenty-five years of age and then began farming on his own account on land belonging to his father, which he cultivated for sixteen years. Upon the division of the estate he re- ceived one hundred and sixty acres of highly improved land on section 13, Sol- dier township. He has given special attention to stock-feeding and although he is an extensive grain raiser, he buys grain from other farmers, as he feeds to his stock more than he can raise himself. He is an excellent judge of farm animals and handles none but good grades.
On the 2d of June, 1895, Mr. Dorfler was united in marriage to Miss Edith B. Meyer, who was born at Denison, Iowa, July 21, 1876, a daughter of August and Henrietta (Harder) Meyer, who were born, reared and married in Ger- many. They emigrated to America in 1864 and took up their residence at Pon- tiac, Illinois, where the father followed the tailor's trade, which he had learned in his native country. After a short time he began farming in that state, but in 1874 came to Iowa and bought land in Crawford county. However, he lived in Denison and conducted a hotel for seven years before he located on his farm. In 1900 he retired and has since made his home at Lake View, Iowa. He was very successful in business and became the owner of eight hundred acres of good land in Jackson township. He is now seventy-six years of age, while his wife is one year his junior. There were fourteen children in their family, five of whom are now living, namely: Minnie, the wife of William Heller, of Lake View; Arthur, of Guthrie Center, Iowa; Frantz, of Auburn, Iowa; Edith B., now Mrs. John A. Dorfler; and William, of Crawford county. Three children came to brighten the home of Mr. and Mrs. Dorfler, one of whom died in in-
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fancy, the others being Frank W., who was born February 11, 1897, and John A., born March 18, 1909.
Politically Mr. Dorfler supports the democratic party. He has not desired nor sought public office but has served as a member of the school board for two years. Fraternally he is connected with the Masonic lodge at Charter Oak and also with the lodge of the Modern Woodmen of America. Energetic and self- reliant, he has in his business shown an ability that is highly creditable. By the concentration of his energies he has achieved gratifying financial returns and his reputation for honesty has never been questioned.
HENRY W. MAYNARD.
Henry W. Maynard was one of the most extensive and successful agricul- turists of Crawford county, where he owned five hundred and sixty acres of land. He was born in Kane county, Illinois, May 29, 1850, a son of Abraham and Ann (Terwilliger) Maynard, both of whom were natives of New York state and who in 1845 removed to Illinois, where they located on a farm. To this couple eight children were born, of whom the following are still living: George, who resides in Lake View, Iowa; Edwin and Charles, both of whom live in Illi- nois ; and Etta, who is the wife of S. M. Dow and lives in Illinois. The de- ceased members of the family are: Henry, of this review; James, who died in Lake View in 1910; Mary, whose death occurred at the age of twelve years ; and Philip, who died in infancy.
Henry W. Maynard secured his early education in the public schools of Kane county and on attaining his majority worked as a farm hand until 1876, when he purchased forty acres of land and began farming on his own account. He sold this property in 1880 and purchased eighty acres on sections 8 and 9, Jackson township, and to this land he continued to add as his financial circum- stances would permit until his holdings aggregated five hundred and sixty acres of the finest cultivated land in Crawford county and upon which he made all modern improvements in the way of fences and outbuildings. Here he fol- lowed general farming in all its branches but made a specialty of feeding and shipping live stock, in which he met with more than usual success.
In 1876 Mr. Maynard was married to Miss Julia Lane, a daughter of WV. M. and Julia ( Adams) Lane, the former of whom was a native of Syracuse, New York. In their family were two children, the other one being Leroy C., who resides in Troy, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Maynard became the parents of seven children, namely: Ruby, who is the wife of John Richardson, of Omaha, Nebraska; Lily, who married Anthony Slechta, of Fowler, Kansas ; George and William, who live in Crawford county: James, who resides in Kan- sas; Harrison and Henry, at home.
In politics Mr. Maynard was interested in the welfare of the republican party, which always had his support, and he was active in all public movements that tended toward the betterment of his community, and he served as township supervisor. Fraternally he affiliated with the Masons and his wife is a mem-
HENRY MAYNARD
MRS. HENRY MAYNARD
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ber of the Order of the Eastern Star. A few weeks before his death, which occurred April 19, 1911, he went to Sioux City and took the fourteenth degree in Masonry. His remains were interred in Vail cemetery. In his religious views he followed the tenets of the Methodist Episcopal church. His worth as a man and citizen is demonstrated by the high regard in which he was uniformly held, while his ability as a business man is attested to in the acquirement of the val- uable property which he owned and in the conduct of which made him one of the substantial citizens of Crawford county.
PROFESSOR WALTER CROSBY VAN NESS.
Among the practical educators of the west Walter Crosby Van Ness, princi- pal of the Denison Normal & Business College, occupies an honored place. Ever since leaving the university, nearly thirty years ago, he has devoted his time and energies to teaching and the success he has attained is evidence that he made no mistake in the selection of a calling. He was born in Perry, Lake county, Ohio, October 7, 1854, a son of James and Laura Ann (Cook) Van Ness, both of whom were born in New York. The father was a tanner and currier by trade and be- came a successful farmer. He died in Lake county, Ohio, in 1909 at the age of seventy-five years, but the beloved wife and mother is still living. She is a faith- ful member of the Methodist church, as was her husband. Our subject's paternal grandfather, Caleb Van Ness, was a native of New York state and also was a tanner and currier. He was a local Methodist preacher and made a record for marrying people. Politically he was a zealous supporter of the republican party. He had a large family, most of his children dying in early manhood or woman- hood and only one is now living, Henry Van Ness, of Perry, Lake county, Ohio. Joseph Cook, the maternal grandfather, was born April 1, 1800, and died Sep- tember 13, 1844. He married Nancy Richmond, and there were twelve children in their family, namely : Joseph W., Nancy J., Jehial P., Laura Ann, Colonel B., Susan Maria, James B. I, James B. II, Cynthia R., Benjamin A., Martha Amelia and Emma A. To James and Laura Ann (Cook) Van Ness three children were born: Walter Crosby, the subject of this review; Eugenia, who died when a small child; and Emogene, now the wife of D. J. Webb of Perry, Ohio.
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