USA > Iowa > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 42
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As a member of a large family John Schumann early learned the great les- son of self-denial and also the necessity of labor in the accomplishment of any worthy object. He received his preliminary education in the common schools, and as he grewv to maturity gained a thorough knowledge of agriculture and stock-raising. At twenty-one years of age he began renting land on his own account and so continued until 1909, when he purchased two hundred and ten acres in Hayes township, which under his careful management yields goodly returns.
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In 1890 Mr. Schumann was married to Miss Amelia Ewoldt, and six chil- dren came to bless this union : Elsie, Laura, Lewis, Elizabeth, Leroy and Edwin, all of whom are at home. In politics Mr. Schumann gives his allegiance to the democratic party and believes that in so doing he is advancing the welfare of the state and nation. He is an advocate of the principles of fraternity and is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of Pythias lodges, both of West Side. He and his wife are earnest members of the Ger- man Lutheran church and by their example of industry and self-reliance have won the high regard of their neighbors and acquaintances.
FRANCIS McSORLEY.
County Tyrone, Ireland, was the birthplace of Francis McSorley, who has been a resident of Nishnabotny township for more than twenty years. He was born in 1858 and is a son of the late Michael and Alice (Donnelly ) McSorley, who emigrated from the Emerald isle in 1878, locating upon the place where Francis McSorley now resides. This section of the country was very sparsely settled at that period and there was but one residence between their house and Denison. They continued to live there and on the opposite side of the road until 1889, at which time Mr. McSorley passed away. He was long survived by his wife, whose demise occurred in 1906. Ten children were born unto them: Catherine, who is the wife of William Smith, of Nishnabotny town- ship: John, Mary and Peter, all three deceased; Lizzie, who became the wife of James Lauren, of Nishnabotny township; Francis, our subject; Alice, the wife of Henry Slater, of Nishnabotny township; Ellen, who married Albert Carson, of Nishnabotny township; Thomas, deceased; and Jennie, the wife of Patrick Hook, of South Dakota.
Francis McSorley acquired his education in the common schools of Ireland, in which country he continued to reside until he was twenty-one years of age. He remained in his native land about six months after his parents sailed from Belfast to New York, in order to dispose of their personal effects. After hav- ing settled up all of their business he took passage for America, stopping while en route from New York to Denison at Amboy, Illinois, where he visited for two weeks and then joined his parents in Crawford county. He remained a member of the paternal household, assisting his father in the cultivation of the farm until the latter's demise, subsequent to which event he located upon his present homestead. His holdings here aggregate two hundred and forty acres, all of which is well improved and under a high state of cultivation. Mr. McSorley engages in general farming but makes a specialty of raising pedigreed Durham cattle and registered Poland China hogs and he also breeds fine Clydesdale horses. He is meeting with success in all of his ventures, having added eighty acres to his holdings since first locating here, while the two-room house which was on the place has given way to a pleasant, modern country residence.
In 1898 Mr. McSorley was united in marriage to Miss Bridget Hassett, a daughter of Jerry and Bridget (Donovan) Hassett, natives of Ireland. Mr.
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Hassett came to the United States in 1865, having sailed from Queenstown to New York, in which city he remained for a time, and then went to Newport, where he resided for two years, during which time he was married. From Newport he removed to Iowa, first locating in Davenport, which city he left at the end of a year to become a citizen of Denison. Here he worked upon the railroad section for five years, during which period he acquired the means that enabled him to buy eighty acres of land in East Boyer township. After culti- vating this for twenty years he bought a tract of four hundred acres in the same township, where he remained until he and Mrs. Hassett retired to Deni- son one year ago. He now owns a quarter section of land which he rents. Eleven children were born unto Mr. and Mrs. Hassett: Mary, the wife of Michael McMahon, a resident of Denison ; Cornelius, living in East Boyer town- ship; Bridget, the wife of Francis McSorley; Thomas, of East Boyer town- ship; Patrick, of Denison; Margaret, the wife of P. M. Lane, living in the vicinity of Vail; John, who is at home; Ellen, who married Joseph Boman, of Buck Grove, Iowa; Hannah, the wife of Frank Comstock, of East Boyer town- ship; Catherine, formerly a school teacher and now a stenographer in Denison ; and Lizzie, the wife of Clarence O'Mara, of Washington township. Mrs. Mc- Sorley acquired her education in the district schools of East Boyer township remaining at home until she was married. Six children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. McSorley: Francis, who is eleven years of age; Leo, who is seven ; Clara, five years of age; John, who is now two; Thomas, who passed away at the age of nine months; and the sixth who died in infancy.
The family attend the Roman Catholic church, of which the parents are communicants, while his political allegiance Mr. McSorley accords the demo- cratic party. He never prominently participates in civic affairs, preferring to devote his entire time and attention to the supervision of his personal interests, in the development of which he is meeting with very satisfactory returns.
CHARLES A. DOLK.
Charles A. Dolk, who is a native of Crawford county, having been born three miles south of Kiron, on the 26th of August, 1873, is a son of Andrew and Hulda (Frodig) Dolk. The parents emigrated to the United States from Scandinavia and located on a farm in Sac county, Iowa, but they later removed to Crawford county. Four children were born to them, but only two are now living : Charles A., who is the oldest; and Seth A., the youngest member of the family, who now lives in North Dakota. The daughter, Lilly, and the third child, an infant, have both passed away.
Charles A. Dolk acquired his education in the common schools of this county and when he had attained his majority he began working for himself. He first obtained employment as a farm hand and after being identified with that occupation for eight years he located in Kiron, where he works as a ma- chinist and plumber, in both of which lines he is meeting with a fair degree of success.
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On the 2d of March, 1896, Mr. Dolk was united in marriage to Miss Ma- tilda L. Johnson, a daughter of Erick and Anna (Palm) Johnson. She is one of a family of four children, who are as follows: John A., who lives in Kiron; Charles E., who is a resident of the same place; Matilda L .; and M. A. John- son, living in Kiron. One child has been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Dolk, Sidney Raymond, who is now eight years of age.
They attend the Baptist church; and ever since attaining his majority Mr. Dolk has supported the candidates and measures of the republican party. He takes an active interest in all political questions and has served in a number of the minor township offices, the duties of which he faithfully discharged.
C. S. JOHNSON.
A striking illustration of the opportunities which may be utilized in America by a young man coming from a foreign land is presented in the life of C. S. Johnson, now a prosperous business man of Boyer. He was born in Sweden, May 19, 1873. a son of John A. and Anna Johnson, both natives of Sweden. The father died in the old country but the mother is still living there.
C. S. Johnson of this review was the only child of his parents. He grew to manhood under the favorable conditions of a quiet home and received his pre- liminary education in his native land. As he approached manhood he felt an irresistible desire to see the world and decided that he would seek a permanent home in America. Accordingly, in 1892, being then nineteen years of age, he crossed the ocean and went west to Nebraska, where he spent five years. In 1897 he arrived in Crawford county, Iowa, where he worked upon a farm for one year and then for five years followed the carpenter's trade. He began in the furniture business at Kiron but after several years sold out and entered the general mercantile business at Boyer, in which he has since continued with an ability which has produced very satisfactory returns. He has for seven years past been postmaster at Boyer, and he is also in partnership with Gust Sanders in business at Kiron. That he is attaining a goodly measure of success is evidenced by the fact that he owns a substantial store building in Boyer and also a store building in Kiron.
On the 25th of November, 1903, Mr. Johnson was united in marriage to Miss Effie S. Erickson, a native of Crawford county and a daughter of John A. and Martha Erickson, both of whom were born in Sweden. The parents came to this country and are now making their home at Kiron. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are the parents of two children : Eveline F., who was born June 14, 1905; and Carlyle A., who was born August 27, 1910, and died September 30 following.
Mrs. Johnson is a lady of fine intellectual attainments and she taught school very successfully before her marriage. She and her husband are active workers in the Baptist church and take great interest not only in its prosperity but in the advancement of all worthy objects. Politically Mr. Johnson adheres to the republican party, believing that its principles are most conducive to the pros-
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perity of the state and nation. He was endowed by worthy parentage with the desire to win an honorable name in the world, and he is known as a man of strict integrity who possesses in the highest degree the respect and confidence of those with whom he associates.
B. H. FODERBERG.
B. H. Foderberg is numbered among the successful and well-to-do farmers of Denison township and also has the honor of being a veteran of the Spanish- American war, in which he served with distinguished credit. He was born in Davenport, Iowa, August 5, 1872, his parents being G. E. and C. C. (Kuehner) Foderberg. His father was of German extraction and was, presumably, born in Davenport, where he grew to manhood and there married Miss Kuehner in 1870. He followed the trade of a carriage painter and decorator in both Daven- port and Boone until after his marriage, when he came to Denison and engaged in the liquor business for a short time, later returning to his trade. In 1878 he went to California, where his death occurred in 1882. His wife was born in Germany, coming to the United States with her parents when she was three years old. They located in Davenport, where they both died within a year. Mrs. Foderberg spent her childhood in Davenport and after her marriage moved with her husband to Denison, coming into possession of land on section 25, Denison township, where she has since continued to reside. She is the mother of four children, namely: B. H., the subject of this sketch; Minnie A., who is the wife of Henry Krauel and lives near Denison; George E., who is farming in Denison township; and Hattie, who is the wife of F. W. Shreader and re- sides in Washington township.
B. H. Foderberg has had the advantages of a liberal education, attending the rural schools in his youth from which he was graduated to the college in Denison, remaining at that institution for two years, then spending one year at Cornell college, Mount Vernon, Iowa, and finally finishing his course of study at the Iowa State University, where for a year and a half he made a specialty of pharmacy.
Returning home he remained there until the outbreak of the Spanish-Ameri- can war in 1898 and on May 12th of that year enlisted in Company K, Fifty- First Iowa Volunteers at Des Moines. He left there June 5 for San Francisco, arriving in the latter city June 10. He remained in camp at the Presidio until November and then embarked for the Philippines on the United States trans- port Pennsylvania, arriving at Honolulu, November 12. Here his company re- mained three days and then departed for Manila, reaching there December 2 but staying on board the boat until December 26, when they sailed for Iloilo. Here they were delayed until January 29, 1909, and then returned to Manila Bay. arriving there January 31. They laid off Cavite until February 3, on which date, at II P. M., the active hostilities began. In the days of fighting that fol- lowed Mr. Foderberg always showed that valor and courage that is born in the heart of every American citizen and his loyalty was in part acknowledged by his
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country by his promotion to the rank of corporal. Among the fiercely contested battles in which he participated are the following: Occupation of San Roque, February 9; Guadalupe Church, March 5; Qungua, April 23; East and West Pulilian, April 24; Columpit, April 25; Santo Tomas, May 4; San Fernande, May 5-25-26-31, June 16-22, July 4; Calulut, August 9; Angeles, August 9 and 17. On September 16, 1899, the regiment was ordered back to Manila prepara- tory to leaving for the United States and sailed on the Transport Senator, Sep- tember 22. 1899, arriving at San Francisco October 22, having touched at Yoko- hama and Nagasaki, Japan. After returning home Mr. Foderberg engaged in farming for one year and then located in Denison, where he was in the feed business until 1903 and in November of that year removed to Clayton county, Iowa, where he again took up farming until 1909. He then returned to the home farm, which has not yet been divided among the heirs, and has since given his entire attention to its operation.
Mr. Foderberg was married February 18, 1903, to Miss Maude Pilot, who was born in Crawford county near Dow City, a daughter of Thomas and Laura (Peterson) Pilot. The father was born in Kentucky and the mother was a native .of Denmark. They were the parents of four children, as follows : Minnie, who is the wife of A. G. Grant and resides at Charter Oak, lowa; Maude; Henry, who lives in Salem, South Dakota; and Charles, who resides in Charter Oak. Mr. and Mrs. Foderberg have two children, namely : Vivian May, born May 5, 1907; and Benjamin Arthur, born May 4, 1908.
Although Mr. Foderberg supports the republican party in politics he is in- clined to socialism in some of his views. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World, all of these lodges being located in Denison. Mrs. Foderberg is a member of the Woodman Circle, and both she and her husband attend the Methodist church. Mr. Foderberg has demonstrated his genuine worth both as a reliable and trustworthy man and as a loyal citizen who gave assistance to his country in time of need.
ZACHARY TAYLOR HAWK.
No man has been more closely identified with the school system of Crawford county than Z. T. Hawk. A man of large ability and of the most extreme up- rightness of character, he left a permanent impression for good upon all the many youths with whom he came in contact. He was particularly thorough and systematic in all that he undertook, and to him more than any other man may be given the credit for raising the standard of the schools, both of Denison and the county, and placing them first upon a systematic basis. A good dis- cipiinarian, Mr. Hawk always acted with justice and with leniency. A simple, quiet, rugged, honest and honorable man, he taught his pupils far more than was given in the text-books. He taught them the primal virtues of life and gave to them an example of conscientious right living. Many a man and woman have forgotten some of the frills of education, but the clear, forceful
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and elementary teaching of Mr. Hawk was etched on the minds of his pupils and that was a part of their education which can never be forgotten. In ap- pearance Mr. Hawk is still a strong, vigorous, forceful man. Straight as an arrow, he well illustrates that advancing years need have no terrors for the man who has lived his life aright. We believe Mr. Hawk's proudest posses- sion is the knowledge that he is surrounded by the love of all his former pupils and that none have known him but to honor and esteem.
Zachary Taylor Hawk, third son of Martin and Nancy (Burroughs) Hawk, was born in Delaware county, Ohio, and spent the first five years of his life in that beautiful region, made historic by the struggle between the white settlers and Indians in the latter part of the eighteenth century. The father was of Dutch . descent, the mother of Scotch, but in the course of many American born genera- tions all traces of foreign nationality had been lost. In 1854 the family emi- grated from Ohio to Iowa, making the trip of seven hundred miles in a "prairie schooner." One hundred and sixty acres of raw prairie land was purchased in Pleasant Grove township, Mahaska county, and here, in 1855, a little home was built and a portion of the farm brought under cultivation. The privations of pioneer life were many and the luxuries few. The first crop of wheat and a part of the corn were destroyed by prairie fire, but kind hearted neighbors came to the rescue with a bushel of wheat each until plenty was contributed for bread and for seed for the next crop. Succeeding years brought plenty and comfort, but money was scarce and the mother made the winter garments for the family from wool that she herself had spun.
The subject of our sketch trudged two miles to school across the open prairies with his two older brothers, all proudly wearing their suits of homespun. His winters were spent at school, his summers on the farm, and when a flock of two or three hundred sheep was added to the stock the hours of work were long indeed. The homestead was situated on a much traveled east and west road- way and along this road in 1857 and 1858 went many bands of heavily armed "free soilers" on the way to join John Brown in Kansas. Our farmer boy mingled freely with these so called border ruffians when they camped on the little stream near by and found them such good fellows that he was filled with the war spirit and fain would go to Kansas too. He saw and talked with John Brown himself many times in the spring of 1859, but he was not aware of the identity of the venerable stranger until the latter's portrait appeared in the papers after the fatal venture at Harpers Ferry. Immaturity in years con- demned him to fight weeds on the farm while his older brothers fought slavery in the south. Consolation was offered him in the form of two years instruction at the high school in the village of Indianapolis, Mahaska county, and later a short course at Hull's Classical and Normal School in Oskaloosa, a famous school in its day.
In 1867 Mr. Hawk commenced teaching and after four terms of most suc- cessful work in rural districts he was tendered a grade position in the city schools of Sigourney, Keokuk county, Iowa. He remained there two years, then spent six months in the office of the Sigourney Review, learning the printer's trade. In the fall of 1872, on the invitation of R. Heffelfinger, director, he came to Crawford county to organize the graded school of Denison, then about to oc-
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cupy the fine new building now known as the "west brick." He gave the school its first course of study in 1873 and its second one in 1883. In all he was prin- cipal of this school ten years, broken by one year at the State College at Ames, and by one term as county superintendent ( 1878-79.) He graduated the first two classes, 1886 and 1887, and turned over to his successor a thoroughly or- ganized and graded institution. He had managed the school almost continuously from the time it employed two teachers until it had nine. In 1887 he accepted the city superintendency of the Audubon ( Iowa) schools, which position he held for four years, and in 1892 he was elected principal of the Vail (Iowa) school, where he remained eight years. He retired from teaching in 1900, spent three years on his farm in East Boyer township, and in 1904 removed to a comfort- able new home in Denison, where he still resides.
In 1876 Mr. Hawk was married to Miss Emma Wheeler, of Massachusetts Puritan descent, who has been a teacher in all the schools where her husband has been employed. They have no children, but they feel justly proud of a great family of boys and girls now bearing nobly their share of the world's burdens and responsibilities. It is honor enough to have been their teacher.
WILLIAM J. SANDBERG.
During recent years native sons of Crawford county have been coming prominently to the front and among the number may be named William J. Sand- berg, cashier of the Kiron State Bank. Born May 9. 1869, on section 12, Ot- ter Creek township, on the farm where he has ever since lived, he is a son of John J. and Bengta Sandberg, both of whom were born in Sweden. The father was born September 25, 1831, and the mother December 21, 1832. They were married in their native country and came to America in June 1868, settling in Crawford county, Iowa, where Mr. Sandberg engaged in farming. He was a man of the strictest honor and integrity and deserved the success which he at- tained in his chosen calling. He died March 15. 1906, being then in his seventy- fifth year. His beloved wife is still living and has reached the venerable age of seventy-eight years.
William J. Sandberg received his early education in the district schools and later attended the Western Normal College at Shenandoah, Iowa, for five months, graduating from the commercial department of that institution March 21, 1889. After leaving school he worked on his father's farm until October. 1899, when he was elected cashier of a new bank at Kiron, which was started by the Boyer Valley Banking Company. On October 1, 1905, the bank was reorganized as the Kiron State Bank, Mr. Sandberg being one of the incorpora- tors. He is also a member of the board of directors of this institution and has been cashier of the bank since its organization, discharging his duties with a fidelity that has met the hearty approval of all the officers and depositors. He has also served since January 1, 1903, as treasurer of the Kiron Telephone Com- pany and as director and treasurer of the Farmers Mutual Insurance Associa- tion of Kiron since October 1, 1907. He has never been urgent in his claims
W. J. SANDBERG
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for political positions, but his ability has received recognition from his friends and neighbors and he served for four years, from 1895 to 1898 inclusive, as as- sessor of his township, and also in 1893, 1894 and 1899 as township clerk, re- signing from the latter position.
Mr. Sandberg has spent his entire life in Crawford county and few men in the county are better acquainted with its resources. He early became iden- tified with agricultural pursuits, of which he has a thorough understanding. He is a good judge of farm values, a close reader of human nature and has ac- quired an established reputation as a safe and conservative financial manager, whose efforts are always directed toward the upbuilding of the community.
A. F. WILKEN.
From the raw prairie A. F. Wilken has developed his farm in West Side township until it is one of the most valuable properties of the size to be found in this section of the county. He has also made many improvements by the erection of buildings and fences and the planting of trees. By the application of modern methods of farming and stock-raising he has been enabled to secure a handsome annual revenue. He was born in Holstein, Germany, March 29, 1852, a son of A. and Mary Wilken. The parents were both natives of Ger- many and spent their entire lives in the old country. There were. four children in the family, Henry, Johannas and Caroline, all of whom are living in Ger- many; and A. F., the subject of this review. Henry, the eldest son, is a highly educated man and occupies a position as justice of the peace and county super- visor.
A. F. Wilken attended the public schools and received a good preliminary education, which he has greatly widened by reading and observation. He con- tinued in his native land until he reached the age of twenty-seven years and then, having decided to seek larger opportunities, which he believed were to be found in the new world, he crossed the ocean to America, selecting Crawford county as his home. He devoted his attention closely to agriculture and stock- raising and now owns a farm of four hundred and forty-seven acres on sec- tion 3, West Side township. He planted an orchard, set out shade trees and made a highly attractive place, which is well worth the labor he has bestowed upon it. He specializes in raising and feeding cattle and hogs, feeding over two hundred head of cattle and three hundred head of hogs yearly, and in his business has met with the most gratifying success.
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