USA > Iowa > Decatur County > History of Decatur County, Iowa, and its people, Volume II > Part 18
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Arthur M. Haag was reared in Clarke county and received an excellent education. In 1896 he was graduated from the College of Pharmacy of Drake University at Des Moines. Previous to that time he taught school a number of years in Clarke county and by
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saving his salary secured the funds to pay his college expenses. After his graduation he went to Stuart, Iowa, and for a year operated a drug store, but in 1897 he came to Pleasanton and went into partner- ship with Dr. I. M. Lovett for the conduct of a drug business. As the years passed the firm added other lines, developing the store into a large general mercantile establishment. Mr. Haag recognized and promptly took advantage of opportunities which others failed to see and was constantly seeking some way in which he might better the service which he gave his customers and the community. His fore- sight, aggressiveness and fair dealing gained him a patronage which constantly increased, and he became a recognized leader among the merchants of Pleasanton. He was public-spirited to a marked degree and no plan for the improvement of the community lacked his heartiest support and most enthusiastic cooperation. Many times he was the originator of movements for the good of the community, but whether the plan grew out of his ideas or had its inception in the mind of another he was equally ready to do all in his power to bring about its successful execution. He was a potent force in the advance- ment of Pleasanton along many lines and the influence of his life still remains.
Mr. Haag was married on the 22d of September, 1896, to Miss Rosa May Lee, a daughter of James and Eleanor (Cason) Lee, natives respectively of Illinois and of Indiana. They became pio- neers of Madison county, Iowa, where the father farmed for many years. He served in the Mexican war and was for four years in the Union army in the Civil war. In that conflict he was wounded in the knee, which remained stiff during the rest of his life. He passed away on the 28th of January, 1897, but was survived until the 1st of January, 1902, by his wife. To Mr. and Mrs. Haag were born four children: Royal B., who died on the 8th of March, 1898, when three weeks and three days old; Merville J., who is now thirteen years old; Thelma L., eleven years of age; and Vera D., nine years old.
Mr. Haag was a republican and served for a number of years on the town council, of which he was secretary at the time of his death. His religious belief was that of the Methodist church and fraternally he was connected with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Masonic order. Although he had only seventy-five dollars when he came to Pleasanton, at the time of his death he was one of its wealthy men, held title to one hundred and forty acres of excellent land ad- joining the town and owned the finest residence in the town. His widow still owns the home, sixty acres of land and considerable busi- ness property. The success which Mr. Haag achieved was due to
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unremitting industry, aggressiveness, vigilance in supervising all of the details of his business and superior foresight and judgment. At no time did he seek to gain by taking undue advantage of another, and there was never the slightest question as to his integrity and unswerving honesty. His demise occurred on the 19th of January, 1913, at a hospital in Centerville, this state.
JAMES R. BROWN.
James R. Brown, a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser of Gar- den Grove township, who owns in all two hundred and thirty acres of excellent land, was born in Albany county, New York, on the Ist of March, 1853, a son of Thomas and Mary (Rodgers) Brown. The father was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, and immediately follow- ing his marriage removed with his bride to the United States, settling in New York. After residing in the Empire state for two years they removed to McHenry county, Illinois, where they remained until 1869. In that year they came to Decatur county and settled on section 15, Garden Grove township, where the father purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land. In 1885 they took up their resi- dence in Garden Grove, and there the father died in 1901, at the age of seventy-five years. The mother passed away in 1898, when more than seventy years of age. They were Presbyterians in religious faith and he was a democrat in politics. To their union were born six children, namely: John, who was formerly a well known and successful farmer of Decatur county but who is now living retired in New York state; James R .; Mrs. Thomas McKinney, of Garden Grove township; and Margaret, Mary and Thomas, all residents of Garden Grove.
James R. Brown was reared under the parental roof and at- tended the common schools in Illinois and Iowa. He still resides on the homestead upon which the family settled in 1869, and which he now owns, having purchased it from his father in 1885. It comprises one hundred and thirty acres and he also owns other land, his hold- ings aggregating two hundred and thirty acres, part of which he has rented to others. In 1906 he built a fine residence and he has made many other improvements upon the place, which is one of the valuable farm properties of his locality. He devotes the greater part of his attention to raising cattle, hogs and horses and has gained a gratifying measure of prosperity, being numbered among the well- to-do agriculturists of Garden Grove township.
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Mr. Brown was married in this county in 1885 to Miss Elizabeth Schwilck, who was born in Wyandot county, Ohio, in November, 1865. Her parents, J. J. and Mary (Pfiefer) Schwilck, were born in Holstein, Germany. The father emigrated to America when a young man and the mother accompanied her parents to this country when but a child. Their marriage occurred in Ohio, where they resided until 1874, when they removed to Wayne county, Iowa. They are now living retired in Corydon. During his active life the father followed agricultural pursuits. To their union were born twelve children, of whom eleven survive, namely, Jacob; Mrs. Mary Hayne; William; Mrs. Katherine Riley; Mrs. Brown; Frank; Mrs. Jennie Riley; Mrs. Julia Noble; Matilda, who is a trained nurse; Winnie, who is residing with her parents; and George, who is married and resides in Corydon. Of these all but Mrs. Brown are living in Wayne county. Mrs. Marie Abel, the fourth in order of birth, is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have three children, as follows: Murice W. is at home and is operating part of his father's land, besides forty acres which he owns. Mary Frances, who has taken a three years' course in the Nurses' Training school of the State Uni- versity Hospital, was married June 16, 1915, to Claude Woodman- see Robinson. Their home is at Davis City, Iowa. Julia Ruth, who completed a high-school course, also studied to be a trained nurse.
Mr. Brown is a democrat and has always taken a keen interest in everything relating to the welfare of his community although he has never desired to hold public office. The family are Presbyterians in religious faith and all are high esteemed. Mr. Brown is energetic and progressive and the success which he has won in his chosen occu- pation is richly deserved.
STEPHEN VARGA.
Stephen Varga, who owns the only set of abstract books in De- catur county and who is an able and energetic business man of Leon, was born on the Varga homestead in Long Creek township on the 3d of August, 1859, a son of Francis and Mary (Zander) Varga. A sketch of his father appears elsewhere in this work.
Stephen Varga attended the Leon schools, from which he was graduated in 1879, and later entered the Bryant & Stratton Business College at Burlington, where he received thorough commercial train- ing. In 1876-77 he served as deputy treasurer under his father, after which he entered the law department of the State University, fron
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which he was graduated in 1881. For about a year he was associated with Major Young in the practice of law and later became his father's partner. In 1892 he and his father purchased the only set of abstract books in the county, which was then owned by the Farmers & Traders State Bank of Leon. Father and son continued in busi- ness together until the demise of the former on the 5th of April, 1902, and since that date Stephen Varga has been alone. The abstract books are complete and accurate and have proved of great value to the county, as, in 1874 the records of the auditor and recorder were destroyed by fire and the abstract books now owned by Mr. Varga contained the only other record of land titles in the county then in existence. As the years have passed they have been kept strictly up- to-date and they now comprise ten large volumes. The abstracts are recognized by the courts and are accepted by expert examiners in the employ of large loan companies. Mr. Varga is reasonable in his charges and most painstaking in his work and has gained a large clientage and an enviable reputation for fair dealing and for thor- oughness and efficiency.
On the 21st of October, 1886, Mr. Varga married Miss Sarah Evans, and they have a son, Francis, who, after graduating from the high school of Leon, entered the State University of Iowa and there completed the liberal arts and law courses, graduating with the class of 1913. He is now a member of the Leon bar and is recog- nized as an alert and aggressive young attorney.
Mr. Varga of this review is a Knight Templar Mason and in his life exemplifies the spirit of goodwill and helpfulness which is the foundation of the craft. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party. He is an acknowledged expert in the matter of land titles and is thoroughly informed on all legal questions pertain- ing to real-estate matters, his advice being often sought along that line. He is not only aggressive and thoroughly competent but is also courteous and obliging and is one of the most popular as well as one of the most successful business men of Decatur county.
MRS. MARIETTA WALKER.
Among the most highly honored citizens of Lamoni, Decatur county, is Mrs. Marietta Walker, who has achieved much as an educator and editor. She was in her maidenhood Miss Marietta Hodges and was born in Willoughby, Ohio, on the 10th of April,
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1834, a daughter of Curtis and Lucy (Clark) Hodges, natives re- spectively of New York and Vermont. The paternal ancestors were English and those in the maternal line were Scotch. Mr. and Mrs. Hodges were married in the Green Mountain state and were en route from that state to Missouri when our subject was born in Ohio. When she was about five years of age the family were forced to leave their home farm in western Missouri, some fifty miles from Independence, which comprised three hundred and twenty acres of good land, because of sentiment adverse to the Church of Latter Day Saints. The father was wounded but succeeded in escaping to Illinois and settled first in Perry, Pike county, but later cast in his lot with the colony at Nauvoo, where his family joined him. In 1846, when Brigham Young came into the leadership of the church, Mr. Hodges and his family returned to Pennsylvania and there he passed away. Subsequently his widow and daughter Marietta went to St. Louis, Missouri, and later Mrs. Hodges removed to Indiana and resided with a son-in-law there.
. Mrs. Walker was educated at the Oxford (Ohio) Female Col- lege, a famous school in that day, and was graduated therefrom in 1859. Subsequently her sister, Mrs. Lyons, died in San Antonio, Texas, leaving two daughters: Mrs. Lucy L. Resseguie, who has resided at Lamoni, Iowa, for several years past; and Mrs. Lida Atkinson, the widow of Colonel John Atkinson, of Detroit, Michi- gan. In order better to care for her sister's daughters, Mrs. Walker removed to San Antonio, Texas, and was for a number of years principal of the San Antonio Female College. Her influence as a teacher of young women was deep and lasting. She was married in 1861 to Robert Faulconer, who served in the Confederate army and died in the second year of the war, giving his life to the cause which he believed to be just. To that union was born a daughter, who is now Mrs. Lucy Faulconer, of Los Angeles, California.
In 1865 Mrs. Walker returned to the Prairie state and located at Sandwich and for some time made her home with her mother and brother-in-law, who had previously settled there. Later she was married to S. F. Walker and they eventually became residents of Lamoni, Decatur county, Iowa. Mrs. Walker's wide knowledge, practical wisdom and literary ability were utilized by the church of which she is a devoted member and for many years she edited the magazine Autumn Leaves, published at the Herald office, and she was likewise the editor of Zion's Hope, a Sunday-school paper. For more than twenty-five years she was connected with the publications of the church and only resigned the editorship of Zion's Hope when Vol. II-12
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she had reached the advanced age of eighty years. She is also the author of several books, including "The Church in an Early Day;" "The Indian Maiden," a temperance work; "Joan of Arc;" and "Fireside Talks with Our Girls." Shortly after the close of the Civil war and before beginning her work as an editor she was offered the presidency of her alma mater, the Oxford Female College at Oxford, Ohio, but refused to consider the position, as she had de- cided to give up educational work. She is still residing in her home in Lamoni, which is quite near the church and which was built by · Mr. Walker about 1880. By her second marriage Mrs. Walker had two children. Mrs. Frances H. Davis is a widow living in Lamoni and has three sons: Walker C., who is in a bank in Oskaloosa; Dwight, of Lamoni; and Gerald Bruce, who is attending school in Marion, Iowa. Lois Sarah is the wife of A. L. Ackerley and is mentioned elsewhere in this work.
Through her connection with Autumn Leaves and Zion's Hope Mrs. Walker has become widely known throughout the Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints and under her editorship the two papers gained a high rank among religious periodicals. They became fac- tors of importance in binding together congregations in various locali- ties and in increasing interest in church activities, and moreover the high moral tone which characterized them made them powerful agencies in the upbuilding of character. They also had literary merit and Mrs. Walker gained much praise for her able conduct of the periodicals. She has given the church an important place in her life and has been one of the most active members in the work of the local congregation as well as an important factor in the publication interests of the denomination. During the many years that she has lived at Lamoni she has enjoyed the respect of her fellow citizens and has many friends who are bound to her by strong ties of affec- tion.
WILLIAM A. HOPKINS.
William A. Hopkins, who is president of the State Savings Bank of Lamoni, was born in Alameda county, California, on the 21st of June, 1867, a son of William and Elizabeth E. (Horner) Hopkins, both natives of Monmouth county, New Jersey. The father, who farmed in his native state, removed to California in 1851 and con- tinued to follow agricultural pursuits there. In the spring of 1872,
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WILLIAM A. HOPKINS
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however, he returned east and settled in Decatur county, Iowa, where he' engaged in farming until his demise, which occurred on the 1st of October, 1890. He was sixty-one years of age, as his birth occurred on the 16th of February, 1829. His wife, who was born October 22, 1826, is still living and is a member of the Latter Day Saints church, as was her husband. They were the parents of the following children. Alfred died in infancy. Clara A., born March 27, 1853, was married on the 28th of January, 1877, and passed away on the 9th of February, 1879. John F., born January 1, 1855, mar- ried Miss Ada A. Hudson. Joseph A., born August 22, 1860, was married on the 4th of March, 1880, to Miss Fannie L. Smith and died April 17, 1889. William A. is the subject of this review.
William A. Hopkins attended the district schools of Decatur county, being only five years of age when brought to this county by his parents, and he continued his studies in the Lamoni high school. When a boy he worked on the home farm and when seventeen years of age entered into partnership with his brother under the firm name of Hopkins Brothers, who were dealers in agricultural implements and furniture and also conducted an undertaking business. The partnership was dissolved in 1885 and our subject became a partner of J. O. Moon, the firm being Hopkins & Moon. That connection continued until 1886, when Mr. Moon sold his interest in the business to O. O. Hudson and from that time until 1893 the name was Hopkins & Hudson. This partnership being dissolved in 1893, Mr. Hopkins was alone in business until 1900, when he disposed of his furniture and undertaking establishment. In 1897 he organized the Lamoni Telephone Company and on the 1st of July of the following year organized the State Savings Bank of Lamoni, serving as cashier of that institution until 1912, when he was elected president. As execu- tive head of the bank he has demonstrated his knowledge of business conditions and of sound principles of banking; and his judgment has been seldom if ever at fault. This financial concern now has over five hundred thousand dollars in assets, and larger deposits than any other bank in Decatur county. Mr. Hopkins also deals quite extensively in real estate and is president of the Lamoni Land & Loan Company. He likewise organized and is the president of the corpo- ration which built the Lamoni Coliseum, of which the town is justly proud. As the first president of the Lamoni Commercial Club Mr. Hopkins has much to do with defining the field of work of that organization and in promoting a spirit of co-operation among its membership.
On the 7th of November, 1886, Mr. Hopkins married Miss Julia E. Clum, who was born on the 9th of June, 1867. Their children are:
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Avis, who was born August 30, 1889, and was married on the 7th of August, 1912, to G. L. Smith; H. Horner, born November 7, 1894; and Viola L., whose natal day was the 2d of August, 1904.
Mr. Hopkins is stanch in his adherence to the republican party and takes great interest in matters pertaining to local government, although he has never desired to hold office. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Church of Latter Day Saints. His power of initiative, business ability and energy have been factors of importance in the upbuilding of Lamoni and he is highly respected and esteemed by his fellow citizens. In March, 1911, Mr. Hopkins assisted in organizing the St. Paul, Des Moines, St. Joseph & Inter- state Trail Association, which established a route for automobilists and of which he is now the president.
JACOB RHODES.
Jacob Rhodes, a highly esteemed citizen of Bloomington town- ship, who is now living retired upon his excellent farm in that town- ship, was born February 11, 1836, in Highland county, Ohio, a son of Samuel and Catherine (Frump) Rhodes, natives respectively of Virginia and Delaware. The former died many years ago and the latter on the 28th of November, 1897. To their union were born the following children: Jacob, of this review, is the oldest of the family. Nancy passed away in Jackson county, Missouri. John died in Pike county, Ohio, in 1903. Harriet died in early womanhood. Lewis is farming in Bloomington township, this county. He enlisted in August, 1862, in Company G, Sixtieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and after being discharged at Camp Denison reenlisted in August, 1863, in Company G, Thirty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry. At the close of the war he was discharged at Camp Denison and remained there until 1871, when he came to Iowa. Seven years later he located in this county, where he has since.resided. His political belief is that of the republican party. Margaret is the widow of Wilson Keeler and resides in Ross county, Ohio. Minerva, who is the widow of James Doran, is living at Beatrice, Nebraska. Ellen died in Illinois about two decades ago. Samuel lives in Ross county, Ohio. Cary is a resident of Bloomington township, this county.
Jacob Rhodes removed to Decatur county, Iowa, with his family in 1880 and settled in Bloomington township, where he is still living. He has devoted his time to farming and stock-raising and has gained
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a competence which now enables him to live retired. While actively engaged in agricultural pursuits he was known as a progressive and energetic farmer and aided in raising the agricultural standards of his township.
Mr. Rhodes married Miss Jane Ellen Coder, of Highland county, Ohio, who, however, was born in Pike county, that state. Her birth occurred November 28, 1842, and she was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James K. Coder, representatives of old Ohio families who set- tled at Letts, Iowa, in 1864, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Mrs. Rhodes was the second of nine children, six sons and three daughters, the others being: John, Newton, Thomas, Sarah, Frank, Lemuel, Allie and Charles. Only five of the family are still living. The demise of Mrs. Rhodes occurred in Decatur county, Iowa, in 1901. She was a member of the Adventist church, to which her husband likewise belongs. To their union were born three sons and four daughters, namely: Mrs. Maggie Fry, of Waterloo, Iowa; Rosa, who is at home with her father; Eva, who married W. W. Wiley, who is residing near Davis City; Charles T., a farmer of Bloomington township; William, who is living in Bloomington town- ship; and who married Miss Helen Brown, a daughter of Clifton Brown, of Leon; and Iva and Frank, both deceased.
Mr. Rhodes is an active republican and has done much effective work in the party ranks. During the Civil war he was a member of a company raised in southern Ohio to oppose the advance of Mor- gan, the famous Confederate raider. He has at all times cooperated willingly in movements seeking the public welfare and has many stanch friends in Bloomington township, where he has resided for many years.
JOHN BURNETT.
John Burnett is a well-to-do agriculturist residing on his excel- lent farm near the line between Ringgold and Decatur counties. He was born in March, 1852, in Washington county, Iowa, a son of Reuben D. and Malinda (Smyth) Burnett, who removed to Iowa in 1845. They continued to reside in Washington county until 1853, when they came to Decatur county, the father entering land near Decatur City, upon which he lived until his death in April, 1877, when sixty-two years of age. His widow survived until 1903, passing away in Bloomington township when eighty years old. They were the
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parents of eight children, namely: Sarah, the wife of Henry Forbes, a resident of Nebraska; William A., of Oberlin, Decatur county, Kansas; John; Ellen, who married John W. Bennett, of Idaho; Benjamin Franklin, who is also residing in the west; Alvira, the wife of Alex Heathman, a resident of Idaho; Mary Ann, the wife of J. H. Lighthill, who lives near Decatur City, this county; and Reuben B., a resident of St. Joseph, Missouri.
The ancestry of the Burnett family has been traced to seven brothers, Samuel, James, Robert, John S., William, Thomas and Henry, who in 1670 emigrated from Edinburgh, Scotland, and lo- cated at Norfolk, Virginia. William Burnett had a son, Robert, who was the father of John S. Burnett, one of the six hundred Vir- ginia Buckskins that Washington commanded at Braddock's Defeat near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This John S. Burnett had a son Robert, who was a Revolutionary soldier and was with Washington when he crossed the Delaware. He in turn was the father of six sons, Samuel, Amor, Robert, Thomas, Henry and John S. Thomas and Henry Burnett fought in the War of 1812, volunteering from Pen- dleton county, Virginia. The family has always been characterized by public spirit and patriotism and its members have been influential and highly respected citizens of the various communities in which they have resided.
John Burnett was brought to this county when an infant and has continued to reside here, save for four years, which were spent in Ringgold county. He received his education in the public schools and during his boyhood and youth also became familiar with agricultural work. Since starting out on his independent career he has continued to follow the occupation to which he was reared and, although he had no capital when he began, he is now one of the well-to-do residents of his township. He owns one hundred and sixty acres of excellent land, eighty acres thereof lying on section 6, Fayette township, this county, and eighty acres in Ringgold county. He has made all of the improvements upon his place and it is well equipped for twen- tieth century farming. He grows the usual crops and also raises stock and derives a gratifying annual income from his work.
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