USA > Iowa > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Iowa; Volume II > Part 47
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1890, when he went back to Preston, the scene of his pedagogical experience. Here he has built up a large practice and for ten years held the office of coroner.
Dr. Miller laid the foundation of a happy domestic life by his marriage May 30, 1895, to Miss Mary C. Kroeger, a daughter of John Kroeger, of Preston. They have one child living, a daughter named L. Mildred.
Dr. Miller derives great pleasure from his fraternal affiliations, part of which are of a professional nature. He holds membership in the Clinton County Medi- cal Society, the Iowa State Medical Society and the Knights of Pythias. He is a stanch and unwavering democrat and his long term as coroner, from 1887 to 1897, is a public acknowledgment of his ability. To this office he was elected four times and appointed twice. In both professional and social life he holds to high standards and enjoys the confidence of those with whom he is brought into con- tact in his ministration to the ills of mankind and his dealings with them in happier moments.
WILLIAM EACH.
In the death of William Each, Jackson county lost one of its oldest and most highly respected citizens, for from the time of his arrival here in 1849 until his demise in 1904, he had been actively identified with its agricultural interests and in many ways contributed to the progress and development of this section of the state. For a period of more than half a century, all who had come to know him honored him for his many excellent traits of heart and mind. Mr. Each was born in London, England, in 1830, and was educated in his native country. He was nineteen years of age, when in 1849 he sought the opportunities and advan- tages offered by the new world and upon his arrival in the United States at once made his way to Jackson county. Here he purchased a farm which he developed and cultivated, in due course of time bringing the land into a rich state of fertility. The tract which he purchased comprised one hundred and ninety- one acres, located on section 15, Iowa township, and this is still in possession of bis widow. Mr. Each erected good buildings on the place which was his home from the time of his arrival in Jackson county until he was called from this life in 1904, his life record covering seventy-four years. He was buried in Evergreen cemetery in Sabula.
In due time after Mr. Each arrived in Jackson county he felt justified in estab- lishing a home of his own and to this end wedded Miss Maria Wills, who was likewise born in England. This union was blessed with four children, two sons and two daughters, namely: Oliver, who manages the home farm; Emily M., who has passed away; Rose, the wife of Sidney Brake, a resident of Iowa town- ship; and John, at home. The mother still survives at the advanced age of sev- enty-seven years and is still active in the affairs of the household.
The eldest son, Oliver Each, received a good education in the common schools and was reared to the pursuits of the home farm, giving his father valuable assistance during the period of his boyhood and youth, and since the father's death he has capably managed the place, each year gathering good crops as the
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result of the care which he bestows upon the fields. He gives much of his atten- tion to raising and feeding stock and in this branch of business is also meeting with success.
In his political views and affiliation the son is a republican, giving stalwart support to the party but he is not an office seeker. His fraternal relations are with the Knights of Pythias lodge, No. 415, at Sabula. His honored father aided in the early development and progress of Jackson county, reclaiming it for the use of civilization, and the work instituted by him is being continued by the son, who is numbered among the progressive and enterprising young farmers of this section of the state.
AZARIAH C. PRUSIA.
The farming and stock interests of Jackson county find a worthy representa- tive in Azariah C. Prusia, who owns and operates a tract of one hundred and ninety acres on section 33, Washington township. A native of this county, he was born in Van Buren township, May 29, 1873. His father, George Prusia, was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, April 14, 1829, and received a limited education in that city. In 1839, when ten years of age, he went to Buckeye, Van Buren town- ship, Jackson county, Iowa, and shortly after entered one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he farmed until about 1895, when he sold his property and retired to Maquoketa. In the meantime, however, he had made three trips to California, the first by ox-team in 1849, and he served for four years in the Civil war, hold- ing several minor offices. He was very successful in the conduct of his business and, in addition to the land he had entered, owned one hundred and ninety acres in Washington township, constituting the farm on which his son Azariah now lives, and fourteen acres in the town of Maquoketa. There he made his home after his retirement until his death, August 13, 1908. He was a republican in his political views and was always an active factor in local affairs, while as a member of the Grand Army post at Preston he maintained pleasant relations with his companions upon the battlefield and around the camp fire. George Prusia's first wife was Miss Minerva Beckwith, of Buckeye, Van Buren township, this county, and there were three children by this marriage, two of whom are now living, George O., who is a contractor of Lake Zurich, Illinois; and Webster D., who is living in Franklin, Nebraska. After the death of his first wife Mr. Prusia wedded Miss Julia Turgeson, who was born in Washington township, this county, and is now living in Maquoketa at the age of fifty-two years. There were ten children of this marriage, seven of whom are living, as follows: Lydia M., the wife of Esa1 Taphan, of Mount Vernon, South Dakota; Azariah, the subject of this sketch ; Charles, a resident of Chicago, Illinois; Benjamin F., of Davenport ; Albert J., of Maquoketa ; Emeline, the wife of William McCumber, a tanner of Maquoketa ; and Maud, who is likewise living in Maquoketa.
When of suitable age Azariah C. Prusia entered the district schools of Van Buren township and later had the opportunity of continuing his studies in the high school of Maquoketa. He remained under the parental roof until 1896,
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when, having married and desiring to establish a home of his own, he rented of his father the farm of one hundred and ninety acres on which he is now living. After the death of Mr. Prusia, Sr., he bought the homestead, upon which in 1909 he made additional improvements by building a new corn crib and hog house. He also operates adjoining property which he rents. While he raises the crops best adapted to soil and climate, he makes a specialty of stock raising and feed- ing, having annually on an average of twenty head of cattle, forty to fifty hogs and three or four colts. He has pursued his business along systematic and pro- gressive lines, and his industry and diligence are the means of his success. He deserves to be numbered among the citizens whose labors are contributing mate- rially toward advancing the agricultural interests of this section of Iowa.
On the 29th of July, 1896, Mr. Prusia was united in marriage in Maquoketa, to Miss Laura Miles, a daughter of Howard and Sarah (Burns) Miles. The former was a native of Ohio, while the latter was born in Ireland and as a child was brought to America by her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Miles now make their home in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Prusia have been born six children, as follows: Howard G., who is twelve years of age and is attend- ing school; Harold, who died at the age of sixteen months; Leroy, who is six years of age and is in school; and Myrtle I., Mildred L. and Thebart, who are five, three and one years of age respectively.
Mr. Prusia is a republican in his political sympathies and has been very active in promoting the interests of the party in his locality. He holds stock in the Washington Farmers Mutual Telephone Company and is otherwise interested in projects which aim to advance the welfare of the community, for he is a man of commendable public spirit. In all of his undertakings he has held to a standard of business ethics which has won the respect and esteem of those with whom he has come in contact.
ALFRED E. WYRICK.
ยท Alfred E. Wyrick is numbered among the substantial farmers of Jackson county, his home being in Monmouth township. He was born in Wythe county, Virginia, August 1, 1850, a son of Elijah and Vermillia (Bales) Wyrick, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. He acquired his education in a subscrip- tion school and in the common schools of the south. When but eleven years of age he began work on his own account, being engaged at farm labor during the summer months, while in the winter season he continued his studies. His time was thus occupied until he reached the age of twenty-two years, when he came to Monmouth township, Jackson county, and engaged in teaching during the winter months, while during the periods of vacation he worked on a farm. After a few years spent in this way, he engaged in the mercantile business in Baldwin being thus engaged for four years. At the end of that time he resumed the pro- fession of teaching, which he followed for five years, his work as an educator covering a period of sixteen years altogether. He then began farming on his own account and from that time to the present he has thus spent his time. He is now
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engaged in business with his brother-in-law, Thomas Hale, who owns a tract of two hundred and forty-eight acres of land in Monmouth township. They carry on farming on an extensive scale, each having a half interest in the crops which are raised, and they are meeting with a gratifying measure of prosperity.
Mr. Wyrick was married in 1878 to Miss Agnes Hale, and their union has been blessed with four children: Earl, at home; Dessie, the wife of Lewis Peters, of Dubuque, Iowa; and Grace and Floyd, who are still under the parental roof.
In his political views Mr. Wyrick is a democrat and he is connected with the Fraternal Bankers Reserve of Cedar Rapids. He is not identified with any re- ligious organization but attends and supports the Methodist Episcopal church. He may truly be termed a self-made man, for, starting out in life at the early age of eleven years, ere his education was completed, by hard work he managed to both educate himself and provide for his support during the period of his youth and early manhood. He has allowed no obstacle to bar his path to success but, working his way upward, has now gained a place among the substantial farmers of Monmouth township.
D. A. FLETCHER.
D. A. Fletcher is one of the oldest settlers of Maquoketa, having been a resident of the town since 1856, from which date he has been closely associated with the progress and development which went on steadily through the past half century in this county. Not only has the appearance of the country been changed with the passage of time, but also the personnel of the business life of this section of the state, for today there is not a tailor, butcher, grocer, mer- chant, blacksmith, doctor, lawyer, nor a man engaged in any business or pro- fession who was here when he came to Maquoketa.
He was born in Essex county, New York, May 18, 1831, and is descended from early Puritan stock, the genealogy of the Fletcher family in this country dating back to 1640. Adams Fletcher, the father of D. A. Fletcher, was born in Vermont and was a carriagemaker by trade. In Essex county, New York, he married Miss Sylvia Sheldon, a native of that state, and in that county he passed the remainder of his life, dying at the age of sixty-eight years. His widow, who long survived him, died at the home of her son, D. A. Fletcher, in Maquoketa, at the very advanced age of eighty-seven years.
D. A. Fletcher, who was the only child born to his parents, received his early education in Essex county, New York, and later had the opportunity to continue his studies in the University of Vermont, from which he was grad- uated in 1852, receiving his degree and election to the Phi Beta Kappa. He was principal of an academy at Pleasant Plains, Tennessee, for two or three years, and then returned to New York, where he studied law, having read along that line while he was engaged in teaching. He was admitted to practice in New York and before the supreme court of that state, and since April, 1856, when he came to Maquoketa, he has followed his profession here, save for ten years, from 1861 to 1872, when he was principal of the public schools of the city. He
D. A. FLETCHER
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY
has ever been a conspicuous figure in educational work in Jackson county, in 1866 having been elected county superintendent of schools, holding the office for two terms, and for fifteen years being secretary of the school board of Maquoketa. He has always been deeply interested in public welfare, and all phases of activities, especially the schools, have benefited through his interest in them and his progressive spirit.
It was in Winchester, Tennessee, in 1855, that Mr. Fletcher was married to Miss Martha Magee, a native of that state. In their family are four children, as follows: Minnie B. is the widow of Rev. Samuel Shepherd and resides in Maquoketa. Henry J., who is a graduate of the law school of the University of Michigan, is senior professor of law at the University of Minnesota. He married Bertha von Schrader. D. A. is a music teacher of Minneapolis, Min- nesota. Charles is at home. The parents are members of the Congregational church, in which Mr. Fletcher has been deacon for forty years and in whose work they have been actively and helpfully interested.
In the half century and more that Mr. Fletcher has been a resident of Maquoketa, he has ever been a leader in the vanguard of progress, helping in every way in his power to raise the standard of life in his locality and promote the wellbeing of his fellow citizens. He helped to bring the railroads to this section of the state, was active in securing the county seat for his city and has been prominent in other ways. A man of broad views, liberal education and scholarly tastes and despite his seventy-eight years still as active and bright as many men of fifty, his companionship is most enjoyable and he is a source of inspiration to many with whom he comes in contact. The record of his long life holds nothing of which he need be ashamed, but much which others might profitably emulate, and he justly deserves the high respect and esteem given him by the citizens of Maquoketa, where he has lived for so long a period.
MARTIN RICKERS.
A valuable farm of two hundred and sixty-two acres, located in Maquoketa township, Jackson county, is the home of Martin Rickers. Born in Dithmarschen, Germany, on the 15th of August, 1854, he is a son of Hans and Gretchen (Ohrts) Rickers, who have spent their entire lives in the fatherland. The son was there reared, educated and made his home to the age of twenty-six years. At that time, foreseeing no future for him in his native country and having heard and read a great deal about the freedom and the opportunity for advancement in this country he decided to leave home. It was in 1880, therefore, that he set sail for the new world. Upon reaching American shores he made his way direct to Maquoketa and for some time worked on various farms in Jackson county. He labored diligently and carefully, saved his money during the first nine years of his residence here and in 1889 invested his capital in fifty acres of land, situated on section 14, Maquoketa township. He made that farm his home for four years and then disposed of that tract and purchased his present farm of two hundred and sixty-two acres in the same township. Taking up his abode thereon he has
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since made it his home. He raises stock, keeping high-grade shorthorn cattle, and he also devotes a portion of his time to general farming, adhering closely to a systematic rule of crop rotation and making a close study of the adaptability of certain crops to certain soils, so that his labors are attended with excellent results.
Mr. Rickers established a home of his own through his marriage to Miss Annie Lorenzen, a daughter of Benedict Lorenzen, a native of Germany. Twelve children have been born of this union, the record being as follows: Carl, Minnie, Benedict, Harry, Bohne, Emma, Annie, Mary, Willie, John, Ditmar, and one who died in infancy.
Mr. Rickers is a democrat in his political views. Since taking up his abode on his present farm he has bent his energies to its further development and improve- ment, and method is apparent in its conduct. The outbuildings and barns are arranged with a view to convenience, there is a place for everything and every- thing is in its place, and a glance at this model and well kept farm is in itself a lesson in thrift, perseverance and industry.
BENJAMIN A. REILING.
Benjamin A. Reiling, a member of the firm of Reiling & Company, proprietors and operators of the Jasper Mills, is one of the young business men of Bellevue who is achieving a distinct success in the field of work he has chosen. A native of this city, he has spent his entire life here, so that it is no small tribute to his character that he numbers among his friends those who have known him from childhood. His father, Arnold Reiling, is also widely and favorably known here and throughout Jackson county, for not only was he successful in his business but he was a most efficient public servant, performing his various official duties with conspicuous honor and fidelity. He was born in Hanover, Germany, Novem- ber 2, 1823, a son of Herman and Catherine (Dopheide) Reiling, who emigrated to America in the fall of 1837. After two months upon the ocean, they landed at New Orleans, where they spent the winter, and in March, 1838, made their way to Galena, Illinois, whence they came to Jackson county, Iowa. Here the father secured a tract of land about four miles from Bellevue, which he prepared for cultivation and on which he lived until his death in 1859. His widow sur- vived him a number of years, making her home with her children. She too has passed away. Of the six children born to them only two are now living, the other being Mary, who is the wife of Theodore Neimann, of Bellevue.
Arnold Reiling, who was a boy of fifteen when his parents came to America, received a good education in his native province. When his father bought the farm in this county, he assisted in developing the land and later in cultivating it until 1859, when he left home and engaged in the mercantile business in Bellevue. Later he constructed seven miles of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway and drove all the piles of the road from Dubuque to Clinton. He next built the steamer Reiling, which he operated for six years upon the Mississippi river, and finally became interested in milling in Bellevue. He was connected first with Kilborn & Company, who under the firm style of Kilborn, Reiling & Kelso con-
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY
trolled all the flourmilling business of Bellevue. When this partnership was dis- solved, Mr. Reiling associated himself with John Murphy and they were identified with milling interests for several years. After the death of Mr. Kilborn the prop- erty was divided, and upon reorganization the firm was known as Reiling & Company, although the mills are familiarly called the Jasper Mills. They are equipped with modern machinery and have proved profitable, obtaining a large patronage and returning a substantial success to the man who was such an active factor in their operation for many years.
Although of necessity so much of his time has been given to his business affairs, Arnold Reiling has found opportunity to render the people efficient serv- ice in various capacities. Before he removed to Belleveue, he represented its township in the county board of supervisors and indeed was the first man to oc- cupy that office after the organization of Tete des Morts township. Later when the board was changed to the county commissioners he was twice unanimously elected one of the three commissioners. After he took up his residence in Bellevue he became a member of the town council, and in March, 1889, was elected to the mayoralty for the first time. He has since been chief executive for several terms and is the present incumbent of the office, his administrations being distinguished by a spirit of progress and a sincere desire to promote the public good.
In Galena, Illinois, Arnold Reiling wedded Miss Mary Harmeyer, of that city, and unto them have been born ten children, as follows : Katharine and Mary, who are deceased; Christina, the widow of A. W. Weber, of Bellevue; Elizabeth, the deceased wife of G. W. Riley; Herman, who resides in Denver, Colorado; Anna, who has passed away; Helene, the wife of William Muldane, of Preston, Minnesota; Regina, who married G. W. Riley, of Wichita, Kansas; Benjamin, the subject of this sketch ; and Amelia, the wife of George Young, of whom men- tion is made on another page of this work. On the 9th of March, 1909, Mr. Reiling was called upon to mourn the death of his wife, who had been his faith- ful companion and helpmate for sixty-three years. She was a woman of kindly and cheerful disposition, endowed with a wonderful mind, and was bright and active almost to the last.
One of the self-made men of Bellevue, no one has a more admirable record than has Arnold Reiling, for he has consistently guided his course by upright and honorable principles of manhood. Politically he has identified himself with the democratic party, while his religious adherence has been given to the Catholic church, but he has never failed to support any movement of benefit to his fellow- men nor any enterprise, which would develop the resources of the county, and the character of his life may well be emulated by his children.
Benjamin A. Reiling, whose name introduces this review, is following in his fathers footsteps and achieving a distinct success in the business with which he has been connected from youth. He was born in Bellevue, June 20, 1867, and when of suitable age was enrolled as a pupil of the common schools here. Passing through the successive grades, he entered the high school, where his education was completed. At that time he had already obtained some experience in the business world, for as soon as he was old enough he began to work for his father in the gristmill, and, having become thoroughly familiar with every phase of the busi-
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ness, was fully competent to assume some of the responsibilities of its operation when in September, 1903, the older man retired. Reiling & Company conduct one of the most flourishing enterprises of Bellevue, operating a gristmill and elevator and manufacturing considerable flour, often as high as fifty barrels a day, but they retired from that business three years ago and now confine them- selves mainly to the elevator business. Their buildings are well equipped with modern machinery, are operated by steam power and maintained in excellent con- dition, as is evidenced by the fact that the main structure, which is four stories in height and built upon a stone foundation, still fulfills all requirements, although it was erected in 1843. Mr. Reiling has a half interest in the business, and it is largely due to his enterprise and determination that it has been so care- fully and profitably conducted.
On the 3d of March, 1891, Mr. Reiling wedded Miss Lena Theisen, a native of Cascade, Iowa, her birth occurring in September, 1869. Her parents, John and Susan (Loes) were born in Germany, and after coming to this country her father engaged in farming in Iowa. He died in Cascade, but her mother is still living and makes her home with Mr. and Mrs. Reiling. The latter are the parents of two children, namely: Clara May and Lawton Raymond. Mr. Reiling has held no false standards of life, but aware that earnest and indefatigable labor con- stitute the basis of business advancement, he has worked patiently and diligently, and success has followed as a natural sequence.
JOHN BECK.
John Beck, who owns a large tract of land in Maquoketa township but has retired from active participation in its cultivation, was born in Germany, Oc- tober 5, 1845, a son of George and Mary (Beck) Beck. The parents spent their entire lives in the fatherland, but four sons of the six children born to them came to America.
It was in 1869 that John Beck determined to emigrate to the United States in the hope of bettering his fortunes. After landing upon our shores he came to Iowa, locating first in Dubuque, where he remained six months. Then he came to Jackson county, which has since been his home. In the two score years he has resided here he has devoted himself to agricultural pursuits with a success indicated by the fact that he now owns two hundred and forty-seven acres in Maquoketa township. This large area represents the results of his own labors for he had little when he came to this country but his power to work and the determination to advance. Now he has rented his farm to his two sons and lives a retired life in the enjoyment of the many comforts he so richly deserves and in the memory of years well spent in honest labor.
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