USA > Iowa > Linn County > History of Linn County Iowa : from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume II > Part 78
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Aquillar Miller was reared and educated in his native county and remained under the parental roof until his marriage. which was celebrated in Riehland county, Ohio, September 6, 1849. his wife being Miss Temperance Phillips, whose birth oeeurred in that county on the 29th of November, 1825. She was a danghter of Thomas and Sarah (Hedrick) Phillips, who were farming people and early settlers of the Buckeye state, where members of the family beeame prominent in public affairs, Isaae Hedrick having represented his eounty and distriet in the state legislature. The mother of Mrs. Miller died in Richland county. June 19, 1851. at the age of forty-two years, and on the 26th of Feb- ruary, 1852. the father married Jaeintha Cook. His death ocenrred on the old Phillips homestead. August 16, 1886, when he had reached the age of eighty-six years. He accumulated a large property and was a stockholder in three banks in Richland county. The Phillips family was of German, English and Welsh extraction and most of its representatives devoted their attention to agricultural pursuits and became quite well to do.
During her girlhood Mrs. Miller received excellent training under the guid- anee of a good mother and she remained at home until her marriage. She passed away on the 15th of March, 1892. Of the ten children born to her and her husband only five reached years of maturity, namely: Sarah E .. the wife
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of Henry Stephenson, a farmer of Audubon county, Iowa; Mary, the wife of Thomas Stephenson, also a resident of that county; William E. and Avery E., both farmers of Linn eounty; and Carrie, the wife of Theophilus Thomas, of Fairfax.
It was in the spring of 1851 that Mr. Miller accompanied by his wife and one child arrived in Linn county, Iowa. They had made the trip with teams and covered wagons, bringing with them their household effects and provisions. They were ferried across the Mississippi and on reaching this eounty settled in Monroe township, where he purchased one hundred and sixty aeres of unim- proved land. As time passed he placed his property under cultivation, but eventually sold that farm and in 1863 removed to seetion 12, Fairfax township, where he became the owner of two hundred aeres of rich and valuable land. Upon this place he ereeted good and substantial buildings, including a nice residence. In his farming operations he met with excellent success and so con- dueted his affairs as to win the confidenee and high regard of those with whom he was brought in contaet.
Mr. Miller and his family are active members of the Christian church, in which he has filled the office of deacon, and as a publie-spirited and progressive eitizen he was called upon to fill a number of official positions of honor and trust, serving as township elerk and assessor for some time. He comes of an old and honored family and has always upheld the interests of the country. having one brother, John Miller, who was a soldier of the Civil war and was fatally wounded at Champion's Hill, Mississippi. He was a member of Com- pany G, Twenty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry under the command of Captain Smith, of Cedar Rapids, and the shot which eansed his death came from the rifle of a sharpshooter who was concealed in the branches of a tree, the bullet passing through his heart. Mrs. Miller also had a brother who was in the Union army and was killed at Murfreesboro by a gunshot through the head. Hle had enlisted as a private in Richland county. Ohio. With the development and upbuilding of Linn county the Miller family has been closely identified for over a half a century and its members have won the regard of all who know them.
WILLIAM MYERS
More than six decades have passed since William Myers came to Linn county, so that he well deserves to be elassed with its representative and honored pioneer eitizens. Ile was born in Richland county, Ohio, Mareh 21, 1841, and is the only living member in a family of five children born to Jacob and Sarah (Higens) Myers, the former a native of Maryland and the latter of England. During their married life they resided in the Buckeye state and there both departed this life, the father passing away in November. 1845.
William Myers spent the first six years of his life in the state of his nativity and then. in 1847, followed his grandparents to Johnson county, remaining with them until he was eighteen years old. In the meantime he acquired his educa- tion in the common schools and at that time started out to make his own way in the world by working as a farm hand. When the Civil war was in progress Mr. Myers offered his services to the government, becoming a member of the Twentieth lowa Infantry. During his service of three years he took part in many hard fought battles, particularly those in and around Vieksburg, but he escaped without injury. He was mustered out at Mobile, Alabama. July 8. 1865.
When his services were no longer needed at the front Mr. Myers returned to his home in Linn county. where he engaged in farming, and at the end of ten
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years purchased a portion of his present farm but he has since added to his acreage and now has two hundred and fifty acres in Bertram township. He has made all of the improvements on the place, including a fine country resi- dence, substantial barns and outbuildings, and all are supplied with modern conveniences and accessories, so that his farm is considered one of the valuable properties of his section of the county. Ile makes a specialty of raising stock but also devotes a portion of his time and attention to general farming, his labors having brought him gratifying success.
In 1869 occurred the marriage of Mr. Myers and Miss Catharine Parks, who was born in Brooklyn, New York. Their union has been blessed with two daughters: Lura, who is still with her parents; and Elva E., who is the wife of F. B. Anderson, of Bertram township.
Mr. Myers supports the principles of the republican party and at present is serving as township trustee, while for the past six years he has filled the office of township treasurer in a most capable manner. He is likewise a member of the school board. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, in which Mr. Myers is serving as a trustee. There is particular satis- faction in reverting to the life history of this honored gentleman, since his mind bears the impress of the historical annals of the state of Iowa from early pioneer days and from the fact that he has been a loyal son of the republic. From the age of six years he has resided in Iowa and now when almost seventy he is num- bered among the honored and revered citizens of the community.
WENCIL ZALESKY
Wencil Zalesky, agent for the Anheuser Busch Brewing Company for the Cedar Rapids district of Iowa, was born in the village of Sucha in the district of Chrudim, Bohemia, on the 28th of March, 1856. He is a son of Frank and Anna (Stajr) Zalesky, who came to the United States in 1867 and made their way direct to Cedar Rapids, where they established their home. A year later they removed to Belle Plaine, Iowa, where the father resided until his death. which occurred in 1893, when he was sixty-four years of age. His wife died in 1891 at the age of sixty-one years. The family crossed the Atlantic on a sailing vessel. They embarked at Bremen and landed at Quebec, Ontario, after a voyage of sixty-three days. Two sons of the family, Frank E. and Joseph, had previously come to the United States, arriving at Cedar Rapids two years before. Frank, who was a butcher by trade, entered the employ of Calder's meat market and Joseph found employment as a clerk in the hardware store of R. G. Rock on the location now occupied by Larimer's hardware store. The brothers were later associated in the butchering business at Belle Plaine, Iowa, for some years, but Joseph afterward returned to Cedar Rapids, where he died in 1883. Frank eondneted a successful business as proprietor of a meat market for a number of years but is now practically living retired in Belle Plaine. He is, however, the vice president of the First National Bank of that place. A daughter of the family, Anna Zalesky, contracted a fever on the voyage to the new world and died and was buried at the month of the St. Lawrence river among the Thousand Islands.
Wencil Zalesky was a youth of eleven years when he came with his parents to the new world and in the public schools of his native country and the public schools of Belle Plaine he acquired his education. At an early age he entered upon an apprenticeship to the butcher's trade under his brother Frank, who was living in Belle Plaine. After completing his apprenticeship, Wencil Zalesky continued with his brother in business in Belle Plaine until 1880 and the follow-
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ing year came to Cedar Rapids. Three years later he returned to Belle Plaine, where he was engaged in the butchering business until 1889, when he again eame to this eity and entered the employ of George Williams, who was then eonduet- ing a brewery in Cedar Rapids. In 1894 Mr. Zalesky was made local agent for the Anheuser Busch Brewing Association, in which capacity he has sinee served. He is loyal to the interests of the corporation which he represents and has built up a good business at this point for the house.
In 1878 Mr. Zalesky was united in marriage to Miss Mary Novotny, a daugh- ter of John and Katie (Miehalek) Novotny, of Poweshiek county, Iowa, and to them were born two children, of whom one died in infaney. The other child, William J., acquired his early education in the Cedar Rapids publie sehools and in 1899 entered the University of Michigan, where he pursued a medieal course and was graduated in 1903. Later he took a post-graduate course at Bellevue Hospital, New York city, and in 1904 was appointed navy surgeon. now serving on the eruiser Salem. Mr. Zalesky lost his first wife in 1883 and in 1887 he married Miss Rose Kubela, a daughter of Frank and Anna (Pokorry) Kubela, of Belle Plaine, Iowa. Two children have been born of the second union ; Otto, who died at the age of eighteen years; and Albert C., who is attending the Cedar Rapids high school. The family residence is at No. 408 Eighth avenue.
Mr. Zalesky, aside from his connection with the St. Louis corporation which he represents, is well known in banking eireles. Ile was one of the founders of the Iowa State Savings Bank and has been a member of its board of directors since its organization. He is recognized as a man of sound business judgment and of enterprising spirit and he eooperates in organized movements for the benefit of the city through his membership in the Cedar Rapids Commercial Club. He also belongs to John Hus Lodge, No. 51, I. O. O. F., and to Belle Plaine Lodge of the Knights of Pythias. He has won many friends not only among the people of his own nationality, but also among those with whom busi- ness and fraternal relations have brought him in contact.
NELSON H. STOOKEY
The agricultural interests of Linn county are well represented by Nelson II. Stookey, who now owns and operates a fine farm in Fayette township. He is a native of Indiana, born in Koseinsko county. June 7. 1853, and is a son of Abraham and Sarah B. (Lightfoot) Stookey, both natives of Ohio. As children they removed with their respective parents to the Hoosier state when that coun- try was a frontier settlement and there they grew to years of maturity and were married. The year 1857 witnessed their arrival in Iowa and they located in Marion township. Linn county, where the father had first engaged in farming on rented land. He made his first purchase of property in 1863, consisting of a traet of one hundred and eighty aeres adjoining the present farm of our subject. He continued to engage in agricultural pursuits until the spring of 1884, when he re- moved to Shellsburg and died in that place abont four months later. He was an ardent republican in polities and exerted a wide felt influence in public affairs, being called upon to fill various offiees of honor and trust, including those of township trustee and assessor. His wife long survived him and passed away in 1903, when in her ninety-first year.
Like most farm boys, Nelson H. Stookey acquired his early education in the distriet schools near his home and the knowledge there acquired was supple- mented by a course of study at Western College. Through the assistance he rendered his father in the cultivation of the home farm he gained an excellent
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knowledge of every department of farm work and on starting out in life for himself chose the ocenpation to which he had been reared. For two years after his marriage he operated rented land and then purchased eighty aeres of his present farm, to which he subsequently added a tract of one hundred and twenty-two aeres and still later another tract of one hundred and forty acres. He now owns three hundred and thirty-two aeres, having sold a small piece of his property. He is thorough and systematie in his methods of carrying on his work and is regarded as one of the best farmers of his community.
On the 1st of January, 1874, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Stookey and Miss Eliza Rife, of Canton township, Benton county, and seven children have been born to them, five of whom are still living, namely : Samuel S., at home with his parents; John J., now in California; Nellie M., who is success- fully engaged in teaching and resides at home; Thomas W., a butcher of Clay county, Iowa; and Flora A., at home.
Mr. Stookey gives his political allegiance to the men and measures of the republican party and his fellow citizens, recognizing his worth and ability, have called upon him to serve as township trustee for several years. He has also served on the school board for the greater part of the time during the past thirty years and has done mneh to advance the eanse of education in his locality. His wife is a member of the Presbyterian church and both are held in the highest esteem by all who know them.
JOSEPH KOZLOVSKY
Joseph Kozlovsky is now living retired in Cedar Rapids, although for many years he figured prominently in publie office and in mercantile and real-estate operations achieving success that enabled him at length to put aside the active cares of business and enjoy the comforts of life because of the fruits of his former toil. As the name indicates he comes of Bohemian ancestors, but his birth occurred on a farm near Kellnersville in Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, on the 14th of October, 1859.
Ilis parents, W. J. and Mary (Cenefelo) Kozlovsky were both natives of Bohemia and came to this country with their parents, the former when five or six years of age and the latter when about seventeen years of age. The two families settled ou farms in Wisconsin and there the father and mother of our subject were afterward married. In 1863 W. J. Kozlovsky came to Cedar Rapids, but the family remained in Wisconsin until two years later, when the mother and five children also arrived in this city. The father was identified with the butchering business here for a number of years, successfully conducting a meat market in Cedar Rapids and later removing to Marion. He afterward returned to the former city and engaged in the hotel business, being proprictor of the Cedar Rapids Hotel for a quarter of a century and thus becoming favor- ably known to the traveling publie as well as to the residents of this city. He died in 1894 and his wife died four years later.
Joseph Kozlovsky was reared at home and acquired his education in the public schools, passing through consecutive grades until he became a high school student. In his early manhood he assisted his father in the hotel business and later engaged in the restaurant business, with which he was identified for four or five years. He afterward conducted a confectionary and cigar store for six years and in these various undertakings met with good success, for he carefully managed his business interests, gave to the publie satisfactory service and was honorable in all his dealings.
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In 1893 Mr. Kozlovsky was elected a member of the city council and served for a term of two years. In 1898 he was elected chief of police of Cedar Rapids and served in that capacity for eight years, retiring from the police department in 1906, after which he was engaged in the real-estate business for two years, negotiating many important property transfers. At the end of that time ill health caused his retirement from active business life. He was formerly one of the organizers of the Iowa State Savings Bank and has since been one of its directors, owning considerable stock in the institution.
In 1888 Mr. Kozlovsky was united in marriage to Miss Mary Benesh, of St. Paul, Minnesota, and a native of Bohemia. He belongs to the John Hus Lodge, No. 51, I. O. O. F .; Cedar Rapids Lodge, No. 251, B. P. O. E .; and since 1882 has been a member of the Prokop Velky Lodge. No. 46, C. S. P. S .; and to Cedar Rapids Sokol Society. He gives his political allegiance to the democracy and is well informed not only upon political questions, but upon the various interests which claim his attention. Ile is recognized as a man of strong mind, of clear judgment and of keen discrimination, and there are few men of wider intellectual development than Joseph Kozlovsky. He has visited almost all foreign countries and therefore has a wide knowledge of those who people the different sections of Europe. He is a man of versatile popularity and a true citizen.
SAMUEL MOHLER
That Linn county offers excellent opportunities to the agriculturist is indicated in the fact that Samuel Mohler has acquired a vast amount of land, being now the owner of five hundred and fifty-five acres in Linn county, which is devoted to general farming. He also owns a farm of six hundred and forty aeres in Al- berta, Canada.
Mr. Mohler is a native of Bertram township, born on a farm in 1856, a son of George M. and Elizabeth (Allen) Mohler, whose family numbered eleven children. The father was born in Pennsylvania, while the mother elaimed Ohio as the state of her nativity. They sought a home in the middle west in October, 1855, at which time they purchased eighty acres of land in Linn county, on which they established their home and reared their family. This traet constitutes a portion of the land now owned by the subject of this review. The father took up the work of developing and improving his land and made his home thereon until his death, which occurred December 6, 1884. The mother survived for about five years and departed this life in June, 1889. Both died in the faith of the Meth- odist Episcopal church, of which they were devoted members. Of their eleven children the five living members are: Charles C., a resident of Bertram town- ship; J. W., who makes his home in Canada ; Samnel, of this review ; Mary E., the wife of G. E. Heath, of Woodbury county, Iowa ; and J. A., who is single and makes his home in Montana. The deceased members are George H., Margaret, Francis M., Jennie, Ardean and Edward.
Samuel Mohler was reared on the home farm, early being trained in the work of cultivating the soil and harvesting the erops. He remained on the home farm until he attained his majority and then made a trip to the west, remaining three years. At the end of that time he returned to Linn county and rented the old homestead farm, which he operated for three years. Ile then rented another traet of land near Fairfax, which he cultivated for five years. In the meantime he had been successful in his work and thus accumulated the money that enabled him to become the owner of the homestead farm, to which he has added from time to time until he now has five hundred and fifty-five acres, in Bertram. Franklin and Marion townships. On the farm stands a fine country residence, which is
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supplied with all modern improvements and accessories, while the barns and outbuildings are all arranged with a view to convenience. IIe employs the most modern methods in carrying on his work and in addition to general farming he raises stoek on quite an extensive seale and this has brought him a gratifying income.
On the 20th of May, 1886, Mr. Mohler was united in marriage to Miss Eliza- beth Marshall, who is a daughter of Joseph and Jane (Coburn) Marshall, the former a native of England and the latter of Illinois. Mrs. Mohler is the second in order of birth in a family of ten children, of whom the three youngest, Henry, John and Frank, are deceased. Those living are James, William, Milo, Edward, Joseph and Margaret. A daughter and son have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Mohler. Jennie E., who is now at home, has received liberal educational advan- tages, having spent three years at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. She is also a talented musician and was graduated from Mount Vernon Conservatory, while she also spent two years in Brazelton's Conservatory of Music, at Cedar Rapids. She has engaged in teaching school for the past four years. William S. is married and follows farming in Linn county, having recently purchased a traet of two hundred and seventy acres.
The parents are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal churel. Polit- ieally a demoerat, Mr. Moller is, however, quite liberal in his views. He has held nearly all the township offices, the duties of which he has always discharged with strict fidelity. The ideals of men like this, their personality, the history of their lives and their profound sense of integrity could be made the text of a lesson from which the young men of today could study success. He is looked upon as an exemplary man and the people of Linn eounty are proud to call him their own.
ANTON MATYK
Anton Matyk, a prominent representative of retail business interests in Cedar Rapids, manifests in his commercial career a spirit of marked enterprise and deter- mination. The straightforward and honorable business policy that he has ever followed and the progressive methods he pursues constitute the basis of his pros- perity and have won for him the high regard of business associates and contem- poraries.
Mr. Matyk was born in Bohemia, September 5, 1857, and is a son of Peter P. and Mary (Vecere) Matyk, who were also natives of the same country, where they were reared and married. In early manhood the father learned the trade of a hosiery maker and in 1866 emigrated to the United States with his family, con- sisting of himself, wife and four children - Anna, Mary, Anton and Frank. The family home was established in Belle Plaine, Iowa, where the father purchased a knitting machine and engaged in the manufacture of hosiery and mittens. Six years later, in 1872, he eame to Cedar Rapids where he continued in the same line of business condneting a knitting industry here for some years. In 1880 he turned his attention to merchandising and was proprietor of a store until 1895 when he retired from active business life. He spent his remaining days in the enjoyment of a well earned rest and passed away February 2, 1904, in his seventy- eighth year. He had for six years survived his wife, who died in 1898 at the age of sixty-nine years.
Anton Matyk spent his youthful days in his parents' home and was a lad of nine years when they crossed the Atlantic to the new world. He continued his education in the publie schools of Iowa, and when about sixteen years of age became an apprentice to the cooper's trade at which he worked for seven years. After his father established a store Anton Matyk became associated with him in
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the business, entering into partnership in 1880 under the firm name of Peter Matyk & Son. Since that time the house has been an important factor in the retail business eireles of Cedar Rapids. Upon the father's retirement in 1895 Anton Matyk beeame sole proprietor of the business which he still conduets, enjoying a large and growing trade. He is diligent, enterprising and progressive and meets the wants of his customers with a large and well selected stock. He is thoroughly reliable in all his business dealings and his sneeess is therefore justly merited.
In 1895 Mr. Matyk was united in marriage to Miss Mary Skvor, a native of Bohemia, who came to Cedar Rapids with her parents, John and Katheryn (Jansa) Skvor, from her native country about 1868. Mr. and Mrs. Matyk have two children, Lneille and William. Mrs. Matyk is very prominent in Bohemian lodge and society interests. She is the president of the Matiee Skolska, a society for the edueation of the children in the Bohemian language. She is also a member of the Bohemian Ladies Pomenka Vlasti J. C. D., and is identified with the Daughters of Rebekah. Mr. Matyk belongs to Jomm Hus Lodge, 51, I. O. O. F .; Odvalia Camp, 6849, M. W. A .; Kareliv, 77, C. S. P. S. His political allegianee is given to the demoeratie party and in 1887 he was elected for a two years' term to the city eouneil from the third ward. He is widely known in Cedar Rapids where he has made his home since his boyhood days and his many substan- tial qualities have gained him high and lasting regard in society eireles, as well as in business life. He is a man of great energy and earries forward to completion whatever he undertakes.
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