USA > Iowa > Louisa County > History of Louisa County, Iowa, from its earliest settlement to 1911, Volume II > Part 34
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For his wife and helpmate Mr. Gipple chose Miss Lona Metzger, their union being celebrated on the 27th of December, 1882. Mrs. Gipple is the eldest child of Nathan and Sally ( Felencer ) Metzger, unto whom were born nine chil- dren, seven now living: Lona, now Mrs. Gipple ; Ella, the wife of Frank Cham- berlain, of Louisa county ; and Jacob, Simon, David, Levi and Edward, all of whom reside in this county. One child died in infancy, and Matilda, the second in order of birth. is deceased.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Gipple eight children were born, but the eldest, a little daughter, died in infancy. The other seven are as follows: Charles and George, both of whom reside in Louisa county ; Glennie. the wife of L. Huston, also of this county ; and Harrison, Vernon, Hilton and Pearl, all of whom are at home.
The family always attend the Evangelical church of which the parents are members. Ever since being granted the full rights of citizenship upon attaining his majority Mr. Gipple has given his political support to the candidates of the republican party. Such success as has crowned the efforts of Mr. Gipple is the direct result of industry and thrift as well as clear judgment and intelligence in the direction of his undertakings.
JERRY G. KLOTZ.
The well tilled fields of a two hundred and fifty acre farm in Union town- ship do full credit to the agricultural skill of Jerry G. Klotz, one of Louisa county's sons whose natal day was the 15th of December, 1865. His parents, John and Emeline ( Mootheart ) Klotz, are natives of Pennsylvania. In the '50s they came to Iowa, settling in Louisa county where Mr. Klotz purchased some land in the cultivation of which he engaged until 1905. In April of that year his wife passed away and he has since resided in Johnson county, Iowa. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Klotz seven children were born : Jerry G. ; H. J .; Laura, the wife
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of Joseph Guins of Washington county, Iowa; Cora M .; Mand, who is deceased ; Rovena ; and Robert, who is deceased.
The boyhood and youth of J. G. Klotz were spent on the farm where he was born, while he pursued his education in the district schools of the neigh- borhood. As is usual with farmer lads he was early trained in the work of the homestead, in which occupation he was engaged during the greater portion of the time when not in the schoolroom. Thus when he had attained his majority he felt fully qualified to assume the responsibility of operating a farm and so rented some land which he cultivated for fifteen years. In 19to he purchased his present place, which is located on sections 3 and 4. Union township, and here he makes a specialty of raising and feeding stock.
On the 21st of May, 1895, he was united in marriage to Miss Anna Schom- berg, a daughter of Jacob and Catherine ( Halin ) Schomberg, who are now re- siding in Muscatine, he having retired in 1901, after long cultivating a farm of about four hundred acres in Louisa county. Mr. Schomberg's biographical record appears on another page of this work. Two children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Klotz: Gertrude J. and Grace Mildred. The family attend the Reformed church in which the parents hold membership and Mr. Klotz gives his political support to the democratic party. Ile is not an office seeker but has served in his district as school director, always having taken an earnest and active interest in educational matters. Although he has not long been residing upon his present place Mr. Klotz is going to have one of the fine homesteads of the township. His land is all in a high state of cultivation and he is keeping a high grade of stock, making a specialty of Poland China hogs, roan Durham and shorthorn cattle and Percheron horses. A man of progressive ideas, keen judgment and perseverance he will unquestionably meet with excellent success in his ventures.
A. J. GREINER, D. D. S.
The dental profession is very capably represented in Grand View by Dr. A. J. Greiner, who was born in Muscatine county, Iowa, on the 6th of April, 1887. His parents are W. P. and Katherine E. ( Bretz) Greiner, the father a native of Pennsylvania, and the mother of Virginia, their marriage, however, occur- ring in Muscatine. Subsequent thereto they settled upon a farm, in the cul- tivation of which Mr. Greiner engaged until his retirement in 1905, since which time they have been residing in the vicinity of Muscatine. Unto the union of Mr. and Mrs. Greiner were born five children, in the following order: W. S., who is a farmer in Muscatine county ; Myrtle M., the wife of C. W. McPike, of Muscatine county ; Edna M., who is still at home; A. J .; and Frona, who is deceased.
The preliminary education of A. J. Greiner was acquired in the village schools in the vicinity of his home, following which he attended the German-
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English College at Wilton Junction for a year. He also pursued a commercial course in the Muscatine Business College, of which institution he is a graduate, and for a year attended the Iowa City Academy. His professional course he took in the department of dentistry of the State University at Iowa City, being awarded his degree with the class of 1909. On the 2d of August, 1909, he estab- lished an office in Grand View where he has since been engaged in practice. He is the only dentist in the town and having proven his ability and fitness for the vocation he represents has built up a very good practice.
Dr. Greiner is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and fraternally he is identified with the Masonic order, being affiliated with the lodge at Letts. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Orld Fellows, holding membership in the lodge of Grand View. During the period of his residence in Grand View he has made many friends, all of whom speak of him in high terms both profes- sionally and socially.
DANIEL SNYDER.
Agricultural pursuits have always engaged the attention of Daniel Snyder, who for the past eight years has been engaged in general farming in Grand View township. lle was born in Louisa county on the 13th of November, 1849, his parents being Philip and Rebecca ( Thomas) Snyder. The father was a native of Germany and the mother of Pennsylvania, and they were married in the Key- stone state in 1844. In 1848 they came to Louisa county, Iowa, settling on a farm of eighty acres which Mr. Snyder purchased in Grand View township. He continued the operation of this place until his death, which occurred on the 22d of February, 1889. During the forty-one years of his residence in Iowa Mr. Snyder had acquired four hundred and twenty acres of land, all of which was well improved and under a high state of cultivation at the time of his demise. Mrs. Snyder survived until 1891, her death occurring in the month of July. By their union there were born nine children, five of whom are surviving : George, the eldest, who is living with his brother Daniel; John, a resident of Letts ; Daniel, our subject : Julia, the wife of John Wagoner, a resident of Richmond, Kansas; and Reuben, who is living in Des Moines. Those deceased are as follows : Philip, Catherine, Caroline and Rebecca.
The first thirty-one years of the life of Daniel Snyder were spent on the homestead where he was born, his education being acquired in the district schools of the locality. After laying aside his text-books he gave his entire attention to the work of the farm, under the supervision of his father, until he was twenty- four. At the expiration of that period he began operating the homestead on the shares, this arrangement existing for seven years. In 1880 he went to Nebraska, where he filed claim of one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he farmed for twelve years. Disposing of same at the end of that time he returned to Iowa, and in 1894 he bought ninety acres in the vicinity of Fairfield, Jefferson county,
MR. AND MRS. DANIEL SNYDER
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which he cultivated until 1903. He then sold his interests there and returned to Louisa county, purchasing his present homestead in Grand View township. Besides this place he owns some town property, including a residence in Muscatine.
At Red Cloud, Nebraska, June 6, 1882, Mr. Snyder married Miss Mary Wittwer, a native of Switzerland, which country was also the birthplace of her parents, Christian and Anna ( Street ) Wittwer. She died January 14, 1903. On the 27th of January, 1904, Mr. Snyder was united in marriage to Mrs. Elizabeth Reet Burris, the widow of Leonard Burris and a daughter of Nelson and Caroline (VanWagoner ) Reet, natives of Ohio. Her father passed away in 1887 and the mother on the 14th of December, 1910. Four of the nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Reet are living : J. S., who is a resident of Louisa county ; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Snyder; A. F., who is living in Wapello; and Elmeda, the widow of 1.ee Buel. The five deceased are as follows: Solomon, William, Rachel, Hannah and Melissa. Mrs. Snyder had six children by her first husband, two of whom are living : James M., who is forty years of age, now residing in Davenport, Iowa ; and Caroline, the widow of Mike Pfeifer. Those deceased are Margaret, Ger- trude, Leonard and an infant who is unnamed.
Mr. and Mrs. Snyder manifest their religious faith by their affiliation with the Congregational church, with which they have long been identified and among whose membership they find many congenial acquaintances and friends.
OWEN WEHR.
Owen Wehr, who engages in general farming on a two hundred acre tract in Union township, was born in Lehigh county, Pennsylvania, December 11, 1833, and is a son of Michael and Maria ( Metzker) Wehr. His parents were also natives of the Keystone state as were the grandparents but the paternal great- grandfather was a native of Switzerland. The parents spent their entire lives in the state of their nativity where the father engaged in farming until his demise, which occurred when he was about seventy-seven years of age, while the mother passed away some time after the seventieth anniversary of her birth. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Wehr were born nine children, but two of whom are now surviving : our subject, the elder; the other being Wilson, who is a resident of Lehigh county, Pennsylvania. Those deceased are: David, Reuben, Steven, Lydia, Maria, Louisa and Sallie, all of whom passed away in Pennsylvania.
The boyhood and youth of Owen Wehr were not unlike those of other farmer lads of the period. In the acquirement of his education he attended the common schools of his native state, during which time he was also becoming familiar with the most practical methods of tilling the fields. He was twenty- two years of age when he left home and settled in Indiana, where for nine years he followed the carpenter's trade and also engaged in contracting. At the end of that time he decided to go to farming and for two years thereafter cultivated the soil. In 1858 he again started westward, this time locating in Louisa county.
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where he has lived continuously since. Two years after his arrival he began improving and cultivating a portion of the land which forms his present home- stead. He has at various times extended the boundaries of his farm, which now embraces two hundred acres of fertile land. His holdings, which are located on section 31, Union township, contain well constructed substantial buildings, which, owing to his skill as a carpenter, Mr. Wehr is always able to keep well repaired and in good condition. Good fences enclose his fields, all of which have been brought to a high state of cultivation and annually yield abundant harvests. In common with the majority of lowa farmers Mr. Wehr devotes a great deal of time and attention to the raising and feeding of stock, and always keeps a goodly number of cattle and hogs on his place. .
For his companion and helpmate on the journey of life Mr. Wehr chose Miss Lydia Lecklitner, their union being solemnized in January 1, 1860. Mrs. Wehr is a native of Indiana and a daughter of David and Magdelina ( Wehr) Leck- litner, both natives of Pennsylvania, where they were also married. They mi- grated to Indiana during the pioneer days locating in Clinton county where for many years the father cultivated a homestead. Ile passed away in 1886 and the mother in 1801. Their family also numbered nine children and of the three surviving Mrs. Wehr is the eldest, the other two being: Moses, who is a resi- dent of Indiana ; and Rebecca, who became the wife of Allen Glick, of Indiana. Those deceased are as follows: Saloma, Paul, Ellen, Maria, Polly and Aaron, all of whom, with the exception of Paul and Maria, passed away in Indiana.
Unto the union of Mr. and Mrs. Wehr have been born four children: Joseph A., who is married and living in Washington county where he owns and culti- vates a farm; Rosa, the wife of Oscar Dreibelbis, of Pennsylvania; Ella, the wife of W. J. Walker, who is engaged in the real-estate business in Des Moines, Iowa; and Nettie Leotta, who died at the age of two years.
In political affairs Mr. Wehr has always affiliated with the democratic party but has never been an aspirant to official honors. Fraternally he is connected with the Masonic order, being a member of the lodge at Columbus Junction. Both he and his wife are identified with the Reformed church. The success which has attended the efforts of Mr. Wehr would do credit to the endeavors of any man, and is all the more commendable in view of the fact that it is the result of the well directed efforts of one who started out empty-handed at the age of twenty-two years.
THOMAS M. BROWN.
Among the self-made men of Louisa county must be numbered Thomas M. Brown, who for over sixty-seven years was identified with the agricultural de- velopment of Muscatine county, but is now living retired in Letts. He was born in Union county, Indiana, on the 24th of December, 1832, being a son of Mathew and Julia F. ( Bromage) Brown. The father was a native of North
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Carolina, his birth occurring in 1806, while the mother, who was a Virginian, was born in 1810. He was of German extraction and she of English. They were married in Indiana in 1827, continuing to make that state their home for some years thereafter. Seven children were born to them, four of whom sur- vive: Thomas M .; H. P., who is a resident of Letts; N. J., who lives in Dallas county, Iowa; and Emily, the widow of Sidney Davis, of North Bend, Wiscon- sin. The father passed away in 1842 but the mother survived until 1893.
Thomas M. Brown's boyhood and youth lacked the advantages and pleasures which are generally considered to be the rightful heritage of every child. Being but a lad of eight years when his father died and one of the elder members of a large family he early had to assume the responsibilities which belong to man- hood. At the age of thirteen he had to terminate his schooling, which had con- sisted of a three months' course, and become a wage earner. For ten years thereafter he worked in the pineries-not the best place for the intellectual or moral development of a lad. In the winter he felled trees and in the spring and summer rafted the logs down the Mississippi to the mills. He was an ambitious young man and desired to get along in the world so in 1855 he rented a sawmill on the present site of Columbus Junction. This he operated for two years during which time he sawed the lumber for the first railroad bridge which spanned the Cedar river. At the expiration of that time he leased two hundred and forty acres of land which he cultivated for five years. In February, 1859, he took charge of Lord's ferry on the Cedar river. continuing to run it until 1862, in August of which year he enlisted in Company F. Thirty-fifth lowa Infantry, and went to the front as first sergeant of his company. He was in seventeen general engagements besides many skirmishes. In front of Spanish Fort, at the capture of Mobile, Alabama, he was hit by a piece of shell in the left leg, which incapacitated him for three months. This wound still bothers him some. He served until the 20th of August, 1865, when he received his discharge at Daven- port. Returning to Muscatine county he bought the interests of the other heirs in his father's homestead, which he operated in connection with two hundred and forty acres which he rented. In 1877 he bought this also, improving it and bring- ing it to a high state of cultivation. He continued to engage in farming for thirty years at the end of which time he sold his property and retired to Letts, where he owns one of the finest residences in the town.
Mr. Brown established a home for himself by his marriage, on the 3d of July, 1856, to Miss Sophia Ferry, a native of the state of New York. Her parents were Silas and Flavia ( French) Ferry, the mother a native of Massachusetts and the father of Pennsylvania. They were married in the state of New York, whence they came to Iowa in 1838 locating in Burlington. Of the thirteen children born unto them only five are surviving: Sophia, now Mrs. Brown ; Sarah P., the wife of John Lambert, of Guthrie county; Henry L., of South Flavia, the wife of Josiah Ballet, of Oxford, Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Ferry Flavia, the wife of Josiah Ballet, of Oxford, Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Ferry resided in Iowa until their death, during which time the father figured quite prominently in public affairs, having been sheriff and deputy sheriff in Des
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Moines county for sixteen years. At the time of his death he owned one hun- dred and sixty acres of land in Orono township, Muscatine county. He passed away in 1863, having survived his wife for thirteen years, her demise occurring in 1850.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Brown were born nine children: Edwin B., who is married and farming in South Dakota, where he owns one thousand acres of land; Henry, who died at the age of four years, while Mr. Brown was in the army ; Cora, who was fourteen months old at the time of her demise; Horace, who is married and follows farming in Durham, Missouri, where he owns some fine property ; Myra, the deceased wife of Louis Norris, who is a foreman in the Denver & Rio Grande shops at Grand Junction, Colorado; Julia W., the wife of Sully Blake, a farmer of Muscatine county ; Hugh, who is a resident of Wiley, Colorado; Vesta, who married Ivan Hadley, of Muscatine, lowa; and Lucius, who married Blanche Shellebarger and is now residing in Letts. Realizing from his own experience the disadvantage of a limited education, Mr. Brown sent all of his children through high school.
Fraternally Mr. Brown is a member of the Masonic order, being affiliated with Letts Lodge, No. 545, A. F. & A. M., which he joined in 1874. In politics he is a democrat but has never been an office seeker. He is one of the highly respected men of Letts. Despite the hardships and handicaps he encountered as a young man he has conquered by sheer force of his own determination and has attained the goal where many a man, possessing better early advantages has failed.
C. V. COCKLIN.
Success has rewarded the intelligently directed efforts of C. V. Cocklin, who for over twenty years has been engaged in agricultural pursuits in Grand View township. He was born in Pottawattamie county, lowa, on the 24th of July, 1857, and is a son of Reuben F. and Margaret ( Beck ) Cocklin, who were natives of Pennsylvania. Soon after their marriage they came to Iowa, living in Burlington for a short time, and from there they removed to Pottawattamie county, whence they came to Louisa county. They located on a farm which Mr. Cocklin purchased in Grand View township and there they continued to reside until they retired to Grand View in 1908. He passed away on the 26th of February, 1910, but his wife still survives at the venerable age of eighty-four and is living in Grand View. Five children were born to them: Letitia, the wife of Benton Christie, of Grand View ; Clark, who is a resident of Grand View town- ship; Mary B., the wife of George Rexroth, of Grand View; C. V., the subject of this sketch; and George W., who is living in Muscatine.
C. V. Cocklin was reared on the old homestead in this county, obtaining his education in the district schools. He began assisting with the work of the farm while still a very young lad and at the age of nineteen he became a wage
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earner. For six years thereafter he worked as a farm hand, withdrawing from that employment when he was married to begin for himself. He subsequently rented land which he cultivated for nine years, during which time he acquired sufficient capital to buy thirty acres of land. This formed the nucleus of his present farm, to which he has since added at different times until the aggregate of his present holdings is three hundred and eighty-two acres. Mr. Cocklin's homestead is located on section 36, Grand View township, and two hundred acres of it is under a high state of cultivation. The property is well improved and cared for, and the stock and grain adequately housed, while everything radiates an air of thrift and prosperity. In connection with the cultivation of his fields he raises and feeds stock, the latter having proven to be especially lucrative.
The 4th of September, 1881, was the date of the marriage of Mr. Cocklin and Miss Millie Bernard, who was born in Port Louisa township on the 7th of January, 1863. She is a daughter of Charles and Mary ( Schneider ) Bernard. the father a native of Gallipolis, Ohio, and the mother of Germany, but they were married in this county. The father worked out for a few years after their marriage and then bought a farm, which he cultivated until his death in June, 1910. Mrs. Bernard still survives at the age of eighty and makes her home with her daughter. Of the nine children born to them six are deceased, those surviving being: Ella, who married Nicholas Yancy, of the state of Washing- ton ; Millie, now Mrs. Cocklin; and Myra, who married James Haroff, of Louisa county.
To Mr. and Mrs. Cocklin have been born five children: Charles R., who was born on the 21st of June. 1884, and is now married and living on a portion of his father's homestead; George B., born on the 30th of March, 1889, who married Lucille Paris and reside on the home farm: Jessie L., born on the 28th of March, 1892; Howard, born on the 8th of October, 1895; and Bessie, whose birth occurred April 30, 1899.
His political allegiance Mr. Cocklin accords the candidates of the republican party and he is now serving as a trustee, while for fifteen years he has been a member of the school board. He is one of the progressive and intelligent citi- zens of the community whose support is always given to every movement which will tend to better local conditions.
SAMUEL H. CREIGHTON.
The building interests of Oakville find a very capable representative in Sam- uel H. Creighton, who has long been successfully engaged in contracting in Louisa county. His birth occurred in Elliott township on the 23d of March, 1873. and he is the eldest son of David J. and Mary R. (Conrod) Creighton, now residents of Mediapolis. The father is also a native of this county. Unto Mr. and Mrs. David J. Creighton were born five children, the other four being.
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as follows: Emily Ann, the widow of Frank Robinson, of Ottumwa, Iowa; Melissa H., who married George Cobbs, of Ottumwa; Dennis, who is a resident of Mediapolis; and Letta, who became the wife of Fred Wallace, also of Ottumwa.
AAfter the completion of his education, which was acquired in the district schools. Samuel H. Creighton learned the carpenter's trade, being at that time but eighteen years of age. Gradually he extended the scope of his activities until he is now engaged in contracting and building. He also owns a cement block factory in Oakville, where he manufactures every form of block used in the construction of buildings. The first cement house erected in Oakville was designed and built by Mr. Creighton, and he also designed and constructed the new fire-proof high school building. More than average success has attended his efforts and he now owns three pieces of residence property in Oakville and also a number of lots.
In 1896 Mr. Creighton married Miss Anna Carter, also a native of Louisa county. Prior to her marriage she was identified with the educational interests of the county, being a teacher in the public schools.
Fraternally Mr. Creighton is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being identified with Oakville Lodge, No. 135, I. O. O. F., and he votes the republican ticket but has never been an office seeker. A good workman and capable business man, he possesses the essential qualities to assure success in the work he has elected to follow, from which he has realized gratifying returns.
JOSEPH H. DODDER.
The operation of a valuable farm of two hundred acres in Grand View town- ship engages the attention of Joseph H. Dodder, who was born in Sussex county, New Jersey, on the 4th of February, 1846. His parents, Henry and Margaret (Ripley) Dodder were both born in 1807 in the state of New Jersey, which was also the scene of their marriage. They continued to reside there until 1850 when they migrated to Iowa, locating in Louisa county. Here the father bought a farm of one hundred and twenty acres which is now comprised in the homestead of his son Joseph H. The mother passed away in 1864, but the father survived until the 14th of November, 1887, always having lived on his farm. Of the seven children born unto them all but the youngest son were natives of New Jersey. The order of their birth is as follows: Jacob, who is deceased ; Elizabeth, the wife of George W. Benson, of Iowa City; Margaret, who married Ira H. Walker, of Grand View; Sarah, the wife of Merrick Murphy, of New York; Isaiah, who was killed at the battle of Belmont during the Civil war; Joseph H., our subject ; and Albert, who is a resident of Grand View.
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