USA > Iowa > Madison County > History of Madison County, Iowa, and its people, Volume II > Part 35
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to him that he has done his part in bringing about the rapid development of this locality. He has made many improvements upon his farm and as he manages his work well he has accumulated a competence. He specializes in the raising of sheep and Poland China hogs and as his stock is of good grade and is in ex- cellent condition when sold it brings good prices upon the market. He has a good orchard and raises a certain kind of apple that is not found elsewhere in this county, the seed of which was brought from Ohio.
In 1870 Mr. Duff married Miss Josephine Melton, who was born in Knox county, Illinois, July 20, 1853, a daughter of David and Elizabeth (Wight) Melton, the former born on the 4th of May, 1827, and the latter on the Ist of July, 1830. They were married in 1846 and resided upon a farm in Illinois until 1858, when they removed to Adair county, Iowa, locating on land just across the road from Madison county. Mr. Melton took a lively interest in public affairs and was widely known and highly esteemed. His last years were spent at the home of our subject, and he passed away on the 21st of February. 1899, having survived his wife since the 26th of March, 1890.
To Mr. and Mrs. Duff have been born five children. Newton V., born on the 30th of December, 1872, married Miss Mary Alexander, a daughter of a veteran of the Civil war, living in Earlham, and to them has been born a son, Russell. Myrtle M., born October 18, 1874, is the wife of William Hawken- berry, a carpenter of Earlham, and they have two children, Mackelvy and Leo. Milton C., born on the 24th of March, 1877, owns land in South Dakota and is following agricultural pursuits. He married Miss Tillie Bast and they have four children, Orland, Robert Earl, Lyman and Raymond. Ella E., born on the 13th of July, 1880, is the wife of Charles Rogan, the manager of the Dexter Mutual Telephone Company. Velma G., whose natal day was the 21st of October, 1882, gave her hand in marriage to Arthur Aitchison, a farmer, and they make their home with our subject.
Mr. Duff is a democrat politically and has for many years been one of those men who take the lead in bettering conditions. He had much to do with building the good roads of the county, and in the early days aided materially in the establishing of schools and churches, although he is not a member of any church. He has been elected to a number of township offices but has failed to qualify, as he prefers to perform his public duties as a private citizen. He is widely known throughout the county and his friends are legion, as his character and personality are such as command the warm regard of all who know him.
ALVA B. WEEKS.
Alva B. Weeks, who is farming on section 5, Monroe township, was born upon his father's farm in that township on the 14th of April, 1863. An account of the life of his father, William H. Weeks, will be found elsewhere in this' work. The son attended the public schools and thus gained a serviceable edu- cation, at the same time assisting his father with the work of the home farm. When he was twenty-nine years of age he purchased two hundred acres of land adjoining his father's farm and has since given his time to its cultivation and
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development. It was improved when it came into his possession but none of the buildings that were there at the time are standing now. He has erected a new residence, barns and other outbuildings and has made many improvements upon his place. He follows general farming and is successful in that occupa- tion, as he is industrious and plans his work carefully. For a period of nine years he resided in Colorado Springs, where he engaged in the souvenir business, but during the greater part of his active life he has followed agricultural pur- suits, which he finds both congenial and profitable.
Mr. Weeks married Miss Nina Schmidt, who was born in Germany and emigrated to the United States when eighteen years of age. They have four children, Ila May, Albert B., Mary Freda and Alvin K. Mr. Weeks is a repub- lican, and both he and his wife belong to the Congregational church. They hold a high place in the estimation of those who know them and have made many warm friends.
TIMOTHY I. KILLAM.
Timothy I. Killam, who owns a number of farms in Madison county and has other business interests, has for forty years resided in this county and for a quarter of a century in St. Charles, where he is now living. He was born in Clayton county, Iowa, on the 20th of August, 1857, a son of Timothy I. Killam, Sr., who was born and reared in Hartford county, Connecticut, as was his wife, who in her maidenhood bore the name of Henrietta Billings. They were mar- ried in their native county but removed to Clayton county, Iowa, at an early day in the history of the state, locating upon land which Mr. Killam entered from the government. In the latter '6os they came to Madison county and resided for five years at Winterset, after which they took up their abode upon land which Mr. Killam purchased. The last three years of his life were spent in Adair county, Iowa, where he passed away in 1890 when seventy-three years of age. He had survived his wife for some time, as she was called to the home beyond in 1878. He was successful as a farmer and, holding the confidence of his neighbors, was elected to numerous township offices on the republican ticket. Both he and his wife belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church. To them were born six children, namely: Mrs. Maria Brooker, of Earlham, who is now seventy-three years of age; Mrs. Elizabeth Brooker, of Van Meter, Iowa; J. M., of Truro; Clinton D., of Sioux City, Iowa, who is vice president of a large casket company; Timothy I .; and George A., of Denver, Colorado, who for the last thirty-five years has been active in the real-estate business.
Timothy I. Killam, Jr., became a resident of Madison county in his child- hood and here grew to man's estate, acquiring his education in the common schools and in the Winterset high school. At one time he and two brothers were engaged in the lumber business, and for the last thirty-seven years he has given much of his attention to agriculture and stock-raising. He has held title to con- siderable Dakota land and still owns three farms in this county, from which he derives a handsome income. While in the lumber business he also dealt in grain
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and coal and proved a successful merchant, buying wisely and selling at reason able prices.
Mr. Killam was married in this county to Miss Minerva Smith, who was born in Ohio on the 9th of May, 1858, but was reared near Winterset, this county. Her father, James Smith, is mentioned more at length upon another page of this work. For some time previous to her marriage she gave piano lessons. Mr. and Mrs. Killam have become the parents of three children : Charles Le Roy, who is in the hardware business in St. Charles, married Miss Vesta Vanscoy and has three children; Myrtle is at home; and Earl D., a young man of twenty-one, is employed in the Bank of Adel and is well known in local musical circles, being a fine tenor singer.
Mr. Killam is a republican and has held many local offices, proving both capable and conscientious in the performance of his duties. Fraternally he is connected with the Masonic order and his wife is a member of the Eastern Star. Both belong to the Methodist Episcopal church. Upon removing to St. Charles he purchased a beautiful home, which was formerly the Charles Wood residence, and the many friends of the family are always sure of a hospitable welcome at the Killam home. Mr. Killam has been ready in recognizing opportunity and prompt in taking advantage thereof, and his alertness and sound business judg- ment have been essential factors in his attainment of financial independence.
ANDREW SHELTON SPEER.
Andrew Shelton Speer is one of the oldest settlers in Madison county and the oldest settler in Jackson township, where he has lived for a longer period than any other resident, having come here sixty-one years ago. He resides upon his farm, and although eighty-five years of age, still has a firm grasp upon his affairs and takes a keen interest in the events in the world at large. He was born in Lawrence county, Indiana, on the 18th of February, 1830, of the marriage of Andrew and Dicy ( Kirby) Speer, the former born in Ken- tucky in what was then Shelby county but is now Olin county. The Speer family came originally from Ireland and for many generations there has been a son named Andrew. The first of the family to settle in the United States bore that name and lived to the remarkable age of one hundred and five years. His wife also reached a venerable age and they lived together for eighty years, a record seldom equalled. He had an old steelyard and it was his desire that it be given to the Andrew of each of the generations following him. The son of our subject, who was named Andrew, having died in 1899, the steelyard is still in the former's possession.
Andrew Speer, the father of our subject, followed farming in Kentucky until in 1824, when he removed to Leesville, Indiana. That part of the state was then a pioneer region and he hauled the first goods into the village of Lees- ville. He was instrumental in securing the early subscription schools, and with his neighbors built a blockhouse to protect the white settlers from the Indians, who were numerous and at times hostile. One of the men, Jacob Flynn, was carried away by the red men and taken to a point on the Wabash river north of
ANDREW S. SPEER
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Vincennes. He pretended to be unable to paddle a canoe and his captors relaxed their guard of him somewhat, giving him considerable freedom in the task as- signed him, that of picking herbs. He succeeded in escaping from them and for two weeks lived on leaves and buds and was completely exhausted when finally picked up by white men and sent back to his family. Our subject's father resided in the Iloosier state until his demise. He owned two hundred and eighty acres and had also purchased forty acres for each of his eleven children. The latter part of his life he was an influential member and active worker in the United Brethren church. He held a number of township offices and was well known and sincerely respected. Our subject is the third youngest in a family of eleven children, three others of whom, Jesse, James and George W., were at one time residents of this county.
Andrew Shelton Speer attended the subscription and district schools of Indiana, and when twenty-one years of age became a teacher in that state. In 1853 he joined a party of emigrants who came overland to Jackson township, this county, and entered government land. He built a log cabin and for several years kept bachelor's hall. At the time of his arrival here there were but two families in his locality and the great prairies were still as they had been for unknown ages. Game was plentiful and he was once mistaken for a wolf, as he wore a fur coat, and was shot in the jaw December 11, 1855. His life was despaired of but he was carefully nursed by neighbors, and recovered without any ill effects, save for a scar which he carries to this day. He cherishes the memory of Mrs. Fry, who gave him every attention, and Mr. Speer feels very grateful to her for the courtesy rendered. Winterset was but a small village and there was only one cabin on the east side of the square. He purchased two hundred and forty acres on section 12, Jackson township, from the gov- ernment, paying a dollar and a quarter per acre He immediately began to break the sod and bring his land under cultivation. Shortly before his marriage he built a new home for his bride and the house is still standing. It remained the family home for many years and there all of his children were born. He followed general farming and stock-raising during his active life and was very successful in those occupations. He was active in community affairs in the early history of the county and for several years served as township assessor. For seven winters in the early period of his residence here the snow was so deep that it was possible to drive to town over the fences.
In April, 1863, Mr. Speer was united in marriage to Miss Nancy Evans, who was born in Des Moines county, this state, in 1843. Her entire life has been spent in Iowa, as she has never been outside the boundaries of the state. Her parents were Robert A. and Elizabeth (Shoemaker ) Evans, the former of whom was born in Washington county, Indiana. Elizabeth Shoemaker was a de- scendant of one of the oldest families of Pennsylvania and was a schoolmate of President Tyler. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Speer fought in the Revo- lutionary war under General Washington. Her father, Robert A. Evans, went to Des Moines county, Iowa, in 1831 and found all kinds of wild game, includ- ing buffalo. Indians were also numerous and there were but few white settlers in the county. In 1846 he voted for statehood and he performed well his part in laying the foundation of the greatness of Iowa today. In 1848 he removed to this county and purchased four hundred and forty acres of land in Douglas
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township. He continued to reside there until his death. He was without political aspirations, but was active in school and church affairs, particularly in the latter, being a charter member of the Baptist church of Douglas township. His brother Joseph was the first sheriff of Madison county and some of his brothers fought in the War of 1812.
Mr. and Mrs. Speer are the parents of twelve children. James M., born February 20, 1864, is a salesman living with his parents. Alice is the wife of William Anderson, a farmer residing near Norwalk, Iowa, and they have seven children. Andrew J., born October 31, 1867, died in 1899. Elizabeth is the wife of John Piatt, a farmer of Jackson township, and they have four children. Robert E., born October 13, 1870, is a musician traveling with a circus. Dicy is the wife of Alexander McQuie, a farmer of Penn township, who was born on the ocean while his parents were emigrating from Scotland to the United States. John C., born July 13, 1874, died August 11, 1914. William G., born August 18, 1876, and Charles Darwin, born May 12, 1878, are both at home. Adela is the wife of August Bloomquist, a farmer of Adair county, and they have five children. Blanche is the wife of Henry White, a farmer of Dallas county, and they have four children. Mabel C. is the wife of Ralph Bricker, a farmer.
Mr. Speer deserves great credit for what he has accomplished in life, for he is distinctly a self-made man. During the first eight years of his residence in this county he cleared, broke and cultivated forty acres of land. He is not only esteemed throughout the county because of his sterling qualities of man- hood and the honorable part which he played for so many years in the develop- ment of the county, but is also popular, among the young and old, as he is very hospitable and pleasant. Although he is living retired from the active work of the world, he keeps well informed as to what is happening not only in his locality but in the state and nation, and his naturally keen mind and wide experience and observation make him an entertaining conversationalist. His is an old age that brings with it its distinctive enjoyment and forms a fitting close to a life of honorable achievement.
ANDREW J. SHAFFER.
The birth of Andrew J. Shaffer, a well known farmer of section 7, Douglas township, occurred in Switzerland county, Indiana, on the 15th of April, 1845, and his parents were Henry and Elizabeth (Myers) Shaffer. The father, who was born on the 18th of February, 1800, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, removed to Indiana when conditions were those of the frontier and resided upon rented farms until 1855, when he and his family made the trip overland to Madison county, Iowa, being seven weeks on the way. They settled in Madison township, eight miles from Winterset, and after living there for about a decade, removed to a farm in Douglas township which the father had purchased. Mr. Shaffer died at the home of our subject on the 12th of February, 1891. He suffered to the full extent the privations and hardships of pioneering on the desolate
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open prairies. His first residence in this county was but a log house with the chink holes stuffed with hay, and the severe winters occasioned much suffering, but he persevered and did his part in the development of the county. His wife was a native of the Hoosier state, born in 1814, and passed away on the 25th of September, 1868.
Andrew J. Shaffer, who is one of a family of ten children, attended the early schools in Indiana, and Madison county, Iowa, which were held in log schoolhouses and which were primitive in every respect. The seats were peg stools and the desks were but six inches wide, while the curriculum embraced little beyond the three Rs. As there was a large family and as it was a struggle to make a living, our subject began to work upon his uncle's farm when but nine years of age, and thus partly provided for his own support. He rode one horse and drove the three others hitched to the plow, using a jerk line, and for one month's work received a dollar. He purchased a vest with his money and kept it for many years after he reached manhood. When a boy of twelve or thirteen years he often went with his uncle and other men to hunt deer and turkeys, and at times killed some of the game himself. While still in his teens he hauled pro- visions from Des Moines and Oskaloosa ; he drove hogs on foot to Grinnell at a time when there was not even a railroad in Des Moines; and when seventeen years of age he hauled logs cut from timber land on what is now the Iowa state fair grounds at Des Moines. The logs, which were used to make bridge materials for the railroads that were building into Des Moines, were so heavy that five yoke of oxen were required to haul them. At that time Des Moines was only a small village and few could foresee its rapid growth and development. In 1866 Mr. Shaffer began farming for himself in this county and in 1882 he bought his present farm on section 7, Douglas township. It comprises sixty acres and is in a high state of cultivation, while all of the buildings are kept in the best of repair. He is practical in his methods and the sale of his crops yields him a gratifying annual income.
On the 10th of March, 1868, the marriage of Mr. Shaffer and Miss Margaret Cowden was solemnized. She was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, May 6, 1848, a daughter of David and Sarah Ann (Acheson ) Cowden. The father was born near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 24th of March, 1817, and the mother on the 5th of November, 1827, in Guernsey county, Ohio. The father's birth occurred just twenty-four days after his parents had emigrated to this country from Scotland. When a young man he began farming in Guernsey county, Ohio, and resided there until 1857, when he and his family came over- land to Madison county, Iowa. Conditions were then distinctly pioneer and there were but few settlers. A number of times the lives of his wife and daughter were endangered and there were many privations to be endured. Mr. Cowden became the owner of land in Page county in addition to his holdings in this county, which comprised one hundred acres. General farming and stock- raising claimed his time and he was highly esteemed in his community. He was an active republican and took a good citizen's interest in everything relating to the public welfare. He was one of the charter members and organizers of the First United Presbyterian church in Jackson township and contributed lib- erally to the support of that organization. He passed away on the 9th of De- cember, 1895, but is survived by his widow, who still resides in Jackson town-
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ship. To their union were born ten children, of whom the wife of our subject is the eldest.
To Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer have been born four children, as follows: Effie Bell was born January 14, 1872, and died January 7, 1895. Bert Dayton, born October 29, 1875, is a farmer in Montana. He married Miss Emily White and- they have two children, Ora J., and Mildred L. Clarence M. was born March 27, 1877, and died June 13, 1892. Clyde C., born March 19, 1882, is a successful young farmer of this county. He married Miss Edith Wray and their children are Hazel M. and Dorothy E.
Mr. Shaffer is loyal in his support of the democratic party, voting for its candidates and measures. He has always been active in the United Presbyterian church and contributed to the building fund of the local church of that denomi- nation, which is situated near Pitzer, in Jackson township. He finds his greatest pleasure in the society of his family and friends, and his fine qualities of char- acter insure him the respect of all who come in contact with him.
GEORGE W. MYERS.
George W. Myers, a farmer of Douglas township, is a native of Butler county, Ohio, born June 2, 1862. His parents, Charles and Huldah ( Whittaker) Myers, were also born in the Buckeye state, the father on the 20th of July, 1828, and the mother on the Ioth of July, 1833. As a young man Charles Myers was employed as a bookkeeper in a store in Ohio but later turned his attention to general farming, cultivating land in Butler county. In 1865 he removed to Illinois, taking up his residence in Woodford county, where he also farmed. In 1883 a removal was made to the vicinity of Lexington, Nebraska, which remained his home until his death, which occurred on the 3d of July, 1908. Upon first settling in that state conditions were quite primitive and his first home there was a sod house. He was a republican in his political allegiance but held no office other than that of assessor, as his private affairs demanded his entire attention. Two of his brothers were members of Ohio regiments in the Civil war. Of the eight children born to him and his wife, George W., who is the fifth in order of birth, is the only one residing in this county. One lives in Oklahoma, one in British Columbia, one elsewhere in Canada, one in Kansas, one in Montana and one in South Dakota. All are engaged in farming with the exception of one. The mother survives at the age of eighty-one years and makes her home with her children.
As a boy George W. Myers attended the district schools of Illinois and there mastered the fundamental branches of learning. He remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-one years of age and then became a farm hand in Illinois. In 1894 he removed to Jackson township, this county, and began farming on his own account. In 1911 he purchased one hundred and three acres of good land in Douglas township, where he has since made his home. He has spared neither time nor energy in the improvement of his place. which is one of the well improved farm properties of his locality, and his labors as a general farmer and stock-raiser have yielded him a good income.
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In 1898 the marriage of Mr. Myers and Miss Clara Hawk was celebrated in this county. Mrs. Myers was born in a log cabin in Webster township, a daughter of John and Ellen (Tapper) Hawk, the former born in Pennsylvania on the 14th of October, 1839, and the latter in the vicinity of Stockholm, Sweden, on the 27th of April, 1850. In early life Mr. Hawk devoted his energies to farming. Leaving Pennsylvania as a boy, he removed to La Salle county, Illi- nois, where he was married, but in 1864 he went to Kansas, where his wife died, leaving two children. He then returned to Illinois and began over again, having lost everything in Kansas. In 1870 he removed to Webster township, this county, and located near Winterset. At that time there was no railroad in Winterset and there were many evidences that the county had only been settled by white people about two decades before. He carried on general farming and stock-raising and was quite successful in those connections. He was not active in political affairs, but was quite prominent in the Evangelical Association of Madison county and was a charter member of that denomination at Maple Grove, Webster township. While living in Illinois he was a member of the Church of God. He passed away in Jackson township, where he owned land. He was married a second time and was the father of seven children, Mrs. Myers being the second in order of birth of those born to the second union.
To Mr. and Mrs. Myers has been born a daughter, Elsie Naomi, whose birth occurred in Webster township on the 20th of November, 1902. She is now attending district school. Mrs. Myers is missionary superintendent of the Sunday School Association of Madison county and was for some time superin- tendent of the Maple Grove church. That organization is a part of the Des Moines conference and she has attended several conventions and taken an active part in the Missionary Society of the Evangelical church. Both she and Mr. Myers are widely known in the county and wherever known are held in high esteem, as their traits of character are such as invariably command respect.
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