USA > Iowa > Sac County > History of Sac County, Iowa > Part 87
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Mr. Goldsmith was married in January, 1866, to Delia E. Borland, and in December, 1883, to Emily Baxter. To these unions have been born three children : Delmont, who is president of the Salem, South Dakota. Bank ; Karl, an attorney and a member of the law firm of Horner, Martens & Gold- smith, at Pierre, South Dakota, and also president of the Pierre National Bank. The third child of Mr. and Mrs. Goldsmith was Mrs. Blanche Minr- ray, deceased.
Politically, Mr. Goldsmith is a Democrat and has always taken a deep interest in political affairs, although he has never been a candidate for any public office since retiring from the judgeship. He and his wife are regular attendants of the Episcopal church and contribute of their substance to its support. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. As a lawyer, Mr. Goldsmith has ever maintained a high standing, never descending beneath
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the dignity of his profession or compromising his usefulness by practicing any but noble and legitimate practice. Personally, he is a pleasing gentleman to meet, honest and upright at all times, not only held in high esteem for his superior professional ability, but for his public-spirited nature and whole- some private life.
JOHN SPURRELL.
Many people from many climes have found a permanent home in Sac county, Iowa. Nearly every nation in Europe is represented in the cosmo- politan population of this county, among whom are a few native-born Eng- lishmen. The citizens of English ancestry in this county have been among the most substantial and enterprising people of the county and have played an important part in the development of their adopted country.
An Englishman who became a pioneer in Sac county, and now resides at Wall Lake. is John Spurrell, who was born in the county of Norfolk, England, August 18, 1848, and came to America with his parents. James and Eliza Spurrell, in 1853. The family lived a short time in Cleveland, Ohio, where the father was employed on the Lake Shore railroad, but later came to Iowa, landing at Sabula, Jackson county, January 5. 1854. The following March they moved to a farm in section 18. Deep Creek township, Clinton county, Iowa.
On May 26, 1874, John Spurrell was married to Charlotte Rossiter, the daughter of James and Ellen Rossiter, natives of England. Mrs. Spurrell was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. April 21, 1854, and accompanied her parents in 1855 from her native state to Washington township, Clinton county, Iowa. John Spurrell and his family removed to Sac county, Iowa, in the month of April, 1875, settling on the southwest quarter of section 6, Viola township, where they lived until April 16, 1912, when Mrs. Spurrell died. To this marriage six children were born, four of whom died in infancy. The surviving children are Ruby E. Spurrell and John A. Spurrell.
Mr. Spurrell has a farm consisting of almost two hundred and sixty- seven acres. He fenced forty acres of this farm with hog-tight fencing in the spring of 1876, and it is thought that this was the first forty acres so fenced in Sac county. It consisted of three boards and two smooth wires. The lumber was all hauled from the west side of the county and the posts from Grant City. There was at that date only one bridge between his farm and Grant City and that was across the Coon river.
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Mr. Spurrell has been highly successful in agriculture and stock raising. and is an excellent citizen of the township and county in which he resides. His son. John A. Spurrell. has written the acceptable article on the "Animals and Birds of Sac County," which is found elsewhere in this work.
FRANK R. MOLSBERRY, D. D. S.
There are many avenues open toward the goal of success for the young men of the present day. Not all who are called to enter the various lines of endeavor are rewarded with success. The learned and skillful professions have ever been attractive to the young individual who would seek to advance himself from among the average of mankind. Nowadays, where there seems to be a tendency to increase the numbers of those whose profession is to leaven and ease the sufferings of mankind, the successes are ofttimes notable and clearly defined. Though newcomers to Sac City, in a certain sense. Molsberry brothers, practicing dentists, have already established them- selves as a component and useful part of the community body. Dr. F. R. Molsberry, with whom this biography is particularly concerned, is certainly entitled to a place of prominence in the pages of this history, plainly because of his sterling worth, educational attainments, pronounced ability in the prac- tice of his chosen profession, and his general and specific usefulness as a citizen.
F. R. Molsberry was born in Plymouth. Worth county. Iowa, June II. 1876. His father was William P. Molsherry, a native of Ohio and the son of J. M. and Jane (Jordan ) Molsberry. W. P. was born on March 8, 1840, and migrated to Iowa with his parents in 1854. He was reared to young manhood on a pioneer farm in Worth county and there married Anna Heiny. a native of Bohemia. Austria, who emigrated to America with her parents when a young girl in her teens. The senior Molsberry followed farming as a regular occupation until of late years, when he has practically retired. Until recently he made his home in Wyoming, but spends the major portion of his declining years in sojourning among his children, with whom he is always welcome. He moved from Worth county to Wyoming in 1904. He is the father of ten children, namely: Mary, wife of E. L. Smith, of Kensitt. Iowa : Emma, wife of John McMutrie, of Maley, Iowa : Minnie, wife of V. E. Pesak. of Manley, Iowa : J. J., a resident of Plymouth, Iowa: Effie, wife of J. F. Dostal, of Minneapolis: Bertha. wife of James Crimmons, of Grafton.
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Iowa : Irene, wife of A. R. Merrill, of Thermopolis. Wyoming ; Dr. F. R. and Dr. W. I. Molsberry, of Sac City.
Doctor Molsberry was educated in the district schools and in the Ply- mouth high school and the high school of North Springs, Iowa. He entered the State University after the necessary preparation in the public and high schools and graduated from the dental department in 1905. For a period of three years he practiced his profession in the city of Sheldon, Iowa, and in 1908 removed to Sac City, where he was soon joined by his brother. He enjoys an extensive and lucrative practice and is one of the most popular young professional men of the city. His qualifications are of a varied order. he being an accomplished musician. This talent being inevitably discovered by his associates in the city, he was selected as manager and director of the Sac City Commercial Club Band. a position in which he is serving without pecuniary reward. This band was organized in December. 191.2, and is com- posed of an excellent array of talented players and musicians. The credit of the efficiency of the band and its continual growth in popularity is due in a large measure to the excellent management and direction given it by Doctor Molsberry. He is a Republican in politics. Fraternally. he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons at Sac City.
Doctor Molsberry was married on June 1, 1911, to Elma Pearl Cooper, of Sac City. They have one child, a daughter, named Floris Evelyn.
ALEXANDER GALBRAITH.
From the land of "Bobbie Burns" have come thousands upon thousands of the sturdy sons of Scotland who have ranked among the best and most worthy of the citizens of this cosmopolitan country, wherein the best blood of the Old World has fused in the creation of a race of men whose achieve- ments have been the wonder of the ages. Most of the sons of Scotland who have journeyed far from the lands of their fathers have been poor in this world's goods, but have been endowed with wonderful gifts which have enabled them to bear bravely the vicissitudes incidental to the life of the pioneer and to become successful in the true meaning of the word. Sac county has within its confines a number of excellent and well-born Scotch- American families whose sons rank among the best citizens in the West. In the setting of his years, but still possessing much of the mental and physical vigor which has enabled him to found a home and family in this new coun-
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try. we find Alexander Galbraith, of Sac City, a fitting and deserving per- sonage who is entitled to recognition as one of the sturdy pioneers of Scotch birth who has done his part in the development of Sac county and bequeathed to posterity a heritage of honesty and uprightness which will be long re- membered.
Alexander Galbraith was born in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. May 12, 1833. He is the son of Alexander and Sarah Demery Galbraith, who emigrated to America and settled in the old state of Connecticut in the year 1841. Alexander, Sr., died in Scotland in the year 1838. The widow, de- siring to settle in the new land of promise in order that her children might have a better opportunity of gaining a livelihood and amassing a competence, crossed the ocean with her two children, Alexander and Samuel in 1841. Two older daughters, Ann and Nancy, remained in Scotland. As soon as they became old enough for manual labor the two sons were employed in the Colt fire-arin factory in Connecticut and were still at work in the factory when the Civil War broke out. Alexander longed for the new lands of the West and was ambitious to possess a farm and homestead of his own. Con- sequently, we find this sturdy young Scotch boy, in the year 1864, on his way to lowa. On February 22, 1864, or thereabonts, he arrived in Cedar county, and remained there for seven years engaged in farming. In March, 1871, he joined the large influx of migrants and located in Sac county. He bought a farm in Douglas township, and at present enjoys the distinction of being the oldest living settler of this township. Like all the new comers of that day, he was very poor. However, the thrift and perseverance which was his by right of heritage, enabled him to eventually prosper and forge ahead. He became a landed proprietor of moderate wealth and influence and owned, before his retirement, four hundred and eighty acres of rich farming land in the northwest part of Douglas township. of which his sons now own the greater part. In the year 1902 he retired, with his estimable wife, to a resi- dence in Sac City, where he is enjoying the fullness of a well ro. nded and useful life to the utmost. Mr. Galbraith has been a lifelong Republican, but in the election of 1912 he aligned himself with the Progressive party, because he firmly believed that it best represented his political principles and beliefs. He and his good wife are members of the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Gal- braith is fraternally connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, lodge and encampment, and the Daughters of Rebekah.
Mr. Galbraith was married on February 17, 1864, to Sarah Demery, who was born in Scotland on September 28, 1837. This aged and respected couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on February 17. 1914.
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A host of relatives, children, grandchildren and friends were at hand to tender their congratulations and extend their good wishes. They have reared seven children and have sixteen grandchildren. The children are as follows : William, a grain dealer at Owens, Iowa. and who is the father of two children, Earl and May; George Henry, a farmer of Calhoun county, who has five children, Fay, Leon, Robert, Sadie and Doris; Frank Galbraith, a farmer in Douglas township, who is the parent of three children, Julian. Cecil and Vera ; Rutherford, a resident of Newell, Iowa, and who is the father of one child, Naomi; Mrs. W. L. Cole, of Douglas township, the mother of four children, Guy, Lola, Reo and Lucille; Charles Galbraith, of Whittier. California, who has one child. Kenneth: Mrs. Bessie Walters, of Delaware township.
F. R. HIERSCHE.
Among the retired farmers of Sac City who are living lives of comfort after many years of hard labor, there is no one who is more deserving of mention in this volume than F. R. Hiersche. He is one of that, large class of German citizens who have made Sac county their home and he has all those excellent qualities which characterize the successful German citizens of the county. He was born March 6, 1860, in Clinton county, Iowa, and is the son of Rudolph and Sadie ( Barton) Hiersche, natives of Germany and New York state, respectively.
Rudolph Hiersche was born in 1844 in Germany and came to America in the spring of 1854. He first settled in Clinton county, lowa, and while living in this county he was married, after which he continued to live the life of a farmer in Clinton county until 1884. in which year he moved to Sac county and settled in Lake View, where he became engaged in the himber business. In 1900 he went to Oklahoma, where he died on March 31. 1902. Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Hiersche were the parents of six children: F. R., whose life history is here portrayed ; Mrs. Hattie Cain, who lives in Paullina, Iowa: Fred B., of Mankato, Minnesota; George W., of Gerry, Oklahoma ; Charles R., of Watonga, Oklahoma, and Louis H., of Dale, Oklahoma.
F. R. Hiersche received his education in the schools of Clinton county. this state, and remained with his parents until his marriage, in 1883. He and his young wife then came to Clinton township, this county, where they pur- chased one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 34. Two years later they moved to Lake View, where Mr. Hiersche engaged in the lumber busi-
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ness with his father. Later he went back to his farm and managed it for three years, then sold this tract and bought two hundred and forty acres in Boyer Valley township, in sections II and 14. In 1911 he moved to Sac City and retired from the active cares of life.
Mr. Hiersche was married February 21, 1883, in Maquoketa, Jackson county, Iowa, to Clara Bolton, a daughter of Isaac and Rebecca Bolton, who were early settlers of Jackson county. Mr. and Mrs. Hiersche are the par- ents of three children, Earl F., a farmer of Boyer Valley township, this county, and Irma B. and Lora May, who are still under the parental roof.
Politically. Mr. Hiersche is identified with the Republican party, but has confined his political activities to the casting of his ballot for his party's candidate at election time. He and his family are loyal members of the Methodist Episcopal church and take an interest in all of the various activities of their particular denomination.
WILLIAM F. BUEHLER.
Sac county can boast of as many German citizens to its population as any other county in the state of Iowa, and it is safe to say that there are no more prosperous farmers in this county than those of German descent. The late Jacob Buehler has three sons who are prosperous farmers in Richland township, and William F. Buehler, whose history is here presented, is no less prosperous than his two brothers.
William F. Buehler was born in Richland township, this county, on February 6. 1876. The reader is referred to the ancestral history of the Buehler family in the sketch of Jacob Buehler, deceased, which appears else- where in this volume.
William F. Buehler was educated in the district schools of his home township, attending the school known as the Petersmeyer district school. Early in life he decided to follow the vocation of his father, who was a suc- cessful farmer, and when twenty-two years of age he started out for himself. In 1900 he bought eighty acres of land, for seventy-five dollars an acre, and later added forty acres more to this, for which he paid one hundred dollars an acre, and he is now the owner of one hundred and twenty acres of his own, and is farming forty acres in addition. In the fall of 1900 he erected a concrete house, which is thoroughly modern in its equipment, containing ten rooms and has all the conveniences which characterize an up-to-date, com-
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fortable home. Mr. Buehler has found, as have most of the other farmers of this county, that in order to get the most from the soil, it is necessary to feed as much stock as possible. The successful farmer feeds most of his own grain to his stock and thus enriches his soil, as well as fills his own purse. Mr. Buehler always keeps a good breed of stock and is now handling Short- horn cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs, both of which he has found profitable.
Mr. Buehler was married April 6, 1898, to Sadie Blass, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Blass. early settlers of Sac county. The Blass family first lived in Crawford county, this state, but later settled in Sac county. Mr. and Mrs. Buehler have an interesting family of eight children : Florence and Vernon are in the Odebolt high school: Etta, Emmett, Gladys and Catharine are in the district schools, while the youngest, Ellen and John, are still at home.
Mr. Buehler is a Republican in politics and casts his ballot on election days for the candidates of that party. He has been honored by his party by being elected to the township school board and is now acting as president of that body. He and the members of his family are adherents of the Metho- dist Episcopal church and render it their faithful and liberal support. He is a man who takes an active interest in the welfare of his community, lending his sympathetic aid to all such enterprises as he deems worthy and con- ducive to the betterment of his locality.
JOSEPH KONRADI.
There are today in Sac county, Iowa, representatives of more than a dozen foreign nations, but the Germans outnumber any other class of citizens who have settled in this county from foreign shores. Some one has called the United States the "melting pot" of the world, and when one considers the case of a typical county like Sac county, where a dozen nationalities are welded together into a body politic which is imbued with the genuine Ameri- can spirit, it can be readily seen why the United States deserves the name. These men from across the Atlantic come here for the sole reason that they think this is the best country in the world in which to cast their fortunes, and the prosperity which has attended the efforts of these men in this country justifies their belief that this is so.
Joseph Konradi, one of Sac county's prominent German citizens, was
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born in September. 1852, at Frankfort-on-Main. Germany, the son of John and Elizabeth ( Beitz) Konradi, who came to this country after their son, Joseph, made the trip.
Joseph Konradi came to America from his native land in 1868, with his grandfather, Peter Beitz, who paid his passage to this country. In the same party was Peter Dinges, a prosperous farmer of this county, and upon ar- riving in this country they immediately went westward and located in Lee county, Illinois. Shortly afterwards the remainder of the Konradi family came from Germany and settled in Crawford county, Iowa. In 1875 John Konradi came to Sac county, and in 1876 bought three hundred and twenty acres of prairie land in section 10, Richland township. for fifteen dollars an acre, and this farm is now owned by a half-brother of Joseph Konradi. John Konradi is now past ninety years of age and lives with his son. Jacob. John Konradi and wife were the parents of five children: Jacob, of Sac county ; Anna, who lives in Nebraska: Lannie and Randolph, also residents of Ne- braska. and Mrs. Snsie Flynn, of this county. Mr. Konradi has been twice married. his second wife being Mary Schmidt.
In 1883 Joseph Konradi began farming for himself on eighty acres which his father gave him. Since then he has bought eighty acres. so that he is now the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres, all of which is excellent land. He has a fine orchard, plenty of shade trees, and a good home, which is set back from the road and presents a very attractive appear- ance to the passersby. Since taking over this farm, Mr. Konradi has erected all the buildings and set out all the trees.
Mr. Konradi has been twice married. His first wife, to whom he was married in 1878, died in 1881, leaving one daughter, Clara, who was the wife of Roy Johnson, of near Galva, Iowa, and who died in 1913. On May 27, 1881, Mr. Konradi was married to Elizabeth Auchstetter. of Sac county, and to this marriage have been born eleven children: John, of Jackson, Minnesota ; Mrs. Katrina Henrich, whose husband is a farmer of Richland township; Mrs. Elizabeth Ahlbrasch, also a resident of Richland township: Mrs. Minnie Messer, who lives in Jackson county, Minnesota : Joseph Peter. a farmer of Richland township. this county, and Antone, Margaretta. Nicho- las. Jacob, Emma and Romaine Faldine, who are still at home with their parents.
Politically, Mr. Konradi is a Democrat, while in his religious affiliations he, with his family, are loyal and earnest members of St. Martin's Catholic church at Odebolt, to which they give their zealous support at all times.
SAC COUNTY, IOWA.
HENRY RABE.
The descendants of German citizens in this county are useful and prosperous citizens wherever they are found. There are a number of the best and most substantial citizens of the county who have been born in Germany, and still a larger number whose parents were natives of the fatherland. A large majority of the German population of the county is engaged in farming and there are no more efficient farmers in the county than are these sons of Germany. Among the Germans who came to this country and started in with practically nothing, there is no one who has attained to a more pronounced prosperity than has Henry Rabe, who is now the proprietor of fine farming lands in Richland township.
Henry Rabe, the son of Henry and Louisa ( Wegner) Rabe, was born September 21. 1865, in Neuschstadt, Riebenbacsh, Germany. His parents came to this country in 1874 and, after stopping temporarily in Chicago, they settled in Sac county, lowa, in the spring of 1875, on the place where the son is now living. They purchased one hundred and sixty acres, forty of which was railroad land, for which they paid seven and eight dollars an acre. On this they erected a frame house, eighteen by twenty-four in size, building it out of lumber which they brought from Chicago with them. Henry Rabe, Sr .. died the following year, in February, 1876, leaving his widow with five children : Henry, whose history forms the theme of this narrative; Mrs. Louisa Reuber, of Odebolt : Ferdinand, deceased ; William, a farmer of Rich- land township, and Wilhelmina. deceased. A few years after the death of Mr. Rabe, his widow married August Dannenberg, of Odebolt, and now lives in that city.
Henry Rabe received most of his schooling in Germany and, although he was only eleven years of age at the time of his father's death, yet he man- fully shared the responsibility of caring for his mother and the younger children of the family. Upon reaching his majority he purchased the home farm, in section 8, which his mother purchased after the father's death, and added another eighty in section 9 to this, making him a total of one hundred and forty acres of land, which is now easily worth two hundred and fifty dollars an acre. He has a fine farm home, which is modern in every respect, has twelve rooms and is so constructed as to render it a very attractive home. In 1911 Mr. Rabe added to his land holdings hy purchasing three hundred and twenty acres in sections 3 and 4, in this township, and with his five hun- (red and sixty acres of land he raises a large amount of live stock each year,
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and averages at least one car load of cattle yearly. He has shipped as many as four car loads of hogs annually.
Mr. Rabe was married on February 3, 1889, to Mary Hausman, a native of Illinois, and the daughter of Conrad Hausman, an early settler of Sac county, Iowa. To this marriage there have been born five children, Louie, Alfred, Rosina, Louisa and Ralph; all of these children are still under the parental roof except Alfred, who is operating a farm in Richland township.
Politically, Mr. Rabe is independent in politics, preferring to cast his ballot for men and their principles rather than for party and its emblems. He and his family are loyal members of the Lutheran church and render it their zealous and earnest support.
PETER H. DINGES.
Among the younger generation of farmers who are coming to the front as prosperous agriculturists is found Peter H. Dinges, of Richland town- ship, who is operating a two-hundred-and-forty-acre farm in section 17, this township. He was born January 31, 1874, in Lee county, Illinois, the son of John and Catharine Dinges.
Peter H. Dinges was educated in the public schools of Richland town- ship and supplemented his educational training by taking a course in the Valparaiso Normal School, at Valparaiso, Indiana. In the meantime his parents had moved to Sac county, Iowa, in 1880, and after leaving school began farming for himself in 1897. Upon his marriage, in that year, his father gave him eighty acres of land, and since that time he had added one hundred and sixty acres, giving him a total acreage of two hundred and forty acres of fine farming land. He paid sixty-five dollars an acre for his first eighty and one hundred and fifty dollars an acre for his second eighty. In 1906 he remodeled the old homestead and built a new barn. He has a corn crib with a capacity of seventeen thousand bushels, which is considered the largest corn crib in Sac county. He erected this in 1913, at a cost of nearly three thousand dollars. It is roofed and sided with sheet steel, and contains a horse-power engine to be used in filling and emptying the immense bins. There is a pit in the crib which holds two hundred bushels of corn and when this is filled it is carried by elevator power to various parts of the crib.
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