USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa; a record of organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 10
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ARCHIBALD RAY.
Archibald Ray, whose efforts during an active and useful life were de- voted to agricultural pursuits, in which he won substantial prosperity and a place among the most successful and well known farmers of his locality, was one of Indiana's native sons, his birth occurring in Marion county on the 25th of November, 1844. His father, Judiah Ray, one of the early and prominent settlers of Story county, was born in Ohio on the Ist of October, 1823, and was a son of Samuel and Maria Ray. During the period of his early boyhood he was accorded such advantages as could be obtained in pioneer days but at the age of twelve years was compelled to take upon him- self the duties of manhood, the death of his father at that time placing him practically in charge of the family, and during her remaining days he con- tinued the main support of his widowed mother. He entered the business world in the employ of an uncle, driving an ox team in the construction of the Ohio canal. Although during that time he worked earnestly and dili- gently, he was, however, unable to save any money, his earnings going to the support of the family. Thus it was that upon attaining his majority he found himself without capital and when he was united in marriage to Miss Ann Belcher, his financial possessions amounted to one dollar. This was paid to the justice who performed the marriage ceremony and by him was given to the bride as a token of good luck, and with a capital of one dollar they began their domestic life. Good luck, however, did follow and when, in 1851, they brought their family to Iowa they had been able to save seven hundred dollars. The winter of that year was spent at Pella and in the spring of 1852 they arrived in Story county, Mr. Ray entering land at Iowa Center. Success continued to attend his efforts and as he pros- pered from time to time he was able to purchase more land until, in the spring of 1884, he retired from active life, his holdings making him one of the extensive landowners of his section of the county. Upon leaving the farm he removed to Nevada and there his remaining years were spent. He became a director of the First National Bank of Nevada and was thus con- nected with financial interests as long as his health permitted. He was iden- tified with various other enterprises and his many interests eventually made Vol. II-6
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him one of the well-to-do and influential men of Story county. Soon after his arrival in Iowa he was followed by his mother and sister, who assisted him when opportunity permitted. A man of great industry and persever- ance, he also possessed those characteristics which make it possible for a man, taking up his abode in a new and undeveloped country, to bravely meet the conditions and successfully overcome the hardships and privations which he is forced to endure on the frontier. He did his full share in the work of development and improvement and is numbered among the build- ers of Story county. He possessed sound business judgment and, more- over, was a man of well known probity, his honorable, upright life com- manding the esteem and respect of all who knew him. He was reared in the Evangelical faith but after taking up his residence in Nevada united with the Methodist Episcopal church, in the faith of which he passed away on the 2d of July, 1907, having for several years survived his wife, her death occurring on the 31st of March, 1895.
Archibald Ray was about eight years of age when he came with his parents to Iowa and thus practically his entire life was spent within the boundaries of Story county. As a lad he acquired his education in the primitive log schoolhouse of pioneer days and with the other members of the family suffered much of the discomforts of pioneer life. He remained at home, assisting his father in the cultivation of the farm, until he at- tained man's estate, when he entered the business world on his own ac- count. Wisely choosing as a life work the occupation to which he had been reared, he rented land from his father and was thus engaged at the time of his marriage in 1869. He continued as a renter for about four or five years thereafter and then purchased a tract of forty acres from John Funk, which became the nucleus of his later extensive possessions. To this he added from time to time as he prospered in his undertakings, and something of the success which attended his efforts is seen in the fact that at the time of his death he was the owner of four hundred and twenty acres of highly cul- tivated land. He possessed much of the spirit of industry and energy which characterized his father. his ambition prompting him to make a thorough study of agriculture. He cultivated the cereals best adapted to soil and climate, practiced rotation of crops and in addition to tilling the soil raised good stock. Keen business discernment and a capacity for wise manage- ment were also his, and as the years passed the results of his labors were seen in the acquirement of a competence which ranked him among the wealthiest and most substantial agriculturists of Indian Creek township. In the spring of 1901 he withdrew from active pursuits and removed to Maxwell, where he lived in quiet retirement until his demise.
It was on the 3d of February, 1869, that Mr. Ray was united in mar- riage to Miss Hilda Johnson, a daughter of Henry and Helen ( Hlouse) Johnson, natives of England and New York respectively. Her father came to the United States in infancy, his parents settling near Ogdensburg in St. Lawrence county, New York. There Ilenry Johnson was reared and
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married, and in 1867 he sought a home in the middle west, residing in Cook county, Illinois, for one year, after which he took up his permanent abode in Polk county, Iowa, where his wife died soon after their arrival. Later Mr. Johnson married Mrs. Catherine Strong and was actively engaged in agri- cultural pursuits for a number of years, making his home on a farm south of Collins. Upon his retirement late in life he removed to Collins and there his death occurred on the Ioth of July, 1905. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Ray were born five children, of whom four survive: Andrew, at home; Ida, the wife of Samuel Coughenour, of Indiana Creek township; Charles, operating the old homestead farm ; and Artie, also at home.
In early life Archibald Ray became identified with the Evangelical church, of which he remained a member until the organization of the Christian church in Maxwell in 1890, when he associated himself with that congrega- tion and remained a devoted and conscientious member thereof until his demise. In politics he was a stanch democrat but the honors and emoluments of office held no attraction for him, preferring to concentrate his time and attention on his personal interests. Preeminently a home man, he never affiliated with any fraternal orders, finding congenial companionship in his own home circle, where he was loved and revered as a devoted husband and father. Inheriting the elements of sterling integrity and moral sound- ness, like his father he commanded the highest regard and respect of his fellowmen, his life record ever remaining in harmony with an untarnished and honored name. His wife, who still makes her home in Maxwell, is also a member of the Christian church, in the work of which she takes an active and helpful part. She is a lady of many excellent traits of heart and mind and is the center of a large circle of warm friends.
FRANK SUTTER.
Frank Sutter is now interested in the hardware and implement business in Kelley, where he is conducting an enterprise of substantial proportions that indicates his careful management, sound judgment and enterprising spirit. He was born in Lee county, Illinois, November 1, 1867, and is a son of John and Margaret (Thomas) Sutter, both of whom were natives of Franklin county, Pennsylvania. The mother came with her parents to the middle west in 1850, driving across the country to Lee county, Illinois. She was a daughter of James and Mary Thomas, who in the year 1875 continued their westward journey to Iowa, settling in Story county. In the year 1896 James Thomas went to California, where his death occurred at the age of eighty-five years. He had for about fourteen years survived his wife, who passed away in Story county in 1882. They were well known residents here during the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
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John Sutter went as a young man to Franklin, Illinois, about 1855. He lost his mother early in life and had no home until he made one for him- self. Ilis father, however, reached the venerable age of ninety-three years, passing away in Lee county, Illinois. In that county John Sutter married Margaret Thomas. In the year 1875 they became residents of Story county. lowa, settling in Washington township, two and a half miles south of the lowa State College, where they resided until 1895. when they sold that farm and removed to Maxwell. Both died, however, in Lincoln Nebraska, the mother on the 6th of December. 1908, when seventy-two years of age, and the father on the 4th of April. 1900, at the age of eighty years. He had fol- lowed the occupation of farming throughout his entire life and thus pro- vided for the support of his fifteen children, ten of whom reached mature years, while nine are now living.
Frank Sutter was only eight years of age when the family left Illinois and came to Story county. He remained upon the home farm with his parents until 1889 and then went to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he remained for two years. Ile devoted two years to general farming and afterward worked in railroad shops for a year. He then returned to lowa, settling in Kelley in 1892. He was employed in the tile factory for about a year and in 1893 took charge of the home farm, which he cultivated and improved then again took up his abode in Kelley and for five years worked at the car- penter's trade during the summer months, while in the winter seasons he aided his father-in-law. 11. A. Cook, in the management of the elevator and grain trade. In the spring of 1901, he went to Guthrie, Oklahoma, where he remained from the 16th of April until the 24th of December engaged in carpentering, threshing and elevator work. In the spring of 1902, however. he returned to Iowa, settling in Pocahontas county, where he followed car- pentering until August. after which he engaged in buying grain for two years. On the ist of April, 1904. he went to Idaho Falls, Idaho, where he followed farming and carpentering during the summer and in August of that year returned to Kelley taking charge of the elevator for the B. . 1. Lockwood Grain Company. He remained in that connection for six years and eight months but on the 16th of March, 1911. he became interested in the hardware and implement business. He is also interested to some extent in real estate, owning dwellings, business property and vacant lots in the town.
On the 21st of February, 1889. Mr. Sutter was united in marriage to Miss Belle Cook, who was born in Story county. August 20, 1870, and is a daughter of 11. A. and Jennie Cook, natives of Quincy, Pennsylvania, where they were married. In 1864 the father enlisted for service in the Civil war and after the close of hostilities came to lowa in 1800 taking up his abode in Story county. The last two years of his life, however, were spent in Polo, Illinois, where he died January 23. 1900. in his seventieth year. He devoted many years to farming, following that pursuit until 1882, when he
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removed to Kelley and for seventeen years worked for the Lockwood Grain Company in connection with the operation of the elevator at this point. His wife died in Kelley in 1898, at the age of fifty-six years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Sutter have been born three children : Effie, now the wife of R. C. Lowman, of Kelley; Irene and Edith, at home.
While Mr. Sutter has at times been absent from the county, he has prac- tically regarded Story county as his place of residence since 1875. What- ever success he has achieved is due entirely to his own efforts. He has worked his way steadily upward and his industry and energy have been the salient features in winning him a substantial place in business circles.
WILLIAM M. YOUNG.
The strength of the American nation lies in its self-made men-those who through unremitting toil, indomitable courage and temperate habits have attained the heights to which they aspired and in so doing have ever retained the respect and esteem of their fellowmen. Of such as these is William M. Young. He was born in Polk county, Iowa, on the 19th of January, 1862, being the son of Benjamin and Rachael (Woods) Young, both natives of Darke county, Ohio, where they were reared and married. Benjamin Young came to Iowa in 1858, buying one-half section of land in Polk county, near Ankeny, on which he lived until 1864 or 1865, when he returned to Ohio. spending two years in Darke county. At the end of that time he came to Iowa again, settling in Jasper county on Wolf creek, five miles south of Collins. He bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, upon which he lived for a number of years, and on selling this he purchased a small farm near Mingo, continuing to make his home there until the death of his wife. when he removed to Mitchellville to reside with his daughter, with whom he is still living at the venerable age of eighty-three years.
The early years of William Young's life were unusually void of those joys and pleasures we consider to be the rightful heritage of every child. He was reared to manhood on the Jasper county farm and upon him de- volved much of the farm work, his schooling being confined to the brief sessions of the district school, which he attended at such times as his ser- vices were not required at home. At the age of fourteen years he laid aside his text-books and became self-supporting, hiring out as a farm hand, for which service he received ten dollars per month. His first work was the binding of grain behind an old Buckeye reaper on a farm where the town of Collins now stands. His earnings, up to the age of nineteen years, were given to his father, after that, however, he began working for himself, continuing as a farm hand for four more years and then renting the place where he had been employed. Always thrifty, by careful man- agement and indefatigable energy he was able in 1881 to buy his first
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piece of real estate, which consisted of forty acres of farm land, to which he added another forty acres in 1884 and acquiring a similar amount in 1886 brought the aggregate up to one hundred and twenty acres. During this time he continued to cultivate rented land but in 1888 he moved to his own farm, which was located two miles across the line in Polk county and upon which he had erected a new house and farm buildings. After living there one year he sold the place and bought the T. H. Strickler farm, containing one hundred and forty acres, which was located in Jas- per county south of Collins. After he had built a new house and barns and added other modern improvements to the latter place he took up his residence there and continued to make it his home until 1896. On the 11th of November, 1895, Mr. Young bought two hundred and forty acres of land in Collins township, Story county, for which he paid thirty-five dollar per acre. This property was unimproved when he bought it but being a progressive man he never hesitates at any expense which will add to the value of his land. He has always been a strong advocate of til- ing, in fact was one of the first men in this section to use tile on his farm. and after he had tiled and fenced his present place he built a fine modern residence-one of his first considerations always having been the comfort of his family. He also erected commodious barns and added other mod- ern improvements, which have made his homestead one of the most val- uable properties in Story county. In 1902 he bought the Pearson farm, comprising one hundred and twenty acres, which adjoined his on the west, and five years later he bought one hundred and twenty acres of the Parker farm, lying within the corporate limits of Collins, making his present realty holdings amount to four hundred and eighty acres.
Much of Mr. Young's success may be ascribed to his extensive and successful stock-dealing, which has at all times proven to be most re- munerative. He has probably fed and shipped more carloads of stock in the past twenty-five years than any other man in Story county, and he now has on his farm three hundred and sixty hogs and one hundred and sixty-five head of cattle, all of which he is feeding for the market.
Mr. Young established a home of his own by his marriage in 1883. at the age of twenty-one years, to Miss Lauretha Gibson, the youngest daugh- ter of David Gibson, who was one of the pioneer settlers of Jasper county. coming to Jowa from Indiana in the early days. Four children have been born of this union: Alta, a teacher in the district schools: Fred. Blanche and Joseph, all of whom are at home.
The family always worship with the Methodist Protestant denomina- tion, in which church the parents hold membership and of which Mr. Young has been one of the trustees for several years. He is identified with the Masonic fraternity through membership in the Fervent Lodge, No. 513. A. F. & A. M.
He is a zealous advocate of the principles of the republican party and. although he has always been too busily occupied with the direction of his
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private affairs to either seek or accept the responsibility of public office, he is always to be found at the polls on election day, casting his ballot for the candidates of the party of his choice.
The study of Mr. Young's life but shows what it is possible to achieve by means of energy, application and perseverance. Thrown upon his own resources when only a boy, with the equipment of but the rudiments of an education, and not only maintaining himself but contributing toward the subsistence of the family, he nevertheless before reaching middle age had acquired what many never achieve. He is known as one of the most suc- cessful and substantial farmers and stockmen of this section of the state, all of which is due to his ability to handle capably and successfully any- thing which he elects to undertake on a very large scale. The farm which he bought fifteen years ago for thirty-five dollars per acre is now valued at one hundred and seventy-seven and one-half dollars per acre, in fact he has for years had a standing offer at that price. His success at the same time has not been achieved at the price of another's loss, his great asset in life ever being his incorruptible integrity, and he today is highly re- spected and esteemed by all who have ever had occasion to do business with him as well as by those who have known him socially.
JACOB A. GROSECLOSE.
After acquiring a comfortable competence in the line of agricultural pursuits Jacob A. Groseclose is now enjoying the fruits of his early en- deavors and is one of the leading citizens of Union township. He is a son of Thomas Jefferson and Elizabeth (Wharton) Groseclose, and was born February 5, 1857. His parents were both natives of Johnson county, In- diana, where they were married in 1852. In the fall of 1854 they came to Story county, Iowa, locating on the present homestead. Mr. Groseclose purchased eighty acres of land entirely uncultivated, from Thomas Lawe, and there built a log cabin. He at once began to improve this land and later preempted more land adjoining until he had acquired three hundred and sixty acres. This he accomplished before he was thirty-one years old, at which time his death occurred. He was survived by his wife and three children : Jacob A., the subject of this sketch; Mary Elmira, the wife of John Griffith, residing in Indian Creek township; and Sarah E., who mar- ried A. J. Hainline and died in 1884, leaving a family of six children. Mrs. Groseclose is still living and resides with her son.
Jacob A. Groseclose spent his childhood on the home farm, acquiring his education in the district schools. He was but two years old when his father died. Apparently he inherited his father's energetic nature for at the early age of twelve years he was following the plow and studying the science of agriculture. At the age of sixteen years he took entire charge of
1
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the farm and from that time devoted his attention to this industry until he had become the possessor of four hundred and eighty acres of valuable land in Union township. For many years he turned his attention to cattle feeding but has done little recently along that line. For the past ten years Mr. Groseclose has not been actively engaged in farming, as he has rented most of his land. He is a director in the Citizen's State Bank of Cam- bridge, lowa, and is regarded as one of the influential men of his com- munity.
In his political views Mr. Groseclose is a republican but has never sought any public favors from his party, preferring to cast his lot with the rank and file.
NORMAN W. KNEPPER, M. D.
There is no doubt that the talents of the parents are often inherited by their children. This fact has been illustrated in numberless instances and the success of Dr. Norman W. Knepper, of Collins, is additional evidence in its favor. The father of Dr. Knepper was a highly successful physician and the son has demonstrated during an experience of more than twenty years at Collins that he possesses rare ability in the practice of the healing art. He is a native of Berlin, Pennsylvania, born July 17. 1853. a son of Frederick and Elizabeth ( Lint) Knepper, both of whom were natives of Berlin. The father was a graduate of the College of Physicians and Sur- geons, of Philadelphia, and practiced at Berlin, gaining acknowledged prom- inence in his profession. Ile passed away in 1874 in the prime of his life, being only forty-four years of age. The mother is still living at Berlin and has now reached her seventy-ninth year.
Norman W. Knepper received his preliminary education in the public schools and at sixteen years of age took up the study of dentistry, attending the Philadelphia College of Dental Surgery. He practiced at Berlin until 1877, when he came to Clyde, lowa, and began reading medicine under Dr. Ritchey. In the fall of 1878 he entered the medical department of the lowa State University and in 1880 became connected with the Long Island College Hospital at New York city, continuing in his studies there for two years, during the last eight months of which time he was on the staff of hospital surgeons. He was graduated with the title of M. D. in 1882. and immediately afterward came to Collins, although there was at that time only four or five houses in the town. The zeal he has devoted to his profession and the interest he has taken in his patients have led to a marked degree of success and he ranks today as one of the most prominent physicians in this part of the state.
On the 4th of July, 1870. Dr. Knepper was united in marriage to Miss Effie Hunt, of Nevada, a daughter of Moses and Catherine ( Melain ) Hunt.
DR. N. W. KNEPPER
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The parents came from Rhode Island to Story county in 1874 and took up their residence at Nevada. Two children were born to Dr. and Mrs. Knep- per : Fred, deceased; and Sayre. The mother of these children departed this life in April, 1894, and the Doctor was married March 17, 1909, to Miss Maud Pence, a daughter of William J. Pence, a carpenter, now living at Cedar Rapids but formerly a resident of Collins township.
Professionally Dr. Knepper is a valued member of the Iowa State Med- ical Society and the Story County Medical Society and fraternally he is identified with Fervent Lodge No. 513, A. F. & A. M .; Amity Lodge No. 361, I. O. O. F .; and Crescent Camp No. 2358, M. W. A. He gives his earnest support to the republican party but has never sought political honors, as his time and attention are almost wholly given to the duties of his pro- fession. He was the pioneer physician of Collins and has witnessed the great transformation from a struggling hamlet to a beautiful modern town supplied with all the comforts and conveniences of an up-to-date city. Dur- ing this time he has made a host of friends by his kindly ministrations and public spirit and he ranks today as one of the most honored citizens of a section noted for the intelligence and progressiveness of its people.
SEYMOUR W. HIX.
The life record of Seymour W. Hix spanned the years from the 20th of August, 1830, to the 7th of October, 1907. He was born at Medina, Orleans county, New York, his parents being Ephraim and Laura (Will- iams) Hix, natives of Michigan and Connecticut respectively. The father was a shoemaker by trade but after his removal to Illinois took up the oc- cupation of farming, which he followed until his death. Both he and his wife died in Illinois.
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