USA > Iowa > Wapello County > History of Wapello County, Iowa, and representative citizens > Part 42
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CHRISTOPHER H. PROSSER.
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
William Davis, the subject of this sketch, was but four years old when his father died. Since that time he has been obliged to work out his own career. When a child, he re- moved from Virginia to Indiana? Twenty years later, he moved to lewa, where he bought his present home farm in Competine township. Ile received a thorough training in agricultural matters, when a youth, and this has had much to do with his success. Ile is a diligent, con- scientious worker, and a man of much energy. Ile has succeeded beyond his highest hopes, through sheer perseverance and close applica- tion to business. Aside from general farming, he has been an extensive dealer in stock. His farm is one of the finest in the county.
Mr. Davis was united in marriage, Novem- ber 15, 1852, with Priscilla Mowrey. She was born in Ohio in 1833. and is a daughter of David and Sarah (Dial) Mowrey. Her parents moved from Ohio to Illinois, thence to Iowa, and located in Jefferson county, where Mr. Mowry died in 1872, at the age of sixty- seven years. His wife dicd in 1887, aged seventy years.
Mr. Davis and his wife are the parents of eight children, as follows: George W., who married Annie Coffee, and lives in Competine township: Edward D., who married Maggie Eller, also of Competine township : Charles F .. who married Hattie Dennis ( deceased in Nu- vember, 1896), and is now living with his father on the home place; Omar C., who mar- ried Samantha Arganbright, deceased, later wedded Ellen Webb, and lives in Competine township; Basil F., who married Nettie M.
Roberts, a native of Texas, and makes his home in Competine township: Ida .A., who married Lyman B. Ulry, and is living in King City, Monterey county, California ; Isaac ()., who married Olie Dudgeon, and is a resident of Competine township ; and Mary, who mar- ried Sidney J. Utry. also of Competine town- ship.
Mr. Davis is a stanch member of the Demo- cratic party, and while he does not seek political office, he is much interested in local politics. He is a Mason Hle is held in high esteem by his fellow citizens, and is a public spirited man.
HRISTOPHER HI. PROSSER, who resides on a tract of 27 acres of land in Center township, in section 2, township 71. range 14, leases it to coal operators on a royalty. He was born May 15. 1845. in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Prosser spent his early life attending the public schools and assisting his father, who cames west, to Wapello county, lowa. in 1856, and operated the first successful ferry across the Des Moines River. He helped his father in this work until 1854, and the ferry was shortly afterward exchanged for a tract of land. He subsequently became a dispatch boy for the recruiting office, and finally enlisted in Company H. 30th Reg. lowa. Vol. Inf .. under Col. C. W. Kittredge. and Capt. J. E. Wright. The regiment was immediately placed in command of General Steele and at- tempted to join General Banks, The dangers of this undertaking may be imagined from the
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HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
fact that only 200 men of the brigade returned. « some income from it, and is in excellent finan- cial circumstances.
and but 70 of his regiment .- the remainder being killed, wounded or captured. During following nine months this remnant guarded the penitentiary, and then the sawmill about three miles from Little Rock, Arkansas. The company was sent to the mouth of the White River to guard supplies, then to Duvall Bluff, where they were detached to guard a military prison. Mr. Prosser was there taken sick and sent to the general hospital, but he did not con- tinue sick for any length of time. He was made ward-master and remained in that ca- pacity until the close of the war. He also par- . ticipated in the battles of Saline River. Cam- den, Prairie D'AAnne, and Little Rock, Ar- kansas. He was mustered out at Davenport. lowa. September 2. 1865, and returned home to Wapello county, where he went into the milling business with his father. In 1867 he bought out the ferry at Richmond, lowa, which he operated until 1869. when he returned and went into the milling business with his father. In 1872 he engaged in farming and afterward went to Monroe county, Iowa, and worked for the Union Coal Company until 1877. Hle then returned to Wapello county, and two years later took a trip to Louisiana, and saw a great deal of the states of Texas and Arkansas, through which he passed. After the lapsq of eighteen months he came back to Wapello county, where he has since remained. He pur- chased the land he now owns, and shortly afterward discovered a vein of coal, which he leases to a coal company on a royalty of 10 cents per ton. He thus derives a very hand-
Mr. Prosser was united in marriage, in 180g, to Esther Golden, and the following are their children and the dates of their births : Margaret, born October 9, 1870; Fannie E., November 25, 1872; Cora M., September 15, 1874: Mollie E., June 28, 1877; Warren H., January 29. 1879: Frederick W., February 3, 1881; Christopher G., June 13. 1883: Gara E., August 31. 1885 : Bonnie Vida, September 17. 1887; Hazel M., June 11, 1895: Clara E., May 8, 1892: Ruth N., December 15. 1894: and Reay S., July 20, 1896. Margaret, the first born, died November 4. 1804: Cora M. died June 24. 1876: Clara E. died November 18, 1802; Rush N. died January 28, 1895 : and Reay S. died August 15. 1807. Mr. Prosser is a member of Tuttle Post, G. A. R., of (t- tumwa: Canton Lodge, No. 5. 1. O. O. F. : and the Uniform Rank, K. of P. He is very lib- eral in his religious views, but leans toward the M. E. church.
On a preceding page, in connection with this sketch, are shown two portraits of Mir. Prosser, the smaller one representing him as he was when in the army.
ICHIAEL G. HERMAN. This gen- tleman is numbered among the well-known and highly respected farmers of Wapello county, Iowa. He lives in section 13. Competine township. where he owns 200 acres of land. He was
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born August 2, 1859, in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania.
Ulrich Herman, his grandfather, came to America from Germany, in 1817. He died September 12, 1826, in his fifty-fourth year. Solomon llerman, the father of Michael G., was born in Pennsylvania, in 1825. He was a carpenter by trade, and many of the old, sub- stantial buildings now standing in Westmore- land county were erected by him, and attest the skill and excellence of his workmanship. Ile died June 4. 1900, aged seventy-five years. Mr. Herman married Diana Buzzard, a daugh- ter of D. Buzzard. She was born in Pennsyl- vania. June 2, 1832, and died July 19. 1864. Six children resulted frem this union, namely : Sarah. the wife of John Walthour, of Chester- field county. Virginia : Elizabeth, who married Ezra Loughner and lives in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania: Kate, who married 11. .A. Wegley and lives in the same county : Sam- nel. also a resident of that county : David, who lives at Fort Wayne, Indiana : and Michael G.
Michael G. Herman has lived in Wapello county since 1882. Ile is an energetic. thrifty farmer, and is up-to-date in all his ideas of husbandry. He married Jane Dudgeon, a daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth ( Basil ) Dudgern, who was born in Knox county, Ohio. June 11, 1863. Her father. Andrew Dudgeon. who was also a native of that county, was born in 1832, and died in Competine township. Wa- pello county, Iowa. in 1893. He had removed to lowa in 1865. where he farmed the remain- der of his life. He married Elizabeth Basil, in 1852, and they had 14 children, Io of whom
reached maturity, as follows : Isabel, who died in 1897. aged forty-three years, and was the wife of Oliver Kirby : Lydia : Lafayette : Elea- ner: Jefferson: Rose; Jane, the wife of our sub- ject : Minerva; Le; and Frank.
Michael G. Herman and his wife are the parents of two children-Gaylord AN. and Harry C. In politics Mr. Herman is a Dem- ocrat.
D R. CLYDE A. HENRY, a rising young physician of Competine. Wa- pello county, lowa, was born in Kem- kuk county, Iowa, August 9. 1873. and is descended from the illustrious Virgin- ian. Patrick Henry. He is a son of Fayette M. and Lucinda ( Lamb ) Henry.
The Doctor's paternal grandfather. Patrick Henry, was a native of Abingdon, Virginia. Ile died on Christmas day, 1900, in his eighty- first year. Fayette M. Henry was born in Wells county, Indiana, in 1851, and removed with his parents, in 1854, to Washington town- ship. Wapello county, Jowa. In 1883. he settled en section 15. Competine township. where he now owns off acres of land. He was united in marriage with Lucinda Lamb, in 1870. She was born in 1857. in Competine township, and is a daughter of John and Sarah ( Grace ) Lamb.
John Lamb and his wife settled in Com- petine township, in 1848. There Mr. Lamb died in 1881. and his wife's death occurred in 1848. Ten children resulted from this union. namely: Mleline: Joseph: Mary: Henry;
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HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
Martha . Lnc. ! Belle: Madison : Lucinda : and Laura.
Chyde 1. Henry, the subject of this bing- raphy, attended the schools at Competine, and look at year's course in the South Side school at Ottumwa. He then finished his common- school education at his home school, after which he taught ten terms of district school. reading medicine at the same time. In 1894 he went to the Keokuk Medical College, fin- ished the course in three years, and received a physician and surgeon's diploma. At the time of attending lectures at the college, he also to k a special course on the eye, car, nose, and throat, at the same institution. In 1897 Dr. Henry opened an office in Competine, and from the beginning of his practice has been very suc- cessful in his chosen calling. Naturally of a studious turn of mind, he is constantly making new researches in the science of medicine, and aims to advance with the profession. He has a splendid practice, and has won the confidence of the entire community, by his kind and pleas- ing manners.
Dr. Henry is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Modern Woodmen of America. Royal Neighbors, and Civic Council. In politics, he is a Democrat.
petine township, where he now owns 165 acres of land.
Thomas Dudgeon, his father, was born in Knox county, Ohio, in 1814, and died in 1851, at the age of thirty-seven years and ten months. His father, Simon Dudgeon, was born in ire- land, and in early manhood came to America with his wife, and located in Knox county, Ohio, where he was engaged in farming until his death, in 1845. His wife was Nancy Elliott, also a native of Ireland, who died in Knox county, Ohio. Thomas Dudgeon was united in marriage with Lucinda Fawcett. a daughter of Arthur and Susanna ( Farri Faw- ectt. her father being of Irish and her mother, of Germin nationality. This union resulted in the birth of the following children: Simon B. : Nancy, who was the wife of Samuel Clark, and died in 1871. in . Auglaize county, Ohio, at the age of forty-five years: Margaret born in 1846, was the wife of Thomas Bacome, and is now living in Allen county, Ohio: Mary, who was born in 1848, and married Lafayette Wein- gardner, of Auglaize county, Ohio ; and James, born in 1850, who is a business man, located at Lake View, Logan county, Ohio. In 1853. Mrs. Thomas Dudgeon married Hamilton Marshall. and they had five children as fol- lows: John and Elizabeth, twins, who were born in Ohio, in 1854 : Elizabeth becoming the wife of James Blaine, and a resident of Mich- igan: Arthur, who married Lucina Vorhees. and lives in Allen county, Ohio: Annie, who married Lewis Baker, and makes her home in Allen county, Ohio: and Minerva, who mar-
IMON B. DUDGEON. a representative farmer of Wapello county, Iowa, was born in .Auglaize county. Ohio, July 20, 1842. whence he came to Wapello county in 1888, and settled on section 13. Com- rial Isaac Shantel, and lives at Hicksville.
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W. J. DONELAN.
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.
Ohio. Mrs. Marshall married a third time, wedding Oak Oakley, and lived in Ohio until her death. December 6, 1872, at the age of fifty- one years.
Simon B. Dudgeon has always been a farm- er and has an excellent farm of 160 acres. He raises a large quantity of good stock, of high grade .- principally sheep, which he prefers by reason of his early training in their care in Ohio.
In 1804. Mr. Dudgeon was married to Ura Ann Weingardner, who died in 1869. They had one child, Elizabeth, who died February 5. 1874. April 6. 1870. he married Amelia An'] Biggs, who was born in Knox county, Ohio. April 1. 1847, and is a daughter of John and Mary H. ( Kearns) Biggs. John Biggs was born of Scotch ancestry in Knox county. Ohio. December 6, 1812, and died m 1892, having passed his entire life on the same farm. Mary 11. ( Kearns ), wife of John Biggs, was born in Pennsylvania, May 30, 1818, and was a daugh- ter of James and Sarah ( Ridge ) Kearns, both of English ancestry. Her father died in 1838. and her mother, in 1859. Mr. and Mrs. Biggs had the following children : James : Jeremiah : Lewis; Albert: Sarah: Amelia Ann, wife of Simon B. Dudgeon: Mary Jane; Sophia; and Mecker. Mr. and Mrs. Dudgeon became the parents of five children : John, who married Grace Thompson, and lives in Jefferson county , lowa; Manford, who married Bertha Bur- naugh, and lives in Competine township: Mary Viola, wife of Isaac Davis, who lives in Com- petine township : Eva, wife of Max Alexander : and Clyde S. a bright, ambitious young man.
who died May 22, 1900, in his twenty-second year. Religiously, Mr. Dudgeon and his wife are members of the Baptist church, and their children follow them in this regard. Politi- cally, the subject of this sketch has always voted the Democratic ticket.
J. DONELAN, a gentleman who has, wholly through his own ef- forts, attained great success in the business world, is at the head of the well-known firm of W. J. Donelan & Com- pany, which conducts the St. Louis store, of Ottumwa. It is the most complete dry-goods store, in all its details, in Wapello county and enjoys its full share of patronage from the Icading citizens.
Mr. Donelan was born in Ireland. August 12, 1861, and graduated at the Academy of Limerick in 1885. He was one of 11 children, -eight brothers and three sisters, Two of his brothers are also engaged in the dry-goods business in Ireland. When a young man he received a letter from a friend, who had come to America about 1880, telling him of the prospects in this country, and in 1883 he came to the United States. He landed in New York City and at once secured a position with Macey in the dry-goods business, having previously engaged in that business in Ireland. He re- mained in New York City one year, then went to St. Louis with William Barr, and became associated with the capitalist. M. J. Macken, with whom he is still in partnership. Mr.
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HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
Macken is the resident buyer and is constantly in the market, attending to the mail orders of the different stores with which he is connected. He is interested in three stores, one at each of the following cities,-Burlington. Gales- burg and Ottumwa. Mr. Donelan is an equal partner in the store located at Ottumwa, and all are conducted under the title of the St. Louis Store. The St. Louis Store, Ottumwa, is located at Nos. 125-129 East Main street, i, three stories high. 135 feet deep, and has a frontage of 62 feet. In addition to the dry- goods store, they conduct a shoe store, and employ four clerks in this department. On the first floor of the main building there is a com- plete line of everything in dry goods, and on the second floor are the millinery, cloak and suit departments (in which are employed 18 persons ), and the lace curtain and portierre department. The third floor is devoted to the wholesale and reserve stock. They sell whole- sale to many small mierchants in the vicinity. the goods being kept in bulk and sold without breaking the packages. The firm has met with phenomenal success under the clever manage- ment of Mr. Donelan, and each year has shown a gain in the volume of business transacted, which is fully eight times that of ten years ago. From 50 to 60 clerks are employed, as- cording to the season, and as none but ex- perienced help is engaged, they receive high wages. Many of the clerks have been in the employ of the firm since it started in business, in 1801. They do a strictly cash business in buying, and thus obtain a discount, which en- ables them to sell their goods at low figures.
Mr. Donelan was married in November, 1900. and has a son. Ile has his home in (t- tumwa, and is a Catholic in religious belief. Fraternally he is a member of the B. P. O. E. His portrait accompanies this sketch.
ILLIAM J. LANZ. a well-to-do farmer of Wapello county. Iowa. was born on the place on which he now resides. It is a farm of 120 acres, in section 6, Competine township. Mr. Lanz was born May 12, 1856, and is a son of John and Mary E. ( Deuser ) Lanz.
John Lanz, father of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Germany, and was born in 1816. He came to the United States in 1852 and located in Louisville, Kentucky. where he remained for a period of two years. There he followed his trade, that of a tailor. From Louisville he moved to Jowa, and located on the farm now owned and operated by his sen, William J. His death took place there in 1879. John Lanz married Mary E. Deuser, who was born in Germany, in 1816, and who died in 1869. They were the parents of nine children, as follows: Two girls, who were born in Germany and died at sea: Philip C .. who was born in 1846. married Mary Cun- ningham, and lives in Minnesota: Mary E .. who was born in 1853, married J. J. Crile, and lives in Brighton, Iowa; John, who was born in 1850, and lives with his sister in Brighton, lowa: William J .: George P., who was born in 1858, married Sophia Loos, and
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is living in Keokuk county, lowa: Mary C. who was born in 1861. married William Ebelsheiser, and lives in Highland township ; and George.
William J. Lanz was reared in his native county, where he attended the district school. He has always been engaged in general farm- ing, and also in raising cattle and hogs. He married in 1884. Mary Ebelsheiser, a daugh- ter of John and Caroline, ( Lowenberg) Ebelsheiser, who was born in 1861.
John Ebelsheiser is a native of Hessen- Nassau, Germany, and is now living at the age of seventy-three years, in his home in Highland township. He married Caroline Lowenberg, who died in 1893. at the age of sixty-three years. She first married John Kling, by whom she had one child,-Susan,- who married William Stewart, and lives in Highland township. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ebelsheiser, as follows: William B. : Mary : Phoebe : Callie : John : Jen- nie : and two who are deceased. William B .. born in 1859, married Mary C. Lanz, and is living in Highland township; Mary is the wife of Mr. Lanz: Phoebe, bern in 1863, married Dr. J. W. Porter, and is living in Hedrick : Callie, born in 1866, married James Ilook, of Highland township: John, born in 1868, mar- ried Ora Grimes, of New London, Henry county; and Jennie born in 1869. died in 18-8.
William J. Lanz and his wife are the par- ents of three children, namely : John W., born February 4. 1885 : Charles E., born September 16. 1886: and Henry L., born July 21. 1890.
Mr. Lanz and his wife are members of the Lutheran church. In politics Mr. Lanz is a Democrat. lle is a man of honor and integ- rity, and is held in high esteem by his fellow citizens.
EORGE SAUER, one of the most pro- gressive farmers of Competine town- ship, Wapello county, lowa. is lo- cated in section 20, and is engaged in general farming. Hle was born in Highland township, Wapello county, Iowa, October 1. 1858, and is a son of George .A. Saner.
George .\. Sauer, an old and respected set- tler of the county, was born in Germany. Au- gust 23. 1824. and came to this country in 1851. He first obtained employment in Ohio. and worked for $to per month. He continued there for two years, and then moved to lowa. where he located in Keokuk county. He farmed there for a few years, and then settled in Wapello county, Highland township. in 1851. He was a very successful farmer, and stood high in the esteem of his fellow citizens. He died in 1891. He was joined in marriage with Helena Santchez, who was born in Ger- many. in 1833. She was a daughter of Nich- alos Santchez, who came of Spanish ancestry. This union resulted in the following offspring : Philip, who died in infancy : Peter, born April 16. 1857, whose first wife was Mrs. Augusta Kling, this second being Mary Berg, her sis- ter) and who lives in Phelps county. Ne- braska: George, born in 1859. who died at the age of two years; Mary, born July 2. 1861,
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HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
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who married William Berg, and died in 1885 : Frederick, born November 1, 1864, who mar- ried Cerilda Newman, and lives in Highland township. Wapelle county: Charlotte, born November 27, 1800, who married Carey New- man, and lives in Competine township ; George. the subject of this sketch: Philip, born May 21, 18;1, who married Katie Ritter, and lives in Competing township: Charles, born June 29. 1874. who married Minnie Ritter, and lives in Green township : Lincoln, born Novem- ber 14. 1876, who married Mamie Ritter, and lives in Keokuk county, Iowa; and Elizabeth, born April y, 1879, who died in infancy. Mrs. George V. Sauer died January 27. 1894.
George Sauer received his mental train- ing in the public schools of Wapello county, and at any carly age applied himself to agri- cultural pursuits, which he followed all his life. In 1804 he purchased teo acres of land in section 20. Competine township, on which he has since lived. His place is under a high state of cultivation, well supplied with water, well fenced, and equipped with good outbuild- ings, so necessary to successful farming. Mr. Sauer is very industrious, and everything about his place denotes capable management and has an air of general prosperity.
George Sauer was united in marriage, May 20, 1891. with Theresa Meier, who was born February 12, 1872, and is a daughter of George and Elizabeth ( Ritter) Meier. Her father was born in Germany and now lives in Benton township, Keokuk county, Iowa, at the age of seventy-eight years. Her mother was also born in Germany, and is now living at the
age of sixty-three years. Mr. and Mrs. Meier have eleven children, as follows: George, born in 1858: Philip, born in 1860: Charles, born in 1862; Katie, born in 1864: Fred, born in 1856: John, born in 1868: Theresa, Mr. Sauer's wife: Emma, born in 1874: Matilda, born in 1876; William, Lorn in 1878; and Louise. born in 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Sauer are parents of six children, namely : Harry, born June 2. 1802; Earl, Born October 20, 1803: Lvaline, Lern Atigust 1, 1895; Blanche May, born May 27, 1897: Alice V., born April 9. 1800: and an infant, born March 23. 1901. Religiously, the family are members of the Baptist church. Mr. Sauer.is a Republican in jx litics, and takes an earnest interest in party affairs.
AVER STREICHER, a well known farmer of Wapello county, lowa, is located in Cass township, in section 1. township 72, range 15. where he has owned and lived upon a farm of fo acres, since 1863. He was born in Baden, Germany, November 17, 1832, and is a son of Naver Streicher, Sr.
Xaver Streicher, Sr .. was born in Germany and died in 1886. in Mapello county, lowa, where he followed farming. Ile married Margaret Hunn, who was born in Germany and died there while the subject hereof was a boy. They were parents of two children : Naver; and Margaret, who married Philip Mott, and lives in Center township, Wapello county. lowa.
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BENJAMIN F.
CYNTHIA A. MAHLON THOMAS.
SARAH A
OVILLA J.
JOHN W.
MRS. MARY THOMAS.
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Xaver Streicher was sixteen years of age when he came to the United States, and for several years worked in New York City, in a cigar factory and in a brick-yard. ile then went to New Orleans and worked on a sugar plantation. One day while he and some com- panions were in New Orleans, celebrating a holiday by firing off a cannon, the gun burst with the result that he was sent to the hospital with a badly fractured ankle. He staid in the hospital for six months, and came out a cripple for life. He then left New Orleans with his father and sister, going to Keokuk, lowa, by boat on the Mississippi River. His father bought 40 acres of land, in 1861, on which he located with his daughter, Margaret, while the son went west to the gold fields of California, and remained there until 1863. when he re- turned to Iowa. He located in section 1. town- ship 72. range 15. in Cass township, Wapello county, where he now resides and owns 110 acres, after having given So acres to his adopt- ed son. Hle is engaged in general farming and raises considerable stock. He is a public spirited citizen and has a large number of friends and acquaintances in the county.
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