USA > Iowa > Wapello County > History of Wapello County, Iowa, and representative citizens > Part 53
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Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Burton, the record being as follows: Anna I ... born February 4. 1876, died March 20. 1876: William H., born March 5. 1877 : David E., born October 10, 1878; George F., born January 31. 1880; and Charles Alfred, born September 22. 1882. Mrs. Burton is a woman of refinement and learning, and is much loved in the community. She is a member of the Christian church.
OSEPH RUFFING. a well known farmer of Green township. Wapello county, lowa, lives on a farm of (1 acres, in section 23. township 71, range 14. He was born January 15, 1855. in Indiana, and is a son of Jacob Ruffing.
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DR. W. W. VANCE.
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Jacob Ruffing was a native of Germany and early in life came to America, where he followed the occupation of a farmer during his active career.
Joseph Ruffing was a small child when his parents removed to Wapello county, lowa. There he received his mental training in the country schools, and early in life began to work for himself. He worked on many of the neighboring farms, and gradually earned enough to give himself a small start in the world. He purchased the land which is now his home, for the greater part of which he went into debt. He bought the tract owned by N. C. Peters, in 1803, when it was all brush- land,-with no improvements whatever. Since that time he has cut many hundred cords of wood from it, for which he found a ready sale in the city of Ottumwa. The brush he piled up and burned. and he now has fully 00 acres in a fine state of cultivation. In 1804 Mr. Rufing built a frame house, 16 by 28 feet. in size, and in robo he added a wing measuring 14 by 16 feet and another wing, 5 by 12 feet in size. He also built a large stable, and built a wire fence around the farm. Mr. Ruff- ing raises staple crops, and has plenty of stock. He also set out a good sized orchard. which bears considerable fruit each year. He is a self-made man in the truest sense of the word, and has earned his success. By virtue of his upright character and strict integrity. he has won an enviable place in the community.
In 1883 Mr. Ruffing was united in marriage with Mary Rouch, a daughter of Philip Rouch. Philip Rouch, who was a native of Bavaria, af-
ter coming to America, followed farming the remainder of his life. His daughter, Mary, was born in Davis county, lowa. Her union with Mr. Ruffing resulted in the birth of these chil- dren: Sabina D., who was born November 8. 1883: Mary A., who was born February 3. 1885: Joseph L., who was born July 14. 1888; Henry B., who was born September 2. 1894: and A. F., who was born November 7. 1900. and died November 9. 1900. Mr. Ruffing is a Democrat in politics. In religious faith he is a Catholic.
R. W. W. VANCE, whose portrait is here shown, is one of the prominent dentists of Wapello county and is a member of the firm of Vance & Vance, of Ottumwa. He came to Ottumwa in 1896, and soon acquired a large and profitable practice. He was born at Carthage, Hancock county, Illinois, in 1859, and is a son of John R. and Isabelle ( Ogilvie ) Vance.
John R. Vance had four children by his wife Isabelle Ogilvie, as follows: W. W .: Louis M .. a jeweler of Hastings, Nebraska : Mrs. William MeBurney, of State Line, Utah : and Mrs. Albert S. Maxwell, of Beatrice, Ne- braska, with whom the mother now makes her home. John R. Vance had three children by a former marriage, namely : Jerome. David .1. and Mrs. W. L. Willard. David .A., the see- und son, was the father of Dr. W. W. Vance's partner. He was engaged in the practice of dentistry from 1868 to the time of his death July 7, 1882. He was a soldier in the Civil
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War. having enlisted from Terre Haute, IlFi- this, upon the first call for volunteers, in 18 .1. Jerome, the eldest son, is a farmer located at Guide Rock, Nebraska. Mrs. W. L. Willard. . widow, is at present in Chicago, educating her daughter in music.
Dr. W. W. Vance was primarily educated at Carthage, Illinois, and studied dentistry with his half-brother. David A. Vance. The family removed to Western lowa, where his father engaged in farming in Adair county. and later all moved to Kearney, Nebraska. where the father died at the age of seventy- five years. W. W. Vance completed his dental studies there and engaged in the practice of his profession in partnership with David A. Vance. which firm lasted until the death of the latter. in1 1882. He then continued the business alone until 1896, when he came to Ottumwa, lowa. For two years he practiced in partnership with Dr. Armstrong, and then continued alone until his nephew completed his study for the profes- sion, when he was taken in as a member of the firm. The latter had been associated with him a number of years before entering the Chicago College of Dental Surgery, from which he graduated in 1955. The firm of Vance and Vance is one of the leading dental firms of Ot- tumwa, and they have well equipped office rooms. Dr. Vance stands high in his profes- sion, and has won the confidence of all with whom he is acquainted.
Dr. Vance was united in marriage with Florence Dildine, and they have five children. as follows: Marie, Earl D., Lillian, Charles R .. and Howard M. In politics, the Doctor is
a Republican. Fraternally, he is a member of the Elks : Royal Arcanum : Knights of Pythias. formerly belonging to the Uniform Rank of that order at Kearney, Nebraska, with which at Ottumwa he expects again to affiliate. Ile served as president of the Nebraska State Den- tal Society, and is a member of the American Dental Association : the Iowa State Dental So- ciety, and the Northern lowa Dental Society. He is a member of the Presbyterian church. Ile has a pleasant home at 224 North McLean street.
11. FETZER was born in Clarion county, Pennsylvania, December 20, 1840, and was married in Clarion to Henrietta. Clark. De- cember 24, 1863. Prior to that time he en- listed in June. 1861. in the roth Reg., Pennsyl- vania Vol. Inf .. and was discharged for dis- ability in December. 1861. He had been ad- mitted to the bar in Clarion county in Feb- ruary, 1861.
Mr. and Mrs. Fetzer came to Ottumwa December 25. 1868. They have had children born to them as follows: John C., born June 13. 1865. in Clarion, Pennsylvania: William H .. born September 13. 1867. in Clarion, Penn- sylvania: Sallie, born in Ottumwa. September 20, 1869. died in January. 1870: Wade, born in Ottumwa. November 22, 1879. John C .. the oldest son, is a resident of Chicago and has control of all the real estate owned by the Cyrus II. McCormick family, and is an hon- ored citizen of that city. William 11. is man-
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ager of the MeSherry Farming Implement Company, of Middletown, Ohio. Wade, who is a resident of Chicago, represents the Fidelity & Casualty Company, and is with W. .. . Mex- ander & Company, of Chicago. All the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Fetzer are first-class business men and held in high repute in business and social circles.
Mr. Fetzer was admitted to the bar of Wa- pello county on motion and recommendation of Hon. E. L. Burton, in 1869. Mir. and Mrs. Fetzer are held in high esteem by the people of Ottumwa, among whom they have lived so long. They, as well as all their children, are members of the Presbyterian church.
OHN EDWARDS, a highly respected resident of Green township, Wapello county, lowa, is located on a fine farm in section 11. township 71. range 14. which is adapted mainly to fruit raising. He has been exceedingly successful, and has a home of which he may justly be proud. Ile was born in Granville. Licking county. Ohio. December 14. 1842.
The Edwards family was established in thi ; country in the seventeenth century, coming from England. They located in Massacht :- setts, where they held religious services im- mediately after landing in the wilderness. They sang and prayed. and their only neigh- bor. being unaware of their presence. heard them as he was ont looking for a cow and, not seeing them, thought they must be angels
singing. He made an investigation, and great was his surprise and joy to find he was to have new neighbors. They founded the town of Granville, Massachusetts, which is now of goodly size. The parents of John Edwards were natives of Licking county, Ohio, where his grandfather settled at an early day, and founded Granville.
John Edwards was reared in his native county and there received his intellectual train- ing. Hle assisted his parents in their work until he reached the age of twenty-one years, and in the spring of 1864 enlisted in Company C. 135th Reg .. Ohio Vol. Inf. He then went with his regiment to Camp Chase, where, after a week, they were ordered to Martinsburg. West Virginia, to guard government stores and do patrol duty.
After two months of guard duty at Mar- tinsburg they were awakened one night at mid- night by the long roll, and orders were given that they were to take the supplies they had been guarding to Baltimore, Maryland. They loaded wagon after wagon of stores, until they had a train of wagons five miles long, and Mr. Edwards was one of the force detailed to guard the train on a forced march to Baltimore. When the mules gave out they were compelled to leave the stores along the road, and when they reached the Potomac the Confederates were close upon them, and forced them to ford the river, as they could not delay long enough to make pontoons. They finally arrived at their destination with but half the stores they started with. After resting a week they were ordered to Maryland Heights, where they were
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surrounded by Confederate troops, and de- tained for two months. Their only water sup- ply was a small spring, inadequate for so large a force, and finally provisions ran short and cansed great suffering. Good hard-tack proved a luxury, as that which they received was very wormy, and only a part of it was fit to be caten. They were finally relieved, returned home and were mustered out at Camp Chase in September, 1864. Mr. Edwards' health was greatly impaired by the privations suffered and he was unable to do any work for a period of eighteen months. He then purchased a team and bought and sold butter and eggs for a number of years. Several years afterward he conducted a warehouse at Gaysport, Ohio, col- lecting butter and eggs for market. He next had charge of a railroad warehouse for about four years, and finally, in 1885, with what he had saved, purchased his present farm in Green township, Wapello county, lowa, where he has since resided. He makes a special- ty of fruit raising and is meeting with fine success.
September 24. 1870, Mr. Edwards was united in marriage with Sarah Green and they had one son, George L., who was born June 10. 1877, and died of consumption . August 14. 180's. Politically the subject of this sketch has always been a Republican, and cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. He was raised Baptist, but does not like the creed of that cherch, believing rather in following after Christ, and doing as he thinks Jesus would do if He were on earth. He has held a number of township offices, having served eight years
as road superintendent, and four years as school director. In 1867 he became a member of Myrtle Lodge, No. 350, I. O. O. F., at Granville, Ohio.
AMUEL J. MYERS, a veteran of the Civil war and a prominent farmer of Columbia township, Wapello county. Iowa, was born in West Point, Lee county, lowa, April 2, 1840. He is a son of Lewis and Sarah A. ( Taylor) Myers, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter a native of Virginia.
Lewis Myers left Pennsylvania when a young man, and settled in Illinois. He lived there for a short time, and then moved to lowa, where he was engaged in farming for a number of years. He was a carpenter by trade and spent some of his time working at that trade. His last days were spent in Chillicothe. Iowa, where he had been living in retirement. He was twice married, first to Elizabeth Min- nongh, by whom he had the following children : Mary A .. William, Lewis, Jacob, Martha, Ann E., and Elizabeth. After the death of his first wife he married Sarah A. Taylor, and they were the parents of the following children, namely: Samuel J., the subject of this sketch ; George 11 .: Sarah J. : and Josephine. He was a Universalist in religious views and a Demo- crat in politics.
Samuel J. Myers attended the common schools of his native county, and after leaving school worked on his father's farm until the
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MR. AND MRS. J. H. McDOWELL AND FAMILY.
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Civil War broke out. He enlisted in Company C. 17th Reg., lowa Vol. Inf., under Captain Archer, of Keokuk, lowa. Ile served for three years and three months, six months of which time he was confined in Andersonville and other Confederate prisons. lle was discharged at Davenport, lowa. Mr. Myers engaged in agricultural pursuits after leaving the army, and this has been his occupation ever since. He also does some carpentering work. He owns sixty acres of good farming land, and takes much interest in improving it. lle is an energetic man, and the neat and attractive appearance of his home speaks well for his efforts.
In 1865 Mr. Myers married Rachel E. Brown, a daughter of David Brown and a sis- ter of W. A. Brown, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Nine children have resulted from this union, namely : Minnie M., Sarah E .. Jennie L., Mary, William .1., Lewis D) .. Eva, Rachel and Frank. Mr. Myers is liberal in his religious views. Politically he is a Democrat and while he does not as- pire to office he takes a deep interest in local politics.
H. MCDOWELL. one of the pros- perous farmers of Pleasant township. Wapello county, Iowa, was a pioneer settler of the county, and has been lo- cated on his present farm on section 17 since 1843. Ile is widely known throughout the county, and enjoys the highest respect and es-
teem of his fellow citizens. He was born in Kentucky, in 1821, and is a son of John T. McDowell.
John T. McDowell was born in North Caro- lina, and always followed agricultural pursuits. lle was united in marriage with Miss G. Har- ring, who was born in North Carolina, and they became the parents of nine children, of whom but two are living,-J. 11. and James T.
J. H. McDowell was but four weeks old when his parents moved from Kentucky to Indiana. There he lived until he reached the age of twenty years, following the trade of a cooper during his early life. He came west to Jefferson county, lowa, in 1842, and in 1843 moved to Wapello county, Iowa, where he took up a claim, entering it at Fairfield, in 1845. He improved this claim of 120 acres and has lived upon it since he first located in this county. He was always industrious and frugal, and is now enabled to spend his declining years in comfort.
J. 11. McDowell was united in marriage with Mary A. Fisher, who was born in Indiana in 1829, and to them were born to children, as follows : Mary, wife of 11. 1. Dickens ; Lizzie, deceased: Sarah E., who married Charles Widger : Eliza ( Mlen ) ; Martha, wife of .1. Yeager; John T .: Amanda, deceased ; William; Hiram, who resides with his father and conducts the affairs of the farm : and Min- nie. wife of F. Hanna. Mr. McDowell is a Republican in politics. Religiously, he and his wife are members of the Christian church. . \ picture of Mr. and Mrs. McDowell and family accompanies this sketch.
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A W. RIGGS, a prominent resident of + with Martha A. Spelman, of Boonville. Indi- Eddyville, Wapello county, Iowa, , ana, and they became the parents of eight chil- dren, as follows: Eva B. : Isaac S. ; Herbert. deceased: James H .: Cora E .; Ernest S .: George D. : and Ellen, deceased. In 1870 Mrs. Riggs died and in 1873 Mr. Riggs was united in marriage with Lina Armstrong, of Wapello county, Iowa. Mr. Riggs is a member of the Congregational church. He is a Republican and has held several township offices. He served in the capacity of councilman and city treasurer. is engaged in the milling business, which he has carried on here for many years with great success. He operates a plant, modern in all its details and has a very large patronage. He was born in Derby. Con- necticut. June 6, 1826. and is a son of Star B. and Ahrira (Short ) Riggs, who were natives of Connecticut, and moved to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1828. Star B. Riggs located on a farm in Cuyahoga county and cultivated it until 1837. He then moved to Warrick county, Indiana, and engaged in farming, a vocation he fol- lowed the remainder of his life. His wife died in that county, and he died in Eddyville in D R. EDGAR M. KNOX, a well known osteopathic physician of Ed- dyville, Wapello county, lowa. was born in Waverly, Missouri, in 1866, and is a son of Joseph and Emily ( Leasure ) Knox. 1891, aged eighty-nine years. They were the parents of the following children: A. W., George M., Alfred S., Ellen and Frederick, deceased. Samantha. Frederick. Ellen and Ir- vin. In religious belief they were Congrega- tionalists. In politics Mr. Riggs was a Whig.
.A. W. Riggs received his mental training in the public schools of Warrick county, Indiana. and worked on the home farm until his mar- riage. He then engaged in farming on his oun account. In 1855 he moved to lowa and located at Mount Pleasant, and in 1865 came to Eddyville, where he has since been engaged in his present line of business. He has a roller- process mill, which he substituted for the stone borr in 1801. It is provided with three im- proved Barnard rolls, and has a capacity of 35 barrels per day. He also does custom grinding and has met with success in his work.
In 1849) Mr. Riggs was united in marriage
Joseph Knox was a carpenter and joiner by trade. lle was a native of Indiana. and re- moved from there to Waverly, Missouri, where he followed his trade. He died when Edgar M. was but eight years old and his wife died six years later. They left a family of five children, namely: Willie Belle, who married Albert Munn, of Kirkville. Missouri; Edgar M. : Samuel J .: Frank J .; and Mary .1. who married Albert Bell, of Montana.
Dr. Edgar M. Knox was reared in Mis- souri, where he attended the common schools of his native town. Later he entered the Kirk- ville Mercantile College, from which he was graduated with honors. He then entered the
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AAmerican School of Osteopathy, which was founded by . A. T. Still. Dr. Knox took a two- years' course at this institution and was grad- uated in 1900. Ile was located in Nebraska for a short time and then removed to Eddyville. where he has since remained. He does a thriv- ing business in this new way of treating dis- eases, and has had some flattering testimonials since he located in Eddyville. He has met with good results financially, and has been success- Inl in every way.
On June 4. 1900. Dr. Knox was united in marriage with Macy Gray, of Eddyville. She is a daughter of Henry Gray, a farmer of Co- lumbia township. Wapello county. Dr. Knox is liberal in his political views.
OSES O'BRIEN, deceased. who was one of the representative agricul- turists of Wapello county. lowa. was located in section 20. Keokuk township, where his widow and her family now reside. Hle was born at Vinegar Hill, County Wexf rd, Ireland. August 15, 1826, and was a son of Michael and Catherine ( Doyle) ()'Brien, who lived and died in Ireland.
Moses ('Brien came to the United States from the Emerald Isle in 1854. landing in New York City, where he remained until the following year. He then moved to Galena. Illinois, and afterward to New Boston, Mercer county, Illinois, and for a time worked on a ferryboat. Hle saved his earnings, which he decided to invest, and then moved to Mount
Pleasant, lowa, where for ten years he was connected with the asylum for the insane lo- cated at that place. In 1866 he moved to Wapello county, lowa, and purchased 40 acres of land in Keokuk township. To this he added from time to time until he had over 200 acres of finely improved farm land at the time of his death. He was a hard worker and improved much of his land himself. He was an honest and upright man, and his death was mourned by his friends and neighbors, who warmly es- teemed him for his many kind and charitable acts. Hle was a self-made man in every sense of the term and owed whatever success he at- tained to his own individual efforts.
Mr. O'Brien was first married August 15. 1857. to Bridget Brannan, a native of Kil- kenny, Ireland, by whom he nad six children. as follows: Michael, Edward. Richard F .. Thomas J., Mary C., and Anna, who died when she was about eighteen months old. After the death of his wife, he formed a second union. marrying Mary Finn, a daughter of James and Mary ( Ryan) Finn, both natives of Ireland. who came to America and settled in Canada. By this union Mr. O'Brien had the following children : James Patrick, born July 24. 1875 : Moses J. born October 19. 1876: Julia .... born February 25. 1878: Joseph L., born Sep- tember 16, 1885: Margaret E ... born October 14, 1882: William D., deceased, born Septem- ber 13. 1884: Elizabeth J., born December 13. 1885: and Josephine Rosa, born August 14. 1888. Mr. O'Brien died February 19. 1001. after a short illness with pneumonia. In re- ligions belief he was a devout Catholic. as is
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HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
his entire family. He was a Democrat in pol- his knowledge and training from his father. ities, and took a great interest in the affairs of his party. He was serving as township trus- tee at the time of his death. Mrs. O'Brien is a woman of many estimable traits of character. and has many friends in this locality. She still follow - farming on the property lately operated by her husband, and is assisted by her son. MOSES I.
HIN DANIELS, a prosperous coal op- crater, who conducts a shaft on the Wallace farm, two miles south of Ot- tumwa, was born in South Wales, March 10. 1876, and is a son of John and Elizabeth ( James ) Daniels.
John Daniels, the father, was born in South Wales, and came to America in 1879. landing at New York City. He first located in Illinois, where he engaged in coal mining and later moved to lowa and settled in Ottumwa. There he has since remained and is at present engaged in mining with his son, John. He ac- quired a complete knowledge of mines while living in South Wales, and is considered an expert miner. He and his wife were the par- ents of the following children, namely: Mary. Elizabeth. William and John. Mrs. Daniels tied November 3. 1804. aged thirty-seven years, four months and five days. In his re- ligious views John Daniels, Sr., is liberal.
John Daniels, whose name opens this sketch, obtained his schooling in Illinois. Since coming to Ottumwa he has been actively en- gaged in operating coal mines, having acquired
He is an expert in all the details of mining. being competent to take charge of either bi- tuminous or anthracite mines. In 1899 he leased the Wallace mine, two miles south of Ottumwa, and this promises to become a pay- ing investment. lle is at present devoting much of his time and energy to getting the mine in shape, so as to be able to increase its capacity. The coal mined is of a high grade and Mr. Daniels has no difficulty in disposing of all the output in the city of Ottumwa.
In 1807 Mr. Daniels was united in mar- riage with Mabel Tanner, of Ottumwa, and they have reared two children, namely: Liz- zie and Mabel. In political belief Mr. Daniels is a stanch Republican. Fraternally he is a member of the Fraternal Choppers of America.
AMES E. PARR, a highly respected farmer residing in Competine town- ship. Wapello county, Iowa, has a well improved farm of 170 acres in section 19. He was born in Shelby county, Ohio, in 1857, and is a son of Philander and Lucy ( Wren) Parr.
Philander Parr was born in 1832, in Ohio. and died in 1867. Hle wedded Lucy Wren, a daughter of Edward and Lucy Wren, who was born in 1835, and died in 1868. Philander Parr and his wife were the parents of seven children, five of whom are now living, namely : Lucretia, who was born in 1855, and married L. M. Grove, of Vermilion county, Illinois ;
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James E., the subject of this sketch; Philo E., who was born in 1859, married Nellie Moore, and lives in Champaign county, flinois ; Mary A., who was born in 1861, married John Maxon, and lives in Logan county, Ohio; and Louie, who was born in 1863, married Henry Sunderland and lives in Champaign county, Illinois.
James E. Parr removed from his native place to Champaign county, Illinois, and in 1892 settled in Competine township, Wapello . precious relic. It reads as follows :
county, lowa, where he has lived ever since, engaged in farming and stock raising, in which he has been highly successful.
Mr. Parr was united in marriage February 19. 1885, with Sarah E. Merrill. She was born April 23, 1864, and is a daughter of Richard and Elizabeth ( Rowe ) Merrill. Her death oc- curred March 16, 1901. Four children result- ed from this union, namely: Roy, born Jan- uary 16, 1887 ; Earl, born May 4, 1891 ; Myra. born October 4, 1894; and Hazel, born July 31, 1897.
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