Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 49

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1360

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hope that three years more of service might restore peace and happiness to the survivors. Such heroism as was exhibited by the prompt and voluntary re-enlistment of the three-years men, of whom no further duty could be re- quired until the resources of the country were exhausted, has never been equaled in the vol- unteer soldiery. With the allurements of home and the peaceful pursuits of life in their very grasp, after three years of constant struggle and hardships, they promptly allied themselves with the forces still in the field, resolved that "the Union must and shall be preserved." Now, after the lapse of over thirty years since the close of the Civil war, we still find in the places of honor and responsibility men who are prone to depreciate or disparage the achievements of the men who saved the nation. To the end that their endeavors may not prove fruitless, let every ex-soldier leave a truthful record of his soldier life for the perusal of his children and their children on down the ages to come. Let the minister and the teacher, the great educators of the world, teach patriotism and love of country to all who will hear.

At the expiration of their thirty-days fur- lough, the Eleventh Iowa Infantry, recruited and newly equipped, joined the army at Big Shanty and soon were engaged in the battle of Kenesaw mountain. Next followed the cam- paign against Atlanta under General Sherman. The siege of this stronghold culminated in the memorable battle on the 22d of July, 1864. Here the Eleventh Iowa did valiant service, holding their position against superior numbers, and, though they were driven from their earth- works seven times during the day, they re- captured and held them. Half of the regiment was killed or disabled, it probably being the inost disastrous battle of the war, as far as regimental casualties were concerned. After the fall of Atlanta they accompanied General Sherman on his famous march to the sea and were in the siege and capture of Savannah. From this point they embarked on transports and landed at Beaufort, South Carolina, thence proceeded by forced marches to Columbia and

finally reached Goldsboro, North Carolina, in time to take part in the last great battle of the war. They followed the retreating Johnston until he surrendered, and then marched to Richmond and Washington, taking part in the grand review of the victorious armies there assembled. From Washington the regiment was sent to Louisville, Kentucky, and there its men were inustered out of serv- ice, receiving their final discharges at Daven- port, Iowa, July 15, 1865. Captain Lemon was wounded at Kenesaw mountain, July 4, 1864, the scar from which is a constant re- minder that his face was always toward the foe. A minie ball struck his left cheek, cut- ting a deep, though not dangerous wound, which relieved him of active duty for a few days, though he never left the front.

Returning to his parental home in Wash- ington county, Iowa, the Captain resumed the peaceful vocation of a farmer. In 1869 he re- moved to Guthrie county, locating on a farm in Bear Grove township, where he remained until called to fill the honorable position in which he is now serving. In the general elec- tion in 1892 he was elected to the office of County Auditor, and immediately moved his family to Guthrie Center, taking charge of the office in January, 1893. In November, 1894, he was re-elected and is now serving his third year. Though not in any sense an office- seeker, he was urged by his friends to accept this nomination, that they might show their appreciation of his valuable service and fitness for the position, while his triumphal re-elec- tion attests the degree of satisfaction with which his official services were received.

Captain Lemon was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, August 12, 1841, of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His parents, Robert and Hester (Tarr) Lemon, were both natives of Westmoreland county, the former born in 1812, and the latter in 1822, and in that county were married. The year 1851 found them resi- dents of Iowa, where they still reside. Their family consisted of twelve children, only four of whom are now living, our subject being the

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eldest. David M., a carpenter by trade, is a resident of Washington, Iowa. William lives with his parents and operates the home farm. Frank is married and lives in Wyman, Iowa. Three brothers-Walker, John and Bascomb --- all died in 1852; Sarah Ann, who was the wife of Frank Mathews, died in 1883. Elizabeth, the wife of John L. Riley, of Crawfordsville, Iowa, was drowned in 1892, while attempting to cross a swollen stream. Samuel, a young man still in his 'teens, died in 1880; and two children died in infancy.

The education of the Captain was obtained wholly in the pioneer schools of Iowa and under rather unfavorable circumstances. As he was the eldest son much reliance was placed upon his ability to aid in the opening up of the new farm, and he usually had to go two or three miles to school, while he was only able to attend at such times as he could best be spared from the farm. In this way he acquired a fair common-school education, to which he has added a good stock of general information by careful reading and systematic study.

In Washington county, Iowa, on the 22d of February, 1866, was celebrated the mar- riage of Captain Lemon and Miss Jennie Mc- Cutcheon, a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of John and Eliza Ann Mccutcheon, who were the parents of seven children, all of whom are still living: William, a cabinet-maker of Wash -* ington, Iowa; James, a carpenter and con- tractor of the same place; Arthur, who resides on the old homestead in Pennsylvania; Thomas, who makes his home in California; Jennie, the honored wife of our subject; John, a resident of Colorado; and Maggie, who lives in Indiana. The father, who was a farmer by occupation, died while quite young, and in 1857 Mrs. Lemon accompanied her widowed mother to Iowa, where the latter died in 1866. Five children grace the union of our subject and his wife: Etna, an efficient teacher in the public schools of Guthrie Center; Anna, who is the wife of B. F. McLuen, a farmer of Guthrie county; Clyde, who is Deputy County Auditor,

and a young man of excellent business qualifi- cations and an able assistant to his father in the discharge of his official duties; and Maude and Frank, who are still at home and are at- tending school. The children have had ex- cellent educational advantages, well fitting them for any positions in life.

The Captain is a very prominent member in the Masonic fraternity as well as the Grand Army of the Republic, while Mrs. Lemon is a diligent worker in the Woman's Relief Corps, and a faithful member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. They have the regard and esteem of all who know them and have won hosts of friends in Guthrie county. He is president of his regimental association of survivors, and as historian of his regiment is engaged in compil- ing a history of their achievements.

p LEASANT SMITH, one of the well- known and respected citizens of Bel- mont township, who has spent more than thirty five years in Warren county, is a native of Ohio, born in Highland county. His parents, John and Charity (Gil- bert) Smith, had a family of twelve children, eight of whom are now living. Our subject, who was the third in order of birth, is the old- est survivor. The others are Asa, a fruit- grower of central California; Albert, who died in infancy; Nathan, who was a soldier of the Thirty-fourth Iowa Infantry during the Civil war, and is now a farmer of Kansas; Amos, who was a member of the same regiment and died in New Orleans; William R., who makes his home in Kansas; Mary Ann, wife of M. G. Oldaker, an agriculturist of Belmont township, Warren county; Levi, who is living in Smith county, Kansas; Amanda, of Highland county, Ohio; and one who died in infancy. The father of this family was born February 9, 1810, and the mother June 14, 1814. Her death occurred in January, 1895.

Our subject was born November 21, 1836, in a log house, with clapboard roof, puncheon floor and old-fashioned fire-place. He became

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familiar with all the experiences and trials of frontier life, and when nine years of age ac- companied his parents on their removal to Stephenson county, Illinois, where he acquired a common-school education. The father erected a log house at a point near the northern bound- ary line of Illinois, and the water for their home they secured from a spring in Wisconsin -several rods from their dwelling. In the spring of 1855 they removed to Green county, Wisconsin, where a farm was rented and they made their home until the fall of 1860-the ' year of their arrival in Warren county, Iowa. The journey was made by the father, mother and eight children, their equipments comprising three wagons and six horses. On section 19, Belmont township, Mr. Smith purchased 160 acres of wild prairie land on which was not a stone or a stick available for building purposes. A few days later a fine well, twenty feet deep, was sunk, and an excellent supply of water secured. They then gave their attention to the erection of a small frame building, 16 x 24 feet, with a twelve-foot shed. The structure was made of native timber, principally elm, oak and walnut siding and walnut shingles. The barn was a rough, board structure cov- ered with slough grass. The place was fenced with oak rails, and in the spring they began farming in earnest. The father, a native of North Carolina, is now living retired at the ripe old age of eighty-five years, an honored Christian gentleman, who is yet enjoying good health. In politics he has been a Republican since the war. His wife, a native of Colum- biana county, Ohio, died at the age of seventy- five, and was laid to rest in the burying ground of the Baptist Church, where a monument has been erected to her memory. She was a loving wife and devoted mother, and all who knew her had for her the highest regard.

Pleasant Smith remained at home until May 22, 1859, when he married Miss Emeline C. Henry, a daughter of Harvey and Emeline Henry, the ceremony being performed at the parsonage of the Christian Church in Green county. Un- til 1864 they lived a part of the time with his

father, and then purchased sixty acres of wild land on section 19, Belmont township, cov- ered with prairie grass. He erected a small frame building, to which he has made several additions, until he now has a very pretty and comfortable home. In the family are fourteen children, seven sons and seven daughters, all yet living, except Etta, who was born June 24, 1869, and died in 1870; Sylvanus H., born February 22, 1860, is a harness-maker of Milo; Archibald N., born March 24, 1863, is farm- ing in Belmont township; Lillie L., born De- cember 12, 1865, is employed in the printing department of the Adventist, a publication at Battle Creek, Michigan; Evelyn, born April, 13, 1867, is the wife of E. McElroy, of Milo; Otto M., born October 1, 1870, is a black- smith, of Milo; Lizzie E., born July 26, 1872, is the wife of Oscar T. Winning, of Milo; Florence B., born January 31, 1874, is the wife of Ed Newland, of Milo; Ray A., born January 22, 1876; Ernest F., born January 12, 1878; Clifford B., born August 2, 1879; Gertrude M., born October 7, 1881; Foster C., born November 13, 1883; and Emeline C., born July 28, 1886, are still with their parents.

Mr. Smith now owns eighty acres of rich prairie land and ten acres of timber land. For thirteen years he conducted a store in Milo, having established the first one at this place and brought in the first car-load of lumber here. The firm of P. Smith & Com- pany, up to about three years ago, at which time they sold out, were doing a good business in the line of general merchandising and had an extensive trade which yielded a good income. Mr. Smith has been prominently identified with all that pertains to the upbuilding of the city, and with the promotion of its leading interests. The beautiful shade trees which now surround his home were grown froin seed which he planted in 1863. In politics Mr. Smith has been a warm advocate of Repub- lican principles since proudly casting his first presidential vote in support of the martyred President, Abraham Lincoln. He has held various positions of honor and trust, has for

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some years been Justice of the Peace, has served as Town Clerk, and has just completed a term extending over nineteen years as Treas- urer of the School Board. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and their well spent lives have won them the warm regard of many friends.

A. MANLEY, manager of G. J. Stewart & Company's lumber, grain, live-stock and hardware interests for the past fifteen years, was born in Jefferson county, Tennessee, January 29, 1857, a son of Wilson and Sarah (Doane) Manley. He is the third of their six children, four of whom survive, -Robert D., a farmer of Jeffer- son county; Sarah, wife of Edwin Hodge, also a farmer of that county; B. A., the subject of this sketch; and Houston, a farmer of Jeffer- son county. The deceased children are: Mar- garet, wife of Henry Hodges, died in Jefferson county, Tennessee, at the age of thirty-eight years; and Thomas, deceased at the age of eight years. The good father, Wilson Manley, was born in Tennessee February 4, 1816, and his death occurred in Jefferson county, that State, August 15, 1882. His entire life was spent in agricultural pursuits there. He was a Christian gentleman, a member of the Mis- sionary Baptist Church, and in his political relations was a Republican. He was an abolitionist from his early boyhood. The mother of our subject was born in North Caro- lina, and accompanied her parents to Tennes- see in childhood. She was an active member of the Methodist Church, took an active part in Sabbath-school work, and her death oc- curred in 1883, at the age of sixty-two years. Both are buried in the Friends' cemetery.

B. A. Manley, the subject of this sketch, was born in a two-story log building, with shingled roof and matched flooring, which was a very modern structure for those days. The building was erected about the year 1820, and is still standing, in good repair. He attended school in a log structure a mile and a quarter

from his home, his first teacher being Elizabeth Sisk. When twenty-three years of age Mr. Manley emigrated to Henry county, Iowa, taking up the scientific course in Whittier Col- lege, and after completing his education he taught in the common schools of La Salle county, Illinois, for three years. He afterward taught one year in the public school of Salem, next taught a district school in Otter township, Lucas county, and April 18, 1881, he came to Milo, Iowa. Since that time Mr. Manley has been employed by the well known firm of G. J. Stewart & Company. The business was established in 1879, by a Mr. Hewitt, and their yearly sales now reach from $100,000 to $175,000. .

Mr. Manley was married June 25, 1882, to Miss Lydia A. Brown, a native of Otter town- ship, Lucas county, Iowa, and a daughter of Sanford and Elizabeth (Morgan) Brown. To this union have been granted two children, - Bessie, born January 1, 1884; and Daisy, born May 18, 1886. The family reside on the corner of Pine and Fourth streets. In political matters, our subject affiliates with the Repub- lican party, and his first presidential vote was cast for U. S. Grant for his second term. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Manley has always taken an active part in church and Sabbath-school work, and is now a member of the Board of Trustees. In his social relations he is a mem- ber of the Masonic order, Lodge No. 402, A. F. & A. M., of Milo.

AMUEL SHAW, the well known and popular Mayor of the growing city of Milo, has been a resident of Warren county for over a quarter of a cen- tury. He was born in the town of Salem, lo- cated about sixty miles west of Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania, in Columbiana county, Ohio, March 18, 1842, a son of Benjamin and Barbara (Umstead) Shaw. He was the third of their eleven children, five of whom survive, as fol- lows : Samuel, the subject of this sketch;

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Presley, who resides on the old home farm in Logan county, Ohio; Etta, a milliner and dressmaker in that county; Lutitia, wife of D. L. West, a traveling salesman, with his resi- dence in Ottawa, Kansas; and Eura, wife of L. W. Sullivan, a farmer of Garden Grove, Decatur county, Iowa. The good Christian father was born in the year 1800 in Pennsyl- vania, where he spent many years of his life. When still a young man he accompanied his parents to Columbiana county, Ohio, and in 1849 removed to Logan county, where he spent the declining years of his life. His death occurred in 1858, and he was laid to rest in the Baptist cemetery in Marmon Valley. Mrs. Shaw was born in Pennsylvania in 1820, and she departed this life in 1883.

Samuel Shaw received the benefits of a common-school education, and later in life, by his own individual efforts, heobtained such re- quirements as are necessary in the ordinary conduct of business. When not yet seventeen years of age he lost his father by death, and part of the duties of the family support fell to his lot, he being the means of keeping the family united. He faithfully fulfilled his part until his mother's second marriage, to Lewis Sullivan, a native of Virginia. At Zanesfield, Logan county, Ohio, May 10, 1864, Mr. Shaw obeyed the dictates of his heart when our na- tion was in sore distress, and enlisted in its defense in Company I, One Hundred and Thirty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under Captain R. B. Porter and Colonel Joel Haines. He sailed down the James river to City Point, Virginia, doing principally picket duty. He was near Petersburg when that city was de- stroyed. Mr. Shaw was honorably discharged in Columbus, Ohio, in September, 1864. In 1893 he came to Milo, where he is now exten- sively engaged in stock-raising and buying.

January 21, 1864, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Emily Gilbert, a native of Staffordshire, England, and a daughter of James Gilbert, who crossed the ocean to this country in 1848, locating in Hardin county, Ohio. To this union have been born four

children, viz .: W. A., born October 5, 1864, is interested in the store of H. F. Schrader & Company, dealers in hardware, agricultural implements, furniture and undertaking in Milo; Cora Edna, born in Warren county November 8, 1869, became the wife of Dr. Fellows, of Des Moines, and died December 18, 1891, and lies buried in the Baptist cemetery near Milo; Nellie, born June 29, 1870, is the wife of Lon Dunn, the junior partner of Pritchett & Dunn, general merchants of Milo; and. Reginald Ar- thur was born November 25, 1881.

Mr. Shaw is a stanch Republican in his political views, and his first presidential vote was cast for Abraham Lincoln. He was elected Mayor of Milo March 1, 1895, and has also served as Township Clerk and as a mem- ber of the School Board. In addition to his other interests, Mr. Shaw is a stockholder in the Indianola Banking Association and in the Citi- zens' Bank of Milo. In his social relations he is the present Commander of the G. A. R. Post, No. 275. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Shaw has always taken an honorable part in all enterprises tending to redound to public good in his city, county or State.

AWRENCE DAVIS, one of the well known young men of Milo, was born in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, January 26, 1852, a son of T. A. and Mary (Lawrence) Davis, natives of Wales. The father was born in Caerinarthen, Wales, in July, 1818, a son of William L. Davis, who came to America in 1843, landing in New York. In 1841 T. A. Davis crossed the ocean to New York on the three-masted sailing ves- sel, American Providence, having spent three months on the journey. He landed in this country a poor man. A few weeks after his arrival Mr. Davis emigrated to Carbondale, Pennsylvania, arriving there with less than fifty cents; but he soon secured work in the coal mines. He next found employment in a general store, afterward becoming a partner in

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the business, and in that capacity accumulated many thousand dollars. April 9, 1858, Mr. Davis came by rail to Iowa, crossing the Mis- sissippi river at Burlington, and located in Monroe county, where he purchased 300 acres of land in Guilford township, a part of which was cultivated. The family resided there un- til 1880, and in that year came to Indianola. Mr. Davis and his son Lawrence soon after- ward purchased the Somerset Water Mills, of which Lawrence, the subject of this sketch, was the manager until it was sold. Imme- diately after thus disposing of the Somerset Mills our subject and his father effected the purchase of the Milo Flouring Mill, at Milo, and has continued its operation very success- fully ever since. Our subject rents his father's interest in the enterprise and the business is conducted under the firm name of Davis & Son, the interested principals being Lawrence Davis and his son Albert.

T. A. Davis met and married his wife, nee Mary Lawrence, in Luzerne county, Pennsyl- vania. They have had thirteen children, nine of whom are now living, namely: William, who resides near Greeley, Colorado; Lawrence, our subject; Albert, engaged in the hardware business in North Platte, Nebraska; George G., foreman of the Shuber oil works of Des Moines; Benjamin F., a hardware merchant of Hamburg, Iowa; Elizabeth, wife of Silas Keeney, engaged in the livery business; Phœbe J., wife of Bud Fortney, a carpenter of In- dianola; Edward, engaged in the hardware business with his brother Albert; and Elvira, wife of Harry Hartzler, a saddler of Indianola. T. A. Davis has retired from the active cares of life, and resides in his commodious home on East Main street, Indianola. In his political relations, he is identified with the Republican party.

April 22, 1875, Lawrence Davis was united in marriage with Miss Elma Ward, a native of Warren county, Ohio, and a daughter of Owen and Mary Ellen Ward. To this union have been born two children, namely: Lillie L., who was born February 12, 1876, died Feb-

ruary 1, 1892, and was laid at rest in the Odd Fellows' cemetery at Indianola; and Albert L., born November 16, 1878, has developed a nat- ural talent for mechanics. Mr. Davis owns and resides in a beautiful home across from the mill.

Politically, he is a Republican, and cast his first presidential vote for Gen. U. S. Grant. He is now serving his seventh year as Justice of the Peace, has served as secretary of the School Board for seven years, and is secretary of the Warren County Peace Officers' Associa- tion, of Indianola. In his social relations, Mr. Davis is a Mason, Odd Fellow and a Modern Woodman.

AURICE M. SCHEUER, M. D., who is successfully engaged in the practice of medicine in Stuart, Iowa, was born on the 16th of April, 1866, in Toledo, Ohio, and is a son of Leopold and Hannah (Sincere) Scheuer. The father was a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, born in 1839, and is now living with our subject. He spent the greater part of his business life en- gaged in mercantile pursuits in Chicago. His wife was born in Hungary in 1843, and with their respective families they came to America, their marriage being celebrated in Ohio.

Three sons have been born to this worthy couple, of whom the Doctor is the eldest. At a very early age he was taken by his parents to Chicago, and his education was acquired in the public and high schools of that city. In his early youth he entered a drug store, working mornings and evenings, on holidays and through vacation seasons. He possessed a studious nature, a retentive memory, and put forth every effort in his power to master the business, so that he passed successfully the pharmaceutical examination, and became a registered pharmacist at the early age of eight- een years. In the drug business he earned the means to pay his own expenses through med- ical college and with the desire to make the practice of medicine his life work he entered

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the medical department of the Northwestern University, where he was graduated with the degree of M. D., in 1887. He served for one year as house physician and surgeon in Mercy Hospital at Chicago, where theoretical knowl- edge was supplemented by an experience that has made him a skilled practitioner.

In August, 1888, Dr. Scheuer came to Stuart and established an office. He soon en- tered upon a good practice, which has steadily increased, and he now has a business that many an older physician might well envy. His labors there continued uninterruptedly until 1891, when he went abroad, visiting Germany and Austria, mostly in the interests of his pro- fession; yet a man of his character and ability could not fail to gain much general informa- tion, for travel is a school that pays rich re- turns to its students. During the two years succeeding his return Dr. Scheuer occupied a responsible position as demonstrator of surgical anatomy in his alma mater. In 1894 he re- turned to Stuart and resumed practice, with the experience of three years largely in his fa- vor. He has built up an extensive business in this city and vicinity and is to-day recognized as a very successful physician and surgeon.

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Memorial and biographical record of Iowa, Part 49

Author: Publication date: 1896 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1360

Author:
Publication date: 1896
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1360