USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Past and present of Fayette County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 70
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MRS. ANNIE SPEARS.
NILES H. SPEARS.
713
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
The subject of this sketch remained under the parental roof until he was eighteen years of age, receiving his early education under the direction of his father, who was a successful school teacher for a number of years. On September 15, 1861, he enlisted in Company C, Twelfth Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He was first sent to Camp Union, at Dubuque, being later sent to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, and on January 27, 1862, to Smith- land, Kentucky, where he remained in camp until the 5th of the following February, when he went by boat up the river to Fort Henry, marching across country from there to the Cumberland river, at Fort Donelson. They then returned to Mettle's Landing, on the Tennessee river, and thence by boat to Shiloh, where his command engaged in battle with the enemy on April 6 and 7, 1862. The regiment then marched to Corinth, Mississippi, assisting in the capture of that city, later going into camp at Danville, ten miles south of that city. On the 3d of October they returned to Corinth and participated in the battle of that day and the day following. At ten o'clock on the morning of the second day's fight Mr. Spears was shot in the left hand and was sent to the hospital at Columbus, Kentucky, and subse- quently was transferred to the hospital at Keokuk, Iowa, where he remained until the spring of 1863, when he went to Davenport, Iowa, and rejoined the regiment. He was home on a twenty-day furlough, and in March, 1863, he returned to St. Louis, and on April 14th went to Duckport, Mississippi, where he remained until May 2d. The regiment then marched to below Vicksburg, crossed the Mississippi river on May Ioth and participated in the battle at Jackson. The regiment went to Vicksburg May 19th and participated in the siege of that city, which culminated in its surrender on July 4th. On the 9th of the same month they returned to Jackson. On the Ist day of July the subject was captured by the Confederates while he was on a foraging trip, but after marching about two miles he succeeded in effect- ing his escape and returned to his command. The regiment went into camp at Black river after the evacuation of Jackson by the enemy and remained there until November 6th, when they marched to Vicksburg, and from there to Memphis, Tennessee, and thence to LaGrange, the same state. On the 16th the regiment went into winter quarters and on January 5, 1864, Mr. Spears re-enlisted as a veteran in the same company and regiment. On January 26th they returned to Memphis and on February Ist they took boat for Vicks- burg. From there they marched to Black river, where they remained until March 4th, when they returned to Vicksburg and on the 7th took boat for Memphis and thence went up the river to St. Louis and on to Davenport. Iowa, where they arrived March 22, 1864. Mr. Spears was at home on a
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FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
veteran furlough of thirty days and on April 28th he returned to Davenport, and from there to St. Louis, Missouri, Cairo, Illinois, Memphis, Tennessee, Mobile, Alabama, White River, Arkansas, returning to Memphis June 18th. From there they were transported in box cars to Collinsville, Tennessee, marching from there to LaGrange, that state, where they spent July 5th. Going then to Ripley and New Albany, and thence on to Tupelo, where they engaged the enemy on July 14th and 15th. On the following day they took train for Memphis, but after the battle of Tupelo they returned to LaGrange, going from there to Coldwater. On August 2d they advanced on Holly Springs, where they remained until August 13th. After a skirmish with the enemy, they marched to Oxford, and thence to Memphis, where they took boat down the Mississippi river to White river and up that stream to Du- vall's Bluffs, and on the 10th they started on the march for Brownsville, Arkansas. On September IIth they started in pursuit of Price on Little Red river, going to the Ozark mountains and then to Greenville, Missouri, on October 2d and to Cape Girardeau on the 5th. After nineteen days marching, during which they covered a distance of three hundred and thirty-six miles, they were conveyed by boat to St. Louis. From there they went up the Mis- sissippi and Missouri rivers to Jefferson City, Missouri, and on the 18th of October they went to Sedalia, Missouri, thence to Independence, Blue River and Kansas City, marching all day and all night in order to intercept Gen- eral Price. From Blue River on October 23d they marched thirty-seven miles in twenty-four hours, and after a three-day rest, they marched one hun- dred and seventy-six miles in eight days, after which they started on the re- turn march of three hundred miles to St. Louis. This was a trying trip and the soldiers were compelled to sleep in hay stacks and other sheltered spots in order to keep warm. They arrived at St. Louis on November 16th and on the 24th they went to Nashville where they joined the army of General Thomas which was engaged in repelling Hood's invasion. On December 10th the Union forces attacked General Hood and drove him back to Franklin. They also took part in the battles at Columbus, Pulaski and Franklin. They went to Lawrenceburg and Waynesboro, and on January 26, 1865, they took transports at Clifton for Eastport, Mississippi, where they went into winter quarters. Running short of provisions, they were compelled to subsist for an entire week on corn. On February 5th they went to Cairo, Illinois, and on the Ioth to Vicksburg, Mississippi, going into camp on the 13th at Wal- nut Hills. On the 18th they took boat for New Orleans and on the 21st the regiment camped on Gen. Andrew Jackson's old battlefield. On March 2d
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FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
the regiment marched to Lake Ponchartrain, and there took boat for Lake Borgue and Dauphin Island. They went up Fish river opposite Spanish Fort and on April 8th they captured Spanish Fort first and then Fort Blakely. On April 13th they started for Montgomery, Alabama, reaching that place on the 25th of April. On May roth the regiment marched to Selma, where they remained in camp throughout the summer. On September 25th they went to Talladega, going from there to Jacksonville, where they were engaged in provost duty until December 25th. On January 2, 1866, the regiment was sent to Memphis, and on the 25th of that month they were mustered out of the service. Mr. Spears served through the war as a private, though at times he was placed in responsible positions, having acted as wagon master of the Sixteenth Army Corps, having charge of the ammunition and supply train. After his discharge he went to Davenport, Iowa, and was paid off.
On his return to Iowa Mr. Spears lived on the old homestead farm in Fre- mont township, where he remained until 1887, when he went to Westgate, where for several years he was engaged in the mercantile business. On April 16, 1901, he entered upon the active discharge of his duties as postmaster of Westgate. He has given to this office his best efforts and has administered its affairs to the entire satisfaction of the patrons of the office and his official superiors.
Fraternally Mr. Spears is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, holding membership in Sunnyside Lodge, No. 510, at Maynard, Iowa, and his wife and daughter are members of the auxiliary order of the Eastern Star, at Sumner. Mr. Spears keeps alive his old army associations through his mem- bership in Reynolds Post, No. 47, Grand Army of the Republic, at Maynard. Politically he is a stanch Republican and served in a number of official posi- tions, including those of trustee of Fremont township and member of the school board, of which he was president. He is the present mayor of West- gate, his ability and popularity being evidenced in the fact that he is now serving his third consecutive term in this office.
On November 28, 1872, Mr. Spears was united in marriage to Annie M. Bane, of Portland, Ohio, the daughter of James and Ann W. (Richards) Bane, the latter having been a native of historic Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. James Bane, who was born near Wheeling, West Virginia, was for a number of years engaged in the commission business in partnership with his father at Portland, Ohio. In 1864 he came to Fayette county, Iowa, and secured a half section of good land, located a mile north of Westgate, where he con- ducted farming operations up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1873, at the age of sixty years. His wife survived him many years, dying
716
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
September 24, 1909, at the age of eighty-nine years. He was a member of the Presbyterian church, his wife being a Quaker. They were the parents of four children, namely : Mary E., who died in 1887, was the wife of W. O. Sales, by whom she had a daughter, who is now the wife of Dr. W. H. Emmons, of Burr Oak, Iowa; Annie M., wife of Mr. Spears; J. R., of Oel- wein, Iowa; I. W., of Des Moines, Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Spears has been born a daughter, Stella W. The latter received her elementary educa- tion in the public schools, subsequently attending Drake University, at Des Moines. She studied music under the well-known teacher, Emil Liebling, of Chicago, later under W. H. Pontius, at Dubuque, Iowa, and also under good teachers at Minneapolis, Minnesota. She is now engaged as a teacher with W. H. Pontius in the Minneapolis School of Music and expects to complete here musical studies in Europe.
Mr. Spears enjoys a wide acquaintance throughout Fayette county and numbers his friends by the number of his acquaintances. He is a man of splendid personal qualities, marked business ability and unquestioned integ- rity of character and is numbered among the practical, conservative and re- liable citizens of the county, in which he has spent so many years. He is en- titled to particular respect because of his military record, a record of which he may well feel proud.
ANTONE B. LOOMIS.
In writing a work of so great a magnitude as is here intended, it is but fair to note the life and character of a man who has by good management and persistency overcome numerous obstacles that would have discouraged and crushed many of a weaker nature, succeeding admirably well in spite of them, as we shall see, for Antone B. Loomis, of the firm of Loomis Brothers, of West Union, dealers in furniture and undertaking goods, has demonstrated beyond a doubt what one can do who has a well defined purpose, energy, and who does not admit the word "fail" to his vocabulary.
Mr. Loomis was born in Auburn township, Fayette county, Iowa, Novem- ber 8, 1864, and is the son of Edwin H. and Mary (Hennings) Loomis, the father having been born in New York in 1834, and the mother in England, the same year. They came west when young and married in this county, and are still living in West Union. Mr. Loomis was one of the early pioneers of the county, the date of his advent being 1854, and he has lived in the county
717
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
continuously since his first settlement here. He cleared up a timber farm and became well-to-do, and is now living retired, enjoying the fruits of his earlier years of toil and endeavor. He owns valuable property in West Union, California and Dakota. His family consisted of four sons. The eldest, Dr. Frank Loomis, is a practicing physician of Marcus, Iowa, being a graduate of the Rush Medical College at Chicago, and he is a very successful physician ; he married Madge A. Perry, of Atchison, Kansas, and they have three sons, Frank, Emlia and Donald. Henry C. Loomis is in the real estate business at Marcus, this state ; he married Gertrude Leonard, of Cherokee, Iowa, and they have one daughter, Mary. Antone B., of this review, and Dord W., the youngest of the family, is an equal partner with Antone B. in their extensive business, which they purchased in 1902. Both the brothers are graduated embalmers and fully understand the details of this business, consequently are popular and extensively patronized. They and their brothers received liberal educations, having attended the local public schools, the Ainsworth Academy in West Union and the Upper Iowa University at Fayette. All four of the brothers were successful teachers in earlier years.
On February 22, 1898, Antone B. Loomis married Leora .Philips, daugh- ter of A. A. and Agnes (Johnston) Philips. She was born in Dover town- ship, this county, in 1871, and was educated in the public schools and is a high-school graduate, and was a teacher before her marriage; her parents are both living on a farm in Union township. Two daughters have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Loomis: Phyllis, born October 13, 1899, and Gertrude, born February 28, 1901.
"Uncle" Jesse Philips, grandfather of Mrs. Loomis, was a well known public school teacher here and elsewhere for more than fifty years. His death occurred in Ohio at an advanced age.
Mr. Loomis is a member of West Union Lodge, No. 142, Knights of Pythias, and he is a stanch Republican, like the rest of the Loomis family, but none of them have ever sought public office.
The Loomis Brothers carry a fine stock of goods, carefully selected and up to date. No better line of furniture and undertaking goods are to be found in this part of the state, and they are enjoying an excellent trade which increases with the years. Their stock embraces at all seasons a full line of furniture, carpets, linoleums, window-shades and fixtures. Their store oc- cupies two stories and a basement in a neat and substantial brick building forty by eighty-five feet, and this is a favorite gathering place for the citizens of the rural districts when in the county seat.
718
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
WILLIAM W. RIDLER.
The subject of this sketch ranks among the leading farmers of Fayette county and has long enjoyed worthy prestige in the township of which he is an honored resident. His father, William Ridler, was born January 28, 1826, in Devonshire, England, as was also the mother, who bore the maiden name of Mary Kingdon and who first saw the light of day on March 26, 1821. These parents grew up in the same neighborhood and were married on the 29th of April, 1847. Later they immigrated to the United States and settled in Genesee county, New York, where they lived until about 1848, when they removed to Fayette county, Iowa, located on eighty acres of land in Jefferson township. He also bought a small log house in which the family lived for sev- eral years, and in the meantime addressed himself to the improvement of his land, which was in the condition that nature had made it. Subsequently he erected a much larger and more comfortable dwelling, the one now occupied by the subject and his family, and in due season had a fine farm under cultivation and was on the high road to prosperity. He added to his improvements at intervals, made substantial progress as a tiller of the soil and was in comfort- able circumstances at the time of his death, January 20, 1890, Mrs. Ridler departing this life on January 2, 1897.
In early life Mr. Ridler was a tailor, which trade he learned in his native land, but after coming to America he devoted his attention principally to farm- ing, in which, as already stated, he met with the success that usually follows sound judgment and well-directed industry. He enlisted in the One Hundred Fortieth New York Infantry at the breaking out of the great Rebellion and served one year at the front, and it was shortly after his return from the army that he disposed of his interests in New York and came west. As a neighbor and citizen he stood high in the confidence and esteem of all who knew him and the deep interest he ever took in promoting the social and moral welfare of the community gave him a wide reputation throughout the county. In religion the Presbyterian church held his creed and in politics he was loyal and unswerving in upholding the principles of the Republican party.
William and Mary Ridler reared a family of six children, namely : Fan- nie, born November 4, 1848, married Peter Harford, of Oelwein; Mary Jane, who was born March 20, 1851, is the wife of Charles Knight, of Denver, Colorado; Josephine, born December 4, 1853, is now Mrs. H. W. Keniston, of Oelwein; William W., of this review, is the fourth in order of birth, the fifth being Fredrick John, a retired farmer of Fayette county, living in Oel- wein, whose natal day was January 12, 1858; Emma Lucinda, the youngest
719
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
of the family, was born September 21, 1863, and married George Teague, a well-to-do farmer and substantial citizen of Jefferson township.
William W. Ridler was born July 6, 1856, and spent his early life in his native state, receiving a good practical education in the public schools of Fayette county. He was reared a farmer and remained with his parents until his marriage, which was solemnized on the 8th of September, 1880, with Nina Bennett, of Jefferson township, who was born October 27, 1859, the daughter of DeWitt and Eleanor (Wood) Bennett, both natives of Orange county, New York.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennett came to Fayette county, Iowa, in 1858 and settled in Jefferson township, where they lived the remainder of their days, the for- mer dying December 24, 1870, the latter in the spring of 1875. They had eight children whose names are as follows: Martha E., wife of A. J. Miller, of Oelwein ; Carrie, wife of John Morton, of Cedar Rapids, this state; George, a farmer of Jefferson township, died November 8, 1908; Ruth, who married John Foley and lives in Union county, Iowa; Lewis, of Clinton, Minnesota, and by occupation a farmer; Nina, wife of the subject; Fred, a resident of Oelwein, and Andrew, of Bryant, South Dakota. Father Bennett was an ex- cellent man and praiseworthy citizen, and wielded a wide influence for good among his neighbors and friends. He followed farming for a livelihood, voted the Republican ticket and was a devout Christian and an untiring stu- dent of the Holy Scriptures. The deaths of this good man and of his esti- mable wife were greatly deplored and they will long live in the memories of those with whom they formerly mingled. For one year after his marriage William W. Ridler lived at Oelwein, but at the expiration of that time went to Sanborn county, South Dakota, where he entered a quarter section of land and pre-empted a like amount in the same locality, on which he resided during the nine years ensuing. Disposing of all his land in the year 1891, he returned to Fayette county and, purchasing the home farm of his father, has lived on the same ever since, adding to its improvements and value the meanwhile and taking a front rank among the successful agriculturists and stock raisers of Jefferson township. He carries on general farming, raises high grade cattle, horses and hogs, and by diligent attention to his vocation has surrounded him- self with a sufficiency of this world's wealth to make his future secure and in- dependent.
Mr. Ridler is a public spirited man and takes a lively interest in whatever tends to promote the welfare of his community. He is a Republican in poli- tics, a worthy member of the Christian church and, fraternally, belongs to the Modern Brotherhood of America, at Oelwein.
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FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Ridler has been blessed with one child, a daughter, Leona Genevieve, whose birth occurred on the 6th day of April, 1888, and who is now the wife of Bert Kiel, an enterprising farmer and esteemed citizen of Jefferson township. Mr. and Mrs. Ridler are the grand parents of a grandson, born July 10, 1910. Mrs. Ridler is raising one of her brother's children, Merl, whose mother died in 1899. She is a bright little girl, born May 12, 1897, and is attending school.
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