USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Past and present of Fayette County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79
910
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
he met with a very gratifying degree of success. At the end of the period mentioned Mr. Graves returned to Iowa, locating again at Emmettsburg, where during the following six years he engaged in the real estate business. In the fall of 1904 he came to Fayette and engaged in the real estate and collection business, which lines he still carries on. He is a shrewd and practical business man, possesses an accurate knowledge of real estate values and a soundness of judgment which makes his advice of value in business affairs. He is held in high esteem by his business acquaintances and associates and has earned a place in the front ranks of Fayette's business men.
On August 22, 1883, Mr. Graves was united in marriage to Libby Taylor, a daughter of William and Harriett (Walker) Taylor, and they have become the parents of two children, namely : M. Roy and Arthur Bonny. The former, who is in business in Oelwein, married Fay Brooks. Religiously Mr. and Mrs. Graves are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, to which they give an earnest and liberal support. Fraternally Mr. Graves belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Mrs. Graves is a member of the auxiliary order, the Daughters of Rebekah. They both enjoy a wide acquaint- ance in the city of their residence and take an active and leading part in the social functions of the community, being highly esteemed because of their splendid personal qualities and their genial dispositions.
William Taylor, father of Mrs. Graves was born in 1832 in Ohio, and when he was three years old his parents moved to LaGrange county, Indiana, of which locality they were pioneer settlers. There Mr. Taylor lived until 1857. In 1856 he had married Harriett Walker and in the following year they came by wagon to Harlan township, Fayette county, Iowa, where he bought two hundred and forty acres of land, for which he paid about a dollar an acre. He was a successful farmer and added to his original holdings until he became the owner of about six hundred acres of good land. In addition to the cultivation of the soil, he was also interested in the handling of livestock, buying and shipping great numbers of animals. At one time he drove an immense flock of sheep from Indiana to this state. In the handling of these animals he was eminently successful, so that among his friends he was often called "Sheep" Taylor. Mr. Taylor died in May, 1904, and Mrs. Taylor died on March 11, 1910.
To Mr. and Mrs. Taylor were born three children, namely: Ida May married J. S. Briggs and lives in Center township, this county, being the mother of two sons; Libby, the wife of Lodell T. Graves, of this sketch ; Ora W. is a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church and is located at Rochester,
9II
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
Minnesota. All of the children completed their education in the Upper Iowa University, and Ora also took a theological course at the Garrett Biblical Insti- tute, Evanston, Illinois. He is a man of marked ability and stands high among the clergy of his church. William Taylor took a keen and intelligent interest in educational matters and for the long period of thirty years rendered invaluable service as a trustee of the Upper Iowa University, to which he also contributed liberally, even when in moderate financial circumstances. He was a man of splendid personal qualities and enjoyed the esteem of all who knew him.
C. E. WAGNER.
Farming is the most independent business on earth. He who follows it is master of his own time, and while sometimes the needs of his crops may hold him closely to work, he can leave whenever necessary. In this the farmer has a great advantage over the city man, and it is this independence which causes so many high-spirited men to remain on the farm where they are their own masters.
John Wagner was born in Pennsylvania, and there married Esther Zaner, to whom three children, Susan, Isaac and Katherine, were born in that state. The family then went to Delaware county, Ohio, where the rest of the family, John and Joseph, Esther, Sarah, Anna, Peter and Harriet, were born. Then, with the exception of three of the daughters, they came to Iowa, making the entire distance by wagon, wintering in Illinois, then coming to Elkader in 1850. The Indians soon went farther west, and then the father and boys took up land. Anna Wagner was married in Elkader to Abner J. Sherman and five years later they moved to the farm in Dover township where Mrs. Stenner now resides. Mr. Sherman took up this farm from the government, three hundred and twenty acres, and improved it, dying there in 1869. Mrs. Stenner was married again in 1874 to Joseph Lewis Stenner, and for a few years lived in Clayton county, but at his death returned to her old place.
Charles E. Wagner was born in Howard county, April 26, 1871, the son of Peter and Mary (Hansinger) Wagner, she born- at Evansville, Indiana, he at Columbus, Ohio. He came to Clayton county in 1846, married there, farmed there awhile, then established. a meat market at Cresco, Howard county. In 1872 he came to Fayette county and bought a farm in the south- ern part of Dover township, there lived until, in 1880, he moved to the farm where he now lives. The results of the general farming which he has carried
912
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
on have been uniformly satisfying. He is the father of five children, four of whom are now living. Charles E. was educated at the Clifton school in Dover township, and has always remained a farmer. After his marriage, in 1896, to Helen Totlefson, he rented for two years, then moved to the farm which he now occupies. This farm has excellent improvements, all of which Mr. Wag- ner has placed upon it. Like his father, he carries on general farming, giv- ing its due importance to stock raising. He is a Republican and merits the confidence of his fellow citizens to such an extent that he has been school director for six years. His wife is a Lutheran. Mr. and Mrs. Wagner are the parents of three children, Mabel, Ruth and Perry, who promise to be worthy descendants of the name they bear. 'Few men of his age have deserved better than Mr. Wagner.
HON. JAMESON J. BERKEY.
In whatever sphere of life, humble or high, a man moves, the moral ele- ment determines his grade and reward. Governed by this rule, the subject of this sketch must command the respect and esteem of his neighbors and fel- low citizens to a marked degree. His influence for good has always been widely felt and acknowledged in the community where the greater part of his life has been spent and his high standing in his profession is a refutation of the charge so often thoughtlessly made concerning the moral integrity of those who practice law. During a long and eminently honorable professional career, he has won a large place in the confidence of the people of his adopted county and, notwithstanding having been much before the public in the line of his calling, his life has been singularly free from the faults characteristic of too many professional men.
Jameson J. Berkey, attorney-at-law and claim agent, was born in Holmes county, Ohio, August 3, 1833. being a son of James and Elizabeth (Faith) Berkey, natives of Somerset county, Pennsylvania. They removed to Holmes county, Ohio, where they remained a number of years, and then located in Elkhart county, Indiana, where both died many years ago, well advanced in years. Of their family of twelve children, seven sons and five daughters, Jameson J. is the seventh in order of birth. Lewis, an older brother of the subject, came to Iowa in an early day and was a pioneer merchant of West Union. He was identified with the business interests of the town during its formative period, did much to advance the material affairs of the county
913
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
and later, as senior member of the firm of Berkey & Winet, gained wide pub- licity and honorable repute as an enterprising and far-seeing business man. The above firm operated for some years a large general store, which included hardware, agricultural implements, drugs, millinery, in addition to dry goods, groceries, notions, etc., and was long the leading mercantile house in the county of Fayette. Lewis Berkey located at West Union in 1852 and his business career, which extended over a period of about twenty years, was more than ordinarily successful. Disposing of his interests here at the ex- piration of the time indicated, he removed to Kansas and purchased a tract of land near Beloit, where he resided some years, his death occurring subse- quently in the Indian territory.
Jameson J. Berkey acquired his education in his native county, where he also taught school during young manhood, and in the early fifties went to McLean county, Illinois, where for a period of five years he was alternately engaged in teaching and farming. In 1855 he came to West Union, Iowa, where his older brother was then living, and later entered the law office of Judge Milo McGlarthery, under whose. tutorship he made rapid progress in his legal studies and in due time was admitted to the bar. Mr. Berkey entered upon his life work well prepared for the duties of the same and it was not long until he gained his proportionate share of the legal patronage and won an honorable standing among the rising attorneys of the county bar. For some years he was engaged in the general practice of his profession, but hav- ing demonstrated unusual ability in the matter of pensions and claims, he was gradually drawn into those lines of business and ever since the close of the Civil war has devoted special attention to the same. From the beginning his patronage has steadily grown in magnitude and importance, and it is a fact worthy of note that he has secured more pensions for worthy claimants, their widows and orphans than any other attorney in the fourth congressional dis- trict, besides doing an extensive and lucrative business in the general practice.
Mr. Berkey's financial success has been commensurate with the interest and energy which he has always displayed in behalf of his clients and for a number of years he has been rated among the well-to-do men of Fayette county, a conservative estimate placing his wealth at considerably in excess of fifty thousand dollars, a part of which resulted from judicious speculation. Although well advanced in life, he still looks after his large and growing interests, in which for some time he has been associated with his son, Lewis C. Berkey, a young man of much natural and acquired ability, especially proficient in the matter of pensions, which branch of the business has fallen largely to his care.
(58)
914
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
On August 9, 1862, Mr. Berkey received a commission from Governor Kirkwood to organize a company of troops for the Civil war, and nine days later the quota was full and the organization took place at West Union, with the subject as first lieutenant. This company, which was mustered with one hundred men, was designated Company A of the Thirty-eighth Iowa Infantry, which regiment was subsequently consolidated with the Thirty-fourth Iowa, and saw much active service during the three years it was at the front. As already stated, Mr. Berkey entered the service as first lieutenant, but at the end of eleven months he was promoted to captain, in which capacity he con- tinued from July 1, 1863, until discharged by reason of the consolidation re- ferred to above. He was with his command throughout its varied experience of campaign and battles, sharing with his comrades the vicissitudes of war on many bloody fields and under all circumstances proving a brave and gallant soldier and popular and trusted leader. Among the engagements in which he participated were the siege of Vicksburg, storming of Fort Morgan, the charge on Fort Blakely, and a number of others, to say nothing of skirmishes and minor actions, in all of which he bore himself as a fearless officer, whose aim was the upholding of the integrity of the union. He was one of the charter members of Abernathy Post No. 48, Grand Army of the Republic, and served as commander of the same besides taking an active and influential part to maintain an interest in the organization and make it answer the purpose for which designed. Previous to the breaking out of the Great Rebellion Mr. Berkey was a strong Democrat, but since the war he has been just as ardent in his support of the Republican party and for a number of years he was a recog- nized leader of the latter in his locality and ever ready to make sacrifices in defense of his principles. He served two terms as mayor of West Union and during the last fourteen years he has held the office of justice of the peace. In both capacities he demonstrated ability of a high order, his career as an officer of the law proving especially acceptable in that he possesses a fine legal mind, which, fortified by thorough legal training and many years' experience at the bar, has enabled him to transact such business as comes before his court with promptness and dispatch and with little fear of his decisions being re- versed at the hands of higher tribunals.
Mr. Berkey has been a member of the Masonic brotherhood since 1862, joining the fraternity at Dubuque while awaiting transportation to the army : he retained his membership with Metropolitan Lodge in that city for about ten years, when he dimitted and joined Lodge No. 69 at West Union, with which he is still identified. He belongs to the chapter of Royal Arch Masons at
915
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
Decorah and Langridge Commandery, Knights Templar, at West Union, his name appearing on the charter of the latter organization.
The domestic life of Mr. Berkey dates from November 13, 1856, at which time was solemnized his marriage with Mary Ann Marihugh, of St. Lawrence county, New York, the ceremony taking place at West Union. After a mu- tually happy and prosperous wedded existence of forty-four years, Mrs. Berkey was called to her eternal rest, dying on the 25th of March, 1900. To Mr. and Mrs. Berkey two children were born, Lewis C., his father's business associate, and Laura Belle, who died in infancy. As indicated in a preceding paragraph, Lewis C. Berkey is a young man of fine mind and much more than ordinary intellectual culture, being well versed in the law and very successful in the line of business to which he devotes his attention.
HENRY W. NEUMANN.
A man who boldly faces the responsibilities of life and by determined and untiring energy carves out for himself an honorable success exerts a power- ful influence upon the lives of those who follow him. Such men constitute the foundation of our republican institutions and are the pride of our civiliza- tion. To them life is real, their lives are bound up in their duties, they feel the weight of their citizenship and are numbered among the solid and sub- stantial citizens of their community. Such has been the career of the sub- ject of this brief notice.
H. W. Neumann was born at Ft. Atkinson, this state, in 1875, and is a son of August and Lisette (Fiebelkorn) Neumann. These parents were born in Pommern, Germany, and came to the United States in 1869, locating first at Watertown, Wisconsin. In the following year they moved to Ft. Atkinson, Iowa, where the father followed his trade of blacksmith until about 1877. He then located a mile south of Eldorado, Fayette county, where he carried on farming operations about two years, doing some blacksmithing as a side line. He then opened a blacksmith shop at Eldorado, which he conducted about seven years and at the end of that time returned to the farm, which com- prised fifty-six acres. Then for about eight years he lived on a farm a mile east of Eldorado. The father then returned to Eldorado and opened a shop in order that his eldest son, the subject of this sketch, might learn the blacksmith's trade. During the following five years, or until the father's death, in 1898, the two worked together, meeting with pronounced success. August and Lisette Neumann were the parents of the following children: Bertha, who lives on
916
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
the old homestead, east of Eldorado; Anna, at home ; H. W., the subject of this sketch; Rev. W. H., of South Dakota; Prof. G. J., who, although twenty-one years of age, is connected officially with the State University at Iowa City, having an enviable standing in educational circles.
The subject of this sketch was reared by his parents and secured his edu- cation in the common schools. As before stated, he became his father's as- sistant in the latter's blacksmith shop and on the death of the father he assumed the shop and carried on the business, giving his entire attention to it until 1908, in which year he bought the store owned by W. P. Lauer and has since con- ducted a general store. He carries a large and well selected line of such goods as are demanded by the local trade and he has met with a gratifying success in this line, commanding a full share of the local trade. He still continues the blacksmith shop, which enjoys, as it has for many years, a large patronage from the surrounding territory.
In 1901, Mr. Neumann was united in marriage to Nannie Blessin, a daughter of the Reverend Blessin, and this union has been blessed in the birth of three children, Siegmund, Erwin and Herbert.
Politically, Mr. Neumann renders a stanch allegiance to the Republican party, in the affairs of which he has taken an active part, and for several years he has served as president of the school board. He is a consistent member of the Lutheran church, in the various activities of which he takes a prominent part and for several years he has rendered efficient service as superintendent of the Sabbath school. In his everyday life he has the reputation of being honorable and conscientious and he has been true to every trust reposed in him, consequently he enjoys to a marked degree the confidence and respect of the entire community.
AUGUST SCHRADER.
Fayette county, Iowa, has furnished homes for many born on foreign soil, who, deeming that life would mean more to them under the pro- tection of our flag and the encouragement of our free institutions. came to our shores and settled within the boundaries of the particular small division of our great constellation of Union stars mentioned above, with little capital save the intelligence and physicial abilities that were the gifts of his Maker. and later attained a competency and a position of influence in the locality in which he chose to reside that, in after years, redounded in an enviable reputation for himself and his descendants. This has been especially true of our adopted
917
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
citizens who were born in Germany, and of this number August Schrader, farmer of Dover township, near Eldorado, this county, should be mentioned. His birth occurred in the fatherland on January 19, 1860, and he is the son of Charles and Wilhelmina Schrader, who were born, reared, educated and in fact, spent their lives in their native land. Their son, August, of this review, also grew to maturity and was educated in the common schools of the father- land, and there for a period of ten years he worked as hostler in one place ; but not being satisfied with his lot there, he came to America when a young man and finally landed in Iowa, first finding employment at Ft. Atkinson, then he came to Fayette county and located in Auburn township. By economy he had saved his earnings and when he arrived here bought a farm of sixty acres which he improved and made a fairly good living on. Selling the same in 1900, he soon came to the place where he now resides east of Eldorado, in Dover township, which consists of eighty-three and three-fourths acres, also eight acres of timber, making him a very desirable and highly productive little farm which he worked with good results. He is also interested extensively in the dairy business, understanding well the nature of the same so that his products find a very ready market at all seasons. Although starting with small means, he has labored to goodly ends and now has a comfortable home and a good income.
Mr. Schrader was married in July, 1892, to Mary Steffens, and four children have been born to them, named as follows: Henry died when three years of age; Otto, Anna and Zelma are the living members of their house- hold.
The Schrader family support the Lutheran church and are faithful in their attendance on the same, ranking well in the local congregation.
D. B. ALLEN.
The gentleman whose name heads this paragraph is widely known as one of the enterprising and progressive citizens of Arlington, Fayette county, Iowa. He has lived here a number of years and has been prominently identified with the business interests of the community. His well-directed efforts in the practical affairs of life, his capable management of business interests and his sound judgment have brought to him a definite degree of prosperity and his life demonstrates what may be accomplished by any man of energy and am- bition. In all the relations of life he has commanded the respect and con-
918
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
fidence of those with whom he has been brought in contact and a history of the county would not be complete without mention of him.
D. B. Allen, the efficient and popular cashier of the First State Bank of Arlington, was born in Carroll county, Ohio, on the 10th day of March, 1860, and is a son of J. W. and Martha (Thompson) Allen, both also natives of Ohio. The family came to Fayette county, Iowa, in 1865, and located on a farm near Arlington. Subsequently he moved to Blockton, this state, where his death occurred at the age of seventy-three years. The subject of this sketch came with the family on their removal to Iowa and remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-one years of age. He received his educa- tion in the district schools of the neighborhood and on attaining manhood he became employed as a traveling salesman, handling china goods and kindred lines. His field embraced the states of Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas, and he followed this line of effort for nine years, with very gratifying results. Mr. Allen then assisted in the organization of the First State Bank of Arlington, of which he became the first cashier, a position which he has retained to the present time. He necessarily has much of the details of the business under his immediate charge and during his connection with the institution he has given entire satisfaction to the directors and patrons of the bank. The First State Bank is one of the important and influential monetary institutions of this part of the county and has enjoyed a marked success since opening its doors. Mr. Allen also organized and is president of the First State Bank of Lesueur Center, Minnesota, which opened for business in about 1902, and which has enjoyed a steady and satisfactory growth. At the annual meeting of the Iowa Bankers' Association, held at Des Moines, June 17, 1910, he was chosen treasurer of that body. Mr. Allen is also the owner of some splendid farming land in Fayette county, which he rents, receiving one-half of the income in stock and grain. He is a man of splendid personal qualities and is in every respect fitted for the responsible position which he holds. He is a man of rare refinement, genial and approachable, and his friends are in number as are his acquaintances.
In 1885 Mr. Allen was united in marriage to Anna L. Newton, a daugh- ter of Palmer and Hannah Newton, of Arlington, where Mrs. Allen was born and reared. To the subject and his wife have been born two children. M. Marie and Mayland D.
In politics Mr. Allen is a Democrat and takes a keen and intelligent inter- est in public affairs, though not in any sense a seeker after public office. Re- ligiously he is a member of the Christian church, in which he is serving as elder. His fraternal relations are with the Knights of Pythias and the Mod- ern Woodmen of America.
919
FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
HENRY A. STEFFENS.
In many of the old countries of the world, particularly those governed by kings or emperors, there is a sharp contrast drawn between persons of title and the laboring classes. The aristocratic members of those countries, from time immemorial, have tried to make it appear that the kings or emperors ruled by divine authority, and the families of the nobility attempted to estab- lish their own superiority over the working classes by claiming the same au- thority. As a consequence labor was looked upon in those countries as de- grading, instead of being the noblest calling to which man can turn his hand. In our country, on the other hand, it has been the aim, since the establishment of our constitution, to ennoble labor, and the result has been to make the farmer and the artisan the peer of the wisest and best in our land, and this has also had a great tendency to induce a vast host of foreign-born citizens, most of them honest, hard working and well-meaning, to come to our shores and establish homes in all our states. Although lines of caste have not been so closely drawn in Germany as most of the other countries of the world, especial- ly during the past half century, yet many of her humbler citizens have preferred to seek a land of absolute equality and free institutions in every respect. One of this vast number is Henry A. Steffens, farmer of Dover township, Fayette county, whose birth occurred in Germany in 1868, and who was born of a good and industrious family. His parents were Dedrick and Christina (Albert) Steffens, the mother being now deceased, but the father is still living in the Fatherland where he is engaged in farming.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.