USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Past and present of Fayette County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 24
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William E. Fuller was married in Kossuth, Des Moines county, Iowa, January 1, 1868, to Lou J. Harper, the only child of William and Harriet (Heizer) Harper. She was a native of Des Moines county and was educated at the State University. Her parents were among the early settlers of Des Moines county, where her father had been a prominent citizen since 1842 and was a member of the Iowa Legislature in 1850 and again in 1870. He was the founder of the State Bank of Mediapolis and its president for over twenty years. He was an elder of the Presbyterian church for over fifty years. He died in his ninetieth year, December 31, 1908.
Mr. and Mrs. Fuller had a family of nine children, of whom seven are now living, four sons and three daughters, namely: Levi Harper, who was born December 10, 1868, is a practicing lawyer in Chicago ; he married Bessie Brown, September 5, 1893, and they have two daughters, Dorothy and Eliza- beth. Harriet May, born May 23, 1871, married C. W. Holbrook, July 24. 1895, now a lawyer in Okmulgee, Oklahoma; they have two sons, William Fuller and Carleton Joseph. Stella E., who was born February 2, 1875, mar- ried Rev. M. P. McClure, September 1, 1897, now pastor of the First Presby- terian church, Council Bluffs, Iowa ; they have two children, Donald Fuller and Kathryn. Clara Augusta, born March 9, 1877, married Roy D. Carpenter, October 20, 1909, cashier of the Okmulgee State Bank, Oklahoma. William WV., born January 28, 1880, married Edith Iva Smith, August 10, 1904; they have two children, Louise Adams and Margaret ; he is district agent for the Northwestern Life Insurance Company and resides at Mandan, North Dakota. Howard Tipton, born September 13, 1884, is cashier of the Peoples Bank,
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Mason City, Iowa; married Edith Evelyn Padden, April 3, 1907, and they have a daughter, Marion. Robert Edward, born December 6, 1888.
Mrs. William E. Fuller died, after a lingering illness, November 2, 1901. She was a woman of intense devotion to her children. She was possessed of rare judgment, keen intellect and a cultivated mind. Her home was always open to her friends. The entire community was deeply grieved when she passed from this life. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Mr. Fuller married a second time, his last wedding occurring December 10, 1903, in New York City, to Mrs. Clara McLean (Heath) Manning, who was born in New York City December 8, 1853, and who also traces her ances- tral line back to Edward Fuller. She and her husband had a common ancestor, Samuel Fuller, about three hundred years ago. They reside in the old home- stead originally erected by Doctor Levi Fuller in 1872 at West Union and remodeled by them in 1907.
Mr. Fuller has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church since he was sixteen years ofage. Mrs. Fuller is a member of the Episcopal church. Mr. Fuller for many years was on the board of education in West Union; and was also a member of the board of trustees of Upper Iowa University. He is vice-president of the Fayette County National Bank.
Sufficient has been said to indicate Mr. Fuller's high character and emi- nent success in those lines of endeavor to which he has devoted his energies. With a mind enriched by years of close study and profound research, he has been eminently qualified for life's duties in every respect, being a vigorous and independent thinker and having the courage of his convictions on all mat- ters and issues on which men and parties divide, a man of noble aims and high ideals, a progressive citizen with the welfare of his county at heart, and a splendid type of the broad minded, virile Americanism, which gives moral bone and sinew to the body politic and makes our country and its institutions hon- ored among the nations of the earth. The biography of such a man as he may well serve for an example and inspiration to the youth who seriously meditate life, yet hesitate to lay the foundation for the stern realities of life which await them.
ELLIOTT PUTNAM.
The great Empire state has sent a vast number of enterprising citizens to northern Iowa and they have done a very commendable work in the devel- opment of the communities where they have cast their lots. Of those who have located in Fayette county, Elliott Putnam, a progressive farmer of Fair-
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field township, is deserving of special mention here. He was born on Decem- ber 9, 1852, in Syracuse, New York, and is the son of Lucian B. and Esther (Foster) Putnam, the father a native of New York state, born February 14, 1824, and died March 29, 1908. The mother was a native of Canada and died when her son, Elliott, of this review, was only two years of age. His parents were married in Canada and emigrated to Freeport, Illinois, in 1853, and Lucian B. Elliott's early life was spent in an iron foundry. After 1865 his principal occupation was farming. His father, Edward Elliott, was a lineal descendant of Gen. Israel Putnam, of Revolutionary fame. Lucian was three times married, first to Esther Foster, which union resulted in the birth of four children, three of whom survive: Helena B., now Mrs. Potter, of Fredericksburg, Iowa; Edward H., of Moline, Illinois; and Elliott, of this review. Lucian B. Putnam's second wife was Cynthia Crosby, which union continued for nearly forty years, when, on December 28, 1889, Mrs. Putnam was called to her reward, leaving one daughter, Estella, now Mrs. Thomas. Four years later, Mr. Putnam formed a matrimonial alliance with Mrs. Phoebe E. Thomas, who died October 6, 1896. Mr. Putnam was a man well liked and fairly successful in his life work. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and belonged to the Masonic order: he is described as a man of high ideals and tender affections.
In his boyhood days Elliott Putnam attended the district schools of his home community. He was married on April 27, 1887, to Caroline Nus, daughter of Hugo and Henriecka ( Meisgeier) Nus, both natives of Germany, from which country they came to America in 1836, and they located in Fay- ette county, Iowa, in 1856, and Mr. Nus has become one of the wealthy and influential citizens of Fairfield township. He and his wife have become the parents of a large family, seventeen children.
Mr. and Mrs. Elliott Putnam began their married life on a farm in Clayton county. Iowa, which they later sold, and in 1907 purchased their present farm of one hundred and twenty acres in section 36, Fairfield town- ship. Mr. Putnam, being a practical and modern farmer, has placed his farm under splendid improvements and has carried on general farming in a very successful manner. He has devoted considerable attention to stock raising and handles a good grade of all kinds of live stock, which, owing to their excellent quality, find a ready market. He has a very comfortable dwelling and good outbuildings.
Personally, Mr. Putnam is a man of generous impulses, genteel, kind. honorable, and he enjoys the confidence of his neighbors and acquaintances everywhere.
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The family of Mr. and Mrs. Putnam consists of five children, three of their own and two sons of Mrs. Putnam's sister, now deceased; they are Ernest, born August 14, 1889; Arthur, born December 16, 1890; Bertha, born October 8, 1892; Marie, born January 12, 1897. Chester and Donald, the twins, are seven years old, and they are treated with just the same considera- tion as if they were the own children of Mr. and Mrs. Putnam. Mrs. Put- nam is a member of the German Lutheran Evangelical church, and is a lady of many amiable traits. Her loving disposition is shown in caring for those little orphan children. She looks after them with all a mother's love and at- tention.
JOSEPH WAZLAWSKI.
Of the many Germans who have cast their lot with the people of Fay- ette county, Iowa, few of them have become the owners of neater homes and better tilled farms than Joseph Wazlawski, of Smithfield township, his splendid farm showing at a glance the thrift and good management of the owner. He was born on January 18, 1864, in Bromberg, Germany. His parents, John and Barbara Wazlawski, lived and died in the fatherland, and there his two sisters and two brothers still reside. Joseph came to America when fourteen years of age, in the year 1889, and located at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he remained for six years. In 1895 he came to Fayette county, Iowa, and married Minnie Wagoner, daughter of Frederick and Min- nie Wagoner; her father died in Germany when but forty-five years of age, and her mother came to the United States in 1890 and one year later, her daughter, Mrs. Wazlawski, crossed the Atlantic to our shores. The mother died September 7, 1907, and is buried at Oelwein, this county.
After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Wazlawski moved to Wisconsin1 where they remained two years, then came to Fayette county, Iowa, and Mr. Wazlawski was soon engaged by the Great Western Railroad Company, with which he remained for a period of eight years, giving his employers very satisfactory service. By economy and tact he had saved enough money during that period to purchase his present splendid farm of two hundred and sixteen acres, on which he has placed substantial improvements, rendering it one of the choice farms of the township, well kept and managed in such a skill- ful manner as to reward its owner abundantly for his pains and labors as a general farmer. He recently built a large, modern and well arranged barn and poultry house, and in 1910 he had a deep well drilled, from which pipes
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carried an abundant suply of water to tanks located conveniently for watering his stock, of which he keeps an excellent grade, and he engages extensively in feeding various kinds of livestock for the market, which, owing to their superior quality, always find ready sales. He has a very pleasant and well located home and, in fact, everything to make life desirable in the country, which. after all, is the most satisfactory. He is deserving of a great deal of credit for what he has accomplished, considering the fact that he started in life as a poor man. but by persistent hard work and good management he has become fairly well to do and ranks among our best farmers and best citi- zens in every sense of the word. He had but four hundred dollars when he began his married life.
To Mr. and Mrs. Wazlawski four children have been born, named as follows: Arthur, born May 10, 1892; Lena, born August 26, 1893; Hettie, born August 3, 1895 ; Carl, born April 28, 1897.
Religiously, the Lutheran church of Arlington claims Mr. and Mrs. Wazlawski's membership, and he is a Republican in politics.
JOHN C. ROBBINS.
One of the most active thoroughgoing farmers and enterprising and highly respected citizens of Illyria township. Fayette county, is John C. Rob- bins, who was born November 24, 1853. He is the son of Francis K. and Christina (Peters) Robbins, the father born in Vermont June 26, 1819. died November 19. 1909; the mother was born in Pennsylvania February 22, 1824, and died March 8, 1909. They were a fine old couple, highly honored by their neighbors. About 1850 they moved from Ohio to Jackson county, Iowa, where they remained a short time, then moved to Clayton county, this state, in 1853, having sold out their farm in the former place, which consisted partly of prairie land. Mr. Robbins was a very active and hard working man. and during his day cleared a great deal of land. He was a Republican and a member of the United Brethren church. Having followed farming all his life, in 1904 he retired and lived in Elgin, Iowa, though he remained active to his death. His family consisted of eleven children, named as follows : Clerinda, born April 21, 1843, married Rev. William Wenerich and she died about 1865; Jerome N., born December 24. 1845, is farming in Clayton county, Iowa : Mary Ann, born December 29, 1847, died in childhood : Maloa C., born July 23, 1851, married Gordon C. McCray and lives in Canada : John
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C., of this review ; Arvilla, born February 4, 1856, married, first, Ed. Cope- land and second, George Stamp; both being deceased, she makes her home at Cedar Rapids, Iowa ; Susan C., who was born April 23, 1859, married John D. Shaffer, of Illyria township, this county (see his sketch) ; Ida M., born November 30, 1862, married Ed. Patterson and lives in Elkader, Iowa; Amy M., born September 24, 1865, married Joe Layton, and lives in West Union; James H., born March 10, 1868, is farming near Volga, Iowa; he married Nellie Lamphier; Elnora, who was born June 23, 1872, is the wife of Ed. Klingman and lives at Elgin, Iowa.
John C. Robbins, of this review, attended the home schools and remained under his parental roof-tree until 1880. On February 25th of that year he married Hattie Klingman, of Highland township, Clayton county, Iowa, and this union has resulted in the birth of five children, named as follows: Francis L., born January 17, 1882, was educated in the home schools, graduating from the schools at Fayette, Iowa, in 1909, also attended the State University at Madison, Wisconsin, which conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts; he is now principal of the schools at Rosendale, Wisconsin; in August, 1900, he married Frances T. Medbury, of Illyria township, this county. Edna M. Robbins, who was born September 26, 1884, was educated in the home schools, graduated at Fayette, Iowa, in 1909 and is now teaching at St. Paul, Nebraska, in the normal there, having previously taught in the pub- lic schools of her home community. Elizabeth C. Robbins, born on November 18, 1888, died in infancy. Emerald C., born March 17, 1899, was edu- cated in the local schools, graduated from the high school at Fayette, Iowa. in 1909 and is living at home. Edward J., born April 14, 1895, was edu- cated in the local schools and is living at home.
After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. John C. Robbins located near Ran- dalia, Iowa, on a farm; remaining there two years they sold out and went to Clayton county, Iowa, and lived in Highland township one year, then went to Custer county, Nebraska, and got a half section of land and remained there eight years, when they sold out and bought two hundred acres in sections II and 12, Illyria township, Fayette county, Iowa. Since coming here Mr. Robbins made all the improvements on the place and brought it to a high state of cultivation, until it now ranks with the best farms of the county. He has a very comfortable and substantial residence and such outbuildings as his needs require. Besides carrying on general farming he also devotes considerable attention to stock raising, especially short horn cattle, Duroc hogs, and some good grades of horses and sheep. Recently he has rented this farm and bought property in Fayette, where he now lives in order to give
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his children the benefit of attendance at the Upper Iowa University, and he expects to retire from active farming. The children, Edna and Francis, are graduates from the university, and Emerald and Edmond expect to take a full course there.
Politically he is a Republican and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church ; he is regarded as a very painstaking farmer, a good neighbor and a man who is interested in the general growth of his county.
LOUIS C. NUS.
A man who has been conspicuously identified with the material growth of his section of Fayette county is Louis C. Nus, and to him nature has not de- nied a fair measure of success in connection with agricultural pursuits, for he has been a very persistent worker and his present valuable farmstead would indicate that he is a good manager as well. His birth occurred in this county, on September 14, 1858. and he is the son of Hugo and Henreicka (Meis- geier) Nus, both natives of Germany, the father born September 4, 1836, and the mother on October 21, 1837. They came to America in 1853 and were married at Cleveland, Ohio, on April 9, 1855. They came to Fayette county, Iowa, in 1856, and located on his present farm, he having begun life in this county as a day laborer, he being one of the many pioneer settlers of this lo- cality who began their careers here in this way; but being a hard worker and persistent he accumulated rapidly and is now the owner of a large farm, well improved.
Louis C. Nus, of this review, is the third of his father's family of sev- enteen children. He received a common school education, remaining with his father until he became of age, when he began life as a day laborer, saving his wages until at the close of three years he had one thousand dollars of his earnings. In 1891 he purchased the farm on which he lives at present and he has been very successful as a general farmer and has a very comfortable home. He was married on April 5, 1888, to Mary Semm, daughter of Christian and Margaret Semm, natives of Germany, from which country they emigrated to America in 1853, and setteld in Fayette county, Iowa, where they purchased a farm, in which occupation Mr. Sem has been very successful; he is now liv- ing in Arlington at the age of seventy-two years, his wife having died in March, 1889, and is buried in Taylorsville cemetery. Three children, all liv- ing, were born to them, namely: Fred, August, and Mary, wife of Mr. Nus,
LOUIS C. NUS.
MRS. MARY NUS.
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whose birth occurred May 1, 1863; and she grew to maturity and was edu- cated in her native community.
Mr. and Mrs. Nus began their married life on rented land, moving to their present home in 1891, into a small frame house where they lived until 1899, when they built a modern and beautiful residence, which is furnished with all modern conveniences, acetylene lights having been recently installed, having their own plant. Thousands of yards of cement have been used for walks about the place, also for flooring and water-tanks, and an excellent silo has been built, in the barn, of cement. It is probable that no better facilities for breeding and feeding stock can be found in the county than at Mr. Nus's place. He is a splendid mechanic and has provided his work-shop with all kinds of tools and he does most of his own repairing. Everything about the place shows thrift and prosperity and exceptionally good management. No small part of Mr. Nus's success has been due to the encouragement and assistance of Mrs. Nus, who is a broad-minded woman and always very in- dustrious.
Adding to his first purchase, Mr. Nus now has a farm of one hundred and ninety-two acres and timber land.
Mr. and Mrs. Nus are the parents of three children, namely: Anna, born October 25, 1891, takes much pleasure in music in which she has taken special instructions and has much more than ordinary talent; Glen, born December 23, 1895; Alyia, born August 24, 1892.
Politically, Mr. Nus is a Republican, and both he and his wife are mem- bers of the Lutheran church, well known and popular in the local congregation and in all circles in the township which has long been honored by their citi- zenship.
PHILIP LENHART.
We delight to honor such men as Philip Lenhart, a well known and highly respected citizen of Fairfield township, who, for a period of forty years, has resided in Fayette county, and most of his time has not only been a witness to its growth and development, but has also been an active participant in its in- dustrial enterprises. A substantial and forceful factor in all that tends to pro- mote the material prosperity of the locality where he cast his lot in the early days. it is indeed proper that appropriate mention be made of him.
Mr. Lenhart was born August 14, 1841, in Baden, Germany, and when twelve years of age he emigrated to America with his father, Martin, and his
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brother, Peter, his mother, Mrs. Catherine Lenhart, having died in her native land in 1842, the father surviving her over a half century, dying in 1894 at an advanced age. The Lenharts reached our shores on July 4, 1863. They first located at Freeport, Illinois, and the date of their arrival in Fayette county, Iowa, was December, 1864, having at that time purchased forty acres near Mr. Lenhart's present home, having selected a good place in section 24, Fairfield township, where they established a very comfortable home.
Philip Lenhart received a very limited education, but contact with the world and home reading has made him a very well informed man. He has been three times married, first to Catherine Eckhart, on February 13, 1864. She was born December 15, 1840, and died January 14, 1891, and ten chil- dren were born to this union, namely: Mary, wife of M. Fry; Fredericka, wife of L. Roberts; Ella, wife of George Jacobs; Michael; John; Emma, the wife of C. Morf; Hattie, deceased; Katie is the wife of A. Smith; George and Fred. The father of these children was married to his second wife, Caroline Osmus, October 23, 1889, and her death occurred in 1895. Mr. Lenhart married his third wife, Katie Meyres, April 14, 1896.
Mr. Lenhart talks most interestingly of the pioneer days and of the sub- sequent development of the county, which he has witnessed for more than four decades. He hauled his grain and dressed hogs to the nearest market, McGregor, Iowa, for some years after locating here. There was plenty of wild game in the uncut forests and on the uncultivated prairies when they came here, and he and his father and brother lived principally on rabbit and "johnny cake" during their first winter here. He recalls a time when a band of In- dians, led by a chief, passed his home on their way to some northern hunt- ing grounds, and, noticing a peacock in his yard, stopped and asked for tail feathers. He gave them the feathers and after they had been placed in the head-gear of the red men the Indians showed their pleasure and appreciation by forming a circle in the door-yard and dancing a "joy" dance.
Mr. Lenhart is a very successful farmer and has been a good manager from his youth up. He has made extensive and modern improvements on his farm. He has a large and well arranged building especially designed for breeding and feeding hogs, and in point of convenience and cost is second to none in the county. He keeps a good grade of all kinds of stock and he takes the very best of care of them. His sons, Michael and John, who have re- mained on the farm with their father, take a great deal of interest in stock- raising and are considered two of the progressive young farmers of the town- ship, and, like their father, are highly respected by all who know them. Mr. Lenhart has twenty-one grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In poli- tics he is a straight Democrat.
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CLARENCE M. DEMING.
Success has been worthily obtained by Clarence M. Deming, who is today counted one of the industrious farmers and substantial citizens of Fair- field township, and by hard work and close application he has won his present station in life, rather than depend upon influential friends to show him the road to comfort and prosperity. He was born January 30, 1861, in this county, and is the son of George and Mary (Mead) Deming, his father a na- tive of Ohio and the mother born in Michigan. They were married in Fay- ette county, Iowa, in 1860 and began their married life on rented land. In 1865 they purchased forty acres in section 25, and made this their home until 1889, when they moved to Arlington, having been successful in farming their place in Fairfield township. The mother died in 1894, and is buried in Reed's cemetery. The father is now living at the age of seventy-four years, making his home with his daughter, who keeps house for him. Mr. Deming is a well known and respected citizen, and although he has been in failing health for some years he retains his fortitude and cheerfulness which has characterized his life in the past and made him many friends wherever he has cast his lot.
Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. George Deming, six of whom are living at this writing, namely: Effie, Mrs. Flower; Hattie, Mrs. Rich- ards; Florence, Mrs. Rawson; Birtha is clerking in a store; Fern married a Mr. Foster; those deceased are Glenn and Lottie.
Clarence M. Deming received a common school education in the schools of his native community and in his youth assisted with the work on the home place. On January 1, 1889, he married Ida Stetter, daughter of Rev. George Stetter, of the German Methodist church, having filled the pulpits in his regu- lar charges at Sioux City, Freeport, Iowa, and Galena, Illinois. He is a native of Germany and a man of much influence in the church.
Mr. and Mrs. Deming began their married life on his present farm of one hundred and twenty acres in section 26, in Fairfield township. It is safe to say that there are few farmers in Fayette county who have more or better improvements on their farms than have been placed here by Mr. Deming. Whatever he does is done well, and thoroughness, close applica- tion and persistency have been keynotes to his success. Besides general farm- ing, he has long handled a great deal of stock and is a breeder of some ex- cellent grades. He has prepared his buildings for watering and feeding where he can take the very best care of all kinds of stock. His farm seems well adapted to the raising of grains, grasses,-in fact, most anything suited to this latitude. He has a neat and substantial home and splendid outbuild- ings of all kinds.
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