USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Past and present of Fayette County, Iowa, Volume II > Part 71
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Mr. Hyman is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a quiet man and a very pleasant gentleman to meet.
CARL LAUER. .
Improvement and progress may well be said to form the keynote of the character of Carl Lauer, and he has not only been interested in the work of advancement in individual affairs, but his influence is felt in upbuilding the community in Fayette county where he has long resided. He has been a very industrious man all his life, and as a result every mile-post of the years he has passed has found him further advanced, more prosperous, more sedate and with a larger number of friends than the preceding. He was born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, January 2, 1868, and he is the son of Philip Lauer, a successful and highly respected citizen of that county.
Mr. Lauer was educated in Millatery township, Winneshiek county, this state, attending the district schools during the winter months, a German school three winters, and working on the farm in crop season, assisting with the general work about his father's place. In 1891 he located in Dover town-
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ship. Fayette county, Iowa, buying a farm of one hundred and thirty-eight acres, on which he farmed very successfully until 1899, when he bought one hundred and twenty acres in Windsor township, where he now resides, having developed an excellent farm which he manages in such a skillful manner that he ranks easily with the leading agriculturists of the township. He has a comfortable and nicely kept home and all the outbuildings, etc., that his needs require.
Mr. Lauer was married November 24, 1892, to Bertha Krueger, who was born in Jackson township, Washington county, Wisconsin. She is the daughter of Henry and Minnie ( Krueger) Krueger, both born in Ger- many, where they were reared and educated, having come to America when young and married after reaching our shores. The trip to this country was an unusually long and tedious one, requiring three months. They lo- cated in Washington county, Wisconsin, where they farmed. The pleasant home of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Lauer has been graced by one winsome daughter, Elsie M., who was born in 1903.
Mr. and Mrs. Lauer are members of the German Lutheran church, and, politically, Mr. Lauer is a Republican. He is now serving very acceptably on his second term on the school board.
ERNST F. D. LENZ.
Among the substantial men of foreign birth to settle in Fayette county is the well known farmer and excellent citizen of whom the biographer writes in this connection. Ernst F. D. Lenz is a native of Brandenburg, Prussia. where he was born on the 19th of November, 1853. His parents, Carl and Louisa (Rosengarten) Lenz, also natives of Brandenburg, grew up to- gether and after their marriage obtained their livelihood from the mill which Mr. Lenz owned and operated. He died in 1865 and later his widow became the wife of Charles Linius, who moved his family to the United States in 1868 and settled in Jefferson township, Fayette county, Iowa, where he spent the remainder of his days, dying in June, 1909, his wife preceding him to the grave in 1907.
Carl and Louisa Lenz were the parents of six children, viz: Albertina, who married William Wagner, of Harlan township; Ernst F. D., of this review; Herman, a farmer living near Hawkeye, Iowa; Albert H. S., of Oran township; Hannah, who died in December, 1881, and Gustav, whose
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death occurred in the year 1874. By her marriage with Mr. Linius, the mother had three children, Charles W., of Oran township; Theodor, a farmer of Jefferson township, and Fred, who lives on the home place where his parents originally settled.
Ernst F. D. Lenz spent his childhood and early youth in his native land and received his educational training in the schools of the same. When about thirteen years old he accompanied his mother and step-father to America and until the age of nineteen lived at home, the meanwhile becoming proficient in the English tongue and acquiring some knowledge of the com- mon school branches. At the age indicated, he began working for himself as a farm hand, and a little later went to Kansas and Nebraska, where he continued farm labor until his return to Fayette county. In 1880 he bought the farm in section 3, Oran township, which he still owns and which con- tains two hundred acres of as fine and valuable land as the county can boast.
Mr. Lenz has made all the improvements on his place and is now in independent circumstances, ranking among the leading farmers and stock- raisers of the township in which he resides and standing high in the esteem of the public as an enterprising citizen. In the month of June, 1889, he was happily married to Elisa Helen Lenz, of Pommern, Germany, daughter of William and Emily Lenz, who immigrated to the United States in 1882 and settled in Oran township, Fayette county. Mr. Lenz purchased a small tract of land in the above township and he lived there until 1900, when he re- moved to Oelwein, but after a residence in that town of two years went to Ridgefield, Washington. In 1909 he made a trip to Europe and upon his return went to Elgin, Illinois, where he now lives with his son Charles, his wife having died in March, 1908. Mr. and Mrs. Lenz had nine children, namely : Henry; Mrs. Anna Gruenhagen; William; Charles; Elisa; Helen, the wife of the subject; Herman, deceased; Martha, wife of John Morton; Minnie, now Mrs. H. Weirts, and an infant that died unnamed.
The marriage of Ernst and Elisa Helen Lenz has been blessed with the following offspring: Gertrude A., Rudolph E., Gertrude E., Agnes M., John G. (deceased), Walter G., Annie E., and Robert Frederick, who died in 1906.
Mr. Lenz has an interesting family and takes pride in his children, all of whom are bright and intelligent and making most of their opportuni- ties. The farm home is one of the most beautiful and attractive places in the township of Oran. Mr. Lenz devotes considerable attention to the rais- ing of fine livestock and is also interested in dairying, keeping from twenty to twenty-five cows selected with special reference to their value as milk pro-
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ducers. As already indicated, he is now in independent circumstances and well prepared to enjoy the many material blessings which have come to him . as a result of his well directed industry and has served on the school board of his town although not a politician nor seeker after the honors or emolu- ments of office. He now lives in Oelwein, though still maintaining the opera- tion of the farm.
In closing this brief review of one of Fayette county's most estimable citizens, it is deemed proper to include a short notice of his brother, Alber H. S., who is also a man of considerable local prominence and one of the leading farmers of the section of the country in which he resides. Alber H. S. Lenz was born March 29, 1858, in Brandenburg, Prussia, and came to America at the age of ten and on November 18, 1884, he was united in marriage with Hermine Meyers, of Mecklenburg, Germany, a union resulting in the birth of twelve children, viz: H. A. D., Louisa H., Martha M., Carl A. E., Martin T., Minnie E., Albert W., Bertha H., Paul H., Margaret A. and Edgar W.
GEORGE W. HARRISON.
Among the men who have lived in Fayette county in recent years, few have left behind them a more commendable record than the late George F. Harrison, a man to respect and admire for his worthy character, and his in- fluence will long be felt.
Mr. Harrison was born near West Union, November 20, 1857. During his youth he taught several terms of school, having received his education in the common schools and in the Upper Iowa University. In his student days he exhibited those rare qualities of leadership which characterized him all through life. He must have inherited some of these traits from his ancestors. for one has a monument erected to his memory as a great general; Nansen, the Arctic explorer, was a cousin of his father, C. C. Harrison, who went to California with the gold hunters of 1849. The son also was always ready to shoulder difficult things. Nothing seemed too hard or too big for him to undertake.
When George W. Harrison was twenty-one years of age he went to western Iowa, settling in the southeastern part of Cherokee county, where he lived an active and useful business, political and social life.
On April 4, 1883, Mr. Harrison married Elma Frances Hall. This union was blessed by seven children, four sons and three daughters. All
MRS. LOUISE HARRISON. GEORGE W. HARRISON.
C. C. HARRISON. GEORGE W. HARRISON, JR.
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survived him by a brief six days, when his youngest son, George W., Jr., was called to follow him.
Mr. Harrison was a very successful business man, exercising soundness of judgment and executive ability of a high order. He had the confidence of all who knew him, for he was scrupulously honest. His place was always kept in a neat and up-to-date manner and was a model which called forth the admiration of all who saw it.
On Thursday, May 16, 1907, Mr. Harrison met with a peculiar accident while carrying a roll of check-row wire down a flight of stairs. Slipping, he dropped the reel, driving one of the prongs into his foot. The accident was at first thought little of, but soon alarming symptoms of blood poisoning set in, which caused his death on June Ist, following, at the age of forty-nine years, six months and eleven days. The funeral was held at the farm resi- dence, conducted by Rev. Mr. Allen, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church at Pierson, Iowa, citizens for many miles around attending the services, and . he now rests in the cemetery which is but a few rods from his home. Among those who survive him are C. C. Harrison and Misses Libbie and Carrie Har- rison, brother and sisters.
Mr. Harrison was a man beloved in the community where he had lived for nearly twenty years. He took an abiding interest in public affairs and held a number of offices of trust and responsibility, to the satisfaction of all concerned. He was widely known in his chosen vocation as stock man. He loved the freedom of the farm. Delighting in good stock, his pastures and yards were all well filled with a good grade of well-cared-for stock of various kinds. While inclined to be radical in his views, his teachings were always of a strictly moral, temperate and uplifting nature. He was independent in his views, thinking for himself regardless of the opinions of others, being a leader and not a follower. He was particularly active in temperance work and under his presidency the local organization was unusually popular and efficient. What he did for the cause of temperance, the church, the local ceme- tery, the schools, the farmers' institute and for good roads will be a lasting monument to his memory.
George W. Harrison, Jr., mentioned above, son of the late George W., Sr., and Elma Frances Harrison, was born in Grand Meadow township, Cherokee county, Iowa, April 14, 1891, and died June 7, 1907, as previously mentioned, dying in the very room and house where he was born, being then sixteen years, one month and twenty-four days old. "Georgie," as he was familiarly called, was a quiet, industrious, home-loving boy, preferring the companionship of the family to that of any other. He was a great reader
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of good books and was very fond of reading the Bible and books of religious teaching. His inclination was for study rather than that of farming. He was ambitious to obtain a good education and to honorably occupy some posi- tion of prominence, and had he lived, no doubt these would have been fully realized. On June 4, 1907, he was seized with acute appendicitis, which re- sulted in his death three days later, physicians attributing his rapid decline, if not his death, to grief over the death of his father. In his last hours he was happy and hopeful, and seemed to have a glimpse of the heavenly home beyond. He spoke of seeing a great multitude of people in a most beautiful place and among them his own father, who had so recently preceded him. Repeatedly he said. "I am so happy," and seemed conscious that he must die, bidding each good-by, one by one, patiently bearing his affliction as had his father before him, and departed smiling, and without a tear. Every word he spoke, during his last hours, was of cheer and comfort. Shortly before his death he said to his brothers, "On the roof, just over my bed, is a white dove. Go out and see." They went, came back, and said, "Yes, Georgie, there is a white dove sitting on the roof." Then he added, "I am going to die."
He called his relatives into the room, and for an hour talked, as young people rarely do when waiting for the "tide that bears us across the bar," say- ing among other things, "You must promise me you will not cry, because I am leaving this world for a place so beautiful, so pure."
The funeral services were a reproduction of those of the father a few days before, in that they were held in the home, conducted by the same pastor, and the same arrangements and hour were as on the previous occasion, and al- though the rain came down in torrents there was a large audience of mourners as the remains were laid to rest beside those of the father. In his case the line from the famous old Latin poet, "Whom the gods love, die early," is ap- plicable, also a later line, "Perhaps 'tis best as 'twas willed to be-God knows."
JOHN D. DOOLEY.
This old and highly esteemed business man, also a veteran of the Civil war, was born on board the sailing vessel "Douglass," May 6, 1840, while his parents, John and Ellen (Galway) Dooley, were en route from Ireland to the United States. After spending two years in New York, the family removed to Wisconsin, thence at the end of eleven years to Fayette county,
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locating in the fall of 1853 about one and one-half miles northwest of the village of Fayette on a tract of land which John Dooley purchased from the government. Here young John D. was set to work, clearing, grubbing and fitting the land for cultivation and on this place he grew to young manhood, bearing his full share in the development and improvement of the farm and otherwise looking after the interests of his parents. With his father he did considerable teaming for several years to and from McGregor and later moved with the family to the village of Westfield, where his father's death subse- quently occurred ; his wife survived him a number of years, finally dying of old age.
From 1859 until 1861 inclusive John D. Dooley attended school in the old seminary at Fayette, devoting the summer seasons to farm labor in the vicinity. In September of the latter year he enlisted in Company F, Third Iowa Infantry, and during the ensuing three years shared with his comrades all of the terrible realities of warfare in the Southland, taking part in a num- ber of campaigns and not a few battles, including Shiloh, siege of Vicks- burg, Jackson, Mississippi, Hatchie River, and the various engagements which led to the fall of Atlanta, besides numerous skirmishes and minor actions. The loss of his command was especially heavy in the charge on the enemy's breastworks at Jackson, also at Atlanta, where the Third Iowa was in an exposed position and obliged to bear the brunt of the fighting. After three years of strenuous and faithful service, he was discharged at Eastport, Georgia, following the surrender of Atlanta, and, returning home, immediately thereafter turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, which he followed for a period of two years. Before entering the army he had taught several terms of school and in 1868, while in Greene county, Missouri, for a short time, taught a part of the year in that state, meeting with splendid success in a school from which his predecessor had been forcibly ejected from the build- ing by unruly scholars.
Returning from the above state to Fayette county, Mr. Dooley located two and a half miles west of Randalia, Center township, where for a period of thirty-three years he lived the life of a tiller of the soil and at the expira- tion of that time removed to Hawkeye, his present place of residence. While in the above township he served six years on the board of supervisors and for twenty years was one of the best known and most successful public auctioneers in Fayette county, his services as such having been in great de- mand throughout a large area of territory. Since locating at Hawkeye Mr. Dooley has been engaged in the real estate business, in connection with which he also does a large and successful business as a collector, besides attending
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to such legal matters as may be referred to him, there being no regular at- torney in the town. During the last ten years he has been justice of the peace, an office for which his practical intelligence and well balanced judg- ment, natural love of justice and knowledge of the law peculiarly fit him. Much important litigation comes before his court and such has been the fairness of his rulings and the justness of his decisions that but few of the latter have been appealed to higher tribunals. His services have been fre- quently in demand in the settlement of states, to act as trustee and to look after various interests, and it is needless to state that he has proven capable in all of his business relations and faithful to every trust reposed in him by his fellow citizens.
Mr. Dooley has been much in the public eye. takes an active part in all questions and issues of the times and is a politician of no little influence, being a stanch supporter of the Republican party and one of its recognized leaders in the county of Fayette. He belongs to the Grand Army of hte Republic, in which he is a leading worker, and is also identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in 1872 was initiated into Pleiades Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Fayette, and since that time has been a zealous worker in the order, being a charter member of the blue lodge at Hawkeye, and one of the few now living who went into the original organization.
Mr. Dooley was married March 27, 1865, to Jennie Wells, daughter of Joshua and Eliza (Butler) Wells, the father a pioneer of Fayette county, moving here in 1849 from Wisconsin and selling goods for several years prior to the Civil war. After a residence of about thirty years in this county, he moved to Oregon, where he spent the remainder of his days, dying at the age of eighty-two. Mr. and Mrs. Dooley are the parents of nine children, of whom five sons and a daughter are living, namely : Lewis L., of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania ; John Edward, a manufacturer of various patent rights, near . Fond du Lac, Wisconsin ; May L., who married D. W. Hughes and lives on a farm near Hawkeye; Rutherford E., proprietor of a hotel in Hamilton, Missouri ; Anson R., a musician in the United States Artillery Coast Band, now at Fort Warden, Washington, formerly in the Philippine Islands, and Lester, who took a special course in the Upper Iowa University, graduating in June, 1910, and is now principal of the high school at Canda, North Dakota. Before entering that institution he taught for several years and at one time was principal of the high school of Plymouth, this state. Mr. Dooley's sons are intelligent, wide-awake, progressive men and stand high in their respective places of residence. The name is respected wherever known
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and thus far the honor of the family is unsullied by a single unworthy act on the part of any of its members.
REUBEN F. ROGERS.
The gentleman whose name introduces this sketch, an old and highly esteemed citizen of Fayette county, was born in Vermont, October 17, 1837. and grew to maturity amid the romantic scenes of his native state, receiving the meanwhile superior scholastic training and devoting his early life to work on his father's farm. In 1858 he came to Iowa and, after spending a year in Winneshiek county, changed his residence to the county of Fayette, where he taught school the following winter, and in 1861, shortly after the breaking out of the Civil war, entered the army and gave one year to the service of his country. While at the front he took part in the campaign against Forts Henry and Donelson, and it was owing to exposure in the battle at the latter place that he became sick and was obliged to leave the ranks at the expiration of the period indicated. Returning to Fayette county, he resumed educational work and was thus engaged in Eden and other townships for about twelve consecutive years, earning an honorable reputation as an able teacher and doing much to introduce improved methods of instruction in the schools of this part of the state. Later, in connection with his school work, he operated during certain months of the year a threshing machine and followed the business at intervals until 1884, at which time he conducted the store for F. I. Luce. He engaged in general merchandising in Waucoma from 1884 to 1886 with a Mr. W. D. Stafford, being now in business at Eden.
Mr. Rogers's influence on educational thought in Fayette county has been great, and, as indicated in a preceding paragraph, he stood high as a teacher and was instrumental in arousing an interest in behalf of public schools which led to beneficial results in after years. Since engaging in mer- chandising he has devoted his attention very closely to business and now has a well stocked store and a large and lucrative patronage, the village of Eden being the center of a fine. section of country and a trading point for the same. In politics, he is a Republican and a zealous supporter of the principles of his party, but he has never aspired to leadership nor disturbed his quiet by seeking the honors or emoluments of office.
On February 6, 1864, Mr. Rogers was united in marriage with Clara C. Utter, whose parents, Ira and Mary Utter, came from Wisconsin to Fay-
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ette county in 1853 and settled in Auburn township, removing thence in 1855 to the township of Eden. Mr. Utter died some years ago in Windsor town- ship, his wife afterwards moving to Kansas City, Missouri, and is now de- ceased. Mrs. Rogers and her sister, Mrs. Hattie Stafford, wife of Warren Stafford, are the only representatives of the family now living in the county of Fayette. They have three brothers in Kansas, viz: Albert W., George Emmett and Frank E. Utter, and one, Fred E., in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Mrs. Rogers received a good education and commenced teaching at the early age of seventeen in the public schools of Fayette county. She continued this line of work until her marriage and was also similarly engaged for several years thereafter, achieving repute as a teacher, as is indicated by her retention for several consecutive terms in the same district. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, namely: Rollie, a carpenter and thresher, living at Eden; Rossie M., wife of F. I. Luce, whose sketch appears elsewhere in these pages; Willie N., editor of the Hawkeye Beacon; Leona C., principal of the Ft. Atkins high school, and Ray W., a talented musician and teacher of music, also a skilled engineer and an expert in almost any kind of mechanical work. All of these children are well edu- cated and possess more than ordinary ability and, with the exception of W. N., all taught and met with gratifying success as trainers of the young.
ERNST BAECHLER.
Among the thrifty German element in Fayette county who have come to us from the fatherland and have benefited alike themselves and the community where they have settled by their wholesome and straightforward lives and by that enterprising capacity for energetic, well directed effort and close applica- tion to the work in hand which amounts almost to genius, is Ernst Baechler, who is now a prosperous farmer in Pleasant Valley township. Mr. Baechler was born in Germany, on April 5. 1865. his parents, John and Magdalena (Freiburghaus) Baechler, both being natives of that country. The former being a man of unusual straightforward character and being attracted to the new republic in the west by the call of his wife's brother, by whom he had heard of the great opportunities and was assisted with enough funds to be able for him and his family to sail for America in the year 1876. He came direct to Elgin with his family, which consisted of three girls and
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two boys. His profession in Germany was that of tailor, but after taking up his residence in Elgin he did not follow that business exclusively, but spent some time in mason work as well as other occupations which he found lucra- tive.
Ernst Baechler's education, which had been begun in Germany, was con- tinued in the public schools at Elgin. After finishing his course of study he struck out boldly for himself, working by the month from his boyhood until he was twenty-four years of age. He then determined that he would become a landowner, and as a preliminary step rented a place known as the old Ritcherton farm on the West Union road. Here the Teutonic characteristics which have won success for the large majority of the people of German birth or extraction who have assisted materially in developing the agricul- tural possibilities of the West, asserted themselves, and it was not long be- fore he was able to purchase the splendid one hundred and fifty-acre tract where he at present makes his home. Here he has erected new buildings throughout-a house that is very much more than a comfortable dwelling, with very attractive surroundings, excellent outbuildings, new, strong and durable fences; in fact, he has one of the substantial and highly cultivated farms in the community. In addition to general farming, Mr. Baechler con- ducts a large dairy business and pays particular attention to the breeding of Poland China hogs, in which he is especially successful and in which he takes pardonable pride, for the pure breed he produces is widely and favorably known.
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