USA > Iowa > Jasper County > Past and present of Jasper County, Iowa, Vol. II > Part 3
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Mr. Meredith's second marriage was solemnized on March 18, 1886. when he was united with Delia B. Brown, daughter of John and Elizabeth Brown, the father being a Kentuckian and the mother a native of Indiana. One child has graced this union, Ora Bess, whose birth occurred December, 1888: she has remained single and has devoted her life principally to music. possessing a rare and remarkable voice and has obtained a high musical edu- cation, and is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, at Oberlin. Ohio. She is a contralto, and while in Oberlin she was at the head of the church choir of one hundred and seventy voices. She is now in New York city teaching and pursuing her musical studies.
Mr. and Mrs. Meredith are members of the Congregational church at Newton, in which he has held nearly every office. He has been a teacher in the Sunday school for thirty-seven consecutive years, during which time he has been most faithful. Mrs. Meredith is also a teacher in the Sunday school. Fraternally, he belongs to Newton Lodge No. 59, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Gebal Chapter No. 12, Royal Arch Masons, and of Oriental Com- mandery No. 22, Knights Templar. He has held practically all the offices in these several lodges; he and his wife belong to the Order of the Eastern Star. Newton Chapter No. 100. He is past grand worthy patron of the state of Iowa of that order, and Mrs. Meredith is a past grand worthy matron
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of the lowa grand chapter. Eight years ago Mr Meredith introduced a resolution before the grand chapter of Iowa for the establishment of an East- ern Star Masonic Home, which was passed and a splendid home was subse- quently established at Boone, Iowa. A farm of eighty acres was purchased by the committee, of which Mr. Meredith was a member. This committee afterward became the board of trustees. This home is now valued at forty- five thousand dollars ; it is intended to be used by the worthy dependent peo- ple of this order. The subject is its treasurer and he has been on its board of trustees since its establishment. He is one of the most prominent Masons in the state and is influential in fraternal circles.
On June 4, 1864, when but sixteen years of age. Mr. Meredith enlisted for service in the great war of the Rebellion, becoming a member of the Forty- eighth lowa Volunteer Infantry at Newton. He was sent to Rock Island and did guard duty. He received an honorable discharge at the close of the war. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, Garrett Post No. 16, at Newton.
JOHN HOTCHKIN.
The name of John Hotchkin, who came to us from far-away England and, by his residence in Jasper county, benefited not only himself but the com- munity as well, should certainly be included in a history of the locality, for his life was not only an industrious but an honorable one.
Mr. Hotchkin was born in Lincolnshire, England, August 6, 1832. He was the son of Henry and Hannah (Readman) Hotchkin, both natives of England, ivhere they grew up and were married. The father conducted a dairy in early life, later working on farms. He and his wife lived and died in England. They were the parents of the following children: Mary, Bessie, Henry, Mark, William, John, Martha and Hannah.
John Hotchkkin was educated in his native land and there grew to man- hood. He worked there as a laborer for some time, emigrating to New Jer- sey in 1853 where he worked a year and a half as a coachman for John Cain, a banker in Elizabeth. He was then married and went to Staten Island, where he did general jobbing around the factory of the New York Iron Printing Company at Factoryville, Staten Island. Two years later he came to Will county, Illinois. There he bought five acres which he rented, at the same time renting a farm himself. He remained in Illinois until 1869. The first day of that year he came to Grinnell, Iowa, and here entered a farm, but
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was cheated out of it. He worked the first year here on the Rock Island road, then graded on the Iowa Central for several months. In the fall of 1871 he bought eighty acres in Rock Creek township, to which he added until he owned three hundred and twenty acres. He was very successful as a general farmer and stock raiser and had a fine farm. He had sold off all his land but one hundred and twenty acres before his death.
Politically, he was a Democrat, but he never sought office. He was a member of the Catholic church. He was a quiet, retiring gentlemen, who was never obtrusive, yet always willing to do his full duty as a citizen.
Mr. Hotchkin was married on March 30, 1854, to Rose A. Gaughan, who was born in county Meath, Ireland, and her death occurred in 1909. To the subject and wife the following children were born: Mrs. Martha N. Kelly, John H., Charles A. and William A., twins; Mrs. Rose H. Mclaughlin, Philip E., Mrs. Elizabeth L. Flannigan and James Alfred.
LOUIS STOLTE.
There is a vast difference between the means of crossing the Atlantic ocean now and what they were sixty years ago. At the present day emigrants come across in from six to ten days on one of the great liners or "ocean greyhounds." Of course, in order to save cost, many of them take steerage passage, but the accommodations even then are comparatively comfortable. Sixty years ago, in order to save expense, the emigrants came almost always by slow-sailing vessels that required fully a month to cross from Germany to New York. This means what seemed to be endless tossing and often pro- tracted seasickness, or that not infrequently, when the shores of the new world were reached, the emigrant and his family were gaunt skeletons who set foot on land again with the feeling that they had just come to life once more. Very often six weeks were consumed on the trip, but the emigrants counted the saving as so much earned during the eventful period on the ocean. Louis Stolte, one of the prominent German citizens of Jasper county, is one of the vast number of foreign-born citizens who made the long prolix voyage in those old sailing-vessel days.
Mr. Stolte was born in Hanover, Lowenstein, Germany, October II, 1831, the son of Christian and Charlotta (Holchar) Stolte, both natives of Germany, in which country the father was a forest overseer for the govern- ment practically all his life, finally meeting his death from a falling tree when
LOUIS STOLTE
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fifty-five years of age, when the subject was but three years old. He was known to be a man of many strong characteristics and was always upright in his relations with the world.
Louis Stolte was the youngest of a family of seven children, of whom only he and a sister are living; the latter, Mrs. Caroline Stoffler, widow of Julius Stoffler, makes her home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The former grew to maturity in the fatherland and received his educational training there, and in the year 1850 he emigrated to America, the voyage requiring over two months, or, to be exact, sixty-nine days on the old-fashioned sailing vessel, which finally landed him and his brother and sister at New York. From there they went to Pottsville, Pennsylvania, where Louis continued to reside for some time, having been twenty years of age when he reached there. Soon he began learning the trade of shoemaker, at which he worked for a period of eighteen years steadily. In 1864 Mr. Sto'te proved his patriotism to his adopted country by enlisting in Company E. Two Hundred and Tenth Penn- sylvania Volunteer Infantry, in which he served most creditably, first having been sent to Washington, D. C., and later to City Point on the Potomac river ; then he was engaged at Veldon, later being sent on numerous expeditions all over West Virginia. Then came the battle of Hatcher's Run, later Fair Oaks and Danville, in all of which he was engaged, and from then on to the sur- render at Appomattox he was in almost daily skirmishes. He took part in the battle at Appomattox Court House, in which he lost both his colonel and ad- jutant-general. He was mustered out at Alexandria Heights, and received an honorable discharge. He took part in the Grand Review at Washington City. Within a week after his return home he had resumed work at his trade.
In 1868 Mr. Stolte came to Iowa and located at Newton, Jasper county, where he worked steadily at his trade until 1888, twenty years, when he re- tired from active life on account of ill health.
Mr. Stolte was married in 1854 to Sarah Raisback, who was born in England of English parentage. They lived together eighteen years, when she died in Newton. Four daughters were born to them, all of whom are married and still living. namely: Mrs. Caroline Barbe, widow of William Barbe, lives at Newton; Mrs Charlotte Stolte, widow of Louis Stolte, is liv- ing in Kansas City, Missouri : Mrs. Mary Richman, wife of Merritt Richman, of Los Angeles, California : Elizabeth Hollingsworth is now the wife of Will- iam Wallace, of San Diego, California.
On December 31, 1874, Mr. Stolte was married to Mary McCoy, of the state of New York and the daughter of Francis and Elizabeth ( Murray) McCoy, of New York. Her father was a machinist by trade. After living
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in New York for a number of years he moved to New Jersey, where he and his wife both died, their daughter Mary, wife of the subject, being then but a child. Mr. McCoy was a man of considerable education and of exemplary character.
To Mr. and Mrs. Stolte two children have been born, namely: Mrs. Sadie Taber, wife of Edwin Taber, lives on a farm in the edge of Newton; Frank is in the drug business in Hedrick, Iowa.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Stolte are members of the English Lutheran church, of Newton. They are also members of the Legion of Honor. Mr. Stolte belongs to Garrett Post No. 16, Grand Army of the Republic. In politics he is independent.
DANIEL LAMPHIER.
An honored veteran of the Civil war, a successful agriculturist and a man of sterling qualities of character-such is the briefest epitome of the gentle- man whose life is outlined in the following paragraphs.
Daniel Lamphier was born in Onondaga county, New York, July 6, 1835, and was the seventh child in a family of thirteen born to Stanton and Rhoda (Brotherston) Lamphier, only three of whom are now living : Olive, the oldest child, married Charles Freeman, who died in Michigan City, Indi- ana ; Edson and Edward both died in Michigan before reaching their maturity ; Sarah, who married James Burns; Fidella, who married Charles Stone, and Clinton Lamphier all died in Michigan City, Indiana; Louisa, who died in March, 19II, was the widow of William Beadle; William and Wallace, twins, died in infancy ; Edson H., named for the brother who died several years be- fore, died at South Bend, Indiana ; Jared, the thirteenth child, died April I& 1912. The subject is the only one living of thirteen children.
Stanton Lamphier was a native of New York state and his wife was a native of Connecticut. About the year :836 Stanton Lamphier moved with his family, then consisting of seven children, from New York to Michigan, where he purchased a farm of eighty acres. But it proved to be a very disas- trous move. The whole family was taken sick with a fever, which was epi- demic in those parts ; two of the children were buried and then the father, at that time thought to be on his death-bed, vowed to God that if he was spared, that as soon as he was able to get around he would move away from the state, which he did the year following, abandoning the farm. He left money with a friend with which to pay the taxes, but the friend proved false to his trust and the farm was sold for taxes, and was a total loss to the family. When they
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abandoned the farm they moved to Michigan City. Indiana, where the father and mother both resided until their deaths, the father dying in 1852, at the age of fifty-two years, and the mother in 1897, at the age of seventy-seven years. In 1852 Daniel Lamphier, then a boy of not quite eighteen years of age, was married to Anna McDonald. She was a winsome Irish lassie of his own age, having been born July 3, 1835, in county Louth, Ireland. On account of the tender age of the couple, they could not obtain a license in Indiana, and so they ran away to Michigan, where no license was required at that time, and were married at New Buffalo. Ann Lamphier was one of a family of nine children, only one of whom, Rosa, a sister, is now living, besides Mrs. Lam- phier. The sister still lives in Michigan City. Indiana, where the family settled on arriving in this country from Ireland. They came over in the sail- ing vessel "Royalist" when Mrs. Lamphier was eleven years old. Her father's name was John McDonald and her mother's given name was Nancy. The father died in 1855 at Michigan City, at the age of sixty-five years and the mother died in Jasper county, Iowa, in 1892, at the age of seventy-seven years.
In 1852 Daniel Lamphier moved his family to Jasper county and ob- tained work on a farm. At the time the Civil war broke out he was living upon a rented farm in Buena Vista township and working for himself. To him and his wife were born eight children, namely : Sarah, born February 18, 1853. in Michigan City, Indiana, is unmarried and lives at home. When but a small child she was cruelly trampled upon and clawed by a large drove of elk near their home in Jasper county ; Mary Francis, born in Jasper county, July 29, 1854, married Bazzel Bell, and died June 14, 1887; James S., born in Jasper county, March 7, 1856, married Clara Lawson, and lives in Mahaska City, Iowa: Jared, born in Jasper county, June 2, 1858, died June 11, 1896, in Jasper county. He had married Ona Wingate : Albert, born in Jasper county. October 2, 1860, died in 1863, while the father was serving in the army ; Elma, born May 14, 1864, married William Olson, and she died in 1891 ; Edward E., born March 16, 1866, lives in Buena Vista township; he married Debby Kinzybaugh : Lucian, born July 8, 1878, married Alice Rumpler and lives in Newton, Iowa.
When the Civil war broke out, Daniel Lamphier, leaving his wife and five children, enlisted October 17, 1861, and was sworn into the United States service at Davenport, as a member of Company B, Thirteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. They wintered at Jefferson City, Missouri, and then were ordered back to St. Louis, where they took a steamer and were sent to Pittsburg Land- ing. At this battle the regiment lost one hundred and twenty-five men. Mr.
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Lamphier was also at the battle of Corinth. Mississippi, when Price's army surrendered ; he was in the siege of Vicksburg, and at Nickijack Creek, near Atlanta. He was wounded in the right leg and was sent to the hospital at Maryetta, then to Rome, Georgia, and from there was sent home. At the end of his sick leave he reported for duty at Davenport, but was found unfit for service and was again sent to the hospital where he remained until the close of the war. He was not discharged from the service until five months after the close of the war, owing to the papers having been lost by his captain. The first captain he served under was Thomas H. Miller, of Newton, who was killed at Shiloh. His second captain was Harvey J. Shift.
When Mr. Lamphier became able to work he farmed for his cousin, Margaret Likens, whose husband was killed in front of Atlanta. He bought forty acres of land from her in 1867. which he still holds, and where he has ever since made his home.
Mr. Lamphier served as constable in Buena Vista township for eight years. He is a member of Garrett Post No. 16, Grand Army of the Republic, at Newton, and politically he is a Republican. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lamphier are members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Mt. Zion, having been members there since 1856.
FRANK W. SWEARINGEN.
Unique, in a way, is the life history of Frank W. Swearingen. Educated for the practice of law, which it did not take him long to discover would not be congenial to him, and now one of Jasper county's good business men, engaged in a general merchandise and private banking business in Kilduff, he is a man of progressive ideas and good judgment. and is well and favorably known throughout the county.
His father, George Swearingen, born in 1843, was a native of Ohio, and his mother, Sarah (Chapman) Swearingen, was a native of Illinois. The father came in an early day to Illinois, and for many years engaged in general farming, but in March, 1876, he brought his family to Iowa, purchasing eighty acres of land in section 4, in Buena Vista township. Jasper county. This land today still stands in his name. Here he lived and farmed for many years, but in 1893 he retired from active labor and moved to Newton, where he pur- chased a home. This he still held at the time of his death, February 22, 1909, which occurred in California, whither he had gone in search of health, in 1908. He was a broadminded. public spirited man of progressive ideas, held in high esteem by all with whom he came into contact. He held many offices of trust
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in his home township and at one time was a candidate on the Democratic ticket for county recorder. His wife, mother of the subject of this sketch, died in Newton in June, 1902, at the age of fifty-five. Both were faithful and consistent members of the Christian church at that place. To them were born six children, only two of whom lived to grow to manhood : George T., lived at Madison Lake, Minnesota, where he died May 15, 1912; Frank W., of this review.
Frank W. Swearingen was born August 24, 1871, in McDonough county, Illinois, and in early childhood came with his parents to Jasper county, Iowa, and there grew to maturity on the farm. He received a good education and graduated from the law department of Drake University in May, 1895. After his graduation he opened a law office at Fonda, this state, and practiced his profession for three years, when he removed to Mitchellville. Here he con- tinued the practice of law for about the same length of time, and then removed to Newton, continuing his profession at practice in that city for two years, at the expiration of which time he abandoned the law. and moved to Killduff and engaged in a general merchandise business, which enterprise proved to be very lucrative. In 1909 he started a private banking business, and he is now engaged in carrying on both of these branches of industry, being very success- ful in his undertakings.
On March 15, 1900, Mr. Swearingen was united in marriage to Ernestine Langworthy, daughter of Oscar and Jennie ( Alexander) Langworthy, both natives of Iowa. having been early settlers of Dubuque county. Mrs. Swear- ingen is the only surviving child of a family of three, and was born July 30. 1879. in Dubuque county, Iowa. The family moved to Fonda, Pocahontas county, where the father engaged in the hardware business. Mr. Langworthy has been dead for a number of years, but Mrs. Langworthy still survives and resides at Fonda, this state.
To Mr. and Mrs. Swearingen have been born three children: Cecil, born December 28, 1900: Freeda, born April 3, 1904 : George, born May 26, 1910.
Mr. Swearingen is a man of broad public spirit. He was elected mayor of Fonda and also of Mitchellville. He is interested in politics, although not a rabid politician, his sympathies being with the Republican party. Fra- ternally, he is connected with the Masonic Lodge No. 59, at Newton, also a member of the Eastern Star and Modern Woodmen of America. Both Mr. and Mrs. Swearingen are identified with the Christian church at Newton.
On the death of his father, Mr. Swearingen and his brother, George. came into possession of the old home farm and the property in Newton, which property they held in conjunction. Mr. Swearingen also owns a fine home in Killduff.
JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
EDWIN S. HAINES.
The record of Edwin S. Haines, of Sully, Jasper county, is one that indicates that he has tried to do his duty in all life's relations in a faithful, honorable manner, which has resulted in a comfortable income since he started in life for himself and also in winning the confidence and good will of his wide circle of acquaintances.
Edwin S. Haines was born in this county on May II, 1869, the son of Timothy and Eliza (VanVoorhis) Haines. The paternal grandparents, Edwin and Rebecca Haines, who were natives of Ohio, moved to Indiana in an early day, and in 1872 came to Iowa and located in Jasper county, and here spent their last years. The father of the subject was reared in Indiana and when he was only sixteen years of age enlisted in Company K, Forty- seventh Indiana Volunteer Infantry, in which he served very creditably for twenty-one months when he was discharged for disability. He was in a number of hard-fought engagements and saw considerable hard service. After he returned home from the army he came to Jasper county in 1864 to recuperate from the effects of his service in the army ; two of his uncles had located here and were doing well. He liked the new country and saw that it had a great future, so he decided to make his permanent home here, and soon purchased forty acres in Lynn Grove township. To this he added from time to time until he owned one hundred and sixty acres, which he later sold and, retiring from active life, moved to Sully. His death occurred on March 27, 1909; his widow is still living, being now sixty-seven years of age. Timothy Haines was a Republican, but no politician, preferring to lead a quiet, retired life. He was a member of the Methodist church, to which Mrs. Haines also belongs. Their family consisted of nine children, one of whom died in infancy; the other eight are still living. Mr. Haines started life here as a pioneer and it was some time before he was comfortably situated. The effects of his service in the army rendered him an invalid later in life and he did not work after 1881.
Edwin S. Haines, of this review, grew up on the home farm and assisted with the work on the place when a mere boy. He received his education in the public schools of his native community, but being the oldest son, he had more work to do than the other children. As a young man he engaged in farming, later ran a livery barn and a restaurant. On August 1, 1906, he began carrying the mail on route No. I out of the town of Sully and he has discharged his duties in this connection very acceptably and faithfully. He owns thirty-four acres of valuable land, eight acres of which is within the
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corporate limits of Sully. It is very productive and valuable land and he raises a variety of products on it from year to year. He built a modern, substantial residence on his land here and is very well fixed.
Politically, he is a Republican and he and his wife are members of the Congregational church.
Mr. Haines was married on March 15, 1892, to Laura Shafer, a native of Jasper county and the daughter of Asahel and Nancy Shafer, old settlers here from West Virginia and Illinois. He came to Iowa in 1858 and the mother came with her parents. They first moved from Illinois to Ohio, then to Marion county, Iowa, locating near the town of Pella, and there the parents of Mrs. Haines were married. They now live near New Sharon, Iowa. They have spent their lives on a farm. Their family consisted of four children, all of whom are living. To Mr. and Mrs. Haines have been born four children, namely: Myrtle, Harry, Walter and Tracy.
CHARLEY BURNETT ORTWIG.
As a rule the farmer boy who has to start at the very bottom of the road that leads up the hill of success, when he begins life's more serious work for himself, is bound to experience the greatest trials and to pass through the most severe schooling before he can rise above the surface and show his head; but in time true worth will always tell, as it did in the case of Charley Burnett Ortwig, a progressive and successful young farmer of Kellogg town- ship, Jasper county, who seems to possess the stick-to-itive qualities charac- teristic of those born of German ancestry, and he is very deserving of the handsome rewards that have attended his efforts.
Mr. Ortwig was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, October 2, 1881. He is the son of Albert and Augusta (Reng) Ortwig, both born in Germany, the father in 1835, and the mother in 1832; the death of the latter occurred in 1894. They grew to maturity and were educated in the fatherland, in fact, spent their early lives there, emigrating to the United States in 1880. In 1881 they located in Jasper county, Iowa, where the father has since remained, engaged in farming and stock raising, having become well situated. His family consisted of four sons and two daughters, namely: Ida, Minnie, Albert, Herman, Adolph and Charley Burnett, of this review.
The subject of this sketch came from his birthplace in the Badger state to Jasper county, Iowa, when a boy and here he grew to maturity and
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