USA > Iowa > Jasper County > Past and present of Jasper County, Iowa, Vol. II > Part 43
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Mr. Blackledge was born in Buena Vista township, this county, on July 16, 1875, and he is the son of Oliver J. and Ernestine (Turk) Blackledge, a well known pioneer family of this county, having lived on a farm here for forty-eight years, then moved to Oregon where he engaged in the furniture business and there he still resides. His wife was the daughter of Peter and Mary Turk. The only child born to Oliver J. Blackledge and wife. Virgil, of this review. He grew up on the home farm and assisted with the general work about the place during his boyhood and received his education in the public schools. He was married on January 18. 1898 to Bernice Tool, the daughter of John and Rebecca Tool, of this county. To this union one daugh- ter was born, Lela Blackledge, whose birth occurred on March 17, 1900: she is now in school.
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The subject was again married on September 4, 1904, to Myrtle Hayes, also born in this county, the date of her birth being May 14, 1884. She is the daughter of Andrew J. and Emeline Hayes, a well known family of Jasper county, having lived on a farm here for a number of years. To this last union these children were born: Ernestine, September 20, 1905; Imogene, born December 21, 1906; June, born July 30, 1909 ; Jesse V., born August 24, 1910, and Mary, born November 30, 191I.
Virgil Blackledge took up farming for a livelihood and followed this line of endeavor with success up to 1905, in which year he moved to Newton, where he became associated with the Union Central Life Insurance Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, and he has since been engaged in this work with very grati- fying results and with eminent satisfaction to his company, who regarded him as one of the most faithful and trusted employes.
Mr. Blackledge has been a member of the Methodist church, with which he united in 1893, the Mt. Zion church of his home neighborhood. Fraternally, he belongs to the Masonic order, Newton Lodge No. 59, and politically, he is a Republican, but he has never been an aspirant for political honors.
Mr. Blackledge has been very successful in a business way. He has owned three good farms in this county, first the Dan Mathers farm about four miles west of Galesburg, this county; selling this, he purchased the Wilson Thompson place in Buena Vista township. Then he sold out and bought the old James Wright place in the same township. Upon moving to Newton he sold the farm and purchased an excellent residence property at the corner of Plum and Market streets, which he has since sold.
PETER BURKEY.
Examples that impress force of character on all who study them are worthy of record. By a few general observations may be conveyed some idea of the characteristics and worthy career of Peter Burkey, for years a . well known hardware merchant at Baxter, Jasper county, who is now living in honorable retirement in his pleasant home there, having, through his in- dustry and perseverance, accumulated a competency. He has pursued the even tenor of his way in a quiet and unostentatious manner which never courts publicity, attending strictly to his own affairs, doing the right as he under- stands it and keeping his conscience void of offense toward God and man. It is not a matter of wonderment that the elements of a solid and practical nature,
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which unite in his composition, should win him a conspicuous place in business circles of his community when we learn that he comes of a sterling Swiss ancestry, a family that believed not only in keeping busy along legitimate lines of endeavor, but also in living up to the high standard of citizenship in every respect.
Mr. Burkey was born in Sauk county, Wisconsin, October 12, 1857. He is the son of Chris and Margaret ( Alleman) Burkey, both natives of Switzer- land where they spent their earlier years, finally emigrating to Wisconsin, thence moving to Iowa, after a residence of several years in the former state, and the father's death occurred in Polk county, Iowa, in 1887, and there the mother is still living, being now advanced in years. They were the parents of twelve children, four of whom are still living, Peter, of this sketch, being the eldest ; George lives in Sheldahl, Iowa; Herman is engaged in the hard- ware business at Sheldahl, and he also owns the home place near that town; Mrs. Mary Engstrom lives in Sheldahl. These children were reared in Polk county and received their educational training there. The other eight died in infancy and childhood.
Peter Burkey was reared on the home farm and there he worked in the fields when quite young. being the oldest of the family and finding plenty to do in a new country. He was married on November 1, 1880, to Etta Deppe, who was born in Newton, Jasper county, Iowa, September 17, 1857, the daugh- ter of Adolph and Minnie (Schrader) Deppe, both natives of Germany where they grew up and from there emigrated to Iowa in an early day, and estab- lished a good home in Jasper county, and here the death of the father occurred in 1884; his widow is still living at Baxter. The father helped lay the founda- tion of the old court house at Newton. There were six children in the Deppe family, all living at this writing, namely: Etta, wife of Mr. Burkey, of this sketch, is the eldest; Mrs. Mary Krampe lives in Baxter; William lives in Malaka township; Edward also lives in Malaka township; Benjamin, whose sketch appears in this work; Mrs. Emma Kiesau, lives at Frankville. These children were born and reared in Jasper county, their parents being among the pioneer settlers here.
After his marriage Mr. Burkey moved to Sheldahl, thence to Malaka township, in 1889. He came to Baxter, where he has since resided. For two years he worked at the carpenter's trade, then entered the hardware and furni- ture business which he continued successfully, enjoying a large trade with the surrounding country, until March II, 1911, when he retired from the active affairs of business, having by his diligence and fair dealing accumulated a com-
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petency. He owns two hundred acres of choice, well improved land in Inde- pendence township, and has a large, modernly furnished home in Baxter.
Politically, Mr. Burkey is a Republican, and he has been a member of the town council, and he and his wife belong to the German Reformed church in Independence township.
HENRY NOAH.
For many years a resident of Jasper county, Iowa, Henry Noah, one of the highly esteemed and thrifty Germans of this locality whose interests he has ever had at heart, and who has, while advancing his own welfare, done much toward promoting the civic, industrial and moral tone of the vicinity, is deemed especially worthy of mention in a biographical work of this nature. His career has been one of hard work and integrity, of fidelity to our institu- tions and wholesome living, consequently he is deserving of the respect in which he is held by everyone.
Mr. Noah was born in Lippe-Detmold, Germany, in 1847, and there he grew to manhood, migrating to America when twenty years old, landing on our shores with less than an even start in material affairs, but with a deter- mination to succeed and with a courage that recognizes no discouragement. His first place of residence in the New World was in Sheboygan county, Wis- consin, where he remained six years, then came to Malaka township, Jasper county, Iowa, where he engaged successfully in farming for a period of twenty-seven years. He left the farm in July, 1902, and entered the milling business at Baxter, in partnership with August Hager, which they have con- tinued to operate to the present time with ever-increasing success. They have .one of the best and most modernly equipped mills in this part of the state. Louis Noah, his father, was born in Lippe-Detmold, Germany, and his mother, Lottie Noah, was also born in the fatherland. There they grew up and were married, finally emigrating to America, both dying in Wisconsin, where they spent the latter part of their lives. There were six children in their family, of whom Henry, of this sketch, was the eldest : the others being, August, Adolph, Simon, Mrs. Elvina France, all of whom live in Wisconsin, and Louisa, who died in early life.
Henry Noah was married in 1870 to Frederika Schniller, who was born in Wisconsin, February 25, 1849. She is the daughter of Frederick and Fred- erika (Bodkin) Schniller, both natives of Germany, where they spent their early lives, eventually emigrating to America, and the father died in Nebraska,
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and the mother's death occurred in Wisconsin. There were ten children in the Schniller family.
To Mr. and Mrs. Noah have been born thirteen children, named as fol- lows: Lydia died in infancy; Clara lives in Portland, Oregon; Anna died young ; Selma lives at home; Calvin, born March 31, 1877, lives at Baxter, Iowa; Alma died aged twenty-seven years; Elvina lives in Baxter ; John lives in Portland, Oregon; Rosa is teaching in the public schools of Jasper county and lives in Baxter; Mrs. Mary Raridon lives in Sherman township; Meta is teaching school in Jasper county and lives at home. These children were reared in this county and were educated in the local schools, three having graduated from the Baxter high school. Rosa attended the State Teachers College at Cedar Falls.
Politically, Mr. Noah is a Democrat, but he has never aspired to be a public man. He and his family belong to the German Reformed church of Independence township. Mr. Noah has been very successful in a business way, both as a general farmer and mill man, and he has secured a competency through his own efforts. The family stands high in the social life of this township.
LOUIE SAAK.
One of the most active, thoroughgoing and enterprising young farmers of Malaka township, Jasper county, is the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this biographical notice, a representative of one of the highly esteemed old families of this locality whose worthy record he has sought to keep unsullied, his integrity and industry having ever been unquestioned. He has succeeded at his chosen life work because he has tried to do well whatever he deemed worth doing at all, nothing in a half-hearted manner and he has also been quick to adopt the most approved methods in his work.
Louie Saak was born in Newton, Iowa, September 15. 1874, and all of his life has been spent in this community, his parents having been early settlers here. He is the son of Herman and Elnora (Reineke) Saak, both born in Germany, the father in Lippe-Detmold. There they spent their early days and were married, and from there they emigrated to America, coming direct to Jasper county, Iowa, where they made an humble start, but not being afraid of hard work they in time had a good home and lived comfortably, making their home at present in a pleasant dwelling in Baxter. In their family were seven children, five of whom are living, named as follows: Mrs. Minnie
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Wehrman is deceased; Louie of this review; Herman lives in Malaka town- ship; Edward is deceased; Mrs. Anna Tinnemier lives in Malaka township; William lives in Marshall county; Henry lives in Malaka township. They were all born in Jasper county.
Louie Saak grew up on the home farm, where he worked during the crop season when of proper age and he received his education in the district schools. He was married on April 14, 1909, to Anna Exter, who was born in this township on November 27, 1887, and here she grew to womanhood, re- ceived her education in the rural schools and she has always lived in the county. She is the daughter of Simon and Caroline (Holscher) Exter, both born in Lippe-Detmold, Germany, where they spent their early years, finally emigrating to America and settling in Jasper county, Iowa, where they have become well established through long years of industry in connection with agricultural pursuits, and they are still living in Independence township.
There were nine children in the Exter family, six of whom are living at this writing, namely: Mrs. Emma Brisel lives in Independence township; Anna, wife of Mr. Saak, of this sketch; Simon and Fred, twins, died in in- fancy ; William, born September 15, 1890, lives at home; Paul died in 1910; Lena, born January 8, 1896, lives at home ; Elvina, born April 2, 1899; Ella, born May 27, 1900. These children were all born in Jasper county, their par- ents having located here early in life.
To Mr. and Mrs. Saak has been born one son, Wesley Paul, whose birth occurred on February 15, 1910.
Politically, Mr. Saak is. a Republican, and religiously he and his wife belong to the German Reformed church of Independence township.
Mr. Saak is the owner of one of the choice farms of Malaka township, which consists of one hundred and sixty acres, which he has placed under a high state of improvement and cultivation and he has been uniformly suc- cessful as a general farmer and stock raiser, having secured a competency. He has a good home, well furnished and many of the luxuries of life.
H. A. GEISE. .
Reared to the sturdy discipline of the homestead farm, H. A. Geise, of Independence township, Jasper county, during the mature years of his life has not wavered in his allegiance to the great basic art of agriculture. To the public schools he is indebted for the early educational privileges that were afforded him, and he duly availed himself of the same, while he has effectually
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broadened his knowledge through active association with men and affairs in practical business life.
Mr. Geise was born in Malaka township, Jasper county, Iowa, March 30, 1860, and there he grew to manhood and has always been identified with the agricultural interests of the county as above intimated. Henry Geise, his father, was born in Germany in 1832, and died in Baxter, Iowa, in January, 1907. He married Louisa Wagner, also a native of Germany, born in 1833, and who died in Baxter, Iowa, in 1903, at the age of seventy years. They grew up in Germany, and emigrated to America, locating in Jasper county, Iowa, in an early day, residing in Newton the first two years. They were very poor when they came, but, being hard workers, they soon had a good home and the entire family secured a competency from Jasper county soil in later years. There were six children in the family, as follows: Etta Shirk, of Iowa City; H. A., of this review; Fred, of Baxter; Adolph lives on the home farm in Malaka township; Minnie Diehl, of Baxter; Edward, of Newton.
The parents of these children found truly a new country when they ar- rived in this section of Iowa, but they could foresee a great future for it, and were willing to endure the privations of life in an undeveloped country. Mr. Geise hauled his grain to Iowa City and the next crop to Oskaloosa. There were no railroads here in those days.
H. A. Geise, of this review, was married on May 26, 1886, to Lizzie Hager, who was born near Waukon, Allamakee county, Iowa, December 13, 1859. Her father, Simon Hager, was born in Lippe-Detmold, Germany, in 1825, and died in Independence township, Jasper county, Iowa, in 1876. He married Minnie Dalbameier, who was also born in the locality last mentioned, in the fatherland, on August 18, 1827, and she died in Jasper county, Iowa, on September 21, 1895. There were seven children in their family as follows : William, born January 23, 1857, is living in Baxter, Iowa; Lizzie, wife of Mr. Geise, of this review; George T., born September II, 1860, of Baxter ; L. A., born December 4, 1864, died in Santa Barbara, California, September 20, 1909 ; G. A., born April 14, 1866, lives in Baxter ; Helen died in infancy ; Lydia, born in Jasper county, December 2, 1875, lives in Santa Barbara, California. To Mr. and Mrs. Geise two sons have been born: Robert O .. whose birth occurred on August 18, 1890, is assistant cashier in the State Sav- ings Bank at Baxter; he graduated from the high school at Baxter in the class of 1909, after which he attended Drake University at Des Moines. The other son, George R., was born May 29, 1893, is also a graduate of the high school at Baxter and he intends to complete the course in pharmacy at High- land Park College in Des Moines.
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Politically, Mr. Geise is a Republican. He has been a member of the school board of Malaka township and has served in the same capacity since moving to Baxter. He was treasurer of Malaka township for a number of. terms and was assessor for four yeares. He and his wife are members of the German Reformed church of Independence township.
Mr. Geise has been very successful as a business man. He is the owner of a very productive and well improved farm of one hundred and thirty acres in Independence township. He is also vice-president of the State Savings Bank at Baxter, and much of the success of this popular, sound and conservative institution during the past few years has been due in no small measure to his influence and judicious counsel. He has a commodious, modern and well fur- nished home.
Like his father and the other members of this worthy family, Mr. Geise is a broad-minded, enterprising, liberal and hospitable gentleman whom it is a pleasure to meet.
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HOWELL L. CHURCHILL.
An excellent pioneer citizen of Jasper county whose life has been one of industry and not by any means devoid of good to his fellow men is Howell L. Churchill, a man who, not asking the assistance of others, has sought to carve out his own fortune, leading the life of a good citizen in a country signally favored by nature and various circumstances.
Mr. Churchill was born May 13, 1849, in Green county, Wisconsin, and he is the son of L. M. and Eliza (Smith) Churchill, both natives of Dutchess county, New York. The paternal grandfather, Edward Churchill, served in the Revolutionary war in the capacity of attendant upon one of its well- known generals. He was a traveling shoemaker, in which way he made a very comfortable living ; later in life he bought a farm in New York. He reached the remarkable age of one hundred and two years, having retained his faculties up to the time of his death; he was a very intellectual man and wielded considerable influence in the affairs of his community.
L. M. Churchill left New York in 1848 and went to Wisconsin, where he bought land, owning two hundred acres, which he subsequently sold and moved to Iowa in 1866, settling in Fairview township, Jasper county, where he bought one hundred and sixty acres near Fairmount, and there he made his home for a number of years. At the time of his death, which oc- curred in his eighty-third year, he had retired from active labor and was living
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in Monroe. He was born in 1807. He was twice married, the immediate sub- ject of this sketch being a child by the second marriage. By the first mar- riage the following children were born: Charles, who died at the age of eighty-two years in California ; he was for many years a farmer in Fairview township, this county ; Harvey, who died in Newton, at the age of seventy-two years, was retired at the time of his death; Edward is the owner of the Churchill hotel in Newton; Mary, now deceased, was the wife of John Climer, a farmer of Mt. Prairie township. By the second marriage of L. M. Churchill the following children were born: Mason, a retired farmer at Prairie City; Urias was a soldier in the Union army and was killed at the battle of Resaca, Georgia; Smith, who served during the Civil war in Com- pany K, Twenty-second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, is now practicing law in Omaha, Nebraska; Harriet, who married Marshal Ogg, lives in Fair- view township, Mr. Ogg owning and operating the far madjoining that of the subject; Sally, deceased, was the wife of Edward Scarborough, a farmer of Cass county, Iowa. The mother of these children died at the age of sixty- seven years.
Howell L. Churchill, of this review,, began working for himself when he became of age. He had assisted with the development of his father's farm and had attended the common schools in his district. He rented his father's farm for a while and four years later, in 1874, he bought the homestead, which consists of one hundred and sixty acres, and in 1892 he bought one hundred and twenty acres joining the homestead on the south, making in all two hundred and eighty acres of Jasper county's best land.
On December 21, 1870, Mr. Churchill was united in marriage with Emma Robinson, who was born December 10, 1849, in the state of Maine. She is the daughter of Cyrus and Harriet ( Pierce) Robinson, both natives of Maine. The family came to Wisconsin in 1853 and engaged in farming, and in 1868 they moved to Jasper county, Iowa, buying land in Fairview town- ship. This was afterwards sold and the father retired from active work, moving his family to the village of Monroe, buying property there. Mr. Robinson, who became well known in this locality, died at the age of seventy- four years. Mrs. Robinson died when sixty-nine years old. Mrs. Churchill is one of a family of six children, namely: Cyrus, who was a soldier in the Thirteenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war, died during his enlistment ; Franklin died when twenty years of age; Lucy married Mason Churchill, a brother of the subject; Calista married Judson Mitchell, for many years a grocer at Monroe, this county, but who is now deceased ; she is living at Topeka, Kansas ; Charles West died in infancy .-
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Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Churchill, as follows : Delia died in infancy ; Charles died at the age of two years; Olo is living at home ; Calista died at the age of eleven months; Levi married Florence Mar- tin and they live on the subject's farm; Harvey married Bessie Farmer and lives on a farm in Fairview township; Roy married Nell Main; they, too, live on the farm of the subject and have two sons, the only grandchildren in the family ; Guy is now attending the Central University at Pella. He is taking a course in music, in which he is quite gifted; when only thirteen years old he was graduated from the country schools. He gives every promise of a future replete with success.
In 1909, after a busy and successful career as an agriculturist, Mr. Churchill retired from the farm, moving to the town of Monroe, where he purchased a modern and pleasant home and is now regarded as one of the community's best citizens, a good neighbor, a true friend and a man of pro- gressive ideas. He is a deacon in the Baptist church of this place, having been a member of this denomination since he was twenty-two years of age. He was also a deacon in the Fairmount Baptist church and superintendent of the Sunday school there for a number of years. Mrs. Churchill was also a teacher in the Sunday school there. Politically, Mr. Churchill has always been a Republican.
CARLOS CONWELL.
The history of Jasper county, Iowa, is not a very old one. It is the record of the steady growth of a community planted on the wild, rolling prairies scarcely more than a half century ago and has reached its magnitude of today without other aids than those of industry. The people who redeemed it from the primitive wilds were strong-armed, hardy sons of the soil who hesitated at no difficulty and for whom hardships had little to appall. The early pioneers, having blazed the path of civilization to this part of the state, finished their labors, and many of them have passed from the scene, leaving . the country to the possession of their descendants and to others who came at a later period and builded on the foundation which they laid so broad and deep. The Conwell family is of this class and its members have played no inconspicu- ous part in the upbuilding of a portion of this county, a very creditable repre- sentative of the present generation being Carlos Conwell, who was born and reared here and who has spent his life in his native vicinity, having done what he could to develop and advertise to the world the wonderful resources of a
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county that now occupies a proud position among the most progressive and enlightened sections of Indiana.
Mr. Conwell was born in Jasper county, May 18, 1860, and he has always been identified with agricultural pursuits of his home district. His father, Clark D. Conwell, was born in 1822, in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, there grew up, spent his early life and came in an early day to Iowa, and lived in this state until his death in Jasper county, on August 14, 1887. He married Rebecca Toppin, who was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, February to, 1823, and there she grew to womanhood and they were married in their native state, and accompanied Mr. Conwell on the long overland trip to the new state of Iowa when it was being settled, and she reached an advanced age, dying in Jasper county on November 10, 1910. They had little of this world's goods when they arrived, but the soil was rich and they were not afraid of hard work, so they had a good little farm and a comfortable home in a few years. Their family consisted of seven children, one of whom died in infancy, the older ones having been born in Ohio, the three younger after the family came to Iowa; they were, R. C., born January 25, 1844, is living in Inde- pendence township; Carlos of this review; Clark D., born April 14, 1867, lives in this township; Mrs. Mary C. Webb is living in Baxter, Iowa; Mrs. J. S. Booth also lives in Baxter; Mrs. Sarah Guthrie, born March 10, 1864, lives at Andover, South Dakota. There are in this family twenty-one grand- children and seventeen great-grandchildren.
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