USA > Iowa > Jasper County > Past and present of Jasper County, Iowa, Vol. II > Part 59
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In November, 1880, Joseph A. Leonard was united in marriage with Gracie E. Cooper, who was born near Grand Detour, Illinois, August 17, 1854. She was the daughter of B. F. and Mary (Wiser) Cooper, the father born in Washington county, Maryland, February 14, 1834, the mother's birth hav- ing occurred in Fairfield county, Ohio, July 8, 1831. They came to Jasper county, Iowa, in an early day and are now both residing in Clear Creek town- ship. There were nine children in the Cooper family, six of whom are living, namely : Mrs. Gracie Leonard, of this sketch; Mrs. Alice Rostern, of South Dakota; Ransom, of Clear Creek township, this county; Alma, deceased ; Mrs. Nettie Barbee lives in Clear Creek township; Byron is deceased ; Charles lives in Collins; Mrs. Edna Stone lives in Story county. The five oldest children were born in Illinois and the younger ones were born in Jasper county, Iowa.
Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Leonard, namely: Mrs. Carrie Miller, born February 22, 1884, is living on the home farm with her father ; Leora, born May 1, 1889, is also at home with her father. The wife and mother passed away in 1909.
Politically, Mr. Leonard is a Republican and he has taken considerably more than a passing interest in local affairs, having ever had the interests of his community at heart. He has served as township trustee, assessor, and is clerk, and at this writing he is also president of the board of education in
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district No. 5. Clear Creek township. He has discharged his duties as a public servant in a manner that has reflected much credit upon himself and won the commendation of all concerned.
Mr. Leonard is the owner of one of the choice farms of his township, consisting of two hundred and seventy-two acres on which are two sets of excellent improvements and he is now planning more up-to-date improvements. Personally, Mr. Leonard is an honest, public-spirited, liberal, and pleasant gentleman.
ED M. KITCHEL.
We find a man of unswerving enterprise and courage that halts at no obstacle in Ed M. Kitchel, one of the well known citizens of Clear Creek town- ship, and we are always glad to give such as he just notice, for when a man faces the world courageously and honestly wins in the face of opposition his example is worthy of emulation by others.
Mr. Kitchel was born in Clear Creek township, Jasper county, Iowa, on April 8, 1875, and here he grew to manhood, was educated in the common schools and has followed the general occupation of this community, farming. He is the son of Prince Albert Kitchel and Lusetta (Roberts) Kitchel, the father born in Michigan on February 9. 1837, and the mother in Ohio on March 9, 1841, and they now make their home in Collins, Iowa. The father is a veteran of the Civil war, having enlisted in Company B, Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, in which he served his country gallantly for a period of four and one-half years, after which he received an honorable discharge. He came to Iowa first in 1848, in pioneer times, and it was in 1869 that he moved to Jasper county. The mother of the subject of this sketch was one of the earliest settlers of Jasper county, having come here in 1853. She had a daugh- ter by a former marriage, who is now deceased. The children by the second union, all of whom were born in Clear Creek township, this county, and all still living, are: Mrs. Gertrude Darling, born January 1, 1870, is living at Rhodes, Iowa ; Mrs. Laura Jackson, born March 8, 1872, lives in Forest City, Iowa : Ed M., of this review; Mrs. Kate Stevens, born March 27. 1877, lives near Britt, Iowa; Warren A., born November 8, 1880. is living on the old home farm in Clear Creek township.
Ed M. Kitchel was married on January 13. 1895, to Stella Dodd, who was born in Jasper county, Iowa, March 23. 1871. She is the daughter of Charles E. and Elizabeth (Kuhns) Dodd, the father born near Milwaukee,
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Wisconsin, in 1841, and the mother born in Ohio in 1846. The father came to Jasper county, Iowa, in 1854 and was reared here, and in 1884 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Collins township, Story county, where he still resides. The mother came to this county in 1855 with her parents. To Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Dodd thirteen children were born, nine of whom died in infancy ; those living are Ulysses of Collins township, Story county, Iowa; John, Dennis, Stella, wife of the subject; Milo, Edward, Horace and Creed; they all live in Collins township with the exception of Milo, whose home is in northeastern Iowa.
To Mr. and Mrs. Kitchel five children have been born, namely: Mildred, born June 6, 1896, is deceased ; Warren, born in January, 1898; Gladys, born December 25, 1900; Fay, born July 23, 1907 : Gwendolyn, born July 18, 1911.
Politically, Mr. Kitchel is a Republican and, fraternally, he belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America of Collins, Iowa. Mrs. Kitchel is a mem- ber of the Christian church of Collins.
Mr. Kitchel cultivates very successfully and scientifically eighty acres of good land in Collins township and he has a good home.
ULYSSES DODD.
Individual enterprise, which is the just boast of the people of Iowa, is forcefully exhibited in the career of Ulysses Dodd, one of the substantial farmers of Clear Creek township. He is a worthy representative of one of the old and most highly honored families in this locality, mention of whom will be found in various parts of this work. While transmitting to posterity the records of this family, it is with the hope of instilling into the minds of those who come after the important lesson that honor and station are sure rewards of individual exertion.
Ulysses Dodd was born in Clear Creek township, Jasper county, Iowa, September 9, 1866; here he grew to manhood, received his education in the common schools and here he has devoted his life to agricultural pursuits and stock raising. He is the son of Charles E. Dodd and wife, and a grandson of Joseph Dodd, Jr .. one of the earliest settlers of Clear Creek township. For a complete history of this family the reader is referred to the sketch of Frank J. Dodd.
The father, Charles E. Dodd, was born near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, January 14, 1841, and he came with his parents to Jasper county in 1854 and was reared here. In 1884 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Collins
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township, Story county, and has since resided there. He was married in 1865 to Elizabeth Kuhns, who was born in Ohio, October 23, 1846. She spent her girlhood there and came to Jasper county, Iowa, with her parents in 1855. She was the daughter of Reuben and Elizabeth (Burnett) Kuhns, the former a native of Pennsylvania, died at Newton, Iowa. There were ten children in the Burnett family. To Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Dodd were born thirteen children, seven of whom are living, namely : Ulysses, of this review ; John, Dennis, Stella Kitchell, Milo, Edward, Ordema Evans, Horace and Cleve; they all reside in Collins township, Story county, with the exception of Milo, who lives in northeastern Iowa. The six other children died in infancy.
Ulysses Dodd was married on September 9, 1890, to Mary Elizabeth Day, who was born in Marion county, Indiana, January 27, 1867. She came to Story county, Iowa, with her parents in 1873. She was the daughter of Henry and Elvira (Faucet) Day, both natives of Marion county, Indiana. They established a good home in Story county and here spent the rest of their lives, the father dying at the age of forty-one years. They were the parents of seven children, four of whom are living at this writing, namely: Luella died when twenty-five years of age; Anna died at the age of twenty-three ; Edith Belle died when two and one-half years of age; Mary Elizabeth, wife of Mr. Dodd, of this review; Frank, who lives in Story county; Mrs. Orrie Venneman lives in Scranton, Iowa; Carl lives in Story county. They were all reared in that county.
To Mr. and Mrs. Dodd seven children have been born, six of whom are living, namely: Mabel, born June 20, 1891, attended the rural schools and completed the tenth grade in the Collins high school, and she is at present teaching school near Clyde, Jasper county ; Hazel, born November 24, 1893, is attending high school at Collins, being a member of the graduating class of 1912: Ethel, born July 14, 1897, is attending school at Collins; Earl, born October 12, 1898; Myrna, born August 6, 1901 ; Velma, born April 3, 1904, died October 4, 1907; Harold, born April 25, 1907. They were all born in Collins township.
Mr. Dodd is the owner of one hundred acres of excellent land in Collins township, Story county, which he has placed under excellent improvements. He keeps a good grade of live stock and has been successful as a general farmer. He is well known in this territory as an extensive buyer and seller of stock. /
Politically, Mr. Dodd is a Democrat and he has been a member of the school board of this district ; he was formerly a member of the Modern Wood- men of America, of Collins.
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CHARLES E. DODD.
There are few who can more justly claim the proud American title of self- made man than Charles E. Dodd, farmer and stock raiser of Clear Creek township, Jasper county, for early in life he started out for himself and when quite young learned to depend upon himself. His educational privileges were limited and no special advantages fitted him for the cares and responsibilities of life ; but he was industrious, determined, ambitious and resolute and these qualities stood him instead of fortune, enabling him to overcome the diffi- culties and obstacles in his path and work his way steadily upward to the plane where success places the laurel upon the victor's brow. He has not held back when the public needed his services, and although young in years when the great war between the states began to threaten the foundations of the Re- public, he unhesitatingly went forth to do what he could to preserve the nation's integrity.
Mr. Dodd was born near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, January 14, 1841, and there he spent his boyhood and received a common school education. He is the son of Joseph and Amelia (Million) Dodd, the father born in New York, Sep- tember 27, 1817, and the mother was born in Kentucky, November 6, 1821. They came to Clear Creek township, Jasper county, Iowa, in 1852, when their son, Charles E., was thirteen years of age. Here they began life in typical pio- neer fashion, the country being a wild prairie, but they persevered and finally established a very comfortable home in which they lived until summoned away from earthly scenes, the father dying in the spring of 1897, and the mother's death occurred on August 17, 1889. There were ten children in their family, six of whom are living at this writing, namely : Charles E., of this review ; Sarah J., born January 9, 1843, is deceased ; William, born March 23, 1845, and Mrs. Amelia Stock are both deceased; G. W., born September 23, 1847, is living in Washington; J. H., born February 5, 1850, is deceased ; S. P., born July 18, 1852, lives in Clear Creek township; Frank J., of Clear Creek township; Mark, born November 21, 1860, lives in Wisconsin; Fred lives in Marshall county, Iowa.
Charles E. Dodd was married in 1865 to Elizabeth Kuhns, who was born in Ohio, October 23, 1846, but most of her life has been spent in Jasper county, Iowa, whither she came with her parents in 1855. She is the daughter of Reuben and Elizabeth (Burnett) Kuhns, the father born in Pennsylvania and died in Newton, Iowa. There were ten children in the Burnett family.
To Mr. and Mrs. Dodd have been born thirteen children, nine of whom are living, namely : Ulysses, John. Dennis, Stella Kitchel, Milo (resides in
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northeastern Iowa), Edward, Ordema Evans, Horace and Cleve; the other children died in infancy. The above named, with the exception of Milo, reside in this locality. The older children were born in Clear Creek township, the younger ones in Collins township, Story county.
Charles E. Dodd enlisted at Clyde, Iowa, in Company E, Fortieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, in which he served faithfully over three years and re- ceived an honorable discharge. He was in the siege of Vicksburg, the battles of Corinth, Iuka and was with Banks on the Red river expedition. Politically, he is a Democrat : he has been a member of the school board in his district, and he belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic post at Mingo.
Mr. Dodd has been very successful as a farmer and he is now the owner of a well improved and productive place of one hundred and sixty acres in Collins township, Story county, where he has resided since 1884.
OLIVER B. FULLER.
Perhaps few counties of the old Buckeye state have furnished so many settlers to the newer state of Iowa as Guernsey county and wherever we find them they are progressive and public spirited citizens, always willing to do their share in promoting the general good, and they did an especially fine service to Jasper and her sister counties in pioneer times by placing her wild lands under modern cultivation and improvement. Among this worthy num- ber the name of Oliver Fuller, of the town of Collins, should be mentioned.
Mr. Fuller was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, on December 15, 1844, and when quite young he removed with the rest of the family to Indiana, later to Clear Creek township, Jasper county, Iowa, where the parents spent the balance of their lives, both being now deceased. They were indeed pioneers and unflinchingly bore the hardships of those somewhat trying times. The father, William P. Fuller, died in Clear Creek township in 1857, and the mother in Story county. She was known in her maidenhood as Lucinda Gipson and was born in Ohio. They had a large family, fourteen children having been born to them, of whom four are still living, namely : Mrs. Nancy Ann Markins, who died in 1909; Alfred also died in 1909: Charlotte : Wesley is deceased; Mrs. Martha Wells is living in Collins; Oliver B., of this re- view; Mrs. Delilah Hinman is living in Bremer county, Iowa; William D. makes his home in Nebraska: Mary is deceased; three sons of this family died in infancy, John and twins unnamed.
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Oliver B. Fuller grew to maturity on the farm and when but a boy helped with the general farm work, and he received such education as was possible in the old-time schools. In May, 1865, he was married to Margaret Jane Ellison, who was born at Mt. Pleasant, Henry county, Iowa, July 16, 1844. She was the daughter of Asa and Susannah (See) Ellison, both now deceased. The following were the children in the Ellison family : Milburn is deceased; Mrs. Mary McPherson, of Polk county, Iowa ; Charles F. lives in Montana; Margaret Jane, wife of Mr. Fuller of this sketch; James lives in Montana ; John lives near Iowa Falls, Iowa; Asa also lives in that city; Mrs. Susannah Nichols, of Montana.
To Mr. and Mrs. Fuller six children have been born, five of whom are living, namely : Warren, born March 29, 1866, is living in Tama City, Iowa ; Leroy is deceased; Mrs. Ann Richardson, born in 1873, is living in Wash- ington ; Mrs. Grace Legg, born in 1876, also lives in Washington; Otis Eugene, born in 1879, is living in Collins; Mrs. Matilda Jane Mullihan, born in 1882, is living in Story county. These children were reared and educated in Jasper county.
Oliver B. Fuller learned the blacksmith's trade early in life and has worked at it continuously for a period of forty-six years, during which time he has become widely known as one of the most skilled and reliable workmen in this section of the state. He has maintained his shop in Collins the past two years. Politically, he is a Democrat. Mrs. Fuller is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Collins.
IRA A. CAMPBELL. -
One of the most enterprising and public spirited men of Collins and vicinity is Ira A. Campbell, who has long had the interests of Clear Creek township, Jasper county, at heart and who has labored in every way possible to promote the general good of the same. He is now getting well along in years, and his long record has given evidence of enterprise, honorable dealing and usefulness and he is one of the highly esteemed men of this lo- cality, being one of our worthiest pioneers.
Mr. Campbell was born in Meigs county, Ohio, September 21, 1836, and there grew to maturity and attended school in the old time log cabins. In the fall of 1855 he left the Buckeye state and removed to Clear Creek town- ship, Jasper county, Iowa, and has been a successful and active resident of
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the community ever since, having witnessed its remarkable growth and taking a leading interest in the same. He tells many interesting things relating to early life here, vividly recalling the incidents and hardships of the early days here, but being a man of courage he was not discouraged by any obstacle. He has devoted his life principally to farming and still owns a good place of one hundred and seventy acres in Clear Creek township, this county. Twenty years ago he left the farm, moved to Collins, where he built an excellent home and here he still resides; however, he did not retire from active life at that time and since coming here he has built many houses in this town. He recalls the fact that there were only a few homes in Clear Creek township, and they of rude logs, when he moved here. In his early life he followed blacksmithing, which he finally gave up on account of fail- ing health and removed to a farm in Jasper county, having formerly lived in Keokuk whither he returned in 1859 from Ohio where he had gone for his bride.
Robert Campbell, father of the subject, was born in Vermont, later mov- ing to Meigs county, Ohio, where he remained until his death, lacking only a month and a half of being ninety years of age. The subject's mother, known in her maidenhood as Anna Packard, was born in New York and her death occurred in Meigs county, Ohio. Their family consisted of ten chil- dren, four sons and six daughters, three of the sons still living, namely : William; Mrs. Esther Tiffany, deceased; Sallie, deceased; Ira A., of this review ; Elmira, deceased; Alba, who lives in Ohio; Sybil, deceased ; Mary Ann, deceased; Harriet, deceased.
Ira A. Campbell was married on April 9. 1859, to Emily Green, who was born in Meigs county, Ohio, October 5, 1836, and her death occurred in Collins, Iowa, September 28, 1899. She was the daughter of William and Susan Green, both of whom died in Ohio, and in that state she grew to woman- hood and spent her girlhood days.
To Ira A. Campbell and wife nine children were born, six sons and three daughters, four of whom are living; they were named as follows : Charlie, born at Keokuk, Iowa, November 13, 1860, died in Story county. this state, in 1909: Alice, born in Keokuk March 29, 1861, is living with his father in Collins; Ellsworth, born in Clear Creek township, this county, De- cember 20, 1864, is also a resident of Collins: Curt, born in Jasper county, December 27, 1868, also lives in Collins ; Horace, born March 28, 1867, is de- ceased ; Frank, born March 15, 1871, lives in Collins ; Laura, born December 20, 1874, is deceased : Clarence, born July 25, 1878; Josephine, born February
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10, 1881, died October 9, 1881. These children were reared in this county and educated in the local schools.
Politically, Mr. Campbell is a Democrat and has been more or less active in public affairs. He has been a member of the board of trustees and school director.
JOHN W. SOUTHERN.
One of the business men of Clear Creek township, Jasper county, who has been content to spend his life in his native community is John W. Southern, at present conducting a restaurant at Collins, but most of his life has been spent in connection with agricultural pursuits. Here he was born on December 29, 1874, and here he grew to manhood and was educated. After engaging in railroad work for some time he returned to the farm. where he remained until November 21, 1908, when he, with his family, began the restaurant business in which they have met with a large measure of suc- cess all along the line. He owns a good stock and modern restaurant fixtures, and his place has become popular with the local and traveling public.
Mr. Southern is the son of David H. and Melissa C. (Penquite) Southern, the father born in Logan county, Illinois, January 23, 1849, and the mother was born in Ohio, April 29, 1852. They are both living on the old homestead in Clear Creek township. The Southern family was among the earliest arrivals in Jasper county, having come here in the fall of 1853 and in the spring of 1854 they moved to Clear Creek township. The sub- ject's paternal grandfather was born in Virginia, the Southern family having been one of the first of the Old Dominion.
Seven children were born to David H. Southern and wife, all of whom are living, named as follows: John W., of this review, being the eldest: Mrs. Eva Tilton, of Collins ; Mrs. Bertha Osborne ; Mrs. Jessie Atwood; Harvey E., who lives at Collins; Mary is living at home; Mrs. Lena Renfelt is a resi- dent of Galva, Iowa.
John W. Southern was united in the bonds of marriage to Ida Oswalt, who was born in Clear Creek township, this county, September 17. 1876, and here she grew to womanhood and was educated. She is the daughter of Edward and Martha Jane (Tripp) Oswalt, the father born in Stark county, Ohio, July 28, 1835, and the mother in Lee county, Iowa, June 21, 1841; the latter's death occurred in Collins, Iowa, February 2, 1903. Edward Oswalt spent his early youth in his native state, coming to Des
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Moines, Iowa, in 1846, thence to Clear Creek township, Jasper county, in 1847, thus making him one of the earliest settlers in this locality. He con- ducted the Oswalt mill on Indian creek for eighteen years. He is making his residence at Collins at this writing. Mrs. Southern's paternal grand- mother, Rachael Grimes, was a sister of one of Iowa's earliest governors. There were eight children in the Oswalt family, seven of whom are living, namely : Jacob died in infancy ; John Andrew lives in Emmet county, Iowa ; Mrs. Edna Dennison lives in Collins; Mrs. Robert Elzy, of Marshalltown ; James lives in New Albany township. Story county, Iowa ; Ida, wife of Mr. Southern of this review.
To Mr. and Mrs. Southern two sons have been born, namely : Leroy, born in Clear Creek township, this county, November 6, 1898; Edward Harold, born near Nevada, Story county, January 18, 1903. They are both attending the public schools in Collins.
Politically, Mr. Southern is independent, voting for the man whom he deems best qualified for the office sought. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, Crescent Camp No. 2358, of Collins, and he also holds membership in the Mystic Workers, No. 181, of that place.
WALTER O. TRAMEL.
While the life of Walter O. Tramel, one of the worthy native sons of Clear Creek township, Jasper county, has not been of an unusual character,- nothing strange or tragic about it,-nevertheless it abounds in lesson and incentive, for his record has been one of persistence, even in the face of obstacles at which others would have quailed. He has sought to be of benefit to his neighbors and the community in general, and his example has resulted in no harm to those who have come under his influence.
Mr. Tramel was born in Independence township on October 29, 1876, here grew to manhood, was educated in the common schools and has always been identified with the agricultural interests of the community, believing that better opportunities existed here in his chosen line of endeavor than elsewhere. Mr. Tramel is the son of Joseph and Cynthia (Leonard) Tramel, one of the well known old couples of this locality. The father's death oc- curred in Oregon in September, 1904, at the age of seventy years, and the mother died January 18, 1907. Their family consisted of four children, two sons and two daughters, namely : William lives in Independence township:
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Mrs. Stella Whitehead lives in Poweshiek township, this county; Mrs. Bertha Allspaugh lives in Boulder, Colorado; and Walter O., of this sketch. For a full history of the Tramel family the reader is referred to the sketch of William Tramel on another page of this work.
Walter O. Tramel has devoted his life to general farming and stock raising, buying and shipping, and is one of the best known stock men in this locality and one of the most successful. In the spring of 1911 he moved onto the farm which he had purchased the preceding year and he has made a vast improvement in the same, rendering it one of the best farms in the community, well equipped in every respect and under a high state of cultivation, and he has a good home. In addition to caring for his farm Mr. Tramel buys and sells about two hundred car loads of live stock annually, and no small part of his income has been from this source in the past. No better judge of live stock could be found than he and he is uniformly successful. By hustling persistently and dealing honestly he has accumulated a competency, but he has never shown that parsimonious spirit exhibited by some of the successful men of today and he therefore has the respect and confidence of all who know him.
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