USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > Past and present of O'Brien and Osceola counties, Iowa, Vol. II > Part 39
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SAMUEL C. FLINDER.
It is a pleasure to investigate the career of a successful, self-made man. Peculiar honor attaches to that individual who. beginning the great struggle of life alone and unaided, gradually overcomes unfavorable environment. removes one by one the obstacles from the pathway of success and by the master stroke of his own force and vitality succeeds in forging his way to the front and winning for himself a competency and a position of esteem and influence among his fellow men. Such is the record of the popular citizen of Waterman township, O'Brien county, Iowa, to a brief synopsis of whose life and character the following pages are devoted.
Samuel C. Flinder, the son of Henry and Maria (Challand ) Flinder, was born in Brichfield. England, in 1859. His father was a professional
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musician in his native land and was born in 1832, and his wife's birth oc- curred in the same year. In 1863 Henry Flinder came to America with his family and settled in DeKalb county, Illinois, where he taught music for nine years. He then moved to Fort Dodge, Iowa, and taught music there for nine years, after which he retired and lived with his children until his death, which occurred in Montana in 1898.
Samuel C. Flinder was one of eight children, all of whom are now living but two. He was four years of age when his parents came from England and settled in Illinois. He was given a good common school education and re- mained with his parents until he was twenty-five years of age. He then went to Webster county, Iowa, and worked on a farm for four years. In 1882 he and his brother, John, came to O'Brien county, and purchased five hundred and sixty acres of land in Waterman township. At the present time Mr. Flinder is the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of his own, which he has brought to a high state of cultivation and productivity. By the most indomitable perseverence, sturdy industry and wise manage- ment, he has prospered and is now numbered among the successful and up- to-date farmers of his community, with modern and progressive ideas re- garding business affairs, and he has maintained his farm at the highest standard of excellence and found it althogether a profitable enterprise. In addition to the raising of heavy crops of grains he has always been an ex- tensive breeder of live stock and keeps only the best grades.
Mr. Flinder was married in 1885 to Mary Dek, and to this union have been born two sons, Arthur, a graduate of Minnesota College, and now assistant cashier of the Platte, South Dakota, bank, and Vernon, who is now attending the high school at Sutherland.
Politically. Mr. Flinder gives his support to the Republican party and has always taken an intelligent interest in political affairs. He has been especially interested in the educational affairs of his township and was a school director of Waterman township, having been instrumental in rais- ing the standard of education in his home township. Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias, belonging to the lodge at Sutherland. Progressive and methodical in his farming affairs, it is hardly surprising that Mr. Flinder should achieve a a splendid success, for he possesses to a nota- ble degree those qualities which contribute to prosperity in any under- taking. At all times he has been actuated by the highest motives and has so ordered his life as to retain throughout his career in this county the confidence and good will of all with whom he has been associated.
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SUMNER F. MILLER.
Among the prominent citizens of Liberty township, O'Brien county, Iowa, was the late Sumner F. Miller, who for many years was one of the most influential men in his township. In his capacity as township trustee. school director and road supervisor. he was actively connected with the civic life of his community and he always performed his duty in a con- scientious and satisfactory manner.
Sumner F. Miller, the only son of Antoine and Mary ( Randolph ) Miller, was born in 1861 in Wisconsin. The father was born in France in 1828, while his mother was born in New York state in 1833. Mr. Miller re- ceived a good common school education in the schools of Wisconsin and when still a young man came to O'Brien county, Iowa, and rented land in Waterman and Liberty townships, where he lived for ten years. Upon his marriage in 1890 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in . Liberty township, on which he put extensive improvements. He was a thrifty farmer, who took advantage of the latest modern methods and never hesitated to keep abreast of the times. At the time of his death he left an estate of two hundred and forty acres in the township as well as one hundred and sixty acres in Pipestone county, Minnesota.
Mr. Miller was married in 1890 to Idalie Ray, the daughter of Cassius W. and Mary (Merrick) Ray. Cassius Ray was born in New York state in 1847 and was the son of Robert and Mary ( Brush) Ray. Robert Ray was born in 1814 and was a farmer and school teacher of Michigan. Mary Brush was born in New York, state in 1828 and died in 1898. Hartley Merrick, the grandfather of Mrs. Miller on her mother's side, was born in Marre in 1828 and died in 1904. His wife was Elsie Cunningham, who was born in May, 1830, and died in 1879.
Cassius W. Ray, the father of Mrs. Miller, left New York state in 1886 and came to Illinois where he lived about thirty years and then came to O'Brien county, Iowa, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of unimproved land at six dollars an acre. He improved the farm. building a home, barn and outbuildings of various kinds and in the course of time was rated as one of the successful farmers of the township. In 1900 lie re- tired from active farm life and moved to Illinois, then later to Peabody. Kansas, where he is now living.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller were the parents of nine children, all of whom are still living with their mother on the home farm in Liberty township: Ray.
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Ruth, Dora. Clinton, Howard, Margaret, Lucile, Edith and Rosevelle. Mr. Miller was a life-long Republican and always took an active part in the affairs of his township. He served his people faithfully in the capacity of town- ship trustee, school director and road supervisor, and always gave efficient service, not only to those who voted for him, but to all the citizens of the township. He was a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Brotherhood of American Yeomen. He was a true citizen in every sense of the term, worthy of all confidence and performed every duty to which he gave his attention worthily and well.
THOMAS FARNSWORTH.
The best history of a community or state is that which deals most with the lives and activities of its people, especially of those who, by their own endeavor and indomitable energy, have forged to the front and placed them- selves where they deserve the title of progressive men. In this brief review will be found the record of one who has outstripped the less active plodders on the highway of life and achieved a career surpassed by few of his contem- poraries, a career of marked success in agricultural affairs and a name which all men who know him delight to honor owing to his upright life and habits of thrift and industry.
Thomas Farnsworth, a coal dealer and merchant of Sanborn, lowa. was born in 1860 in Armstrong county, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Henry and Nancy Ann ( Wilson) Farnsworth, who were natives of the same state. Henry Farnsworth was born in 1829 and was a farmer and an inventor. He died in 1897. Henry Farnsworth and wife were the parents of six children: Mrs. Mary Aldrich, of Dysart, Iowa ; Mrs. Jane Clough ; Mrs. Louise Bates, deceased; Minnie, deceased ; Charles, a real estate man of Sanborn, Iowa, and Thomas, whose life history is here briefly sketched. The family moved to Benton county, Iowa, in 1870.
Thomas Farnsworth left his home when thirteen years of age and went to Nebraska and started to work on a cattle ranch. After working here two years, he returned to Benton county, Iowa, and worked on his mother's farm. Later he bought a threshing outfit and broke up raw prairie land for his neighbors. He then moved to Tama county and engaged in several different kinds of business and in 1886 came to O'Brien county and bought one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land in Lincoln township. In 1889
THOMAS FARNSWORTH
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he had eighty acres of prairie hay in stacks and was unfortunate enough to lose it all by fire. He made extensive improvements on his farm and raised considerable sheep and cattle. In 1900 he sold this farin and moved to San- born and bought and sold cattle for twelve years, after which he engaged in the coal business and now is in the retail coal business in Sanborn. He owns sixty-six acres of land within the corporation and also has several lots scattered over the city. He has extensive land holdings in Canada and some property in Rock Valley, Iowa.
Mr. Farnsworth was married in 1881, in Tama county, Iowa, to Dora Furnas, and to this union have been born three children: Frank, a graduate of Iowa City College and a dentist at Sanborn; Mrs. Grace B. Neitzke, whose husband is a farmer in this county; Pearl, who is at home with her parents.
Politically, Mr. Farnsworth has always been a Republican and has taken an active interest in local politics. He has been a school director, a road overseer and a councilman of O'Brien county. In all of these offices he has shown executive ability which stamps him as a man of more than ordinary ability. He and his family are members of the Presbyterian church. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mr. Farnsworth has led a moral, honest and strenuous career since he was thirteen years of age and has had many discouragements to meet during his life.
THOMAS E. MANN.
One of the conspicuous names on the list of O'Brien county agricultur- ists is Thomas E. Mann, proprietor of a six-hundred-and-forty-acre farm in Grant township, a gentleman of high standing to whom has not been denied a full measure of success. Long recognized as a factor of importance in connection with the farming and stock raising industries here, he has been prominently identified with the material growth and prosperity of this part of the state, his life having been closely interwoven with the history of the county where he has been content to live and follow his chosen vocation for over a third of a century.
Thomas E. Mann, one of the most substantial farmers of Grant town- ship. O'Brien county, Iowa, was born in Galena, Illinois, in 1860, and is the son of Harvey and Catherine ( Sidner) Mann. Harvey Mann was born in
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New York in 1805, and while a young man served in the United States regu- lar army for a number of years. After marriage he came to Illinois with an ax, a piece of corn bread and twenty-five cents in his pocket. He first worked at cutting wood, for which he received twenty-five cents a cord. As he was a man of determination, within the course of a few years he obtained a comfortable living for himself and family. He worked for a time in the lead mines of Jo Daviess county, Illinois, and later operated a saw mill in that county. He eventually became a landholder and at the time of his death in 1895 was an agriculturist of affluence in his community. His wife, Cather- ine Sidner, was born in Missouri in 1825 and died in 1901.
Thomas E. Mann was one of eleven children, six of whom are still liv- ing. He received a good education and continued to assist his father at home until he was twenty-two years of age. Then he came to Iowa and first set- tled in Cherokee county. Shortly afterwards he drove through to Grant township, O'Brien county, where he purchased three hundred and twenty acres of unimproved land for twelve and a half dollars an acre. Though only twenty-two years of age at this time, he and his young wife started in to make their fortune in this comparatively new county. That they have suc- ceeded is shown by the fact that they are today the proud possessors of one section of land in this county, which is easily worth one hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Mann has made extensive improvements of all kinds upon his farm, has a handsome grove of forest and fruit trees, covering twelve acres. He also is very much interested in the raising of high-grade live stock, being a breeder of Percheron horses, Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs. He makes a specialty of the feeding of cattle for the market and has from two to twelve carloads of cattle every year. Mr. Mann is especially in- terested in the fair association at Sutherland and has a race horse which has won several prizes during the past few years on different tracts in Iowa.
Mr. Mann was married in 1883 to Sarah Williams and to this union have been born eight children: Mrs. Mabel Barry, whose husband is a railroad engineer in South Dakota : Clyde, a farmer of Canada ; Eva, a nurse in the hospital at Cherokee, Iowa ; Hallie, a graduate of the Sutherland high school ; Octavo, Harold, Russell and Cyril. The four youngest children are still with their parents and are now attending the public schools.
Mr. Mann has always cast his vote for the Republican party since reach- ing his majority, and since living in this township has been the recipient of several official positions at the hands of his party. He has been school direc- tor, road supervisor, township assessor and was for seven years county su-
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pervisor ; while holding the last named office he threw his influence in sup- port of various reforms for the county. In fact. every' measure which he felt would improve his county in any way found in him an enthusiastic and hearty supporter. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Ac- cepted Masons, while in his church affiliations he and his family are allied with the Methodist Episcopal denomination. Mr. Mann has performed well his part in life and it is a compliment worthily bestowed to say that O'Brien county is honored by his citizenship. In various official capacities in which he has been found since coming to this county he has made every effort to- wards improving the conditions of his county in every way, and for this rea- son Mr. Mann is justly regarded as one of the representative men of the township and county.
MERRIETT S. DRAPER.
One of the early pioneers of O'Brien county, lowa, is Merriett S. Draper and during his career of more than thirty years in the county he has been a prominent factor in bringing it to its present high condition among the agricultural counties of the state. He has met with many discourage- ments since coming here and yet through it all has maintained his optimis- tic view of life and has lived to see prosperity smile upon him. With a determination which characterizes the good American citizen, he has never let any obstacle deter him, but has manfully forced his way forward and today stands as one of the prosperous and substantial citizens of Water- man township. He was born in Benton county, Iowa, in 1858 and is the son of Orin and Mrs. Elizabeth (Jewell) Hadden Draper.
Orin Draper was born in New York state in 1826 and is the son of Orin and Aurilla (Robinson) Draper. Orin Draper, Sr., was born in Ver- mont in 1793 and was a farmer and herb doctor in that state. His wife was born in New York state in 1795 and died in 1872. her husband dying eight years later. Orin Draper, Jr., came to Ohio when thirteen years of age and worked out as a farm hand for the first few years. He then came to the state of Iowa and farmed in several counties in the state, and in the early seventies he came to Osceola county and homesteaded eighty acres of land. However, the grasshoppers came along one summer and ate up all of his crops, with the result that he was so discouraged that he traded his eighty acres for one cow. After his unfortunate experience in Osceola county he went to Cherokee county and farmed for a number of years, after which he retired and moved to O'Brien county on the farm with
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his son, Merriett S. Orin Draper, Jr., was married four times. His second marriage occurred in 1847 to Mrs. Elizabeth (Jewell) Hadden, who was born in 1826 in New York state. Of the eleven children born to this marriage eight are still living.
Merriett S. Draper received a good common school education in the public schools of Iowa and upon reaching the age of twenty-one left home and worked as a farm hand in Cherokee county, Iowa. For two years he received fifteen dollars a month, but he was not satisfied to continue work- ing for some other man and in 1881 he came to O'Brien county, Iowa, and purchased eighty acres of land in Waterman township for five dollars an acre. He and his young wife then set to work to make the farm pay and their present farm of four hundred and eighty acres is an indication of the success which attended them in this county. Mr. Draper has placed seven thousand dollars' worth of improvements upon his farm, in the shape of a home, commodious barns, groves of orchard and forest trees and other improvements. He has been an extensive breeder of high-grade live stock and has always found a ready market at a good price for his surplus stock. He owns stock in the Farmers Elevator Company at Sutherland and also stock in the Farmers Co-operative Store at the same place.
Mr. Draper was married in 1880 in Cherokee county, Iowa, to Rosa- belle Wight, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Orange Wight, and to this union have been born thirteen children: James F., a graduate of Taylor University of Indiana and a Methodist minister at Rutland, Iowa: Charles E., a farmer of Cherokee county; Mrs. Amy F. Gilbert: May, a school teacher at Taylor University, Indiana; Paul B., deceased; Mrs. Grace E. Henderson, of O'Brien county; Leroy; Lester, a student in Taylor Uni- versity, Indiana : Morris V .: Dewey S .; Wesley B .: Rosa R., and Esther B. Mr. and Mrs. Draper have given their children the best educational ad- vantages, believing that the best legacy that can be left to the twentieth- century child is a good education. It is with a sense of gratification that they have seen their children taking their place in the affairs of the world and doing their share towards advancing civilization in general.
Mr. Draper is independent in his politics. He believes that the citi- zen of today is best serving his nation who votes for the best man irres- pective of their politics. He and his family are all earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal church and have always taken an active interest in church work. Mr. Draper is now Sunday school superintendent of the Highland Methodist church of Waterman township and takes a great deal of pride in keeping the Sunday school to a high standard of excellence.
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He has always been interested in civic affairs and during his life in this township he has been township trustee, road supervisor and school direc- tor. It is needless to say that there is no man in the township who has done more for the advancement of the social, educational and moral wel- fare of the community than he. Such men are a blessing to the community in which they live and their influence is one which cannot be calculated by human agency. Mr. Draper has a large circle of warm friends through- out the township who admire him for his uprightness and wholesome way of living.
ALBERT G. GEISTER.
The roster of prominent business men of O'Brien county would be incomplete were mention not made of the young man whose name appears at the head of this article. Mr. Geister is essentially a product of this lo- cality, having first seen the light of day in the year 1887 in O'Brien county. His father, Joseph Geister, was born in 1863 in Cook county, Illinois, near the noise and hurry of the immense city of Chicago. However, seeing the endless battle waged by the thousands for sustenance in the congested parts of the country, he sought the larger opportunities to be found in the more sparsely settled sections, and came to O'Brien county, where he engaged in the pursuit of agriculture. Here, on the homestead farm, Albert, his son, spent his boyhood and youth, attending school and giving his father such assistance as a boy of his years could render in the labors of the place. He attended the elementary schools of the township and later the high school at Sheldon. Then he followed a course in a business college at Spen- cer, Iowa, after which he returned to his home to relieve his father of some of the arduous labor of the farm. Here he remained, devoting his energy and his strength to the cultivation and improvement of the homestead, un- til 1907. when he wished for a change of occupation and environment. This "wanderlust" led him to the beautiful city of Detroit, where he found employment in an automobile factory, and as he labored here all his powers of observation were brought into play and he gained an insight into the me- chanical construction of the huge machines on which he worked. But eventually home ties proved stronger in his heart than the attractions of a great city, and he returned to Primghar and here accepted employment in an automobile garage. Here his business training in Spencer and his mechanical training in Detroit both stood him in good stead, and so dili-
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gent did he prove that in a year's time he was enabled to purchase an in- terest in the business. With all his energy he continued to work and save, and eventually the entire business was purchased by him and it has steadily increased under his management. Still a young man, he is one of our well- known citizens, and that he will continue to rise it is easy to predict.
In the year 1912 Mr. Geister took one of the important steps of his life when he embarked upon the sea of matrimony, taking for his wife Cora Ahrend, daughter of Frederick Ahrend, of Primghar, a retired farmer. Miss Ahrend was one of the favorites in the circle in which she moved, in this city, and as Mrs. Geister she has lost none of her charm or popu- larity.
Mr. Geister is a member of the German Lutheran church of San- born. and is affiliated with the Order of Yeoman and the Odd Fellows of this place. Politically, he is an adherent of the principles of Jefferson and consistently votes the Democratic ticket. Broad minded, intelligent, ener- getic, with a genial manner which soon wins the confidence of those with whom he comes in contact, a bright future for this young business man of Primghar seems assured.
GEORGE W. WATERHOUSE.
The science of agriculture finds an able demonstrator as well as suc- cessful practitioner in the person of George W. Waterhouse, who main- tains a productive and desirable farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Liberty township. O'Brien county, lowa. However, it is through his con- nection with the breeding and selling of live stock that Mr. Waterhouse is most widely known, as in this branch of farm work he has won for him- self an enviable reputation. The degree of success to which he has attained is especially gratifying when it is understood that Mr. Waterhouse has won his way alone and unaided from the smallest of beginnings and in spite of serious handicaps.
George W. Waterhouse, farmer and stockman, was born in 1858 in Grant county, Wisconsin, the son of Charles B. and Elizabeth (Hutch- croft ) Waterhouse. Charles B. Waterhouse was a native of England, born in 1830, and when eighteen years of age he emigrated to Canada, where he remained for a few years. He later went to Wisconsin, where he en- gaged in farming and where he spent the remainder of his days, his deatlı occurring in 1878. Fired with patriotic love for his adopted country, he,
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early in the Civil War, pledged his support to the Union, enlisting as a private in Company C, Wisconsin cavalry. He received his honorable dis- charge in 1864, having, during his enlistment, been in several of the more important engagements of the war. In Canada he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Hutchcroft, also a native of England, born in 1833. Her death also occurred in 1878 and the loss of both parents orphaned a fam- ily of twelve children, two of whom are now deceased. After the parents' death, the subject of this sketch assumed the responsibility of the family, remaining with them until he was twenty-three years of age. At that age he started out in life for himself, renting and farming land in his native state. In 1884 he first came to O'Brien county and secured a tract of land in Liberty township. which he rented until 1891, when he purchased one hundred and sixty acres, on which he has since made his home. He has made many and vast improvements in this homestead since first taking po- session of it and has, through untiring energy and fine executive ability, built up a good business in his chosen lines. In addition to the usual amount of grain, etc., produced on a farm of this size, he pays especial attention to breeding horses and cattle. In the latter he prefers the Shorthorn variety and has produced many fine specimens. He has exhibited at the fair in Sutherland, his exhibit being such as is worthy of more than local interest. He is also a breeder of roadsters and trotting stock and has won a number of prizes on his animals. There is one branch of horticulture in which he takes particular interest and that is the raising of fruits, in which he is highly successful. In endeavoring to win a competence for himself, Mr. Waterhouse has ever brought to bear business principles of the highest order, coupled with a determination to win.
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