Adair County Iowa

E. M. Piper, owning and operating an excellent farm of sixty-five acres in section 12, Summerset township, has lived in Adair county for almost a quarter of a century and enjoys an enviable reputation as one of the substantial and representative agriculturalists of his community.  His birth occurred in Ohion on the 21st of December, 1858, his parents being L. V. and Caroline (Martin) Piper, both of whom were natives of Vermont.  Removing to Ohio, they resided in that state for about five years and then returned to Vermont, where they spent the remainder of their lives.  To them were born two children, namely:  E.M., of this review; and Mary, who is the widow of D. A. Hites and makes her home in Des Moines, Iowa.
E. M. Piper attended the common schools in the acquirement of an education and spent the first twenty years of his life under the parental roof.  He then made his way to kansas but at the end of a year removed to Rock Island county, Illinois, where he resided for three years.  On the expiration of that period he went to South Dakota, remaining in that state for eight years or until 1891, when he came to Adair county, Iowa, and here settled on a farm.  Subsequently he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in section 23, Summerset township, and later purchased a farm of sixty-five acres in section 12, Summerset township, on which he has made many substantial improvementsand which he has operated continuously to the present time.  In connection with the production of cereals he has always devoted considerable attention to the raising and feeding of stock and in both branches of his business has met with gratifying and well merited success.

In February 1889, Mr. Piper was united in marriage to Miss Lee Adda McNay, a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of W. B. and Mary (Lucas) McNay, who were likewise born in the Keystone state.  In the year 1873 they removed to Peoria county, Illinois, and a decade later took up their abode on a farm in Adair county, Iowa.  The mother here passed away, but the father survives and now makes his home with our subject.  Mrs. Piper followed the profession of teaching for several terms prior to her marriage.  She has become the mother of five children, as follows: one who died in infancy; Earl, who is deceased; Merle, twin of Earl, who is a student in Park College of Parkville, Missouri; A. Glenn, who has graduated from high school and is at home; and W. R., a high-school student.

In his political views Mr. Piper is a stanch republican.  He rendered able service as a member of the school board for a number of years and is now acting in the capacity of township trustee, making a most creditable record in that connection.  Fraternally he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of American and the Knights of Pythias, in both of which organizations he has filled all the chairs.  Both he and his wife belong to the Presbyterian church and take an active and helpful interest in its work, Mr. Piper having served as a trustee for fifteen years.  They are well known here socially and have a large circle of warm friends who esteem them for their many excellent traits of character as well as for their hospitality and kindly spirit.