 |
|
 |
|
ELMER E. DETRICK, a stock farmer of Eden township, owns a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres in section 22, where he has lived for the past sixteen years. He was born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, March 30, 1865, and is a son of John H. Detrick; he was only five years of age when the family removed to Clinton, Iowa, and thence, in 1875, to Benton county.
John H. Detrick, for the past three years retired and living at his home farm of eighty acres, in section 11, Eden township, has been a resident of Benton county since 1875, and then located on the farm where he still resides. He has followed general farming and stock raising, and has made all possible improvements. He was born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, in 1835, and is a son of Frederick and Elizabeth (Hileman)) Detrick, who were farmers in Pennsylvania, where both died; they were natives of that state. They had twelve children, all of whom lived to maturity, but John H. is the only one who came to Benton county, Iowa; one brother settled in Muscatine but the rest of the family remained in Pennsylvania. Mr. Detrick was reared and educated in his native state, and there married Kate McCormick, who was also a native of Pennsylvania, and died in Benton county, Iowa, in 1903, in her sixty-first year. Four children were born to them in Pennsylvania. In 1868 they removed to Clinton county, Iowa, where they remained six or seven years; in 1875 they sold out and came to the present home. They reared six children, all of whom survive, namely: Robert M., a successful farmer of Eden township; Elmer E.; Rollie, a farmer of Canton township; Jennie, wife of R. E. Downs, of Cedar Rapids; Mabel, wife of Frank Lowe, a farmer of Eden township, mentioned elsewhere in this work; and Jessie, who lives at home and is housekeeper for her father. Mr. Detrick is a Democrat, and though he has never cared for public office, he has served as school director. He formerly belonged to the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and his wife was a Presbyterian.
Elmer E. Detrick moved to his present home in 1892, and has since made many improvements. He has built new fences, which he has made proof against hogs throughout his farm, and has a fine new residence, as well as substantial outbuildings. He purchased the farm in 1901. He is an extensive feeder of cattle and hogs and in 1908 fed eight loads of stock. He now (1909) has six loads of cattle and about five of hogs. Ever since he occupied this farm he has been raising stock for the market, and has been very successful in his enterprise. He received his education in the country schools, and has ever - since followed farming; although he had almost nothing at his start in life, he has made his success in the stock business through his own untiring, efforts.
Mr. Detrick has always been a Democrat, and has held various public offices, serving six years as trustee, and now serving his second term as assessor, while for three or four terms he was school director; he is at present treasurer of the district. Although the township is nominally Republican, Mr. Detrick has been many times honored by his fellow-citizens in the way of public office, and is universally respected and esteemed. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias of Vinton.
In 1889 Mr. Detrick married Sarah, daughter of Robert Downs, given mention at length elsewhere in this work. They are parents of three children, Hazel, Carl and Glen.
 |
