Alexander H. Rpberts

ROBERTS, MCDONALD, PRITCHARD

Posted By: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs (email)
Date: 5/13/2009 at 15:56:58

1889 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF SHELBY AND AUDUBON COUNTIES, IOWA
W. S. DUNBAR & CO., PUBLISHERS
113 ADAMS STREET, CHICAGO

pages 710-711

ALEXANDER H. ROBERTS, pharma-
cist, Audubon, Iowa, came to the place
October 15, 1878, the day on which the
town lots were first offered for sale. He is a
native of the State of Iowa, was born August
26, 1848, in Des Moines County, twelve
miles west of Burlington. His father, James
Dorsey Roberts, is a native of Virginia, and
a farmer by occupation. He removed to Iowa
in 1838, and is now a resident of Henry
County, Iowa, where he has lived since 1855.
He was born in 1823. The mother of Alex-
ander H. Roberts is Susan (McDonald) Rob-
erts, a daughter of Alexander McDonald.
She was born in 1826, and is still living.
The family consists of four children, of whom
A. Ii. is the second. The subject of this brief
sketch was seven years old when his parents
removed to Henry County, Iowa. lie at-
tended the common schools, and later pur-
sued a three years' course at Howe's Academy.
After leaving school he taught for a time,
and then went to Burlington, where he grad-
uated at the Bryant & Stratton Business Col-
lege, and where he was employed as mailing
clerk in the Burlington Hawkeye office for
six months. He then embarked in the mer-
cantile business in Corning, Iowa, where he
remained twelve months. He went from Corn-
ing to Mount Pleasant, where lie engaged in
the drug business, in which business he has
been engaged since that time. In the autumn
of 1878 he came to Audubon and opened a
stock of drugs, books and stationery. He is
well established in trade, and is a very efficient
druggist and careful pharmacist. Mr. Roberts
was united in marriage, September 14, 1871,
to Miss Lizzie Pritchard, of Mount Pleasant,
Iowa, a daughter of Thomas Pritchard, Esq.
Mrs. Roberts was born in Henry County,
Iowa, where her father was one of the earliest
settlers, coming to the county from Philadel-
phia in 1834. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts have
two children - Ira Pearl and Ralph Pritchard.
Mr. Roberts was a member of the first school
board, serving six years. At present he is
president of that body. He was also a mem-
ber of the first city council. He is a member
of Mount Pleasant Lodge, No. 8, A. F. & A.
M., Mount Pleasant, Iowa; of Amity Chap-
ter, No. 93, R. A. M., Audubon, and of God-
frey Commandery, K. T., Audubon. He was
the first treasurer of the Audubon County
Agricultural Society, serving four years, and
has been elected secretary for the coming
year. In political matters he is rather con-
servative. He is an active member of' the
Methodist Episcopal church, and has been
since childhood. He is serving his tenth
year as superintendent of the Sabbath-school,
for the success of which he has been a faith-
ful worker. Mr. Roberts has not only been
an active spirit in all business enterprises in
Audubon, but he has also been instrumental
in elevating the morals of his adopted city.
Reuben Roberts, grandfather of A. H. Rob-
erts, came to Iowa at an early day. He
made the journey via the Ohio River to the
Mississippi, thence via the Mississippi to
Burlington. He came from near Wheeling,
West Virginia, and was the father of twelve
children.