Harvey, Alfred Wyman "A.W." (1878-1963)

HARVEY, HARRISON, COCHRAN, ELLIOTT, JENSEN, WILLIAMS, SNYDER, CLARK, CURD, SHAW, PRYOR, JONES

Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 5/28/2012 at 00:18:27

1915 - "History of Audubon county, Iowa; its people, industries, and institutions"
Pages 724-726

ALFRED WYMAN HARVEY.
Young men who begin life with no financial assistance are at a great
disadvantage when their life and works are contrasted with those more fa-
vored by circumstances. Yet it is a mark of especial credit and distinction
when a young man who at a tender age, is thrown upon his own resources,
and after living about among strangers, finds his place in the world and
establishes for himself a pleasant and profitable business. Such young men,
perhaps, deserve more credit for their accomplishments than any other class,
and Alfred Wyman Harvey, a well-known real estate and insurance dealer,
undoubtedly belongs to that class of young men who succeed in spite of the
most discouraging obstacles.
Mr. Harvey was born on August 14, 1878, in Morgan county, Indiana,
near Mooresville, the son of Alfred and Mary Ellen (Harrison) Harvey,
who were natives of Morgan county, Indiana, and South Carolina, respect-
ively. Mr. Harvey's grandfather on his paternal side was William Harvey,
a native of England. His father, Alfred Harvey, was the first telegraph
operator at Martinsville, Indiana.
In the spring of 1881 the family came west to Exira, Audubon county,
Iowa, where the parents lived until their deaths, the father dying in 1885 and
the mother in 1895. They had eight children, five of whom are living; Mrs.
Nettie Cochran, of near Anita, Iowa; Arthur H., of Duluth, Minnesota;
Mrs. Amy B. Elliott, of Los Angeles, California; Mrs. Nellie C. Jensen, of
Waterloo, and Alfred Wyman, the subject of this sketch.
When Alfred Wyman Harvey was ten years old he was compelled to
live among strangers, working for his board in the winter and attending
school until sixteen years old. in the meantime completing the eighth grade
of the common schools. In the summer he worked for what wages he was
able to command. During the winter he was seventeen years old, he started
in the old Stuart Bank as a general man-of -all-work, and remained in the
bank continuously until the summer of 1912, a period of seventeen years,
during which he held all of the offices from janitor up to and including the
vice-presidency of the bank. Along with banking, he had engaged in the
insurance business as early as 1896, and after leaving the bank he engaged
altogether in the real estate and insurance business. About the same time
he purchased a controlling interest in the Exira Drug Company, and this
business has proved very profitable.
On August 15, 1897, Alfred Wyman Harvey was married to Alice
Viola Williams, the daughter of Thomas Williams, a former merchant of
Exira. Two children were born to this marriage, Alfred Thomas and
Beatrice, the former of whom was born October 29, 1898, and the latter,
on October 3, 1899. Both are now attending school at Hampton, Iowa. On
October 3, 1904, Mr. Harvey was married to Genevieve Snyder, who was
born on January 11, 1882, in Marshall, Michigan, and who is the daughter
of John and Julia H. (Clark) Snyder, natives of Pennsylvania and New
York, respectively. The parents, who never came farther west than the
state of Michigan, died when Mrs. Harvey was thirteen years old, and after
this Mrs. Harvey and her sister Rosella, now the wife of Maurice Jensen,
came west to Audubon county, where Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Curd, uncle and
aunt, live. Here Mrs. Harvey lived until she was married. She has one
brother and four sisters living; Horace M. Snyder lives at Augustus,
Georgia; Mrs. Frank P. Shaw lives at San Diego, Cahfornia; Mrs. Blanche
Pryor lives at Albion, Michigan; Mrs. T. J. Jones lives at Glenwood, Iowa,
and Rosella is the wife of Maurice Jensen.
To Alfred W. and Genevieve Harvey have been born two children,
Ruth Genevieve and Ethel Evelyn, the former born on December 19, 1905,
and the latter, on November 18, 1907.
Fraternally, Mr. Harvey is a member of the blue lodge of Masons at
Exira, the chapter and commandery at Audubon, and the Shrine at Des
Moines. He is also a member of the Eastern Star at Exira, the Knights of
Pythias, the Pythian Sisters, the Knights of the Maccabees, the American
Nobles, at Exira, and the Elks at Atlantic. For many years he has been
township clerk and for four years he has served as town treasurer. He is a
member of the Audubon County Fair Association and, as a fancier of fine
horses, is the owner of the only team of Arabian horses in Audubon county.
Alfred W. Harvey is extremely popular in business, professional and social
circles in Audubon county. His long residence here as an enterprising and
progressive-spirited young business man has won for him a host of friends,
not only in this, but in adjoining counties, where he is quite as well known.
In no sense of the word is he narrow minded or bigoted, but liberal in his
views, tolerant in his general attitude and cordial in his relations with his
fellows.

Scan of 1915 "History of Audubon County" at Archive.org
 

Audubon Biographies maintained by Cheryl Siebrass.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen