John Bass

BASS

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 3/10/2009 at 21:28:50

John Bass, The history of the pioneer settlement of Boone county would not be complete without an account of the life of Mr Bass, who from the early development of this portion of the state has been a prominent factor in its establishment, growth and improvement. When the county was cut off from the advantages and conveniences of the older east by lack of railroad communications, he made his way thither and through a long period was identified with agricultural interests, reclaiming a tract of wild land for purposes of cultivation. He arrived in the year 1854, coming to Iowa from Indiana. He is a native , however, of Surrey county, North Carolina, and a son of Edward and Pollie (Sackley) Bass. His father was a native of Kentucky but removed thence to North Carolina, where he remained until 1835, when he became a resident of Owen county, Indiana, There he engaged in farming until 1854, when he came with his family to Boone county, Iowa and purchased farm two miles north of Boonesboro. The tract was then partially covered with native timber but he cleared away the trees and carried on agricultural pursuits there until his death, which occurred in 1884, when he was eighty-four years of age. Three sons and a daughter of the family are still living: James, now a retired farmer of Dayton, Iowa, Tillie, the widow of M R Cole, a resident of Boone county, David M, a farmer residing near Boone, and John of this review.
But limited educational advantages were enjoyed by John Bass, but his training at farmer labor was not meager. He was taken by his parents to Indiana and was reared in that state and in Iowa, remaining under the parental roof until his marriage, during which time he largely assisted his father in the farm work. In the year 1858 he was joined in wedlock to Magdeline Getzman, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Barnhardt Getzman, who was one of the early settlers of Boone and is now deceased. The marriage of Mr and Mrs Bass has been blessed with six children: Amanda, the wife of Frank Davis, a resident of Polk county, Iowa, Emma, the wife of Wilbur Curl, of Brown county, Kansas, Charlie, who is residing in Sherman county, Nebraska, Mack, who married Ida Martina and is a farmer of Beaver township, Boone county, Katie, the wife of Oscar Rinehart, of Chicago and Carrie who resides at home.
After his marriage Mr Bass began farming on his own account and continuously engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1893, when he retired from active business life and purchased a residence in the northern part of the village of Ogden, in which he has since lived, enjoying the fruits of his former toil. He was a successful agriculturist, having placed his land under a very high state of cultivation and carefully watching his crops so that he annually garnered rich harvests. He is still the owner of 240 acres of good farming land in this county, His efforts in behalf of agriculture have been effective and beneficial. He served for about fifteen years as the president of the Boone County Agricultural Society and largely promoted the welfare of the farming classes. In his political views he is a Democrat and while he has not been an active politician in the sense of office seeking he has served as township trustee and was school director for several years. Fraternally he is connected with Rhodes Lodge, No 2303, F & A M of Ogden and in his life exemplifies the spirit of the craft, which is based upon mutual helpfulness. He is now a prominent and well to do citizen of Ogden and justly merit’s the rest from labor which has been vouchsafed to him. Through almost a half century he has made his home in this promotion of the state and has seen pioneer condition replaced by those of an advanced civilization. In all the work of improvement and up building he has borne a creditable part and is a man whom to know is to respect and honor.

1902 Boone County History Book