Gothard Heedwell

HEEDWELL

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 5/14/2010 at 21:45:09

Boone county has drawn its quota of citizens various sections not only of this country but of the globe. Among those who have come from Sweden is Gothard Heedwell, who since 1907 has had charge of the county farm. He was born in Sweden in 1861 and his first name was taken from the famous Gothard tunnel through the Alps. His father was a graduate of an agricultural college and became manager of a large estate. At length he determined to try his fortune n America and crossed the Atlantic with his family, making his way to Boone county, Iowa, at which time he settled in Marcy township. He began work in the mines, as did his son Gothard, and they were thus employed for thirteen years, or until able to purchase a farm. The parents, Mr and Mrs Eric Heedwell, still reside upon the old homestead in Marcy township ad are well known and representative agricultural people.
Gothard Heedwell had a common school education such as he could secure at that early day. He as but six years of age when the family came tot the new world and was quite young when he started out to earn his own living, for his parents were in limited financial circumstances and needed his assistance for he was the eldest in a family of five childe, the others being daughters. Ellen is eldest sister became the wife of Eric Anderson and now resides upon a farm near Boone, Selma married J E Sandereen, who is farming in Kansa. Lydia is the wife of the Rev J A Edlund, pastor of a Lutheran church in Idaho. Olma died of measles at an early age.
Gothard Heedwell spent his youth largely in this county and as previously stated began to earn his own living when quite young, working with his father in the mines. In 1893, he was untied in marriage to Miss Ellen Aspengren, whose parents and family still reside in Sweden, the daughter coming alone to the United States. For twelve years prior to 1907 Mr Heedwell spent much of his time on the Pacific coast, employed on various fruit ranches. During the last period of his residence in the section of the country he had charge of a ranch of 420 acres near San Jose, California, which was the property of W W Montague. Since 1907 he has had charge of the county farm of Boone county, comprising 236 acres, and has most capably, ably and wisely directed its cultivation and management. He has succeed in in reducing the expense of hits operation t o a minimum. At the present time the inmates number thirty-three insane the thirty-one paupers, and by reason of what is raised upon the farm the average cost of meals per individual has been reduced to four and a half cents a great saving to the taxpayers of the county.
Mr Heedwell is a republican in his political vies, and staunchly advocates the principles of his party. He belongs tot the Modern Woodmen Camp at Ogden, Iowa and attends the Lutheran church, although he does not hold membership with any denomination. He has many of the sterling characteristics of the sons of Sweden and has become thoroughly imbued with the spirit of enterprise characteristic of the new world. He has made good use of his time and opportunities on this side of the Atlantic and whatever prosperity has come to him is well deserved.

1914 Boone County History Book