MUMMERT, Moses - 1914

MUMMERT, AMIC, ESHELMAN, DUBES, LEHMAN, CARVER, MCFARLAND, MATHWIG, SHANK, BELL, HICKEY, NELSON, ANDERSON

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 7/1/2009 at 02:12:19

HISTORY OF
Cherokee County
IOWA
VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1914
By Thomas McCulla

MOSES MUMMERT.

Moses Mummert has been supervisor of Cherokee county almost continuously since 1886 and, although he has done effective and farreaching work in this office, his interests have extended to other fields, touching closely the general business and agricultural development of the locality. He was born in York county, Pennsylvania, in 1854, and his parents moved from that locality to Fulton county, Illinois, when he was still a child. There the father purchased land and engaged in farming until his death, which occurred nine years later. The mother afterward made her home upon this property, passing away upon it when she was eighty years of age. To their union were born thirteen children: John, George and Cornelius, of Fulton county, Illinois; Conrad and Jonas, of Aurelia; Moses, of this review; Polly, the wife of Jesse Amic, of Missouri; Andrew, who resides in Fulton county, Illinois; Barbara, the wife of Henry Eshelman, also of Fulton county; Savilla, who married Henry Dubes, of Fulton county; Elizabeth, who married Michael Lehman, of the same locality; a child who died in infancy; and Amanda, who passed away at the age of six.

Moses Mummert acquired his education partly in Pennsylvania and partly in Illinois and when he was twenty years of age began his independent career, working as a monthly laborer on a farm in Illinois. At the end of one year he moved to Iowa and settled in Spring township, this county, following farming on section 36 for seventeen years thereafter. During that time he bought and sold a great deal of valuable land and he still owns three hundred and twenty acres in that locality. Eventually he moved to the vicinity of Aurelia and bought two hundred and eight acres on section 10, Pitcher township, carrying forward the work of improving and developing this along progressive lines for twelve years. In 1901 he moved to Aurelia and assumed charge of the implement business which he had established some time before. When he sold this after being connected therewith for eleven years he formed a partnership with George Carver and they conducted a mercantile establishment for four years and a half. Since that time Mr. Mummert has been active in the realestate business and controls today a large and important patronage. He is one of the most extensive landowners in this part of the state, having one hundred and sixty acres in Spring township, thirteen hundred acres in North Dakota, one hundred and sixty acres in South Dakota, two hundred and eighty in Minnesota, eighty in Wisconsin, two thousand acres of timber land near Houston, Texas, in addition to a modern home in Aurelia.

In 1889 Mr. Mummert was united in marriage to Miss Caroline McFarland, who died in 1895, leaving five children: Elizabeth, the wife of Albert Mathwig, of Sioux City, Iowa; Minnie, who married Joshua Shank, of Cherokee county; William, who married Gladys Bell, a daughter of Thomas Bell, of this county; Blanche, the wife of Arthur Hickey, of Cherokee county; and Grace, who is a graduate of high school and has engaged in teaching. In 1897 Mr. Mummert married Miss Libbie Nelson, who was born in Cherokee county and who died in 1899, leaving one son, Clyde, who is now thirteen years of age. In 1900 Mr. Mummert was again married, his third union being with Miss Clara Anderson, a native of Cherokee county. They are the parents of a son, Edwin, born in 1902. The family are members of the Congregational church.

Aside from his business affairs Mr. Mummerts interests have been concentrated largely in the field of political activity and he is today one of the well known republicans in this part of the state. In 1886 he was elected supervisor of Cherokee county and with the exception of one term has served continuously since that time, having been last returned to office in 1911. He has served as justice of the peace on several occasions and has been mayor of Aurelia for eight years, giving to the city a businesslike, progressive and straightforward administration. During his term of office the electric light plant and waterworks were installed in the town, streets were improved, sidewalks built, some of the most prominent buildings in the town erected and much other important work accomplished along lines of municipal development. Mr. Mummert is a progressive, public-spirited and able citizen and he holds the esteem and high regard of all with whom business, political or social relations bring him into contact.