FARRAN, John R. - 1914

FARRAN, GRACE, GATES, JOHNSON, HINKLEDIE

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 7/10/2009 at 08:15:20

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

JOHN R. FARRAN.

John R. Farran, one of the best known stockraisers in Cherokee county, operating three hundred and twenty acres of land on section ii. Rock township, was born in this county in August, 1882. He is a son of William and Eleanor (Grace) Farran, natives of Maine, who came to Wisconsin at an early date. There the father engaged in farming until 1878, when he moved to Cherokee county and bought land in Rock township which he improved and operated during the remainder of his life. He died June 25, 1912, at the age of sixtyfour. He and his wife became the parents of six children: Miriam, the wife of Hubert Gates, a farmer of Sheridan township; Andrew, who died May 14, 1889, at the age of eleven years; James, a farmer of Alberta, Canada; John R., the subject of this review; William, who is operating the home farm in Rock township; and Nellie, the wife of Carl Johnson, foreman of the machine shops of the Illinois Central Railroad Company at Mattoon, Illinois.

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John R. Farran was reared in Cherokee county and acquired his education in the district schools. He remained upon his fathers farm until he was twenty one years of age and then became a farm laborer, working thus for one year. At the end of that time he rented a farm in Rock township and has since engaged in agricultural pursuits upon rented land, operating today the Riggs farm of three hundred and twenty acres on section 11, Rock township. He follows always the best and most practical agricultural methods and his success places him among the representative agriculturists of his locality. He is a stockraiser on an extensive scale, feeding on an average four hundred head of cattle a year. During the winter of 1912 he shipped twentyone cars of cattle, and he also does a large business in Duroc Jersey hogs, handling over sixty thousand dollars worth of stock in one year. He is known as an expert judge of stock values and has done much to promote stockraising interests in this locality.

On the 5th of December, 1908, Mr. Farran married Miss Mabel Gates, a daughter of Robert and Mary (Hinkledie) Gates, natives of Germany. The parents came to America at an early date and located in Cherokee county, where the father purchased land, which he operated until his death in 1902. His wife survives him and is living upon the homestead in Sheridan township. Mr. and Mrs. Farran have become the parents of two children: Nellie, aged four; and Mildred.

Mr. Farran is connected fraternally with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Highland Nobles and the Rebekahs. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party, served for two years as constable and is at present township trustee. Although he is still a young man he has already made his influence felt as a progressive factor in agricultural circles, and in his ability, energy and enterprise are guaranties of future progress.