EDENS, John H. Jr.

EDENS, HEIDE, SHULTHEIS, FOOTE

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 1/20/2003 at 12:18:32

JOHN H EDENS, Jr.
John H. Edens, Jr., who is now efficiently serving as clerk of the district court, was born in Clinton on the 20th of September, 1867, as is a son of John and Dora (Heide) Edens, both of who were natives of Germany. It was in 1852 that the father emigrated to the United States and took up his residence in Clinton, where he and his wife are still living. They are the parents of three children, namely: Lizzie, John H. and Emma.
Our subject is indebted to the public schools of Clinton or his educational advantages, and was graduated at the high school in 1886. Although a stonemason by trade, his father was then engaged in mercantile business, and our subject was associated with him in that enterprise from 1887 until 1890, doing quite a successful business. In 1891 he was appointed deputy clerk of the district court by D. R. Markham and served in that capacity for four years. In the fall of 1894 he was elected clerk and so acceptably did he fill the position that he was re- elected in 1896, 1898 and 1900, being the present incumbent. The fact that he was the only Democrat elected on the ticket in 1896 and 1900 plainly indicates his personal popularity, his efficiency, and the confidence reposed in him by his fellow citizens. As a deputy he now has D. O.C. McCarthy, ex-county auditor.
The beautiful new court house was dedicated August 26, 1897. Thus Mr. Edens was the first incumbent of his department of the new building and thus had charge of the transfer of the records and their systematic arrangement in the new modern vaults. In the old time, papers were put away in bundles. Now he has them all numbered, with corresponding numbers on the index, and put away in cases so that all can be readily found. Mr. Edens has been twice married, his first wife being Amelia Schultheis, who died in January, 1895, only eighteen months after their marriage, leaving one child, Ernest. On the 9th of December, 1897, he was again married, his second union being with Miss Ida Foote, a resident of Lyons, and to them have been born two children, Mabel M. and Arthur H. The family live in a nice home, 232 Second avenue, which was built by Mr. Edens.
The Democratic party has always found in Mr. Edens a stanch supporter of its principles, and he has been prominently identified with public affairs. Socially he is a member of the Masonic order, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Fraternal Brother hood of the World, the Mystic Workers of the World, and the Turners organization. He has been an instructor in the gymnasium of the last named society since seventeen years of age, and has always taken considerable interest in athletics.  
Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.