Shadle, George

SHADLE, HOFFMAN, HILEMAN, VAN PELT, GRAY

Posted By: Volunteer Subscribers
Date: 2/19/2003 at 17:24:39

From A Biographical record of Boone County, Iowa. New York: S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1902, biographies for George Kuhl, Edward C. Jordan, L. W. Clark, George Shadle, George J. Boyd, and John Cooper.

GEORGE SHADLE.

George Shadle is now living retired in the village of Beaver, but for many years was engaged in agricultural pursuits. He has a wide acquaintance and to many of his friends is known as “Uncle George.” He is one of the oldest settlers in the western part of Boone county, having taken up his abode there in 1867. A native of the Keystone state, his birth occurred in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, January 19, 1826, his parents being John and Susan (Hoffman) Shadle, who always lived in Pennsylvania, where the father devoted his energies to the work of the farm. Both he and his wife passed away in the state of their nativity. Four of their children came to the west including the subject of this review. The made the journey to Iowa together in 1856, settling in Clinton county. There the three brothers and our subject carried on agricultural pursuits and all three died in that county.

George Shadle had spent his boyhood days upon the old home farm and under the direction of his father had gained a practical knowledge of farm work on all its departments, while in the public schools of the neighborhood he acquired a good education, fitting him for his life work. On his arrival in Clinton county, Iowa, he rented a farm and conducted its cultivation and improved for eleven years. At the expiration of that period he came to Boone county, Iowa, and was among the first settlers that established homes in the western part of the county. He began hauling wood for a living and was at that time offered as a gift one-half of all the land he would plow or break, but not accept this proposition. During the first year after his arrival here no crops were raised on account of the grasshoppers destroying every particle of vegation, but Mr. Shadle preserved in his attempt to make a home in this locality and in the course of time he got a start. During the first year he had to go as far as Marshalltown, Iowa, to buy wheat and have it ground into flour. He finally settled on a farm on section 15, Amaqua township, where he lived for many year and as time passed his labors wrought a great transformation in the place, bringing to him excellent harvests as a reward for his careful cultivation of the fields. In 1890, however he put aside the arduous duties of farm life which he had so faithfully prosecuted, and removed to the village of Beaver, where he is now living retired.

Mr Shadle married Miss Susan Hileman, a native of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, where her parents spent their entire lives. Fifteen children were born unto our subject and his wife of who seven are yet living. George is a farmer of Sac county, Iowa; Joseph S is a prominent stock man and an extensive farmer of Greene county, Iowa: Sarah is the wife of Robert Van Pelt, who follows farming in Amaqua township; Hiram H., is a carpenter of Boone, Iowa; Austin T. is a well known agriculturist of Amaqua township; Grant follows farming on section 22, Amaqua township; and Calvin, born October 12, 1872, married Ella Gray, a member of one of the old families of Boone county, and operates a large grain elevator in Beaver, where he is classed among the leading and substantial citizens. Unto him and his wife have been born two children: Kirby and Lloyd. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. George Shadle that have passed away are as follows: Rachel Ann, John, Daniel, Daniel, Martin Luther, Frances Fidelia, Mary Ann, and Jemima.

Mr. Shadle has sold much of his farming land since his retirement to private life, but indolence seems utterly foreign to his nature and it is almost impossible for him to entirely put aside business acres of land near Beaver, where he raises a nice crop each year. He owns a beautiful residence in the northern part of the village and there he and his wife are now living, the fruits of their former toil bringing to them all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. They are both devoted members of the United Brethren church, to which some of their children also belong. Mr. Shadle has held many township offices, and in politics has ever been an earnest Republican. His life has been one of untiring industry and his success is well merited. He knew that advancement for him must be secured by diligent effort and as the years passed his labors and capable management enabled him to overcome the difficulties and obstacles in his path and advance to the goal of prosperity.