McFerren, Rube

MCFERREN, BENNETT, WOOLSEY, KLOCKMAN

Posted By: Janelle Martin (email)
Date: 5/19/2009 at 12:03:56

History of Hamilton County Iowa, Vol. II, p. 30

RUBE McFERREN.

Rube McFerren needs no introduction to the readers of this volume, for he has been a lifelong resident of Hamilton County save for a brief period of two years. Determining to devote his life to the practice of law, he has made continuous progress in his profession through close application, thorough preparation and devotion to his clients' interests. He was born January 31, 1868, about a mile north of Webster City, representing one of the old families of the county. His father, W. D. McFerren, came from Ohio to Iowa in 1855, settling in Hamilton county, where he secured a tract of land and began farming. For many years he successfully carried on general agricultural pursuits but is now living retired in Webster City at the age of eighty-three years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Emma A. Bennett, passed away July 4, 1902, when sixty- seven years of age.

Rube McFerren was educated in the public schools of Webster City, in the State Normal School at Cedar Falls and in the Iowa State University at Iowa City. In this liberal training he laid the broad foundation upon which he has builded his professional knowledge. He began reading law in the office of Wesley Martin of Webster City and was admitted to the bar by the supreme court of Iowa in 1890, at which time he entered upon the active work of the profession. In 1895 he went to Lamar, Missouri, where he engaged in the real-estate business for two years and then returned to Webster City, where he entered into partnership with J. W. Lee for the practice of his profession. A year later this connection was dissolved and Mr. McFerren has since been alone. He has remained a close and discriminating student of the principles of jurisprudence and in his work before the courts has displayed a comprehensive understanding of legal principles, readily seeing their relation to the points in litigation. For about two years, from 1907 until 1909, he served as city attorney.
On the 4th of November, 1893, Mr. McFerren married Miss Minnie Woolsey, of Webster City, who died August 30, 1896. In April, 1903, he was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Klockman, her father being Christ Klockman, an agriculturist of Hamilton County. By his second wife Mr. McFerren has four children, as follows: Donald, whose birth occurred in December, 1904; Robert, born in May, 1907; Maynard, born in September, 1908; and June, born April 3, 1912.

In his fraternal relations Mr. McFerren is well known, being a member of Acacia Lodge, No. 176, F. & A. M.; Elmo Lodge, No. 62, I. O. O. F.; Webster City Lodge, No. 302, B. P. O. E.; and Forest Camp, No. 103, of the Woodmen of the World. Always living in this district save for the brief period spent in Missouri, Mr. McFerren has become widely known and has a circle of friends who speak of him in terms of high regard. He has always been interested in matters of progressive citizenship and his public spirit has been manifest in many tangible ways.

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