DeBolt, Joseph

DEBOLT, BAIR, SNART, BURTON, CARPENTER, BANDY, GIBFORD, LESTER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/22/2009 at 12:35:30

DeBolt, Joseph

A name known to everyone who has the slightest acquaintance with the business history of Newton and Jasper County is Joseph DeBolt, for he has for some time filled a large place in the industrial affairs of this locality, and as an energetic, enterprising and far-sighted man whose influence makes for the up building of the community he has earned a reputation second to none of his contemporaries. He possesses a broad, inquiring mind and is keenly alive to everything that tends to improve material conditions and benefit those upon whose shoulders falls the burden of making possible the phenomenal progress resulting from the development and success of the industrial evolution in the contemporaries. He possesses a broad, inquiring mind and is keenly alive to approachable, he has a strong and vigorous personality and in the best sense of the term is a leader of men and well fitted to manage large and important enterprises.

Mr. DeBolt was born on January 13, 1859, in Woodford County, Illinois, the son of Benjamin and Sarah (Bair) DeBolt, both natives of Pennsylvania, where they grew up, were educated and married and began life on a farm, not long afterwards, however, moving to Illinois, locating in Vermilion County and continued farming, the family coming on to Iowa when the son Joseph, of this review, was fourteen years old, and located near Perry. Six years later they went back to Illinois, first to Knox County, but four years later returned to Vermilion County. Here Mr. DeBolt farmed until 1905, when, having accumulated a competency through many years of consecutive toil, he retired. His death occurred in 1908, at the age of seventy-two years. He was the son of Jacob DeBolt, who also spent his life on a farm. Benjamin DeBolt was twice married, his first wife dying when Joseph, of this review, was eight years of age. He was the oldest of a family of six children, the others being Clara, wife of Frank Morton, a farmer in Illinois; Esther, now deceased, married William Snart, a tailor at Sterling, Illinois; Edward is living at Galesburg, Illinois; two children died in infancy. Benjamin DeBolt's second marriage resulted in the birth of five children, namely: Frank and Clark are living at Newton; Harold, Tina and Isabella, all of East Lynn, Illinois.

Joseph DeBolt obtained his education in the district schools of Woodford County, Illinois. When nineteen years of age he began working in a brickyard. In the fall of 1898 he came to Jasper County, Iowa, and located on a farm in Newton Township and he farmed successfully until the fall of 1910, when he moved to Newton and formed The Western Stock Remedy Company, a stock company making and handling remedies for live stock. He is president of the company and every member of his family owns stock in the company.

Mr. DeBolt travels extensively in the interest of the concern, which has achieved a wide popularity, its products meeting with a ready sale wherever their merits are known. They are well equipped in every way for the manufacture of various kinds of what has been proven to be superior grades of stock remedies. The prestige arid success of the company has been due to the able management and judicious counsel of Mr. DeBolt.

On October 20, 1880, Mr. DeBolt was united in marriage with Ida Burton, who was born in Knox County, Illinois, on June 22, 1859. She was the daughter of Harvey and Rachael (Carpenter) Burton, both natives of Ohio. Her mother died when she was five years of age, and her father subsequently remarried. By the first marriage there are living but two children, Oscar, now a Nebraska farmer, and Ida, wife of Mr. DeBolt. The children of the second marriage now living are: John; Nettie, wife of George Bandy, lives in Washington. Mrs. DeBolt's father was a carpenter by trade; his death occurred in 1898 at the age of seventy-six years.

To Mr. and Mrs. DeBolt six children have been born, namely: Marion, who married Edna A. Gibford, lives in Newton and is manager of the home office of the Western Remedy Company, of which he is a large stockholder. Earl DeBolt, who also owns considerable stock in this concern, is employed in the home office of the same; he is unmarried and is still with his parents. Flossie DeBolt married Walter Austin, and is now deceased, leaving a child; Dorothea V. Lester, Glen and Clara are at home, the last named child having been given a good musical education.

Mr. DeBolt is a member of the Modern Woodmen in Newton; he also belongs to the Iowa State Traveling Men's Association. In politics he is a Democrat; but is not a radical partisan, though he is interested in whatever tends to promote the general good in his County whether politically, morally or materially. He and his wife are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Mr. DeBolt is a man of sound judgment and sterling character, a man whose word is as good if not better than the bond of most people. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 644.