Craven, David H.

CRAVEN, BENNETT, PRATT, PARMAR, MCCARTHY, NICHOLS

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/28/2009 at 09:56:08

Craven, David H.

One of the most active, thoroughgoing and enterprising farmers of Mariposa Township, Jasper County, is David H. Craven, whose success lies very largely in the fact that he has always advocated doing well whatever task presented itself and in not permitting the numerous paltry obstacles met in the pathway of everyone to annoy or thwart him. He believes in pushing ahead, employing twentieth-century ideas and methods in all phases of agricultural work and in dealing with his neighbors and acquaintances in a manner that will inspire confidence. He does not want a man's dollar if thereby he makes an enemy. Such men prove to be good citizens, good neighbors and good friends and are indispensable to any community.

Mr. Craven was born in this County and Township, on the farm where he now has the good fortune to reside, for it is indeed a pleasure and a privilege to be able to spend one's life on the homestead. His birth occurred here on July 10, 1869. He is the son of David P. and Julia E. (Bennett) Craven, the father born at Ontario, Wayne County, New York, on October 17, 1841, and the latter in the same state on June 15, 1844. There they grew to maturity, received such education in the public schools as the times afforded and upon reaching maturity were married. They immigrated to Jasper County, Iowa, from their native state in 1864, believing that the newer country of the Middle West would afford them better opportunities for home building, and they accordingly established themselves in Mariposa Township, the father later buying forty acres of the government at two dollars and twenty-five cents per acre. He subsequently purchased one hundred and sixty acres, and, prospering through years of hard endeavor and good management, he finally became the owner of five hundred and sixty acres of valuable land in Hickory Grove and Mariposa Townships. He became one of the leading farmers and influential citizens of his community and served his Township as assessor, trustee and clerk in a most acceptable manner. He was loyal to Democratic principles. He played no inconspicuous part in the up building of this locality, both in a material and civic manner and he was highly esteemed by all who knew him.

To David P. Craven and wife five sons and three daughters were born, named as follows: James E.; David H., of this review; John R. is living in Kellogg, this County; Thurman P., Galen G., Mrs. Beatrice G. Pratt and Mrs. Mary Parmar, all live in the State of New York; Mrs. Martha McCarthy lives in Emmetsburg, Iowa.

David H. Craven of this review began driving a team when ten years of age. Being the son of a pioneer, his boyhood days saw much hard work and little play. He found time, however, in the brief winter months to attend the Barrett district school. When twenty-one years of age he began renting the home place and here he has been engaged in general farming and stock raising ever since, having subsequently purchased four hundred and twenty-five acres of the same. He is also the owner of three hundred and thirty-six acres south of the home farm. He has placed all this land under excellent improvements and keeps his fields well cultivated, using up-to-date machinery. He has long been a large stock raiser, feeder and general stock man, turning large numbers of cattle and hogs from his feed lots annually, no small part of his income being derived from this source. He has a substantial and convenient home and large, well-arranged outbuildings; in fact, everything about his place denotes good management, thrift and prosperity.

Mr. Craven's father moved back to the state of New York in the year 1892 and he owns three valuable farms there, but is now living retired in the city of Ontario. Politically, Mr. Craven is a Democrat and he has served as Township Clerk.

Mr. Craven was married on January 10, 1906, to Jennie Nichols, a native of Scotland, the daughter of Robert Nichols and wife, and to this union three children have been born, Helen G., Grace Edna and Mary Evelyn. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 898