Gove, William S.

GOVE, KENDALL, BANETT, ALLEN, MOSHIER, SPARKS, EWING, BENJAMIN

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/29/2009 at 07:47:22

Gove, William S.

Many elements contribute to the development of a new country, but no one thing plays so large a part as sterling worth and character. It is to the rugged, steadfast men and women who come into its domain that the new land must look, and it is most often the plain, blunt men of business and every-day affairs who most affect a new country's history. While William S. Gove, the present able and popular sheriff of Jasper county, is not among the oldest of the county's settlers, yet he came here just at the close of the I Civil war, and, throughout the years that have, passed since then, his life has been a busy and fruitful one, and he has played an important part in the affairs at the community during the most important period of its development. Nearly everyone in the county knows big, bluff, honest Will Gove, and the secret of his popularity lies in the fact that he has always been allied with those things which tend toward the advancement and betterment of men. While a keen, careful and straightforward businessman, he has never become a dollar worshiper or permitted the lust of greed to eradicate his higher ideals, believing that life holds much of greater value than mere wealth of estate.

Mr. Gove was born in Vermont on May 23, 1855, the scion of a sterling old New England family, being the son of Sabin P. and Harriet (Kendall) Gove, both natives of Vermont. The father was a farmer and it may truthfully be said of him that he was a self-made man. Left an orphan when but a mere child, he was early bound out to an old doctor named Sabin, with whom he lived until almost reaching his majority. While this man was kind and did all for the boy he could, yet the youngster's life was very lonesome and he was glad to reach the day when he could start out in life for himself, which he did empty-handed. All he subsequently acquired he obtained alone and unaided, and when he died he had the respect and love of all who knew him. Sabin P. Gove and wife were married in Vermont, coming from that state to Kane County, Illinois, when the son, William S., was but three months old. Upon their arrival there they purchased one hundred and twenty acres on which they lived nine years, then moved to Grinnell, at that time the terminus of the Rock Island Railroad. That was in 1864, and the following spring they came on to Jasper County, locating on one hundred and sixty acres in Richland Township, which land still remains in the family, there having been but one transfer made of it, the land being originally homesteaded by Mrs. A. K. Banett, a sister of the subject's mother, from the government and transferred by her to the subject's father, Sabin P., in 1863. Here the family prospered, the father added to it until he finally became the owner of six hundred acres of valuable land, thus becoming one of the country's largest landowners and most progressive farmers. In the spring of 1883 he retired from active life and moved to the town of Sully, where he built a comfortable residence. Later, his health becoming very poor, he and his wife moved to Pasadena, California, where he purchased two good residence properties, and there he resided until death ended his earthly career, on September 10, 1895, when he had reached the age of sixty-five years, the immediate cause of his death being heart trouble. He was a man of fine character and had the good will and admiration of all who knew him. After his death his widow returned to her home in Sully, Iowa, where she still resides, being now seventy-seven years of age. Her eldest son lives with her. She has a host of warm friends who admire her beautiful characteristics.

William S. Gove, of this review, is one of four children, all of whom are living; of these, the subject and an elder brother were born in Vermont, the others being born in Illinois; they are Albert K., born August 9, 1853, lives in Sully; William S., of this review; Harry M., born October 24, 1859, lives in Grinnell, Iowa; Tracey L., born August 2, 1861, also lives in Grinnell. At the age of twenty-one the subject began his independent life work by taking up farming and this he followed continuously until October 1909. During the last twenty years of this period, however, he engaged in a very extensive stock business, buying all kinds of live stock all over the county and, in fact, throughout many states, especially those of the West and South. It is said of him that he has shipped stock over almost every railroad running into Chicago, and he is universally regarded as an expert judge of all kinds of stock. Few men are more widely known in this vocation and few have achieved greated success.

While never at any time pretending to be a politician, Mr. Gove has always taken a keen and intelligent interest in political affairs, and so, at the November 19I0, election the people of Jasper County testified to the respect, confidence and esteem they held for him by electing him sheriff of the county, which position he is filling in a worthy and most acceptable manner, reflecting much credit upon himself and giving eminent satisfaction to all classes, discharging his official duties with that painstaking care and discretion, that unswerving fidelity and aptitude that has ever characterized his business career. His son, Harry Gove, is acting deputy sheriff under his father, and they have the distinction of being the first sheriff and deputy to occupy the new courthouse. Mr. Gove has also held a number of the offices in Richland Township, among them being that of supervisor of roads and director of the township schools.

On November 2, 1876, Mr. Gove was united in marriage with Amarilla Allen, a native of Illinois and the daughter of Ervin and Amelia (Moshier) Allen, both of whom were natives of the State of New York. They spent their lives on a farm and are now deceased, the father dying in Richland Township, this county, at the age of seventy-eight years, his death occurring while he was here on a visit. He was buried in Oklahoma, where he had maintained his home for some time. The mother died in that state at the age of sixty-six years. Mrs. Gove's parents came to Iowa when she was but three years old, her birth having occurred on July 17, 1856, she being the eldest of four children, all living, namely: Laura married Albert Gove, a brother of the subject, and they live in Arabia, Arizona, where Mrs. Gove is matron of the Indian school; Frank M. Allen lives at Gates, Oklahoma; Susan E. lives in Alva, Oklahoma.

To Mr. and Mrs. Gove of this review six children have been born, five of whom are living, namely: Jennie May, born May 1, 1877, is the wife of Frank B. Sparks and resides on a farm in Richland Township, this county; Cecil Rose, wife of Charles W. Sparks, a brother of Frank B., was born

January 8, 1880; they live on a farm in Richland Township; Harry E. Gove, born September 15, 1882, married Naomi Ewing and lives in Newton; Hattie A., born January 14, 1885, died December 10, 1905; Bessie E., born January 29, 1890, is unmarried and is still with her parents; Mabel E., born July 31, 1892, has also remained single and is a member of the family circle.

In 1887 Mr. Gove went to southwestern Kansas and lived a year in Haskell County. While there he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres, which he later paid out under the provisions of the pre-emption law, receiving his patent from the President, December 28, 1889, it being the first patent ever issued in that county. He still holds this land, and also has other valuable and extensive interests.

Mr. and Mrs. Gove are kindly, affable people and their home life is ideal, their attractive and commodious dwelling being known to their many friends as a place where hospitality and good cheer ever prevail. They have long been prominent factors in the social life of the town and county and richly deserve the high esteem and good will, which are freely accorded by all. Mr. Gove comes of a long line of Quaker ancestry.

Mr. Gove has made a success of his life work, succeeding because he has been an adherent to those principles and ideals which the world admires everywhere. He has not depended upon the assistance of any one, preferring to be the architect of his own fortune, and is a fine type of the virile, useful, industrious, broad-minded and public-spirited self-made American.

The office of biography is not to give voice to a man's modest estimate of himself and his accomplishments, but rather to leave upon the record the verdict establishing his character by the consensus of opinion on the part of his neighbors and fellow citizens. The life of Col. Elliott E. Lambert, a leading businessmen of Newton, Jasper county, has been such as to elicit just praise from those who know him best, owing to the fact that he has always been loyal to the trusts reposed upon him and has been upright in his dealings \with his fellow men, at the same time lending his support to the advancement of any cause looking to the welfare of the community at large.

Colonel Lambert was born in Licking county, Ohio, January 8, 1863, and he is the son of R. K. and Cynthia (Benjamin) Lambert, both natives of Ohio. The father, who devoted his early life to farming, came to Iowa in 1868 and settled in Newton, soon buying one hundred and sixty acres of land, which he farmed until 1876, in which year he came to Newton and established the famous Lambert hotel, which he and his wife conducted successfully for a period of twenty-eight years, the same being popular with the' traveling public and known throughout this part of the country. Mr. Lambert is now living retired in Newton. He is one of the interesting pioneers and has had a varied and interesting history, a representative of that sterling type of men who constitute the bone and sinew of any country. His grandfather, Francis Lambert, was a soldier in the War of 1812. The subject's father was a soldier in the Civil War, a faithful and efficient follower of the Stars and Stripes in many a trying campaign and hard-fought battle. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 435.