Kitchel, Warren

KITCHEL, ROBERTS, JACKSON, STEVENS, GRAEF, WALKER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 9/6/2009 at 16:18:41

Kitchel, Warren

One of the most active and successful of the young native farmers of Clear Creek Township, Jasper County, is Warren A. Kitchel, and, judging from his past record, the future holds much in store for him, for he belongs to that class of men who believe in carving out their own fortunes, laying their own plans and doing their own work, never waiting for fortune to come to them or for someone else to perform their tasks.

Warren A. Kitchel was born on May 8, 1880, in Clear Creek Township, Jasper County, on the farm on which he still resides and there he grew to maturity and began working when but a small boy. During the winter months he attended the neighboring schools. He resided north of Collins three years, in Rhodes one year and six months and two years in Collins, the remainder of his life being spent on the home farm, which he purchased in 1910. It consists of eighty acres and lies in Clear Creek Township, and on March 1, 1911, he moved thereto and he is placing it under excellent improvements and proving his ability at building up the soil.

Warren A. Kitchel is the son of Albert and Lusetta (Roberts) Kitchel, the father born in Michigan, February 9, 1837, and the mother in Ohio in 1842, and they grew up and received such education as they could in the pioneer schools of their respective communities. Immigrating to Jasper County, Iowa, in 1853. Among the early settlers, they were married here and here they worked hard to develop a farm in the new country and they are still living at Collins. There were six children in the Kitchel family, including a half sister, now deceased: Mrs. Gertrude Darling was born January 1, 1870, and is living in Rhodes, Iowa; Mrs. Laura Jackson, born March 8, 1872, is living in Forest City, Iowa; Ed was born April 8, 1875, and is living in Collins Township, Story County; Mrs. Kate Stevens, born March 27, 1877, is living near Pratt, Iowa; Warren A., of this sketch, is the youngest. They were all reared in Clear Creek Township, and here attended the common schools.

The father, Albert Kitchel, was a soldier in the Union army, having enlisted from Minnesota.

Warren A. Kitchel was married on February 11, 1903, to Ella Graef, who was born in Newton, Iowa, January 15, 1879, and she was reared in Story County. She is the daughter of Hugh and Sarah (Walker) Graef, the father born in Germany, from which country he immigrated to the United States located in Story County, Iowa, and died there on February 7, 1910. The mother, who was born in Ohio, is living in Collins, Iowa. One brother, Fred Graef, who was born in Story County in September 1868, is living near Riceville, Iowa.

Politically, Mr. Kitchel is a Republican and he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America of Collins. Mrs. Kitchel belongs to the Christian Church at Collins. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 1022