Skinner, Hon. Herbert K.

SKINNER, KINGSBURY, KEYES, BOYD, EDWARDS, HENDERSON, BROWN, RAMBAUGH, BORTS, TIFFANY

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 10/21/2009 at 07:53:13

Skinner, Hon. Herbert K.

It is the progressive, wide-awake man of affairs who makes the real history of a community, and his influence as a potential factor of the body politic is difficult to estimate. The examples such men furnish of patient purpose and steadfast integrity strongly illustrate what is in the power of each to accomplish, and there is always a full measure of satisfaction in adverting even in a casual way to their achievements in advancing the interests of their fellow men and in giving strength and solidity to the institutions which tell so much for the prosperity of the community. In every life of honor and usefulness there is no dearth of incident and yet in summing up the career of any man the biographer needs touch only those salient points, which give the keynote to his character. Thus in setting forth the life record of Hon. Herbert K. Skinner, sufficient will be said to show what all who know him will freely acquiesce in, that he is one of the enterprising and progressive citizens and representative men of Iowa, at present the able and popular representative from Jasper County in the state Legislature. Such a life as his is an inspiration to others who are less courageous and more prone to give up the fight when obstacles thwart their way, or their ideals have been reached or definite success has been obtained in any chosen field. In the life history of Mr. Skinner are found evidences of a peculiar characteristic that always makes for achievement, persistency coupled with fortitude and lofty traits, and as the result of such a life he has long been one of the best known, most influential and highly esteemed citizens of this locality.

Mr. Skinner was born in Stockholm, St. Lawrence County, New York, April 2, 1849. In 1853 he moved with his parents to Fort Dodge, Iowa, where they remained until 1860, in which year they moved to Jasper County and have been continuous residents here ever since. The subject secured his education in the rural schools, supplemented with high school privileges at Newton. He began his career as a teacher, which profession he followed with much success for a period of twelve years in this County, during which time many of the foremost men of this community were numbered among his pupils.

Mr. Skinner is the son of George and Abigail (Kingsbury) Skinner, both natives of New York, the father born in 1823 and the mother in St. Lawrence County. They grew up in their native state, received their education in the schools of their native communities and were married there.

Immigrating to Jasper County, Iowa, in the early period of its development, they established a good home here and spent the rest of their lives, the father dying in June 1871, and the mother on July 2, 1892. The father was a veteran of the Civil War, having enlisted for service in the Union army in Company K, Twenty-eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry and he served gallantly under Colonel Myers and received an honorable discharge. There were four sons in the Skinner family, two of whom died in infancy, namely: Herbert K., of this sketch, the eldest; Arthur, born July 3, 1852, died in Jasper County, March 27, 1882.

Herbert K. Skinner was married on January 19, 1871, to Mary B. Keyes, who was born in Benton County, Iowa, in July 1848, and her death occurred in Jasper County on June 6, 1875. Her parents were among the earliest settlers of this County. To this union of the subject was born one son and one daughter, Walter L., whose birth occurred on December 8, 1871, is living in Newton, Iowa; Mrs. Gertrude Boyd, born October 22, 1873, is living at Farrar, Iowa. Mr. Skinner was again married on March 16, 1876, to Mary A. Edwards, who was born in Jasper County, March 29, 1855, and here she grew to womanhood and was educated. She is the daughter of M. M. and Anne (Henderson) Edwards, the father a native of Missouri, and the mother of New Jersey. They came to Jasper County in its early development and here spent the rest of their lives, the father dying in June 1884, and the mother in 1896. There were ten children in the Edwards family, five of whom are living, namely: Jonathan lives in Iowa; George W. lives in the state of Washington; Charlie C. lives in Shelby County, Iowa; James died in 1906; Mrs. Mary A. Skinner, of this sketch; Mrs. Helen E. Brown, deceased; Albert, of Mingo, Iowa; Mrs. Arnold A. Rambaugh died in 1897; the two eldest died in infancy.

To Mr. and Mrs. Skinner have been born eight children, five of whom are living, namely: Elsie M. died when five years old; George M. died in infancy; Charles Herbert, born May 2, 1883, lives in Clear Creek Township; Mrs. Bertha H. Borts, born May 20, 1885, lives on the old Skinner homestead in Clear Creek Township; Mrs. Clara A. Tiffany, born June 26, 1889, lives in Story County; Arthur L., born December 6, 1892, lives with his parents; Howard Otis, born March 12, 1899, died March 24th of the same year. These children were all born and reared in Clear Creek Township, and have been given good common school advantages as well as advanced work at Newton and Highland Park at Des Moines, and Mrs. Tiffany attended high school at Collins.

Mr. Skinner started life without funds, but by industry, perseverance and honest dealings with his fellow men he has been very successful in a material way. He is still in possession of the farm where his parents located, owning at present four hundred and sixty acres of choice land in Clear Creek Township, upon which stand three sets of excellent and convenient buildings, besides which he is the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of prairie land in Texas. He keeps his farms under a high state of improvement and cultivation, employing modern methods of agriculture, and in connection with his general and extensive farming interests he has devoted especial attention to raising live stock, no small part of his annual income being derived from this source. He is regarded as an excellent judge of stock, and is especially fond of a good horse.

Mr. Skinner has long taken an abiding interest in public affairs, being an uncompromising Republican, and he has received the highest honors that his neighbors can bestow in a public way. His judicious course and honorable record indicates the wisdom of his constituents in selecting him for positions of trust and responsibility, and his continued retention in office is criterion enough of his good standing in his home district and of the confidence in which he is held there. For a period of ten years he was assessor of Clear Creek Township and for eighteen years was its efficient clerk. He has never sought the emoluments of office, but his neighbors and friends throughout the County urged him to become a candidate for the Legislature, lower branch. In the subsequent election he won by a handsome majority, serving his first term with such credit and ability and general satisfaction that his re-election for a second term was assured long before the first expired. He is making his influence felt for the good of the people of this section and the state and unselfishly devoting his best talents to the betterment of civic and material conditions, fearlessly advocating the right as he sees and understands the right. He is at present treasurer of the local school board.

Religiously, Mr. Skinner belongs to the Congregational Church, of which he is a liberal supporter and he has been very active in Sunday school work, having been superintendent of Ashton Chapel Sunday school for the past nine years, and previous to this time he held the same position in the Church at Clyde and Mingo.

Mr. Skinner is also active and prominent in fraternal circles, belonging to Mingo Lodge No. 174. Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Mingo. Personally, he is sociable, democratic, genial, unassuming and a man of generous and honorable impulses, meriting in every respect the high esteem in which he is held. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 1024.