MESSER, John Adam - 1912 Bio (1839-1919)

MESSER, SNYDER, ROTH, KLOPFENSTEIN, KNORR, DIERS

Posted By: Debbie Nash (email)
Date: 11/22/2003 at 16:35:52

““History of Jefferson County, Iowa,” Volume II, published 1912
Pages 426-430

J. Adam MESSER is the owner of much valuable farm property in Jefferson county, his holdings including two hundred and seventy-five acres in Walnut township whereon he resides, and two hundred acres in Penn township. All this is the visible evidence of a life of well directed energy and thrift for he started out empty-handed and through his own labor has become the possessor of valuable holdings. He was born in Germany, June 2, 1839, so that he has passed the seventy-second milestone on life’s journey. His parents, George and Magdalene (SNYDER) MESSER, were also natives of Germany, in which country the father followed farming until he determined to try his fortune in the new world, settling in Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1855. His first purchase of land made him owner of one hundred and sixty acres in Penn township. It was wild and uncultivated and he at once began the arduous task of clearing it and making it a productive tract. He afterward added eighty acres more to this place and continued the further cultivation of his farm throughout his remaining days. His death occurred in February, 1885, and his wife passed away in 1880.

J. Adam MESSER was a youth of sixteen years when the voyage was made across the Atlantic and he came with his parents to Iowa. He early assisted his father in the work of the fields and continued at home until twenty-five years of age when, desirous of making a start in the world on his own account, he began farming for himself. He first purchased eighty acres of land from his father of which ten acres was cleared. He cleared the timber on this land and improved it, making a wonderful change in the appearance of the place. His labors have further continued its development and later purchases have extended the boundaries of that property until he now has in the old homestead two hundred and seventy-five acres. He also has purchased two hundred acres in Penn township and thus has become one of the extensive farmers of his part of the county. In addition to his agricultural interests Mr. MESSER has become well known in other business connections, being now a stockholder in the Iowa State Savings Bank of Fairfield and one of its directors, and a stockholder in the East Pleasant Plain Telephone Company. He has made a monthly crop report to the government since 1882 and is much interested in what statistics are shown concerning the development of the state and its productiveness.

In March, 1865, occurred the marriage of Mr. MESSER and Miss Rebecca ROTH, a daughter of Joseph and Mary (KLOPFENSTEIN) ROTH, who were natives of France and of German descent. The father came to Jefferson county, Iowa, in 1838, and entered one hundred and sixty acres of land from the government. He afterward returned to Ohio where he was married, and then came to his farm in Iowa, taking up the arduous task of transforming wild prairie into richly cultivated fields. He devoted his energies to the further development and improvement of the property throughout the remainder of his active business life. He passed away in 1897, having for about eleven years survived his wife, who died in March, 1886. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. MESSER are five children: Mary M., now the wife of Alvin KNORR, a resident farmer of Walnut township; Anna Lizzie, the wife of Bernard DIERS, who follows farming in Buchanan township; Cora M., living at home; John E., who is cultivating his father’s farm in Penn township; and Fred W., who is operating his father’s farm in Walnut township and is serving as township trustee.

For ten years J. Adam MESSER has filled the office of township trustee and for fifteen years has been a school director. The cause of education has ever found in him a stalwart champion whose efforts to promote the standard of the schools has been practical and effective. His political indorsement (sic) is given to the democratic party and he and his wife hold membership in the First Lutheran church at Fairfield. He is also president and treasurer of the Mutual Insurance Company and has held this office for twenty years. He has now passed the seventy-second milestone on life’s journey and for fifty-six years of this period has been a resident of Jefferson county, so that he well deserves to be numbered among its early settlers and merits the credit that is due to those who have been active factors in the work of general progress and improvement. In his business life he has never taken advantage of the necessities of others but has depended upon his own labor and enterprise for his success and as a result of these qualities has gained a place among the prosperous farmers of Walnut township.

I am copying this for genealogical purposes and am not related to said individuals.

Jefferson Biographies maintained by Joey Stark.
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