RICH, E. G.

RICH, WHITTMAN, STUKENBERG

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 9/9/2003 at 20:41:11

Biography reproduced from page 196 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

E. G. Rich, the cashier of the State Bank of Ledyard, of which he was one of the organizers, is one of the town’s foremost citizens and representative business men. He is public-spirited and takes an active interest in all things pertaining to the progress and development of the community, particularly of a political nature, and is now serving as mayor.

He was born in Winthrop, Buchanan county, Iowa, on the 5th of September, 1861, and is a son of Z. P. and Lydia (Whittman) Rich. The father was a native of the state of New York, having been born in the vicinity of Lake George, and the mother of Vermont. After their marriage they located at Winthrop, and there were born their four sons, of whom our subject is third in the order of birth.

After completing the course of the public schools of his native town, E. G. Rich attended the State Agricultural College at Ames for one term, and then engaged in teaching. He taught his first term in the vicinity of New Hartford, this state, and the next year he was in a school near Lamont, Buchanan county. From there he went to Bradgate in Humboldt county, where he taught for seven terms and during that time he also learned telegraphy. When qualified for a position he entered the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad and on the 13th of July, 1883, was appointed operator and agent at Radcliffe, Hardin county. He was stationed there until May 9, 1892, when he resigned his position to become assistant cashier of the State Bank of Ledyard, which has been organized on the 1st of the preceding April. He has since continued with this institution and now fills the position of cashier. Mr. Rich is also interested in the elevator of the Wheeler Grain Company at Ledyard, a concern which is largely engaged in putting up and shipping hay, annually baling the cutting from about thirty-five hundred acres, which makes on an average three hundred car loads. Mr. Rich also has large realty holdings in Kossuth county, including a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, located east of town, where he resides, and he is a stockholder in the First National Bank, and the Iowa Savings Bank at Radcliffe.

Mr. Rich was married at Radcliffe on the 2d of June, 1892, to Miss Minnie Alice Stukenberg. They have seven children, as follows: Winnie Minetta, who was born at Ledyard on the 18th of June, 1896; Luella May, whose birth occurred on January 26, 1899; Lester Irvin, who was born in August, 1901, and died January 27, 1905; Frank S., who was born here on January 15, 1904, and died at Radcliffe on the 20th of January, 1911; Minerva, who was born on the 27th of May, 1906, at Ledyard; Bud Russell, whose birth occurred at Arnolds Park, while the family was summering there, on August 20, 1909; and Mildred, born June 12, 1912.

The family attend the services of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Rich is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to the blue lodge and chapter at Eldora and the commandery at Iowa Falls. He gives his allegiance to the democratic party and is now mayor of the city and president of the school board. Mr. Rich, who is a man of more than average enterprise and activity, is held in high regard in Ledyard, as he represents a most desirable type of citizen and takes a personal interest in promoting the progress and development of the community.

Kossuth Biographies maintained by Linda Ziemann.
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