RANEY, W. H.

RANEY, FISHER, GOOTEE, DOWN, FRAISER, CLARKE, STARKS, STODDARD

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 9/25/2003 at 12:50:42

Biography reproduced from page 549 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

A lifelong resident of Kossuth county, W. H. Raney needs no introduction to the readers of this volume. His course from his boyhood to the present time has commended him to the confidence and good-will of his business associates and the general public, and Luverne numbers him among its successful men. He is cashier of the Bank of Luverne, to which position he was called in 1907. He was born in Kossuth county, Iowa, November 13, 1868, and is a son of Joseph and Mary (Fisher) Raney. The father was a native of Indiana and of Welsh-Irish parentage. His parents had settled in Wayne county, Indiana, at a very early date, coming from Kentucky. In 1854 he went to Muscatine county, Iowa, where he continued to reside until October, 1856, at which time he came to Kossuth county, Iowa, and spent the winter of 1856-57 across the river from Irvington. In the spring of 1857 he settled upon a preemption claim located of section 18, Sherman township, on which he had filed in 1856, and there established his home, where he continued to live until the time of his death, which occurred February 22, 1889, his burial having taken place at Irvington. He was twice married. In Indiana he wedded Polly Gootee and to them were born the following children: Virginia, deceased, who was the wife of Adolphus J. Down and lived in California; W. W., a resident of Algona; John, who passed away in 1890; Sheldon, who makes his home in California; Nancy, who died at the age of eighteen years; Caroline, who is the widow of J. R. Fraiser and resides in Algona; and Joseph, a resident of Arizona. The mother of these children passed away in February, 1861. Later Joseph Raney wedded Mary Fisher, a native of Maine and a daughter of Addison Fisher. Her people removed to the west in 1855 and settled in Hardin county, Iowa, where the family remained for a period of six years and then came to Kossuth county and located on the river west of Irvington. She grew to womanhood in her father’s home and celebrated her marriage in Kossuth county, where her demise occurred on the 31st day of December, 1898, and was buried in the cemetery at Irvington. To Joseph and Mary (Fisher) Raney was born fourteen children, as follows: Mary A., who is the wife of E. C. Clarke, of Pomona, California; Olive, who is the wife of C. E. Clarke, of Britt, Iowa; W. H., of this review; Cora M., the wife of J. O. Starks, of Owatonna, Minnesota; Charles A., a resident of Livermore, Iowa; D. E., who resides in Butterfield, Minnesota; J. A., engaged in farming at Algona, Iowa; Martha, who resides in Algona; Robert F., a resident of Bison, South Dakota; George, whose whereabouts are unknown; Frank, a former resident of Bison, South Dakota, who has passed away; Lillie G., who maintains her home at Algona, Iowa; and Henry and Carrie, who died in childhood.

W. H. Raney was reared at home and received his early education in the public schools. He remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age and then engaged in the creamery business in Kossuth county. He later was interested in farming for one year in this county, after which he took the regular buttermaker’s course in the State Agricultural College at Ames, Iowa, after completing his required studies in that school he was engaged in county contract work and buttermaking from 1893 to 1907. In the year 1907 he accepted the position of cashier in the Bank of Luverne and to that business he has since devoted his entire time. He is interested in real estate in Humboldt county and is also the owner of excellent farm land in Canada.

Mr. Raney was united in marriage, in 1893, to Miss Flora B. Stoddard, who was born in Wisconsin and with her parents removed to Kossuth county, Iowa, at a very early day. To Mr. and Mrs. Raney three children have been born: Arthur and Hazel, both of whom are pupils in the public schools; and Forest.

Mr. Raney gives his political allegiance to the republican party and served as mayor of the city of Luverne from 1908 to 1910, and was reelected in 1912. He is serving as justice of the peace, which office he has held for eight years, and has also acted as constable, having remained in the latter position for ten years. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and at one time belonged to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. W. H. Raney is one of the highly respected an enterprising citizens of Kossuth county. He is interested in every public measure seeking to advance and improve the conditions of the people in his state and county.