James Kale

ALLEN, GOODNER, GUIBERSON, HOWARD, HUSTED, KALE, KING, LANDIS, MCNEELEY, OGLESBY, STOUT, SUTTON, THAYER, THOMPSON, ZELLER

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 10/16/2004 at 16:09:08

James Kale is the owner of eighty acres of good land on section 23, Scott township, and is well known and highly esteemed in his locality. He was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, March 11, 1844, a son of John and Elizabeth (Thompson) Kale, also natives of the Buckeye state. When he was but ten years of age the family removed to Madison county, Iowa, and settled on section 25, Scott township. The father entered three hundred acres of land from the government and was one of the well-to-do early farmers of the county. Both he and his wife passed away here and are survived by their ten children, namely: James, of this review; Mary Ann, the wife of I. N. Landis, of Des Moines; Purilla Ellen, who married Caleb Sutton, of Ensign, Kansas; Elizabeth, the widow of John Oglesby, of Scott township; Emma, who gave her hand in marriage to David Goodner, a resident of Kimball, Minnesota; Barbara, the wife of James Guiberson, of Winterset; Joseph, of Winterset; Susanne, who married Cassius Thayer, of Ensign, Kansas; Drusilla, the wife of William Whillon, of Winterset; and John R., also residing in Winterset. The father died in 1863 and the mother subsequently married Isaac Alien, by whom she had a son, Elmer Alien, of Winterset.

James Kale was reared under the parental roof and was not only instructed by his father in the best methods of tilling the fields and caring for the stock, but was also taught those lessons of industry and honesty that have had so large a part in shaping his life. In June, 1862, his love of country led him to enlist as a private, in Company A, Thirty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, his captain being G. N. Elliott. The company rendezvoused at Davenport, Iowa and after going to the front participated in many battles, including that of Allatoona Pass at Shady Grove, Tennessee, where he was taken prisoner. He was paroled at Benton Barracks, St. Louis, remaining there until he was exchanged. He then rejoined his regiment at Corinth, Mississippi, and was with it until the close of the war. The regiment was mustered out and discharged at Washington, D. C., and disbanded at Clinton, Iowa, having served for two years and ten months. Upon his return home Mr. Kale turned his attention to farming, purchasing eighty acres on section 23, Scott township, where he has since resided. He is industrious and so manages his work that his fields yield him a good return annually.

Mr. Kale married Miss Rue Evelyn King, a native of Menard county, Illinois, who passed away on the 26th of July, 1914, leaving the following children: Wilbur M., who married Louie Howard, and farms in South township; Ansel, who married Mabel Turner, of Des Moines; Cora, the wife of E. E. McNeeley, of Des Moines; Fred, who married Nannie Link, and resides in Scott township; Lester, who married Catherine Zeller and resides in Union township; Ettie, now Mrs. Ora Husted, who resides upon the farm which her paternal grandfather bought when he first came to this county; and Ora Harvey, who married a Miss Stout and is now residing in Winterset.

Mr. Kale is a standpat republican and is unyielding in his loyalty to the party that stood by the Union at the time when it was assailed and that has played such an important part in the government of the nation since that time. He is a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church and makes his religion the basic element of his life. He is identified with John A. Pitzer Post, G. A. R., at Winterset and finds pleasure in meeting those who like himself offered their lives if need be in their country's defense.

Taken from the book, "The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1915"