Tindall, John D. 1882-1975

TINDALL, BROWN

Posted By: Linda Ewin Ziemann (email)
Date: 9/14/2003 at 11:21:11

John David Tindall

John D. Tindall was born in 1882, one of six children of Mr. and Mrs. James Tindall. His parents purchased 160 acres of bare prairie three and one-half miles northwest of Adaville, and as nearly as Jack can recall, they paid $3.50 per acre for this land. They built a fine homestead there, and the farm has remained in the Tindall family ever since. The parents arrived here at the time of the English settlement development in and around LeMars, although they were not a part of that group. Young Jack Tindall got to know many of these people – Joe Corrington, who improved the Kurtzhals’ farm west of LeMars and A. R. T. Dent, the founder of the First National Bank in LeMars.

In the severe blizzard of 1888, his father, with a team and sleigh after groceries and provisions, got lost on the way home. During the height of the blizzard the team tumbled off a bridge, and the traveler found his way on foot to the home of a neighbor by the name of John Johnson. After the storm abated, he reached his home and anxious, worried family. The horses were found later three miles from home in a plum thicket.

John D. Tindall started farming on one of his father’s farms in the Adaville vicinity in 1903, and remained there for 13 years before moving to the Tindall farm 2 miles west of LeMars. He classified himself as an average operator, producing the general farm products of crops, stock cows and calves, milk, hogs, and always a flock of chickens. In 1946 he retired from farming and moved to his present residence at 44 Second Ave NW, LeMars. His son, Stanley, now operates this farm.

In 1905 he married Amy Brown, daughter of Charles Brown of Adaville. They raised a fine family of four sons – J. Clark and Stanley of LeMars, Richard now at Woodland Hills, California, and Robert, MD, of St. Louis, Missouri, and three daughters – Florence, wife of Dr. W.B. Johnson, Springfield, Missouri, Mrs. Ralph (Mildred) Hunter of LeMars; and Mrs. Mary White of Santa Clara, California.

Mr. Tindall is a long standing member of the Baptist Church in LeMars. He taught Sunday School there and has held numerous offices in the church directory through the years. For 24 years he was an active member of the Washington Township School Board serving as Director for 16 years and Secretary for 8 years.

Jack says that the biggest change in farming in the past one-half century has been in mechanization. He recalls horse-powered threshing and the cutting of the bundle bands by hand, working with Ezard Siebens, father of Andrew and Sieb Siebens. With the tractor and power machinery has come a diminishing of neighborliness and the closeness of the people, a cherished bond that knit our pioneer relatives.

Mr. Tindall was reluctant to give advice because he believes that everyone must make his own life coincide with Christian virtues and the ever-changing social and economic conditions. He did venture this comment based on his long experience – “Don’t disregard altogether the past.” The courage of his parents to forego comforts and conveniences they desired until they could afford them still has sound merit today.

Mr. John D. Tindall has been a customer of First National Bank for over 50 years, as well as his father before him. We appreciate having served him. It is people of Mr. Tindall's character and sense of work and duty who have enhanced our image as well as that of our community in which he lives and serves.

This biography was written in 1967.
First National Bank in LeMars
Senior Citizens in Review, by O.E. Fristad, Chairman of the Board