Darnell, Charles W.

DARNELL

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/28/2021 at 23:50:35

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.950

CHARLES W. DARNELL
For forty years Charles W. Darnell has now made his home in Warren County, his present residence being in Indianola, and he has been prominently identified with its farming and stock-raising interests. He is a native of the neighboring state of Illinois, his birth occurring in Knox County on the 15th of February 1858, and he is a son of T. Darnell, who was born near Indianap­olis, Indiana, in 1833, and in early life accompanied his parents on their removal to Knox County, Illinois, where he grew to manhood. There he married Miss Margaret Jane Strong, a native of Ohio, and they continued to make their home in Knox County until after the birth of two of their children. It was in 1868 that they came to Iowa and the father purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land near Milo, which he at once began to cultivate and improve. Subsequently he bought another tract of eighty acres, making two hundred and forty acres in all, and he continued the operation of that farm for several years, but eventually sold the place and is now practically living retired in Winterset, Iowa.
Charles W. Darnell was only ten years of age on the removal of the family to Iowa and he passed his boyhood and youth in Warren County, attending the common and higher schools, when not busy with the work of the home farm. Since attaining his majority, agricultural pursuits have claimed the greater part of his attention and after his marriage he located near Sandyville, where he owned and operated two hundred acres of land for seventeen years. As the years passed he prospered in his undertakings and kept adding to his prop­erty until he had four hundred and sixty acres in the home place and two hun­dred and eighty acres in another farm. In connection with farming he also engaged in raising and feeding stock on quite an extensive scale, fattening from seven to eight carloads of cattle each year, which he shipped to the city markets. He continued to reside upon his farm until September 1895, when he built a nice residence in Indianola and has since made his home in this city. He has bought more land and is today the owner of about sixteen hundred acres, which is very valuable property under excellent cultivation and well improved. He is still actively engaged in the stock business, which he has found very profitable, and he now ranks with the most prosperous citizens of his community.
On the 4th of March 1889, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Darnell and Miss Catherine L. Sandy, who was born, reared and educated in this county, of which her father, Jeremiah G. Sandy, was one of the pioneers and became a leading banker and business man of Indianola. Mr. and Mrs. Dar­nell are the parents of four children: Maggie, now the wife of James L. Gardner, an active and successful farmer of Lincoln township; George A., who is married and engaged in merchandising in Winterset, and Allen and Hazel, both at home.
Mr. Darnell is a member of Sandyville lodge, A. F. & A. M., and the Elks Lodge, No. 98, of Des Moines, while his wife holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church of Indianola. Politically he has been a lifelong Republican, but he never sought nor desired office, his time and attention being wholly occupied by his business affairs. He is a man of far more than ordinary abil­ity, and to his energy, sound judgment and close application is due his success in life.