Hanby, William A.

HANBY

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/29/2021 at 11:41:12

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.824

WILLIAM A. HANBY
W. A. Hanby, who is one of the leading farmers and stock dealers of War­ren County, is a native of this state, having been born in Greenfield Township, April 18, 1866, the son of J. V. and Mary E. (Rhodes) Hanby. His paternal grandparents were Josiah and Elizabeth (Vance) Hanby, who removed from Pennsylvania to Iowa in 1848 and entered land from the government in War­ren County, when J. V. was but ten years of age. Here he was reared and educated among the scenes and environments of pioneer days, and here he wedded Mary E. Rhodes, a native of Edgar County, Illinois. Unto this union were born seven children, six daughters and one son, W. A., of this review. The mother died October 8, 1894, at the age of fifty-three years, and the father again married, his second wife being Mrs. Mary Holcomb, a widow, who is yet living, her residence being in Missouri. The father passed away Septem­ber 9, 1905, aged sixty-five years, having spent his life from the time he was ten years of age on the home place in Greenfield Township.
W. A. Hanby was reared in this county and received his education in the country schools, which afforded him a solid foundation upon which to build up the practical experiences which have led him to success. He has been partitularly fortunate in being freed from the restrictions of routine life, it being his privilege to form independent plans and pursue them to a successful issue even when but a youth. His father depended a great deal upon his aid and assistance and since 1884, when he was but eighteen years of age, he has been engaged in buying and selling live-stock, which occupation he pursues at the present time, buying and shipping about four carloads a week. He made his first investment in real estate in the purchase of an eighty-acre tract of land in Lincoln Township, two miles from Summerset, where he lived for three years. This he improved and later sold and bought his present place on sec­tion 30, Lincoln Township, consisting of one hundred and seventy-five acres, where he has lived since 1900. He also owns forty acres in the old home place in Greenfield Township. Mr. Hanby has his farm well fenced and well tiled and also has tiled the old home place. He has improved his house, rebuilt the barn and made such other improvements as have been necessary to further his business interests.
On December 25, 1896, was celebrated the marriage of W. A. Hanby and Miss Maud Pitman, a native of Warren County, and daughter of William Pit­man. Mrs. Hanby was engaged in school teaching for some years before her marriage. They have become the parents of two children, Frances and Lois. In his political affiliations Mr. Hanby is a Republican. He has been a mem­ber of the township Republican committee and has been a delegate to the coun­ty conventions of his party. At local elections, however, he votes for the best men, regardless of party lines. Fraternally he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America of Indianola, of which organization he was a charter member at Summerset.