Hastie, William A.

HASTIE

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/29/2021 at 11:45:55

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.793

WILLIAM A. HASTIE
W. A. Hastie, a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser residing on section 26, Greenfield Township, is indebted to his habits of thrift, sobriety and in­dustry for the success he has attained in life. He was born on the farm where he now resides April 25, 1865, the son of Thomas and Jane (Cowie) Hastie, both of whom were natives of Scotland, where they were married in 1850 or 1851 and came on a wedding trip to America. They settled in this county, where the father entered land from the government on section 1, Greenfield Township, which tract they later disposed of and purchased seventy acres on section 26, which is now the home place of our subject. The mother died on May 3, 1865, leaving six children, and the father did not survive her many years, passing away on May 8, 1871, aged forty-five years.
W. A. Hastie was but eight days old at the time of his mother's death and was taken by an uncle, William Martin and his wife, who had no children of their own, and was reared to manhood. He received his early education in the district school and followed this by a course in the Iowa Business Col­lege of Des Moines. His uncle occupied the farm adjoining the one which his father had owned throughout his life time, and it was there that he died in August, 1902, aged seventy-three years. His place is now a part of our subject's present farm.
On the 20th of March, 1889, W. A. Hastie was united in marriage to Miss Louise Loper, a daughter of William Loper, of Indianola. Mr. Hastie then built a good house upon his farm, which consisted of the original seventy acres owned by his father beside twenty acres which was purchased by the guardian of the estate after the father's death. He has added to his property a thirty acre tract, also another of forty acres and eight acres of timber land on the bottom, purchased from the other heirs. Besides this he received eighty acres of land from his uncle, Mr. Martin, so that he now has an ideal stock and grain farm of two hundred and forty acres. Upon his place he has erected a good barn and other outbuildings, and in connection with general farming is also engaged in stock-raising, feeding about a carload of cattle each year and one or two carloads of hogs.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hastie have been born four children: Wilhma and Helen, who are attending the Indianola high school; Herbert, who is in the sixth grade, and Mabel Bernice, not yet two years of age. The cause of education has ever found in Mr. Hastie a warm champion, and while he has neither sought nor cared for the emoluments of public office, still his services have been freely given as a member of the school board. In national affairs his political allegiance is given to the Democratic Party, but in local matters he votes independently according to his estimate of the personal ability of the competing candidates. He is a delegate to the county conventions and tries to see that the right man is nominated upon his party ticket, but failing in this he casts his vote according to his honest con­victions as to what is best for the interests of the community at large. Mr. Hastie and his estimable wife are members of the Methodist Church of Sum­merset, where he has served on the official board.