McDole, John H.

MCDOLE

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 6/29/2021 at 13:42:29

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.859

JOHN H. McDOLE
The spirit of enterprise and progress which has been the dominant factor in the upbuilding of the middle west, finds exemplification in the life record of John H. McDole, who is living on section 9, Lincoln Township, busily employed in the conduct of a farm of one hundred and twenty acres which he owns. He was born on this farm June 5, 1856, and is a son of William McDole, who is mentioned elsewhere in this volume. As boy and youth he worked in the fields as his years and strength increased and in the public schools he acquired his education. Here he became familiar with the best methods of tilling the soil and caring for the crops and he remained upon the old home place until some time after his marriage.
On the 28th of December, 1875, Mr. McDole was married in Indianola to, Miss Wealthy Beaman, a native of Warren County, and a daughter of Jacob Beaman, who died during the early girlhood of Mrs. McDole. Fol­lowing his marriage Mr. McDole engaged in farming on his father's land, for ten years, and then bought where he now resides. He began here with forty acres of land, but his laudable ambition has carried him forward in his busi­ness career and has made him in the course of years a prosperous and ener­getic farmer of the community. As his financial resources have permitted, he has extended the boundaries of his place, until it now comprises one hundred and twenty acres of rich and productive land on section 9, Lincoln Township. The fields respond readily to the care and labor which he bestows upon them and bring to him generous harvests. He has added to and remod­eled the house, has built a barn and sheds, has set out an orchard, planted ornamental trees and altogether has a very desirable farm property. Here he raises not only the grain best adapted to the soil and climate, but also raises and feeds cattle and hogs and likewise some horses. He is now known as one of the most successful farmers and stock-raisers of the community and has sold some of the best stock produced in the county.
In 1899 Mr. McDole was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife who died on the 30th of April of that year. They were the parents of five children who are yet living and they lost their first born, Myrtle, who died at the age of five years. The others are: Nellie, who acts as her father's housekeeper; Lulu, the wife of Earl Clark, a farmer of White Oak Township; William, a young man who assists in carrying on the home farm; Archie J., and Axie H., both at home.
Mr. McDole and his daughter are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Farmers' Chapel. He is one of the church trustees, is an earnest and helpful worker in the Sunday school and was formerly its superintend­ent. In politics he was formerly a Republican, but has always been a staunch advocate of the temperance cause and votes with the Prohibition Party. He has been identified with the schools in an official capacity, serving as a member of the school board for nineteen years and as its chairman for part of the time. He has also capably filled the office of road commissioner and has been a frequent delegate to county conventions. Having always resided in this county he is well known among its citizens and his salient traits of character have thus gained for him the unqualified respect of those with whom he has come in contact.