Shuler, John A.

SHULER

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 7/2/2021 at 20:45:22

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.537

JOHN A. SHULER
John A. Shuler has for sixteen years been a resident of Indianola, giving his attention to the farm and to the raising, feeding and shipping of stock. He has been one of the most extensive landowners of the county and still has large holdings of about six hundred acres, while to his children he has given four hundred and sixty acres.
Mr. Shuler began life's journey in Owen County, Indiana in 1846. His father, Peter Shuler, born in Virginia, was of German descent and in an active business life devoted his attention to farming. On leaving the south he became a resident of Gosport, Indiana, and there engaged in farming until 1850, when he removed to Wayne county, Iowa. In his new location he took up his abode upon a farm but was not long permitted to enjoy his Iowa home, for his death occurred two years later. He was identified with pioneer interests and development in Indiana and in Iowa and on coming to this state entered a tract of land from the government in Wayne County, after which he bent his energies to the task of converting the wild prairie into pro­ductive fields. He was but forty-six years of age when his life's labors were ended in death and the community mourned his loss, for they recognized in him a worthy citizen and an earnest Christian man. He belonged to the Bap­tist church and gave his political support to the Whig party. His wife was also an equally faithful member of the Baptist church. She bore the maiden name of Jane S. Hancock, was born in Owen County, Indiana, and was of Scotch-German descent. She belonged to the same family as General Winfield Scott Hancock. Long surviving her husband, she died in 1905 at the ad­vanced age of eighty-three years. In their family were six children.
John A. Shuler, the fourth in order of birth, spent his youth as do most farm boys, working in the fields from the time he was old enough to handle the plow and gaining practical experience concerning the best methods of planting and harvesting the crops as the years went by. He mastered the common branches of English learning as a country school student and later attended Pella University. He afterward engaged in teaching for eight years but through much of his life has been closely associated with farming interests. For a period of ten years, however, he was the president of the First National Bank of Indianola. He came to Warren County in 1872, set­tling in Richland Township, where he resided until 1875, when he removed to Union township. There he lived for sixteen years, carefully conducting his business affairs and his farm indicated in its neat and thrifty appearance, his careful supervision and practical methods. He left the farm in 1891 to accept the presidency of the bank and continued as its executive head for ten years. For the past sixteen years he has lived in Indianola and now gives his supervision to his farm and to the raising, feeding and shipping of stock. In all of his varied interests he has been successful and from time to time he has added to his orginal property holdings in this county until at one time he was the owner of ten hundred and sixty acres of valuable land. He has since, however, given four hundred and sixty acres of this to his two children but retains about six hundred acres and from the property derives a gratifying annual income.
John A. Shuler was but seventeen years of age when in the latter part of 1863 he enlisted for service in the Civil War as a member of Company B, First Indiana Heavy Artillery. With this command he served for two years, participating in the battles of Spanish Fort, Fort Gaines, Fort Morgan and Fort Blakeley. He had thus had important and varied military service when mustered out, although he was still a young man in his teens when the war was over. He is now a member of James Randolph Post, G. A. R. [Grand Army of the Republic], and with his comrades delights in recalling the scenes and events which occurred upon the tented fields.
In 1876 Mr. Shuler was married to Miss Sarah A. Sandy, who was born in Union township, this county, in 1851, being a representative of one of the old pioneer families. Her parents were Jeremiah G., and Lodena (Stitts) Sandy, the former a prominent and prosperous business man, who followed farming, merchandising and banking, being for sometime president of the First National Bank of Indianola. Mr. and Mrs. Shuler have a daughter and son, Grace and Jerry A., the latter a farmer of Lincoln Township. The parents are members of the Christian Church and are highly esteemed for their good traits of character and many social qualities. Mr. Shuler is a Republican and has served as assessor. He has, however, never been an office seeker but has preferred to concentrate his time and energies upon business affairs, wherein he has displayed keen discernment and correct judgment. Realizing that "there is no excellence without labor," he has been an ener­getic, progressive man and now well merits the prosperity which has come to him.