Buena Vista County, IA
USGenWeb Project

Extracted from:  Wegerslev, C. H. and Thomas Walpole. 
 Past and Present of Buena Vista County, Iowa
Chicago:  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1909, p. 196-97.

Transcribed by Mary Alice Schwanke and Cyndi Vertrees

Biography of  Frederick F. Faville

Faville, Frederick F. United States attorney for the northern district of Iowa, was born in Mitchell, Iowa, June 5, 1865. His father, Amos S. Faville, was a most distinguished and honored citizen. A native of Herkimer county, New York, he was born in 1823. His early life after a trip around the world he came to Iowa, settling on a farm in Mitchell county, entering the land from the government. He was the first county surveyor of that county and the second to fill the position of county judge. He was also deputy United States internal revenue collector for what is now the third district. He was a member of the thirteenth general assembly of Iowa from Mitchell and Howard counties. He taught the first school in the county, organized the first Sunday school and was one of the early officers of the Congregational church which numbered him among its devoted members. He was also a member of the Masonic fraternity and his political allegiance was given to the republican party. A man of letters, college-bred and with strong native intelligence, Judge Faville was well qualified to occupy the position of prominence and influence which he did in the public life of the state.

His wife's maiden name was Esther D. Crary. She was born in Knox, Albany county, New York, in 1838, and was descended from Puritan ancestry and from Revolutionary stock. Mrs. Faville was a member of the Congregational church and like her husband was greatly interested in the intellectual and moral progress of the community where they resided. His death occurred in December, 1900, while she passed away in November, 1902. They were the parents of five children, of whom Frederick F. Faville was the third in order of birth.

Frederick F. Faville was a pupil in the public schools of Mitchell, Iowa, in his early boyhood and afterward attended the Cedar Valley Seminary, at Osage, and later graduated from the Iowa State College, at Ames. He next entered the State University of Maryland, where he was a law student in 1889 and 1890. He further continued his preparation for the bar as a student in the State University of Iowa, from which he was graduated with the class of 1891. In the spring of 1892 he began practice in Sioux Rapids, where he remained until the spring of 1895, when he came to Storm Lake to assume the duties of the office of county attorney and here he has lived continuously since. He continued in the private practice of law with growing success until March 15, 1907, when he was appointed by President Roosevelt to the position of United States attorney for the northern district of Iowa, and is now the incumbent in that office.

He belongs to the Masonic fraternity. His political allegiance has ever been given to the republican party. For four years he served as county attorney and in 1904 he was on the national republican ticket as presidential elector from the eleventh district.

In December, 1891, Mr. Faville was married to Miss Cora Thornburg, who was born in Orchard, Iowa, in 1866. They have two children, Stanton S. and Marion B. The parents are members of the Presbyterian church, of which Mr. Faville is a trustee.

Mrs. Faville is much interested in the social and literary life of the city. She is president of the Tuesday Club, a ladies' literary organization, and chairman of the book committee of the trustees of the public library.



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