Joseph M. Drees, attorney at law, Carroll City, Iowa, is a native of Boston, Massachusetts, born October 8, 1848, a son of Andrew A. and Clara (Deters) Drees, natives of Germany. His father died in Dubuque, Iowa, in 1867, and his mother is living in Carroll County, aged seventy-two years. He is the fifth of their ten children. When sixteen years of age he began clerking in a clothing house, which he continued about four years. In 1867 he enlisted in the regular army, and was assigned to Company E, Third United States Cavalry. His service was on the plains of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, under Generals Crook, Reynolds and Custer. He was mustered out January 24, 1873, at Fort Sanders, Wyoming Territory. For a time he served as Hospital Steward and was discharged as First Duty Sergeant. After his return home he served some time as deputy postmaster, his mother holding the office of postmistress from 1870 until 1878. He began the study of law with Lieutenant-Governor Manning, and was admitted to the bar in 1879, the first law student in Carroll County that passed an examination in open court. In addition to his law practice he is acting as agent for several insurance companies, viz: Aetna, of Hartford; Connecticut, of Hartford; and Phoenix, of Connecticut; Union, of San Francisco; Royal, of London and Capital of Des Moines. He is also agent for the North German Lloyd Steamship Company, New York and Baltimore lines, and the Red Star Line Packet Company, and the Royal Netherland Steamship Company. He is United States Commissioner for the South District, Western Division, buying and selling railroad and school land. He is one of the stockholders of the Carroll County Democrat. In politics he is a Democrat. He is classed among the clearest headed business men of Carroll County. He owns his office building, and one-half of lot 3, block 32, also lots 4 and 5, with his dwelling-house, which cost about $2, 500. Mr. Drees was married April 6, 1876, to Hannah Kniest, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, born in 1860, daughter of Lambert and Marie Kniest. They have had six children—Clara, Joseph T., Lambert, John, Mary (deceased) and Frank G.

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