Carroll County IAGenWeb

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY IOWA

A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement

VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1912

Transcribed by Sharon Elijah August 20, 2020

For forty years Louis Albert Gnam has been a resident of Carroll and during that time grew to manhood, entered upon his life calling and became one of the leading citizens of the community. He was born at Sandwich, Illinois, November 5, 1859, and is the son of Louis and Theressa (Meier) Gnam, both of whom were natives of Germany. There were nine children in their family, namely: Amelia, now the widow of Herman Brunning, of Carroll; Charles, also of Carroll; Louis A., the subject of this review; Herman J., who is deceased; Lena, now the wife of John M. Powers of Chicago, Illinois; John J., of Carroll; Clara, who lives in Waterloo, Iowa; Henry, of Carroll; and Mary, wife of Dr. Rogers of El Paso, Texas. Mr. Gnam, Sr., learned the brewer’s trade in his native country which he followed industriously for a number of years. Coming to America he was married and made his home at Ottawa and other places in Illinois. Believing that conditions were more favorable west of the Mississippi river he moved to Ackley, Iowa, and since 1871 has made his home at Carroll, where he and his wife are now living retired. They are both sincere members of the Catholic church.

Louis Albert Gnam arrived at Carroll with his parents when thirteen years of age, having previously received a common school education at Mount Carmel, Iowa. He learned the tinner’s trade and clerked for eight years, accumulating sufficient capital to purchase a half interest in the hardware store of J. L. Wetherill in 1884. Since 1905 he has been sole owner of the store, having been identified with this concern ever since 1876, a period of thirty-five years. He carries a large and well selected stock of hardware and has attracted patronage from a wide region around Carroll.

On the 20th day of August, 1890, Mr. Gnam was united in marriage to Miss Minnie E. Merchant, a native of Mallorytown, Canada, daughter of Ezra N. and Mertie E. (Hughes) Merchant. The father was born in Pennsylvania and the mother in Canada. He engaged in the grocery business, and he and his wife are living retired at Carroll, having taken up their residence in this city in 1879. There were two children in their family: Minnie E., now Mrs. Louis Albert Gnam, and Lillian M., wife of H. P. Chelius of Boston, Massachusetts. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gnam, namely: Louis M., Lillian M., Florence A., Ruth M., and Carl A.

Religiously, Mr. Gnam is identified with the Catholic church and his wife is a member of the Episcopal church. Fraternally, he is connected with the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Order of Foresters. In political belief he adheres to the democracy. A true friend of education, he is now serving as member of the school board. As a representative business man he is interested in promoting the growth of the city and has assisted very materially in bring about the present prosperous state of affairs at Carroll. Both he and his estimable wife have the good will of all with whom they have associated.

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