LINDLEY HEALD

Lindley Heald, now living retired in West Liberty, was for many years identified with farming interests in Cedar county. He was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, March 25, 1848, and there made his home until he came to Iowa in 1866. His parents were Israel and Rebecca (Hole) Heald, also natives of Columbiana county, the former born in 1807 and the latter in 1813. Israel Heald was a son of William and Sarah (Wilson) Heald. William Heald was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, and when five years of age accompanied his parents on their removal to Uniontown, Pennsylvania, where he resided until after his marriage, when he became a resident of Columbiana county, Ohio, which county, however, had not been organized at that time. His principal occupation was surveying and he did much government work of that character. He took his corps of assistants into the woods, where they would not see a white man all summer. He crossed the state on horseback to Cincinnati in the fall to get his pay at the land office there. On one occasion he was paid thirteen hundred dollars in silver. Many nights he spent in the woods with his saddle for a pillow. His work constituted an important factor in the development and improvement of the state. In the fall of 1866 he came with his family to Iowa and died in the spring of 1867 at the very remarkably old age of one hundred and one years, three months and twenty-four days. He was a Quaker in religious faith and a regular attendant at the church service. He had a large family, of whom his son John came to Cedar county in 1852 and settled two miles west of Springdale. Most of the children of William Heald or their children came to Iowa, and when he celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of his birth at Damascus over seventy of his descendants were present. The next day he surveyed a town lot and the survey was found to be accurate. The maternal grandparents of Lindley Heald were Charles and Hester (Hanna) Hole. The latter was connected with the family of which Mark Hanna was a representative. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hole died in Ohio.

Israel Heald spent his youthful days in the Buckeye state, there pursued his education and was reared to the occupation of farming. Having arrived at years of maturity he married and had two sons. After losing his first wife he wedded Rebecca Hole and unto them were born seven children, four of whom reached years of maturity, namely: Ezra, who is living in West Branch; Mary Ann, the wife of Samuel Emery, a resident of Whittier, Iowa; Lindley, of this review; and Cynthia, who has now passed away.

Lindley Heald was a youth of eighteen years when he left Ohio and came with his parents and their family to Cedar county, Iowa, a location being made in Springdale township, where he lived with his father and mother until 1871. He was then married and began farming for himself in Gower township, two miles east and two miles north of West Branch. As the years passed he prospered and at one time was the owner of two hundred and forty acres of rich and valuable land, which he brought under a high state of cultivation and to which he added many modern improvements, such as are always found upon a model farm of the twentieth century. His time and attention were devoted to the raising of the cereals best adapted to soil and climate, and in his farm work he was quite successful. He was also interested in the elevator at Centerdale at one time, but in the spring of 1909 he put aside business cares and removed to West Liberty, where he is now living retired, enjoying a well earned rest.

On the 6th of December, 1871, Mr. Heald was united in marriage to Miss Nancy L. Fritchman, who was born in Pennsylvania in 1850 and when five years of age went to Rock Island county, Illinois, with her parents, Adam and Margaret Ann (McGrew) Fritchman, who were natives of Pennsylvania. After living in Illinois for about twelve years the family came to Iowa in 1867, settling in Bloomington township, Muscatine county, but both Mr. and Mrs. Fritchman died in Cedar county, spending their last days in the home of their daughter. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Heald were born three daughters: Edith L., now the wife of Louis W. Emmons, of What Cheer, Iowa; Margaret Ann, at home; and Lydia Alice, the wife of Roy R. Sheets, of Iowa township, Cedar county.

Forty-four years have passed since Mr. Heald became a resident of this county, and his wife has lived here for almost as long a period. They are both well known and throughout their entire lives have displayed traits of character which have gained for them the friendly regard of those with whom they have been associated.