The name of Mather is closely associated with business activity in Springdale and the firm name of Mather Brothers—the partners being William and Charles E.—has come to be recognized as a synonym for straightforward and honorable dealing in every section of the county. Charles E. Mather was born near Salem in Mahoning county, Ohio, December 8, 1850, and arrived in Cedar county on the 27th of June, 1851, in company with his parents, of whom mention is made in connection with the sketch of William Mather on another page of this volume. The family homestead, about a mile and a quarter east of Springdale, constituted his playground in youth and his field of training for life’s practical duties. At the usual age, he entered the public schools and after pursuing his studies in the district school near by, he attended the Springdale school.
In the winter of 1870 Mr. Mather began teaching and followed that profession with success until 1875. He spent one winter as teacher of the district school near his home and one winter in the Springdale graded school and then after an interval of a year engaged in teaching for two winters near Minneapolis, Minnesota. He also spent one term as a teacher in a graded school at Bellevue, Iowa, and in November, 1876, joined his brother William in establishing and conducting a general mercantile store in Springdale. The business prospered from the beginning and was successfully carried on by them until January, 1896, when they disposed of their stock of general merchandise on account of ill health, retaining, however, the drug trade. They still own a drug store in Springdale.
In the fall of 1896 Charles E. Mather entered the law department of the State University at Iowa City and was graduated in 1898 with the LL. B. degree, since which time he has practiced his profession in Springdale. In connection with his brother William he also owns two hundred acres of land a half mile north of the village, together with a section of land in Perkins county, Nebraska. Charles E. Mather also has a section of land in Saskatchewan, Canada.
On the 13th of February, 1883, Mr. Mather wedded Miss Mary Knudson, who was born near Yorkville, Kendall county, Illinois, July 4, 1860, a daughter of Andrew Knudson. Their children are Edward K., Ralph Jesse, Charles Glenn, William J. and Kenneth Arza. The oldest son graduated from the civil engineering department of Cornell College in 1905 and received the C. E. degree in 1906. The second son was graduated from Cornell College in 1909 and is now professor of English in the Methodist Episcopal College in Rome, Italy. Charles Glenn is a student in the Wesleyan University at Mitchell, South Dakota, and the two younger sons are pupils in the home school.
Mr. Mather has ever been a warm friend of the cause of education and has given his children excellent advantages in that direction. For nine years he served as president of the school board, having in charge the only high school outside of an incorporated town in the state of Iowa. His political allegiance is given to the republican party, but the honors and emoluments of office have no attraction for him. He is a member of the Phi Delta Phi law fraternity of the State University. In his youth he joined the Society of Friends but in 1883 transferred his membership to the Methodist Episcopal church, of which he has since been a loyal supporter. In his business career he has displayed versatility as well as enterprise and progressiveness and has thus succeeded in what he has undertaken.
