William S. Pirie, one of the active and prosperous farmers of Fremont township, resides on section 26, where he owns and cultivates a farm of one hundred and sixty acres that is pleasantly located about a mile from Stanwood. Moreover, he is one of the members of the township board and is interested in all that pertains to progressive citizenship as well as to business activity. The farm which he now owns was his birthplace, his natal day being August 22, 1865.
His father, George Pirie, was a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, born February 19, 1827, and was the twelfth in order of birth in a family of fourteen children, of whom he was the last survivor. In the land of hills and heather he was reared and when a young man of twenty-four years came to the new world. Having previously learned the stone-cutter’s trade, he followed that occupation in New York city and Hamilton, Canada, for eight years. In the former city he was married, September 13, 1854, to Miss Christina Hill, also a native of Aberdeen, Scotland. In the fall of 1859 they came to Cedar county, Iowa, and Mr. Pirie purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Fremont township, constituting the farm upon which his son William S. now resides. The father began the development and improvement of the place, and the years marked his progress, for the land was converted into productive fields and from the crops which he annually harvested he gathered a goodly competence. In 1893 he retired from active labor and removed to Stanwood, where his wife died October 21, 1899. After that he made his home principally with his daughter, Mrs. H. E. Hart, and there he passed away on the 19th of August, 1910. In early life he became a member of the United Presbyterian church in Aberdeen and after coming to Iowa joined the Red Oak Grove Presbyterian church. He was a man whose faith was broad, whose life was clean, whose faithfulness was genuine. His family lost a loving parent and wise counselor, and the community a trusted friend and kind neighbor. In his family were four sons and two daughters, but the older daughter died soon after coming to Iowa. The others are as follows: Alender and George H., who are living in Orange county, California; Robert G., who makes his home in Stanwood, Iowa; William S., of this review; and Lillian, now Mrs. Hart, of Stanwood.
The other member of the family is William S. Pirie of this review, who has always resided upon the old homestead farm, his early experiences being those which usually fall to the lot of farm boys. He mastered the branches of learning taught in the district school and also spent two winter seasons as a pupil in the high school of Stanwood. As his years increased, he assisted more and more largely in the work of the farm, thus aiding his father until the latter’s removal to the village. He has since carried on general agricultural pursuits on his own account and has gained a creditable position among the representative agriculturists of the community.
In Mechanicsville on the 31st of May, 1893, Mr. Pirie was united in marriage to Miss Lettie L. Harbaugh, who was born in Ohio and was brought to Iowa during her childhood days by her father, Jacob Harbaugh. After his marriage Mr. Pirie rented a farm for several years and then purchased a place of his father. He has made many excellent repairs, has fenced the fields, has tilled the land and has built a new barn and hog house. He is a strong advocate of progress along lines of modern farming and in connection with the cultivation of the soil he raises and feeds high grade stock, annually shipping from one to two carloads of hogs and about a carload of cattle. He also raises good horses and in his work is meeting with the success which crowns earnest, persistent effort.
Mr. and Mrs. Pirie now have three children: Ethel, Forest E., and William Leon. They also lost a son, George Floyd, at the age of two years. Mr. Pirie exercises his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party and in1906 was elected township trustee. Later he was reelected and served for two terms and is again candidate for reelection. Fraternally he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America and has been officially identified with the schools for a number of years, serving as district treasurer for some time and in other connections as well. He is a friend to all progressive public movements and is the champion of every practical project devoted to agricultural interests and he has won his success in that field of labor of which George Washington termed “the most useful and the most honorable occupation of man.”
