JAMES J. SPEAR

James J. Spear, one of the progressive and substantial agriculturists of Red Oak township, was born near his present home in the same township, December 12, 1862. His parents were John and Susan (Smith) Spear, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of England. With the hope of bettering their condition they sailed for the new world in 1854 and were married in this country. Throughout his active business life the father followed farming but is now living retired in Stanwood. His wife died on the home farm. Of their seven children our subject is the eldest, the others being: Robert, now a resident of Winnipeg, Canada; Margaret, the wife of Ezra Dodson, of Stanwood; Anna, the wife of James Gamble, of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Charles, of Stanwood; William, living on the home farm; and Benjamin, of Makaroff, Canada.

Becoming thoroughly familiar with the work of the farm during his boyhood and youth, James J. Spear wisely chose that occupation as his life work when he started out for himself. He had received a good practical education in the common schools and also attended the Tipton high school for two years. It was in 1891 that he began farming in his own account upon his present place and he has steadily prospered in his undertakings, being now the owner of not only the old homestead, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres on section 1, Red Oak township, but also forty acres in Fremont township and eighty acres in Fairfield township. He has given to his place the name of Wald Stock Farm because he is successfully engaged in the breeding of fine stock, having fifty head of registered Angus cattle, thirty head of Clydesdale horses and seventy-five Duroc Jersey hogs. He exhibits his stock at the various fairs and has won many premiums. In connection with his agricultural interests Mr. Spear is identified with other business affairs, having served as president of the Stanwood Bank for three years and now vice president of the Union Savings Bank of Stanwood since the union of the Stanwood Savings Bank and the Citizens Savings Bank. He is a man of more than ordinary business ability and as a financier is farsighted and progressive as well as conservative. Besides the property already mentioned he owns a half section of land at White Lake, South Dakota, and a quarter of a section in Manitoba, Canada. Religiously he is identified with the Methodist Episcopal church of Stanwood, and his life has ever been in harmony with his professions.

On the 18th of March, 1891, Mr. Spear was united in marriage to Miss Marian Finley, a daughter of James and Martha (Hamilton) Finley, who were natives of Scotland and came to the United States about 1850. For a few years the father was employed in a carpet factory in Massachusetts but in 1858 brought his family to Cedar county, Iowa, locating on a farm in Dayton township, where he continued to make his home until his death on the 26th of June, 1890. Mrs. Finley has passed away some years previously, dying in 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Spear have three children: Floyd R, born April 2, 1893; James Rolland, born December 5, 1895; and Florence Margaret, born March 12, 1900.