Sheriff's of Clarke County
The office of sheriff is the only elected law enforcement officer in the state. This insured the sheriff did
the work of the people and not the bidding of a king. Clarke County has held elections since its founding.
In August 1851, eighty people resided in the county. Thirty seven were eligible to vote. There were just
enough residents to divide the offices amongst themselves.
The first sheriff, Ivison Ellis, was born in Kentucky in 1814. In 1837, he married Agnes Arnold in Indiana.
Together, with their five young children, they made the trek to Iowa. As a young family, they settled in
the southern part of the county, in Green Bay Township section 21. Along with other pioneer settlers,
the Ellis’s gained forty acres of land issued by President Franklin Pierce on June 3, 1856. Early days of the
county were witnessed to an untouched prairie with a bountiful source of opportunity. There were no
railroads, post offices or lumber mills. The ground had yet to see a plow, wildlife of turkey and prairie
chickens were plentiful.
Ten short years, after the first official election, the area saw many changes. Clarke County’s population
was exploding. Pioneers flocked by the masses to the county that was so rich with promising farm land.
By 1860, Clarke County had gained an estimated five thousand new residents. With all the changes
quickly taking place, the position of sheriff was and still remains important.
Clarke County has seen 32 sheriffs. In the early years, the term of sheriff was only two years. It wasn’t
until Sheriff John Stearns was elected sheriff, in 1964, the terms switched to four years. Each sheriff has
seen their share of encounters. They have served their community with compassion and honor. There
are many stories of how the sheriff interacts with the people they were elected to serve. Not every
candidate was a law enforcement officer. The majority of the sheriffs elected were regular people. Most
had other jobs including the duties required by the county position. And the majority, after serving their
terms, stayed in the community. One out of every three of Clarke County’s sheriffs are veterans. And
twenty four of the thirty two are laid to rest in the county they so humbly served.
A list of Clarke County sheriffs are as follows.
Ivison Ellis 1851-1853
John Butcher 1853-1855
William Watt 1855-1857
James Hall 1857-1861
*David Bonar 1861-1864
*George Christy 1864-1866
*Ebenezer Ledgerwood 1866-1869
Orin Rarick 1869-1871
*Joseph Ballou 1871-1881
*Avery Scott 1881-1883
*Egbert Rankin 1883-1885
*James Bonar 1885
*William Williams 1885-1892
*Monroe Campbell 1892-1894
*Newton Jolley 1894-1898
*Casper Lukenbill 1898-1902
Creed Scott 1902-1907
Joseph Keeran 1907-1911
*Richard Eggleston 1911-1915
*William Tillotson 1915-1919
*Ed West 1919-1923
*George LeHuquet 1923-1927
*John Lewis 1927-1930
*Andrew Stansell 1930-1934
*Floyd McQuern 1934-1940
Harold Burgus 1940-1946
*Norlan Miller 1946-1952
*Kenneth Likes 1952-1964
*John Stearns 1964-1992
Mark Addison 1992-2006
Bill Kerns 2006-2016
Rob Kovacevich 2016-present
*indicates the sheriffs that are laid to rest in Maple Hill Cemetery, Osceola Ia
Thank you Samantha Edgerton for sharing this info! It is wonderful.
Last Revised October 8, 2024 BW