IAGenWeb Project - Clayton co.

John Bahr

John Bahr is actively associated with one of the representative business enterprises of the vigorous little city of Elkader, judicial center of Clayton county, and has made an excellent record in his chosen vocation. He is a skilled artisan, and has entire charge of the plumbing and heating departments of the substantial hardware establishment in which he owns a half interest, as junior member of the firm of Brown & Bahr, in which his coadjutor is H. D. Brown.

From infancy he has borne the name of his step-father, and he is a son of Frank and Sophie (Muller) Schornable, being an only child. By his father's previous marriage there was one son, Frank, and his mother later became the wife of Peter Bahr. Of the children of this last marriage the following brief record is consistently given at this point: Mary and Lena reside at Elkport, this county; Sophia is the wife of George Smith, and Clara the wife of John Wittman, both likewise residents of Elkport; Annie resides in the city of Cedar Rapids, this State; Eliza is the wife of Ernest Heuschen, of McGregor, Clayton county; and one daughter died in infancy.

John Bahr, the immediate subject of this sketch, was born in Volga township, this county, on the 14th of December, 1870, and there he attended in boyhood the district schools, though his broader education has been that gained under the direction of that wisest of all head-masters, experience. As a lad of fourteen years he became virtually dependent upon his own resources, as he then left the home rooftree and found employment at farm work. One year later he established his residence in Elkader, where he entered the employ of his present business associate, Mr. Brown, and served a practical apprenticeship to the tinner's trade. Later he purchased a half interest in the business, to the expansion and definite success of which he has contributed effectively, and it is interesting to record that he became a partner in the thriving enterprise before he had attained to his legal majority.

Fidelity, consecutive industry and sterling integrity have marked his business career, and have given him inviolable place in popular esteem, besides which he has won substantial place as one of the vigorous and enterprising business men of his native county. He has shown deep interest in community affairs and has been a member of the board of aldermen of Elkader for thirteen years, his services in this office having been marked by the same spirit of progressiveness and loyalty that has dominated his course in his private business. He is a stalwart in the local camp of the Republican party, is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and the Woodmen of the World, and both he and his wife are communicants of the German Lutheran church.

On the 21st of March, 1893, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Bahr to Miss Kate Wertley, who likewise was born and reared in this county, and of their two children the first, a daughter, died in infancy, the surviving child, Harry John, having been born February 21, 1903, and being at the present time, 1916, a duly ambitious student in the public schools of Elkader.

source: History of Clayton County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical Times Down to the Present; by Realto E. Price, Vol. II; pg. 28-29

-OCR scanned by S. Ferrall

 

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