Arthur J. Palas Arthur J. Palas has gained secure vantage-ground as one of the able and representative members of the bar of his native country, and at its judicial center, the city of Elkader, he is engaged in the successful practice of his profession. He is a scion of one of the old, honored and influential families of Clayton county, being one of the twelve children born to John and Caroline (Voss) Palas, both of whom are now deceased, the father having been one of the progressive and broad-minded citizens who contributed much to the civic and industrial development and advancement of this country, where he owned at the time of his death one of the large and valuable landed estates of Farmersburg township. John Palas was the son of John and Eliza (Wiegman) Palas, and was born in Germany, October 14, 1831. He came to the United States in 1855, settling in Clayton County and having upon his arrival but $25 with which to start his battle for fortune in his new home. With characteristic German thrift and energy, he at once began his career as a farmer, laying the foundations for the fortune which was later his. In 1858 he was married to Caroline, a daughter of Frederick Prust, a native of Germany. Three children were born to them — John, in 1859; Mary, in 1861, and William, in 1864. His wife died February 6, 1864, and in June, 1864, Mr. Palas was married to Carolina, a daughter of George and Mary (Plotz) Voss, also a native of Germany. The fruits of this union were ten children — Bertha, born July 25, 1865; Carolina, deceased, born July 1, 1866; Ida, born July 17, 1868; Anna, deceased, born Feb. 14, 1870; Henry, born November 24, 1871; Fritz, born July 17, 1873; Louis, born July 25, 1875; Louisa, born June 19, 1877; Herman, born July 25, 1879, and Arthur, the subject of this sketch, born May 19, 1891. John Palas was highly successful as a farmer and was highly esteemed as a citizen. He and his family were reared in the Lutheran faith, and Mr. Palas gave his political allegiance to the Republican party. At the time of his death he was the owner of a farm of 710 acres in Farmersburg township. Arthur J. Palas was born on the old homestead farm, in Farm ersburg township, and the date of his nativity was May 19, 1881. He received his higher academic or literary education in Drake University, from which he received the baccalaureate degree, and within a comparatively short time after leaving this institution, in the city of Des Moines, he went to Texas. In the Lone Star state he availed himself of the excellent advantages of the law department of the University of Texas, at Austin, in which he completed the prescribed curriculum and was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Soon after his graduation, with incidental admission to the Texas bar, Mr. Palas returned to Iowa and engaged in the practice of his profession in the city of Des Moines, where he remained two years. He then returned to his native county, in 1911, and he has since been established in active general practice at Elkader, where his ability has been distinctively shown forth both in his activities as a trial lawyer and as a well fortified counselor. He has developed a substantial and representative law business and is one of the prominent and popular members of the Clayton county bar. That he has not been denied the fullest measture of popular confidence and esteem is indicated by his present in cumbency of the office of county attorney and as a public prosecutor he has made an excellent record that has added materially to his professional reputation. His political allegiance is given to the Democratic party and both he and his wife hold membership in the German Evangelical church. Mr. Palas married Miss Anna
Rehmann, who was born at Osage, Mitchell county, this
state, a daughter of John W. and Anna (Gundlach) Rehmann,
the former a native of Germany and the latter of Fayette
county, Iowa, where their marriage was solemnized. Mr.
Rehmann was a musician of fine talent and was a
representative teacher of music in the city of Des Moines
at the time of his death, his widow being still a
resident of that city. Of their children, the eldest is
Ada, whose husband, Reinhold Weissinger, is now a soldier
in the German army and taking part in the great European
war; Mrs. Palas was the next in order of birth; Elsa is
the wife of Arthur Neumann, a successful contractor and
builder in the city of Des Moines; John is engaged in the
furniture business at Des Moines; and Theodore is a
student in the department of forestry at the Iowa State
Agricultural College, at Ames. -source: History of Clayton
County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical Times Down to
the Present; by Realto E. Price, Vol. II; page
315-316 |