Mrs. Steaphana (Rypczynski) Rounds. The subject of this biography, who is a widow of J.C. Rounds, and whose home lies in Marion Township, this county, and who is well known throughout the county, is a woman of good business ability; she is of German parentage, her father and mother being born in Germany. She was born in Snydenville, Germany, January 16, 1853, and is the daughter of John and Josephine Rypczynski. They came to this country in 1873 and were the parents of the following nine children: Antony, ursula, Steaphana, Louis, Roman, Ambrose, mary, Lena and Frank.

Mr. Rounds was born in Norton Township, Bristol County, Mass., August 29, 1818. He came with his parents to New York in 1820 and there received his education. In 1837 he went to Livingston County, Michigan, where he engaged in farming until 1844, when he moved to Ogle County, Ill., remaining there until the year 1855, when he located in Marion Township, Clayton County, Iowa, where he purchased the homestead of four hundred and eighty acres on which he lived until his demise, which occurred February 6, 1892.

He was well known as an extensive farmer and stock raiser. In the year 1876 he was united in marriage with Miss Steaphana Rypezynski, our subject, and they have been blessed with five children, as follows: Mary, Frank, George, Louie and Vincent. The mother is giving to these children the very best education; the older one are now attending college.

Mr. Rounds was honored with several offices of public trust, as Township Assessor, Township Clerk, Secretary of the School Board, Justice of the Peace and Supervisor. He also represented this county in the Legislature of 1874-75.

Mrs. Rounds is a member of the Catholic Church. She is charitable, kind hearted in the extreme, and dispenses good words and deeds and fulfills in truth the command to "rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep."

~source: Portrait and Biographical Record of Dubuque, Jones and Clayton Counties;Chicago: Chapman Pub. Co., 1894; pg. 413-414
-transcribed by Sharyl Ferrall