Samuel Brasel
One of the substantial and progressive farmers of Union township, where he has devoted his time and attention to the development of agricultural interests, is Samuel Brasel, who was born in Morgan county, Illinois, November 5, 1862, a son of David and Mary Anne (Lang) Brasel.
The father, who is a native of Tennessee, accompanied his parents to Morgan county, where he continued to reside until attaining man's estate, when he was married and subsequently removed to Cass county, Illinois, when the subject of this review was a small boy. All his life he was employed in tilling the soil and is still living, at the ripe old age of ninety-one years, enjoying the rest that comes after a long span of time spent in honest toil. His wife was born in Morgan county, Illinois, where her father was one of the early settlers.
Unto this couple were born ten children, of whom all but one survive, as follows: William, Edward, Frank, Smith, and Howard, who are farming in Cass county, Illinois; George, a farmer living near Amboy, Illinois; Clarke, who is a foundryman in Beardstown, Illinois; Charles, who is a telephone owner in Ashland, Illinois; and Samuel, the subject of this review. The mother's death occurred in 1909.
After acquiring such education as could be obtained in the common schools of Cass county, Illinois, Samuel Brasel remained on the home farm until he was twenty-two years old, when he hired out by the month for one year and then farmed for the following five years on his own responsibility. At the end of that period he removed to Crawford county, first locating in Washington township, where he rented a farm of S. H. Peterfish, of Virginia, Illinois, and there for the ensuing sixteen years continued to follow general farming. He then bought the first land purchased on section 24, Union township, it being the southeast quarter of the section, comprising one hundred and sixty acres, upon which he has made all the necessary improvements with the exception of the house.
Mr. Brasel was married in 1889 to Miss Lavinia Anderson, a daughter of Lee W. and Diana Lefeldt (Coundiff) Anderson, both of whom were born in Illinois. They were the parents of ten children, of whom eight are still living, as follows: Lavinia; George William, who lives in Herbig, Illinois; Frances, who became the wife of Charles Redshaw and resides in Schuyler county, Illinois; Charles M., Gilbert. Laura and Henry, who also live in Schuyler county; and Lucy, who is at home with her mother. The death of Mr. Anderson occurred in 1910.
To Mr. and Mrs. Brasel have been born the following ten children: Luther, Edith, Elmer, Leslie, Edna, ZelIa, Nellie, Earl, Mary and Samuel, all of whom make their home under the parental roof.
In politics Mr. Brasel is a stanch republican and fraternally he is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. They are estimable people and enjoy the high regard of a wide circle of friends.
Source: History of Crawford County, Iowa. Vol. II. Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1911.