Biographical and Historical Record of Ringgold and Decatur Counties, Iowa, (Lewis Publishing Company (1887)), pp. 560-62:

"IGNACE HAINER is a native of Hungary, Europe, a Hungarian exile, and one of the earliest pioneers of Decatur County, Iowa. He was born of genteel parentage, and in Hungary received a liberal and military education, becoming a lawyer, and being admitted to the bar of all the courts of his native country. He was also an active worker for the leading Hungarian journal edited by the greatest Hungarian patriot, Louis Kossuth; but both his law practice and his career as a journalist were of short duration, being interrupted by the National uprising and the great war for independence in his country in 1848-'49. He naturally joined the National cause, and became a member of the staff of General Count Casimir Batthyanyi, the foremost cavalier of the highest aristocracy of Hungary, who cast their all in the scales for the welfare, liberty and independence of their country. In this capacity, acting as Adjutant-General with Count Batthyanyi, he went through the campaigns of 1848, and the winter of 1849, and in the spring of the latter year, when the great National cause, by the destruction of several invading Austrian armies, became victorious, and the National Independence was safe without the intervention of Russia, and a new ministry (cabinet) was formed under Louis Kossuth for the free and independent country, Count Casimir Batthyanyi became the Secretary of State (Minister of Foreign Affairs), and Ignace Hainer acted as his secretary. But this, too, was a summer night's dream. In the latter part of the summer of 1849, through the unwarrantable intervention of Russia, the just cause of Hungary became the lost cause, and the subject of this sketch, an Austrian prisoner. By the kind intervention of some powerful friends the subject of this sketch was liberated from the Austrian prison and became an exile, immigrating to this country in the world -- the home of the free, the land of the brave. For a year he lived in Chicago, the Queen of the West, in order to become better acquainted with the language, laws, manners and customs of this country, and in the year 1854 Ignace Hainer removed thence to Iowa, and settled in Decatur County on the so-called Hungarian Reserve in New Buda Township, thus following his countrymen who had come before him, and became a pioneer of Decatur County. In the year 1858 the Hungarian settlers in Decatur County, Iowa, petitioned Congress that settlers could enter, and buy their reserved lands, and so become the owners in fee simple of their homesteads; petition being granted by act of Congress they became free holders and with them the subject of this sketch also. In the fall of 1856 Ignace Hainer went with a fellow pioneer and two ox teams to Princeton, Missouri, twenty-five miles, to get corn meal for winter use for the settlement. It being the time of the Presidential election, and also district court in Princeton, the town and hotels were crowded with people. The pioneers after traveling twenty-five miles on foot in drizzling rain, and getting wet and muddy, hardly dared to take front seats at the table d' hote; the back seats being already occupied, the presiding judge kindly urged them to take seats by him, which were accepted with embarrassment. Hearing they were Hungarian settlers from New Buda, a lively conversation followed about the Hungarian settlement, about Louis Kossuth, then in high popularity with Americans, and about the Hungarian war for independence. Perceiving from the conversation thus entered that Ignace Hainer was something beside an ox-teamster he was asked if he knew French, and being answered in the affirmative was asked if he also knew German to which question he again answered in the affirmative. They then told him that just such a man as he was needed in the State University of Missouri at Columbia, and asked him if he would not accept the professorship of modern languages of said university, then vacant, and this question being also answered in the affirmative they assured him that without any further steps he would receive a call from the proper authorities to assume the professorship of modern languages of said university, and so it happened. After the January meeting of the regency of the university he received the appointment and assumed the duties of his office, and as Saul, the son of Kish, according to old Bible history, went in search of his father's asses, and found not the asses but a kingdom, so the ox-teamster found not only his corn grist but a professorship in a State University, a thing which can only happen in this glorious, free, enlightened, unprejudiced country. Ignace Hainer retained his position in the university for five years to the greatest satisfaction of patrons and students who presented him with due ceremonies with a gold-headed cane, appropriately engraved, in recognition of their love and gratitude. When the civil war broke out the Missouri State University was closed, and Ignace Hainer, not wishing to take sides in arms, returned again to his farm in New Buda Township, Decatur County, Iowa, and there he mainly engaged in farming, but the confidence, trust and love of his fellow-citizens heaped him with all kinds of offices of public trust. So he acted many times in Decatur County as public school teacher, preacher, school director, township clerk, assessor, justice of the peace for many terms, a member of the United States Grand Jury, delegate and chairman to township and county conventions, deputy county clerk and deputy county treasurer, and last but not least United States Postmaster of New Buda Township for ten years during Grant's whole administration, and a part of President Hayes's. Only in 1880, when he went for a long visit to Europe, he resigned this position, whereupon the postmastership of New Buda Township was discontinued, and at his advice was transferred to Davis City, the latter place being near a railroad depot. In the year 1885 Mr. Hainer again visited Europe and his native country, Hungary, returning to this country in the summer of 1886. Having crossed the Atlantic Ocean five times, and many times several seas in Europe, he is thought to be the most seafaring man in Decatur County. He has reared a large family in Decatur County, and to all of his children has endeavored to give a good education. Of his six living children, the eldest, Eugene, is a lawyer, and president of his own bank, the Farmers' and Merchants', at Aurora, Hamilton County, Nebraska; Julius, a medical doctor, and Professor of Physics and Mathematics at the State of Iowa Agricultural College at Ames, Story County, Iowa; Bayard is studying law at the Union College of Law of the University of Chicago, Illinois; the eldest daughter, Hermine, is the wife of the county superintendent of Carroll County, Iowa, at Arcadia; Norma is assistant principal in the high school at Aurora, Nebraska, and Vesta, the youngest, is yet attending high school."

(Submitted to the Decatur County GenWeb site by Christy Jay, email: Jaygenie@aol.com)