AARON A. COZAD

Although he has retired from work of the farm Aaron A. Cozad of Pleasanton, is still actively engaged in business, taking contracts for cement work. He is also one of the owners of the Pleasanton Telephone Company. His birth occurred on the 16^th of February, 1845, in Indiana, and he is a son of Alice and Emeline (Swank) Cozad, natives respectively of Virginia and Ohio. The father removed to Indiana in an early day and there engaged in farming until November, 1854, when he emigrated to Decatur county, Iowa, with his family, entering eighty acres of land in Morgan township. He began improving his farm and devoted his time and energies to its operation until his demise, which occurred in 1868. His widow survived for many years, dying in 1901.

Aaron A. Cozad was a child of nine years when he accompanied his parents on their removal to this county and he acquired the greater part of his education in the local district school. He remained at home with his mother and gave his time to the operation of the home farm until he was twenty-five years of age. He then rented land, which he cultivated until 1877, when he purchased eighty acres on section 24, Hamilton township. As soon as possible he cleared his place and made improvements thereon and as his resources increased he purchased additional land, becoming the owner of two hundred acres, which he operated until 1895. He then rented his farm and removed to Pleasanton, where he purchased a good residence. However, he was unable to live in idleness and turned his attention to the cement business, specializing in the building of sidewalks. He is still so engaged and has done much work of that character in Pleasanton. He and John Painter are the sole owners of the local telephone company, known as the Pleasanton Telephone Company, and this concern is in a very prosperous condition.

In April, 1871, occurred the marriage of Mr. Cozad and Miss Elizabeth Gammill, a daughter of James and Ann (Clark) Gammill, who were born respectively in Pennsylvania and Ohio. They settled in Decatur county in 1852 and the father farmed here until his demise in 1885. The mother died in 1892. To Mr. And Mrs. Cozad was born a daughter, Hattie, who is now a stenographer in the Methodist Hospital at Des Moines, Iowa. In January, 1903, Mr. Cozad married Mrs. Hattie Hutchison, a daughter of Frank and Elizabeth (Dreese) Walker, natives of Indiana and pioneers of Mercer count, Missouri, where they arrived in 1852. The father followed farming during the remainder of his life, passing away in October 1914. The mother survived until March, 1915. By her previous marriage Mrs. Cozad has three children: Francis, a resident of Minneapolis, Minnesota; Elsie, the wife of Sherman Kindred, who is living in Colorado; and Otto, a farmer of this county.

Mr. Cozad is a republican and throughout his life has manifested much genuine concern for the public welfare. During the Civil war he gave indisputable proof of his patriotism by serving in the Union army, being a member of Company K, Thirty-ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted from Leon when seventeen years of age and served for three years. He was taken prisoner at Allatoona, Georgia, and was held for three months. He keeps in touch with his comrades of former days through his membership in the Grand Army of the Republic and fraternally he is identified with the Masonic order. His religious faith is that of the Christian Union church. Energy and sound judgment have always characterized Mr. Cozad and in his life he has achieved much, not only gaining financial independence, but also aiding in the development of his county along both material and moral lines.