St. Charles Township

Ezekiah Blunt    Page 1012
A farmer, section 31, Ezekiah Blunt was born in Green County, Wis., Oct. 14, 1843. His parents were John and Maria (Wells) Blunt, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Wisconsin. His father was for many years a farmer in Wisconsin. The spring of 1852 he removed with his wife and seven children to Floyd County, and located in St. Charles Township. Here he resided till his death, April 26, 1880, respected by all who knew him. Ezekiah, our subject, received only a common school education. He attended the first school taught in Charles City; the teacher Miss Lydia Palmer. Dec 31, 1863, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Macauley, of Pennsylvania. They have six children - Mary C., Charles R., Ezekiah, Jr., Ernest E., Walter C. and Barney. Mr. Blunt is the owned of 293 acres of farming land in Floyd County, most of it under cultivation. Politically he is a Democrat.

A. W. Cook    Page 1013
A. W. Cook, a farmer and fine stock raiser, in section 20, was born in Boston, Mass., Nov. 11, 1811, son of Jesse and Lucretia (Parker) Cook, who were natives of Vermont. His father died while on a voyage to Canton, China, in 1817, his mother soon after, leaving him to care for himself. He resided in Boston, Mass., for a number of years with his uncle, Cephas Parker, after which he went to Rutland, Vt., and there resided some six years; then went to Chautauqua County, N.Y., where he remained until nineteen years of age, at which time he went to New Orleans, and from there to Alabama, residing there some three years; afterward went to Lincoln County, Ky., where he was married to Martha S. Owsley, who was born in Kentucky. They have been blessed with four children, viz.: William H., Jessie, Mollie O., now Mrs. G. W. Bennett, and Dora D. He engaged in farming and dealing in stock in Kentucky for a number of years, after which he moved to Sangamon County, Ill., and engaged in the stock business and farming until 1869; he thensold out and moved to Floyd County, Iowa, where he purchased a beautiful stock farm on Cedar Creek, and has now one of the finest stock and brood farms in Northern Iowa. He was the first to introduce into the State of Iowa the Norman Percheron stock in 1870, and in 1874 he made a trip to France, and imported some of the finest ever brought to America, and has continued each year to renew the stock. In 1882 he imported twenty head, sixteen stallions and four mares, all thoroughbred, and now has some seventy-five on his farm, and also has forty head of fine thoroughbred short horn cattle, which he carefully breeds, and is ready to supply at any time the same to parties wishing good stock. He is the owner of 600 acres of well-improved land where he resides. Politically he is a Democrat.

Klaus H. Cook    Pages 1013 - 1014
Klaus H. Cook (Deceased) was born in Hesse, Germany, Nov. 8, 1818. His parents were Gratt and Annetta (Crumga) Cook, natives of Hesse, where they had a farm. He was married March 31, 1854 to Gesina Freseman, a native of Hesse. She was born Sept. 27, 1826. They have nine children - Garrett, Herbert, Theda (now Mrs. Theodore Bagman), John W., Nettie M. (now Mrs. Abel Veator), Minnie N. (now Mrs. Cramer), Leah (now Mrs. Chris. Bagman), Lena M. and Eliza K.

In 1869 the family emigrated to America, and located in Floyd County. Mr. Cook purchased 320 acres on section 31, St. Charles Township, south of Charles City. Mr. Cook died March 30, 1877, and Mrs. Cook now resides on the homestead with her sons Garrett and John, and her daughters Lena and Eliza.

H. J. Cramer   Page 1014
A farmer, section 25, H. J. Cramer was born in Hanover, Germany, Aug. 15, 1838, and was the son of Remmer and Lena (Cramer) Cramer, natives of Hanover. He came with his parents to America in 1852, and resided with them at Freeport until 1861 when he came to Floyd County. He was married in 1867 to Lucretia B. Fish, a native of Maine and the daughter of N. B. and Nancy Fish. They have one child - Maud. He owns a fine farm of 210 acres, situated two miles south of Charles City. Politically he is a Democrat.

John R. Cramer    Page 1014
A farmer in section 31, south of Charles City, John R. Cramer was born in Hanover, Germany, Aug. 31, 1843. He was the son of Remmer and Lena (Cramer) Cramer, natives of Hanover. They emigrated to American in 1852 with eleven children, seven of whom are living - Hiram J., Remmer R., George W., John R., Schwatuga (now Mrs. Loop), Lena (now Mrs. August Kuhlenmeyer), and Emma (now Mrs. Henry Gates). Mr. Cramer first located at Freeport, Ill., and engaged in farming until 1861 when he removed to Floyd County. He now resides with John R., our subject. The latter received his education in the schools of Freeport, Ill., and was married March 1, 1877, to Minnie Koch, a native of Hanover, Germany, and a daughter of K. H. and Gesinega (Freesman) Koch. She came to America in 1869. They have two children - Henrietta Lena and Herman Remmer. Mr. Cramer owns a fine farm on section 31, which contains 350 acres of land under good cultivation. He owns also 20 acres of timber in Riverton Township. Mr. Cramer is a Democrat.

Ira Dodge    Page 1015
Ira Dodge a farmer in section 35, north of Charles City, was born in Chenango County, N. Y., May 1, 1799. His parents were Solomon and Parkas (Burlingame) Dodge, the former a native of Massachusetts, and the latter of Vermont. They located in Chenango County in 1790, and remained there till their death. Ira, our subject, passed his early years in the common schools, and was married in 1822, to Almira Betts, native of Broome County, N. Y. They have had a family of six children, four now living - William B., Dwight, Eliza (now Mrs. Samuel Lyon), and Harriet (now Mrs. Dues). The three dead are Charlotte, Luellen and Mary. In 1839 Mr. Dodge removed to Pennsylvania, where his wife died in 1848. He was again married in 1851, to Margaret English. They have one daughter - Iantha (now Mrs. F. E. Pierson). They removed to Floyd County in the fall of 1852, locating near Charles City. Here he engaged in farming for many years, but is now retired, living on the homestead with his daughter. When Mr. Dodge came here, the only two families in Charles City were the Blunts and Kellys. Politically he is a Republican.

William Jung    Pages 1016 - 1017
Farmer, section 12, was born in Hesse, Germany, Sept. 5, 1851. His parents were John and Katrina (Brandan) Jung, who emigrated to America in 1869, and located in Cook County, Ill., where they still reside. William was married in 1876 to Mrs. Katherine (Blankenbach) Sipple, in Chicago. She had by her first marriage three children - Conrad, Henry and Martha. Mr. and Mrs. Jung have three children - William, Emily and Belan. In the spring of 1882 he rented his farm in Cook County and came to Floyd County. He has a fine farm of eighty acres of land in St. Charles Township. Mr. Jung is a consistent member of the German Methodist church. Politically he is a Republican.

David Lonergan    Page 1018
A Farmer, in section 31, David Lonergan was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, Aug. 28, 1826. His parents were David and Mary (Quirk) Lonergan, natives of the same county. They emigrated to America in 1840, locating in Utica, N. Y. There they resided about a year and a half. Thence they removed Waukesha County, Wis., and resided there until 1846. Going to Washington County, Wis., Mr. Lonergan died, and Mrs. Lonergan removed to Fond du Lac County, Wis. David, our subject, was married in 1858 to Sarah Jane Rich. In 1864 they removed to Floyd County, Ia., where they have since resided, engaged in farming. He owns 220 acres of land, under high cultivation. They have eight children - John M., Margaret A., Mary, Harriet, Martha, Edwin, Nellie and David A. Mr. Lonergan is politically a Greenbacker, and religiously is a member of the Catholic church.

John Martzon    Pages 1018 - 1019
John Martzon was born in Germany on Dec. 20, 1820. He was a son of Michael and Mary Catharinea Martzon, both natives of Germany. Mr. John Martzon came to America when he was about thirty-five years of age, locating in Dubuque, Ia., where he remained three years engaged in teaming principally. In 1856 he became a citizen of Floyd County. He rented land in Union Township the first three years. At the end of this time he bought eighty acres where he still resides, on section 31, St. Charles Township. To his first purchase he added five eighty acres pieces. Mr. Martzon was married in Floyd County in 1856, to Miss Barbara Swick, a native of Germany. They have six children - Mary (married Charles Sylvester, and resides in Charles City), John, Anna, George, Lewis and Mike. The five younger children are all at home. The father and mother and all the children are members of the Catholic church.

James McKinney    Page 1019
James McKinney, of Section 30, was born Aug. 4, 1844, in Washington County, N. Y. His parents were John and Florida (Wells) McKinney, natives of Ireland. They emigrated to America in 1830, and now reside in Salem County, N. Y. The subject of this memoir passed his early life in the common schools of New York, and he also learned to be a painter and machinist.

He was married April 7, 1868 to Florence Odbert. They have two children - Augusta F. and Burton J. Mrs. McKinney died Aug. 28, 1871, and soon afterward Mr. McKinney came to Charles City. He was married to Mary Kellogg, May 15, 1874, whose acquaintance he formed here. They have had four children - Harvey J., Arthur H. Evelyn J., and Nellie R.

Mr. McKinney is a farmer by occupation, but is also a painter, carpenter and machinist. He is a highly respected man.

George Mitchell    Page 1019
George Mitchell, of Maple Grove Creamery and Stock Farm, section 24, south of Charles City, was born in Delaware County, N. Y., Nov. 3, 1823. His parents were David and Sarah (Dibble) Mitchell, the former a native of Nashua County, Conn., and the latter of Washington County, Mass. They removed to Delaware County in an early day and resided there on a farm until their death.

Of their family of nine children, the youngest was 50 years of age before any of them died. He father died in 1840, and the mother at the age of 90 in 1876. George, our subject, attended the common schools and an academy in Delaware County, N. Y., and was married in Connecticut in 1839, to Julia Hough. By this marriage there were two children - David H. and Emily.

In 1853 he removed to Calhoun County, Mich., where his wife died in 1857. He was again married, to Esther M. Cook, a native of Michigan. They resided there on a farm until 1865 when they removed to Floyd County. Mr. Mitchell has a large farm, well improved and stocked, of 540 acres. In connection with his farm is the Maple Grove Creamery, in which he makes as fine butter as is made in Iowa. He has a hundred cattle, forty of them milch cows, and as many hogs. Mr. Mitchell is one of the most highly respected men in the county, and is in every sense a representative man. He is politically a Republican. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell are members of the Congregational church.

Edwin M. Smith    Page 1020
Edwin M. Smith, born in Jefferson County, N. Y., Dec. 28, 1832, is a son of Thomas Smith, a native of New Hampshire. In 1844 he came West with his parents to Columbus, Wis., and in 1867 came to this county. He was married in March 1860 to Elizabeth, daughter of William Rosenkrans. Of their two children, one is living - Irwin G. Mrs. Smith died in 1872, and in July 1874 he married Mrs. Katie Lewis nee Kelley.

He resides on section 23, St. Charles Township, and is engaged in farming and stock raising. He owns 180 acres of fine land.