Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 695
PROF. MARCELLUS A. REED

Prof. Marcellus A. REED, now connected with the Woodbine Normal School has been a resident of Harrison County since 1886, and was identified with the public schools of Dunlap until 1891, when he came to Woodbine.

Mr. REED was born in Orange, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, June 20, 1857, and is the son of Thomas and Caroline (PIERCE) REED, being the oldest of a family of three children--two sons and one daughter. His father spent his life as a farmer and stock-raiser. Our subject first attended the district schools in Trumbull County, to which location his father move when Marcellus was three years old. He remained in the schools there until fourteen years of age. Three years later his parents removed to Garretsville, Portage County. He attended school at the Western Reserve Seminary at West Farmington, and also at Scio College, in Harrison County, attending three years at the last-named place, graduating June 25, 1874, after which he was assistant Principal in the Garretsville High School for five years. He then attended Allegheny College one year, when he was made Principal of the Chardon High School, which position he held for three years and was Superintendent of the Girard Public Schools three years. He then came to Harrison County, Iowa, having been engaged as Superintendent of the Dunlap public schools.

Our subject was untied in marriage November 27, 1885, to Olive M. HARROFF, a native of Canfield, Ohio, born June 18, 1861. Mrs. REED is the daughter of Andrew and Orphy (FLICK) HARROFF. Her father has followed carpentering, building and milling most of his life. Both he and his wife are residents of Canfield, Ohio.

Returning to our subject's father it may said he was born in the county of Donegal, Ireland, in 1823, and sailed for America when a young man. He was the youngest of the family and the first to emigrate to the New World. He was soon followed by two brothers, two sisters, and the mother; the father having died when he was a mere lad. Thomas REED, father of our subject, died at Garretsville, Ohio, in July, 1889.

Our subject and his wife are the parents of two children--Della D., born January 11, 1887, and Harold L., June 29, 1888.

Politically Mr. REED believes in the general principles of the Republican party, and is a stanch supporter of the same.

He is an honorable member of the Hospitable Lodge, No. 243, A. F. & A. M., and Ark Chapter, No. 89, at Dunlap. Both he and his wife are acceptable members of the Congregational Church, of which he has been a member ten years. Mrs. REED was formerly connected with the Christion Church, but upon coming to Harrison County united with the Congregational Church.

As an educator according to the modern methods, there are few superiors to the man of whom we write this sketch, and though yet a young man, he has been eminent in the line of his chosen profession, as the various institutions of learning, in his native State as well as in this county attest. His early life and ambition seemed wrapped up in gaining knowledge and in studying the best methods of imparting the same to others, who shall go out into the busy world as sound thinkers and practical business men and women. It may be said in this connection that he is truly in his proper sphere, as one of the principals of the Woodbine Normal, which is now looked upon as among the best training schools of Western Iowa. He was awarded a life diploma by the Iowa State Board of examiners, in December, 1890, as well as the degree of M. s., by Scio College.

Mrs. REED was educated at the Canfield high School and the Northwestern Ohio Normal School and is a graduate of the first named institution.

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