Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 584
ALBERT A. GREENE

The best title one can establish to the high and generous esteem of an intelligent community is a protracted and honorable residence therein. Albert A. GREENE, the subject of this short biographical sketch, has spent the last quarter of a century as a citizen of Harrison county, Iowa, and because of his earnest and consistent life, the attention he has given to public matters and his high attainments in his special line of endeavor, he has earned the sincere respect and good opinion of all who know him.

Mr. GREENE is a Canadian by birth, having first seen the light of day on December 25, 1865, in Kent county, Ontario. His parents were James W. and Martha (BEARSS) GREENE, the father a native of Yorkshire, England, who was brought to Kent county by his parents in 1831, when he was but four years of age. It was in Kent county he passed the years of his boyhood and young manhood, attending the schools of that vicinity and receiving from his father, who was a careful farmer, excellent instructions in the secrets of successful husbandry. He chose his wife from the young ladies of his community in 1855. In 1884 he left the Dominion and came to the States, where he secured a tract of government land in Cheyenne county, Nebraska, and set himself the task of improving it and making a comfortable home thereon. He remained there until 1898 when he disposed of his holdings and went to Detroit, Michigan, where his death occurred in 1911. The wife had passed away the year after they settled in Detroit. James W. GREENE gave all the active years of his manhood to the vocation of farming and succeeded quite well. Both himself and wife were devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church and in that faith reared their family of six children. Of the family, L. S., the eldest, is a bookkeeper in Detroit, Michigan; A. W. is a photographer located in Los Angeles, California; L. H. is a blacksmith in the same city, and the immediate subject of this sketch is the fourth child in order of birth. E. W. is a farmer located in this county about three miles north of Missouri Valley and Alberta May, the only daughter of the family, resides at Monmouth, Oregon.

When a youth, Albert A. GREENE received but a common school education, as afforded by the schools of Kent county, Ontario, and remained under the parental roof until the age of twenty-five. By that time the family was living in Nebraska, and Mr. GREENE's first independent business venture was the farming of a tract of land in Cheyenne county, Nebraska, where he remained until 1890.

On December 23, 1891, Mr. GREENE was united in marriage with Minnie B. HATCHER, daughter of F. M. HATCHER, a farmer of St. Johns township, this county, and who originally came here from Indiana, in which state Mrs. GREENE was born. After his marriage, and until 1906, Mr. GREENE farmed rented lands in St. Johns township, and in the year mentioned he purchased the one hundred and twenty acre tract of land located in section 25 of that township and known as the Charles LANGER place. Since making this purchase he has given the best of thought and effort to his farm until at present time almost all of it is in an excellent state of cultivation, besides which he has made many improvements to buildings, etc. He carries on general farming as practiced throughout this section and also derives no small profit from the small fruits to which he gives considerable attention.

Mr. GREENE is one of those men who believe that whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well, and with this thought in mind he has made for himself the reputation of one of the best and most thorough farmers of this section. Fully appreciating his duties as a citizen of this great commonwealth, he endeavors to discharge such responsibilities as devolve upon him with the same thoroughness he gives to private matters. He has served on the school board for several years and is an active member of the Harrison County Fair Association, having served that body as director for three years and has also been superintendent of grounds for the past two years. Politically, he is a Republican, and although having no aspirations to public office for himself, he is always keenly alive to the fact that the right man in the right place counts for much, and governs himself accordingly. He holds his religious membership in the Christian church, giving liberally to its support. His fraternal affiliations are held with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America, and he is also a Yeoman and a Homesteader of Missouri Valley in addition to being a member of the Commercial Club of Missouri Valley, and the Union Farmers' Club. In all the relations of life, Mr. GREENE has proved himself a worthy man in every respect and, being honorable and upright in all his dealings with his fellowmen, it is no wonder that he is held in such high esteem by all who know him. He is a most genial and interesting man to meet, readily makes friends and retains them by virtue of his sterling worth. He is a wide-awake man of affairs and well posted on current events, especially such things as relate to the advancement of any phase of the life of his community.

Mr. and Mrs. GREENE are the parents of a family of three children, namely: Mae R., LeRoy and Glenn, and the entire family is considered as among the representative citizens of this county.

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