Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 790
STONEWALL JACKSON MOTZ

One of the leading young farmers of Taylor township, Harrison county, Iowa, is Stonewall Jackson MOTZ, who has spent his whole career in this county. After receiving a good education he settled down to the life of a farmer and now owns two hundred and forty acres of well-improved land in Taylor township, where he is living. He is progressive in everything he undertakes and the success which has attended his efforts thus far indicates that he will one day be one of the most substantial men of his community. He is one of the many young men who have attended college and then engaged in farming, and it is a hopeful sign to see an ever increasing number of young men who are not lured away from the farm on account of college education. Mr. MOTZ has taken a prominent part in the history of his community and is justly looked upon as one of its representative members.

Stonewall Jackson MOTZ, the son of George W. and Marinda (MILLS) MOTZ, was born on October 29, 1878, in Clay township, Harrison county, Iowa. His father was born on October 3, 1856, in Magnolia township in this county, a son of Jeremiah and Leah D. (KAYWOOD) MOTZ, natives of Pennsylvania and Indiana, respectively. Jeremiah MOTZ and wife were married in Indiana in 1850, and in the spring of 1853 located in Harrison county, Iowa, where they spent the remainder of their lives.

George W. MOTZ was reared to maturity in this county and was married on October 11, 1877, to Marinda MILLS, who was born in Warren county, Indiana, a daughter of Wesley and Mary J. (Cassidy) MILLS. The MILLS family came to Iowa in 1866 and in 1874 located in Harrison county. George W. MOTZ and wife are the parents of nine children, five of whom are still living. The reader is referred to the biographical sketch of George W. MOTZ, presented elsewhere in this volume, for further details concerning the family history.

Stonewall J. MOTZ is the oldest of the children born to his parents. He received a good common school and high school education at Modale and during the winter he was twenty-three years of age he attended Highland Park College at Des Moines, Iowa. He remained at home until he was married, after which he began farming for himself in Clay township and three years ago moved to his present farm of two hundred and forty acres of land in section 2 and 3 in Taylor township, on which he has placed many extensive improvements. It is safe to say that few farmers in the county have met with a greater measure of success than he, considering the time which he has been working for himself. He annually feeds about one car load of cattle and one car load of hogs for the markets, feeding most of his grain to his live stock.

Mr. MOTZ was married on January 4, 1905, to Mary E. SMITH, who was born in Johnson county, Nebraska, a daughter of George M. and Sarah A. (MCGREW) SMITH. Her parents came to Harrison county about 1894 and are still living in the county. Mr. and Mrs. MOTZ are the parents of three children, Freddie, born on August 16, 1908; Guy, born on September 16, 1910, and Linnie, born on August 17, 1912.

Mr. MOTZ is a Democrat and has served as assessor of Clay township. Mrs. MOTZ is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and while Mr. MOTZ is not an active member, he gives his support to this denomination. He is well informed on the current issues of the day and takes an active and intelligent interest in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community in which he resides.

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