Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 819
SWART VAN PATTEN

One of the oldest farmers of Harrison County, Iowa, is Swart VAN PATTEN, who came to this county in 1872 and has lived here ever since, with the exception of two years which he spent in Jackson County, Iowa. He has engaged in farming and in the mercantile business in Missouri Valley and has been uniformly successful in all of his ventures. While living in Missouri Valley he has served as councilman and assessor, but has never cared to participate in official life. Mr. VAN PATTEN is one of those high minded and honorable citizens whose lives are an inspiration to others. He is honest and upright in all of his dealings and no man in the county is held in higher esteem by his fellow citizens while his life has been such as to commend him to all with whom he has been associated.

Swart VAN PATTEN, a retired farmer now living in Missouri Valley, was born in Schenectady County, New York, December 7, 1846. He is a son of Francis Philip and Agnes (SWART) VAN PATTEN, both of whom were natives of the same county and state. His father was born November 16, 1821, and died October 2, 1910 at Springfield, Iowa, at the age of eighty nine. His mother died in March 1868.

Francis P. VAN PATTEN followed farming until 1867, and then became connected with the fuel supply department of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company west of the Mississippi River, and continued with this company until about 1875 when he retired from their service and devoted the remainder of his active life to farming. He was married three times. His first wife was Agnes SWART, and to this union seven children were born, five of whom are still living: Swart, of Missouri Valley; Mrs. Alice Stewart of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Mrs. Nellie Kraut of Portland, Oregon, a widow; Mrs. Josie Lucas of Salina, Colorado; and Hattie of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The second wife of Francis P. VAN PATTEN was Emma SHAW, and to this union one son was born, Frederick, who now lives in New York City. There were no children born to his third marriage.

Swart VAN PATTEN lived with his parents in New York state until he was about ten years of age and then removed with them to Cook County, Illinois where he was reared to manhood. He began farming as soon as he was old enough and followed this occupation until 1882. He had married in Illinois, and in 1872 he came to Missouri Valley, Iowa, and farmed in Harrison County until 1882, when he removed to Jackson County, Iowa, and followed wood sawing for two years. In 1884 he moved to Missouri Valley and has made this city his home for the past thirty years. He was engaged in business in this city until 1896 when he sold out and invested his money in farming lands three miles from the city. He spent part of the time in a grocery store and later engaged in the retail meat business. In 1900 Mr. VAN PATTEN and his sons bought the old E. T. Matthews place in Calhoun Township, three miles north of Missouri Valley, but has always maintained his home in Missouri Valley.

Mr. VAN PATTEN was married December 7, 1870, to Maggie ANDERSON, who was born and reared at Constantine, Michigan. They were married at Brickton, Cook County, Illinois, and to this union three children have been born: Cornelius Roman who is a machinist and has been in the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company of Missouri Valley for more than twenty years; Albert, a locomotive engineer with headquarters in Missouri Valley; and William George, who is a traveling salesman for the Simmons Hardware Company, traveling out of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Mr. VAN PATTEN is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Modern Woodmen of America, and in politics he has always given his hearty support to the Democratic party, but has never cared to take an active part in political life. However, his party has prevailed upon him to accept nominations at different times, and his services as councilman and assessor of the city were marked by faithful and conscientious work in behalf of his fellow citizens. He was elected to these offices by a majority of more than two to one over his respective opponents, a fact which shows the high esteem in which he is held in the community. Mr. VAN PATTEN and his wife are loyal members of the Christian Church. For several years, he was a deacon and for two years he held the office of church treasurer of his denomination. Mr. VAN PATTEN is held in highest esteem by his fellow citizens because of the clean and wholesome life he has lived and the purity of his everyday life.

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