NORTHWESTERN

 IOWA

ITS HISTORY AND TRADITIONS

1804-1926

B

C. B.  Bailey

One of the enterprising and progressive merchants of Dickens, Clay county, is Charlton B. Bailey, who has for many years been operating a lumber yard at that place and in an active way has had a part in the upbuilding of the community.  Mr. Bailey was born at Burlington, Vermont, on the 20th of August, 1869, and is a son of William and Alma (Wells) Bailey, both of whom were natives of that state.  In 1870 they came to Iowa, locating in Clay county, where the father engaged in farming for many years.  He and his wife are now deceased.  To them were born five children, as follows:  William and Gertrude, deceased; Charlton B.; Edward H., of Cairo, Illinois; and Thomas W., who occupies and operates the old home farm in this county.

Charlton B. Bailey was reared to the life of a farmer and secured his education in the public schools.  When twenty-eight years old he engaged in farming on rented land but later went to Royal, Iowa, where he was employed in lumber yards for eight years.  In 1908 he bought a lumber yard at Dickens, which he has conducted to the present time and in which he has met with pronounced success.  He carries a large and complete line of all grades of lumber such as is demanded by the local trade, and his prompt and accommodating service has gained for him a large business.

On March 16, 1908, Mr. Bailey was united in marriage to Miss Dora Dumkrie, who is a native of Iowa.  Mr. Bailey supports the republican party in politics and has been active in local public affairs, having served as a member of the school board.  Fraternally he is a Mason and an Odd Fellow, while his religious membership is with the Congregational church.  His integrity and fidelity have been manifested in every relation of life and none more than he deserves the respect which is accorded him by his fellowmen throughout this locality.

Peter Balkema

Following the example of many well known lawyers, Peter Balkema utilized educational work as a stepping-stone to his success in the legal profession and his industry and ability have placed him with the leading members of the Sioux City bar.  He was born April 1, 1888, in Sioux County, Iowa, and is of Holland Dutch stock.  He is a son of Albert and Everdene (Hyink) Belkema, the former of whom migrated from Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to Iowa and purchased a farm in Sioux county.

Peter Belkema attended the public schools of Orange City, Iowa, and the Northwestern Classical Academy of that place.  He next matriculated at Buena Vista College of Storm Lake, Iowa, from which he received the A. B. degree in 1907, and for a year was superintendent of schools at Ireton.  In 1908 he took the civil service examination, which he passed with high honors, and was appointed traveling supervisor of public school teachers in the Philippine islands.  He acted in that capacity for two years and on his return to the United States entered the law department of the University of Michigan, from which he won the degree of J. D. in 1913.  After his graduation he came to Sioux City and for three years was associated with the law firm of Shull-Gill-Sammis & Stilwill.  Mr. Balkema has practiced under his own name since 1916 and has enjoyed a large and lucrative clientele.  He is well versed in the fundamental principles of jurisprudence and has correctly applied his knowledge to the points in litigation.  An able advocate, he has won a large percentage of his cases.  Since January 1, 1926, he has been retained and is now acting as legal counsel for the Tolerton & Warfield Company and its allied houses and interests.

At Storm Lake, Iowa, in 1914, Mr. Balkema was married to Miss Oma Foster, a daughter of W. D. and Mattie A. Foster and of Scotch, Irish and Dutch descent.  Her father spent his early life in Illinois and afterward resided in Pocahontas, Iowa, moving to Storm Lake about 1908.  Mr. and Mrs. Balkema have two children:  Dean W., who was born October 24, 1919; and Ruth L., born October 26, 1921.  Mr. Balkema's interest centers in his profession and his connection with social or fraternal organizations is limited to membership in Sioux City Lodge, No. 112, of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks.  In politics Mr. Balkema is a republican, and in church activities a Presbyterian, in which connection he is a trustee of Buena Vista College of Storm Lake, Iowa.  Mr. Balkema is a past president and member of the Sioux City Bar Association and a member of the Iowa State and the American Bar Associations.  Earnest, purposeful and studious, he is steadily advancing in his chosen vocation and the respect accorded him is well deserved.

Scott Barber

After a long, active and useful career, Scott Barber is now retired and is spending the golden sunset years of his life in his comfortable home in Scranton.  He played his full part in the settlement and development of Greene county, of which he has been an honored resident for over sixty years, and no citizen of this community enjoys greater confidence and respect.  Mr. Barber was born in Rutland county, Vermont, on the 5th of December, 1837, and is s a son of Jervis and Susan (Humphrey) Barber, both of whom were natives of Connecticut and the former of whom became a well known farmer of Middletown, Vermont.  He is the scion of old colonial stock, his paternal grandfather, Russell Barber, having been with General Putnam on his famous march to Ticonderoga in pre-Revolutionary days.

Scott Barber attended the public schools and an academy at Wyoming, New York, in which state he afterward located.  The rebellion of the southern states aroused his patriotism and on August 12, 1862, he enlisted, at East Bloomfield, New York, in Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-sixth Regiment, New York Volunteer Infantry, with which he rendered faithful service until May 27, 1865, being promoted to corporal, and then to sergeant.  He took part in many of the most important battles and campaigns of that great struggle, including the battles of Maryland Heights, Harper's Ferry and Gettysburg, and at the battle of Auburn Ford he was severely wounded.  The bullet entered the front of his body on the left side, cut off a rib and passed through to the right side, where it lodged just under the skin.  It was cut out and is still in Mr. Barber's possession.  he recovered nicely from this wound, and on his discharge, at the close of the war, he returned to New York state.

In October, 1865, Mr. Barber came to Greene county, Iowa, and engaged in teaching school for two terms.  With the money thus earned, he bought forty acres of raw prairie land in section 17, Kendrick township, on which he erected a typical log cabin of that day, and then entered upon the task of developing a farm.  In the course of time he had a splendid homestead, where he carried on general farming, and also gave considerable attention to stock raising.  As he prospered he bought other land, becoming the owner of one hundred and sixty acres in one body in Kendrick township.  In recent years he has sold all of this and now owns three hundred and twenty acres of fine land in Montana, which he homesteaded in 1914.  In 1873 Mr. Barber moved to the town of Scranton and for twelve years was engaged in the mercantile business, in which also he was successful, and then traded the store for seventy-three acres in section 2, Scranton township, where he developed a splendid orchard.  This land also he has since sold.  He owns a comfortable and attractive home in Scranton, where his is now living.

In 1866 Mr. Barber married Mrs. John Piles, nee Mary F. Miller, who was born in Indiana, from which state she came with her parents, Dr. James P. and Rachel (Lane) Miller, to Greene county in 1855.  The entire family came across the plains, with ox teams, cows and ponies, bringing their household goods, and settled in Kendrick township, where the parents spent the remaining years of their lives, Dr. Miller dying September 21, 1881, and his wife March 12, 1895.  The Doctor was born in Maryland December 3, 1809, and throughout his active life was a medical practitioner, riding over the country on his horse, sometimes when the weather was so cold that he almost perished.  Rachel (Lane) Miller was born on the ocean January 8, 1809, while her parents were en route to this country from England.  Dr. and Mrs. Miller were the parents of ten children, five of whom died when young.  At the time of their coming to this section of Iowa conditions were extremely primitive and they were compelled to go seventy miles to Des Moines to do their trading, as well as to get their mail and market their crops.  Mary F. Miller was first married to John Piles, who died in 1866, leaving her with four children, namely:  Nancy J., who became the wife of Albert Jenks; Rachel E., who married George Rosa; Florence E., the wife of P. N. Williams; and Floyd M.  To Mr. and Mrs, Barber were born three children, as follows:  Susan E., who became the wife of J. A. Sexton; Jervis, who died in 1886; and Russell R. who married Edna Lathrop.

Politically Mr. Barber was always given his support to the republican party and has taken an interest in local public affairs.  He served several years as township trustee and was also a member of the council.  Always deeply interested in the educational affairs of his community, he rendered effective and appreciated service as a member of the school board.  He has long been a member of N. H. Powers Post, No. 111, Grand Army of the Republic, at Scranton, and his religious connection is with the Baptist church, of which he has always been a generous supporter.  He has been true and loyal in every relation of life and consistent in motive and action.  He has stood for those things which tend to the betterment of the community along all lines and has enjoyed to the fullest measure the confidence and esteem of his fellowmen.

F. M. Barnard

The death of a man of enterprise, ability and public spirit is always a loss to his community, and of this type was Francis M. Barnard, for many years a leader in business circles of Spencer.  He was born October 1, 1852, in Lyons, New York, and his parents, George W. and Harriet (Gilkey) Barnard, were also natives of the Empire state.  To their union were born three children, all of whom are deceased.

Mr. Barnard was educated in the east and in 1869, when  a youth of seventeen, responded to the call of the west, coming to Iowa.  For about eight years he was identified with the newspaper business at Ackley and in 1881 purchased the Spencer Reporter, which he conducted for eighteen years.  He made the paper a valuable news medium, devoted to the best interests of the locality, and as the years passed the Reporter grew steadily in popular favor as a result of his personal influence.  On retiring from the field of journalism Mr. Barnard turned his attention to the real estate business, with which he was connected until his death in September, 1891.  He was a sagacious, farsighted business man whose word was always to be relied upon, and many important property transfers were effected through his agency.

On March 1, 1880, Mr. Barnard married Miss Grace A. Phelps, a native of Wisconsin, and a daughter of Dwight and Addie A. (Wheeler) Phelps, both of whom were born in Syracuse, New York.  Mr. and Mrs. Phelps were the parents of four children:  Isa L., the wife of Thomas Hill, of Spring Green, Wisconsin; Jennie M., who married C. A./ Daley and is living in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Grace A.; and Edward D., deceased.  To Mr. and Mrs. Barnard were born five children:  George W. and Charles D., who make their home in Clay county; Jennie L. and Addie W., who died in fancy; and Francis M., also a resident of Clay county.

Mr. Barnard cast his ballot for the candidates of the republican party and was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.  Along fraternal lines he was identified with the Masonic order, the Knights of Pythias and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.  He always supported moral interests, fair dealing and constructive measures, and was a force for good in the community, enjoying to the full the respect and confidence of his fellowmen.

F. M. Barringer

Emmet P. Barringer, of Ruthven, has long been identified with the general business interests of this section of the state and is widely known as one of its leading financiers, being president of the Farmers' Savings Bank.  Equally noted as a citizen whose useful career has conferred credit on his community and whose marked abilities and sterling qualities have won for him much more than local repute, he holds distinctive precedence as one of the most progressive men who have ever inaugurated and carried to successful consummation large and important undertakings in this locality.  He was born in Big Springs, Adams county, Wisconsin, on the 6th of April, 1857, and is a son of Peter E. and Amanda (Ward) Barringer, the former born in New York state, while the latter was a native of Ohio.  In 1873 they left Big Springs, Wisconsin, and came to Iowa, settling in Palo Alto county, about four miles east of Ruthven.  The mother died on that farm in 1891, and the father was later married to Miss Mary Pease.  Soon afterwards they moved to Ruthven, where the father died in 1909, at the age of eighty-six years.

Emmet P. Barringer received his education in the district schools of Wisconsin, and in 1872 came to Iowa, preceding his parents one year.  He worked on the Palo Alto farm during the summers and attended school during the winters.  In 1874 he entered the Emmetsburg high school, attending two years.  After the first term, he took up teaching and taught fourteen terms of school.  In 1887 he spent six months as land inspector for the American Investment Company of Emmetsburg, and in December of that year was appointed deputy county treasurer, in which position he served two years.  In 1892 he was elected county supervisor and was twice re-elected to the office, resigning during the last year of his third term in order to run for the legislature.  He was elected in one of the hardest-fought district fights ever seen in the state.  Mr. Barringer ran on the straight republican ticket and was opposed by a free-silver republican and a free-silver democrat, over whom he had a plurality of over six hundred, while he also ran far ahead of his ticket.  Prior to this he had served four years as chairman of the republican county committee.  While in the legislature, he became one of the incorporators of the American Life Insurance Company, of Des Moines, of which he was made vice president, in which position he served for many years.

In 1902 Mr. Barringer, in company with M. L. Brown, of Emmetsburg, went into Saskatchewan, Canada, and bought thirty thousand acres of land, after which they formed a corporation, the American Colonization Company, of which he was made vice president and general manager.  The company was incorporated for a millon dollars and had a paid-up capital of one hundred and ninety-two thousand dollars.  They were successful in this enterprise and continued to buy and sell land until they had bought over fifty-six thousand acres.  In 1909 this corporation was dissolved and the Brown & Barringer Syndicate, organized for the purpose, took over the holdings and are still conducting the business.  In 1892 Mr. Barringer became identified with the banking business of Palo Alto county, founding the Ruthven Savings Bank, of which he was elected president.  In 1894 a private bank at Ayrshire failed and Mr. Barringer was appointed assignee.  Immediately thereafter, in association with M. L. Brown, he opened a private bank at that place, and in 1896 it was incorporated as the First National Bank of Ayrshire.  Mr. Barringer was the cashier of this bank for several years and is still a member of its board of directors.  He also served one year as a director of the First National Bank of Emmetsburg.  In later years he opened a private bank in Ruthven but it was later incorporated as the Farmers SAvings Bank, since which time he has been its president.  About 1918 Mr. Barringer became actively identified with the Ancient Order of United Workmen of Iowa and became chairman of the finance committee of the grand lodge, in which position he has served continuously to the present time.  Two years after assuming that position, he was elected a member of the board of director of the farm loan board and is the holder of extensive landed interests in California and other places.

Mr. Barringer was married in 1882 to Miss Margaret G. Ruthven, and to them were born three children:  Orie Irene; Ray E., who is a farmer in Palo Alto county;  and Harold E., also a farmer of this county.  On April 8, 1918, Mr. Barringer was married to Mrs. Della Karsch.  He is a member of Highland Lodge, A. F. & A. M.; Earnest Chapter, No. 152, R. A. M.; Ruthven Lodge, I. O. O. F.; and Esterville Lodge, B. P. O. E.  His activities have been most varied in character.  His extensive business interests are but the legitimate outcome of consecutive effort, directed and controlled by good judgment.  Strong mental powers and an invincible courage have so entered into his makeup as to render him a dominating power in the business world and a leader of men in important enterprises.  He has not only been interested in the advancement of his individual affairs, but his influence has also been felt in a very definite way in the advancement of the community which has so long been honored by his citizenship.

Cris Baur

One of the well remembered and highly esteemed citizens of Ida county of a past generation who performed exceptionally well his allotted task and then fell serenely into the sleep that knows no waking was Cris Baur, than whom it would have been hard to find a more whole-souled, high-minded, public-spirited man in his community.  Of honest motives, consistent conduct and kindliest feelings toward all, he won for himself a host of loyal friends, who today revere his memory.

Mr. Baur was a native of Germany, born on the 16th of May, 1859, and his death occurred at his home here December 4, 1918, at the age of fifty-nine.  In 1862, when about three years of age, he was brought to the United States, the family locating in Illinois, where they lived about five years.  They then moved to Sac county, Iowa, where our subject completed his public school education and was reared to the life of a farmer.  In 1881 he came to Ida county, Iowa, and bought a tract of land, to the improvement and cultivation of which he thereafter devoted himself.  He was untiring in his efforts and indomitable in his purpose and in the course of time developed the place splendidly, the improvements including the erection of a fine set of farm buildings.  At the time of his death he was the owner of five hundred and sixty acres of valuable farm land and was regarded as one of the most substantial farmers of his section of the county.  He was a democrat in his political views and was a faithful communicant of the Roman Catholic church.

On November 8, 1881, Mr. Baur was united in marriage to Miss Katherine Henkel, who is a native of Illinois and a daughter of Christopher and Mary Ann (Walter) Henkel.  Her parents were natives of Germany, who came to the United States in 1843, locating first in Chicago, where they remained about five years, at the end of which time they came to Lee county, Iowa where both spent their remaining years.  To this worthy couple were born the following children:  Katharine, wife of the subject of this sketch; George and Elizabeth, both of whom are deceased; Julia and Andrew, twins, the latter of whom is deceased, while Julia is the wife of Jacob Anchsletter, of Lee county, Iowa, and Adam, deceased.

To Mr. and Mrs. Baur were born ten children, as follows:  Jacob, of Ida county; Adam, deceased; Frank, deceased; Otto, of Odebolt; Elizabeth, deceased; William, who is engaged in the operation of the home farm; Frances, the wife of Raymond Wentz, of Randolph, Nebraska;  Burnett, at home; George, deceased; and Cecelia, who is married and lives in St. Louis, Missouri.

P. T. Beardsley

Paul T. Beardsley, a veteran of World war, is now serving for the third term as sheriff of Woodbury county.  His a past officer of Monahan Post, American Legion, having served one term as post adjutant, and one term as vice commander.  During the period that Mr. Beardsley was an officer of Monahan Post he founded the Monahan Post News, a monthly publication thereof, inaugurated a system of bookkeeping for the post and was very active in the organization work of the Monahan Post Band.  He went with this band on its first trip to a national convention, at Kansas City, at which time it participated in the band contest and took third prize, later taking so many first prizes at national conventions that it has become one of the most famous bands in the United States.

Mr. Beardsley was born May 31, 1895, at Duluth, Minnesota, and is a son of Isaac Franklin and Ella Jean (Tyrer) Beardsley.  At the time he was appointed sheriff of Woodbury county he was twenty-six years of age, probably one of the youngest sheriffs ever to hold office in the state of Iowa, especially for a county as large as Woodbury.  On May 9, 1923, Mr. Beardsley was united in marriage to Miss Mary Edith Miller, at Excelsior Springs, Missouri.  Mr. Beardsley has been a resident of Sioux City and Woodbury county, Iowa, for nearly thirty years, coming here when two years old.  His education was acquired in the public schools.  In 1907 he entered the employ of the Great Northern Express Company, where he spent five years, and from 1912 to 1916 was a salesman and clerk for the Wm. Warnock Company, automobile jobbers and distributors.  In 1916 he resigned his position with the Wm. Warnock Company and entered the employ of the Ford Motor Company, and worked in their branches at Sioux City, Omaha and Buffalo, New York.

Shortly after war was declared in 1917.  Mr.  Beardsley enlisted in the signal reserve corps and was called to service shortly afterward at Fort Omaha, Nebraska, thence going to Camp Funston and the signal officers' training school at Leon Springs, Texas.  He went overseas with the Three Hundred Twenty-third Field Signal Battalion, spending eleven months in France, was honorably discharged June 1, 1919, at Camp Dodge, Iowa.

Returning to Sioux City, Mr. Beardsley again entered the employ of the Wm. Warnock Company, as sales manager, acting in that capacity until December 19, 1921, at which time he was appointed sheriff of Woodbury county to fill the unexpired term of W. H. Jones, who resigned to become postmaster of Sioux City.  Mr. Beardsley entered his work as sheriff under probably the most trying conditions ever experienced by any previous sheriff of Woodbury county.  He assumed office when the packing house emplyes' strike of 1921 and 1922 was at its height.  On the morning of December 19, 1921, W. H. Jones, the former sheriff, called Mr. Beardsley at two thirty, to assist him in the strike zone, and they arrived there about four o'clock in the morning.  There was some rioting and about five o'clock Mr. Jones' son, Lewis Jones, a deputy sheriff, was shot to death.  In view of this unfortunate circumstance and the fact that Mr. Jones' term would expire December 31, Judge C. C. Hamilton held a conference and asked Mr. Beardsley to take charge of the office until the end of the term to relieve Mr. Jones of the strenuous duties in view of his terrible experience in seeing his son shot to death.  There were immediately sworn in more than three hundred special deputy sheriffs and this situation was maintained for more than three weeks, during which time Mr. Beardsley, by careful maneuvering and through the assistance of a great many friends and loyal citizens, who assisted in the command of the special deputy force, succeeded in quelling lawlessness, and peace and tranquility prevailed in the area, at which time the special deputies were relieved from duty.

Mr. Beardsley is affiliated with the First Baptist church and has his political allegiance with the republican party.  He is a member of Lodge No. 112, B. P. O. E., and a member of the following Masonic bodies:  Triangle Lodge, No. 643, F. & A. M., Sioux City Chapter, No. 26, R. A. M., Sioux City Consistory, No. 5, A. A. S. R., and Abu-Bekr Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.  He is a member of the Sioux City Country Club, the High Twelve Club, the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce and many other fraternal and civic organizations.

W. A. Beaver

William Alline Beaver, a member of one of the old and honored families of Ida county, is well known in business circles of Ida Grove and has also figured prominently in civic affairs.  He was born January 22, 1869, in Allamakee county, Iowa, and his parents were William Franklin and Alline (Craft) Beaver, the former a blacksmith and wagon maker.  The father was a Virginian and was born in 1832.  He reached the advanced age of ninety years, passing away January 21, 1922.  The mother's demise occurred in August, 1919.  In their family were three children:  Minnie, who is deceased; William A.; and Belle, the wife of William Klass, of Omaha, Nebraska.

In 1876, when William A. Beaver was a boy of seven, the family settled in Ida county, Iowa, and his education was received in its public schools.  When twelve years of age he gained his first knowledge of the blacksmith's trade, which he has since followed as a means of livelihood.  He has developed the skill which results from years of experience and concentrated effort and conducts a large business, drawing his patronage from Ida Grove and the surrounding district.

On May 13, 1890, Mr. Beaver married Miss Maud W. Shade, a native of Cedar county, Iowa, and the children of this union are:  Victor William; and Freda, the wife of Stanley J. Mead, of Ida Grove.  Mr. Beaver was called to public office in April, 1901, becoming city treasurer, and acted in that capacity for four years.  He proved a faithful custodian of the public funds and subsequently became a candidate for mayor.  Each applicant for the position received the same number of votes and the council decided in favor of Mr. Beaver's opponent.  He is a Presbyterian in religious faith, and along fraternal lines he is connected with the Masonic order and the Modern Woodmen of American.  His life from an early age has been one of unceasing industry and his prosperity is well deserved.

A. B. Bell

In the death of the honored subject of this memoir, which occurred August 9, 1921, at his home in Ida Grove, Ida county, there passed away a man who for forty years had been closely identified with that locality, being numbered among its successful agriculturists and public-spirited citizens.  The story of his success is not long nor does it contain many exciting chapters, but it is replete with a record of duty faithfully performed under all circumstances and of the application of sound judgment in all of his affairs - the story of a noble life, consistent with itself and its possibilities in every direction.

Alvin B. Bell was a native of Indiana and was born on the 20th of February, 1848, a son of Enoch B. and Sarah (Handley) Bell.  His parents were natives of Ohio, where they were reared and married, and in 1847 they went to Indiana, where the father engaged in farming.  In that state they spent the remaining years of their lives, both being deceased.  They became the parents of four children, of which number two are living.

Alvin B. Bell was reared on the home farm in Indiana and received his education in the public schools.  In 1880 he came to Iowa and located in Ida county, where he bought land, in the operation of which he was eminently successful, creating a fine and valuable farmstead.  As he prospered he bought additional acreage until eventually he became the owner of a thousand acres of good Iowa land.  He made many valuable improvements on his tract, on which he lived for a number of years, and then moved into Ida Grove, where he resided up to the time of his death.

On April 9, 1871, Mr. Bell was united in marriage to Miss Sabina E. Brandenburg.  Her parents were natives of Ohio, where they were reared and married, and later moved to Indiana, in which state they passed away.  They had five children, of which number two are living.  To Mr. and Mrs. Bell were born two children:  Verlin O., born February 25, 1872, and now living in Nebraska; and Welby L., deceased.  Mrs. Bell has also a granddaughter, Miss Ruth H. Bell.  Mrs. Bell is a member of the Church of God at Ida Grove, in the work of which she takes a deep interest.  She is still the owner of five hundred acres of valuable and well improved land and two good residences in Ida Grove, and gives her personal attention to the management of her estate.  Her gracious qualities have endeared her to a large circle of friends throughout this community.

Mr. Bell was a man of great initiative and ability, who did well whatever he undertook, and among his fellowmen bore an enviable reputation because of his sound business judgment, progressive methods and public spirit.

J. A. Berg

Progress and improvement may well be said to have formed the keynote to the character of John A. Berg, who was a well-known merchant of Ruthven and one of Palo Alto county's representative citizens.  Though devoted to the advancement of his own interests, he endeavored in straightforward manner to perform the duties of progressive citizenship, his support being always depended upon in the furtherance of any laudable movement for public betterment.  Thus his worth as a man and citizen was realized and his death, which occurred September 26, 1928, was the occasion of widespread regret.  Mr. Berg was born in Norway on the 18th of November, 1863, son of Andrew and Christina (Stokke) Berg, both of whom were lifelong residents of that country, but are now deceased.  The father was a stonecutter by trade.

John A. Berg attended the public schools of Norway and then took a high school course at a private school.  In March, 1883, when in his twentieth year, he came to the United States, and joined an uncle in Webster county, Iowa, near Fort Dodge.  The uncle was a farmer, but Mr. Berg did not care for that line of work and during the first summer he ran a cream wagon, while during the winter he attended school.  In the following year he drove a delivery wagon for a grocery store in Fort Dodge and later secured a position as clerk in a shoe store in that city. In 1892 he established a mercantile business in Callender, Iowa, but in 1895 sold out there and, in January, 1896, he came to Ruthven, Palo Alto county, where, in partnership with E. L. Furlong, he bought out the business of J. E. Mulroney & Company, which they conducted under the firm name of Furlong & Berg.  Later Mr. Berg bought his partner's interest and carried the business on under his own name until his demise. By close and intelligent attention to his trade, he won a large and representative patronage, the community thus expressing its appreciation of his square dealing, his courtesy and his excellent service.

In 1894 Mr. Berg was united in marriage to Miss Christina Haatvedt, a native of Webster county, Iowa, and to them were born eight children:  Arthur E., who was graduated in electrical engineering at the Iowa State College in 1920, is a veteran of the World war.  He was sent to the artillery officers' training school at St. Louis, where he was commissioned a second lieutenant of field artillery, but the Armistice was signed before he received orders to go overseas.  He is now associated with the General Electric Company at Chicago, Illinois.  Lucille H., who graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1918, is now teaching in a private school of music in Chicago.  Olga E., who attended the University of Wisconsin and graduated from Drake University in 1924, is a teacher of music in the public schools of Waukon, Iowa.  Kathleen, who is a graduate of Iowa State College, is a teacher in the consolidated schools at Luana, Iowa.  John H. is assisting in the store.  Cyril N. is a student in Iowa State University. Harold is also in the State University.  Robert Q., in the grade school, completes the family.

Politically Mr. Berg was a republican and in 1920 was his party's candidate for the legislature, but was defeated by a narrow margin.  He was a member of Highland Lodge, No. 487, A. F. and A. M.; Clay Chapter, No. 112, R. A M.; Sioux City Consistory, No. 5, A. A. S. R.; and Za-Ga-Zig Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Des Moines.  He was actively and effectively interested in local public affairs, having served as a member of the school board for fifteen years, with one short interval, while he was also a member of the town council two terms.  He was vice-president and a director of the First National Bank of Ruthven.  He belonged to the Lutheran church, to which he gave liberal support.  His career was characterized by duty faithfully performed in all the relations of life and because of this, and his generous and kindly nature, he long enjoyed the good will and esteem of all who knew him.

C. F. Besore, Jr.

Calvin F. Besore, Jr., a member of one of the prominent families of Ida county, is engaged in the practice of law at Holstein and possesses all of the attributes of the successful attorney.  He was born April 8, 1893, in Ida Grove, Iowa, and is a son of Dr. C. F. and Celia Fibbs Besore, the latter a native of Illinois.  The father was born in Michigan and in 1885 came to Iowa, locating in Ida Grove, where he was married in 1891.  He is an expert dental surgeon and for thirty-four years has practiced in Ida Grove with much success, rendering valuable service to the residents of that locality.  Dr. and Mrs. Besore have a family of four children:  Calvin F.; Ruth, the wife of R. C. Sawyer, of Sanborn, Iowa; Philip J., an enterprising young business man of Ida Grove; and Julia, who married Gilbert Brown, of Waterloo, Iowa.

Calvin F. Besore, Jr., was reared in his native town and after his graduation from high school was a student at Morningside College for a year.  He attended the University of Iowa for three years and studied for a year in the office of Attorney C. G. Burling of Clarksville, Iowa.  Mr. Besore was superintendent of schools at Clarksville, Iowa, for a year and then accepted a similar position in New Hartford, Iowa, where he also spent twelve months.  For one summer he was engaged in Chautauqua work, being a member of the Imperial Male Quartette.  In 1920 he came to Holstein, where he has since made his home.  He is now a member of the well known law firm of Besore & Snell Brothers and also acts as city attorney.  He is thorough and painstaking in the preparation of his cases, and his legal learning, his analytical mind and the readiness with which he grasps the salient points in an argument all combine to make him one of the most capable lawyers of this locality.

In 1918 Mr. Besore united in marriage to Miss Hope C. Sutton, a native of Odebolt, Iowa, and a daughter of Charles W. and Lucinda Sutton.  The former, one of the pioneer hardware merchants of Odebolt, Iowa, is deceased, and Mrs. Sutton is now living at Wall Lake, Iowa.  Mr. Besore belongs to the Phi Delta Phi and Acacia fraternities and while attending the State University was venerable dean of Acacia fraternity for one year.  He is identified with the Holstein Commercial Club and has served as its president.  He is a Mason, belonging to Alpine Lodge, No. 471, F. & A. M.; Cyria Chapter, No. 194, R. A. M., and Mizpah Commandery, No. 62, K. T., and is also connected with the Eastern Star.  Mr. Besore owns a fine home in Holstein and has thoroughly identified his interests with those of the community, in which he is highly esteemed because of his public spirit, his devotion to duty and his strength of character.

O. A. Bjornstad

An enumeration of the progressive and successful business men of northwestern Iowa, who have won recognition for themselves and at the same time have conferred honor on their respective localities, would be incomplete were there failure to make specific mention of Otto Andreas Bjornstad, of Spencer, Clay county, president of the Otto A. Bjornstad Company, druggists, and vice-president of the First National Bank of that city.  He enjoys prestige in commercial circles, being distinctively a man of affairs, and has wielded a potent influence for the upbuilding and prosperity of his county for many years.  Mr. Bjornstad was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, September 4, 1878, and is a son of Bjorn and Anna C. Bjornstad.  His parents were natives of Trondhjem, Norway, where the father was born July 21, 1851, and the mother July 2, 1854.  The paternal grandfather was the owner of two estates in his native land and had served as sheriff, while the maternal grandfather, who was a pharmacist in Norway, came to the United States and settled in Clay county, Iowa, in 1871.

When Otto A. Bjornstad was about three years of age the family came to Spencer, Iowa, and in the public schools of this city he secured his education, graduating from high school.  When fifteen years of age he went to work in the drug store of George D. Cottrell, with whom he remained six years, and at the age of eighteen was a registered pharmacist.  On February 11, 1900, when twenty-one years of age, he engaged in the drug business under the name of the Otto A. Bjornstad Company, which is still in operation, and during the years he has enjoyed a large and steadily growing business.  He carries a full line of drugs and standard proprietary remedies, and a well-selected stock of such sundries and auxiliary lines as are usually found in an up-to-date drug store.  Courtesy, efficiency and promptness have been business principles on which he has built up his business and he has long been regarded as one of Spencer's leading merchants.  He is a stockholder in the First National Bank of Spencer and became vice-president of that institution on June 1, 1923, being also a member of the board of directors.

On June 10, 1903, at Spencer, Mr. Bjornstad was united in marriage to Miss Elia Janet Tindall, who was born December, 10, 1879, at Homer, Illinois.  She is descended on the paternal side from old Eastern Yankee stock, while on the maternal side she is English.  Her father, J. Tindall, was born at Jacksonville, Illinois, April 10, 1840, and died August 30, 1925, while her mother, who was born at Lynnville, Illinois, November 10, 1843, is still living, at the age of eighty-three years, and makes her home with her daughter, Mr.s Bjornstad.  Mr. and Mrs. Bjornstad have two children, Janet Marie, who is a student in Minnesota State University, and Otto A., Jr., who is attending the public schools in Spencer.

Politically Mr. Bjornstad has always given his support to the republican party and has been active in local public affairs, having served four years as chairman of the republican county central committee, of which he is still a member.  He served two terms as a member of the Spencer city council and has been park commissioner of this city since the inception of the commission.  He is a director and ex-president of the Spencer Commercial Club and the Iowa director of the Atlantic, Yellowstone and Pacific National Highway Association, belonging also to the West Okoboji Golf and Country Club and the Spencer Golf and Country Club.  He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, in which he had taken all the degrees of the York Rite, and also belongs to the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.  He is a member of the First Congregational church of Spencer, of which he is a trustee.  Mr. Bjornstad has been loyal and true in every relation of life, has been an earnest supporter of every movement for the betterment of his community along either material, civic or moral lines, and is eminently deserving of the high place which he holds among his fellowmen.

T. A. Black

Thomas A. Black, pioneer resident of Sioux City, civic leader, banker, prominent in the commercial development of Sioux City, and president of the Sioux City Grain Exchange and the Sioux City Terminal Grain Corporation, was seventy-two years of age when called to his final rest on the 31st of August, 1926.  The career of Mr. Black, who lived in Sioux City for thirty-seven years, was conspicuous for his quick rise to a position of leadership in banking and commercial circles of northwestern Iowa, Minnesota and adjoining states.  His birth occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on the 29th of September, 1853, his parents being James and Esther (Service) Black, the former a native of County Antrim, Ireland, while the latter was born in Cazenovia, New York, where their marriage was celebrated in 1852.  James Black came to the United States in 1848, locating in Philadelphia, where he established a grocery business under the style of "James Black, Wholesale and Retail Grocer."  He was successful in this enterprise and remained identified with it until his death, which occurred in 1865.

Thomas A. Black, who was twelve years of age when his father died, had attended the public schools of Philadelphia up to that time, when the mother removed with her three children to her native town of Cazenovia.  There Mr. Black was reared to manhood on his grandfather's farm.  After completing the common school course he taught one winter term in the home district school and subsequently attended Cazenovia Seminary for one year.  In 1873 he became a clerk in the banking house of E. S. Card & Company at Cazenovia, where he remained until 1878, when he resigned and started west.  He first located at Webster City, Iowa, where he became a member of the firm of Kimball & Black, retail druggists, but shortly afterwards retired from that partnership and entered the First National Bank of Webster City as a clerk.  In May, 1882, he went to Pipestone, Minnesota, and organized the Pipestone County Bank in association with Ex-Governor William Larrabee and other Iowa citizens.  Mr. Black was made president of that institution and continued its executive head until 1890.  During that period he also assisted in the organization of the State Bank of Slayton, Minnesota, and the State Bank of Jasper, Minnesota, and, in association with E. W. Davies, of Pipestone, laid out and platted the town of Jasper, opening and developing the noted quarries of that place.  In 1890 he came to Sioux City to accept the position of cashier of the Sioux National Bank, in which official capacity he remained until 1896.  Later he was made cashier of the Farmers Loan & Trust Company and in 1900 became vice president of the Security National Bank and a director of the Woodbury County Savings Bank.  In 1920, at the solicitation of a number of Sioux City's leading business men, who were desirous of establishing a grain market here on a scale commensurate with the city's location and the importance of its live stock market, Mr. Black organized the Yerminal Grain Corporation, of which he was elected president and of which he remained at the head to the time of his death.  When he passed away, he was serving for the second term as president of the Sioux City Grain Exchange.  He was also a director and a former president  of the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce and a leading spirit in many of the city's most effective civic bodies.  He was a director of the Sioux City Stock Yards Company, a director of the Live Stock Fair Association, a director of the Fidelity Investment Company and a director of the Sioux City Society of Fine Arts.  In 1915 he was a member of the Iowa commission to the Pan-American Exposition at San Francisco, and he was a member of the executive committee of the Mississippi Valley Association, the object of which is the development of the waterways of the Mississippi valley.

On May 12, 1880, at Benton Harbor, Michigan, Mr. Black was married to Miss Georgia Bass, a daughter of Colonel S. S. Bass, of Fort Wayne, Indiana.  To this union were born two children, namely:  Janey, who is the wife of W. F. Grandy, a well known insurance and real estate man of Sioux City; and Thomas Bass, who was for some years secretary of the Fidelity Investment Company of Sioux City and is now a member of the Black & Cornell Mortgage and Loan Company of 208 South LaSalle street, Chicago, Illinois.  Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Grandy are the parents of two children, W. F. Grandy, Jr., and Louise Grandy, both of Sioux City.

Fraternally Mr. Black was a member of the Sioux City Lodge, No. 112, of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.  He was president of the Knife and Fork Club, one of whose aims is to bring into Sioux City some five or six of the big men of the country.  He also belonged to the Rotary Club, to the Sioux City Country Club and to the Riverside Boat Club.  Persistent and indomitable energy, supplemented by the application of mental qualifications of a high order to the affairs of business, constituted the keynotes to his success and he stood in the front rank of those who conserve the city's interests.  Personally he was a man of pleasing address, easily approached, and was eminently public spirited, giving his support to every enterprise or measure having for its object the betterment of the community along material, civic or moral lines.

W. J. Bock

William J. Bock, who passed away September 7, 1926, was recognized as one of the able and influential lawyers of Spirit Lake and his section of the state.  He was born in Walcott, Scott county, Iowa, on the 26th of February, 1882, and is a son of Henry and Charlotte (Stockdale) Bock, who were married in 1870 in Davenport, Iowa, to which city the Stockdale family had moved some years previously from Cleveland, Ohio, where the mother was born.  The father was a native of the province of Schleswig-Holstein and in 1854, at the age of ten years, was brought to the United States by his mother, his father having died in Germany.  The mother settled with her family of five children in Geneseo, Illinois, where her son Henry was reared.  After completing his school education, he learned the trade of harnessmaking and after his marriage settled in Walcott, Iowa, where he ran a harness shop for a number of years.  Later he moved to Lake Park, Dickinson county, where he was engaged in general mercantile business for about twenty years, but in 1922 sold his store and moved to Sioux City, where he and his wife are now living retired, at the respective ages of eight-two and eighty-one years.  They also have a home at East San Diego, California, where they have spent the winters for a number of years.

William J. Bock attended the public schools and graduated from the Lake Park high school in 1898.  He then entered the State Normal College, where he received a degree in didactics in 1900, completing a four-year course in two years and six weeks.  He next became a student in the law school of the State University of Iowa, where he took the three-year course in two years and was graduated, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, in 1903.  He had planned to enter Yale University, but at that time a brother who had been assisting his father in business died and William J. Bock took his place in the store, assisting his father until the business was sold.  In 1906 he began the practice of law, opening an office at Lake Park, where he remained for fifteen years, building up a large clientage and a splendid reputation as a successful lawyer.  On November 1, 1921, he moved to Spirit Lake, where he remained until his demise, taking his place in front rank of the attorneys of this city.

On October 17, 1920, Mr. Bock was united in marriage to Miss Madge Rukenbrod, of Decatur, Illinois,  She was for four years a teacher in the Spirit Lake public schools and for nine years a teacher in the Sioux City schools.  Fraternally Mr. Bock was affiliated with the Masonic order, belonging to Lake Park Lodge, No. 527, A. F. & A. M.; Zaraphath Consistroy, No. 4, A. A. S. R. of Davenport, Iowa; and Kaaba Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., at Davenport.  He was also a member of Minnewaukan Lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.  In his political views he was a republican and was prominently identified with political affairs but never sought public preferment, his only public office being that of county attorney, in which he served for four years.  He was a man of forceful personality, a strong and effective speaker, and during the years of his professional work in this county was identified as counsel with most of the important cases in the local courts, in which he enjoyed a very gratifying measure of success.

B. K. Bradfield

An enumeration of the enterprising and progressive citizens of northwestern Iowa who have won honor and public recognition for themselves, and at the same time have conferred honor on the localities in which they live, would be incomplete without specific mention of Baty K. Bradfield, postmaster of Spirit Lake, Dickinson county.  He was born on a farm in Hardin county, Iowa, April 4, 1876, a son of Charles N. and Wilda (Darling) Bradfield, who were born and reared in Ohio.  During their childhood they were brought to Iowa by their respective parents, both families being numbered among the pioneer settlers of Hardin county.  Here they were reared and eventually married, after which they settled on a farm in Hardin county.  In 1884 Mr. Bradfield moved to Wright county, where he continued farming, and in 1892 he was elected sheriff of that county, being reelected in 1894, and again in 1896, serving three full terms.  It was said of him that he was one of the most efficient and popular men who ever held the office of sheriff in that county.  In March, 1898, he moved Winnebago county, where he bought six hundred and eighty acres of land, on which he resided until 1914, when he moved to Spirit Lake.  However, his active nature would not be satisfied with a life of leisure, and he traded his Spirit Lake property for some North Dakota farm land, to the operation of which he gave his attention for two years.  Subsequently he returned to Spirit Lake, where his death occurred in April, 1919.  The mother who is still in good health, maintains her home in Spirit Lake.

Baty K. Bradfield was given the advantage of a good public school education, though his early years at home were strenuous ones.  His father was an active farmer and the son's work was planned for him, the day's schedule usually beginning at five o'clock in the morning and continuing until his tasks were completed in the evening, regardless of the lateness of the hour.  At the age of nineteen years he took over the management of his father's Winnebago county farm, which he operated for four years, or until 1899.  During the two following years he farmed a portion of the land and subsequently moved to Dickinson county, renting a farm near Lake Park, which he cultivated for seven years.  On March 1, 1906, he moved to Lake Park and during the ensuing four years was engaged in the live stock business.  In November, 1912, he was elected sheriff of Dickinson county, taking office on the 1st day of the following January.  He rendered such efficient service in that responsible position that he was three times re-elected, serving four terms.  During this period he also conducted a real estate business.  On the entry of the United States into the World war, Mr. Bradfield was appointed chairman of the exemption board, in which capacity he served with credit to the end of the war.  After the expiration of his fourth term as sheriff, he devoted his entire attention to his real estate business until March 14, 1923, when he assumed the office of postmaster of Spirit Lake, his commission as postmaster having been signed by President Harding on January 15, 1923.  His entire attention is given to his duties in this connection and his administration has been entirely satisfactory to the people of Spirit Lake.  Efficiency, promptness and courtesy have characterized the conduct of the office and Mr. Bradfield has demonstrated his eminent fitness for this exacting position.

In 1898, while living on the Winnebago county farm, Mr. Bradfield was married to Miss Josephine Rowen, of Clarion, Iowa, and to them were born four children, of whom two are living, Herbert Charles, who attended Iowa State University and is now a clerk in the Spirit Lake postoffice, and Marguerite Rowena, who attended the Iowa State Agricultural College, at Ames, and is now at home.  Mr. Bradfield is a member of Twilight Lodge, No. 329, A. F & A. M.; Spirit Lake Chapter, No. 132, R. A. M.; Esdraelon Commandery, No. 52, K. T., at Estherville; Sioux City Consistory, No. 5, A. A. S. R.; and Abu-Bekr Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., while he and his wife are members of Twilight Chapter, No. 59, Order of the Eastern Star.  He is a member of the Spirit Lake Commercial Club and of the board of directors of the First National Bank.  He is a man of alert mentality and sound judgment, keenly alive to every opportunity for advancing the interests of his city along legitimate lines, is a genial and companionable gentleman in his social relations, and enjoys the highest measure of regard throughout the community.

A. M. Bradley

Dr. Allen M. Bradley, one of the successful and popular physicians and surgeons of Sioux City, has gained a large and representative patronage throughout this locality and won a high place in the regard of his professional colleagues.  He was born at Waupecon, Indiana, in 1869, and is a son of John and Margaret (Sharp) Bradley, both of whom were natives of Ohio.  They moved to Indiana in the early '60s, the father engaging in the timber and lumber business.  He was killed in a railroad accident in 1882 and his wife died in 1881.

Of their six children, Dr. Bradley is the third in order of birth.  He attended the public schools of Wabash, Indiana, and then engaged in the drug business in that place.  Later he joined the William S. Merrill Company, of Cincinnati, having charge of their drug department for about a year, at the end of which time he went to Marion, Indiana, and was associated with his brother in the drug business for about twelve years, having stores at Marion, Wabash and Swayzee.  He had made up his mind to take up the practice of medicine and to this end he matriculated in the Chicago College of Medicine and Surgery, where he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1910, after which he took a post-graduate course in abdominal surgery and obstetrics in that city.  He next engaged in the active practice of his profession in Chicago, where he remained until 1920, when he came to Sioux City.

Doctor Bradley was united in marriage to Miss Katherine Dale and they are the parents of two children.  Chester D., who now lives in Chicago, is a veteran of the World war, having served as a sergeant in the commissary department of the Thirty-third Division of the Army of Occupation, Germany.  The daughter, Kathryn, is attending high school in Wabash, Indiana.  The Doctor is associated with St. Vincent's hospital, Sioux City.  Politically he gives his support to the republican party and is actively interested in everything affecting the welfare and upbuilding of his community.  During the period of his practice in this city he has gained a host of warm and loyal friends, who esteem him for his professional ability and his worth as a man and citizen.

H. L. Brereton

Dr. Harold L. Brereton, of Emmetsburg, a veteran of the World war and a graduate of Rush Medical College, has risen rapidly in public favor and esteem and is today numbered among the leaders in his profession in Palto Alto county.  Born in Creston, Illinois, on the 17th of July, 1885, he is a son of Rev. James Edwin and Mary Louise (Linhoff) Brereton.  For many years the father was one of the leading preachers of Iowa, having served sixteen years as pastor of the First Congregational church of Emmetsburg, in which city he is now living, having been compelled by failing health to retire from the active work of the ministry.  He was born in Will county, Illinois, October 6, 1857, and is a son of Peter and Martha (Marshall) Brereton, both of whom were born near Manchester, England, where they were reared and married.  In 1857 they embarked in a sailing vessel for the United States, being six weeks on the sea and landing at New York city.  They came directly west to Will county, Illinois, where the father engaged in farming, though prior to coming to this country he had been employed in cotton mills at Manchester.  Eventually he moved to Clinton county, Illinois, which was his home for forty-seven years, his death occurring there in 1905, at the age of seventy-three years.

James E. Brereton attended the public schools of Clinton  county, Illinois, and pursued a classical course in the University of Illinois.  He was prepared for the ministry in the Chicago Theological Seminary, where he was graduated, with the degree of Bachelor of Divinity, in 1884.  On May 1st of that year he was ordained to the ministry and was appointed to the charge at Creston, Illinois, where he ministered for four years.  He then went to Ashland, Nebraska, where he served for six years, after which he was appointed secretary of Doane College, at Crete, Nebraska.  One year later he re-entered the active pastorate at Geneva, Nebraska, where he remained three years, and in 1895 he became pastor of the church at Waverley, Iowa, where he remained in active service for twelve years.  In March, 1908, he came to Emmetsburg as pastor of the First Congregational church and for sixteen years faithfully and ably served the interests of this church, his retirement from the active pastorate being only at the insistence of his medical advisor.  He has for many years held a position in the forefront of the successful and effective preachers of the Gospel in northwestern Iowa and his pastorate at Emmetsburg was marked by a devotion and zeal that impelled him to work far beyond his strength.  A forceful and earnest speaker, a man of the highest Christian ideals and of cordial and social nature, he has long held the love and affection of his people and the confidence and respect of the entire community.

On August 5, 1884, Rev. Brereton was married to Miss Mary Louise Linhoff, of Clinton county, Illinois, and they became the parents of four children, two sons and two daughters, namely:  Harold L.; Loring D., a paving contractor of Emmetsburg; Winifred May, who is the wife of Harold Hall, of Iowa Falls; and Mary Helen, who is the wife of Herbert C. Baker, a real estate broker at Lake Worth, Florida.  Rev. Brereton is a member of Earnest Lodge No. 399, A. F/ & A. M.; Earnest Chapter, No. 108, R. A. M.; and Holy Grail Commandery, No. 70, K. T.

Harold L. Brereton attended the public schools, graduating from the Waverley, Iowa, high school in 1904.  In the fall of 1905 he entered Grinnell College, where he was graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1909.  During the ensuing winter he served as instructor in science at the Worthington (Minn.) high school, and in the fall of 1910 matriculated in Rush Medical College, of the University of Chicago, where he was graduated, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1914.   He then served as intern for eighteen months in the Cook County Hospital, Chicago, and in September, 1916, began the practice of his profession in Redwood Falls, Minnesota, in association with Drs. Pease and Flinn.  A year later, on the entrance of the United States into the World war, Dr. Brereton enlisted in the Medical Corps, in which he was commissioned a first lieutenant.  He was first assigned to the base hospital at Camp Upton, Long Island, New York, and in March, 1918, was transferred to Camp Dix, New Jersey, where he was appointed camp surgeon to the Thirteenth Battalion of the One Hundred and Thirteenth Depot Brigade.  He was honorably discharged in January, 1919, and then came to Emmetsburg and engaged in the practice of medicine.  He has been more than ordinarily successful and has built up a large and representative practice throughout this section of the county and has the respect of his professional colleagues.

In April, 1918, Dr. Brereton was married to Miss Isabelle C. Bayne, of Fergus, Ontario, Canada, whose death occurred in June, 1919.  Fraternally he is a member of Earnest Lodge, No. 399, A. F. & A. M.; Earnest Chapter, No. 108, R. A. M.; Holy Grail Commandery, No. 70, K. T.; and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.  He also belongs to the Phi Beta Phi medical fraternity, the Palo Alto County Medical Society, the Upper Des Moines Medical Society, of which he is now president, the Iowa State Medical Society and the American Medical Association.  He is now serving as city physician of Emmetsburg.  He is affiliated with the First Congregational church and is a member of its board of deacons.  Personally the Doctor is candid and straightforward in all of his relations, is kindly and genial and the circle of his friends is almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintances.

Charles Breun

Upon the passing of Charles Breun, veteran merchant and community builder of Sioux City, December 9, 1921, the newspapers of that city, in appreciation of his life and public service, paid generous tribute to his many substantial qualities.  He has grown up with Sioux City and was known and honored by three generations.  He lived quietly, without sham or pretense, but was not lacking in public spirit, as is shown by the record of his service in the United States army and later in various public offices.  Mr. Breun was wholly genuine.  He was genial and helpful to others and many young lives were influenced in the right direction by his kindly interest and advice.  A host of friends will remember him and miss him.

It is therefore fitting that in this definite history of the section he so largely influenced in the days of his activity, there should be carried a similar tribute in his memory.  Though of European birth, Mr. Breun had been a resident of this country since his boyhood and there was no deviation in the high character of his sturdy American citizenship, a citizenship firmly cemented by nearly five years of service in the army during the stressful times of the Civil war and in later campaigns against the Indians.  He was born in Mellrichstadt, Bavaria, November 27, 1836, and was eighty-five years of age at the time of his death, one of the honored octogenarians of northwestern Iowa.

Mr. Breun had his schooling in his native place and as a boy served three years as an apprentice in a shoe factory.  In his sixteenth year, 1852, he came to America.  After a few days in New York he went to Buffalo and found employment at his trade, remaining there two years.  In 1854 he came west and joined his two brothers who had preceded him to Rochester, Minnesota, where they were engaged in farming.  He followed their example and continued farming until the Civil war began in 1861, when he turned his land and cattle over to his brothers and reported to Fort Snelling, Minnesota, for duty as a soldier.  He was accepted and enrolled in Company B, Second Regiment, Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, and with that command was stationed at Fort Abercrombie on the Red river until the following October when he returned to Fort Snelling and on the 22d of that month was in Louisville, Kentucky, when his company became part of the Army of the Cumberland, General  Sherman commanding.

Mr. Breun participated in the strenuous activities of this command until December 29, 1862, when owing to illness he was discharged and invalided home.  On January 5, 1864, having regained his health, he re-enlisted at Fort Snelling and again went to the front, as sergeant of Company D, Brackett's Minnesota Battalion, which at Sioux City was brigaded with the Sixth Iowa Calvary, three companies of the Seventh Iowa Cavalry, two companies of Dakota Scouts and the Prairie Battery.  This command proceeded against the troublesome Indians in Dakota and succeeded in making a passage through the "Bad Lands," the first white men to penetrate that Indian stronghold.  In the following October at Fort Sully, this expedition was broken up and the detachment with which Mr. Breun was connected went into winter quarters at Fort Ridgely, having covered more than three thousand miles and having had numerous battles with the hostile red men.  In the spring of 1865, Mr. Breun's battalion was ordered back to Sioux City and with other troops under General Sully was sent to patrol the country east of the Missouri river and in May, 1866, was ordered to Fort Snelling to muster out.

Upon completion of his military service in May, 1866, Mr. Breun returned to Rochester, Minnesota, sold his farm and belongings there and went back to Sioux City, where in June of that year he married and established his home.  He then engaged in the shoe business for a while and in 1871 opened a grocery store in Pearl street.  His store became famous throughout this section and in after years assumed wholesale proportions.  A large business grew from a small beginning.

Mr. Breun was not only diligent in his own business but attentive and faithful to public service.  In 1871 he was elected treasurer of Sioux City and served two years.  In 1875 he was elected alderman and served two years.  In 1882 he was elected a member of the Sioux City school board and served eight years.  In 1885 he was chosen vice president of the Sioux City Water Company which financed and built the waterworks plant and system and after completion turned it over to the city for operation and management.  In 1891 he was made vice president of the Sioux City Library Building Association which erected the old public library, now the city hall, at Sixth and Douglas streets.  Mr. Breun maintained an active interest in the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce and in all other matters concerning the growth and welfare of the community.  At the time of his death he was the oldest living member of the Sioux City Chapter, No. 164, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows which he helped to organize in the early days and on the occasion of his eightieth birthday this lodge held a suitable celebration in his honor.

It was on June 19, 1866, at Sioux City, that Mr. Breun was united in marriage to Miss Regina Hacker, who with their three children, two daughters and a son, survived him.  Mr. and Mrs. Breun's first home in Sioux City was at the southwest corner of Fifth and Douglas streets where they lived until 1868, when they moved to a new home at 413 Jackson street.  Ten years later Mr. Breun purchased the residence at 805 Douglas street and with his family lived there until 1890 when he built and moved into the present home at 1431 Grandview boulevard, where he passed his later years in enjoyment of the material rewards of a busy and useful life and in the confidence and respect of all who knew him.

A. R. Brown

The progress of any section of the country depends upon the individual success of its citizens, and through the capable conduct of a modern business enterprise A. Ray Brown has contributed his share toward the commercial development of Sioux City.  He was born April 28, 1879, at Deep River, Iowa, and his father, Thomas J. Brown, was a Virginian.  The latter resided in the Old Dominion until he was about eighteen years of age and then came to Iowa with his parents.  He engaged in farming near Iowa City and Deep River and later purchased land in the vicinity of Jefferson, this state.  He resided on that place for several years and then went to Nebraska, acquiring a farm near Butte.  At the end of two years he sold the property and in 1894 returned to Iowa, purchasing land in Woodbury county which he operated during the remainder of his life.  He passed away May 28, 1899, and his widow, Etta (Gilliland) Brown, now resides in Morningside.  She was born in Iowa City in 1844.

A. Ray Brown received his education in rural schools near Jefferson, Iowa, and Butte, Nebraska, and also attended the public schools of Sioux City for a year.  He remained at home until he was of age and then obtained a position with the Bekins Van & Storage Company, with which he spent twelve years, becoming thoroughly acquainted with the business.  He next became a locomotive fireman for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad and acted in that capacity for about seven years.  In 1917 he started in business for himself at Sioux City, securing a good location at 514 Eighth street, and organized the Brown Van & Storage Company, of which he has since been the executive head.  He has formulated many well devised plans for the development of the undertaking and has ever been guided by the principle that true commercialism rests upon the foundation of integrity.  As a natural result his business has expanded rapidly and he now operates five trucks.  He has seven employees and his warehouse has a capacity of twenty-two thousand square feet.  He keeps thoroughly abreast of the times, changing old methods to suit new conditions, and has established a well merited reputation for conducting his business in a prompt and efficient manner.

In November, 1924, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Ella Van Sickle, a daughter of Ora and May Van Sickle, who are now living in the vicinity of Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Mr. Brown is connected with the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows and the Order of Locomotive Firemen & Engineers.  He is nonpartisan in his political views, regarding the qualifications of a candidate as a matter of first importance, and his life is governed by the teachings of the Presbyterian church.

H. D. Brown

Every successful commercial enterprise adds to the growth and consequent prosperity of the district in which it is conducted and through his activities as a merchant and realtor Herman D. Brown has contributed materially toward the development of Sioux City and Woodbury county, while at the same time he has won the legitimate reward of honest labor, intelligently directed.  He was born March 13, 1853, in Chenango county, New York, and his parents were Franklin and Sophia B. (Thompson) Brown, the latter of Scotch lineage.  The Thompson family were among the earliest settlers of Connecticut, and Mrs. Brown's great-grandfather, Ellis C. Colburn, was a passenger on America's first steamboat, which was the product of the inventive genius of Robert Fulton, of Pennsylvania.  The vessel was launched on the Hudson in 1807 and made the trip from New York City to Albany.  Elihu Thompson, the great-grandfather of James S. Thompson, who was Mrs. Brown's grandfather, married Desire Palmer, a great-granddaughter of John and Priscilla Alden.

Herman D. Brown was born and grew to manhood in Chenango county, New York, and his education was acquired in its public schools.  At the age of twenty-one years he came to the west with his parents, who settled in Springfield, Missouri, and he there resided from 1874 to 1893.  He then came to Iowa, choosing Sioux City as the scene of his activities, and organized the Brown Coal Company.  He was thus engaged for thirteen years and built up a large wholesale business.  In 1906 he sold his stock of coal and entered the real estate field, in which he has since continued.  He specializes in farm lands and transacts annually a large business.  He thoroughly understands every phase of the trade and his well directed efforts have acted as a stimulus to the agricultural development of the county.

Mr. Brown married Miss Martha M. Stewart, a native of Springfield, Missouri, and a niece of General Holland, in command of the troops that defended that city during the Civil war.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown have two children.  The daughter, Catherine F., received a liberal education, attending the Curry School of Expression at Boston, Massachusetts, Morningside College of Sioux City, and Belmont College in Nashville, Tennessee.  She is a member of the Woman's Club of Sioux City and has been its president.  The son, Herman D. Brown, Jr., received his higher education at Amherst College of Massachusetts, which awarded him the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and is now associated with his father in business, residing at Fort Myers, Florida.  He was a student of aviation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and served in that department of the United States navy during the World war.

Mr. Brown is a prominent Mason, belonging  to Tyrian Lodge, No. 508, F. & A. M.; Columbian Commandery, No. 18, K. T.; Sioux City Consistory, No. 5, A. & A. S. R.; and Abu-Bekr Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S.  He is connected with Rose Croix Chapter, No. 400, of the Eastern Star, and along the line of recreation is identified with the Sioux City Boat and Country Clubs.  He is one of the influential members of the Sioux City Real Estate Board, of which he was president for two years, and the Chamber of Commerce, and has been vice president of the latter organization.  He is affiliated with the Presbyterian church and exemplifies in his life the sterling qualities of his Scotch ancestors.

Fred Brucker

Depending upon his own resources for advancement, Fred Brucker has fought and won in the great battle of life, and after many years of activity as an agriculturist he is enjoying the merited reward of intelligently directed labor, making his home in Arthur.  A native of France, he was born July 22, 1853, and his parents, Philip and Rosina (Christman) Brucker, were lifelong residents of that country.

Fred Brucker is a member of a family of nine children.  He received his education in the schools of France and Germany, and in 1872, when nineteen years of age, he joined the tide of immigration to the new world.  After a short stay in Buffalo, New York, he started for the middle west.  For seven years he worked as a farm hand in Lee county, Illinois, and then came to Iowa, settling in Ida county in 1878.  He acquired an eighty acre tract in Blaine township and as his capital increased purchased additional land.  He now owns three hundred and twenty acres of rich and arable land, all of which he improved through his own exertions, bringing to his work an intelligent, open and liberal mind and a keen interest in agricultural science.  Mr. Brucker resided on the farm until 1917, when he bought one of the finest homes in Arthur, and has since lived retired in the village.

At Sac City, Iowa, in 1879, Mr. Brucker was married to Miss Henrietta Halboth, who was born in Lee county, Illinois.  Her parents, Adam and Barbara (Heafner) Halboth, were natives of Germany and cast in their lot with the pioneer farmers of Lee county, Illinois.  There Mr. Halboth built a log cabin, in which his daughter Henrietta was born, and later sold the property.  Coming to Iowa, he purchased a farm in Sac county, in which he spent the remainder of his life, and at the time of his death was the owner of a valuable ranch of five hundred and twenty acres.  He had a family of ten children, seven of whom survive.  To Mr. and Mrs. Brucker were born six children:  Josephine A., who is the wife of Henry Penrod; Frederick J., who lives in Sioux City, Iowa; Julius A., who is operating his father's farm; Lewis J., also an agriculturist; Rosina J., who married Bert Compton; and Mr. and Mrs. Brucker also have twenty-eight grandchildren.  They are affiliated with the Methodist Episcopal church and faithfully adhere to its teachings.  Mr. Brucker is a democrat but not a strong partisan, casting his ballot for the candidate whom he deems best qualified for office.  He is broadminded and liberal in his views on all subjects and is accorded the respect which the world ever yields to the selfmade man.

James Burgess

Because of his success in business affairs and a life characterized by consistency in motive and action, James Burgess, secretary-treasurer and general manager of the Hawkeye Land Company, of Sioux City, stands among the respected and well-liked business men of Sioux City.  He has been active in all efforts to advance the prosperity and progress of his community and is well deserving of mention among those whose labors have promoted the public welfare.  Born in Ray county, Missouri, July 12, 1870, he is a son of John C. and Fanny (Elliott) Burgess, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Virginia.  In an early day the parents moved to Missouri, where they established their permanent home, the father engaging in farming, in addition to which he also operated a general store.

James Burgess is the second in order of birth of the five children born to this worthy couple.  He is indebted to the district schools for his educational training and his early years were spent on the home farm.  Later he learned the printing trade but id not like that work and engaged in the confectionery business for a short time.  He then went to work for the National Biscuit Company and served for eighteen years as superintendent of one of its plants.  In 1908 he went to St. Joseph, Missouri, and engaged in the real estate business, in which he was interested until 1912, when he came to Sioux City, where he engaged in the same line of activity.  Eventually he became identified with the Hawkeye Land Company, with which he has been very successful, and is now the secretary-treasurer and manager of the company.  During the years of his connection with Sioux City he has gained marked prestige in business circles, being regarded as a man of safe and conservative judgment and sound principles.

In 1893, in St. Joseph, Missouri, Mr. Burgess was united in marriage to Miss Pearl M. Morse, daughter of L. D. Morse, of Kansas City, Missouri.  Mr. Burgess is not allied with either of the great political parties, preferring to vote according to the dictates of his own judgment.  Fraternally he is a life member of South Gate Lodge, No. 547, A. F. & A. M.; Westward Ho Consistory, No. 2, A. A. S. R., and Ararat Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., all of Kansas City, Missouri; and Sioux City Lodge, No. 112, B. P. O. E.  He belongs to the Sioux City Country Club, the Morningside Country Club and and the Sioux City Chamber of Commerce, and is vice president and director of the Sioux City Real Estate Board.  He is active in all civic affairs and has been a potent factor in support of movements for the betterment of the city.  Mr. Burgess derives a great deal of pleasure in the cultivation of flowers and in gardening.  He is a man of kindly and generous attitude towards all with whom he comes in contact and among his acquaintances enjoys well merited popularity.