Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Who's Who in Jefferson County, 1931 Mark Hoskins

"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Monday, July 27, 1931
Front Page

Who's Who In Jefferson County
By Herbert F. McDougal

MARK HOSKINS

Mark Hoskins always as a boy wanted to be an undertaker, but he put it off until after threshing. Then he went to Des Moines and got a job in an undertaking establishment, his wages being a place to sleep, and his laundry.

At the end of a year he had earned his embalmer's license.

He was through with jobs. It was 1907, the panic year, but he found a position in spite of that. It was at Webster City, and it paid $45 a month in real money. From Webster City he moved on to Des Moines and with another ambitious young man set up in business for himself, remaining there--on the east side--for seven years. He sold out to his partner and went to Ollie, where he was in the undertaking and furniture business for himself for six months. He left there for Keota, and was in business there for six years, selling out to take a position on the road for an undertaker's supply house. In 1921 he came to Fairfield and bought the J. T. Davies business. It was then located in the Crawford building on the east side of the square. Five years later he bought the building where he now is located and which was remodeled and extended to give the city its first modern funeral home. He is the oldest funeral director in point of service in Fairfield.

Mr. Hoskins was born November 28, 1882 on a farm eight miles northwest of Fairfield. He was brought up there and went to school at No. 5 Black Hawk. After that he worked on the farm some more. He was twenty-four when he definitely decided that farm life was not for him. So he went to Des Moines, making his second trip to that metropolis hunted up the man under whom he wanted to learn the profession, and made his arrangements to begin, "right after threshing." When the last bushel of grain has come out of the machine he went to the house, doffed his overalls, packed his grip, and the next morning set out on his new adventure.

It was while he was in Keota that he met Miss Pearl Manning who was to become his wife October 22, 1914. They have an adopted daughter, Maurine, 12 years old.

Mr. Hoskins is a Mason a Lion and a Presbyterian.