SAAR, H. E.
H. E. Saar is a western man by birth, training and preference, and possesses the true western spirit of progress and indomitable energy. Today he stands among the successful self-made men whose lives illustrate what may be accomplished through determined purpose and honorable effort in a land that offers, excellent possibilities to energetic and ambitious men.
Mr. Saar was born in Oak township, Mills county, March 20, 1866. His father, Henry Saar, followed the occupation of a baker in Germany, his native land, and in 1840 came to America, believing that he might benefit his financial condition in the new world. During the first winter after his arrival he remained in Cincinnati, Ohio, and then removed to Jefferson county, Missouri, where he followed agricultural pursuits. In April, 1845, he was united in marriage to Sophia Plumer, and the subject of this review is the youngest of their eight children, six of whom are now living, and having married, are settled near the old homestead.
Under the parental roof H. E. Saar was reared, and in the public schools of the neighborhood he acquired his education, while in the fields he received practical training at farm work. He began life for himself at the age of twenty-six and has since been extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising, his efforts being attended with a high degree of success. Close attention to business, unfaltering diligence and strong determination have enabled him to conquer all the difficulties and obstacles in his path and work his way steadily upward. Today he is the owner of twelve hundred and eighty acres of rich farming land and is largely engaged in raising and feeding stock. He has recently built near the old home a modern residence, containing ten rooms, heated by a furnace and supplied with all the latest improved conveniences which add to the comforts and joys of life.
On the 20th of December 1893, Mr. Saar was united in marriage to Miss Minnie, a daughter of John and Angelina Feifer, residents of Oak township, Mills county, and natives of Iowa. They now have three children, Lester, Edna and Clifford. Their pleasant home is celebrated for its gracious hospitality, which is enjoyed by their many friends. Although a very energetic business man, Mr. Saar possesses a liberal and generous nature and contributes of his means to the support of many movements for the public good. He votes with the Democracy but has never sought or desired office, preferring to give his time and attention to the work of the farm.
SALMONS, RANDOLPH
The successful and prominent agriculturists of Deer Creek township, Mills county, Iowa, are well represented by Randolph Salmons the subject of this sketch. He was born in this county, in 1857, a son of James and Sarah (Silkett) Salmons, the former of whom was born in Kentucky and died in this county, in 1879, the latter was born in Virginia, but her last days were spent in Mills county. They lived good and respected lives, and in their death the family and community lost worthy people.
The paternal grandfather of our subject was Randolph Salmons, who came to America from England and died in Indiana. Two brothers of our subject's mother, George and Jacob, were soldiers in the Union army during the Civil war and George died in the service, one brother of our subject's father also serving through that war.
The parents of our subject came to Iowa in 1851 and located in Mills county, where they engaged in farming. Here Mr. Salmons was reared and obtained his education, and is now one of the best known and wealthiest of the farmers near the town of Emerson. His fine farm comprises two hundred and forty acres, which are well cultivated, improved in modern ways, and Mr. Salmons has demonstrated that he knows how to make agriculture a very satisfactory business.
Mr. Salmons was married in this county, to Miss Euphie H. McMullen, a daughter of L. D. McMullen, of Indian Creek township. Three children have been born to this union: Jessie Blanche, Iva Iowa and Goldie Alice. Socially Mr. Salmons is a popular member of the I.O.O.F., the Modern Woodmen and A.F. & A.M., and is a prominent and active Republican. The family attend the United Brethren church, in which they are highly esteemed for many excellent traits of character.
SALYERS, SAMUEL S.
Samuel S. Salyers, a farmer, was born October 24, 1831, in Jefferson county, Indiana. The paternal grandparents of our subject were Jerry and Mary Salyers, both of North Carolina, whence they removed to Kentucky, where they passed the residue of their lives. His maternal grandparents emigrated from Switzerland to the new world, taking up their abode in Kentucky, where they died well advanced in years. The father of our subject, Samuel S. Salyers, Sr., was born in North Carolina and died in Marion county, Iowa, at the age of seventy-five years. He married Miss Margaret Sidner, who was born in Switzerland of German parentage, and passed away in Marion county, Iowa, when sixty-five years of age. She was the mother of eleven children, three of whom are living.
Mr. Salyers of this review remained in his native county until twenty-five years of age. He then removed to Marion county, Iowa, in 1856, and engaged in farming until 1861, when he went to Monroe county. On the 15th of August 1862, he enlisted in Company G, Thirty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and while in the service he participated in the following battlers: Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas Post, the siege of Vicksburg, Yazoo City, Graham Plantation, Fort Gaines, Fort Morgan and Fort Blakely, being mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, August 16, 1865. He returned to Monroe county, where he remained until 1870, when he came to Mills county, and in 1874 located on section 13, White Cloud township where he now resides.
Mr. Salyers was married, May 26, 1853 to Melissa Z. Copeland, a native of Indiana. There were born to them five children, of whom four are now living: George M., James M., William S. and Robert F. Mr. Salyers has lived in Iowa forty-four years. In politics his parents were Democrats, but he first voted the Know Nothing ticket and has been a prominent Republican ever since.
SANDILAND, DAVID
Upon a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres, located on section 4, Indian Creek township, Mills county, resides David Sandiland, a well-known and enterprising farmer, who was born in Franklin county, New York, October 5, 1847, and is of Scotch lineage. His father, James Sandiland, was born in Scotland, December 19, 1813, and was the son of David and Catherine (Bailey) Sandiland, who came from the country of hills and heather to America in 1837. They located in lower Canada and there spent their remaining days, the father passing away when sixty-eight years of age, while the mother died at the age of ninety. James Sandiland left home in 1834, traveled over Upper Canada, and in 1836 came to the United States, taking up his abode in New York, where he remained until his removal to the west, arriving in Detroit on the day after Van Buren's election. In 1838 he became a resident of Illinois, where he engaged in the manufacture of brick.
Subsequently, however, he returned to the old home, where he remained until 1843, and he was married there to Miss Janette Pringle, who was also born in Scotland, a daughter of John and Janette Harriatt Pringle. Her parents came to the United States with their family about the time the Sandiland family crossed the Atlantic and they, too, located in Canada, where the maternal grandparents of our subject died at a very advanced age. Mrs. James Sandiland departed this life while living near the present home of our subject, when sixty-eight years of age. She was the mother of seven children, four of whom are yet living. After his marriage James Sandiland took up his abode in Franklin county, New York, and in 1857 came to Blackhawk county, Iowa. He developed fine farms in both counties and is now spending the evening of life in the enjoyment of honored retirement from labor in Emerson.
In taking up the personal history of David Sandiland we present to our readers the life record of one who is widely and favorably known in Mills county. On his father's farm he was reared, and as soon as old enough to handle a plow he took his place in the fields, turning the furrows in many an acre. When the summer's sun had ripened the grain he harvested the crops and in the winter season he pursued his education in the neighboring schools. In August, 1880, he chose as a companion and helpmeet on life's journey Miss Emma Greiner. They lost one daughter, Ina, who died at the age of eleven years, and now have four living children: Libbie M., G. Earle, Florence and Clarence. Mrs. Sandiland is a daughter of John J. and Henrietta (Lieber) Greiner, both of whom were natives of Germany and came to the United States in early life, locating in New York, where they spent the remainder of their days, the father dying at the age of eighty-one and the mother when seventy-four years of age.
Mr. and Mrs. Sandiland began their domestic life upon their present farm, comprising two hundred and forty acres of the rich land of Mills county. He had purchased the land the year previously and it was partially improved, but with characteristic energy he has continued its cultivation and development and now the rich fields bring to him an excellent return. He has also been engaged in the stock business for many years. He sustained an enviable reputation in business circles by reason of his fair dealing and none dispute that his success is well merited. He takes an active interest in local politics and has been a Republican since casting his first presidential vote for General Grant. He has filled several local offices in the township and has been the secretary of the school board for nearly thirty years. The family are members of the Presbyterian church, and the cause of education finds in him a warm friend. He withholds his aid and co-operation from no movement or measure calculated to prove of public benefit.
SCHOENING, FREDERICK H.
A native of Germany, Frederick Henry Schoening, who now resides near Mineola, Mills county, was born in Holstein on the 11th of August, 1829, and his parents, Henry and Margaret (Schale) Schoening, were natives of the same country. In 1858 they bade adieu to friends and native land and with their family crossed the briny deep to the new world, landing at New Orleans. However, they did not tarry long in the southern metropolis but came at once to Mills county, Iowa, settling in Oak township. The voyage was a long and tedious one, occupying two months, for they came by way of Cuba, New Orleans and St. Louis and up the Missouri river to Council Bluffs. The father died in Oak township, in 1887, at the age of seventy-eight years, and the mother passed away at the age of sixty.
Mr. Schoening, who is now an enterprising farmer near Mineola, spent his childhood and youth in the fatherland, and was married in Holstein, on the 25th of April, 1858, to Miss Johana Fos, who was born April 26, 1836, and is a daughter of Louis and Margaret (Schoening) Fos. Her father died May 11, 1858, at the age of seventy-three years, and the mother passed away in 1869, when fifty years of age. Immediately after their marriage Frederick H. Schoening and his wife came with his parents to the United States. Ten children have graced their union, nine of whom are yet living, as follows: Minnie, who was born September 25, 1859, and is now the wife of John Hansen, a resident of Emerson, Nebraska, where he follows farming; Henry who was born April 3, 1862, and is engaged in farming in the same state; John, who was born February 17, 1864, and has taken up his abode on a farm near the old homestead; William, born March 4, 1866; Louis, born August 17, 1870; Mary, born March 11, 1873; Frank, born April 16, 1875; Emma, born October 25, 1877; Otto, born July 10, 1879; and Rosa, born May 11, 1883.
The father, Frederick H. Schoening, is now the owner of three hundred and forty-five acres of fine farming land all of which he has acquired through his own efforts. For the past ten years he has been practically retired, enjoying a rest which he well merits, for previous to that time he had lived a very busy life and his unremitting toil, careful management and resolute purpose brought to him prosperity. He exercised his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Republican party, and he and his family are all members of the German Lutheran church of Mineola. As a citizen he is deeply interested in what ever pertains to the welfare and progress of his community along substantial lines of development and has given his hearty cooperation to many movements for the general good.
SCHOENING, HENRY E.
Henry E. Schoening, one of the most thrifty and prosperous farmers of Mills county, was born in Holstein, Germany, October 28, 1838, his parents being Peter and Sylvia (Karsten) Schoening. The mother died in Germany, May 2, 1849, when fifty-six years of age but the father afterward came to the new world, crossing the Atlantic in 1860. He took up his abode in Oak township, Mills county, becoming one of the successful farmers there, his attention being given to agricultural pursuits throughout the remainder of his active business career. He died November 2, 1881, at the age of seventy-eight years, and is now survived by two of his four children, the brother of our subject being a resident farmer of Pottawattamie county, Iowa.
Henry E. Schoening spent the days of his boyhood under the parental roof and when nineteen years of age started out upon an independent business career. He has been a very successful farmer and stock-raiser and now owns over five hundred acres of valuable land in Mills county, together with three hundred and twenty acres in Lancaster and Nance counties, Nebraska. He also has business interests in Council Bluffs, being a member of the firm of Peterson & Schoening, dealers in hardware and furniture. On the 18th of August, 1865, Mr. Schoening was united in marriage to Miss Katrina Brockman, a daughter of Peter and Ida (Boe) Brockman, natives of Holstein, Germany, whence they came to America in 1864, locating first in Nebraska, where they remained for four years, and then removing to St. Marys township in Mills county, Iowa. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Schoening have been born eight children, as follows: Emma Mary, August William, Charlie Edward, Marquart C., Anna Katrina, Wilhelmina Christina, and Nelly Sophia and Martha Louise, who are deceased. The two oldest children are living in Nebraska upon farms of their own, while the other surviving members of the family are still with their parents. There is a grandchild, Ernest M. Geise, who is living with Mr. Schoening.
In his political views the subject of this review is a stanch Democrat, but cast his first presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln. He has filled the offices of township clerk, assessor and trustee, and has been a member of the school board for twenty-eight years, the cause of education finding in him a warm friend. In all his public duties he has been found true and faithful, being known as a worthy and acceptable officer. His pleasant home is located about ten miles from Glenwood and eight miles from Council Bluffs. Mr. Schoening is public-spirited in an eminent degree, national progress and local advancement are both dear to the heart of this adopted and thoroughly loyal son of the republic. His devotion to the country is above question, and no faithful son of America is more true to her institutions or more faithful to his duties of citizenship.
SHEPARD, RICHARD P.
For many years Mr. Shepard has been actively identified with agricultural interests. He was born in Kentucky in 1841. His grandfather, Henry Shepard, lived and died in that state, which was also the birthplace of James Shepard, the father of our subject. The latter wedded Miss Mary Biven, a native of Kentucky, although her father was born in Maryland, representing one of the old families of that commonwealth. He removed, however, to Kentucky, where he spent the residue of his life. By the marriage of James Shepard and Mary Biven three sons were born, namely: Richard P., Henry and James. Henry is now a resident of Center township, Mills county, while James is living in Indiana. James enlisted for service in the Civil war, joining a company which was raised in Mills county. The command joined Sully's expedition and was engaged in fighting the Indians in Dakota and Montana for two years. The father died in Kentucky in early manhood and the mother afterward removed to Indiana, where she remained until called to the home beyond.
Mr. Shepard of this review was but sixteen years of age when he came from his native state to Mills county, Iowa. Afterward, however, he removed to Indiana, where he engaged in farming for twenty-three years, but on the expiration of that period he again came to this state and has since continuously resided in Mills county. His farm is located three miles southwest of Glenwood. His diligence, energy and ability led him to be classed among the most progressive agriculturists of his community. His efforts, directed along the lines of honorable business methods, brought to him a comfortable competence. In Indiana Mr. Shepard was united in marriage to Miss Ella Miner, a native of Ohio and a daughter of Thomas and Mary Miner. The following children were born of their union, namely: Willard, Thomas, Walter, Lou, Charles, John, deceased, Richard, Clarence, Oscar and May. The mother died about twelve years ago, her death being mourned by all who knew her. The sons of the family are young men of sterling worth, highly respected in the country. Richard has served as the county recorder for two years, his term expiring in the fall of 1900. He joined the volunteer army at the time of the breaking out of the Spanish war and was wounded at the battle of El Caney, July 1, 1898. John enlisted in the regular army at Fort Crook, Nebraska, in 1898, and served throughout the war in Cuba, being on the firing line in the engagements at El Caney and Santiago. Soon afterward he became ill and was sent to the hospital on Long Island, but recovered and rejoined his regiment, with which he went to the Philippines, and served with distinction during his term of three years, when he was honorably discharged, reaching home on the 5th of March, 1900. Later he was taken ill, as a result of the hardships suffered in the tropics, and died on the 27th of April, 1900, at the age of twenty-six. He was one of the popular and highly esteemed young men of the community and his death was the occasion of deep regret throughout the entire county. He possessed many noble qualities, consideration and kindness as well as bravery being numbered among his characteristics. Mr. Shepard's family is one of which he has every reason to be proud, and the members of the household occupy an enviable position in the social circles in which they move.
SKERRITT, JOHN THOMAS
Among the numerous citizens of Mills county, Iowa, who came from Ohio and have attained to a conspicuous position as farmers and stockmen, there is none, who more richly deserves the success he has attained than John Thomas Skerritt, of Ingraham township.
Mr. Skerritt was born in Wyandot county, Ohio, November 12, 1857, a son of Abraham and Jane (Parker) Skerritt. His parents were natives of Lincolnshire, England, and his father was born in 1830. They married in 1856 and the same year came to the United States and located on a farm in Wyandot county, Ohio, where Mr. Skerritt died in 1859, leaving his widow and two year old son, far away from Mrs. Skerritt's kindred, but with a few hundred dollars which stood between them and want. Later she married Robert Plumb and had eight children, and he died at the age of sixty-three, in September, 1896, leaving her in good circumstances. She lives in Malvern, Mills county, Iowa. Mr. Plumb moved to Ohio in 1853 and from there he came to Mills county, Iowa and became a prominent stock farmer in Ingraham township, where he owned three hundred and sixty acres of land.
John T. Skerritt was reared to farm life and attended the district school in winters and thus acquired a fair English education. He became a farm hand at the age of twelve years, and the next year he did a man's work, plowing with a four-horse team. After his marriage he settled upon a portion of his present farm. The place originally consisted of one hundred and sixty acres, but now contains two hundred and forty acres. He does general farming and raises cattle, hogs and a few sheep. He makes a specialty of red polled, mostly graded cattle, and keeps a thoroughbred bull for breeding purposes. He raises and sells from seventy-five to one hundred Poland China hogs each year. His farm is under a high state of cultivation and is well fenced and supplied with suitable barns, granaries and other outbuildings.
Mr. Skerritt, who is recognized as one of the enterprising farmers and well-to-do citizens of Mills county, is a stanch Republican, but has no desire for public office. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church in which he fills the office of trustee. He is a domestic man who appreciates his home and spends most of his spare time with his wife and children. He was married March 1, 1887, to Ella J. Howard, a daughter of Sampson Howard, of Ingraham township, and has five children: Elsie, who is twelve years old; Ralph, who is ten; Edith M., who is six; Ethel K., who is four; and Ella Fern, who is two years old.
SMITH, CHARLES T.
Among the successful and progressive agriculturists of Mills county is Charles T. Smith, who resides near Hastings, his home being in Indian Creek township. He was born in Monroe county, Iowa, in October 1861. His father, Joseph Smith, was born in Kentucky, and had two brothers, John and James, who are still living, the former a resident of Missouri and the latter of Kansas. After arriving at years of maturity Joseph Smith married Miss Nancy Cox, a daughter of Charles Cox, who was born in Kentucky and is of Scotch lineage. She is an extremely pleasant and motherly woman and is numbered among the respected citizens of Mills county, Iowa. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, however, was celebrated in Kentucky and was blest with three children, namely: Charles T., of this review; James, who is living in Mills county; and Mrs. Maggie James, who makes her home in Iowa. the father is still residing in Monroe county, this state.
Mr. Smith of this review has spent his entire life in Iowa and the true western spirit of enterprise and progress has dominated his business career and made him one of the prosperous agriculturists of his community. His childhood days were quietly passed on the home farm and the schools of the neighborhood afforded him his educational privileges. Farming has ever occupied his attention in a business way and since 1883 he has been identified with the agricultural interests of Indian Creek township, where he owns some very valuable and productive property.
He married Miss Emma V. Hall, a daughter of Orrin Hall of Monroe county, who was born in Virginia and died in the early girlhood of his daughter, who was then reared by her uncle, Permenus Tuttle, of Monroe county. Her mother, who bore the maiden name of Helen Tuttle, was a native of the Old Dominion. The ancestors of Mrs. Smith were among the distinguished old southern families. Mr. Smith had the following named children: Chester R.; Arlie M.; Bessie G.; Esther E., who died at the age of six years: Robert R. and Edith. The parents are carefully educating their children that they may be well qualified to occupy useful and honorable positions in life.
Mr. Smith was reared in the Democratic faith, but mature deliberation and consideration of the questions effecting the welfare of the country have led him to give his support to the Republican party, and he has always voted that ticket. He has been the township assessor for four years, his term expiring in the fall of 1900. His wife is a member of the Baptist church, but he is liberal in his religious views and allows his children to attend the churches of their own choosing. The cause of education finds in him a warm friend and he has done effective service in its behalf while serving as school director. Socially he is connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have a pleasant home and his labors enable him now to enjoy all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. The household is celebrated for its gracious hospitality, which is enjoyed by their large circle of friends.
SMITH, JAMES
A prominent citizen and successful farmer of Indian Creek township, Mills county, Iowa, is James Smith, the subject of this sketch. He was born in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, in 1850, a son of James and Harriet (Pringle) Smith, both of whom were natives of Scotland, and both died in Canada. Immediately after marriage they emigrated to America. Mr. Smith being a Presbyterian minister, was stationed in Canada by his church, his last charge being located at Guelph. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Smith were: Mrs. Mary Taylor, of Michigan; Jessie, deceased; John, a farmer in Canada; Mrs. Maggie Colvin, in Canada; and Mrs. Jemima McClain, the widow of a Presbyterian minister.
Our subject was reared on the farm in Canada and there obtained his education. His chosen occupation was that of agriculture. His advent into Mills county, Iowa, dates back twenty-four years; and if they have been principally years of toil he feels a measure of reward as he views his fine farm of two hundred and forty acres of land under a fine state of cultivation. His cattle range over the hills and pastures, and he has every reason to feel satisfied with his choice of location.
The marriage of Mr. Smith took place in Mills county, to Miss Harriet Sandiland, a sister of David Sandiland, a prominent citizen. The eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Virgil by name, a fine young man, was taken from them by death at the age of seventeen. The surviving children are: Marion, Arthur and Ray. The family are intelligent and interesting people, and enjoy all the comforts of life in their substantial home.
Mr. Smith being conscientiously opposed to the liquor traffic, votes for the Prohibition ticket in national and state elections; but in local affairs casts his vote mainly for the Republican ticket. He is now one of the efficient school directors of Mills county. Both he and his excellent wife are valued members of the Presbyterian church, and well represent the best element of citizens of this part of Iowa.
STONE, HON. JOHN Y.
An enumeration of those men of the present generation who have won honor and public recognition for themselves, and at the same time have honored the state to which they belong, would be incomplete were there failure to make prominent reference to the one whose name initiates this paragraph. He holds prominence as an eminent lawyer and statesman, a man of high scientific and literary attainments, a valiant and patriotic soldier, and as one who occupied a most trying position during the most exciting epoch in the political and military history of this country in which he bore himself with such credit as to gain him the respect of all. He has been and is distinctively a man of affairs, and one who has wielded a wide influence. A strong mentality, an invincible courage, a most determined individuality have so entered into his makeup as to render him a natural leader of men and a director of opinion. A resident of Glenwood, Mills county, his reputation is not bounded by the confines of the state, for he is known throughout the country in connection with his political and professional labors. He is a western man and the enterprise and determined spirit that enabled so many native sons of Illinois to win national distinction have been manifest in his career.
Mr. Stone was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, April 23, 1843. On both the paternal and maternal sides he is descended from old southern families, his ancestors being among the early settlers of Virginia and North Carolina. Ex-Governor William M. Stone, of Iowa is authority for the statement that two brothers of the name of Stone came to America in 1620 on the Mayflower, one of whom took up his abode in New England, while the other settled in Virginia, and from the latter Mr. Stone is descended. Tradition tends to prove this statement, as do all the records of the family that are available. The paternal grandparents of Mr. Stone were Spencer and Elizabeth (Hargis) Stone. The former was a native of Virginia and in early life removed to Kentucky, whence he emigrated to Illinois during the pioneer epoch in the history of that state, when William Langford Stone, father of John Y., was but six years of age. In 1853 the grandfather came to Mills county, Iowa, and entered one or more sections of land on Silver Creek from the government or bought it from settlers. In the fall of 1856 he returned in a covered wagon to Illinois to get William Stone's three children, their mother having died in February. His son William could not then leave Illinois, but the grandfather brought the boy and his two sisters, younger than he, the old gentleman and our subject sleeping under the wagon at night, while the bed was made within the wagon for the girls. Jefferson Stone, an uncle of our subject, and his family also accompanied the party. They left their Illinois home on the 1st of September arriving at their destination on Silver creek on the 13th of that month. In December or January following the father of these children also came to them. The trip was a very interesting one to the children. They journeyed westward over the prairies, crossed the rivers, camped out by night and prepared their food by the aid of fires built along the roadside. Spencer Stone developed his wild land into a well cultivated farm and thereon made his home until the close of the Civil war, when he returned to Illinois, spending the evening of his life near Clinton, where he died at the age of eighty years. His father was in the war of 1812 and in the old Indian wars, and the story has come down the line of time that upon one of his hunting expeditions in the woods of Kentucky among hostile Indians, he was conscious of the fact that he was being watched by an Indian and at length discovered the red man in a hollow tree and shot him before the Indian, who was taking aim at him, could fire.
William Langford Stone, Mr. Stone's father, was a native of Kentucky, born in 1822, and followed agricultural pursuits throughout his entire life, with the exception of a few months passed in Athens, Illinois, during which time he engaged in the coopering business. He married Mary Ellen McLemore, a daughter of the Rev. Young and Nancy (Plumley) McLemore. Her father was an old-time Methodist preacher and school-teacher, and from him John Young received his second name. Both he and his wife were natives of North Carolina. Mrs. Stone died in Athens, Illinois, in February 1856. She was born in or near Knoxville, Tennessee, and in early womanhood gave her hand in marriage to William L. Stone, who was at that time twenty years of age. They became the parents of three children, a son and two daughters. As before stated, the children accompanied their grandfather to Iowa and a few months later the father also took up his abode in Mills county. For two years he rented land from his father, and his son, then usually called by his second name - Young - assisted him in its operation. He then purchased eighty acres of land, making small payments thereon, and from that property the father and son developed a farm and built thereon a log house. About the close of the Civil war William L. Stone moved across to the west side of Silver creek, and bought land there until he finally had a farm of five hundred or more acres, on which he died in August, 1899, at the advanced age of seventy-seven years. He was again married in 1857, his second union being with Sophia Patrick, a noble woman, a daughter of one of the later settlers of the community. She was born near Cumberland, Maryland, and she became the mother of three children who are yet living. She was also to her step-children a devoted and loving mother, being possessed of noble qualities, of kindly manner and of genial disposition. She still lives upon the old homestead on Silver creek, near Silver City, in Mills county, and her stepson feels for her the deepest affection, as one from whom he had received a mother's tender care and attention in his youth, and he finds great pleasure in visiting the old homestead and in maintaining the affectionate relations of his boyhood days.
It is with pleasure that we enter upon the task of compiling a brief life history of Mr. Stone, although it is impossible in the space at our command to do full justice to one whose life activities have been so varied, and whose fields of usefulness have been along so many lines. He has truly won the proud American title of a self-made man. In his boyhood he had the privileges of the common school, but he was early trained to labor. He first entered school when seven years of age, and later was for four years a student at Athens, Illinois. He then accompanied his grandfather to Iowa, where his advantages were limited to the district school. He learned rapidly and soon distanced his classmates, manifesting special aptitude in his studies. After reaching the Hawkeye state he attended school through the winter season, while in the summer months he worked on the home farm in the manner usual for farmer lads of that day. Steadily he worked his way upward step by step, ever making the most of his opportunities for advancement. He eagerly embraced every opportunity for acquiring an education. At the age of seventeen he entered the high school in Glenwood, Iowa, there pursuing the studies through the scholastic years of 1860-61. In the meantime he had devoted all his leisure hours to reading and study and thus became familiar with many books with which many young people of the time were totally unacquainted. In the country school he had studied algebra, geometry and Latin. These were not in the regular curriculum, but the teacher, a Mr. Perry Crosswait, was a well educated man and assisted him in his studies along those lines, unusual in the common schools of the day. It is still told of him on Silver creek that he distanced all competitors in all studies and that he "spelled down" all the schools within a radius of many miles, and even about twenty years ago, when the spelling-school mania took possession of the country, and when there was a grand "spelling" tournament at Glenwood, he met and unhorsed all comers except his partner, Mr. S. V. Proudfit.
Mr. Stone early formed the desire to enter the legal profession. Before he was eighteen years of age he had secured a copy of Walker's American Law, and he devoted every leisure moment to studying the principles of jurisprudence. However, there was a pause in his legal study and a sudden change in his young life. War clouds gathered, there was a call to arms and his patriotic spirit was aroused. He put aside all personal ambitions and projects for the time being, and on the 9th of October 1861, offered his services to the government, joining Company F., Fifteenth Iowa Infantry, under Captain D. C. Blackman, or Glenwood. Before they left for the field he was appointed a corporal. In his boyhood's happy days he entered most heartily into everything which elicited his sympathies, and so with war. After the organization of the company it remained in Glenwood until the 10th of November, when the troops were driven in wagons - for there were no railroads - to Eddyville, where they took the cars for Keokuk, Iowa. He rapidly mastered military tactics, and notwithstanding his inferior rank was often deputed to act as drillmaster for his company. He quickly acquired a knowledge of all the routine and minutiae of military life and of the army regulations. On the 19th of March, 1862, the Fifteenth, on a drizzly day in the presence of assembled thousands of the people of Keokuk, embarked on a steamer for Benton Barracks, St. Louis. Concerning the embarkation a historian of Iowa troops has said: "Never shall I forget that memorable and sacred moment, when the boat, bearing the precious load of that noble regiment of patriots called the Fifteenth Iowa Volunteers, pushed off amid the huzzas, God-bless-you's and floating handkerchiefs from houses and steeples, as far as the eye could reach. It was, indeed a moment worth a life time. The regiment moved down the majestic river, Mississippi, and the rain continued to patter on the windows of the Gate City as though nothing had happened; the handkerchiefs continued to wave till long after the boat passed beyond the vision, and it was some time before the hospitable city realized that the Fifteenth had gone - many to return with new honors and pleasing fame, others to find 'glory and the grave' on the battle-fields of the south.
At Benton Barracks the regiment received their new Springfield rifles and took supplies; and a few days later they were ordered to the front, going down the Mississippi and up the Ohio and Tennessee rivers in the steamer Minnehaha, to take part in the great battle of Shiloh. Their boat reached the wharf at four o'clock that morning, the 6th of April, they were off the boat, receiving their ammunition, after which they marched about three miles, and at ten o'clock were in the thickest of the battle with McClellan's division on the right. In this battle the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Iowa regiments fought together. By some error the Fifteenth was taken into conflict across an open field, marching by the right flank instead of moving in line of battle. Being under a heavy musketry and artillery fire the regiment lost severely in going in. The line of battle was formed in the woods after crossing the field, under a terrific rain of lead and iron. Colonel Reid was dangerously and Major Belknap severely wounded. Captain Blackmar and First Lieutenant Goode, of Corporal Stone's company, were severely wounded, and the command of the company devolved upon Lieutenant Throckmorton, of Sidney, Iowa. In two hours the company and regiment lost more than one-third of their numbers. In marching through the underbrush Corporal Stone lost his bayonet, which in some way was pulled out of his scabbard. That part of the field had been the scene of a hard conflict just before, and many dead Union soldiers of some other command were lying around. From the scabbard of one of them having the same kind of gun, Corporal Stone took the bayonet and put it in his own scabbard. Captain James G. Day, then of Company I, and afterward judge for many years of the district and supreme courts of Iowa, was dangerously wounded near Corporal Stone, who with others placed the wounded officer on a horse, whose rider had been killed or wounded and started him to a place of safety. Captain Day had been first lieutenant of Mr. Stone's company and had helped organize it, and lived at Sidney, in Fremont county, Iowa. Afterward Corporal Stone himself was wounded by a spent grapeshot, but not dangerously. It was a bitter and disastrous day to the regiment and never afterward did it have so terrible a conflict, except before Atlanta, on July 22, 1864.
After the battle of Shiloh the command engaged in slow approaches to Corinth and the siege of that important point. One day while close up to the enemy Corporal Stone was on duty on the advance picket line. He had three men under him at a post a few hundred yards in advance of the main guard, and in front of this post one of these three was placed as a vidette at a rail fence about a hundred yards in advance. When the German lieutenant, who could not speak English plainly, gave Corporal Stone his instructions he was understood to say that if the vidette was fired upon the Corporal should immediately go forward with the other two men to support him. Once during the day several shots were fired at this vidette by some of the enemy across a small field. The corporal promptly took his two men to the front to support his vidette. The firing attracted the attention of Lieutenant Colonel Dewey of the Fifteenth Iowa, who, was the grand officer of the guard for that day, and he came dashing up rapidly on horseback with his escort to see what was the matter. Not finding the corporal and the two men at the post, the colonel with his usual impetuosity began to storm about their deserting their post. But presently he ascertained they were out in front and he sent out after them and demanded of the corporal why he had left the post. On being informed of the instructions the corporal had received, the colonel said: Well, you either misunderstood him or he got things mixed. My orders were that if the vidette was fired upon he should fall back to the post. But since you 'retreated' to the front instead of the rear, I will not look into the matter any further."
A few days after the battle of Shiloh, the Eleventh, Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Sixteenth Iowa regiments were organized into a brigade which was placed under the command of General M. M. Crocker, of Iowa, who continued in that capacity till he was placed in command of a division later on. It was known ever after as the "Iowa Brigade," or "Crocker's Brigade," and as thus organized it continued till it was mustered out after the war. The siege of Corinth lasted nearly a month and every hour, day and night, was one of danger and death. Soon after the capture of Corinth, Corporal Stone was promoted to the position of orderly sergeant, and a little later to that of second lieutenant. He was thenceforth in all the marches, skirmishes, sieges and battles of his regiment and brigade. Among these operations were embraced the campaigns and movements of General Grant to clear the enemy from that country, the march to Bolivar, the engagements near there; the return to Corinth, the march to Iuka and return; the battle of Corinth; the march to Grand Junction from Corinth; the maneuvers and skirmishes on the Hatchee, the march to Memphis, Tennessee; the minor actions and marches in southwestern Tennessee and northern Mississippi; the march down through Mississippi toward Vicksburg, until the capture of Holly Springs in the rear, thus compelling Grant to return and change his whole campaign against Vicksburg; the trip by steam-boat from Memphis to points opposite Vicksburg, in preparation for that great campaign.
(There are several more pages in this 'sketch'. If anyone desires to read the remainder please notify me and I will complete this account. No other genealogical information. cm)
STRAHAN, JAMES M.
The history of mankind is replete with illustrations of the fact that it is only under pressure of adversity and the stimulus of opposition that the best and strongest in men are brought out and developed. Perhaps the history of no people so forcibly impresses one with this truth as the annuals of our own republic. If anything can inspire the youth of our country to persistent, honest and laudable endeavor, it should be the life record of such men as he of whom we write. The example of the illustrious few of our countrymen who have risen from obscurity to the highest position in the gift of the nation often serves to awe our young men rather than inspire them to emulation, because they reason that only a few can ever attain such eminence; but the history of such men as Mr. Strahan proves conclusively that with a reasonable amount of mental and physical power success is bound eventually to crown the endeavor of those who have the ambition to put forth their best efforts and the will and manliness to persevere therein. Certainly he deserves mention among the most prominent citizens of Mills county, having had a marked influence upon the business life and the substantial development of this portion of the state. His wide acquaintance will render his history one of special interest to many of our readers, and therefore we gladly give it a place in this volume.
Mr. Strahan is a native of Indiana, his birth having occurred in Putnam county on the 17th of November, 1829. His father, James Strahan, was born in Pennsylvania, August 6, 1781, and emigrated to the Hoosier state during the pioneer epoch of its development. He became identified with the farming interests of Putnam county where he carried on agricultural pursuits until his demise. In June, 1813, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Ramsey, also a native of Pennsylvania, born December 16, 1793. They became the parents of seven children. The father died in Putnam county, Indiana, in September, 1835, and the mother long surviving him, passed away in Davis county, Iowa, October 7, 1857.
The subject of this review spent the first six years of his life in his native state, and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Illinois, being identified with the farming interests of that commonwealth until 1850, when he went to California, remaining for three years of the Pacific coast. He then returned to Illinois, but in 1854 made a second trip to California, taking with him a drove of cattle across the plains. For a year he again remained in the land of gold and then retraced his steps to the Mississippi valley, but this time he located on the west side of the Father of Waters, becoming a resident of Marion county, Iowa, residing there until 1864, when he sold his land and removed to Lucas county, Iowa. In 1866 he removed to Henderson county, Illinois, and in 1869 he returned to Marion county, Iowa. There he resided until 1870, which year witnessed his arrival in Mills county, where for almost a third of a century he has made his home. Since that time he has been a very prominent factor in the business interests which have contributed not alone to his individual prosperity, but have also promoted the general welfare of the community. Entering into partnership with John Evans, they engaged in farming and feeding cattle for the market, carrying on the latter branch of their business on a very extensive scale, selling from two hundred to a thousand head of cattle annually.
In 1873, in company with others, Mr. Strahan laid out that part of Malvern known as Strahan's addition into lots for building purposes. The town of Strahan, in Deer Creek township, has been named in his honor. His first home in Mills county was an old frame residence but in 1881 he replaced it with one of the finest houses in the county. He first purchased eleven hundred acres of land, but is now the owner of fifteen hundred acres in Mills county and two thousand acres in Wayne county. His operations in land have been very extensive and they bring to him a splendid income. Not only have his stock-raising interests assumed large proportions, but he has also dealt largely in grain, making enormous profits.
A man of resourceful business ability, his efforts have by no means been confined to one line, but have been extended to many fields of endeavor and have always been attended by success, for he is a man of sound business judgment, rarely if ever at fault in an opinion on business matters. His name figures conspicuously on the pages of the pioneer history of Mills county. He was one of the organizers of the First National Bank, became its first president and has since occupied that position. His splendid executive ability, keen sagacity and strong purpose enabling him to place the institution upon a sound financial basis that has made it one of the leading moneyed institutions of the county. Its first cashier was L. Bentley, and the present cashier is J. J. Wilson who has occupied the position for about ten years. Mr. Strahan is also the president of the First National Bank of Wayne county. He also has a private bank at Malvern, which is conducted under the firm name of Strahan & Christy. The family is a prominent one in connection with financial interests. His son, Frank E. Strahan, is the vice-president of the First National Bank at Wayne, Nebraska, while Otis, another son, is assistant cashier in the First National Bank of Malvern. Few men have a more comprehensive, accurate and reliable knowledge of the banking business than has Mr. Strahan, who is widely recognized as one of the leading financiers of this portion of the west. He is a man of keen discernment and excellent executive ability. He carries forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes and his perseverance and determined purpose have been important factors in his splendid success.
Mr. Strahan has been twice married. On the 3rd of January, 1856, he led to the marriage altar Miss Frances C. Davis, of Henderson county, Illinois. Her father, Abner Davis served in the war of 1812, and the farm upon which he made his home was granted him in recognition of the aid which he rendered his country at that time. Five children, two sons and three daughters, were born of this marriage, namely: Otis A., who married Ida Morris and has two children; Lucy, who is the wife of D. A. Jones and has five children; Luella, who is the wife of June Conger, and they have five children; Francis E., who married Luella Larison, and they have had six children, of whom three are now living; and Rosetta, who is the wife of John Larison. The mother of these children died August 30, 1885, and in 1889 Mr. Strahan was again married, his second union being with Mary W. (Wheeler) Guilford, a daughter of William and Phebe Diana (Makyes) Wheeler. Her paternal grandparents were William R. and Hila (Curtiss) Wheeler, Connecticut people. The latter died in Michigan. The grandfather was born October 16, 1782, and died in Connecticut in the thirty-ninth year of his age. The Wheelers were from Denmark, and a very prominent family there. Mrs. Strahan was one of a family of fourteen children, ten of whom reached mature years, while the mother, who was born in Onondaga county, New York, died at the advanced age of eighty-one years. By her former marriage Mrs. Strahan had four children, of whom two are living: Jessie, now the wife of Alonzo Ring; and Lizzie, the wife of J. E. Cleaver, by whom she has three children. They also lost two daughters: Ella, who became the wife of F. B. Rumsey, of Kansas, and died at the age of twenty-nine years, leaving a daughter. Charta became the wife of M. P. Steele, and died at the age of twenty-eight years, leaving one son, while one child died at the same time, occasioned by a gasoline explosion, March 6, 1899.
Mr. and Mrs. Strahan are prominent and influential members of the Baptist church in which he has held membership since 1871. He has served as trustee and steward and has contributed liberally to its work, doing all in his power for its advancement. the cause of temperance finds in him a warm friend, and he now affiliates with the Prohibition party, having cast his first vote in support of its candidates when he deposited his ballot for Governor St. John, of Kansas. Prior to that he was a Democrat in his political affiliations. Mr. Strahan is a most progressive and public spirited citizen, and his wife is also noted for her generosity. They contribute very liberally to all worthy enterprises calculated to prove of public benefit, giving their active co-operation to every measure intended for the public good. They are people of the highest worth of character and their lives are in harmony with honorable principles. Regarded as a citizen, Mr. Strahan belongs to that public-spirited, useful and helpful type of men whose ambitions and desires are centered and directed in those channels through which flow the greatest and most permanent good to the greatest number, and it is therefore consistent with the purpose and plan of this work that his record be given among those of the representative men of the state.
STROUD, ALEXANDER
A fitting reward of a well-spent life is an honored retirement from labor, an opportunity to enjoy the fruits of former toil and to spend some years un-harassed by business cares and burdens. This has been vouchsafed to Mr. Stroud, who, after a long connection with agricultural pursuits, has now retired, the accumulations of former decades supplying him with all the comforts and many of the luxuries that go to make life worth living.
A native of Tennessee he was born in Bedford county in 1830. His father was a native of North Carolina and at an early day emigrated to Tennessee, taking up his residence in Bedford county, where he devoted his time and energies to agricultural pursuits. He had a brother who served as a color-bearer under General Jackson at the battle of New Orleans in the war of 1812, and was the first to plant the stars and stripes upon the breastworks there. The mother of our subject bore the maiden name of Rebecca Greene, and was a relative of General Greene of Revolutionary fame. She was born in Tennessee and was of Scotch descent, a representative of a family that was prominent in the Revolutionary war. The parents of our subject were married in the mother's native state, and their opposition to slavery and its practices led to their removal to the north. They located first in Illinois, and afterward came to Iowa.
Alexander Stroud accompanied his parents on their removals and thus became identified with pioneer life in the Hawkeye state. His educational privileges were very limited, for there were no free schools and this necessitated his attendance at subscription schools. The first schoolhouse which he ever saw was built by his parents and their neighbors out of materials which they hauled to the place, therefrom erecting a structure that their children might receive some educational privileges. Mr. Stroud's training at farm labor, however, was not meager, for at a very early day he began work in the fields and followed the plow at the time of the spring planting and garnered the crops during the summer and autumn harvests. He carried on farming in connection with his father unti1879, when he removed to Hillsdale, Center township, Mills county, Iowa, his present home. He has now retired from active business life, but is still a land-owner in this locality. He superintends his investments, but otherwise is engaged in no active labor.
At the time of the Civil war Mr. Stroud manifested his loyalty to the Union by enlisting in the army at Knoxville, Iowa, on the 15th of August, 1862. He joined the "boys in blue" with Company A, Fortieth Iowa Infantry, under the command of Captain M. V. B. Bennett and Colonel John A. Garrett. With his company he went to Iowa City and direct to "Dixie land," going into camp at Columbus, Kentucky. The regiment was engaged in heavy skirmishing throughout the winter. Their next camp was at Paducah, Kentucky, from which point they went to the support of Grant in the siege of Vicksburg. After the fall of that city Mr. Stroud saw some very hard and trying service in the Yazoo valley country, chasing the rebels through miry swamps and almost impenetrable thickets and canebrakes. He took part in the battle of Jenkins' Ferry, a very severe engagement, and was afterward in service along the Mississippi, where they were constantly subjected to the fire from the sharpshooters and the guns on the gunboats. They made one march of fifty-five miles in twenty-two hours, Mr. Stroud and three of his companions being the only members of the company to stack arms on their arrival at their destination. Subsequently he went with his regiment to Jackson, Mississippi, and Helena, Arkansas, and thence to the Arkansas river, opposite Little Rock, where he experienced some of the very hardest service of his enlistment. The men were ordered across the river in the face of the rebel guns to capture the city, and though the service was a very difficult one it was performed by the brave "boys in blue." Then occurred some very sanguinary battles, the soldiers being mown down like grass. The regiment turned south in Arkansas toward Texas, and the subsequent battles, skirmishes and forced marches in dangerous places and in the darkness of the night were enough to try the metal of the most courageous soldier, but through it all Mr. Stroud never wavered, and when mustered out of service he could claim the honorable distinction of having never lost a day and having ever been found at his post of duty, whether in the thickest of the fight or upon the tented field. His patience, fortitude and valor are worthy of the highest commendations, for no other soldier ever bore such hardships with a more cheerful or courageous spirit. He was mustered out at Fort Gibson, Indian Territory, after a service of about three and one-half years.
Mr. Stroud was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Wade, in Marion county, Iowa, her people having come to the west from Indiana. She is an estimable lady and has been to her husband a faithful wife and helpmate on life's journey. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Stroud have been born ten children: Angeline, who became the wife of Dr. Eddy, of Malvern, Iowa, but both are now deceased. Judith, the wife of William McCoy, who resides on a farm near Tabor in Mills county; Priscilla J., the wife of Calvin Goddard, of Pueblo, Colorado; Rebecca, the wife of Dr. Cross of Hillsdale; Clara, who married Daniel Anderson, a farmer of Mills county; Telitha, who wedded S. E. Surface, a resident farmer of Ringgold county, Iowa; Ola, who is the wife of C. S. Day, an agriculturist of Monona, Iowa; Joseph F., the elder son, who was reared as a farmer but is now in business in Hillsdale; Willis C., the younger son, who is a resident of Ottumwa, Iowa; and Sadie, who is deceased.
In his political views Mr. Stroud is a Republican, having voted the ticket since the organization of the party. He has filled a number of local offices of trust, discharging his duties with promptness and fidelity, thus winning the high commendation of all concerned. He has a wide acquaintance in Mills county and enjoys the respect and esteem of his fellow men by reason of his honorable and upright life.
SUMMERS, HARVEY W.
Harvey W. Summers is one of the most extensive landowners and successful farmers of Mills county, and has justly earned the distinction of being what the public calls a self-made man. He was born in Tazewell county, Illinois on the 4th of July, 1826, his parents being John and Emily (Woodrow) Summers. The father was a native of North Carolina and with his three brothers and their mother went to Ohio at a very early day, the father of our subject having died in North Carolina. The family is an old and prominent one of the south. After residing in the Buckeye state for some time the Summers family removed to Illinois and there the mother of our subject died. After arriving at years of maturity John Summers married Emily Woodrow, a daughter of Richard Woodrow, who was of Irish lineage, the name being originally spelled Withrow. John Summers followed farming in Tazewell county, Illinois, and died in that state at the age of seventy-two years. His wife's death also occurred there. They were the parents of five children, of whom two are yet living, the brother of our subject being William G., who follows farming near Malvern, Iowa.
Mr. Summers of this review was reared in the old family homestead in Tazewell county, Illinois, where he remained until twenty-nine years of age. He began his education in the old time log schoolhouse, the school being conducted on the subscription plan. At the age of twenty-four he left the old homestead and began life for himself. He was married on the 24th of February, 1850, to Miss Hannah F. Jennings, who was born in Harvey county, Virginia, on the 2d of June, 1832, a daughter of William and Eliza (Dray) Jennings. Her father was a native of Ireland. His wife was born in Virginia and died in Illinois whither the family removed at an early day. The grandmother of Mrs. Summers, Agnes Mansfield, was born in Virginia and died in Missouri.
In September, 1854, Harvey W. Summers, accompanied by his brothers, James and Milton, came to Mills county, Iowa, and entered a large tract of land from the government. Mr. Summers of this review taking up his abode on Section 4 in White Cloud Township. Here he has resided for forty-five years. His first home was only sixteen by twenty-four feet, but he afterward made additions to it and the family resided therein until 1862, when he erected his present fine residence which now adjoins his farm. On the 24th of September, 1855, the family came with him to his new home. As the years passed he added to his property and now owns two thousand acres of the rich lands of Iowa and is numbered among the wealthy and enterprising agriculturists of this portion of the state. About 1868 he began shipping stock and has since made it a part of his business, carrying on that enterprise quite extensively. He has raised, bought and sold large amounts of stock and has thus added materially to his income. He follows very progressive methods of farming, keeps his land in good condition through the rotation of crops and has upon his place the latest improved machinery. Everything upon the farm is neat and thrifty in appearance and indicates his careful supervision.
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Summers have been born five children, of whom three are yet living: Willard Leslie, who is married and has three children; Laura A., who is married and has two children; and Edward L., who also is married and has two children; John died at the age of twenty-two years, being injured in the accident of the railroad bridge at St. Charles, Missouri, going down under a stock train. He was rescued and lived only a few days; William C., the other member of the family, died when only eleven months old.
In his political views Harvey W. Summers is a stanch Republican. He cast his first presidential vote for Zachary Taylor in 1848, and on the organization of the Republican party he joined its ranks and has since been one of its stalwart advocates. He holds membership in the Baptist church and has lived an upright, honorable life. For forty-six years he has been a resident of Mills county and is therefore numbered among its honored pioneers. He and his wife saw the first interment made in the cemetery at Malvern and his brother's wife was the second person to be laid at rest in that city of the dead.
Great changes have occurred since the family came to Iowa, and in the work of progress and development Mr. Summers has ever borne his part, doing whatever he could to promote the material educational and moral interests and welfare of the community. He has ever lived so as to win the respect and confidence of his fellow men, and all who know him esteem him for his sterling traits of character.
SUMMERS, JAMES N.
When Mills county was located upon the western frontier, when the greater part of its land was in possession of the government and pioneer homes were few and far between, James Newton Summers, now deceased, came to the county and throughout the remainder of his life devoted his time and energies to agricultural pursuits and to the faithful discharge of his duties of citizenship, winning high regard by reason of his straightforward dealing and his fidelity to manly principles. He was a native of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Tazewell county, on the 20th of August, 1829. He was a representative on the paternal side of one of the old families of North Carolina, and his father, John Summers, was a native of that state, whence he emigrated to Illinois at a very early day. He married Emily Woodrow, who was a descendant of Richard Withrow, a native of Ireland, who founded the family in the new world. In the intervening years the orthography of the name has undergone a change to its present form. The parents of our subject spent their last days in Illinois, the mother dying in April, 1835, while the father passed away many years later at the ripe old age of seventy-two. They had five children, but only two are now living. Harvey and William. One son, Milton, died during the Civil war, while serving in the Fifth Iowa Cavalry.
Amid the wild scenes of frontier life James Summers was reared and was thus fitted for his pioneer experiences in Iowa. Schools were of a primitive character and his education was therefore rather limited, but his training at farm work was not meager. In the year 1854 the brothers of the family decided to seek homes in Iowa and came to Mills county, which was just being opened to civilization. The government offered its lands at a merely nominal price to those who would convert the raw prairie into cultivated fields, and the Summers brothers therefore secured large tracts. James became the owner of a farm and with characteristic energy began its development. It was situated in White Cloud township, and had hitherto been unimproved, but as time passed, acre after acre was placed under the plow and began to yield good returns.
Mr. Summers was united in marriage in early manhood to Miss Charlotte Raines, a native of Missouri, and she became the mother of three children, two of whom are yet living, as follows: Lillian E., now Mrs. Palmer, and John Henry. After the death of his first wife Mr. Summers was again married on the 9th of June, 1873, to Miss Ella J. Brown, who was born in Tazewell county, Illinois. She had seven children, six of whom are living, namely: Ross B.; Eunice E., now Mrs. Carl E. Axtell; Laura B.; Strayer S.; J. N.; and Arvilla M. Mrs. Summers is a daughter of Dr. Alfred and Sarah (Griswold) Brown. Her father was born in 1810, and was a grandson of Henry and Lydia (Humphrey) Brown. The former was called "Continental Brown" owing to his activity in connection with the affairs of the Continental army which he joined in 1775. In April of that year he enlisted and served for six days following the alarm at Lexington, and was afterward with the First Connecticut Regiment. He was a member of the company commanded by Captain Woolcott. In 1781 he received a commission as sergeant. From the First Connecticut Regiment he was transferred to the New York troops, serving under General Lafayette. He participated in the battle of Bunker Hill, the first important engagement of the war, and was also present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. In an engagement he was wounded in one of the limbs, and after leaving the army he was always known as "Continental Brown." In recognition of his services he was granted a pension by the government. Henry Brown was the father of Lyman Brown, who married Sarah Tryon, a daughter of Lord Tryon, of England, who was also in the Revolutionary war. Their son, Dr. Alfred Brown, was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Hooker Griswold, who was born in 1810. At an early day they became residents of Illinois, emigrating westward from Connecticut, making the journey in an ox cart. The Doctor engaged in the practice of medicine for fifty or sixty years and both he and his wife spent their last days in Tazewell county, Illinois.
Our subject and his wife continued to reside on the old homestead until 1891, when his life's labors were ended in death. She still resides upon the farm and is one of the highly esteemed ladies of the community. Mr. Summers was a man of strong purpose, honorable in all his dealings, and to his family left the priceless heritage of an untarnished name.
SUMMERS, MILTON S.
Milton S. Summers is numbered among the heroes of the Civil war and gave his life as a ransom for his country. He was born in Tazewell county, Illinois, November 20, 1828, being a son of John and Emily (Woodrow) Summers. On the paternal side he was descended from one of the old families of North Carolina, while on the maternal side the ancestry can be traced back to Richard Withrow, a native of Ireland, who became the founder of the family in America. As the years have passed the name has undergone a change to its present form of Woodrow. The parents of our subject emigrated westward, becoming residents of Illinois, and there they spent their remaining days.
On the old home farm there Milton S. Summers was reared, aiding in the labors of field and meadow through the summer months, while in the winter season he pursued his studies in the old-time schools which were conducted on the subscription plan and which were held in log buildings. He was taught the value of industry and honesty in the affairs of life. After his death his obituary notice appeared in the Tazewell Register, published in the vicinity of his old home in Illinois, in which was the following: "The virtuous traits which adorn and endear character were instinctive with him from early boyhood, and impelled him under many disadvantages to habits of industry and propriety, which culminated in making an honored and useful man. Especially was his energy conspicuous in acquiring a decent education at a time and in a locality when and where means for education were limited and the student had to rely very much upon self-application.
"We first became acquainted with him in the autumn of 1845, in his nineteenth year, when he came into our school at the 'Woodrow settlement' as a scholar - from the corn gathering. Although unrestrained, the master of his own inclinations, he took few hours for pleasure, but rather divided his time assiduously between hard labor, hard study and hard works of charity. Many families still remember him as the ministering angel of those days, supplying them with needed food and fuel; plain but genuine and unaffected charity and a disposition with heart and hand prodigal to give where was real need or suffering, were leading traits of his character; and we are told, by those who know, that the disposition continued to the last, went with him to the wilds of Iowa and made him the benefactor of the poor there. His diligence at his books, and his obedience and attention to our commands, made him one of our favorites, while his constant good nature, frankness and kindness endeared him to his companions. We never loved a young man more sincerely."
With his brothers, Harvey W. and James N., Milton S. Summers, removed from Illinois in the fall of 1854, and came to Iowa, believing that better opportunities were afforded to young men in this state, which was not then so thickly settled as the states east of the Mississippi. They took up their abode in Mills county, Iowa, and entered a large tract of land from the government and began the development of the farm.
Milton S. Summers was united in marriage to Miss Llewellen Welsh, a native of Kentucky. Her surviving friends in this vicinity speak of her as a woman of high birth; of an exceedingly amiable and lovable disposition; devoted, tender and true. The faithful and intelligent performance of every known duty was a very prominent trait of her character and this trait was transmitted, a precious inheritance, to her only child, Mrs. I. J. Swain. In true pioneer style Mr. and Mrs. Summers began life in Iowa, hoping here to secure a good home which should be their place of abode for many years to come, but the country became involved in civil war, the slavery question of the south had aroused the country, and many of the southern states threatened to secede. When Fort Sumter was fired upon brave men from all sections of the north responded to the president's call for aid and enlisted under the stars and stripes as defenders of the Union. Among the number was Milton Summers, who, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, left his home and joined the Fifth Iowa Cavalry at the three years call. He enlisted in 1861 and with his regiment went to the front participating in all of its engagements until his death. Speaking of his army experiences the same paper from which we have before quoted said: "Lieutenant Summers rallied for his country immediately after the fall of Sumter, and has ever since been constantly on the field of duty. Although not so prominent as many of the host who have sealed with their lives their devotion to their country, this terrible rebellion has not immolated a nobler or better youth. He was a stranger to fear, and conscious that whenever he met the foe it would be to conquer or to die. From the time that we learned that he had enlisted we have watched the army reports, apprehensive of his fate. Mark the fatal realization! Read the record that gives his name to immortality. On the 25th of August, 1862, the enemy made a desperate charge upon Fort Donelson with a force far outnumbering the garrison, but were gallantly repulsed. We continue the account in the words of Rev. A. L. McKinney, chaplain of the Seventy-first Regiment Ohio Infantry: "As soon as the Rebels were known to be in force in our immediate vicinity a telegram was sent to Colonel W. W. Lowe, commanding the post of Fort Henry and Heiman, and to whose command we are temporarily attached, informing him of the danger and asking reinforcements. He promptly responded to our call by immediately marching at the head of six companies of cavalry and one field-piece. They arrived here at about half past six o'clock in the afternoon. The enemy had been routed and were retreating up the river. At daylight next morning the 26th, Colonel Lowe, at the head of four companies, being less than one hundred and thirty men, of the Fifth Iowa Cavalry, started in pursuit of the enemy, overtaking them at Cumberland Iron Works, about seven miles from here. A sharp engagement followed. The Rebels, about five or six hundred strong, were posted in a deep ravine bordering on the road, along a cornfield fence and behind houses. Their position was one of great natural strength. The enemy's battery became annoying, and Colonel Lowe ordered Lieutenant Summers, with his company (B), to charge it. The order was obeyed in gallant style. He at the head of his company charged through a terrible fire of the concealed foe, scattering the Rebel cavalry, upsetting and breaking the cannon, so as to render it useless. The charges of the cavalry were most daring and heroic, at least a score of horses went down with it. From fifteen to twenty of our men were killed and wounded; among them was the gallant Lieutenant Summers, who was mortally wounded. The loss of the enemy is not known. Colonel Lowe's forces, both men and horses, being jaded and suffering for food, returned to this post, after having waited more than an hour for the enemy to make an attack. We captured a number of guns and among them some of those the Rebels took from our boys at Clarkville. This charge of the brave Summers is not exceeded by any in the annals of the war for desperate daring. An eye witness states that Summers, rushing on in advance, encountered a six-pound field-piece which was pouring destruction upon his men. Unmindful of his own safely and thinking only of theirs, he killed four of the enemy with his own hands upon the spot, and seizing the field piece by the wheels upset it as stated above.
"The noble hero lived till the next day. The remainder of his story is soon told; brought home for burial, on Thursday, the 11th inst. the concourse of friends and neighbors who had known him so long and well bore him through the beautiful grove which had been the playground of his school days up to the old graveyard and laid him down beside his mother, who had been resting there more than twenty years. The ceremonies, which were such as appealed to the heart, rather than ostentatious, were conducted by Judge Harriott. Dr. Robert Gibson delivered a very touching and eloquent eulogy, brief but truly appropriate, and was followed by remarks from Messrs. James Haines and Merrill C. Young, eulogistic of the brave martyr.
"His commanding officer, writing a letter to his bereaved father, speaks like a soldier in brief but eloquent words and testifies as to his worth. He says that his remaining companions in arms all mourn his loss with the same sincerity as do his friends at home; that he was beloved by both officers and men; that he was always faithful in the discharge of his duties; that a braver man never lived; and that, though dead in the flesh, he still lives in the spirit among them.
"The testimonials could not be otherwise and at the same time be true, for it was the cardinal ambition of life with our brave friend, in all things and at all times, to act well his part. Hence, he says of himself, writing to his uncle, Samuel Woodrow, Esq., his last letter, 'That I am in for the war, and have taken a through ticket. I have aimed to do my duty, both as a soldier and an officer; consequently I have the confidence of my superior officers and the love and respect of my men. I feel that my connections will never be disgraced by me. I expect to do my duty regardless of consequences, and if I live to get home, well and good; if I should not I have the glorious and happy consolation of dying in defense of my country.'
"He so died, and has left his family and friends a name, not a disgrace, but a name of honor, which shall be imperishable as long as the history of Donelson shall hold a page in human annals."
SWAIN, I. J.
I. J. Swain, the well known and popular secretary of the Mills County Fair Association, was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, on the 8th of March, 1849, and is a son of Rev. E. R. and E. S. (Cady) Swain, the former a native of Vermont, the latter of New York. The Rev. Elisha R. Swain was born in Reading, Windsor county, Vermont, February 16, 1801. His mother bore the maiden name of Hannah Ransom, and it was for her father, Elisha Ransom, a Baptist minister, that the Rev. E. R. Swain was named. His maternal grandmother bore the name of Hannah Grow, and the name of Hannah seems to have been a favorite one as it was borne by the grandmother, the mother, the sister and one of the daughters of the Rev. Swain. The brothers and sisters of the Rev. Swain were as follows: Hannah, born at Woodstock, Vermont, August 30, 1802; Aaron, born February 19, 1804; Sally, born in Plymouth, Chenango county, New York, November 5, 1805; a son who was born on the 24th of May 1807, and died on the 26th of the same month; Oliver, born August 31, 1808; and John F., born May 6, 1810. The father of this family, John F. Swain, died May 3, 1811. The mother attempted to keep the family together, but found this impossible and soon the children were scattered. She afterward married Elisha Morton, but the children still remained separated and were not brought together again until this was made possible through the efforts of Elisha R. Swain, the eldest of the family.
After his father's death he went to live with his grandfather and uncle, both of whom bore the name of Elisha Ransom. He was not kindly treated there, however, and this largely caused him to lose ambition and energy, but later these were again aroused and he entered upon a work whose influence was far-reaching. He remained with his maternal grandfather until he was fourteen years of age, when he went to a place about eighteen miles from his home to learn the trade of chair-making and house painting. But after two years thus passed his employer failed, so that the Rev. Swain, being thrown out of employment, entered the employ of his uncle James, and with him the next year went to Homer, Cortland county, New York, where he remained for one year. In his nineteenth year he took up his abode upon the place which had been left by his father, and gathered all the children of the family there, with the exception of the youngest brother, John, who lived with his uncle, Elisha Swain, about a mile and a half away. They experienced some rather hard times in attempting to gain a living, but were happy in being once more united.
When about twenty or twenty-one years of age Elisha R. Swain was married to Laura Mead, the wedding being celebrated December 27, 1821. The lady was born December 27, 1803, and was therefore married on the eighteenth anniversary of her birth. They lived happily together for about sixteen years, when Mrs. Swain was called to her final rest, leaving to her husband the care of four daughters and a son, the last named being only about six months old. He only survived his mother fifteen days. The children were: Mary, who was born in Plymouth; Eliza, who died from scalding when about two years of age; Clarissa and Helen Eliza, both of whom were natives of Plymouth, Chenango county; and Ransom, who died only fifteen days after his mother, on the 17th of November, 1837. The eldest daughter, Mary, also passed away on the last day of December of the same year.
In the meantime, while residing in North Norwich, New York, Elisha R. Swain had been converted and joined the North Norwich Baptist church in 1829. For some time he felt that he was called to the ministry before he finally decided to devote his life to the work, but at length he was ordained at Clymer church, Harmony Association, of New York, in 1833. In 1840 he removed to Busti, Chautauqua county, New York, and became pastor of the church there, remaining for six years. A publication which appeared in 1878 said that "his pastorate was the longest in the church and the most splendid record in its history." In the six years one hundred and thirty persons were baptized and the membership increased from eighty-four to two hundred and twenty-three. In 1842, during the pastorate of Rev. Swain, a revival meeting was held and the church recorded seventy-nine baptisms. Temperance and virtue pervaded the community and the influence of the church became marked on all classes. Soon after the Rev. Swain moved to that place the church built a parsonage and its work prospered in every department. He was much beloved for his fervent piety, social qualities and entertaining preaching, and long afterward the church invited him to become their pastor again.
On the 8th of May, 1839, Elisha R. Swain was again married, his second union being with Betsy R. Kinne, who had been a friend and schoolmate of his first wife. On the 28th of April they removed to Busti, Chautauqua county, New York and there on the 23rd of May, 1841. Mr. Swain was again bereft by the death of his wife, who left a son, Dwight Kinne, then only sixteen days old, who died on the 22nd of June, 1842. On the 8th of November of the same year, Mr. Swain wedded Emma Sophronia Winn. She was a widow at the time and her maiden name was Emma S. Cady. Her father, Sylvester Cady, was born in the northwest part of New York, March 25, 1777, and married Abigail Adams, who was also a native of the Empire state, born May 27, 1782. They were married January 6, 1805, and Mrs. Swain was their second child, her birth occurring January 26, 1808. Her mother was familiarly known as Nabby and was named for the wife of John Adams, to whose family she belonged, although the exact relationship with her and the two presidents, John Adams and John Quincy Adams, has never been traced. By the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Swain the following children were born: James Ransom, born in Busti, New York, May 25, 1843; John Bunyan, born in Busti, September 27, 1844; Delia Maria, born in Windsor, Dane county, Wisconsin, January 9, 1847, the first white child born in the township; Ira Joy, born March 8, 1849; and Aaron Cady, born October 2, 1851. In 1846, on account of failing health, Mr. Swain removed to Wisconsin, then a territory. He left his New York home on the 30th of June, and on the 25th of September took up his abode in what afterward became Windsor, Dane county, He there gathered together the few scattered Baptists on the frontier and organized the Windsor Baptist church, which at first had but eight members. He also organized a church in the adjoining town of Bristol and to these churches and to those of several other localities he preached the gospel of Christ until 1867. While in Wisconsin the people of his pastorate raised money enough, within a few dollars, for him to purchase forty acres of land and that constituted his first home in the west. Previous to this he had entered eighty acres and finally purchased forty acres additional so that he was the owner of a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which was located twelve miles northeast of Madison, Wisconsin.
On reaching Iowa, Rev. Swain gathered together a number of Baptists and organized a church near Osage, in Floyd county. In August, 1867, he settled in what is now Peoples township, in Boone county, where he remained until he was called to the home prepared for the righteous. In 1868 he organized the Spring Valley Baptist church in Dallas county, and was largely instrumental in the organization of the Peoples Baptist church, of which he was a member at the time of his death. He passed away April 7, 1886, at the age of eighty-five years, one month and twenty-one days. Although he lost several children, he reared and educated a noble family of four sons and one daughter, all of whom are faithful adherents of the Baptist church. The day of his demise, while working in the garden, he fell suddenly to the ground, prostrated with heart disease, and death came to him within ten minutes. He closely followed the teachings of the beloved apostle, being emphatically a peace-maker. The whole community in which he lived for so many years joined in cherishing his memory as one who was a true and faithful preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and who lived as he preached.
Of his wife, Emma S. Swain, it may be said, as the Psalmist wrote of old: "Her children rise up and call her blessed." No better estimate of character can be given than the child's of the mother, and one of Mrs. Swain's daughters said of her: "I can not write anything nicer than what you wrote in your letter about our mother, her gentle disposition, her sweet, confiding nature, her high intellectual development and the Christian graces that shone through all her life, making her memory sacred to her loving children, and blessed by the communities where she dwelt, and led her gently and peacefully into the Light and Life beyond. In a few words, nothing could be better to say: it would take a whole volume to say all that might be told of her beautiful life, her patience under grievous trials and disappointments, her cheerful acceptance of whatever her lot in life might be, and her devotion to the interests of the church. Her last written words were a prayer that 'everything might be removed that hindered her from communion with God.' Alas for us! the prayer was quickly answered, and the 'tabernacle of clay' that held the sweet spirit was taken away, and she was free from earth."
The surviving children of the Rev. Swain are as follows: James R., who was married May 18, 1867, to Mary Almira Lewis, at Booneboro, Iowa; John Bunyon, who was married in Windsor, Dane county, Wisconsin, in 1866, to Miss Frances Julia Wheaton; Delia Maria, who on the 9th of June, 1870, became the wife of William Ringland, in Peoples township, Boone county; I. J., of this review; and Aaron Cady, who married Effie Benson, near Union, Hardin county, Iowa.
The first twelve years of his life I. J. Swain spent upon a farm, and then attended school at Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, for six years, at the end of which period he came with his parents to Iowa. On the 3d of May, 1870, he took up his residence in the village of Malvern, Mills county, where he was engaged in the lumber business for five years, and then located on the farm in White Cloud township where he now resides, it being the homestead of his father-in-law. The same year he purchased a hardware store at Malvern, which he conducted eighteen months, but since that time has devoted his energies to agricultural pursuits and has met with marked success in his undertakings.
On the 23d of December, 1875, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Swain and Miss Hannah A. Summers, who was born on the farm where they now live, and was the only child of Milton Summers, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. Milton Summers Post, G.A.R., of Malvern was named in his honor. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Swain have been born six children, as follows: Clarence E., Dwight M., Alton J., Milton S., E. Ransom and James N. All are receiving the best educational advantages that the schools of this section afford. The family is one of culture and refinement, and is quite prominent in the best social circles of the community. They hold membership in the Baptist church.
Mr. Swain is one of the most active members of the Mills County Fair Association, of which he has been secretary for twelve years or more. By his ballot he supports the men and measures of the Republican party and cast his first presidential vote for Gen. U. S. Grant in 1872. He has creditably filled many local offices of honor and trust, such as township trustee, clerk and member of the school board, and is one of the most public spirited and progressive men of his community. He is a whole-souled, genial gentleman who makes many friends and is quite popular socially. Fraternally he is an honored member of the Masonic lodge of Malvern.
SWARTS, WILLIAM C.
The people of Indiana are enterprising and progressive and have made it one of the great states of the Union, and Indianans who have located elsewhere have most of them made their marks in the business community and taken the lead in public affairs. One of the prominent Indianans of Mills county, Iowa, is William C. Swarts, a prosperous stock farmer who for the past seventeen years has lived in Silver City.
William C. Swarts was born in Allen county, Indiana, October 11, 1849, a son of George Swarts, who was born in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, November 26, 1826, and passed his younger days there, removing to Erie county, New York, and thence after seven years to Wayne county, Ohio. Peter Swarts, the father of George Swarts, and grandfather of William C. Swarts, was born in Pennsylvania in 1796 and died in 1880. His wife was Susan Dolph and they had five children, of whom three sons and a daughter are living. One of these, George Swarts, the father of William C. Swarts, lives in Mills county. Another, known as "Aunt Mary" Boles, is living, widowed , in Hemphill county, Texas. His wife died at the age of forty-three in Wayne county, Ohio, and he married again and had five children by his second marriage. In 1849, when he was twenty-three years old, George Swarts married Margaret Johnson, who died in 1868, nineteen years later, leaving five daughters and one son, William C. Swarts, the subject of this sketch. February 22, 1870, he married Amanda (Johnson) Doner, a sister of his first wife, who bore him one daughter, who was named Kate, and who is the wife of E. H. Scott, of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Mr. Swarts began life poor, but prospered abundantly and became an extensive land-owner and bought and sold many farms, and at this time he owns three hundred and sixty-five acres, comprising two farms. He is a Mason and in politics is independent. He has filled the offices of township trustee of Ingraham township and mayor of Silver City.
William C. Swarts was older than his five sisters. He passed his younger days in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan and his educational advantages were limited. At the age of twenty he left home and hired out on a wood job in Indiana and earned fifty dollars during his first two weeks' service. Later he settled on a small farm of eighty acres, which he paid for in work before he was married. The success which attended his first business ventures did not desert him in after years, and he has been prosperous to the present time. He lived on his first farm from 1873 to 1876 and improved it greatly and sold it to advantage preparatory to moving to Mills county, Iowa. Since he first located in Mills county he has moved four times and has owned several different farms. He came to his present farm, which adjoins Silver City on the south, in 1895. It consists of three hundred and sixty-five acres, well improved and well equipped for stock farming. For twelve years prior to coming to this place, he owned and lived on a farm of two hundred and seventy-six acres north of Silver City, which he bought for ten thousand dollars and sold twelve years after for twenty-five thousand dollars. He has always been a stock-raiser, and while dealing principally in cattle has handled horses and hogs somewhat extensively. During the past twenty-four years he has made a specialty of feeding beef cattle, and until 1894, shipped more fat stock than any one else in the county, often handling forty to fifty thousand dollars' worth in a month. Owing to failing health, he partially retired from business in the year mentioned, but has now two hundred and fifty head of cattle and about fifty head of horses and mules. He has bred many horses and some valuable ones. He raises one hundred acres of corn and fifty acres of small grain, and buys corn and hay for his stock. His home farm originally consisted of five hundred and twenty-five acres, of which he sold one hundred and sixty acres, and he owns a section of land in Nebraska, which is cultivated by tenants but the stock on which is his, and there is no time when he does not have on hand two to three hundred head of cattle. He built the fine residence on his former farm north of Silver City in 1894, and his present modern residence, the best in the vicinity, two years later.
Mr. Swarts is a Master Mason, a Republican and a supporter of the Christian church, of which his wife is a member. He has steadfastly refused to accept any public office, but exerts a recognized influence in city and township affairs. He was married in 1873, in Porter county, Indiana, to Sarah Jane Isminger, a native of that county, and a daughter of John and Catharine (Koutz) Isminger, natives of Ohio. Frank Swarts, their eldest son, was born November 9, 1875, and came with his parents to Mills county, Iowa. He is a pharmacist and has a wife and one little daughter. Edward, their next son in order of birth, is a member of their household, as are also Mark, Jim, Mabel and Mae. Maud died when fifteen months old. Mabel and Mae are twins and were born November 26, 1888, on the anniversary of the birth of their grandfather Swarts. They do not resemble each other in personal appearance as some twins do, but are bright interesting girls, with a decided talent for music, and Mae is a star in social entertainment, both as a vocalist and as an elocutionist.
copyright © 1998-2007 Cay Merryman
