of his own. Indeed, he earned his living from the age of ten years, working at farm labor by the month in Indiana and Illinois until 1896, when he came to Iowa. During the period of his residence in Illinois, he lived in Tazewell county, until four years prior to his removal to Iowa, which period he spent in Iroquois county. In 1896 he purchased his present farm comprising one-hundred and sixty acres on section 22, Milford township, and in the intervening period of fifteen years he has carried on general agricultural pursuits and stock-raising. The past year he has rented his land, but during nearly the entire period of his residence in Iowa he has personally cultivated the fields, which he has brought under a high state of improvement, adding all of the accessories and equipments of the model farm of the twentieth century.
In 1874 Mr. Allen was united in marriage to Miss Mary Rulon, who was born in Tazewell county, Illinois, May 9, 1855, a daughter of Caleb Rulon. Unto them have been born five children : Frank, who is living at Zeering, Warren township; Sadie, the wife of M. L. Sower, of Milford township; Iva, who became the wife of Henry Hopper and died August 3, 1910, leaving twin sons, Harold Allen and Harlan Eugene, who were born July 27, 1910; George, a law student of the Chicago Law University, who was graduated from the Liberal Arts College of the University of Illinois before entering upon his law course; and May, the wife of C. A. Chitty, a farmer of Milford township.
Mr. Allen holds membership with the Presbyterian church of Nevada and is most loyal to its teachings and principles. There were many hard and trying experiences in his 'youth, but he learned the difficult lesson that integrity and character are worth more in the world than advancement and success. He therefore guided his life along the lines of straightforward, honorable manhood and has not only won a creditable name but also a goodly measure of prosperity, for his industry, reliability and perseverance brought to him the substantial rewards of labor, and he is now one of the well-to-do farmers of his community.
WILLIAM ROBERT HEATH.
Thirty-three years ago William Robert Heath, a descendant of good pioneer American stock, came to Story county, and as he and his wife now own a beautiful farm of two hundred and forty acres in Collins township, he sees no cause to regret taking up his home in Iowa. He was born in Hamilton county, Indiana, April 10, 1835, a son of John A. and Sarah (Glass) Heath, the former of whom was a native of South Carolina and the latter of Clark county, Indiana, where they were married. After their marriage the young couple were conveyed by the father-in-law to a portion of Hamilton county, Indiana, which up to that time had not been settled.