old homestead in New Albany township, Story county, but his wife still survives. and makes her home with a son in South Dakota. By her marriage she became the mother of the following children: Dan, a veteran of the Civil war, who was born January 18, 1842, and passed away January 9, 1895; Elizabeth, who was born November 26, 1843, and died in May, 1898; Peter and Moses, both of whom passed away in infancy; Mary, who was born in May, 1846, her death occurring August 5, 1906; Kathryn, who was born October 16, 1851, and was killed in a railroad accident in Colo on the 15th of July, 1900; Susan, who was born November 14, 1853, and resides in Lincoln, Nebraska; John N., born March 31, 1856, and living in Ford county, Kansas ; and Aaron I., who was born October 28, 1865, and now makes his home in South Dakota.
Coming with his parents to Story county when a lad of five years, W. S. Hemping therefore acquired his education in the schools of New Albany township, while he received thorough practical training in the work of the home farm. The wholesome atmosphere of rural life was conducive to a healthy, normal growth both mentally and physically, and with the passing of the years he learned much concerning the value of industry, integrity and perseverence. He remained with his parents until thirty years of age, when he removed to the farm adjoining the old homestead, the property of his wife, upon which he yet makes his home. Here he is successfully engaged in general farming and also devotes considerable time to stock-raising, making a specialty of breeding high grade Percheron horses. He is meeting with success in his enterprise, owing to the fact that he employs modern and progressive methods in the conduct of his interests and gives careful personal supervision to both branches of his business.
On the 10th of March, 1892, W. S. Hemping was united in marriage to Rachel Isabel Trites, whose birth occurred in New Albany township on the 22d of January, 1862. Her father, Henry Trites, a native of Germany, made the trip across the Atlantic in 1853 as a passenger on the William Tell, landing at New York. In 1858 he arrived in Story county and in the following year started for Pikes Peak. He returned to Story county, however, in 1860, in which year he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah McCamy. Agriculture was the occupation to which he devoted his time and attention, and he spent his entire life upon the farm. Iowa was yet a frontier district when he arrived within its borders. Mrs. Hemping's mother and her family came west with ox teams and it took nine weeks to make the trip from Randolph county, Indiana, to Story county. Mr. Trites cast in his lot with the early settlers and bore an important part at the time of the Spirit Lake Indian uprising. He undertook the task of notifying the troops at Fort Bridgely, South Dakota, of the uprising, as many people had already been killed. The task was a difficult one, as the distance to Fort Bridgely was one hundred miles and the journey had to be made on foot, with four t0 six feet of snow on the ground. He was a Mason, holding membership in Columbia Lodge, No. 292, A. F.