W. M. Leise

W. M. Leise, cashier of the Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank of Manly, Worth county, was born in Champaign, Illinois, on the 26th of October, 1876, a son of John F. and Sophena E. (Peine) Leise. The father was born in Peru, Indiana, while the mother is a native of Urbana, Ohio. The father spent his boyhood in Peru, pursued his education there and later took up the occupation of farming, which he followed in the Hoosier state until his removal to Champaign, Illinois. There he again carried on general agricultural pursuits, cultivating his land until 1896, when his life's labors were ended in death, he being at the time fifty-three years of age. His widow still survives and now makes her home in Marshalltown, Iowa. In the spring of 1863 Mr. Leise enlisted for service in the Seventh Illinois Infantry at Springfield and served until the end of the war, being under General Sherman's command on the march to the sea. He participated in a number of hotly contested engagements and after the war re­turned to his home with a most creditable military record. He resided for a time in Tazewell county, Illinois, and subsequently removed to Champaign county. The family comes of German ancestry, the grandfather of W. M. Leise having emigrated to the new world in 1840, at which time he took up his abode in Peru, Indiana. He had married in Germany and he followed farming in Indiana during the greater part of his life.

W. M. Leise spent his boyhood days in Champaign county, Illinois, where he pursued his early education, which was supplemented by further study at the Valparaiso University of Indiana. Later he studied law under Judge Cummings at Marshalltown, Iowa, and subsequently he went to Everett, Washing­ton, where he practiced law until the spring of 1908. In that year he removed to Marshalltown, Iowa, where he organized and built the plant of the National Denatured Alcohol Company. This he operated until 1911. When he sold out to the United States Denatured Alcohol Company, having in the meantime served as secretary-treasurer of the former company. During this period Mr. Leise was also associated with the Iowa Savings Bank of Marshalltown. In March, 1912, he removed to Manly, where he purchased a controlling interest in the Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank, of which he is now the cashier. Under his direction the business of the bank has steadily increased and the institution is today enjoying a large patronage. It was established in 1893 as a private bank but was made a state bank in 1910 and was capitalized for fifteen thousand dollars. It also has undivided profits and a surplus of fifteen thousand and the growth of the bank has been most substantial, while its business methods have at all times commended the institution to the continued patronage and support of the general public.

In 1908 Mr. Leise was married to Miss Christiana Thorne, a daughter of John H. and Elizabeth (Farley) Thorne and a native of Forrest, Illinois. Her parents were natives of England. Her father came to the United States in 1868, settling first at Forrest, Illinois, where he engaged in farming. He was married, however, in Weston, Iowa. His wife's father had come with his family to the United States in 1855, settling at Weston, where he devoted his attention to general agricultural pursuits. He is still living at the age of eighty-seven years, but his wife has passed away.

In his fraternal relations Mr. Leise is a Mason and has attained the Knight Templar degree in the York Rite. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day but does not seek nor desire office as a reward for party fealty. On the contrary he prefers to concentrate his efforts and at­tention upon his banking interests and the Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank in its present healthy and substantial condition stands largely as a monument to his enterprise and progressiveness.

SOURCE: HISTORY OF MITCHELL AND WORTH COUNTIES, IOWA, 1918, VOL. II; Pages 68 & 69

Transcribed by Gordon Felland, September 2, 2006