MATURON D. THOMAS.
Maturon D. Thomas is a well-known farmer of Exira township, who owns a farm of two hundred and thirty-nine acres and who enjoys the distinction of having been born on the same place where he now lives. Mr. Thomas is well known, especially for the reason that he was a thresherman for approximately twenty years in this commnuity [sic community]. For several years he was also the street commissioner and marshal of Exira and was well known in connection with these two offices.
Maturon D. Thomas was born on April 26, 1863. He is the son of Isaac and Mary (Hamlin) Thomas. Isaac Thomas was a native of Ohio and his wife a native of Mahaska county. Isaac Thomas grew to manhood and during the early part of his life worked on a farm. In 1860 he came to Audubon county and began working for Nathaniel Hamlin as a farm hand. He worked in this capacity for about ten years and then purchased a farm and began farming for himself. He owned at one time three hundred and eighty acres in Audubon county. Later, however, he moved to Colorado and lived there until his death in 1907. He was married on March 24, 1861. His wife died in October, 1910. They had eleven children: Lou Ann, deceased; Belle, who married Samuel Bloom; Jacob, who lives in Montana; Nathaniel, who lives in Colorado; Nannie, deceased; Rose, who is the wife of Harvey Huff; Bessie, who married Clarence Greenfield; Isaac, deceased; Orel, deceased; John, deceased, and Maturon, the subject of this sketch.
Maturon D. Thomas received his education in the public schools of the township and after leaving school, he farmed with his father until he was about twenty-three years old. At this time he was married and began farming for himself by renting land for a short time. After this he purchased a farm of one hundred and twenty acres and was engaged in general farming until about 1895, when he moved to Exira and there served as street commissioner and marshal for some time. In the meantime, however, he operated a threshing machine for nine years. After serving for some time as street commissioner and marshal of Exira, he returned to the farm and has been living on the farm since that time. Altogether he threshed grain for twenty years. He raises about eighty acres of corn and sixty acres of small grain. Mr. Thomas feeds about one hundred head of hogs each year and has been very successful with mixed farming and stock raising.
Maturon D. Thomas was married on February 25, 1886, to Lucy Davis, the daughter of W. E. Davis. Two children were born to this marriage, Guy and Florence. Guy married Lottie Florence Hinchman and has one daughter, Violet. Florence married George Schlater and has one child. Mrs. Thomas died on April 25, 1893, and after her death, Mr. Thomas was married on June 24, 1912, to Lavina Tyler, the daughter of O. P. Tyler. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are members of the Christian church in which Mr. Thomas formerly served as a deacon. He is now a trustee of this church. Mr. Thomas is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He is also a member of the American Modern Reserve. He is a Republican.
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Transcribed from History of Audubon County, Iowa Its People, Industries and Institutions With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families, by H. F. Andrews, editor, Indianapolis: B. F. Bowen & Company, 1915, pp. 771-772.
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