LUTHER L. ALEXANDER
L. L. Alexander was duly elected county judge in October, 1867, and entered upon the duties of the office with the beginning of 1868, and was the last to fill the office.
COUNTY AUDITORS.
In the winter of 1868-9, by an Act of the General Assembly, the office of county judge was abolished, and that of county auditor created. By this act, the incumbent of the former office became ex-official county auditor for the unexpired time of his term of office. Under this, L. L. Alexander became the first auditor of the county of Cass. At the election of 1869, he was again chosen for another term and served until January 1, 1872, when he gave way to a successor.
Luther L. Alexander was a native of Irving, Franklin County, Massachusetts. He was reared and educated in the place of his nativity, but in early manhood removed to Michigan, where he remained until May, 1855, when he came to Cass county, and entered a farm in the north part of section 4, in what is now Atlantic township, and the south part of section 33, in Pymosa. He was at this time an unmarried man, and while he remained in the county, boarded with H. Whipple, and put up a cabin, which was occupied by his brother-in-law, K. W. Macomber, who arrived here about the same time or shortly after. He remained here but a short time when he returned to New York, where he resided until 1859, when he came to Cass County, for a permanent residence. He settled down upon his farm where he continued to live until in 1869, when becoming auditor, he removed to Lewis, the then county-seat, and in 1871 came to the city of Atlantic, on the removal of the seat of government to that place, to finish his term of office. He was united in marriage with Elizabeth Siggins, a native of Ireland, who is still a resident of Atlantic, by whom he had two children---E. L., a practicing physician in Guthrie Center, Iowa, and F. M, the enterprising news and book dealer of Atlantic. L. L. Alexander died in December, 1879, mourned by all who knew him. He was a man of strict integrity, a Christian gentleman, ever ready to extend a helping hand to the needy wretch struggling for existence, if that striving soul was worthy. A most excellent business man, and an active worker; he made a fine officer, and conducted the business of auditor to the interest of the county and credit of himself.
Judge Alexander died in Atlantic December 29, 1879, on which occasion the following obituary appeared in the columns of the Telegraph:
"Judge Luther Loomis Alexander died at his home in this city about 11 o'clock A. M., Monday, December 29, after an illness of several weeks duration. His disease was internal hemorrhage. He literally died of over-work. During the past few years, no man in Cass county, no matter what his pursuit, worked harder, he was in his grocery store from an early hour in the morning until closing time in the evening, and then would carry his books home with him for the purpose of posting them. The deceased was born in Irving, Franklin County, Massachusetts, in the year 1819, and consequently was about sixty years of age. He resided at Irving a number of years; and was engaged in merchandizing. He lived three years at Champlain, New York, and came to Cass county, Iowa, in 1855, engaging for a number of years in farming. He served one term as county judge, and was holding that office when it was merged into that of auditor. His second term as auditor expired January 1, 1872. Since that time he has been dealing in groceries in this city. No man was more widely known in the county than he, and he was universally esteemed as an honorable man. He was a man of set purpose and firm conviction, and when he had an opinion it was a pronounced, positive and uncompromising one. He will be greatly missed from the county and community. He was active in business and public spirited as a citizen, and zealous in the church. He leaves a wife and two sons to mourn his death, the sons being both at the age of maturity, or nearly so."
Contributed by Lisa Varnes-Rex, from "History of Cass County, Iowa. Together With Sketches of its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens." Springfield, Ill.: Continental Historical Company, 1884, pg. 352-353.
