belongs to the Iowa Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and in strictly professional lines is connected with the Story County Medical Society, the District Medical Society, the Iowa State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. He thus keeps in touch with the advanced thought of the profession and is continuously promoting his knowledge through reading and investigation. Anything that tends to bring to man the key to the complex mystery which we call life is of interest to him and he performs all professional service with a sense of conscientious obligation and with close conformity to a high standard of professional ethics so that he enjoys in large measure the confidence and high regard of his brethren of the medical fraternity.
AMI JEFFERSON PEDDICORD.
One of the prosperous farmers and extensive land owners of Story county is Ami Jefferson Peddicord, who was born in La Salle county, Illinois, on the 27th of January, 1860. He is a son of Edward Smith Peddicord, a native of Virginia, who at the age of four and one-half years walked from that state to Licking county, Ohio. He remained there until a young man and then went to La Salle county, Illinois, where he lived up to the time of his death. He was a successful man, accumulating, by means of his thrift and discretion, one thousand acres of land. He was a man of fine principles and strict integrity, his word being as good as his bond. He married Elizabeth Johnson, a native of Licking county, Ohio, whose parents were Virginians and pioneers of Ohio. Nine children were born of this union, eight of whom lived to maturity and four of these still survive, our subject being the eighth in order of birth. Mr. and Mrs. Peddicord were members of the Baptist church and he always voted the democratic ticket.
A. J. Peddicord's early years were spent very similarly to those of the majority of boys who are reared in the rural districts. He acquired his early education in the district schools of La Salle county, Illinois, and at the usual age put aside his text-books and assisted his father in the cultivation of the farm. After reaching the age of twenty-two years he hired out by the month for three years, at the end of which time he was married. Subsequent to his marriage he located upon a farm belonging to his wife, and the next year he bought forty acres but after farming this for a time he moved south of Pontiac, Illinois. Subsequently he sold his place there and engaged in the tile business, which vocation he followed for two years. He then returned to the place of his birth in La Salle county and conducted the home farm. Later he removed to Story county, Iowa, locating on section 14, Richland township. He still continues to reside there and now owns one-half of the section. His is one of the valuable farms of the district. It is well stocked, contains a good farm house and other improve-