tunities for an education or of other kind. When his father found that he was ill treated he sent for him at once, but he had borne ill usage for seven years. Afterward working with his father he at length started out in life on his own account and by persistent energy and determination he has steadily progressed, reaching the goal of success. The prosperity which he attained enables him now to live retired and to enjoy all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life.
MARION LEE OLINGER.
Of the native sons of Story county none is better known or more highly regarded by the community at large than Marion Lee Olinger, who is living on what is known as the old Olinger homestead, being the third generation of the family to occupy this place. He was born on this farm, August 11, 1876. His parents, James M. and Rebecca J. (John) Olinger, were natives of the state of Indiana but came to Iowa at an early day with their respective families. The paternal grandfather, John Olinger, came to Iowa in pioneer days and purchased two hundred acres of land. Returning to Indiana for his family, he then removed to Story county, locating on the farm where he continued to live the remainder of his life. He is buried in the cemetery at Maxwell. When he had attained manhood James M. Olinger bought that portion of the old homestead which contained the house and other improvements and resided here for a number of years. Later he sold the place and purchased another farm in Indian Creek township two and one-half miles farther north, where he continued to live until 1897, when he rented it to his son Marion, removing to Maxwell, where he lived retired until his death in 1907. He was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge and of the Presbyterian church, in which Mrs. Olinger is still a communicant. She was a daughter of John Bowen John, one of the old well known pioneers of Story county, and makes her home in Maxwell.
Marion Lee Olinger lived at home until he had reached the age of twenty years, acquiring an education, assisting in the work of the farm and occupying his leisure time in the manner of most young people. He was a very ambitious young man, however, and before he was old enough to cast a vote assumed the responsibilities of manhood by renting a farm, which he operated for six years. In 1903 he bought eighty acres of land on section 23, Indian Creek township, located two and one-half miles north of his present home, belonging to his father and here he continued to live for three years. At the end of that time he sold this place and bought another eighty acres two miles south, on section 35, but he sold this at the end of a year and bought the farm known as the Bill Veneman farm, which he sold the following year. He then migrated to Colorado and bought a