Lee County IA

Biography of Crawford Wallace Womack

C. W. (Crawford Wallace) Womack, who lives retired at Lostine, Oregon, is one of the pioneer settlers of Wallowa valley. He was born in Shelby County, Illinois, on October 4, 1844, the son of William and Martha A. (Jordan) Womack, both of whom were natives of Tennessee. The parents were married in Illinois, where they had removed in youth with their parent’s. After their marriage they resided for a short time in Shelby County and then removed to Lee County, Iowa, and later to Putnam County, Missouri. In 1866 they came to Oregon, locating near Lostine, Oregon in Wallowa County, … Read more

Biography of Samuel Walker

Samuel Walker, a prominent physician of the Tenth District, was born February 8, 1848, in Dekalb County. He is the fourth of seven children of Hampton and Mary (Hicks) Walker, both of whom were also natives of Dekalb County. The father was born in 1811. He served two years in the late war, at the expiration of which time he was discharged on account of disabilities. His death occurred in November 1886. The mother was born in 1813. Our subject received his literary education in the common schools of Missouri, attending later two terms at the Kirksville branch of the … Read more

Biography of Oliver D. Walker, M.D.

Oliver D. Walker, M. D. By reason of his active service as a member of the Kansas State Board of Health, of which he was president in 1912, and the honor conferred upon him in his election as president of the Kansas State Medical Society in 1915, Doctor Walker, of Salina, is one of the best known physicians and surgeons in Kansas. At the doctor’s home in Salina resided his venerable father, George M. Walker, whose long experience and active service identifies him with a number of pioneer things in the State of Kansas. George M. Walker was born in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of X. X. Crum

Crum, X. X.; real estate; born in Macoupin County, Ill.; educated, public schools Lombard University and Blackburn University, degree of A. B.; in 1883, married Miss Marcia Phelps; issue, two sons; supt. of schools for five years in Carlinville, Dl.; teacher of sciences in Keokuk, Ia.; supt. of schools of Lincoln, Neb.; came to Cleveland in 1881, as sec’y and treas. of the Board of Trade, later known as the Chamber of Commerce; wrote the history ,of the Chamber of Commerce and the Commercial Life of Cleveland; organized the National Safe & Lock Co.; charge of Safe Dept. of MacNeale … Read more

Biographical Sketch of A. L. Marks

A. L. Marks, general merchant, was born in Prussia August 7, 1842. He came to America in June 1855, and located in Chicago, Ill. In 1861 he enlisted in Company K, Thirteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted May 22, 1861, and was discharged June 24, 1865. Was taken prisoner May 17, 1864; was in prison at Cahaba, Ala., and Meridian, Miss., and was held until April, 1865. Returned to Chicago, then went to Lee County, Iowa, the same year; thence to Missouri; thence to Nebraska; thence to Jewell City, Kan., where he went into the merchandise business, and went in … Read more

Iowa Death Records by County

Many experts recommend starting your research with the death records first. The death record is the most recent record, so it will more likely be available to you. Death records are kept in the state where your ancestor died, not where they were buried. However these records can provide a burial location. Death records are especially helpful because they may provide important information on a person’s birth, spouse, and parents. Some researchers look first for death records because there are often death records for persons who have no birth or marriage records. Early death records, like cemetery records, generally give … Read more

Biography of Richard T. Keefe

Richard T. Keefe is secretary and treasurer of Henneberry & Company, packers and provisioners at Arkansas City. Mr. Keefe was one of the founders of this packing industry, and had been closely associated with its development. His active career had been devoted almost entirely to the packing industry and he had an ample experience with the great packing concerns of the country before he helped establish this independent plant at Arkansas City. Mr. Keefe was born in Keokuk, Lee County, Iowa, September 20, 1873. His father, Thomas Keefe, was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, in 1829, came to the United … Read more

Biography of Reinhard E. Wobus, M.D.

Dr. Reinhard E. Wobus confines his attention to surgery and obstetrics and is recognized as a surgeon of ability. He was born in Fort Madison, Iowa, July 20, 1879, a son of Gottlieb D. and Anna M. (Nollau) Wobus. His father is a native of Switzerland and came to America in 1869. He became a divine of the Evangelical church and devoted his life to the active work of the ministry until 1920, since which time he has lived retired, making his home with his son, Dr. Wobus, in St. Louis. The mother of Dr. Wobus was born in this … Read more

Biography of Amos W. Bemis

Amos W. Bemis, living two and one-half miles west of San Bernardino, on Fifth Street, is one of the early and successful pioneers of this county. He was born in Jefferson County, New York, and is a son of Alvin Bemis, who with his family removed to Ohio when Amos was eight years of age. In 1844 he removed to Lee County, Iowa, where he died in 1847. The family lived in Lee County three years after Mr. Bemis’ death, and in 1851 the mother, seven sons and three daughters, started for California. Amos being the eldest the others naturally … Read more

Biography of Hon. Dolphes Brice Hannah

HON. DOLPHES BRICE HANNAH. – This gentleman is the son of Brice and Celia Tade Hannah, and was born in Gallatin county, Illinois, October 11, 1822. His father, who was a substantial business man engaged in trade and forwarding, died in the spring of 1823, leaving a wife and two children, one boy and one girl. He left considerable estate, consisting of personal property. John McLaughlin and the widow were appointed to administer the estate; and, as usual, McLaughlin did the work, pocketed the entire proceeds of the estate, and then left for parts unknown. About two years after the … Read more

Biography of George W. Scholes

George W. Scholes is a well known and worthy representative of the farming interests of Harlan township, now busily engaged in the cultivation and improvement of one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 26. Nearly every state in the Union has furnished its quota of citizens to Iowa and among those sent by Ohio is Mr. Scholes, whose birth occurred near Loudonville, on the 7th of July1840. He was one of five children born unto Elijah and Caroline (Tracy) Scholes, who were also natives of Ohio. The mother died in that state in 1850 and the father was … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. H. Paugh, M. D.

W. H. Paugh, M. D., physician and surgeon, Mattoon; was born in Lawrence Co., Ind., March 13, 1838; his father was a physician and settled in Indiana as early as 1815; in addition to his common-school education, he attended the high school at Springville, Ind., and in subsequent years was Principal of the same. He naturally grew up into a physician, and to fix a period at which he began the study of his profession would be a difficult task; he practiced his profession many years before receiving a medical degree; he attended Rush Medical College one session; later, he … Read more

Biography of Joseph G. Waters, Capt.

Joseph G. Waters, soldier, publicist, author of note, public speaker, lawyer, of Topeka, is an individuality out of the ordinary. As a soldier, his services were a credit to his country, and himself, and his five wounds received in action are witnesses of his activity. As an author his published utterances have been rarely seen outside his own family circle owing to the retiemce and innate modesty of the writer, but throughout his writings, whether prose or poetry, forcefulness, pleasing diction and pathos of high order predominated. For three decades his services have been in demand as a public speaker … Read more

Biography of Thomas C. Fletcher

One of the earliest pioneers of this region of the country, a man whose life has always been dominated by wisdom prudence and upright principles,. having ever manifested also stanch virtues and a reliability that are becoming a good citizen and faithful man, the subject of this article is vie of the leading men of Malheur County, and a prominent resident of Ontario. Thomas C. was born in Mercer County, Kentucky, on October 11, 1841, being the son of Jewett and Elizabeth Fletcher. When our subject was six years of age he had the misfortune to lose his father and … Read more

Biography of John Conover, Col.

Of the individuals whose lives have influenced, developed, stabilised and broadened the civic and commercial resources of the State of Kansas, one of the most conspicuous was that of the late Col. John Conover. Coming to Kansas in 1857 and locating in Leavenworth, he was one of the pioneer merchants of that city. Going from Kansas at the outbreak of the war into the service of the Union army, he made a brilliant record as a soldier and officer, and that record is one of the many reasons why Kansas people should have a grateful memory of his life. Following … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George Hutchison M.D.

George Hutchison was born April 11, 1834, in Casey county, Kentucky, and is the son of Judge Thomas Hutchison, a native of Virginia, who is now residing in Livingston county, Missouri. His mother’s maiden name was Polly Ann Tate, and she was a native of Lincoln county, Kentucky. Our subject was seven years old when his parents immigrated to Missouri and settled in Livingston county where he was reared and educated. He began the study of medicine with Dr. J. W. Rose, of that county, in 1861 and after three years of preparatory study entered the Medical College at Keokuk, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Owen A. Bassett

Owen A. Bassett was one of the ablest and most energetie actors in the Border troubles, the Civil war and the civil affairs of the Roconstruction period. A Pennsylvasian by birth, his father moved to Illinois in 1837 and two years later to Iowa. The family home was first in Lee County. The son’s original intention was to be a civil engineer, but he finally decided in favor of the law, although the stirring and compelling affairs which entered his life prevented him for many years from utilizing the legal training which he acquired. In 1855 he was employed in … Read more

Cussins, Samuel Jefferson – Obituary

Lostine, Wallowa County, Oregon Samuel Jefferson Cussuns was born in Athens County, Ohio, August 14, 1835 and died at his home near Lostine May 1, 1919 being 84 years, 8 months and 13 days old. When 17 years old he moved with his parents to Lee County, Iowa. In 1863 he was united in marriage to Miss Louise Nelson. To this union were born: James Gaston and George Cussins of Wallowa; Joe of Beatrice, Neb.; Frank, Leander, Arthur, and Henry of lostine, and Mrs. Odelia Jacobs, of Chico. Mr. Cussins was a veteran of the Civil War. He moved with … Read more

Biography of Fred Leslie Ervay

Fred Leslie Ervay, M. D. The medical fraternity of Wilson County had as one of its highly skilled and thoroughly trained members Dr. Fred Leslie Ervay, who had been engaged in a general practice at Fredonia since 1908. While Doctor Ervay had not carried on his profession as long as some of his fellow practitioners, he had risen to a prominent place in his calling, and the confidence in which he is held is evidenced by the size and importance of his clientele. He was born at Elk Point, South Dakota, June 14, 1880, and is a son of H. … Read more