The full biographical sketch as printed, transcribed from the public-domain book. Spelling and wording are the original author’s; a few scanning errors may remain.
ZWINGLE B. SPANGLER.
A wide acquaintance in Bear Grove town- ship has resulted in bringing to Zwingle B. Spangler the high esteem in which he is uniformly held, his strongly marked per- sonal traits of character being such as com- mend him to the confidence and good will of all with whom he is associated through busi- ness or social relations. He was born in Wil-
PAST AND PRESENT OF
liams county. Ohio, on the 24th of March, 1850, his parents being EHas and Catherine (Slayman) Spangler, of whose family of six children, four sons are yet living, namely: Harrison, a resident of Audubon county, Iowa; Zwingle; William U., who is living in Junction City, Kansas; and Alpheus M., of Springfield, Massachusetts.
It was on the i6th of November, 1822, that Elias Spangler, the father of our sub- ject, was born in Stark county, Ohio, and there he was reared to the work of the farm, while subsequent to his marriage he located in Williams county, Ohio, where he pur- chased a tract of land of one hundred and twenty acres, on which he spent his remain- ing days. For an extended period it was his home place and there he died on the 3d of Februar^^ 1906. He was married when but eighteen years of age, and when twenty- five years of age he began preaching the gospel as a minister of the German Reform church. Throughout the active years of his life he was a local preacher, covering a peri- od of almost a half century, and his honor- able, upright life won him in unlimited measure the esteem and confidence of those who knew him. His many good deeds, his kindly spirit and his charitable opinions re- main as a living example to those who knew him. His wife, who was born August 3, 1822, in Stark county, Ohio, died September 10, 1876. After losing his first wife Elias Spangler wedded Mrs. Salina Bowersox, nee Hall.
Zwingle B. Spangler came to manhood as a farm boy, the duties and labors of the farm devolving more and more largely upon him as his years and strength increased. In the public schools of \Villiams county he acquired his early education, and in the high school at Butler, Indiana, he continued his studies. On attaining his majority he start- ed out in business life on his own account, and as the only occupation with which he was familiar was that of farming, he went u]) tlie White river in Michigan, where he
engaged in logging. He did not fear hard toil nor that earnest application which is the basis of all financial success.
On the I St of January, 1874, Mr. Span- gler secured a companion and helpmate for life's journey by his marriage to Miss Mar- tha M. Couts, of W illiams county, Ohio, and settled down to farming as a renter. He continued in Ohio for three years, or until 1877, when he came west to Iowa and pur- chased the southwest quarter section of sec- tion 26, Bear Grove township, Guthrie county. Land values were then less in Iowa than in the older east, but the rapid settle- ment and development of the state has made Iowa land equal in price to that found else- where, while in fertility and productiveness it far exceeds much of the farming' land found in the country. Upon this first place Mr. Spangler lived for four years, after which he sold out and went to Adair. There he engaged in the hardware business, but while he was successful in the conduct ot that enterprise, he did not find it congenial, and in 1888 he purchased his present farm, constituting the southwest quarter of section 9. upon which lie has since lived. He now carries on general agricultural pursuits and finds enjoyment in this occupation, which George \\'ashington termed "the most use- ful as well as the most honorable work of man."
Unto Mr. and Mrs. Spangler have been born two sons and a daughter: Clifton E.. who is now living in Sterling City, Califor- nia ; Harrison Earl, a prominent attorney at Cedar Rapids. Iowa, who was graduated at the State University of Iowa in liberal arts in 1903 and in law in 1905: and Estell P.. who attended the State Normal School and is now a teacher in the public schools at Springfield. Massachusetts.
Politically Mr. Spangler is a republican and has served for two terms as township trustee and for several years as a member of the school board. He manifests a public spirited interest in community aflfairs and
both he and his wife are active and earnest members of the Presbyterian church. There have been no exciting chapters in his hfe history but his record is that of a man who has made good use of his opportunites and through the every day interests of this work- a-day world has gained a goodly measure of success, enabling him to enjoy all of the comforts and some of the luxuries of life.
Source: Past and present of Guthrie County, Iowa, with biographical sketches. See the original pages at the Internet Archive.
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