The Kepler Family of Linn County, Iowa

the wife of George Riley, a farmer of Franklin township. Edwin ]\I., born July 26. 1843, married JNIay McKay, and is a \-veteran of the Civil war, and a farmer, residing in Kansas. Elizabeth A., born February 25, 185 1, is the wife of Obadiah Cole, of Cedar county, Iowa.

In 1843 I''- Kepler left his old home in Maryland, and with four horses and a wagon started with his family for Iowa, carrying their household effects and provisions with them, and camping and cooking by the way. After traveling for forty-five days they landed in Linn county, and Mr. Kepler purchased two hundred and forty acres of land in Franklin township, where he successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising throughout his active life, but is now living retired. His wife, who was a devout and faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church, died December 29, 1879, at the age of sixty-nine years, and was laid to rest in Sugar Grove cemetery. She was beloved by all who knew her, and her loss was keenly felt by a wide circle of relatives and friends. The Republican party has always found in Mr. Kepler a stanch supporter of its principles, and he has held many township offices. He is one of the leading citizens of the community in which he resides, and is held in high regard by all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance. In religious faith he was formerly a Lutheran, but now-holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

THOMAS S. KEPLER, I. D.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

Dr. Kepler obtained his primary education in the common schools of Linn county, and was afterward a student at Cornell College, Mt. Vernon. Immediately after leaving that institution he took up the study of medicine, and attended lectures at the medical college in Keokuk in 1862 and 1863. He was then engaged in the practice of his profession at Mt. Vernon until iSAf). when he formed a partnership wath Dr. J. S. Love, and was in practice at Springville. Linn county, for two years, and at Dyersville, Dubuque county, the same length of time. At the end of that period he returned to Linn county and located between Si)ringville and Viola, where, in connection with his profession, he also carried on farming for three years. He then returned to Mt. Vernon, where he has successfully engaged in general practice ever since.

In is()_> Dr. Kepler was married at Mt.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

At the battle of Corinth, October 3, 1862, he was severely wounded in the left high and was with difficulty saved from capture and death by the heroism of John R. McClaskey, of his company, who stopped the flow of blood and brought him from the field, at the risk of his life. After his recovery he was commissioned second lieutenant February 2, 1863, and served as such until he was promoted captain of Company A. January 9, 1865.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

Mr. Kepler during the war took up the study of law under the guidance and direction of General Belknap, an able lawyer, who afterwards was appointed secretary of war by President Grant.

A few years after his return to Mount Vernon, he engaged in the practice of law and has continued in the practice ever since. He has met with marked success in his chosen profession and has won a merited place among the leading attorneys of the state, and enjoys a large and lucrative practice.

On the 26th day- of April, 1900, he was appointed by Leslie M. Shaw, Governor of Iowa, a member of the Commission for the Erection of Monuments on the battlefield of Shiloh, Tennessee.

On the 6th of November, 1866, at Lisbon, Mr. Kepler married Miss Mary Adaline McClaskey, who was Irarn in Montgomery county, Indiana, June 6, 1849. Her father, David McClaskey, was born in Henry county, Kentucky, November 27, 1814, and was a son of Isaac McClaskey, a native of Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, and a grandson of James McClaskey, who came to this country from Ireland when a young man, and first settled in Pennsylvania, but later removed to Kentucky in 1794, at which time his son Isaac was ten years of age. The latter married liss Sarah Goodsil, and in 1 8 18 they removed to Washington county. Indiana, where he cleared and improved a farm. There he died in 1861 and his wife passed away in 1846. They had eight children, of whom David was fifth in order of birth. He was reared and educated in Indiana, and in February, 1836, wedded Miss Mary Neely, who was born in Washington county, West Virginia, November 13, 1818, and was a daughter of William B. and Judith (Poole) Neely, natives of Wirginia and North Carolina respectively.

The year following the marriage David McClaskey removed to Montgomery county Indiana, where he owned and operated a farm until coming to Iowa in 1851. He purchased a farm in Pioneer township, Cedar county, where he made his home until 1883, when he removed to Mount Vernon. Politically he was first a Whig and later a Republican, and religiously both he and his wife were faithful, and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He died January 27, 1889, at Mt. Vernon, Iowa, and his wife passed away December 4, 1888, their remains being interred at Mount Vernon.

In their family were eight children, namely: Martha E., Judith M., John R. (the one who so gallantly assisted in carrying our subject off the field at the battle of Corinth, and who participated in all of the engagements in which his company took part, and lost a limb at Nickajack Creek, in front of Atlanta), Isaac M., Sarah Jane, Margaret K., Mary x decline (wife of our subject), and Era A.

They were all educated at Cornell College, and the father completed his education at De Pauw University, Indiana.

Both Irs. Kepler's paternal grandfather. James McClaskey, and paternal great-grandfather.

— Xeelv. were soldiers of the Revolutionary war, under General Washington, the former being captain of the company in which President McKinley's grandfather served.

Mr. and Mrs. Kepler have two children, Hattie May, at home with her parents, and who is a graduate of the Musical Department of Cornell College, and Louis Howard, a graduate of Cornell College, who is now reading law in his father's office, but who intends entering a law school in the fall of 1901.

Socially Mr. Kepler is a member of the Knights of Pythias Lodge, Mount Vernon, W. C. Dimmitt Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and the Military Order of the Loyal Legion. He has twice been elected president of the 13th Iowa Regimental Association, and twice elected secretary of Crocker’s Iowa Brigade, an outline history of which appears in the sketch of Col. H. H. Rood, on another page of this work, and is a member of the board of trustees of Cornell College and of the Methodist church for twenty years. Pre-eminently public-spirited and progressive, he takes quite an active and influential part in the public affairs of his own town and county, and in his early life his fellow citizens called upon him frequently to fill many of the local offices of the town, such as mayor, councilman, etc. As a citizen he ever stands ready to discharge any duty devoting upon him, and his patriotism has been manifested in days of peace as well as in times of war.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

C. HOW.\RD KEPLER.

One of the best known and most highly respected of the citizens of Franklin township is C. Howard Kepler, who resides on section 5. where he is engaged in general farming and stock raising. He is a native of the county, born May 9. 1846. and is a son of Conrad and Margaret (Lingerfelter) Kepler, both of whom were born in Frederick county. Marvland.

Conrad Kepler, who is numbered among the pioneers of Linn county, was born in 181 1, and continued to reside in his native state until 1843, when he came to this county. Throughout his active business life he followed farming, but now, at the age of ninety years he is living retired at the home of our subject. In the years that have passed, he has taken quite an active part in local affairs, and was called upon to fill many local offices. In early life he was a member of the Lutheran church. InU is now connected with the Methodist Epi.coal church, of which his wife was also an earnest member. She died on the home farm in Franklin township at the age of sixty-nine years.

Six sons and two daughters were born unto Conrad and Margaret Kepler, as follows: John \A'william, who formerly followed farming in Franklin township, but who is now engaged in the wood business in Mt. Wernon; Peter H., a farmer who died in Franklin township: Thomas S., a practicing physician in IMt. Wernon, whose.sketch appears elsewhere in this volume; Charles W., an attorney of Mt. Vernon, who is also represented in this work: Edward M.. who was a soldier in the Civil war and is now engaged in farming in Kansas: Columbus Howard, our subject: Rebecca, wife of George Riley, a farmer of Franklin township, this county-: and Elizabeth, wife of O. B. Cole, a farmer of Jones county, Iowa.

The boyhood and youth of our subject were spent on the home farm in Franklin township, and his elementary- education was obtained in the country schools. Subsecjuently he attended Cornell College, in Mt. Vernon, for a time, but left school at the age of nineteen years and commenced life for himself, renting his father's farm of one hundred and sixty acres. He made his first five hundred dollars in raising wheat which was marketed in Lisbon, and for which he received two dollars and twenty-five cents per bushel. This was about the close of the Civil war when everything was high. For four years he ci.tinued to operate rented land, during which time he accumulated enough capital to purchase fifty acres of his present farm on section 5, Franklin township, to which he subsequcntlj.' added a tract of thirty acres, and just west of his original farm he purchased a tract of one hundred and forty-three acres, and in all has now two hundred and twenty-five acres. He has made many improvements upon his home farm, including the erection of a large barn and cattle sheds, and has remodeled the house fmm garret to cellar.

Mr. Kepler was united in marriage at Mt. Vernon, Iowa, October 2, 1868, with Miss Mary E. Neal, who was born in Ohio, April 11, 1851, and is a daughter of Horace and Maria Turner Neal, natives of New York and Ohio respectively. Her parents were married in Ohio, from which state they came to Iowa in 1834, locating in Mt. Vernon, where the father engaged in the manufacture of harness. Being an excellent workman, and conscientious in all he did, some of the harness which he made over forty years ago is still in use in this county. He died in Marion, Iowa, September 15, 1884, on the sixtieth anniversary of his birth. By his union with Maria Turner there were two children, Myra, who died at the age of thirteen years, and Mary E., wife of our subject.

Lnto Air. and Mrs. Kepler have been born four children, and they have also an adopted daughter. Harry E., born November 28, 1869. was graduated in the civil engineering department of Cornell College, and afterwards took a course in electrical engineering at Des Moines, Iowa, in the Highland Park College, but is now engaged in the telephone business in Aladison, Wisconsin. He was married June 16, 1898, to Grace Ingram, and they have one daughter. Dorothy. Hattie O., born April 1872, has a remarkably fine voice, and was graduated in music from Cornell College. She was married October 25, 1893, to John Howard Jones, a native of Wisconsin, who was graduated at Cornell College, and the law school at Denver, Colorado, and is now an attorney in Chicago. They have one son, Elliert. Alerton T., born September 19, 1875, was married June zy, 1890, to Stella Hogle, a native of Alt, Vernon. Iowa, and is now assisting his father in farming and stock raising on the homestead, Agnes. born February 13, 1881, and Alerritt E.. born July 12, 1889, are also at home.

Since beginning life for himself in the farm rented from his father. Mr. Kepler has devoted much of his time and energies to raising a fine grade of stock. In the beginning, he devoted considerable attention to the handling of horses, but he now gives his attention to the raising of a hue grade of cattle and hogs, his specialty being the breeding of the famous Aberdeen Angus cattle, and he derived his start in this line through 'illial Smith, now deceased, of Mt. Vernon, who secured a number of cattle from the Pierce farm, which is located at Creston. Illinois, about sixty-five miles west of Chicago. A steer belonging to the same stock was sold at the Fat Stock Show in Chicago in 1900 for one dollar and fifty cents per pound, this being the highest price ever paid for an individual steer from the block in the history of the world. Mr. Kepler undoubtedly has some of the finest cattle of this breed in the state of Iowa.

While;Mr. Kepler is one of the most enterprising and public-spirited men in Linn county, and takes an active interest in public affairs, he has never been prevailed to accept any office except that of school director, which he has so acceptably filled for twenty years. Politically he affiliates with the Republican party, and socially with the Star of Bethlehem Lodge, K. P., of Mt. Wernon, and also the Legion of Honor and the Modern Brotherhood of America. He is an active and prominent member of the Alethodist Episcopal church, of Islt. Wernon, of which he has been steward for sixteen years, and has also been in charge of the ushers for a number of years. All who know him hold him in the highest esteem.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

PETER G. KEPLER. This prominent and esteemed old citizen is a pioneer settler of Linn County, coming here when the country was wild and unbroken, and the hand of civilization had as yet made but few changes. Mr. Kepler is a native of Frederick County, Md., born Feb. 16, 1807, and is the son of John and Mary (Young) Kepler, natives of Pennsylvania and Maryland respectively. They were the parents of six children, the subject of our sketch being the third. When twenty-six years old, he went to New Orleans, where he remained some months, and then traveled on horseback over a considerable part of Kentucky, thence back to Maryland, where he remained until the fall of 1833, then went to Wayne County, Ind., and renting a tract of land, began its cultivation, and continued thus occupied for the space of five years. From there he went to Crawford County, Ill., remaining until the spring of 1838, when he came into Iowa just over the line. He located 320 acres of land in Linn and Bertram Townships, for which he paid 81.25 an acre, and built a log house upon it.

The marriage of Mr. Kepler to Miss Elizabeth James occurred in his native county Aug. 13, 1832. This lady was a native of the same county as her husband, and born Feb. 11, 1812. Her parents were Eli and Elizabeth (Kepler) James, natives of Maryland. Our subject and wife have been best with seven children — Mary E., Sarah E., John II., Catharine L., Martha J., Hamilton P. and Rachel A.; the latter died in infancy.

Mr. Kepler is an excellent citizen, taking an interest in the welfare of his community, and while willing to promote its interests in every reasonable manner, has steadily declined to become an officeholder. He has been elected Justice of the Peace three times, but could not be persuaded to serve, lie has, however, consented to act as Supervisor for a couple of terms, and has filled a few of the minor positions. He is strongly religious in his tendencies, although opposed to sectarianism. Politically he is a stanch Democrat, voting the straight ticket of that party as opportunity occurs.

As an example of the courage which characterized the old pioneers, it may lie interesting to know that at the time Mr. Kepler and his wife started westward, they had three young children, one an infant the five weeks old. It was in the month of January, weather was stormy, and they endured inconveniences which almost amounted to suffering, but never for a moment thought of turning back or giving up, but pressed on to their destination. It was the persistent determination of those pioneers who first opened up the way, that has brought about the splendid results which are now so familiar to us that we seldom pause to reflect upon what they cost.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.