The Meyer Families of Jasper County, Iowa

JOHN F. MEYER

JASPKR COl'NTV, IOWA. 84 1

On February 24, 1896. the subject of this sketch was married to Mary E. DeHaven, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Russell) Dellaven. both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. Meyer is one of twelve children, ten of whom are living as follows: Lewis F., the subject of this review; Frederick, a mail carrier residing in Carroll county, Iowa; Lena Scheel. wife of Fred Scheel, Stuttgart, Arkansas, a farmer of that vicinity; Anna Lorimer, wife of John Lorimer. a merchant, resides in Newton; George, superintendent of Jasper county water works plant; Henry, a farmer near Newton; Ella Carson, wife of Hans Carson, a farmer in Carroll county, Iowa; Louie, a drayman in Newton; Valeria Couch, wife of Bert Couch, lives in Camera, Iowa; Elizabeth Frith, wife of John Frith, who works for the Newton Lumber Company.

To Mr. and Mrs. Meyer has been born one child, a daughter, born June 2, 1888, who is the wife of William Howard, a hotel man at Denver, Colorado.

Mr. Meyer began working for himself when twenty-one years old at farming and stock raising and has continued at this business ever since, making a specialty of thoroughbred Poland China hogs and good horses. He is at this writing serving as trustee of Palo Alto township and has been director of the district schools. He is a Republican and has at all times taken an active interest in politics. He is also a member of Central Lodge No. y2>' Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having taken the subordinate and encampment degrees. Mrs. Meyer is a member of the Rebekahs at Newton and is a most excellent woman.

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

A. C. MEYER.

It requires considerable personal courage and strong resolution to sever the ties which bind one to home, friends, kindred and native land and seek fortune and a place of above in a foreign country, where the language is unknown, where manners and customs are strange and where the future is uncertain, but A. C. Meyer, well known business man of Baxter, Jasper county, took the risk incident to such a course, nor has he been disappointed in the hope which led him to leave Germany and come to the United States, a youngster of tender years at the time of his arrival, possessing no capital save willingness to work and a strong determination to succeed, which he has admirably done, as we shall see by the study of the following paragraphs which will show the ease with which thrifty Germans achieve such financial success in this country that it is astonishing to most Americans. The record of the gentleman whose name appears above is not only one of industry, but also of honor.

Mr. Meyer was born in Hanover, Germany, December 15, 1843. He is the son of Fred M. and Betty Meyer, both natives of Germany, the mother in Bremen; the date of the father's birth was July 11, 1800, and he died in Illinois on July 11, 1864; the mother was born on 1810 and died at Freeport, Illinois, on June 10, 1883. They grew up, were educated and married in the fatherland and emigrated to America later in life, securing a good home in the new world. They were the parents of the following children: William, Carl. Theodore, Reinhard, Johanna and A. C. of this review: also a daughter, Lizzie.

A. C. Meyer of this sketch left his native land on October 28, 1856, arriving in New York on December 24th of that year. The family came west at once and settled in German Valley, Illinois, where they remained fourteen years, and in 1869 came on to Eden township, Marshall county, Iowa, where the young Meyer reared his family and cultivated a large farm in that

A. C. Meyer township until March 1, 1907, when he removed to Baxter, Jasper county, where he owns one of the best residences in that thriving little village and has long been successfully engaged in business. He has been most successful in whatever he has turned his attention to, and is the owner of a very valuable farm of three hundred and twenty acres, well improved, located near White Lake, South Dakota, besides an interest in the bank at Baxter, and telephone stock in the Baxter Telephone Company; he also owns eighty acres of good Missouri land. Since 1872 he has improved one of the choice farms of Eden township, Marshall county. He is one of the best informed botanists and floriculturists in this section of the state, having long taken a deep interest in plant life, and his beautiful flower garden is the pride of Baxter. It shows a very commendable quality in Mr. Meyer, a well developed esthetic taste, showing that he has an eye for the beautiful and is a over of nature; to him, in the language of the English poet, Wordsworth, "The meanest flower that grows can give thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears." This is a most commendable quality, for in this money-mad age, most men permit the affairs of business and the love of the dollar to take the place of almost everything, literally eradicating what little esthetic quality they had in their childhood. No man can be wholly bad who is a over of nature and "communes with her invisible forms."

Mr. Meyer was married to Catharine Dahlem, who was born in Baarla, Germany. October 25, 1844- When a child she came with her parents to America, reaching Freeport, Illinois, on December 25, Christmas day. 1852. She is the daughter of Henry and Susan (Vogt) Dahlem, the father born in Bavaria, Germany, in 1812 and died September 10, 1877, and the mother was born in the fatherland in May, 1822, and died December 8, 1877. They were the parents of four children, namely: Henry, born in Comoden, Bavaria. November 28, 1842; Catharine, wife of Mr. Meyer, of this review; Elizabeth Pfeil, born November 26, 1848, is living in Illinois; Abraham, born Mav 26, 1850, lives in Baxter.

' Eleven children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Meyer, named as follows Henry, born April 5, 1867, is living in Saskatchewan, Canada: Elizabeth born September 11, 1869, died in Eden township, Marshall county, Iowa, January 14, 1896; Susie, born October 14, 1870, died December 21 1880 Hannah Meier, born September 25, 1872, is living at White Lake, South Dakota: Catharine, born August 26, 1874. died October 9, 1874; Fred, born October II 1876. died February 27, 1877: William T., born April 14, 1878, lives in Eden township, Marshall county; Carl Reinhard, born May 4. 1881, is living near Waterloo, Iowa; August A., born August 9, 1883, is living at White Lake, South Dakota; John O., born September 7, 1885, also lives at White Lake, South Dakota; Anna D., born March 18, 1888, died March 20,

Politically, Mr. Meyer is a Democrat. He has been a member of the school board for a period of eighteen years and has done much for the cause of education here during that time. He and his family belong to the German Reformed church.

]yir. Meyer, who is one of the pioneers of this community, has done his full share in developing the same. Many young men of this place can attribute their success in the financial world to the confidence placed in them by Mr. Meyer. He is a whole-souled, genial, hospitable gentleman whom it is a pleasure to know and he numbers his friends by the scores.

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