The Tramel Family of Jasper County, Iowa

WILLIAM ALEXANDER TRAMEL.

The early agriculturists of Jasper county will ever be held in the grateful memory of the present generation and of the active young farmers of today, and the husbandman who came here a half century ago and cleared, upturned and seeded the wild prairie sod and erected for himself and venturesome family a rude dwelling, and opened the country, then roadless, for the advance of a higher civilization, well deserves the respect which is accorded him after he has passed the allotted span of life. Of such as these is William Alexander Tramel, well known farmer of Clear Creek township, a man who has always labored along such well established lines as to french success from seeming discouraging situations and at the same time has been enabled to do much for his neighbors, believing in the old maxim, "live and let live," and as a result

. \ of such a life of usefulness and honor he is today held in high favor with all who have had an opportunity to know him intimately.

Mr. Tramel was born in St. Joseph county, Indiana, August 19, 1835, and there he grew to maturity, working on the home farm during his boyhood days, and when seventeen years of age, in 1852, he accompanied his parents to Iowa and settled in Clear Creek township, Jasper county, and here he has resided ever since, having lived to see the wonderful growth of the locality, for it was then wild and settlers were few. The farm on which he now lives and owns was paid for by his father with an 18 12-14 war warrant. The father, W. A. B. Tramel, was born in North Carolina in 1802, and his death occurred on his home place in this township in April, 1897, at an advanced age, having reached his ninety-fifth milestone, and the century through which his useful life extended was the most remarkable in the world's history. He married Cynthia Alexander, who also was born in North Carolina, in 1804, and her death occurred in Clear Creek township, March 3, 1878. Their family consisted of the following children: Eliza Ann Jeffries, whose death occurred in 1903; Nancy Campbell is also deceased; Martha Price, born January 28, 1833, is living in Ira, this county; W. Alexander, of this review; Joseph M. died in East Portland in 1906; Caroline Weston, born October 29, 1840, also lives at Ira; J. J., born November 26, 1842, of Ira.

On April 24, 1861, W. A. Tramel, of this sketch, was married to Sarah J. Spencer, who was born in Licking county, Ohio, August 5, 1835. Her father, William Spencer, was born in Vermont and his death occurred near Newton, Iowa, in 1861. He married Mary Meade, also a native of Vermont, and she died in Clear Creek township in 1890. Their family consisted of two sons and two daughters: Charles, born in Vermont and died in Colfax, Iowa; Henry, born in Vermont, died near Newton, Iowa; Mary Craig died in Ohio in 1856; Sarah J. wife of Mr. Tramel, of this sketch, is the youngest and the only surviving member.

To Mr. and Mrs. Tramel have been born three children, the first born dying in infancy; Mary C, whose birth occurred on March 8, 1871, has remained with her parents; C. W., born December 25, 1873, is living on the home farm, which he works. They were born, reared and educated in Clear Creek township and have always lived here.

Mr. Tramel has devoted his life to agricultural pursuits and he is the owner of eighty acres of good land in Clear Creek township, which he has kept well improved and tilled in a manner that has brought large returns. His son also owns eighty acres and his daughter fifty-four, all good land. The Tramel home is a pleasant one, modernly furnished.

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

JAMES J. TRAMEL.

This biographical memoir has to do with a character of unusual force and eminence, for James J. Tramel, whose life chapter has been closed by the fate that awaits us all, was for a long lapse of years one of the prominent citizens of Jasper county, having come to this section in pioneer times, and he assisted in every way possible in bringing about the transformation of the county from the wild condition found by the first settlers to its latter day progress and improvement. While he carried on a special line of business in such a manner as to gain a comfortable competence for himself, he also belonged to that class of representative citizens who promote the public welfare while advancing individual success. There were in him sterling traits which commanded uniform confidence and regard, and his memory is today honored by all who knew him and is enshrined in the hearts of his many friends.

Mr. Tramel was born in Kosciusko county, Indiana, November 28, 1842. He is the son of W. A. B. and Cynthia (Alexander) Tramel, the father born in February, 1802, in North Carolina, and the mother born in Indiana in 1804.

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

FRANK W. TRAMEL.

A man who boldly faces the responsibilities of life and by determined and untiring energy calves out for himself an honorable success exerts a strong influence upon the lives of all who follow him. Such men constitute the foundation of our republican institutions and are the pride of our civilization. Such a man is Frank Tramel, one of the best known and most enterprising of the young farmers and stock men of Clear Creek township. There is peculiar interest attached to a resume of his career in view of the fact that he has here spent his life and also because he is a most creditable representative of one of our best pioneer families, the name Tramel having been well known in Jasper county through allies stages of development.

Frank W. Tramel was born in Clear Creek township, this county, on the old homestead where he now lives. January 27. 1871, and here he grew up and was educated and has always followed agricultural pursuits in this community. His father, J. J. Tramel, was born in Kosciusko county, Indiana, November 26, 1842, and is deceased. When ten years of age he came to Clear Creek township, this county, with his father, they being, as stated above, among the earliest settlers here. The date of their arrival was October 10, 1852. The paternal grandfather, W. A. B. Tramel, was born in North Carolina, in February. 1802, and he died on the old homestead in Clear Creek township, Jasper county, Iowa, in April, 1897. His wife, who was known in her maidenhood as Cynthia Alexander, was born in Indiana in 1804, and her death occurred on March 3, 1878. J. J. Tramel, mentioned above, married Hannah Crawford, who was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, August 30, 1849, she emigrated to Poweshiek township, Jasper county, Iowa, with her father in an early day and here spent the rest of her life, dying in 1891. Frank W., of this review, was the only child of this union. The father enlisted in the Union army from Clear Creek township, August 22, 1862, in Company D, Fortieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served very faithfully for three years, during which he fought at Port Gibson and in the siege of Vicksburg. He was honorably discharged and was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa.

On March 11, 1896, Frank W. Tramel was united in marriage with Grace B. Jeffries, who was born in Independence township, Jasper county, Iowa, July 26, 1872, the daughter of A. E. and Emily H. (Keyes) Jeffries, the father born in Kosciusko county, Indiana, January 13, 1846, and is still living in Jasper county, at the town of Ira; the mother was born in Benton county, Iowa, August 9, 1850, and died in Independence township, this county, April 22, 1904. They were early settlers in Jasper county and became well known and highly respected. Their family consisted of four children, namely: Grace, wife of Mr. Tramel, of this review, is the eldest; Vesta Pease, born May 22, 1874, of Poweshiek township, Jasper county; Heziah, born February 11, 1876, lives at Des Moines; Xanthe, born December 21, 1877, lives at Burwell, Nebraska; she was born in Crawford county, Iowa, but the others were all born in Jasper county.

To Mr. and Mrs. Tramel two children have been born, a daughter and a son, namely: Mildred Grace, whose birth occurred on May 31, 1898; Howard James, born January 18, 1902, the former in Independence township and the latter on the old Tramel homestead.

Mr. Tramel has been very successful in his life work and he is the owner of one hundred and seventy acres in Independence township, on which are two sets of good buildings, and he also has eighty acres in the home farm, which consists of one hundred and ninety acres, and his improvements on all his land are modern and first class, his home being commodious, pleasant and well furnished. He carries on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale and in a manner that stamps him as being fully abreast of the times.

Politically, Mr. Tramel is a Republican, and he has always manifested a lively interest in local affairs. He is at present a member of the township board of trustees, and he has been a member of the school board. He belongs to Camp No. 5660, Modern Woodmen of America, of Ira, also the Yeomen lodge of that place, and he and his wife are members of the Disciples of Christ of Ira. They are pleasant people to meet, broad-minded, liberal and can claim a wide circle of acquaintances and friends.

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

WALTER O. TRAMEL.

While the life of Walter O. Tramel, one of the worthy native sons of Clear Creek township, Jasper county, has not been of an unusual character, — nothing strange or tragic about it. — nevertheless it abounds in lesson and incentive, for his record has been one of persistence, even in the face of obstacles at which others would have quailed. He has sought to be of benefit to his neighbors and the community in general, and his example has resulted in no harm to those who have come under his influence.

Mr. Tramel was born in Independence township on October 29, 1876, here grew to manhood, was educated in the common schools and has always been identified with the agricultural interests of the community, believing that better opportunities existed here in his chosen line of endeavor than elsewhere. Mr. Tramel is the son of Joseph and Cynthia (Leonard) Tramel, one of the well known old couples of this locality. The father's death occurred in Oregon in September, 1904, at the age of seventy years, and the mother died January 18. 1907. Their family consisted of four children, two sons and two daughters, namely: William lives in Independence township;

Mrs. Stella Whitehead lives in Poweshiek township, this county; Mrs. Bertha Allspaugh lives in Bonlder, Colorado; and Walter O., of this sketch. For a full history of the Tramel family the reader is referred to the sketch of William Tramel on another page of this work.

Walter O. Tramel has devoted his life to general farming and stock raising, buying and shipping, and is one of the best known stock men in this locality and one of the most successful. In the spring of 191 1 he moved onto the farm which he had purchased the preceding year and he has made a vast improvement in the same, rendering it one of the best farms in the community, well equipped in every respect and under a high state of cultivation, and he has a good home. In addition to caring for his farm Mr. Tramel buys and sells about two hundred car loads of live stock annually, and no small part of his income has been from this source in the past. No better judge of live stock could be found than he and he is uniformly successful. By hustling persistently and dealing honestly he has accumulated a competency, but he has never shown that parsimonious spirit exhibited by some of the successful men of today and he therefore has the respect and confidence of all who know him.

Mr. Tramel was married in March, 1903, to Lillian Long, who was born in Clear Creek township, this county, March 12, 1882, and here she was reared and educated. She is the daughter of George and Phoebe Jane (Miller) Long, the father born in Winneshiek county, Iowa, April 3, 1854, and the mother in this township, on May 24, 1857, and this union resulted in the birth of nine children, five of whom are deceased, namely: Clarence D., born May 11, 1877. lives in Independence township; Quincy, born October 27, 1879, died November 29, 1879; Pearl Hardenburgh, born in April, 1880, lives in Independence township; Lillian, wife of Mr. Tramel of this sketch; James Carl, born September 13, 1883, is assisting his father on the home farm; Stella, born June 18, 1885, died November 3, 1885; Charles, Fred and the youngest child died in infancy.

To Mr. and Mrs. Walter O. Tramel four children have been born, namely: James Russell, born January 6, 1904; William Blaine, born January 6, 1905; [name withheld], born June 7, 1906; [name withheld], born March 6, 1910. These children were born in Independence township, this county, and they are all at home with their parents.

Politically, Mr. Tramel is a Republican and he belongs to the Yeoman lodge of Ira. He is a public spirited man and takes much interest in whatever tends to promote the interests of his community, lending his aid whenever necessary.

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