A. J. Barkley

As printed in 1902

Flora R. Spencer, wife of Hon. A. J. Barkley. was born February 28, t86o, in Rice county, Minnesota, about forty miles south of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Her father was Wilson Spencer, a native of Herkimer county, New York. 1 lis grand father.

John Spencer, served in the War of 1812. Her mother, whose maiden name was Caroline Beaver Goodykoontz, is a native of Indiana. She traces her lineage through the Beaver family of Pennsylvania, to the immigrant ancestor in Alsace, who came over in 1740 and settled in the Keystone state. The family were leaders in public affairs in the great commonwealth and have "furnished "food tor powder" in every war which America has waged since their accession to its citizenship. One of them was General James A. Beaver, four times wounded during his service with the Army of the Potomac, the last received at the battle of Ream Station, on the Weldou railroad, necessitating the amputation of his leg and his discharge from the military service of the country. He was governor of Pennsylvania from 1882 to 1886.

Mrs. Barkley was one of a family of eight children, and her youthful years illustrate the fact that "the strenuous life" is not confined to the sex which, "rooms the court. the camp, the field." When she was five years of age her parents removed from Minnesota to the neighborhood of Waukon. Allamakee county, Iowa, residing on a farm. Here the young child attended the country schools until eleven years old, when the family removed into the town of Waukon. This gave her better educational opportunities, of which she made diligent use, in the high school until the age of seventeen. Thirsting still for knowledge she began to plan and work for the higher planes of educational opportunities, and to this end entered the teachers' profession, finding occupation in the country schools of her neighborhood. With money thus and otherwise earned, and entirely by her own unaided efforts, she took the course in the Northern Indiana Normal School at Valparaiso, graduating therefrom July 28, 1880. a date which has ever since been "A Red Letter Day" in her memory.

After a year as teacher in the Valparaiso public schools, she returned to Waukon and took a position in the high school as teacher, which she retained until she resigned to accept a similar position in the high school at Boone, biwa. in 1887. This she retained for four years, doing most efficient and highly acceptable service in behalf of the young people committed to her instructs n.

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

In Mrs. Barkley are found strength of intellect and womanly tact, high aspiration and delicacy in the use of means to the end. acute feminine sympathies with that judgment which holds them in due check. While at times her health has not been so good as could be wished, the fact seems never for long to have deterred her altruistic activities. Her home is the above of hospitality and she delights in the society of her friends. She is fond of good literature, and Lowell is her favorite poet. Art, 111 all its subdivisions, claims her appreciate 'it. and the beauties of nature are to her as the breath of Deity. Her married life has been most happy with the kind husband by her side, who truly sympathizes with and assists in her endeavors as she does with his ambitions. To all human eyes they have man) useful years before them, and to all this promise their many friends say. Amen!

As printed in A Biographical record of Boone County, Iowa (1902). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.