George W. Stambaugh

As printed in 1901

GEORGE W. STAMBAUGH.

Among the prosperous agriculturists and representative citizens of Bertram township is the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. He was born Feliruary 25. 1857, on the farm where he now resides, and belongs to an old and honored family of this county. His father, Samuel Stambaugh, was born in Jefferson, York county, Pennsylvania, April 10, 1810, and his parents were either from Germany or of German descent. His mother tongue must have been German as he spoke both that language and English in early life. He was a resident of York and Adams counties, Pennsylvania, until the spring of 1833, when lie went to Butler county, Ohio, but in the fall of the same year returned to his native state. In the spring of 1835 ''' accompanied his father's family on their removal to Butler county, Ohio, and four years later went with them to Schuyler county, Illinois. He and his brother John, however, remained in that state only two weeks before coming to Linn county, Iowa, where they selected claims in what is now Rapids township] The brother was a carpenter by trade and assisted in the erection of the first frame house in Cedar Rapids. He bought a claim of Mr. Coles, which in later years became the well known farm of Sampson C. Bever. During an Indian up-rising which frightened many of the early settlers he became alarmed and returned to Illinois. Samuel Stambaugh's first claim was on section 36, township 83, north, range 7, west, and on the north side of Cedar river, but he soon exchanged this for the farm in Bertram township, where our subject now resides, making it his home for over fifty-eight years.

On the 19th of May, 1840, Samuel Stambaugh married Rachel Bryant, of Schuyler county, Illinois, who was born in Ohio, September 22, 1820, and a few days later the young couple started for their new home in Iowa. Unto them were born twelve children, of whom two died in infancy, and one daughter, Sarah, died in her forty-seventh year. The others were Mary A., wife of W. L. Stoneking, a farmer, of ?kIarion township, Linn county; Louisa, wife of William Corey, of Scranton, Greene county, Iowa; Samuel B. married Delia Harvey and resides in Santa Anna, California; Noah B., who married Lilly Lamson and lives in Curtis, Oklahoma; James A., who first married Louisa Berry and second Ella Parker and Xesides in Bertram township, this county, and a sketch of whom appears in this work; Rachel J., wife of Charles W. Lamson, of Sumas, Washington; George our subject; Albert H., who married Lettie Workman and makes his home in Browning, Schuyler county, Illinois; and Martha E., wife of Zach Berry, of Marion, Iowa. The father of this family died August 20. 1897, honored and respected by all who knew him. He was a faithful and consistent member of the Free Will Baptist Church, and led an upright and honorable life, in harmony with his professions. Physically lie was a man of powerful strength, and could withstand great hardships, being six feet and two inches in height, and when in the prime of hfe his weight ranged from one hundred and ninety to two hundred pounds. During his boyhood free schools were unknown. yet he learned to read and write, and was not only a self-educated Init a self-made man. whose success in life was due entirely to his own well-directed efforts. Mrs. Stambaugh passed away April 23, 1901, at the age of eighty years.

George \V. Stambaugh was educated in the district schools near his boyhood home, which he attended until twenty year.; of age, and after laying aside his text bo(jks he devoted his entire time and attention to the operation of the farm until the sunnner of 1886, when he went to Nebraska, and engaged in farming in that state for a year. He then returned to the old homestead where the following two years were passed. At Cedar Rapids, December 24, 1889, Mr. Stambaugh married Miss Anebel Snyder, who was also born in this county, December 10, 1859. Her father, James I. Snyder, was born in Preble county, Ohio, on the ist of April, 1819, and was married in Goshen, Indiana, August 25, 1844, to Jane Longacre, a native of that state, who was born in Whitewater, October 1, 1825. He engaged in farming in Indiana until the fall of 185 1, when he removed with his family to Iowa, and took up his residence in Linn county, buying a farm of two hundred and ten acres in Putnam township, which was his home until the fall of 1882. On disposing of that property he removed to Bertram township, where the following seven years were passed. He died on the 16th of May, 1890, and was buried in Bertram township. His wife survived him and made her home with Mrs. Stambaugh until her death, which occurred June 7, 1896. They were the parents of eleven children, namely: Millie, wife of James H. Rogers, of Medford, Oklahoma; Hulda G., wife of W. F. Miner, a farmer of College township, this county; Marion, who first married Izora Blain, and second Sarah Blain, and resides on a farm in Bertram township; E. D., who married Eleanor Cunningham and lives in Weston, Iowa; Corydon, who died at the age of nine years; Thomas, who died at the age of seven years; Anibel, wife of our subject; Shirley married Zaidee Blain, of Marion; Chas. Frank, twin brother of Shirley, who died at the age of eighteen months; Jesse, who wedded Mary Hight and makes his home in Cedar Rapids; and Jackson, who married Grace Brugh and lives on a farm in College township. Mr. and Mrs. Stambaugh have five children whose names and dates of birth are as follows: Erwin G., March 24, 1892; Ira V., March 11, 1894; Elva H., July 14, 1895; and Wilbert and Sylva, twins, July 14, 1897.

After his marriage Mr. Stamljaugh operated the J. A. Stambaugh farm for one year, and for six years lived on the Cornish farm a mile and a half southwest of Bertram. Since then he lias resided on the old homestead, comprising two hundred and thirty-seven acres on sections 21 and 28, Bertram township, and in its operation he has met withexcellent success. It is under a high state of cultivation and improved with good buildings, including a modern residence, and substantial barns and outbuildings. Mr. Stambaugh raises a high grade of cattle and horses for market, and finds this branch of his business quite profitable. Re-. ligiouslv he and his wife attend the I'nited

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

As printed in Biographical records of Linn County, Iowa .. (1901). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.