Trails to the Past

Iowa

Plymouth County

Biographies

 

Progressive Men of Iowa
1899

CHASSELL, Edward D., the editor of the Le Mars Sentinel, has acquired a position of very large acquaintance and influence in the state through his connection with the newspaper profession and with politics. He first came into prominence as the editor of the Osage News and later as assistant secretary of the Iowa senate.  Afterwards he removed to Le Mars and became editor of the Sentinel, and was the first republican elected to the legislature from that county from 1883 to 1893. In 1896 Mr. Chassell lacked only a few votes of receiving the republican nomination for secretary of state, being a very strong second in a field of four candidates.  He is a son of William Chassell and a grandson of Rev. David Chassell, D. D., of the Presbyterian church. The latter was a native of Scotland, born in Glasgow, but he passed his youth in Vermont and his later years in central New York. Rev.  David Chassell's wife, Anstiss Olin, was a daughter of Judge John EL Olin, of Vermont, who was a descendant of Gideon Olin, a member of the assembly, and a descendant of John Olin, who came from Wales and settled at East Greenwich, R. I., in 1678.

Wm. Chassell was born in Herkimer county, N.  Y.; was educated at Fairfield seminary, of which his father was principal, located at Fairfield, N.  Y., and came west when a young man. He engaged in mercantile business in Indiana and subsequently removed to Iowa, settling on a prairie farm near Iowa Falls in 1867. He was married in 1857 to Miss Frances A. Jones, a native of Bradford county, Pa. Prior to her marriage she had been a teacher in the public schools and an Instructor in St. Mary's Hall, an Episcopal young ladies' boarding school in Burlington, N. J. She was the daughter of Edward W. Jones, Esq., of Bradford County, Pa., whose father and grandfather, Col.  Israel Jones and Capt. Israel Jones, were both active revolutionary soldiers and Indian fighters.  Colonel Jones served with Washington and was with him during the memorable winter at Valley Forge. Mr. Chassell's great grandmother, Lois Wadsworth, wife of Col Israel Jones, was a descendant of Hon. John Wadsworth, who was a member of the colonial assembly when his brother.  Capt. Joseph Wadsworth, secreted the colonial charter in the oak tree at Hartford. 

The subject of this sketch was born in Holland Patent, Oneida county, N. Y., May 25, 1858, and coming to Iowa with his parents, his boyhood days were much the same as those of other Iowa farmer boys.  He went to school in the winter and worked on the farm and studied at home during the summer. He stuck to the Iowa farm with his parents until he was 21 years of age.  He graduated from the Iowa State Normal school at the head of his class in 1882, and in 1888 the degree of B. D. was conferred upon him by the institution. He had a successful career as a school teacher before he went into the newspaper work, beginning at the age of 19 and alternating between teaching and attending school.  He was principal of the schools at Stacyville, Mitchell county, in 1882 and 1883, and in St. Ansgar, of the same county, in 1883-4. In the latter year he became editor of the Osage News and was associated with A. C. Ross in its publication until 1889, when he went to Le Mars and acquired an interest in the Le Mars Semi-Weekly Sentinel. A large job printing, binding and blank book establishment is connected with this office, and Mr. Chassell has remained at the head of the concern since he went there. All branches of the business have prospered and the Sentinel is recognized as one of the most influential county papers in the state.

Mr. Chassell has always been a republican and active in the party work. Besides the honors referred to previously he was a presidential elector in 1892 and was secretary of the republican state central committee in 1890.  When he was elected to the legislature in 1893, Plymouth county won the Tippecanoe banner, which is awarded to the county showing the greatest republican gain over the previous year. His legislative service was notable for the industry with which he served, not only the interest of his own town and county, but of the state generally.  He secured the passage of a bill changing the hour of convening the legislature on the first day of the session, from 2 o'clock in the afternoon to 10 o'clock in the forenoon, which enables the legislature to effect a permanent organization on the first day of the session and obviates the necessity of twice going through the form of electing United States senator, which had previously been done. The change effects a saving of one legislative day at every election of a United States senator. He also took a leading part in securing the passage of the mulct liquor law and of the bill to provide for the location of a fourth hospital for the insane in the northwestern part of the state. He came within one vote of securing the location of the hospital in Le Mars. Masonry has had a strong attraction for Mr. Chassell and he has devoted considerable attention to it. He belongs to the various Masonic organizations, is a Knight Templar, a member of the Chapter and of the Blue Lodge and the Order of the Eastern Star in Le Mars, and is a noble of El Kahir Temple, Amient Arabic Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of Zeus Lodge, Knights of Pythias.

LLOYD, Edward S., of Remsen, Plymouth county, a man who leads a busy life in the practice of law, was born at Iowa City, Iowa, June 25, 1859. His father is the well-known Dr. Frederick Lloyd, of Iowa City, where he has been in practice since 1857. He served as surgeon in the Eleventh and Sixteenth Iowa regiments during the war. The mother, before marriage, was Isabella Harriet Wade, and came to America from England when 11 years of age. The father, also, was born in England and emigrated to this country at the age of 10 years. The ancestors on the father's side were for several generations officers in the British army; the mother's-noted clergymen of the Church of England.  Henry Hamilton, a member of one branch of her mother's family, was a resident property owner of Dublin, Ireland. 

Edward S. Lloyd received his primary education in the private school of F. R.  Gaynor, now district judge, of Plymouth county. Then followed matriculation and graduation in the regular order for a period of years, from the Iowa City high school, the Irving institute, and the classical and law departments of the Iowa State university, respectively; the latter June 19, 1883. In the meantime he had worked in various capacities to pay the expense of his schooling. For a time he was clerk in the quartermaster's department of the United States of America, and the following year was with a surveying party in the employ of the Northern Pacific railroad, working in Montana.

His first occupation after quitting college was as principal of the Remsen public schools, in which he served for two years. He then decided to engage in the practice of law, and as the town of Remsen appeared to offer a good field, he at once opened an office. That was in 1886, and at this writing he is still there, enjoying an extensive and constantly growing practice and not at all sorry for having made the venture. The first vote of Mr. Lloyd was cast for James A. Garfield, after which his sympathies and his support went to the democratic party, and he is yet strong in that faith. He has taken an active part in the municipal affairs of Remsen, was instrumental in a large degree in securing its incorporation in 1887, and has served as city clerk continuously since that time, with the exception of one term. In township matters, too, he is quite prominent, and has acted as clerk at various times; is at present justice of the peace.

He is a member of the Roman Catholic church and the Catholic Mutual Protective association. He is active in the A. O. U. W., in which order he has held the positions of recorder, financier, receiver, master workman and past master workman. April 19, 1893, he was married to Miss Lucy A. Kieffer, daughter of J. P.  Kieffer, of Remsen. They have three children: Edward George Lucien, Heloise Edith and Harriet Annie.

MAMMEN, G. H., M. D. Engaged in a lucrative medical practice at Le Mars is Dr. Mammen, a young man whose early life was passed on the farm. His father was born in Germany, in 1840, of plain, honest and poor parents. He received no school advantages worthy of mention, and in 1865, when he had saved enough from his wages on the farm to procure a ticket, came to the United States, landing in New York without money and without friends.  After a discouraging search for work, his persistency was rewarded, and for a month he worked as gardener, then came west, locating at Sterling, 111., where he found employment on a farm. Through the practice of rigid economy he was enabled later to purchase a small tract of land, upon which he built a home. He was married in 1869 to Miss Johanna Margaretta Gesiene Landheer, a young lady who had emigrated from Germany the year before.  She died June 10, 1881. The ancestors of both branches of the family were Germans and tradesmen.

Dr. Mammen was born on a farm in Hopkins township, Whiteside county, 111., March 14, 1872, and is therefore 27 years of age, but notwithstanding his youthfulness he is a professional man of reputation and large practice. When 4 years old he entered the district school, and at 12 removed with his parents to Le Mars, where the process of education was materially retarded by the labor that was required on the farm. In 1886, however, he had the privilege of attending the German Lutheran school, and so well was the opportunity improved that he finished the following year. Returning to farm work for the purpose of earning money with which to continue his schooling, he was soon enabled to enter the Le Mars Normal school and business college, where he remained one winter. He attended that institution as regularly as his means would permit until 1891, when he graduated. He commenced the study of medicine in 1891 in the office of Dr Richey, and in the fall of that year entered the Iowa State university, where he remained one term, then matriculated in Rush Medical college of Chicago, from which he graduated May 23, 1894.  He at once returned to his home in Le Mars and engaged in practice, with most gratifying success from the start, and is now regarded as among the leading practitioners of that city.

He was chosen county physician in 1894, and in 1895 was elected coroner. These offices were given him by republican votes, he being an earnest supporter of that political faith. He is a member of the American Medical association, the Sioux Valley Medical association and the Missouri Valley Medical society, the A. O. U. W., I. 0. 0. F. and Knights of Pythias. He is medical examiner for the Equitable Life Insurance Society of the United States, American Union of New York, Mutual Reserve Fund Life of New York, Northwestern Life Insurance company of Chicago, Masons'and Odd Fellows' Union Aid association and the orders of A.  O. U. W., I. O. O. F., I. W. of A. and Sons of Herman. June 11, 1896, he was married to Miss Emma Louise Ahrensfeld, of Chicago, III.

WERNLI, Jacob, who served Plymouth county as superintendent of schools for eight years, has long been known as one of the foremost educators of Iowa. He has been a resident of the state ever since 1875, and during all this time has been identified with the public schools, and has gained a wide reputation among teachers, particularly as an institute instructor and conductor He is a native of Switzerland by birth, and his ancestors were also of that nationality. His father, Jacob Wernli, was a thrifty farmer of comfortable means, who died at the age of 82. Professor Wernli's mother was Salomea Dieteker, whose father was prominent in public life, having served as treasurer and in other official positions. She died at the age of 85 years.

Prof. J. Wernli was born July 13, 1828, at Thalheim, in the county of Brugg, Canton of Aargon, Switzerland, where his early years were passed. He entered the graded school at the age of 6 years and continued to attend until he was 16. He was fortunate in having excellent teachers, who greatly encouraged his studious habits and taste for learning. He was an extensive reader, the books at his period of life being chosen for him mostly by his minister. Not content with a common school education, young Wernli spent all the leisure which was afforded him from hard labor on the farm in pursuing studies to fit himself for college. His parents were unable to give him the advantages of a university training, but through the influence of his teacher and minister he succeeded in gaining admittance to the State Normal school, being one of thirty-five to pass the entrance examinations out of seventy-five examined. Beginning January 25, 1847, he continued at this institution for three years, receiving practical instruction under some of the foremost educators of Switzerland, all of the Pestalozzian school. Upon his graduation in 1860 he received a patent for all the schools in the canton and a certificate of qualification in twenty-two branches, with marks of excellence in agriculture, horticulture, mathematics and language. He taught his first school, a mixed but graded one of ninety four pupils in the village of Bonisvogl, on Lake Hallvogl. Here he gave such satisfaction that he was soon called to a higher school.

But longing for larger opportunities in a new country, he came to America, and in May, 1855, secured work as a common laborer at $1 a day in Oshkosh, Wis. Here, through economy and small investments he soon acquired a capital of $500, and in October, 1856, he moved to Waupaca county, where he bought eighty acres of land and commenced farming. In 1858 he again began teaching at $20 a month, and two years later was elected county superintendent of Waupaca county, and after serving two terms, was called, in 1864, to be principal of the second ward school in Milwaukee.  In 1866 he was elected principal of the Plattville State normal, and in 1868 of the Northwestern German-English school at Galena, 111. In 1875 he came to Le Mars and became principal of the public schools, conducting at the same time a book and stationery store. In 1877 he began devoting almost his entire attention to institute work, in which he has been particularly successful, having conducted over 150 institutes in many counties of Iowa. He established the Northwestern Normal school at Le Mars in 1887, which, under his direction, proved to be one of the best private normals in the state. In 1889 he was elected county superintendent of Plymouth county, and so earnest were his efforts in the behalf of the public schools that he was re-elected three times, serving in all four terms.

In politics Professor Wernli has been a republican since the breaking out of the civil war. For many years he has been a Knight Templar, and he is a member of the German Methodist church.  He was married in 1853 in Switzerland, to Miss Anna Marie Steiner, who died December 17, 1866. Professor Wernli was again married at Milwaukee, to Miss Christene Kehres, a native of Germany.

 

 

 

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