History of Sac County 
by William H. Hart - 1914

The biographer doubts very much if a single settler in Sac county has made a more enviable and praiseworthy record than he of whom this review is written. For the benefit and inspiration of his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and for the perusal by the many warm friends of this aged and respected couple, this chronicle is respectfully submitted. That it may be a lasting tribute to their accomplishments and be a valued memento in years to come is the wish of the historian.

SCHALLER, HON. PHIL ------Human life is like the waxes of the sea which flash for a few brief moments in the sunlight, marvels of power and beauty, and then are dashed upon the remorseless shores of death and disappear forever. As the mighty deep has rolled for ages past and chanted its sublime requiem and will continue to roll during the coming ages until time shall be no more, so will the waves of human life follow each other in countless succession until they mingle at last with eternity's boundless sea. The passing of any human life, however humble and unknown, is sure to give rise to a pang of anguish which will wring some heart, but when the fell destroyer knocks audibly at the door of the useful and great and removes from earthly scenes the man of honor and influence and the benefactor of his kind, it not only means bereavement to kindred and friends, but a public calamity as well. In the largest and best sense of the term, the late Phil Schaller, of Sac City, Sac county, was distinctly one of the notable men of his time and generation in the vicinity of which this history treats, and as such is entitled to a conspicuous place in the annals of western Iowa-in fact, he was one of the great men of the state.

Hon. Phil Schaller rose from being a poor emigrant boy to become a man of substance and great influence and power in his adopted land where opportunities are everywhere awaiting the energetic and deserving. He was born in Worth. Alsace, Germany, January 6, 1838, and there obtained his primary education in the common schools. At the age of sixteen years he came to America, tarrying for a short time in the Eastern states, but finally arrived in Iowa in 1854. He had little more than the clothing on his back when he arrived in America and did not locate in Iowa until sixteen years after his arrival. He established his first residence in Clayton county and enlisted in the Union army upon the outbreak of the Rebellion. On August 8, 1862, he enlisted in Company' E, Twenty-seventh Iowa Infantry Regiment, and participated in all the engagements of his regiment, including Steele's Arkansas expedition, the Meridian campaign, the Red River campaign (where he won distinction in the capture of Fort De Russy), Smith's expedition to Tupelo and Oxford, the pursuit of General Price through Arkansas and Missouri, the battle of Nashville and campaigns about Mobile and its defenses.  He was mustered out with his regiment August 8, 1865, and at once returned to Clayton county, Iowa, where he engaged in the wagon-making trade, in which he was a successful operator for a number of years.  In the spring of 1872 Mr. Schaller had a vision of the broad and fertile prairies of western Iowa and of what the newer lands might have in store for him. He came to Sac county and located in Eden township on a beautiful quarter section of wild land and set about improving the same, intending to follow farming for a livelihood. But it was not long before he was entrusted with the agency of the Iowa Railroad Land Company, which corporation then owned large tracts of land in Sac and adjoining counties.  In this position Mr. Schaller obtained a wide and favorable acquaintance among all the hardy pioneers of northwestern Iowa. The wise policy of the company and its big-hearted agent saved to many a settler, in the time of distress, the home he would have lost had those he had been dealing with been less kindly disposed. Recounting the days and experiences of that trying period, many a pioneer shed tears and truly grieved when he heard that bluff, kind-hearted Phil Schaller was no more for this earth. His memory will long be revered and forever and ever in the history of Sac county and western Iowa Phil Schaller will be remembered as the "Friend of  the Farmer."

It is not to be supposed that an individual possessing his native ability and rich experience in business and with his fellow men would long stay out of politics in a new and rapidly growing country, in which he settled not long after the close of the civil conflict. The events of that war, the strong administration developed by the party of Lincoln and the policies of the Republican party naturally found the deceased a stalwart supporter of the same, though he was independent enough in his action to scratch a ticket when names of candidates appeared there whom he believed not worthy the office they sought at the hands of the people. His first office was that of member of the board of county supervisors in Sac county, which position he held with great courage and credit to himself and the people whose interests he had been entrusted with. He held this office until, in 1877 he was elected treasurer of Sac county, and it was at a time when county warrants were nowhere near par and he was elected upon his pledge that he would make all warrants good as gold, which promise he carried out to the letter. This necessitated his removal from his farm to Sac City, where he continued to reside for a third of a century and up to the time of his death. In 1885 he was elected to a seat in the twenty-first General Assembly of Iowa, where he, by the force of his courage and ability, made Sac county known far and near.  Among the measures he espoused was that of trying to secure the location of the Iowa State Soldiers Home at Sac City, but it finally went to Marshalltown and became an institution in which he was greatly interested, and he was appointed as one of its inspectors for the state, doing good service, both for the commonwealth and for his old comrades-at-arms. He also aided, as a party measure, the introduction of the prohibitory liquor laws as well as other important state legislation. He was a delegate to the Republican national convention at St. Louis, in 1896, which nominated President William McKinley the first time. He was twice elected mayor of Sac City and through his ability and fearlessness secured the enactment of wholesome ordinances and rules for the government of his hometown. During his administration there were less arrests and better order prevailed than at any other time before that period. He was also state commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and held numerous positions in several banking concerns of Sac county, in which he was also a heavy stockholder. He was a liberal contributor in various public enterprises and for many years a trustee of the Buena Vista College, the Sac City Institute and the local Presbyterian church of Sac City, of which he was a member. He also held membership in the various branches of the Masonic order, all the way from the blue lodge up to the consistory. He was once grand treasurer for the grand lodge of Iowa, and belonged to numerous other fraternal societies at Sac City, but doubtless esteemed most of all his connection with Gen. W. T. Sherman Post No. 284. Grand Army of the Republic. The surviving members of this post will not soon forget comrade Schaller's loyalty and helpfulness in its maintenance and many a soldier has reason to remember with deepest gratitude some one or more acts of kindness coming from him in a time when it was most needed.

It was the late Hon. George D. Perkins, editor of the Sioux City Journal, who said upon hearing of the death of comrade Schaller : "Dear old Phil Schaller! Big-hearted man; courageous man-a type of man who leaves his impress and mark where the chance to live is given." Another token of love and esteem came through a committee of three from the Soldiers' Home at Marshalltown, sent to Sac City on this special errand, to deliver the following set of resolutions, bespeaking of the sentiment held at Marshalltown among his old-time comrades :

"Whereas, the sad and mournful funeral knell has betokened that another spirit has winged its flight to a new state of existence; an alarm has come to our outpost and the messenger is Death, and none will presume to say to the awful presence: 'Who comes there?' In the death of comrade, friend and associate Schaller we feel that we have met an irreparable loss, but our loss is far less than that sustained by those nearer and dearer to him.  "Therefore, be it resolved; That in behalf of our post, we give this tribute symbol of our undying love for comrades of the war and that we mourn for one who was in every way worthy of our respect and regards and, as members of the Iowa Soldiers' Home, we feel that he has always had our best interests at heart; that he has been an indefatigable worker in his endeavors to better the condition of this home-more so than any other person.

"Resolved, That we sincerely condole with the family of the deceased on the dispensation which has pleased Divine Providence to afflict them and we commend for consolation to Him who orders all things well and whose chastisements are given with a merciful hand.

"Resolved, that this heart-felt testimonial of our sorrow and sympathies be delivered to the family of our departed comrade and friend by the delegates from this post selected to attend his burial.

J. J. Beedy,

George W. Webb,

W. A. Hamilton.

For several years previous to his death Mr. Schaller was the senior member of the firm of .Schaller & Hart, lands and loans, and composed of Mr.  Schaller and William H. Hart, the editor of the historical section of this work. The thriving and beautiful town of Schaller was named in his honor by the land company. He was the first president of the Sac County Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company, which he assisted in organizing. Mr. Schaller became a director in the First National Bank of Sac City, and was originator and first president of the Lake View State Bank.

Mr. Schaller was first married in October of 1865 to Emiline L. Knight, of Clayton county, Iowa, by whom he had two daughters born, Louise, the wife of E. P. Hartman, of Lake View, and Eugenie, the wife of F. S. Needham, banker of Sac City. Mrs. Schaller passed from earth on February 13, 1899. In July of 1900, Mr. Schaller married Mrs. Catherine Fishman, who survives him and resides at Sac City.

Catharine Rosenhauer (Fishman) Schaller is a native of Bavaria, Germany, the daughter of John and Julia Rosenhauer, who emigrated to America in the year 1845. They first settled in Massachusetts, and in 1848 removed to the wilds of Wisconsin where they became pioneer settlers and where John Rosenhauer is still residing in the ripeness of a long and fruitful life;

Catharine Rosenhauer was first married in Wisconsin to William Fishman in 1869. William Fishman was a native of Westphaha, Germany, and came to America when a youth. He learned the trade of blacksmith and followed it as a means of gaining a livelihood throughout his entire life. Not many years after this marriage they settled in Sac City where Mr. Fishman conducted a blacksmith shop and prospered. He died in 1884, leaving a son, George, now deceased. A niece, Agnes Rosenhauer, is residing with Mrs.  Schaller. Mrs. Schaller is a member of the Presbyterian church and the Eastern Star chapter.

Phil Schaller was one of the first members of Occidental Lodge No. 178, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, a member of Darius Chapter No. 58, Royal Arch Masons, Rose Croix Commandery No. 38. Knights Templar, and the Eastern Star Chapter No. 18, of Sac City. He was affiliated with the De Molay Consistory No. 1 of Lyons, Iowa, and was a member of the Des Moines Consistory of Scottish Rite Masonry. He held the office of grand treasurer of the grand lodge of Iowa Masons. He valued most highly his comradeship in the Grand Army of the Republic, Gen. W. T. Sherman Post, at Sac City. For a period of three years Comrade Schaller was commander of the Northwestern Iowa Veterans' Association with the title of colonel commanding.

Mr. Schaller's death occurred at Earlville, Iowa, July 21, 1911, and was occasioned by apoplexy. He and his wife had been in attendance at the funeral of his sister in Dubuque and stopped off at Earlville to visit relatives.  Without warning, this gallant soldier, pioneer and statesman was gathered to his fathers. His funeral was held from the Presbyterian church in Sac City and was conducted by Rev. R. L. Brackman, pastor. His remains were interred in Oakland cemetery, with a large company of ex-soldiers and hundreds of friends from distant places furnishing the funeral procession. The deceased had surviving him, his wife, two daughters, six brothers and ten grandchildren.

SCHENCK, DeWITT G. -----Among the farmers of Sac county, Iowa, who believe in following twentieth-century methods is DeWitt G. Schenck, of Cedar township. He comes of a splendid family, one that has always been strong for right living and industrious habits, for education and morality and for all that contributes to the welfare of the commonwealth. Such people are welcomed in any community, for they are empire builders and as such have pushed the frontier of civilization ever westward and onward. leaving the green, wide reaching wilderness and the far-stretching plains populous with contented people and beautiful with green fields: they have constituted that sterling horde which caused the great Bishop Whipple to write the memorable line.  "Westward the course of empire takes its way."

DeWitt G. Schenck. proprietor of a two hundred-acre farm in Cedar Township, Sac county. Iowa, was horn in 1869 in Illinois, the son of William T. and Isabelle (Brown) Schenck, who were natives of Ohio and New York, respectively. His father is of German descent and his mother traces her ancestry back to the early English colonists. William T. Schenck came to Sac county in 1908, and has a farm in Cedar township. His first wife died in July 1883. Mr. and Mrs. William T. Schenck were the parents of four children: Mrs. Laura Mendenhall of Cedar township; Mrs. Armenia Belle Heiserman of this township; Mrs. Grace Mullins, of Jackson township, this county; D. G, whose history is here presented. By a second marriage William T. had one son, Daniel, of Sac City.

DeWitt G. Schenck was educated in the schools of Illinois and farmed in that state until the spring of 1897, at which time he came to Sac county and rented a farm for the first three years of his residence here, after which he bought one hundred and sixty acres at forty-seven dollars an acre. In 1908 he purchased an additional forty acres, for which he paid eighty-eight dollars an acre. His two-hundred-acre farm is now well worth two hundred and twenty-five dollars per acre, as he has improved it in every way, built all the buildings on the place, which has two houses, barns and other out buildings. and he has spent a small fortune on tiling alone. He was the first Illinois farmer to lay drain the for the purpose of draining his land, an example which has been followed widely since the farmers of the county have noticed the success which attended his farming of his tiled fields. He hast put up over one thousand dollars worth of woven wire fencing, put twenty-five hundred dollars into tiling and several thousand dollars into buildings, and it is easy to see why his farm is now worth the price mentioned above. In 1913 he had on his farm thirty-five head of cattle, seven head of hogs, seventeen head of horses and twenty-five head of sheep, eighty-five acres of corn which averaged forty-five bushels to the acre, while his other crops were in proportion. In addition to his grains, he is a breeder of blooded Shorthorn cattle, which adds not a little to his annual income.

Politically. Mr. Schenck is a Republican and has taken an active part in the affairs of his party. He has served as township trustee, township assessor and as school director of his school district, and in all of these offices he has rendered faithful and efficient service. Fraternally. he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and has been a member of that fraternal order for the past twenty-three years, holding his membership in Lodge No. 314, at Maori, Illinois. He is a member of the Christian church and gives to it his generous support.

Mr. Schenck has been twice married, his first marriage being in 1890.  to Clara E. Mendenhall, a native of Ohio, and her death occurred in 1896, leaving two children, Mrs. Ethel Weohl and Homer. Mr. and Mrs. Weohl are now living on the home farm, while Homer is living on his grandfather's farm. In 1897 Mr. Schenck was married to Flora Mendenhall, also born in Ohio, and to this marriage have been born two children, Hilda and Robert.  The achievements of Mr. Schenck represent endeavor along lines where mature judgment has opened the way. He possesses a weight of character and discriminating judgment that have won the respect and approval of all with whom he has been associated.

SCHENKELBERG, REV. L. -----The most self-sacrificing men are those who minister to the spiritual wants of men, and while they may not secure their reward in this world, they are always sure that their reward will eventually come. The work which the men of this class do is of such a nature that its good cannot always be calculated, and is never measured in dollars and cents. The successful business man may measure his success by his bank roll, while the minister of the gospel measures his by the souls he saves and the good he does in any community. Each man has his work to do, and both are essential to the civilization of our country, and it is not within the province of man to say that the worth of one is more than the other.

Rev. L. Schenkelberg, the pastor of St. Martin's Catholic church at Odebolt, Sac county, Iowa, was born February 9, 1874, in the province of Rhien, in Germany, and is a son of William and Catharine (Olpertz) Schenkelberg.  In his native country he secured the elements of a common school education, and when eighteen years of age came to this county, arriving here on April 28, 1892. He immediately came to Carroll county, Iowa, where he stayed for a short time with relatives.

A few years later he began to prepare for the priesthood, by entering St. Lawrence College, Mt. Calvary, Wisconsin.  He completed the classical course at this institution and then pursued the philosophical course at St. Joseph's College at Dubuque, Iowa, graduating with the class of 1900. Then, in order to prepare himself the better for his chosen life work, he went to Montreal, Canada, and entered the Grand Seminary at that place. Here he pursued the theological course for the next three years and three months, at the close of which he was ordained a priest by the  Rev. Paul D. Brushesi, the archbishop of Montreal.  His ordination occurred on December 19, 1903, and on the 24th of the same month he became assistant pastor at St. Joseph's church, at Le Mars, Iowa. Fourteen months later he became the pastor at Ogden, Iowa, and remained in this place for three and one-half years, after which followed a short period of service at Maryhill, Iowa, after which he went to Charter Oak this state, taking charge of the St. Boniface church at that place on October 28, 1908.

The church at this place had burned August 5, 1908. and upon his taking charge of the parish, he immediately began preparations for building a new church. In the spring of 1909 the congregation and Father Schenkelberg erected a magnificent new building of brick, at a cost of about nineteen thousand dollars and a residence at a cost of four thousand dollars. These buildings are entirely modern throughout and are among the finest in Crawford county, Iowa. Father Schenkelberg was transferred to Odebolt, Sac county, Iowa, on October 30, 1913 and has since been ministering to the needs of the congregation at that place. 

Father Schenkelberg has two brothers in this country. P. W., who resides in Carroll county, and is the county supervisor, and Henry, who is a prosperous farmer also living in Carroll county, this state. Father Schenkelberg is a man who possesses that simplicity, purity and humility of character which wins the affections of his parishioners and stands for the best things and with the large-hearted, optimistic view which he takes of life, he finds favor not only with the members of his own church, but with all other people with whom he is associated.

SEEK, WILLIAM -----A native of Germany, a citizen of the United States and a prosperous farmer of Sac county, Iowa, is William Seek, who is now operating a three hundred-and-ninety-seven-acre farm in Eden township, as well as performing all of those duties which characterize the citizens of this great commonwealth.  He is one of the hundreds of German families of this county who have attained a definite degree of success through the exercise of those qualities of uprightness and integrity which are the uniform characteristics of the Germanic people.

William Seek was born May 16, 1845 in Germany, and is the son of Charles and Isabel (Saur) Seek. His mother died in her native land and he came to this country in 1869, and his father, with his sister Elizabeth, came a few years later in 1872. He spent some months in the state of New York after arriving here and three months in Illinois, arriving in Clayton county, Iowa, in 1870. For four years he worked as a farm laborer in Clayton county, and in 1874 came to Eden township, Sac county, and after working on farms in this township for two years, he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land at five dollars an acre. He has added to this from time to time, buying eighty acres in 1888, eighty acres in 1898 and eighty acres in 1903. He now has his farm well improved and has two sets of buildings on it. 

Mr. Seek was married in 1876 to Margaret Merkley, a native of Canada and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Merkley. Michael Merkley came to Eden township, this county, in 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Seek are the parents of three children: Mrs. Louisa Chamberlain of Eden township, who has three children, Gladys, Earl and Mabel; George, who is with his parents, and Curtis, deceased.

Mr. Seek is identified with the Republican party, but has never been an active partisan. The family are loyal and consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Schaller and rentier it their earnest support at all times. Mr. Seek has always felt it his duty to take an active part in such enterprises of public welfare as he felt would benefit his community, and for this reason is rightly regarded as one of the representative citizens of his township.

SELBY, SEYMOUR D. ----The prestige and reputation of any city is dependent upon the personnel of its citizenship. If the residents are enterprising and progressive, the community naturally becomes known far and wide as a coming city and one which is universally recognized as a good place in which to live. All reform and progressive movements usually have their inception in a crying need for changes for the better. Their success depends upon the personality and integrity of those who get behind the movement and push it forward to completion; a combination of progression and progressive citizens makes improvement certain and sure. The beautiful and enterprising city of Odebolt is fortunate in having for its governing officials a coterie of the most progressive and enterprising men of the municipality; their inception into office is the result of growth and crystallization of sentiment demanding a change from the former order of things. The change has resulted for the better for all concerned. Odebolt is up and coming; improvements have been placed under way; conveniences are now enjoyed by the citizens which were conspicuous for their absence previous to the new regime and all parties concerned are now universally interested in the making of a greater and better city. The city is very fortunate in having for its chief executive a man noted for his sterling honesty, integrity, and earnestness of purpose in the person of Seymour D. Selby, concerning whom this brief review is written.

S. D. Selby is a native of Grant county, Wisconsin, born on October 3, 1862, and is the son of John N. and Mary ( DeWitt ) Selby, who were both born and reared in the old Buckeye state. In the year 1867 they departed from the old Ohio homestead and traveled to Adams county, Iowa. After a residence there of one and one-half years they journeyed to Page county, where they made their final home. John N. Selby died at New Market, Page county in the year 1885. He was twice married and was the father of four children by his first marriage and five offspring by a second marriage.  Five of these children are yet living, namely Margaret, of Salem, Oregon; Mrs. Felicia Hult, also a resident of Salem. Oregon; Mrs. Ophelia Hully, of Atlantic, Iowa: Mrs. Olive Nance, on a farm in Minnesota, and Seymour D. 

S. D. Selby was educated in the common schools and the Hawleyville, Page county, high school. He studied pharmacy in the town of Carbon, Adams County and upon the completion of his course and being admitted to the practice of his profession he engaged in the drug business at Vallisca, Iowa, for a period of six years. He then came to Odebolt in 1896 and here conducted a drug store for ten years. He retired from the business in 1906 and has since been devoting his time to the buying and selling of real estate and farm lands. He and J. K. Mattes conduct the Western Land Company for the purpose of handling Iowa, Minnesota and South Dakota farm lands.  Their business is very extensive and they handle many farms in the course of the year.

Mr. Selby was married in October of 1885 to Sadie Hanna, of Adams county, Iowa. He is the father of the following children: Margery Lenore, a graduate of Grinnell College and a teacher in the Sanborn, Iowa, schools, John, a graduate of the University of Omaha, class of 1914: Paul, who will graduate at the University of Omaha in the 1915 class. 

Mr. Selby is the leader of the Progressive party in Sac county, being the aggressive chairman of the county central committee, and figuring prominently in Progressive circles throughout the state. Mr. Selby served as postmaster at Carbon, Iowa, under Presidents Arthur and Harrison and resigned his position on removing to Villisca. He is stockholder and one of the organizers of the Farmers Savings Bank of Odebolt and is the owner of three hundred and sixty acres of good land in the eastern section of South Dakota.

Mr. Selby is a member of the Presbyterian church and is affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Eastern Star, Knights of Pythias, Brotherhood of American Yeoman and the Modern Woodmen. He was elected mayor of Odebolt in March of 1911 and has proven to be one of the best executives and the most enterprising the city has had in many years.  During his term of office a sewerage system has been installed at a cost of over twenty-two thousand dollars and the work of installation has been faithfully and honestly performed. Other plans for the introduction of modern improvements and providing for the further beautifying the city are under way.

SHAFFER, RAYMOND CLEMENT  M. D. -----One of the popular and essentially representative physicians of Sac county is Dr. Raymond Clement Shaffer, of Odebolt, who is a native son of the Hawkeye state. It has been through his own exertions and the applications of his own powers that Doctor Shaffer has risen to a position as one of the successful members of his profession. Imbued with self-reliance, courage and ambition, he has made steady progress in one of the most exacting callings to which man may devote his energies.

Raymond Clement Shaffer was born at Cascade, Iowa, June 27, 1885, the son of William R. and Margaret (McKeeren) Shaffer, both of whom were also natives of Cascade. William R. Shaffer was born in 1860, the son of Nicholas Shaffer, a native of Loraine, France, who came to America when a youth and settled in Pennsylvania, where he married. He came to Cascade, Dubuque county, Iowa, in the late forties, being one of the sturdy pioneers of that locality. He had a large farm and also owned and operated a livery stable. He was a man of considerable influence in his community and served as mayor of Cascade and justice of the peace for three terms.  He died in 1899, at the age of seventy-six. The father of Margaret McKeeren was Peter McKeeren. a native of county Mayo, Ireland, who emigrated to America after his marriage and settled in Cascade, Iowa, about 1861. He was a farmer by occupation. His sons fought in the Civil War.  William R. and Margaret (McKeeren) Shaffer reared seven children, four sons and three daughters, named as follows: Dr. R. C, the immediate subject of this sketch: William R., a traveling salesman of St. Louis, Missouri; Josephine Shaffer, who is a stenographer for Dun & Bradstreet, of St.  Louis, Missouri: Bernice Shaffer, who is a stenographer for the Texas Oil Company, St. Louis; Mrs. Gladys Brieding, of St. Louis; Thomas, who is a drug clerk in St. Louis: Julia is attending school at St. Louis and resides with her mother in that city. The father of these children died December 21, 1906.

Doctor Shaffer received his primary education in the public schools of the city of St. Louis, his parents having removed to East St. Louis, Illinois, when he was fifteen months old. His father was employed as fireman for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company in East St. Louis, but in 1890 he gave up this position and removed to St. Louis, where he secured a position as a stationary engineer. Here the boy was educated in the St.  Louis high school, and upon completion of his studies he took employment as a compositor or typesetter and worked in this capacity for a number of years in the employ of the C. E. Darnell Printing Company and other firms.  He had a laudable ambition to study medicine, and during the eight years that he worked as a typesetter he studied medical books and prepared himself for college work. He thus, by his own individual efforts and tireless energy, was enabled to enter the St. Louis College of Physicians and Surgeons, from which institution he was graduated April 27, 1908. For three years he practiced his profession in the city of St. Louis, and on December 21, 1911, he located in Odebolt, Iowa, and has been engaged in successful practice here since. He is licensed to practice medicine in the states of Missouri. Illinois and Iowa. The Doctor is also a licensed embalmer.  Doctor Shaffer was married April 24, 1913, to Theresa Nolte, of St.  Louis, Missouri. Not only does Doctor Shaffer have high standing as a physician, but he is also held in high esteem as a broad-minded, liberal and progressive citizen, devoted to the best interests of his community.

SHELEY, MARTIN -----All values are based upon land. It is the inevitable beginning of all wealth and its productiveness is the source of all income and in the inherent capabilities of the land to provide the necessities of life lies the prosperity of the nation. Land investment is attracting more people today than ever before.  Real estate is the best security of all. It shows the largest profit when selected carefully. More men have acquired a competence through wise land investments than in any other manner. Land values have grown rapidly within the first decade in this section of this great country. He who has possessed the foresight and acumen to continually invest his profits in more and more land is today counted among the wealthy and prosperous citizens of this vicinity.  This chronicle abounds with tales of men who came from the Eastern sections, with no means at hand but their willing hands and brains and have accomplished results which are well nigh astounding, when one considers the brief span of years in which they have been actively engaged in developing the country. A striking example of what determined energy and grit, combined with good business acumen can accomplish, is the career of Martin Shelev.  whose name heads this review.

Martin Sheley is a native of the old Buckeye state, and was born on a farm in Fayette county, Ohio, September 1, 1843. His father was Samuel Sheley, a native of Ohio. His mother was Margaret Sesler a native of Pennsylvania and the daughter of German parents. In 1856 the family migrated from Ohio to a farm in Poweshiek county, Iowa, and near the town of Montezuma. Here they made their home and the family was reared to young manhood and womanhood. The father died April 6, 1860. Some years afterward, while Martin was in the far West, the mother departed to the great beyond.

Martin Sheley responded to the need of his country for defenders of the Union and enlisted in the Union army, February 16, 1864, and served fifteen months. He was a member of Company C, Twenty-eighth Iowa Infantry Regiment, and took an active part in sixteen engagements during the brief period of his service. He fought in three great battles, Winchester, Cedar Creek and Snicker's Gap. He was a member of the famous Red River expedition.  He was wounded in the right foot during the battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia. The right foot was struck by a portion of a bursting shell and he was permanently disabled for the remainder of his life by the loss of a portion of the foot.

After his return from the war, he resided in Poweshiek county and was there engaged in farming until the year 1877. He then came to Sac county and purchased one hundred acres of good land in Cook township, paying therefor the sum of five dollars and fifty cents per acre. This was raw. unbroken prairie land at the time of his purchase. He at once erected a small house and set about improving his land, on which he resided until 1900.  In that year he removed to another farm of three hundred and twenty acres located north of the town of Schaller, of which he was the owner and which he bought with his savings in 1881. Here he made his residence until 1905, when he removed permanently to Schaller, where he has a fine modern residence fitted with every comfort and convenience.

Mr. Sheley is the owner of one thousand three hundred and eighty-five acres of land in Sac county, all of which is good, tillable land of the best and richest quality, and noted for its high productive capacity. He began practically with nothing thirty-six years ago, and it is truly remarkable what he has accomplished when one considers that since the Civil War he has been seriously handicapped by physical misfortune which would have caused many men to retire earlier and attempt to live upon the bounty of the government.  He purchased his first tract of land in May, 1877, on the payment plan.  During his first season he made his first payment and stocked up the place, erected a small house which was later succeeded by a more pretentious residence. He has practically specialized in the production of livestock and his fortune has been earned by the exercise of good judgment in this important occupation and the power of discernment in buying and selling at the proper times. He is rated as one of the wealthiest citizens of Sac county.

At the present time he is doing his part in relieving the congestion of population in Schaller and building a number of houses to serve as places of residence for new comers desiring to locate here. He could choose no better way to invest his surplus capital. While Mr. Sheley has attained the age of three score years and ten, he is really seventy years young, being as active and spry as most men at fifty.

Mr. Sheley is a Republican in politics, has never sought nor held office and has confined his activities solely to his farming and stock-raising industry.  He is a member of the Methodist church, and is affiliated fraternally with the Ancient Order of United Workmen.

Mr. Sheley was joined in holy wedlock with Mary Virginia Meniffee, of Ohio, county of Fayette, and who came to Iowa with her mother. This marriage occurred in 1872 and has been blessed with six children: E. A., of Schaller; Mrs. Dora Howard of Schaller: Homer, located on the old homestead: Arthur, residing on one of his father's farms near Estherville, Iowa; Earl, an agriculturist living north of Schaller; Vernon, at home. 

For the benefit and inspiration of the young men and women of the present generation and as an appreciation of a fitting representation of the best citizenship with which Sac county is blessed, this foregoing review is presented. Martin Sheley is wholly and fully entitled to proper recognition as one of the substantial and progressive members of this division of the commonwealth.

SHELMERDINE, DAVID -----It is no small honor to be a pioneer in a new country, and this is the honor which belongs to the Shelmerdine family. David Shelmerdine is one of the few native-born farmers of this county, while his father, James, is today the oldest settler of Sac county, Iowa. This family has been closely identified with the growth of the county from its beginning, and today can look back over more than a half century of history, in which they have had no small part.

David Shelmerdine, a prosperous farmer of Boyer Valley township, this county, was born September 24, 1867, in Jackson township, about two and a half miles south of Sac City. He is the son of James and Nancy (Maulsby) Shelmerdine. In 1869 James Shelmerdine moved onto his present farm in Boyer Valley township, where his son, David, is now living. David has recently purchased forty acres of land adjoining his father's farm, for which he paid one hundred and fifty dollars an acre.

James Shelmerdine, the oldest settler of Sac county, a veteran of the Civil War. a public-spirited citizen and one of the best loved old patriarchs in the county, was born in England, July 13, 1821. He is the son of William and Isabel (Brunton) Shelmerdine and was one of ten children born to his parents. When a mere youth he learned the trade of dyer and worked in the cotton mills of his native land. In 1855 he came to America, landing in New York City, where he worked in the print works near that city. In 1856 he went west and settled temporarily in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, and shortly afterwards came, with Robert Browning, to Sac county and located near Sac City. At that time there was one house in Sac City, and that was a log house which was being built by Judge Eugene Criss. Here James Shelmerdine decided to locate, and secured employment from Mr. Watt, who had a government contract for carrying the mail from Ida Grove to Sac City.  He was in the performance of this duty at the opening of the Civil War, when he accidentally met a Mr. Treadway, a recruiting officer, who told him of the war and of the imperative need for men to go to the front. Although Mr. Shelmerdine had been in this county only two years, he was always attached to his adopted country accordingly he enlisted in the Twenty-sixth Regiment of Iowa volunteer Infantry for the three-year service and was immediately sent to the front. He participated in the battles of Chickasaw Bayou, Arkansas, December 28-29, 1862: Arkansas Post, January 11, 1863; Mill Creek  April 8-12; Jackson. May 14: siege of Vicksburg, May 18 to July 4: Jackson, July 9, 16: Brandon, July 18, 20: Dickson Station, October 20; Tuscombia, October 21: Cherokee Station. October 21: Chattanooga, Tennessee, November 23; Lookout Mountain. November 24: Mission Ridge, November 25: Ringgold, Georgia, November 27; Resaca, May 13, 16, 1864; Dallas, Georgia, May 25 to June 4; Kenesaw Mountain, June 9, - 30.  In the course of the rebellion. Mr. Shelmerdine was twice wounded. At the battle of Kenesaw Mountain he was wounded in the right shoulder; in the battle of Resaca he was shot in the left knee. After being wounded at Kenesaw Mountain he was sent to a hospital in Alabama, but rapidly recovered and joined his regiment at Atlanta. He participated in the Grand Review at Washington. D. C. in the summer of 1865. and received his final discharge at Clinton. Iowa, in the fall of that year. 

At the close of the Civil War, Mr. Shelmerdine settled on a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Boyer Valley township, three miles south of Early where he lived until March. 1904. when he took up his home with his daughter, Mrs. John Anthony, at Sac City. He was married in August, 1866 to Nancy Maulsby. the daughter of David and Isabella (Case) Maulsby of Miami County Indiana. To this marriage have been born six children: David Simpson, Mrs. Isabel Haradon (Flora), Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Haradon, Mrs. Nancy Anthony, Arthur, deceased, and James, deceased.  Mr. Shelmerdine is a member of the Gen. W. T. Sherman Grand Army post of Sac City and also a loyal member of the Methodist Episcopal church.  His wife died February 16, 1905.

Mr. and Mrs. John Anthony were married in Boyer Valley township February 22, 1899. John Anthony was born February 12, 1871, in Illinois, and is the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Anthony, who are now residents of Early. Mr. Anthony has operated the Palm Cafe, in Sac City, since 1907, and is one of the successful business men of the town. Before engaging in this business, he was a farmer in this township. Mr. and Mrs. Anthony have had three children, only one of whom is living, Charles, born June 12, 1904, and Vern and James, twins, who died at the age of seven. James Shelmerdine has made his home with his son-in-law, Mr. Anthony, since March, 1905.

David Shelmerdine, the oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. James Shelmerdine, has lived for the past forty-four years on his present farm. He has made a success of his chosen vocation and is one of the most progressive farmers of his vicinity. He was married March 16, 1904, to Erminda, the daughter of Neils Nielson, who is now living in Sac City. Mr. and Mrs.  Shelmerdine have one daughter, Emeline Leona. who was born August 8, 1906.

SLACKS, PROF. JOHN R. -----The final causes which shape the fortunes of individual men and the destinies of states are often the same. They are usually remote and obscure; their influence wholly unexpected until declared by results. When they inspire men to the exercise of courage, self denial and industry, and call into play the higher moral elements; lead men to risk all upon conviction, faith-such causes lead to the planting of great states, great people and great movements.  That country is the greatest which produces the greatest and most manly men, and the intrinsic safety depends not so much upon measures and methods as upon that true manhood from whose deep sources all that is precious and permanent in life must at last proceed. Pursuing each his personal goodly exalted means, they work this out as a logical result; they have wrought on the lines of the greatest good.

The teaching profession is one which calls for a high order of intelligence.  He whose duty it is to shape the minds and inclination's of the youth of the land has a solemn and self-sacrificing duty to perform. Those among this noble profession who are gifted with the ability to rise to an executive position and be held responsible for the success of the entire educational system of an important division of the commonwealth are doubly burdened with responsibility and are given greater opportunities for the accomplishment of much good and, mayhap, see the realization of their cherished ideals along educational lines. In this respect, the biographer is more than pleased to write of the accomplishments of John R. Slacks, county superintendent of schools. Sac county. Professor Slacks, by reason of his tireless ambition and conscientious and unremitting efforts to improve the schools of his county and to bring them foremost among the systems of the state, is attracting attention which is state wide in its scope. He takes rank among the greatest of the state's educators by reason of his remarkable success in accomplishing his purpose without friction or without undue agitation among the body politic.  The schools of Sac county are gradually being placed upon a high plane of efficiency, through the quiet, diplomatic, forceful methods employed by this young educator in the exercise of his prerogatives.  John R. Slacks was born on a farm in Keokuk county, Iowa, January 10, 1873. His parents were John and Catharine (Ross) Slacks, natives of Scotland. Catharine Ross was the daughter of William and Margaret Ross.  John Slacks (the father) emigrated from Scotland, to America when a young man and first settled in the city of Pittsburgh. After a few years' residence there, he moved westward and settled on a farm in Keokuk county. Here he met and wedded Catharine Ross, whose parents emigrated from Scotland to Keokuk county in 1859. John lived and prospered on his fine farm in Keokuk county until his death in 1878, at the age of fifty-six years. His death left the widow to care for a family of five children, as follows: William, now of Kirksville, Missouri; Anna (Ahlstrom), of Meadowmont, Idaho; Addie (Allman), of Spokane, Washington; John R., and Alice (Abrams), residing on the old family homestead at Hedrick, Iowa. William was sixteen years old at the time of his father's death and on him, as the eldest, naturally devolved the burden of assisting the mother in rearing the family in comfort. The widow later was married to F. J. Jackson, who survives her. She died in 1901 in the old home at Hedrick. 

John R. Slacks received his primary education in the rural schools and in a private normal school conducted at Hedrick. He began teaching when very young and continued to advance himself along the line of his chosen profession. While attending the State Teachers' College at Cedar Falls, he continued in his profession. He entered the Teachers' College in 1894, and completed his course in 1901, at which time there was conferred upon him the degree of Bachelor of Didactics. His teaching career began in 1893 in the rural schools, in which he taught for four years. He then had charge of a room in the Keswick, Iowa, schools from 1896 to 1899, and in the fall of 1901 again entered the State Teachers' College for the purpose of completing his course. After graduation, Mr. Slacks was placed in charge of the Lake View, Iowa, schools for a period of eight years. He was elected county superintendent of schools in November of 1908, and again elected in 1910 and 1912. Under his charge are a total of one hundred and twenty-five rural schools and nine graded schools. Like many successful men, Mr. Slacks entered upon the duties of his important position with well defined ideas of what was necessary to bring the schools of Sac county up to a high standard of efficiency. The esteem in which he is universally held throughout the county by all classes is the best testimonial to his tactfulness and calm and dignified way of introducing innovations which have had a marked tendency to bring about a closer co-operation between the school and patrons, and to raise the Sac county schools upon a higher plane than was ever before known. He has introduced and has carried to a successful culmination the co-operative method of "The School and the Home," and established a system of credits which are given the child for faithful work performed in the home as well as in the school room. Professor Slacks has been the recipient of extended and favorable mention throughout and beyond the borders of the state as the originator and progenitor of this system of furthering the cause of education and usefulness of the pupils. He also established the "play festivals" which are held each season at the close of the school year and in which parents and pupils take an active part with pleasure and recreation accruing to both. Through a definite and well-defined plan he has caused the schools of the county to be grouped in four districts, with four townships in each district. The pupils and patrons of these districts are called together for an all-day play festival and picnic dinner on successive days. On festival days the graduates from the eighth grades are granted their diplomas.  These festivals are naturally very popular with the people, and it is known that patrons to the number of six hundred have been gathered for the purpose of taking part in the festivities. During Professor Slacks' incumbency of the superintendence many modern sanitary heaters and ventilating systems have been established in the rural schools, an innovation which has eliminated headaches and much sickness and greatly improved the mental efficiency of the pupils. Earthen water jars, with individual drinking cups, are now the rule. In addition to accomplishing such wonderful results in making decided improvements in the school system of the county he has established a course of study which has been widely copied and became the author of "Outlines of Civil Government," which is used in the seventh and eighth grades. The historian of this work is greatly indebted to Mr.  Slacks for the greater part of the chapter on education which bears his signature as author.

Politically, Professor Slacks is allied with the Republican party; his religious affiliations are with the Baptist church, of which institution he holds the position of superintendent of the Sunday school. He was also the leader of the Boys' Band in Sac City, a talented musical organization formed during the summer of 1913.

Mr. Slacks was married in 1894 to Leona E. Ferry, of Sigournev, Iowa, the daughter of C. A. Ferry. Two children have blessed this union: John Wendell, aged seventeen years, and who graduated from the Sac City high school in 1913, and Melvin James Slacks, aged six years.

SMITH, HON. ASA B. -----Time softens and mellows a truly noble character, and as the fleeting years speed onward fond memories of the halcyon days of long ago cluster around the hearth and the heart expands with feelings of all kindliness and loving thoughts of friends and children whose pattering footsteps have been replaced in turn by the children of the second generation, around the home of the aged Union veteran there is a glorious reminiscent feeling of the long ago days, when he was a stalwart and brave soldier. Retrospection brings to mind the thunder of the cannon, the screaming of the war eagle, the rattle of musketry, and strains of martial music, and the waving of the bright and beautiful battle flags in whose defense thousands of brave Americans fought and died. This is the glorious side and the one with which the younger generation has gained familiarity through the perusal of the pages of history There is another, which the veteran can tell it he will, which will describe the shrieks oi the wounded, the groans of the dead and the dying, the weary, forced marches, the gallant charges in the face of a flying hail of bullets, the terrible exposure and the deaths from disease, the wails and sufferings of widows and orphans and all the terrible aftermath of war in all its desolation. Saddest of all, is the fact that but few; veterans in comparison with the vast army which passed in the Great Review at the close of the Rebellion in 1865 are remaining. One by one they are traveling onward to face Him who will judge them finally as to their deeds on earth and assign them a final resting place.

Memories cluster around the home of Asa B. Smith, Union Veteran and substantial pioneer settler in Clinton township. Sac County-memories which are pleasant and which recall the deeds done in a long and useful life, 'part of which was spent in defense of his country. Memory recalls that for over thirty-five years he has resided in Sac county, and served the people faithfully for a few years during that period in the halls of the state legislative body.  Asa B. Smith was born January 27, 1841, in Morgan county, Ohio, and is the son of William and Sarah (Beal) Smith, natives of Belmont county, Ohio. The mother of Asa B. Smith died in 1848, leaving a family of six children, as follows: John A., a resident of Dewitt, Iowa; Mary, who died at the age of eighteen years: Asa B.; Mrs. Sarah E. Mostiller, of Correctionville, Iowa : Mrs. Edith Thorne. of Dewitt, Iowa: William, of DeWitt, Iowa. William Smith was married, after the death of his first wife, to Mary J. Hill, who bore him seven children, as follows: Robert M., a resident of Dewitt, Iowa; Thomas, of Laharp, Kansas: Mrs. Nettie Seifert, of Page county, Iowa; Rebecca, deceased in Dewitt, Iowa; James, of Sioux City, Iowa; Frederick, who died in infancy; Charles, who died at the age of seventeen in Dewitt. Iowa.

In the year 1863; William Smith removed with his family to Clinton county, Iowa. During his later years he made his residence in the town of Dewitt and there died July 14, 1890.

Asa B. Smith enlisted August 8, 1862, at McConnelsville, Ohio, in Company C, Ninety-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment, under the command of Captain Scott and later of Capt. W. P. Gilly. He served throughout the war and until June 10, 1865, when he received an honorable discharge from the service and was mustered out. He participated in the following battles: Perryville, Kentucky: Stone River, Tennessee: Missionary Ridge: Rocky Face Mountain, Georgia; Dalton, Georgia; Resaca, Adairsville and Dallas, Georgia; New Hope Church, Georgia ; Kenesaw Mountain, first and second assaults; siege of Atlanta; Lovejoy Station, Georgia: Spring Hill, Tennessee; Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee, besides a number of minor engagements. He was wounded through the left temple at the battle of Missionary Ridge and was confined to the hospital for three months.  Altogether, his was a most enviable soldier's record. 

Asa B. Smith came to Clinton county and rejoined his parents after the close of the war and there resided until 1878, when he came to Sac county. He purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land in sections 33, 32 and 28 in Clinton township at a cost of five dollars and fifty cents an acre. There were no improvements on this land, which was unbroken prairie.  During his first season he erected a small house eighteen by twenty-eight feet in dimension and twelve feet in height. He intended this building for a granary until he could erect a better home, which he eventually succeeded in doing. This estimable gentleman has so prospered that he was enabled to give outright a farm of eighty acres to each of his two sons and a daughter.  This has enabled him to be blessed with his children and grandchildren near him all the time and enjoy their companionship. 

Mr. Smith was married in 1866 to Nancy E. Mummey, who was born in Morgan county, Ohio, in 1834, a daughter of Joshua and Catharine Mummey.  Joshua Mummey died in Ohio and the mother and daughter came overland to Clinton county, Iowa. The aged mother died at the home of her daughter in 1894 at the extreme age of ninety-nine years, eight months and twenty-two days. Joshua Mummey was a soldier in the War of 1812.  It is also well to record here that John Clancey, the great-grandfather of Asa B. Smith and one of his maternal ancestors fought in the American war for independence. It is recorded in the government archives at Washington, D. C, that he enlisted in the Continental army March 23, 1777, and served until peace was finally declared. He enlisted at Logtown, in the state of Maryland and served under Capt. Levine Winder and Capt. John Stone.  John Clancey took part in the following historic engagements : Staten Island, Brandywine, battle of Germantown, battles of Stony Point and Paulus Hook.  He was the father of Mrs. Beal, grandmother of Asa B. Smith.  To Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born three children, namely, Charles Howard Smith, a farmer of Clinton township ; Mrs. Mary E. Chandler, of Brooklyn, New York, the wife of Rev. Sydney Chandler, a former dean of Morningside College; Harland A., a resident of Malacca, Minnesota. 

Mr. Smith has been a life-long Republican. He was elected representative from Sac county in the fall of 1899 and served one term in the State Assembly. He and his wife are stanch members of the Methodist church and are devout Christian people, who have reared their children to respect both man and God. He values highly his membership as a comrade of Goodrich Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and belongs to no other fraternal organizations. During his long life his home has been his lodge and club room and he has enjoyed the companionship and faithful assistance of the truly noble woman who is his wife and helpmeet. Asa B. Smith is one of the grand old men of Sac county, who will live always in the hearts and minds of those who know him best and who have become familiar with his manly qualities and his just and upright methods of conducting his business affairs. This memoir is fittingly intended as a just and deserving tribute to this soldier pioneer and it is intended as a valuable memento to be treasured by his children and descendants in the years to come and to be read and appreciated by his many lifelong friends in Sac county.

SMITH, HIRAM B. ------When a good man goes to his reward and departs this life, the community mourns, his family grieves and the niche which he occupied for years remains unfilled. A distinct personality is sadly missed and his place difficult to fill. There is consolation, however, in the fact that the loved one has been a good and useful citizen and a kind provider for his family. The demise of a pioneer settler of Sac County in the person of Hiram B. Smith on February 1, 1914, was deeply felt by a host of friends and acquaintances, and a long and useful life came to a peaceful end.  Hiram B. Smith was born December 7, 1846, on a farm near Waukegan.  Illinois, and was the son of J. Z. and Ruth (Scott) Smith, natives of Dutchess county, New York, and who were of Holland descent. His mother was a native of Genesee county, New York. Hiram B.'s father left his native state and settled in Ohio. Later he moved further West to Illinois and again came back to Ohio. In the year 1851 he made the long overland trip to the gold fields of California, and returned home, dying on his farm in Wood county, Ohio.

Hiram B. enlisted in the Sixtieth Ohio Regiment of Sharpshooters, which was an independent organization. This regiment was known as the new Sixtieth to distinguish it from the old Sixtieth Regiment, which had been decimated by the ravages of war. Mr.  Smith's enlistment in the Union army took place in February of 1864 and he served until April of 1865. When he was distant from home eleven days he caught his first glimpse of a real battle, and had the opportunity of viewing the great Battle of the Wilderness, while his regiment was held in reserve because of the fact that the new soldiers were all young, raw and untrained troops. Instead of being ordered to the front in this engagement, they were marched away. He later took part in a great many engagements and skirmishes, and his regiment was kept constantly on the move, going from place to place where expert riflemen were needed on the outposts and in the forefront of the firing line. While the sharpshooters were stationed before Richmond he was severely wounded in June of 1864 and sent to the Federal hospital at Indianapolis, where he recovered. On August 17, he received a wound which disabled him for life and he was sent home and honorably retired from the service on account of permanent disability. 

Returning home to Wood county Ohio. Mr. Smith was married, in December 1870, to Jennie Marsh at her home in New York state. She is the daughter of Nelson and Amanda (Barker) Marsh, both natives of New York. After marriage the newly wedded couple settled on a farm in Wood county, where they resided until February of 1880, when they journeyed westward and located in Wheeler township. Sac county, Iowa. Mr. Smith had previously, in the year 1876, made the journey to Sac county and bought three hundred and twenty acres of prairie land in west Wheeler township.  Not a furrow had been turned on this land and no houses were in sight. On his first visit to the land he had set out a number of trees, which at this day have grown to be monarchs in size and whose welcome shade is much appreciated.  They brought with them a small house ready to put up which was succeeded, fourteen years later, in the year 1893, by a comfortable mansion, modern in many respects and which is to this day one of the finest farm residences in Wheeler township.

No children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith, but they have reared four, two nephews and two nieces, namely : Burt, somewhere in the West ; Maury, of South Dakota; Ada Smith, of Clinton, Iowa; Mrs. Lenore Marvin, residing at the Smith home and whose husband assists in tilling the farm. The Smith home is a cultured and refined one and evidences of education and marked skill along certain lines are seen on every hand. Mrs.  Smith has what is probably the only museum of the kind in Sac county.  An entire room of the large residence is set apart for the housing of relics and stuffed animals and birds, both Mr. and Mrs. Smith being skilled taxidermists, and spent considerable time in creating works of art and preparing animal and bird exhibits in life-like positions. During the latter years of Mr. Smith's life his health was poor and his work was necessarily confined to light and agreeable labor, which called for definite skill, and the evidence of his handiwork is seen in many fine creations. Owing to the condition of his health it was necessary for him, accompanied by his wife, to spend his winters during later years at Port Orange, Florida, and it was here that his demise occurred on February 1, 1914. Mr. Smith was a member of Colonel Goodrich Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and belonged to no other lodges or fraternal societies. He was essentially a home man, who took a great pride in his handsome residence and the beautiful grounds surrounding it and was continually improving the appearance of the farm. He was a Republican in politics and a great admirer of Abraham Lincoln and General Grant of Civil War fame. He was a kindly disposed gentleman who was at peace with his neighbors and whose friends were legion.

SMITH, PETER ------There is a little country in Europe by the name of Denmark whose citizens are among the most progressive and alert of any on the continent of Europe, and they are in a great measure very prosperous, this fact accounting for the few immigrants from that country who have made their homes in the United States. Occasionally one of the native sons of Denmark comes to this country, and wherever they are found they are usually among the most progressive and substantial men of their community. Sac county boasts of very few native sons of Denmark, but among these, Peter Smith, a successful stock buyer of Lake View, Iowa, gives a striking example of what may be accomplished by a foreigner who comes to this country with no financial backing, but with willing hands and heart.

Peter Smith, retired farmer and now a successful livestock dealer of Lake View, Iowa, was born June 3, 1850 in Denmark, the son of Fred and Anna (Petersen) Smith, who were born, lived and died in Denmark. They were the parents of seven children, five of whom came to America, namely: Thomas, of Council Bluffs, Iowa; Fred S., deceased: Christ Frederickson, a half brother of Peter Smith; Peter, with, whom this narrative deals, and Mrs. Sine Nelson, of Iowa.

Peter Smith received a practical education in his native country and at an early age he began to work for himself. As a young lad he helped his father on the farm operated by the latter and there learned the rudiments of farming.  When he was twenty-one years of age he came to America and located at Cedar Falls, Iowa, but six months afterwards he went to Chicago at the time of the great fire, and worked at manual labor on the streets of the city, receiving good wages and saving his money with the intention of later buying western land.  He then spent two years in the pine lumber camps of Saginaw, Michigan, and in 1873 went to Lee county, Illinois, where he worked on a farm. After his marriage in 1874 he rented a farm for one year and then decided to come to Sac county, Iowa, with a view of investing in land. For the first few years he rented land and in 1882 bought eighty acres for ten dollars an acre. He has added to his land holdings from time to time until at one time he owned four hundred acres in this county. The second eighty cost him sixteen dollars and a half an acre, the third eighty cost him twenty-seven dollars and a half an acre, the fourth eighty thirty-five dollars an acre, the fifth eighty forty-eight dollars an acre. In 1910 he sold one hundred and sixty acres to his son-in-law and still has two hundred and forty acres in Clinton township which is worth one hundred and seventy-five dollars an acre. He continued to operate his farm until 1903, when he came to Lake View and here built a tine residence, where he has since resided. Since moving to Lake View he has been engaged in buying and shipping livestock in partnership with Alden Armstrong.  In addition to his agricultural interests he has money invested in the Lake View State Bank and is now a director of that financial institution. 

Mr. Smith was married in 1874 to Elsa Hansen, a native of Denmark and a resident of Lee county, Illinois, at the time of her marriage, and to this union have been born four children, all of whom are married and prospering.  These children, in the order of their birth, are as follows: Mrs. Hattie Jones, of Clinton township, this county, who has five children, Raymond, Leo, Ernest, Fern and A. Peter; Perry, who is living on the home farm in Clinton township, and has three children, Elsa, Eveline and Elva; John, who has been in the livestock commission business at Chicago since 1906, has three sons, Lloyd, Edmund and Theodore; Edward P., who is now living in Denver, Colorado. 

Mr. Smith is a Republican in politics and has served his party as city councilman of Lake View for the past ten years. Fraternally, he is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and is also a member of the chapter, commandery and Mystic Shrine, at Des Moines, Iowa. He is an attendant of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which his wife is a member, and contributes liberally to its support. Mr. Smith keeps well abreast of the times on all subjects, being a wide reader of current topics, and has the respect and esteem of all who know him for his friendly manner. He has keen business ability and is regarded by all as one of the most advanced and progressive citizens of his section of the state.

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