Emil C. Neuenfeldt, pp. 562-564

Holding prestige among the successful farmers and stock raisers of Buckeye township, and during the major part of his active and useful life an honored resident of Hardin county, Emil C. Neuenfeldt, the present efficient and popular county assessor, is entitled to more than passing notice in the biographical history of this section of the great Hawkeye state.  He was born in far-away Wieck, Germany, on October 15, 1868, and although he was but about a year old when he left the fatherland for the United States, he has the usual characteristics of the people of his blood that always win in the battle of life, when properly directed.  He is the son of William and Maria (Grangow) Neuenfeldt, both born in Pommern, Germany, the father on December 21, 1822, and his death occurred on March 29, 1911, in his eighty-ninth year, his wife having preceded him to the grave on May 25, 1902.  They grew up in Germany and married there, and emigrated to America in the spring of 1869, first locating at Ann Arbor, Michigan, where they remained three years, then moved to Grand Rapids, that state, and remained in that city for three years.  The father was a cabinet-maker by trade, which he followed practically all his life.  In 1875 he came to Hardin county, Iowa, and located in Clay township, where he remained three years, working at the carpenter's trade after coming to this state.  He first rented land and then purchased one hundred and sixty acres in Buckeye township, later adding forty acres more; he made practically all the improvements on the place, and also worked at his trade, while the children operated the farm.  He was a hard worker and became well established here and was considered a good man in every respect.  Politically, he was a Democrat, but never held office.  He belonged to the Lutheran church.  His family was a large one, consisting of fourteen children, but only four of them are now living, namely: Frederika married Jacob Frederick, whose sketch appears in this work; Carl is deceased; Herman lives in Germany; Reinholt and Augusta are deceased; the latter married John Schuneman, of Buckeye, Iowa; William is deceased; Gustav lives in Ellis township, this county; Emil C., of this review.

The subject was educated in the common schools of Hardin county.  He always lived at home and took care of his parents in their old age, looking after the general work on the farm and doing all he could for his parents' comfort.

On July 19, 1899, Mr. Neuenfeldt was united in marriage with Maria Radke, of Suwkon, Germany.  She is the daughter of Frederick and Caroline (Klaffke) Radke, natives of the same locality in which their daughter was born.  They came to America in 1892 and located first in Eldora, Iowa.  They now live on the farm with the subject.  They became the parents of five children, namely:  Augusta, who lives with her parents; Caroline married William Andeas and they live in Buckeye township; Johanna married Reinhold Ohls, of Jeffries, Minnesota; Minnie, who has remained single, lives in Des Moines, Iowa; Maria, wife of the subject, being the youngest child.

Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Neuenfeldt, Irene A., Dorotha M. and Gertrude E.

The subject has devoted his life to farming and has met with sucess in its diversified phrases.  He is regarded as an excellent judge of live stock and he has long raised an excellent grade, making a specialty of Duroc-Jersey Red hogs.  He has kept his place well improved and well cultivated and has a good home.

This family belongs to the Lutheran church at Buckeye and are faithful in their attendance and support of the same.

Mr. Neuenfeldt has long taken an abiding interest in the affairs of his vicinity and county and he has been assessor of Buckeye township for the past two years and has also been school director for two years, filling the offices in a manner that reflects much credit upon himself and to the general satisfaction of all concerned.  He votes independently, endeavoring to support the men best qualified, in his estimation, for the offices sought.

August Neuman, pp. 936-938

[bio not yet transcribed]

Allen Newby, pp. 956-957

He who has lived past the allotted three score years and ten of man's life has witnessed in that time many events of significance in history, and much development in civilization, and never before has this been so true as in the past century.  When we think of the conditions when Allen Newby was born, at a time when steamships were just coming into general use on the ocean, when railroads were almost unheard of and the telephone or telegraph undreamed of, when grain was harvested with a cradle and crops cultivated with a hoe; while the man who would have predicted an electric car or a successful areoplane would then have been hailed as a lunatic -- when we consider these changes which have taken place in the space of one man's life, then we can appreciated the rate at which the world is progressing.

Allen Newby was born in Hendricks county, Indiana, on March 13, 1837, the son of William and Ruth (Cox) Newby, who were natives of North Carolina and pioneers of Hendricks county, Indiana, where William Newby entered a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of timber land, on which he erected a log cabin and began to make a farm.  He cleared the land and spent his life in farming, dying on the old place of one hundred and sixty acres.  He was a man of influence in his community, in politics a Republican, in religion a member of the Friends church.  Of a family of twelve children, Allen Newby, is now the only survivor.

Allen Newby attended the home schools, and remained at home until he was twenty-seven, when he was first married, in September, 1864, to Sallie C. Mendenhall, of Hendricks county, Indiana.  She was the daughter of Samuel and Susannah Mendenhall, who had come from their native state of North Carolina in Hendricks county, and there farmed.  Mrs. Sallie C. Newby died in 1870, leaving one child, Ella, who married John Reece, of New Providence, Iowa, and died, leaving four children, Ralph, Floyd, mabel and Margaret.  In 1874 Mr. Newby was married to Martha Carter, of Hendricks county, who bore him one child, and both died in 1875.  Later Mr. Newby was married to Mary Farris, the daughter of Archibald and Elizabeth (Hill) Farris, who came from North Carolina to Providence, and are mentioned in this volume in another sketch.   To this union one child was born, Mettie, now Mrs. Fred Martin, of California.   Mrs. Mary F. Newby died and her husband was married in May, 1883, to Nancy Gibbs, a native of Yadkin county, North Carolina, the daughter of William and Tempy (Brown) Gibbs, who lived and died in Yadkin county, where Mr. Gibbs was a tanner.  By his fourth marriage Mr. Newby is the father of three children: Myrtie, who married William Farrington, of providence township; Effie, the wife of Clarence Harmon, of Providence township; and Ruth, at home.

In 1872 Mr. Newby came to Providence township, Iowa, and since that time has farmed in different locations in that township.  He formerly raised fancy Poland-China hogs, but has since changed in favor of the Jersey Reds.  He keeps short-horn cattle and good draft horses.  He has been a very careful and capable farmer, and has prospered and accummulated a sufficiency for his later days.  A Republican in politics, he has never cared for office, but has been content to serve in the ranks of the party.  He is a member of the Friends church, his wife of the Christian church.  He is a man much respected and esteemed in the neighborhood where he is one of the older residents, and has many friends to comfort his old age.

George Newhall, p. 831-832

Musicians do not master harmony from the study of discord; artists do not learn of symmetry by the study of deformity, and bankers to not learn good money by studying counterfeits; but harmony, symmetry and good money are recognized as real and true, while discords, deformities and counterfeits are abnormal, wrong and erroneous. A discord may not jar the uneducated ear, a deformity may not appear hideous to the unenlightened eye, and a counterfeit may seem real to the ignorant until the truth is know concerning each; and when it is known, the erroneous beliefs of banker, artist and musician disappear. We usually find what we look for in this world. George Newhall, of Sherman township, Hardin county, has looked for tangible results from his hard daily labors all along life's highway and his early dreams have been realized � not because he expected them to be, but because he has fashioned his course along approved methods and not permitted obstacles of any description to turn him aside.

Mr. Newhall was born at Lynn, Massachusetts, October 19, 1853. He is the son of Joseph and Nancy (Hardin) Newhall, the father a native of Lynn, Massachusetts, and the latter of Indianapolis, Indiana. The elder Newhall grew up in Massachusetts and in 1836 he and his two brothers, Isaac and John, went to Burlington, Iowa, being among the first settlers there, Joseph remaining several years. In 1851 he went to Poweshiek county, this state, and entered wild land from the government, it being partly timbered and located six miles east of Montezuma. This he improved and made a home, later moving to Kellogg, Iowa, and retired and here his death occurred; his wife died in Colfax, Iowa. He was a Quaker and she a Methodist; they were the parents of the following children: Mary lives in Colfax, Iowa; Margaret lives in Davenport; George D., of this review; Elizabeth lives in Missouri.

George D. Newhall was educated in the common schools and lived at home until he was twenty-one years of age, in 1874. He farmed in Poweshiek and Jasper counties until 1883, then came to Hardin county and located in Concord township, buying one hundred and sixty acres in section 17, Sherman township, and later bought one hundred and sixty acres in section 30, this township, which was partly improved. There he remained until 1901, then bought one hundred and twenty acres in section 6, Sherman township, where he now resides, formerly known as the Butterworth place. This he has brought up to a high standard of improvement and cultivation, and he has added ninety-six acres just north of the original purchase. In connection with general farming he raises a good grade of cattle, Poland-China hogs and draft horses. He has a good home and every convenience.

Mr. Newhall was married in Jasper county, Iowa, in 1881, to Ida Knatser, of that county, and this union resulted in the birth of the following children: Lawrence is farming a part of his father's place; he married Martha Tysdahl, a native of Hamilton county, Iowa; Mamie is at home; John and George are farming at home; Alma is at home. These children were all educated in the home schools.

Mr. Newhall is a Republican but he has never aspired to public offices.

The parents of Mrs. Newhall came from Wayne county, Kentucky, where Mrs. Newhall was born. They came to Jasper county, Iowa, in 1865, and followed farming. There were eight children in their family, as follows: John, deceased; Charles; Ida, wife of George Newhall; Alleck; four died in infancy. The mother of Mrs. Newhall died in 1907 in Adams county, Nebraska, and her father died in 1908.