Woodbury County >> 1904 Index

Past and present of Sioux City and Woodbury County, Iowa
Hon. Constant R. Marks, associate editor. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1904.

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Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.

HON. MARLIN J. SWEELEY

Marlin J. Sweeley, representing Woodbury county in the twenty-ninth general assembly, is a native son of Iowa, his birth having occurred in Dallas county on the 18th of December, 1857.  His parents are Samuel and Savila (Phillips) Sweeley, and the former a native of Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, was a tailor by trade and is now living retired in Adel, Dallas county, Iowa.  The first representatives of the name came from Germany to America and established the ancestral home of the family in Pennsylvania soon after the close of the Revolutionary war. The name was originally spelled Schwille, but has developed into its present form.  The great-grandmother, Gotliebe Schwille, was born January 13, 1760, and died on the 28th of February, 1840, while her husband, Georg Schwille, whose birth occurred September 17, 1753, passed away September 12, 1820.  George Sweeley, the grandfather, was born in Pennsylvania, and there spent his entire life, rearing his family of five children in that state.  These were Samuel, Moses, Philip, Jacob and Mary.  Unto Samuel and Savila Sweeley were born six children:  Edward P.,  Marlin J.,  Frank L.,  Victor T. and two daughters who died in infancy.
 
Marlin J. Sweeley continued his public-school education in the high school of his native town, Adel, Iowa, and afterward engaged in teaching in Dallas county for a year and a half.  He pursued a course in law in the Iowa State University, where he was graduated in 1878 and he entered upon the practice of his chosen profession in Adel in the same year, there remaining until 1885, during which time he was elected clerk of the courts and was re-elected for a second term, serving in all for four years.  in January, 1885, he removed to Storm Lake, where he continued in practice until December, 1890, and then came to Sioux City.  From 1888 until 1890 he had served as county attorney of Buena Vista county, and then resigned in order to remove to this place. For eight years he was attorney for the Farmers' Loan & Trust Company and later resigning he opened an office for the private practice of law, in which he yet continues.  He has succeeded in his profession as the result of his unwearied industry, close application, careful preparation of cases and his strong and forceful presentation of his case before judge or jury.
 
Mr. Sweeley was married in 1879 to miss Alice J. Slocumb, a daughter of Charles and Lydia (Vedder) Slocumb, of Albany, Illinois, and they have one son, Everett M., who is now pursuing a course of study in the University of Michigan.  Mr. Sweeley has been a member of the Masonic fraternity for nearly a quarter of a century and is also affiliated with the Elks lodge.  He is very energetic, enterprising man, with excellent business and executive ability as well as professional skill.  In every community in which he ahs resided for any length of time he has been called to public office and there has been no exception to this rule in Sioux City.  He has been a prominent Republican since attaining his majority and was president of the McKinley Club in the campaign of 1896.  in 1891 he was elected by a large majority to represent Woodbury county in the twenty-ninth general assembly and has been prominently mentioned for other offices.  His efforts have not been a minor element in the growth and success of his party in this portion of the state, nor is his prominence limited to professional and political circles, for in social life he receives the warm personal regard which arises from manliness and true nobility of character.