JOHN SCHWAB, on the 25th of May, 1870, pitched his tent (in reality) on land which he had homesteaded In Bloom Township, Clay County, where he has since been a resident. He came to this section poor in purse but is now the owner of 380 acres, lying on sections 7 and 8, the residence being on the former. He has two sets of farm buildings, both very good, and a fine assortment of live stock, which industry has been the source of a generous income. He lived in the tent spoken of two months when he was enabled to move into a more substantial dwelling.
Mr. Schwab came to this section from Carroll County, Mo., where he had lived nine years engaged as a farmer and butcher. Prior to this he had been a resident of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, having been for five years superintendent of a stone quarry. He had removed from McHenry County. Ill., settling in the latter State soon after his arrival in America. He is a native of Switzerland and was born in the Canton of Berne, May 4, 1829, and is enabled to trace his family history back several generations. His father, Stephen Schwab, was a farmer by occupation and spent his entire life in his native Canton of Berne, dying there Feb. 16, 1866, at the age of seventy two years. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, a good man and a worthy citizen.
The mother of our subject was in her maidenhood Miss Elizabeth Valter. She was a native of the same canton as her husband and son, and there spent her entire life, dying in 1862 at the age of sixty-three years. She likewise was a member of the Presbyterian Church. There were born to her and her husband three children, a son and two daughters. The latter, Lizzie and Annie, are widows and living in Switzerland, the former being seventy -one years old and the latter seventy-six. They adhere to the religious faith of their parents.
The subject of this sketch received careful home training and a good education in the common schools. He remained a resident of his native canton until his marriage, his chosen bride being Miss Elizabeth Affolter, who was born there, June 7, 1833, and was the child of an excellent old Swiss family. Her father, John Affolter, was a farmer by occupation and died at the age of forty-six years in Berne. The mother, Mrs. Mary (Foch) Affolter, survived her husband many years, dying at the age of sixty-four. They likewise were Presbyterians in religion. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was the youngest of their three children and by her marriage with our subject became the mother of one child only, a son. Albert. He married Miss Ida Ruegg and they live on a farm in Jarvis, Ore.; they have five children�Emma, Minnie, Arthur H., Otto A. and Matthew. Mrs. Elizabeth (Affolter) Schwab departed this life May 6, 1880, at the homestead in Bloom Township.
Mr. Schwab after his marriage lived four years in his native country, then sailed for America from Havre, France, on a three-master, the �William Floatingham," which after a voyage of twenty-eight days landed them safely in New York City. Thence they proceeded to McHenry County, Ill. from there to Ohio, later to Missouri and finally to Kansas. Mr. Schwab has been quite prominent in local affairs and has served as Justice of the Peace ten years. Formerly he supported the Republican party, but is now a Union Labor man. A handsome lithographic portrait of Mr. Schwab is presented on another page.
