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From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901- page 448-449
HON. REUBEN B. SHOWALTER, president of the Meyer SHOWALTER State Banking Institution, an ex-Union soldier, and one of the most substantial and influential residents of Lancaster, Grant county, was born in Pennsylvania June 3, 1842, and represents a prominent family that has been identified with the history of Grant county for half a century.
Reuben K SHOWALTER, father of Reuben B., was also a native of the Keystone State, where he passed all his life, dying when his son Reuben B. was a child. Mrs. Rachel SHOWALTER, the mother of Reuben B., came with her six children -fours sons and two daughters - from Pennsylvania to Grant county, Wis., and located in Lancaster township. She passed away at Beetown June 28, 1868. The sons for several years were employed in mining. Of these, Robert died prior to the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion; the other three all served in the Union army, and John, who was lieutenant of Company C, and Wisconsin Cavalry, contracted disease while in the service, from the effects of which he died in 1865, soon after the war had closed. The elder of the two sister, Sarah, was married to Charles BROWNFIELD, and died many years ago. The younger sister, who was the youngest but one of the family, became the wife of James HUGHES, of Glen Haven, Grant county.
Reuben B. SHOWALTER grew to manhood in the mining districts of Grant county, and was educated in the common schools. At the outbreak of the Civil war, in 1861, he was desirous of becoming a soldier at once, and enlisted in the fall of that year. But owing to unpropitious conditions outside of his control he did not enter the service until 1864, when he became a member of Company C, 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry, and with his regiment took an active and gallant part in many important raids and expeditions in the Southwest, including Grierson's raid, the operations in Mississippi in the neighborhood of Vicksburg, including the second battle of Champion's Hill, and several other sanguinary engagements.
After the Rebellion had been stamped out Mr. SHOWALTER returned to his home, and for several years was again employed in mining. In politics a Republican, he was elected superintendent of the Poor Farm and Insane Asylum, and officiated in that capacity fifteen years. He later represented his district in the State Legislature, serving in the sessions of 1886-87-88-89; he was elected chairman of the board of supervisors of Grant county in 1891-92-93-94-95-96-97-98; and has served the city as alderman and mayor. In 1888 he became connected with the banking interests of Lancaster, and has been president of the Meyer SHOWALTER Banking Institution, ever since it was incorporated as a State bank, July 1, 1892.
Mr. SHOWALTER married Miss Martha I. ARTHUR, a prominent Relief Corps woman, she having held department offices for a number of years. Mrs. SHOWALTER was born in Maquoketa, Iowa, daughter of the Rev. Evan ARTHUR, a sketch of whose life may be found elsewhere. Mr. and Mrs. SHOWALTER have had three children, the first of whom died in infancy; Virgil L. is employed in the bank with his father; Estelle is the wife of William B. CARTER, of Seattle, Wash., who is engaged in the Puget Sound National Bank.
Mr. SHOWALTER is a Blue Lodge and Chapter Mason, and was master of his lodge seven years; is also prominent in Grand Army circles, a past commander of his post, and at present Department Inspector of G.A.R. posts, and family stand at the front, and their prominence in this respect, and their individual traits of character, which are of an exalted standard, naturally command general esteem.
This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck