William N. Hoover, b. 1842, d. 1900
William N. Hoover was horn in Jefferson
county, Iowa, August 2, 1842, and died in Oskaloosa,
October 16, 1900, at which time the
community mourned the loss of a representative
and valued citizen. He was of German descent
and a son of Jonas and Mary Hoover,
who came to Iowa at an early day in the development
of this state, the father following the
occupation of farming here.
William N. Hoover obtained a common-
school education and in his youth worked at
farm labor. He also became a mechanic, possessing
much natural ingenuity and skill in that
direction. He also engaged in prospecting for
coal and as a promoter of the coal industry of
the state gained a very gratifying competence.
About 1875 he established a distillery upon his
farm, and in connection with this operated a
grist mill, conducting the business for some
time, having the only distillery of the kind in
Iowa. He possessed excellent business capacity
and enterprise and won more than an ordinary
measure of prosperity.
On the 11th of May, 1864, Mr. Hoover was
married to Miss Mary J. Whittaker, who was
born in Spring Creek township, this county,
September 7, 1843, a daughter of Samuel L.
Whittaker of McLean county, Illinois, who was
of Scotch and German ancestry. Her father
came to Iowa about 1840; settling in Mahaska
county among the Indians. He took up a claim
and became prosperous, devoting his attention
to general agricultural pursuits until his death,
which occurred in 1852, when he was but
thirty-seven years of age. He lived an honorable
and upright life in consistent harmony with
his professions as a member of the Christian
church. He married Jane Parker, of Indiana,
who was of Scotch and English descent and
was also a member of the Christian church.
They became the parents of six children, of
whom Mrs. Hoover was the third in order of
birth. The mother died in 1898, at the age of
eighty years. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Hoover
were born two children. Perry H., the elder,
born in 1865 and now following farming in
Spring Creek township, married Mollie Roberts
and has two children, Elsie B. and Alvin,
aged respectively twelve and four years.
Charles A. Hoover, born in 1867, is the younger
son. The boys attended the country schools
and also Penn College, after which they worked
upon the home farm.
Mr. Hoover continued actively in business up
to the time of his death. He was highly
esteemed by his neighbors and friends and was a
loving husband, a kind and indulgent father. In
manner he was very unostentatious and
unassuming but yet he did benevolent acts and was
generous to a fault, though he never cared to let
left hand know what the right hand had done.
He was a valued member of the Society of
Friends and he leaned toward democracy. A
gentleman of good personal appearance, he was
very energetic in his business affairs and whatever
he undertook carried forward to successful completion. Mrs. Hoover is also a member
of the Society of Friends and the sons have a
birth right in the organization.
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from Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa by Manoah Hedge
The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. 1906
Past and Present of Mahaska County, Iowa
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy
Iowa Genealogy
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