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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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Charles E.
Dodd There
are few who can more justly claim the proud American title of self-made man than
Charles E. Dodd, farmer and stock raiser of Clear Creek Township, Jasper County,
for early m life he started out for himself and when quite young learned to
depend upon himself. His
educational privileges were limited and no special advantages fitted him for the
cares and responsibilities of life; but he was industrious, determined,
ambitious and resolute and these qualities stood him instead of fortune,
enabling him to overcome the difficulties and obstacles in his path and work his
way steadily upward to the plane where success places the laurel upon the
victor's brow. He has not held back when the public needed his services, and
although young in years when the Great War between the States began to threaten
the foundations of the Republic, he unhesitatingly went forth to do what he
could to preserve the nation's integrity. Mr.
Dodd was born near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, January 14, 1841, and
there he spent his boyhood and received a common school education.
He is the son of Joseph and Amelia (Million) Dodd, the father born in New
York, September 27, 1817, and the mother was born in Kentucky, November 6, 1821.
They came to Clear Creek Township, Jasper County, Iowa, in 1852, when their son,
Charles E. was thirteen years of age. Here they began life in typical pioneer
fashion, the country being a wild prairie, but they persevered and finally
established a very comfortable home in which they lived until summoned away from
earthly scenes, the father dying in the spring of 1897, and the mother's death
occurred on August 17, 1889. There were ten children in their family, six of
whom are living at this writing, namely: Charles E., of this review; Sarah J.,
born January 9, 1843, is deceased; William, born March 23, 1845, and Mrs. Amelia
Stock are both deceased; G. W., born September 23, 1847, is living in
Washington; J. H., born February 5, 1850, is deceased; S. P., born July 18,
1852, lives in Clear Creek Township; Frank J., of Clear Creek Township; Mark,
born November 21, 1860, lives in Wisconsin; Fred lives in Marshall County, Iowa. Charles
E. Dodd was married in 1865 to Elizabeth Kuhns, who was born in Ohio, October
23, 1846, but most of her life has been spent in Jasper County, Iowa, whither
she came with her parents in 1855. She
is the daughter of Reuben and Elizabeth (Burnett) Kuhns, the father born in
Pennsylvania and died in Newton, Iowa. There were ten children in the Burnett
family. To
Mr. and Mrs. Dodd have been born thirteen children, nine of whom are living,
namely: Ulysses, John, Dennis, Stella Kitchel, Milo, resides in northeastern
Iowa, Edward, Ordema Evans, Horace and Cleve; the other children died in
infancy. The above named, with the exception of Milo, reside in this
locality. The older children were
born in Clear Creek Township, the younger ones in Collins Township, Story
County. Charles
E. Dodd enlisted at Clyde, Iowa, in Company E, Fortieth Iowa Volunteer Infantry,
in which he served faithfully over three years and received an honorable
discharge. He was in the siege of Vicksburg, the battles of Corinth,
Iuka and was with Banks on the Red River Expedition. Politically, he is a
Democrat; he has been a member of the school board in his district, and he
belongs to the Grand Army of the Republic post at Mingo. Mr. Dodd has been very successful as a farmer and he is now the owner of a well improved and productive place of one hundred and sixty acres in Collins Township. Story County, where he has resided since 1884. The Past and Present of Jasper County, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, 1912 B.F. Bowen Co., Indianapolis, IN, p. 1333. |
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