Welcome to
Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
|
|
|
|
Charles
E. Greenlief Clearly
defined purpose and consecutive effort in the affairs of life will inevitably
result in the attainment of a large measure of success; but in following out the
career of one who has gained success by his own efforts there comes into view
the intrinsic individuality which made such accomplishment possible, and thus
there is granted an objective incentive and inspiration, while at the same time
there is enkindled a feeling of respect and admiration. In carving out his
career Charles E. Greenlief, one of the leading business men and enterprising
citizens of Newton, lived a useful life and it seems that he tried to be of
benefit to those who came into contact with him, while laboring to advance his
own interests, thus he is eminently entitled to the universal esteem in which he
is held. Mr.
Greenlief is one of the honored native sons of Jasper County, and he has been
content to spend his life here, taking part in the development of the same
through all its stages. His birth
occurred on January 19, 1868. He is the son of William C. and Eunice (Brown)
Greenlief, the father a native of Montreal, Canada, and the mother of Steuben
County, New York. They came west when young and were married in Davenport, Iowa,
the father having come to Illinois from Canada in 1854, and after living in that
state four or five years, went to Davenport in 1861.
Near that city he worked for a year breaking prairie, then, in 1862, came
to Jasper County, settling in Mound Prairie Township on one hundred and sixty
acres of raw prairie land. To this
he subsequently added eighty acres more and developed it all into a fine farm
and here they spent the remainder of their lives, the father reaching the
remarkable age of ninety-three years, the mother having died at the age of
fifty-five years. For additional facts relating to their lives the reader is
directed to the sketch of Leonard A. Greenlief in this work. Charles
E. Greenlief is one of a family of four children, two boys and two girls; Hattie
died when a baby; Emma J. died when seventeen years of age; Charles E. of this
review; and Homer B., of Des Moines, Iowa. After
the death of his mother the subject left home to make his own way in the world,
and, although but thirteen years old, he successfully ran a feed mill for Will
Arten of Prairie City for eight months. He
then worked as a farm hand for two years, after which he began working in a
machine shop at Des Moines, continuing there for several years, becoming a very
adroit workman. He then opened a
sawmill in Marion County which he operated two years, also ran one two years in
Jasper County. He then secured
employment with the Parsons Band Cutter and Self-Feeder Company, being foreman
of the machine shop for eight years. He
then purchased the home place and lived on it for two years, then went to Canada
and operated a steam plow for six months, having previously purchased a section
of land in that country. Returning
to Newton, he bought an interest in the One Minute Manufacturing Company and for
six years has been superintendent of the factory, no small amount of its success
being due to his able management and extensive knowledge of this line of work. On
December 25, 1892, Mr. Greenlief was united in marriage with Mrs. Jomattie Cure,
daughter of J. B. and Marian (Hibbits) Rumbaugh, of Ohio, Mrs. Greenlief being
born in Jasper County. Her parents
were farmers and are now living a retired life in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
Their family consisted of ten children, four of whom died in childhood;
Mrs. Armittie Cunningham died at the age of thirty-two years; Newton M. is in
Des Moines; Mrs. Mariah Swanegan and N. G. also live in Des Moines; Jomattie,
wife of Mr. Greenlief; Oliver B. lives in Seversville, Iowa. Five
children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Greenlief, namely: Nellie, born April 6,
1895; Harry L., born May 29, 1897; Delta Grace, born October 3, 1899; Pearl May,
born March 21, 1902, died when five months old; Jesse William, born March 9,
1910. By
a former marriage Mrs. Greenlief became the mother of these children:
John Edward, born February 2, 1886, died when five months old; Thomas J.,
born March 5, 1888; Hazel I., born April 19, 1890. Mrs.
Greenlief's father was a soldier in the Civil War and he is now an invalid as a
result of the hardships of army life. In
an early day he was a freighter, having hauled goods by wagon from Keokuk to Des
Moines. The first school ever taught in Mound Prairie Township was taught in
the of Mr. Greenlief's father. He
was a pioneer here and has long been known in this part of the County. Mrs.
Greenlief is a member of the Christian Church.
Fraternally Greenlief belongs to the Yeomen lodge, also the Newton
Business Men’s Association. He is
one of the well-to-do and prominent men of this city, is well known and has the
respect and good will of all classes. The Past and Present of Jasper County, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, 1912 B.F. Bowen Co., Indianapolis, IN, p. 683. |
|
|
