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Below is a family biography included in History of Union County, Iowa published by S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., in 1908.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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John Nauman is one of the active and up-to-date farmers and stock-raisers of Sand Creek township, owning and cultivating a tract of land of one hundred and twenty-five acres, which lies on sections 29 and 30. He is numbered among the old settlers of Iowa, having made his home in this state since 1868 at which time he became a resident of Cedar county. He has been located in Union county since 1879. He was a youth of about eleven years when he arrived in Iowa, his birth having occurred in Page county, Virginia, March 20, 1857. His father, Jacob Nauman, was also born in Virginia and was there reared and married, the lady of his choice being Catherine Kiser, who was born in the Old Dominion and was a representative of one of the old Virginia families. Following his marriage Mr. Nauman carried on general farming in Page county until 1868, when he removed westward with his family to Cedar county, Iowa, where he again gave his attention to general agricultural pursuits and reared his family there. He spent his last ten years with his son John upon the farm in Sand Creek township, passing away April 14, 1898. He had for a quarter of century survived his wife, who died in Cedar county in 1873.

John Nauman was reared in Cedar county and the public schools were the medium whereby he acquired a fair English education. His training at farm labor was not meager and he rendered capable assistance to his father until he had attained his majority, when he started out in life on his own account. As a companion and helpmate for life’s journey he chose Miss Lulu Dovell and they were married in Atchison county, Missouri, March 18, 1886. Like her husband Mrs. Nauman was a native of Page county, Virginia, where her girlhood days were passed.

Following their marriage the young couple located in Grant township, Union county, and having no capital with which to purchase land Mr. Nauman rented a farm for several years. He carefully saved his earnings, however, during that period and his economical expenditure and unremitting diligence enabled him in 1893 to purchase eighty acres of the farm upon which he now resides, which he broke and fenced and later he built a neat residence and good barns and outbuildings. He also planted ornamental and evergreen trees and bought more land from time to time until he now has one hundred and twenty-five acres. This he has divided by well kept fences into fields of convenient size, containing from twenty to twenty-five acres. The fences are all made of hog tight woven wire. Upon his place he has put a wind pump and feed mill and has many of the other modern equipments of the model farm of the twentieth century.

In 1888 Mr. Nauman was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife, who died on the 19th of October of that year and was laid to rest in the cemetery at Craig, Missouri, near her old home. Two children were born unto them: Constance S., who is now acting as her father’s housekeeper; Edna L., who died in infancy.

Mr. Nauman belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, having become a charter member of the lodge at Shannon City and is also connected with the encampment. Politically he is independent. He has been identified with the schools for several years and has always been an advocate of an excellent system of public instruction, believing in the maintenance of good schools. He has become in the course of years a prosperous and well known farmer of Sand Creek township, with a wide acquaintance in Creston, Afton and throughout Union county.

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This family biography is one of 247 biographies included in The History of Union County, Iowa published in 1908.  For the complete description, click here: Union County, Iowa History and Genealogy

View additional Union County, Iowa family biographies: Union County, Iowa Biographies

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