John G. and Fannie (Mitchell) Dimick were the parents of ten children, eight of whom are now living, namely: George G., lives in Hamlin township; Elvira, lives in Syracuse, New York; Horace, deceased; Mary, married Edward Dryden, of Hamlin township; Calvin I., the subject of this sketch; Julia, married W. M. Cress, of Hamlin township; Jessie and Ella, live at Boone, Iowa; John M., a stock buyer at Exira, and an infant deceased.

Calvin I. Dimick received his education in Johnson county and after leaving school, took up farming on his father's place. He remained on the farm until he was twenty years old and then engaged in ditching land in Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas, which occupation he followed for three years. He then moved to Audubon county, and, after a time, began farming on eighty acres of land which he had purchased. He fenced and drained this land and improved it otherwise and lived on it for about six years. After a time he moved to Brayton and there purchased a hotel which he operated for a short time. He then bought the place upon which he now lives. Mr. Dimick raises seventy-five acres of corn and approximately one hundred acres of small grains. He feeds about sixty head of hogs every year and has been very successful with mixed farming.

On November 15, 1892, Calvin I. Dimick was married to Eva J. Beers, the daughter of David and Lola (Lacy) beers. Four children have been born to this marriage: Harry Russell, Kathleen, Mildred and Mozelle. David Beers was a native of New York state and one of the first settlers in Audubon county, having come overland to this county. David and Lola (Lacy) Beers were the parents of three children, as follow: Eva J., Nellie, married Samuel Budd, of Atlantic, Iowa; and Lona (deceased), married Nora Lyons.

Mr. Dimick is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He has served as township supervisor for a number of years and is an ardent and enthusiastic Democrat.

John M. Dimick is a well-known cattle buyer and feeder of Exira, Iowa, who, after farming with his father for ten years, purchased the homestead farm in Audubon county and began life for himself. Mr. Dimick began life with eighty acres of land, for which he paid twenty-two and one-half dollars an acre. Now, he is perhaps the most extensive stock raiser in Audubon county. He has increased his land holdings from eighty to five hundred and thirty-five acres and raises on an average five hundred head of live stock every year. He buys between twenty-five and thirty thousand bushels of corn and feeds from fifteen to twenty carloads of cattle, and from five hundred to six hundred head of hogs each year. The immensity of these operations is immediately apparent to any one who is at all familiar with farming. Mr. Dimick has the reputation of feeding prime cattle, which the Chicago buyers are always anxious to get, and for which they are always willing to pay top prices. He deserves much credit for the great progress he has made.

John M. Dimick was born in Johnson county, Iowa, February 27, 1869, and is a son of John J. and Fannie (Mitchell) Dimick, both of whom were natives of Erie county, New York. John J. Dimick was born January 24, 1825, and his wife, who, before her marriage, was Fannie Mitchell, was born March 31, 1837. John J. Dimick grew to manhood in Erie county, New York, and there lived upon a farm. Before his marriage he made a trip to California during the historic gold-strike of 1849-50. He was farily successful in his quest for fortune and after remaining in California for three years he returned to Wisconsin, where he remained until 1858, when he came to Johnson county, Iowa. While living in Wisconsin he conducted a hotel. After coming to Johnson county, Iowa, he first purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Johnson county. Subsequently, he increased his holdings by one-half. After being well started in farming, he engaged in the lumber and stock business, in which line he remained for five years, at the expiration of which time he sold out and came to Audubon county, Iowa, in March, 1881, locating four miles northwest of Exira. Here he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land and was engaged in general farming until 1901, when he moved to Exira and took up cattle buying, following this business until his death, January 1, 1910. His wife had died more than a quarter of a century previously, March 1, 1879.

John J. and Fannie (Mitchell) Dimick were the parents of ten children, eight of whom are now living, and in the order of birth were as follow: George g., Elvira, Horace, Mary, Calvin I., John M., Julia, Jesse, Ella and one who died in infancy. George G. is living on the old home farm in Hamlin township owned by John M. Dimick; Elvira is living in Syracuse, New York; Horace is deceased; Mary is the wife of Edward Dryden, a farmer of Hamlin township; Calvin I. lives in Exira township; Julia is the wife of Walkup M. Crees, of Hamlin township; Jesse and Ella live at Boone, Iowa.

John J. Dimick entered the public schools of Johnson county, Iowa, and was enabled to secure a good education, which has been of great assistance to him in all of the business of his life. He was married on July 20, 1889, to Maretta Cook, the daughter of Charles Cook, and to this union three children were born, Clyde J., Ellowene and Frank. Clyde is manager of the Tabor Lumber Company, of Winfield, Iowa, and is married to Pearl Sewel of Henry county, Iowa; he has built a fine residence at Winfield at a cost of three thousand dollars; Ellowene is in attendance at Ames University and Frank is also a student at Ames University.

Mr. Dimmick has always been more or less active in Republican politics, and has served in several offices. He has served as trustee of Hamlin township for six years, discharging the duties of this office in a very satisfactory manner to his fellow citizens. Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Maccabees. Mr. Dimick is not a member of any church, but his wife holds membership in the Congregational church, in which she takes an active interest, and of which the family are regular attendants.

August Dreier, who owns a well-improved farm of eighty acres in section 2 of Audubon township, with a splendid house, barn and other buildings, equipped with all modern conveniences, was born on January 28, 1874, in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, the son of Fritz and Augusta (Schowlo) Dreier, also natives of Germany, born in the same place as their son. Fritz Dreier was a laborer in his native land but engaged in farming after coming to the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Fritz Dreier had eight children: Fritz, Jr., August, William, Minnie, Louisa, Herman, Charles and Louis, all of whom are living in the United States. Besides August, his brother, William, and his sister, Minnie live in Audubon county. Minnie is the wife of William Nieman.

Coming to the United States in 1892 alone and landing at Boston, August Dreier came directly to Audubon county, Iowa, where his uncle, August Burr, already lived. Four years later, in 1896, his parents and the remainder of the family came to this country, settling in Audubon county, where the father lived until his death.

August Dreier attended school until he was fifteen years old and than worked at various occupations until he was twenty, when he decided to come to this country. After arriving here he worked by the month for six years and farmed for his father for about three years. In 1901 he went to Garrett, Indiana, and worked in the Baltimore & Ohio railroad shops for two years. He then came back to Audubon county, where he rented land until 1910. In that year, Mr. Dreier purchased eighty acres of land in section 2 of Audubon township and here he now lives. He has rebuilt the house which now consists of six large rooms, and he has also built a new corn crib and made other improvements, such as the erection of hog houses, a hen house and the installation of waterworks on the farm.

On September 12, 1900. August Dreier was married to Edna Niemann, who was born on March 12, 1880, in Mecklenburg, Germany, and who is the daughter of Carl and Christina (Aherend) Niemann, also natives of Mecklenburg, Germany. Mrs. Dreier's father, who was a shepherd in the old country, took up farming on coming to America. He and his wife were the parents of ten children: William, Herman, Minnie, Agusta, Louisa, Eda, Paul, Elbert, Carl and one who died in infancy. The Niemann family, after coming to this country in 1894, came direct from New York City to Audubon county. The parents are now deceased.

Mr. and Mrs. August Dreier are the parents of six children: Anna, born on June 17, 1901; William, March 29, 1903; Minnie, June 17, 1904; Martha, March 23, 1907; Elmer, November 24, 1908, and Clara, November 2, 1910.

A Democrat in politics, the only office which Mr. Dreier has ever held is that of school director, in which he served with conspicuous satisfaction. The Dreier family are members of the German Lutheran church.

Although Mr. Dreier is engaged in general farming, he keeps several milk cows for dairy purposes and these have proved very profitable investments. He is a skillful farmer, a man of modest demeanor, wholly unassuming in his relations with his neighbors, and one who, for that reason, is popular in the community where he lives.