Crawford County >> 1911 IndexHistory of Crawford County, Iowa H Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton. Among the energetic young business men who have
been active factors in the
commercial development of Schleswig must be numbered Peter C.
Hollander, who for the past four years has been conducting a menŐs
furnishing goods store here. He
is a native of Iowa, having been born in
Hamilton county on the 22d of June, 1879, and is a son of L. A. and
Annie (Simsen) Hollander. The
parents were natives of Germany but emigrated
to the United States and located in Clinton county, Iowa, in
1877. The wife and mother
passed away in 1907, but the father is still
living and makes his home in Schleswig.
Unto them were born the following
children: Amos, who lives in
Nebraska; Peter C., our subject; Mattie,
who became the wife of Henry M. Kolls, of Nebraska; August,
deceased; Thomas, who is a resident of Ida county; Annie, who is at
home; Laura, the wife of William Stegemann, of Schleswig; Bernhart,
residing in Ida county; Celia, deceased; and Lilly, who is at home. Peter C. Hollander obtained his education in the
common schools of Iowa, and when he
had acquired such knowledge as he deemed essential to enable
him to enter the commercial world he laid aside his text-books to assume
the heavier responsibilities of life.
At the age of twenty-seven years he
entered a lumberyard in Schleswig, with which concern he was
identified for three years, but at the end of that period he decided to
go into business for himself and opened a menŐs clothing and furnishing
goods store. The large patronage which he has enjoyed proves
conclusively that his choice was a most excellent one.
He carries a large and well
selected stock of goods, the quality of which is always
commensurate with the price, while the treatment accorded patrons is
such as to invite their return without further solicitation.
His is one of the promising
businesses of the town and his friends feel assured of
his success in the vocation which he has elected to follow. Mr. Hollander chose for his wife Miss Adeline
Lorenzen, a daughter of A. B. and
Hannah (Christensen) Lorenzen, of Denison.
Mr. And Mrs. Lorenzen are
the parents of five children, who are as follows:
Annie, the wife of John
Weise, of Denison; Ida, who married Louis Evers, also of
Denison; Laurence, who resides in Gilmore City; Adeline, the wife of P. C. Hollander; and Andrew, living in Denison.
Both Mr. And Mrs. Hollander are communicants of the Lutheran church. Ever since acquiring the full rights of citizenship he has taken a most active interest in all local political issues and has been elected to various offices of the municipality. He always gives his support to the candidates and principles of the democratic party, feeling that its policy best subserves the interests of the majority. He is now serving as treasurer of the village, which position he has held for the past two years, and he is also secretary of the fire department, both of which he is filling in a manner which is meeting with the general satisfaction of the community. MICHAEL L HOULIHAN, Sr. submitted by Norm Prince To attain success in life it is not necessary to possess either money or influence, as is evidence by the career of Michael L Houlihan, Sr, who, beginning with nothing, has acquired an independent competence which he is now enjoying after many years of industry. Born in county Clare, Ireland, in August, 1840, he is the son of Patrick and Bridget (Hoogan) Houlihan, both of whom were also natives of County Clare, where they died, the mother at the advanced age of ninety years. They were the parents of nine children, of whom four survive, as follows: Mary, who is at home; Michael L, Nora, who lives in Ireland; and Cornelius, retired, who resides in Kansas City, Missouri. Those deceased are John, Patrick, Bridget, Austin and Thomas. Through force of circumstances Michael L Houlihan was not enabled to obtain any book education, but the knowledge he has secured in the school of experience has served every purpose as far as his mental qualifications are concerned. Thrown upon his own resources at the early age of nine years, he began life as a stock-herder, combined with other kinds of labor. At the age of twenty-seven he emigrated to the United States, arriving here in 1865 and locating in Davenport but only remained there two weeks and then went to Waukon, Iowa, whence he made a trip on the Mississippi river. Later he engaged in railroad work and coal mining, after which he took up farming near Grinnell and there spent two and one-half years. He married Miss Mattie Kraemer, by whom he had one child, John Patrick, who cost the mother her life, and the child died at the age of three months. Mr Houlihan rented his father-in-law’s farm, upon which he remained for four years, and then came to Crawford county, living in Hayes township for one year. He subsequently located in East Boyer, continuing his residence there for nineteen years, after which he removed to Soldier township, and lived there for twenty years. In 1907 he came to Denison township, where he purchased land to which, as his circumstances would permit, he added at intervals until he became the owner of eleven hundred and thirty-nine acres, which he has developed to a high state of cultivation, giving to it the benefit of his wide experience in agriculture, acquired in former years, and today he has one of the most valuable pieces of property in Crawford county, upon which he has made three sets of improvements that go to make it one of the most modern and up-to-date farms in this section of the state. Here he has continued to carry on general farming and stock-raising on an extensive scale, and that he has met with success is attested to by the flourishing condition of his estate and stock. The second wife of Mr Houlihan was Mrs Michael O’Brien, whose maiden name was Bridget McMahon and who by her first husband, had two children: Mary, deceased, and Dennis, now living in Denison township. To Mr and Mrs Houlihan have been born the following children: John and Martin, who reside in Denison township; Cornelius, who gives his time to assisting his father on the home farm; Thomas, a physician, who is practicing in Ida Grove, Iowa; Michael, who is cashier and manager of the bank in Vail, Iowa; Ellen, who became the wife of Edward Houston, of Boyer township; Bridget, Bryan, Frances, Margaret, who are living at home; Marjory, Nora Francis and two others, who are deceased. In politics Mr Houlihan casts his ballot for the democratic party but is liberal enough to vote for a friend if he thinks he is deserving of his support. He has never sought political favors but has most efficiently filled the offices of township trustee, supervisor and school director. In every respect Mr Houlihan is a self-made man, one who has relied upon his own ability to make a place for himself in the world and is a most encouraging example to the younger generation of what well directed industry and determination will do for him who makes up his mind to succeed in life. |