Johnson County << 1893 Index
Poweshiek County
Iowa County

Portrait and Biographical Record of Johnson, Poweshiek and Iowa counties, Iowa
Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1893.

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Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.

Milton Remley

In all ages and countries the legal profession has ever numbered in its ranks the most intelligent and widely-read individuals of the time. Among the prominent lawyers of Johnson County, and one of the leading Republicans of Iowa City, is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. In 1892 he was one of the Harrison electors-at-large, and had the honor of being made a delegate to the National Republican Convention which met in Chicago in 1888 and nominated Gen. Harrison.

Mr. Remley was born in Lewisburgh, W. Va., in Greenbrier County, October 12, 1844, his father being the Rev. James Remley, a devoted minister of the Baptist denomination and a native of Virginia. Our subject’s mother before her marriage was Miss Jane C. Alderson, also a native of the Old Dominion and a daughter of Col. George Alderson, who was of English descent, and Mrs. Jeanette (McCleary) Alderson, who was of Scotch ancestry. In November, 1855, the family of which our subject is a member removed to Iowa City, near which place the father settled on a large farm and at the same time did considerabla (sic) preaching in the county for a few years. He was called to the better land in 1875, at which time he was in his sixty-fifth year. He was a son of Elias Remley, a native of Pennsylvania and of German descent, who became one of the early settlers of Greenbrier County, W. Va. Mrs. Remley is still living, making her home with our subject. She was the mother of eleven children, of whom seven lived to maturity. Three sons and two daughter (sic) are still living. Lycurgus was in the Twenty-second Iowa Infantry during the late war and died at the siege of Vicksburg; George A. was in the same regiment, rose to the rank of Sergeant-Major, and was killed at the battle of Winchester.

Milton Remley, of whom we write, passed his boyhood and youth in his native county and removed to Iowa City with his parents in 1855. He entered the schools of the city and later pursued his studies in the State University, from which institution he was graduated in 1867. From early years he had considered the idea of becoming a member of the legal profession, and therefore, carrying out his resolution, he entered the law office of C. R. Scott, with whom he read law and pursued his studies, being admitted to the Bar in 1868. He began the practice of his profession in Anamosa in partnership with J. S. Stacey, their connection lasting for three years. In 1874 our subject removed to Iowa City, where he opened a law office, and has since practiced before all the courts.

In 1869 Mr. Remley and Miss Josephine Dennis were united in marriage. The lady was born in Tiffin, Iowa, and is a daughter of Bryan Dennis, formerly of Ohio and one of the early settlers of Johnson County. He owns about one thousand acres and is one of the most influential agriculturists of this portion of the State, of which he first became a resident in 1839. Four children grace the union of our worthy subject and wife. Hubert owns the Iowa Citizen, a weekly and daily paper, which has a large circulation; Jessie, George and Alice complete the family. The son is an enterprising and wide-awake young business man, who has already developed more than ordinary ability and has undoubtedly a future of great promise. The daughter is accomplished and amiable and with her brothers, and indeed the whole family, has many friends in this locality, whom it is their special pleasure to entertain in their hospitable home.

Mr. Remley is socially a member of Eureka Lodge, I. O. O. F., and both he and his wife are consistent members of the Baptist Church, in the work of which they are active and zealous. Mr. Remley’s practice is steadily increasing and he justly ranks among the leading lawyers of the State.

Andrew Rubelman is a man whom nature seems to have designed for a planter, for he is progressive and enterprising in his views, industrious, neat and thrifty in his habits, and, like the majority of the sons of the soil, is honorable and upright. He has met with more than an average degree of success in pursuing his chosen occupation, and by those who know him he is recognized as a man of progressive spirit and substantial worth. He was born in Baden, Germany, November 9, 1824, being the youngest in a family of seven children born to Christian and Anna M. (Nubeling) Rubelman, who were born, reared, educated and married in Baden. The father was a wagon-maker and farmer, and these occupations received his attention in his native land, where his days were spent. His children were named as follows: Annie M., George, Christina, Anna, Christian, Catherine and Andrew.

Andrew Rubelman attained mature years in Baden, received the practical education which is the privilege of the German youth, and later learned the trade of a rope-maker, at which he worked until he came to America in 1848. Immediately after reaching this country he located in the vicinity of Rochester, N. Y., but afterward moved to Elizabethtown, N. J., and at a still later period to Cincinnati and St. Louis, Mo. During this time he was by no means idle, for such is not the nature of the native German, but he continued to work energetically at his trade, by which means he secured some money and in 1851, upon his arrival in Johnson County, Iowa, he purchased a farm of forty acres, and so earnestly and energetically did he labor that the result was soon apparent in the excellent crops that were raised and in the substantial buildings and fences that were put up. Agriculture and all its kindred pursuits have occupied his attention ever since his arrival in the county, and he has added to his original forty acres until he has now a magnificent and highly cultivated farm of two hundred and six acres, the soil of which is as fertile as any of which Johnson County can boast. The land was an unbroken stretch of prairie in 1851, and at the time of his location his place was the farthest from timber of any in the township, but the following year settlements were made around him and by 1865 it was all settled or entered. At that time their nearest market of importance was Muscatine, twenty-two miles away, for Iowa City was a very small village, which served as a trading point.

Mr. Rubelman was a hard worker and realized the fact that if he would gain wealth he must labor for it, consequently he did not spare himself in his efforts to gain a competency, and now, if he so desires, can rest from his labors and live in comfort the remainder of his days. He was an excellent manager, and at all times practiced economy, but was by no means niggardly and when enterprises of a worthy nature needed his support he was liberal and open-handed in the use of his means. Such a man as he is the kind of citizen America desires, and Johnson county is much better off for his having lived in it. He was married in St. Louis, Mo., to Miss Elizabeth Henry, by whom he has two children: Dena, who is till living at home; and Lewis, who is a resident of Johnson County, Mo., where he is engaged in farming. When Mr. Rubelman came to Johnson County his brother-in-law, John Henry, came with him. The latter is a son of Christian and Anna M. (Reese) Henry, who were born, reared and married in Baden, Germany, and came to America after the birth of their eldest child, Christina, which was about the year 1817. During their residence in Pennsylvania two more children were born to them, John and the wife of Mr. Rubelman. The sister, Christina, married John Salade, in Wheeling, W. Va., and to them were born nine children: Adam, an engineer of Chicago; Libbie, who is the wife of John Hohman; William A., of Wheeling, W. Va.; Henry and George, also in that place; Bell, wife of Henry Shively, of Wheeling; Lewis, of Cheyenne, Wyo.; Mary V. and John, of Chicago. Politically, both Mr. Rubelman and Mr. Henry are, and have been all their lives since coming to America, stanch Democrats. They are all members of the Lutheran Church, and are generous and active in the support of the same. Mr. Rubelman is one of the county's old and highly honored residents and is in every way a representative and highly honored citizen.