Charles H. Jensen

Charles H. Jensen, who is now capably filling the position of section foreman of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad yards at Cedar Rapids, has made his home here since 1891, and is now the owner of a pleasant home on the west side, which he bought that year. He was born in Prussia, Germany, September 23, 1852, a son of Carsten and Catherine Jensen, who lived and died in that country. by occupation the father was a sailor. In the family were seven children, of whom five are still living, and all are residents of Germany with the exception of our subject.

During his boyhood Charles H. Jensen attended the public schools of his native land until sixteen years of age. He was about eighteen when he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, landing on the shores of this country with only a dollar and a half in his pocket and unable to speak the English language, but he commenced work at once with the determination to succeed. For four months he worked at the carpenter's trade in Clinton, Iowa, and was next employed as a farm hand in Clinton county for about five years.

On the expiration of that time Mr. Jensen commenced work as a section hand on the railroad, and was thus employed for three years. He was then made foreman on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad at Charlotte, Iowa, where he remained three years, and later held similar positions with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad at Marion and other places, being in the employ of that company until 1885. Subsequently he was with an extra gang for the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad for a time under M. Sullivan, and was then transferred to McEnery as foreman of the gang. Mr. Jensen was in the yards when he first came to Cedar Rapids, but was later transferred from place to place, and had charge of extra gangs from time to time for fifteen years. For two years he had charge of the Illinois Central yards; for two years was second foreman of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad yards, and on the 1st of January, 1901, was promoted to foreman, having charge of all the track laying and repairing in the yards, and having eighteen men under his supervision.

Mr. Jensen was married in 1877 to Miss Sarah A. Williams, who was born in New York, but was living in Clinton, Iowa, at the time of their marriage. Unto them were born seven children, of whom William died in December, 1900, at the age of twenty-three years, and one died in childhood. Those living are Edward E., Charles, Sadie E., Mary A. and Caroline, all of whom are attending school in Cedar Rapids with exception of Edward, who is now in Seattle, Washington, as clerk in the freight house of the Northern Pacific Railroad. The family are communicants of St. Patrick's Catholic church of Cedar Rapids. Politically Mr. Jensen is identified with the Democratic party, and fraternally is a member of the Catholic Order of Foresters, serving as chief ranger of his lodge and taking an active part in its work. He has been financial secretary of the same for three years. He is highly esteemed by his associates, and has made many friends during his residence in Cedar Rapids.

Therlow Johnson

Therlow Johnson, a well-known and successful agriculturist residing on section 16, Grant township, ws born October 13, 1861, in Medina county, Ohio, and is a son of Joseph and Sarah A. (Wiard) Johnson, both natives of New York state. His maternal grandparents were John and Julia (French) Wiard, who were born in Connecticut and reared a family of three children, of whom Mrs. Johnson and one sister are the only ones living at the present time.

For some years the parents of our subject resided in Ohio, and at Royalton, that state, the father enlisted September 3, 1864, for one year or during the war, becoming a member of Company H, One Hundred and Seventy-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under command of Captain Tracy. This regiment became known as Sherman's Whip Lash Corps. In May, 1865, Mr. Johnson returned home on a sick furlough, and on the 24th of June received his discharge papers, which were made out at Greensboro, North Carolina.

In 1868 Joseph P. Johnson brought his family to Linn county, Iowa, and after spending one year in enter Point (sic), he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Grant township, where our subject now resides with his mother. the father subsequently sold forty acres of this tract, but the remaining one hundred and twenty acres are still in the family. He died upon this place, December 8, 1894, at the age of seventy-three years, and was laid to rest in the Walker cemetery. Politically he was a Republican, and at one time held the office of road supervisor. He was an honored member of the B. C. Francis Post, G. A. R., of Walker, in which he served as commander and held all the minor offices, while religiously he was an earnest and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at that place. He was highly respected and esteemed by all who knew him, and had a large number of friends throughout this county.

On the 10th of September, 1846, in Ohio, was celebrated the marriage of Joseph Johnson and Sarah Ward, and they became the parents of eight children, namely: Fanny B., now a widow residing in Ohio; Mary L., wife of George H. Hudson, of Grant township; William P., who died in Nebraska in 1886, leaving a widow and two children; Victor E., at home with his mother; Bradford H., a farmer of Buchanan county, Iowa; Lent C., a farmer of Nebraska; Therlow and John C., both at home.