George Farrell, a well-known and well-to-do retired farmer of Plymouth county, now living at Le Mars, one of the most substantial citizens of that place, was born on a farm in Cook county, Illinois, west of the city of Chicago, January 23, 1857, son of George and Margaret Farrell, both natives of Ireland, the former born in County Mayo and the latter in County Meath, whose last days were spent in Illinois.

The elder George Farrell spent most of his boyhood in England and there learned the tailor trade. When a young man he came to this county and for a time followed his trade at Chicago, presently traveling south, continuing to follow his trade as a journeyman for several years, at the end of which time he returned to Ireland and was married there. He then returned to America with his wife, locating at Chicago, where he engaged in the livery business for about eight years, at the end of which time he moved to a farm about forty-eight miles west of that city, established his home there and there both he and his wife spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of twelve children, eight of whom are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch, who is the youngest, being Mrs. Mary Jane Keegan, Thomas, S. A., John, James, Robert and Andrew.

The younger George Farrell was reared on a farm and received his schooling in the schools of Kane county and DeKalb county, Illinois. Upon completing his schooling he engaged in farming with his father and was thus engaged until his marriage in 1880, when he began farming on his own account in Kane county, three years later taking the management of a large farm owned by Doctor Winslow, near Aurora, Illinois. Two years later he rented a farm and operated the same for two years, at the end of which time, in 1885, he and his wife came to Iowa, locating in Plymouth county. Upon coming here Mr. Farrell rented a farm in Union township and there made his home for three years, after which he moved over into Cherokee county and there for five years made his home on a rented farm. He then, in 1893, returned to Plymouth county, bought a tract of two hundred and forty acres of land in Union township, paying for the same thirty-five dollars an acre, and there established his home, he and his wife continuing to reside there until their retirement from the farm and removal to Le Mars, where they are now living, very pleasantly and comfortably situated. During his residence on his Union township farm, Mr. Farrell did much to improve and beautify the place, bring his well-known "Evergreen Farm" up to a high standard of cultivation and making it one of the model farms in that part of the county. He spent about seven thousand dollars in the way of improvements on the place and as he prospered in his operations added to his holdings until now he is the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of choice land and is recognized as one of Plymouth county's most substantial citizens. Not only was Mr. Farrell a good farmer during the days of his activity on the farm, but he was one of the best stockmen in the county, giving such attentive care to the raising of his cattle that his stock always was certain of bringing the top of the market in the Chicago or Sioux City yards.

On January 1, 1880, George Farrell was united in marriage to Mary Keegan, daughter of Daniel and Kate Keegan, Mr. Farrell is a Democrat and takes a good citizen's interest in local political affairs, but has never been and aspirant for public office. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and takes a warm interest in the affairs of that organization.

Patrick Farrell, attorney-at-law at Le Mars, is a native son of Iowa and has lived in this state all his life. He was born in a log cabin on a homestead farm in Benton county on June 1, 1859, son of John and Bridget (Kelly) Farrell, natives of Ireland, who came to this country about 1850 and located at Vicksburg, Mississippi. There John Farrell worked as a laborer for a time and then, about 1854, came to Iowa and entered a claim to a homestead in Benton county and there established his home, remaining there until his retirement from the farm and removal to Cedar Rapids, where he spent his last days, his death occurring in 1906. His widow is still living, being now in the eighty-ninth year of her age. They were the parents of nine children, of whom six are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being as follow: Thomas Farrell, of Montana; James Farrell, of Cedar Rapids, this state; Michael Farrell, of Linn County, this state; John Farrell, of Perham, Minnesota, and Edward Farrell, of Cedar Rapids.

Reared on the family homestead farm in Benton county, Patrick Farrell received his elementary schooling in the neighboring district school, meanwhile assisting in the labors of the farm, and supplemented his local schooling by a course in the academy at Blairstown, after which he became a teacher in the public schools and was for several terms thus engaged. He then took a course in Cornell College at Mt. Vernon, this state, and upon the completion of the same entered the law department of the Iowa State University at Iowa City and was graduated from the same with the class of 1885. Thus equipped for the practice of his profession, Mr. Farrell opened an office, in July of that same year, at Le Mars and has ever since been engaged there in practice, long having been recognized as one of the leading lawyers in this part of the state. Not long after locating at Le Mars, Mr. Farrell was elected justice of the peace and in 1889 was elected county attorney of Plymouth county, a position he held for six years. For the past sixteen years or more he has been a member of the library board and in other ways has taken an active and influential part in the public affairs of the community in which he lives.

On June 19, 1886, Patrick Farrell was united in marriage to Katie Goulding, of Luzerne, this state, and to that union one child was born, a daughter, Catherine. Mrs. Katie Farrell died on January 12, 1888, and on January 25, 1892, Mr. Farrell married Katherine Murray, of Kingsley, this county, and to this union three children have been born, John J., Walter P., and Mary Edna. Mr. and Mrs. Farrell are members of the Catholic church and Mr. Farrell is a member of the Knights of Columbus. In his political affiliations he is a Democrat and has ever taken an earnest interest in the affairs of his part.

Wilbert S. Freeman, an honored veteran of the Civil War, former recorder of Plymouth county, former postmaster of Le Mars and a well-to-do citizen of this county, now living retired at his comfortable home in Le Mars, is a native of the old Green Mountain state, but has been a resident of Plymouth county since 1869. He has thus been a witness to and a participant in the development of this county since pioneer days, few men here-about having a wider or more accurate fund of information regarding the early days of this section of Iowa than he. Mr. Freeman was born at Essex, Chittenden county, Vermont, June 6, 1847, son of Samuel A. and Almira A. (Stevens) Freeman, the later of whom was born in that same place. Samuel A. Freeman was born on February 20, 1820, and died in 1884. His wife had long preceded him to the grave, her death having occurred in 1862. Mr. Freeman's paternal grandparents were residents of Massachusetts and his maternal grandparents, of Connecticut, representatives of old colonial families, and ancestors on both sides of the family fought as soldiers in the patriot army during the Revolutionary War.

Mr. Freeman moved from Vermont to Illinois with his parents in 1855, he then being but eight years of age, and he was living in that state when the Civil War broke out. Though but a boy at the time, he enlisted for service and served as a musician in Company B, Eighth Illinois Cavalry. Upon the completion of his military service, he returned to Illinois and remained there until in March, 1869, when he came to Iowa and settled in Plymouth county, where he has resided ever since. Mr. Freeman is a Republican and served as recorder of Plymouth county during the years 1884-85-86-87, and as postmaster at Le Mars from January 29, 1906, to May 1, 1915. As noted above, there are few, if any, persons in Plymouth county who have a wider acquaintance with people and events in this part of the state his service as editor of the historical volume of this work has been highly appreciated by all connected with the compilation thereof, rendering at the same time an invaluable service to the community at large. Mr. Freeman is a Knight Templar Mason and a member of the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic and he and his wife are members of the Congregational church. Mrs. Freeman, whose maiden name was Mary Adams, was born in Canada. The Freemans have a very pleasant home at No. 1100 Madison street, Le Mars, and have ever taken a proper part in the general social and cultural activities of their home town. Mr. Freeman is the owner of two hundred acres of land in Clay county, South Dakota, and is regarded as one of this county's substantial and influential citizens, his influence ever having been exerted in behalf of the promotion of all movements having to do with the advancement of the common welfare hereabout.