Woodbury County >> 1890 Index

History of the Counties of Woodbury and Plymouth, Iowa
Chicago: A. Warner & Co., 1890-91. 

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Unless noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.

PHILIP WEBER, farmer, P. O. German City, was born in Monroe county, Ohio, in March, 1838, a son of Henry and Margaret (Yockey) Weber, both deceased. His parents were German farmers, who came to this country from Germany about 1840. He was reared on a farm, and did not receive the advantages of an education. In 1865 he came to Iowa, and lived in Smithland for a short time, then located in Willow township, Woodbury county, where he has since made his home. He was married, in 1860, to Margaret, daughter of Jacob and Elise Stimber, who came from Germany at an early day. They have two children, Arthur Edward and Clement William. Mr. Weber owns 400 acres of land, mostly used for pasture, but which includes four acres in a grove and orchard. He handles hogs and cattle quite extensively. In his political belief he is democratic.

Rev. Wilmot Whitfield, D.D. submitted by Jerry Bates

Rev. Wilmot Whitfield, D.D., president and chancellor of the University of the Northwest, Sioux City, was born in Eastport, Maine, May 9, 1840, a son of Thomas and Rebecca (Rideout) Whitfield.  His father was born in London, England, and his mother in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.  His grandfather, John Whitfield, of Lincol's Inn Fields, was, in early life, a leading actor in the Drury Lane Theatre, where he attracted the attention of the Prince Regent (afterward George IV.) who became his patron.  He was a first cousin of George Whitfield, the celebrated evangelist.  His wife, Anna Healy, was descended from ancient English ancestry.  Thomas Whitfield, who was a younger son, came to America in 1821, and was employed in book-keeping for some time, after which he taught school.  Our subject spent the early years of his life in the east, when he attended school until eighteen years of age, when he went to Ohio to attend Oberlin College.  The noted Dr. Finney was then president of this institution.

Mr. Whitfield graduated in medicine in 1861, and went to a small town in Ionia county, Mich., where he practiced for the next three years, serving a short time in the hospitals of the Union army.  In 1866 he came to Hardin, Clayton county, Iowa, where he followed his profession until 1868.  August 19, of that year, he married Isabel Glass, a native of Ohio, and they then settled in Butler county, Iowa, where he practiced for the succeeding four years.  He then gave up the practice of medicine and entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church, as a member of the Northwest Iowa Conference.  He was stationed at Lake City, Calhoun county, for one year, then transferred to Storm Lake, Buena Vista county where he remained two years.  He was then appointed to the First Methodist Episcopal church at Sioux City, over which he presided nearly three years, leaving at the end of that time, that he might take a trip to Europe for rest and recuperation, as well as to visit the scenes of the Holy Land.  During his trip, which lasted sixteen months, he visited Rome, Italy, and Cairo, Egypt, and Palestine, and returning, much improved in mind and body, he assumed pastoral duties as presiding elder of the Dakota District, which was soon after converted into the Dakota Mission conference.  This included all the territory in South Dakota, except the Black Hills.  He was superintendant here for two years, then by his special request was released and appointed pastor of the first M.E. church at Yankton, Dak.  After serving here ten months he was recalled  to take the superindency of the Dakota Mission, by Bishop Foss.  After fourteen months' labor here Bishop Simpson called him to be pastor of the First M.E. church at Sioux City.  After a year's pastorate here, Bishop Andrews assigned him to the position of presiding elder  of the Sioux City district.  This station received his services for the next six years.

September 20, 1890, Bishop Fowler, with the consent of the Northwest Iowa conference, appointed him chancellor of the University of the Northwest.  Mr. Whitfield has had four children, namely: Mabel Jane, Wilmot Gladstone, Robert Glass, and George McCabe, all of whom are living except the first named.  While not a politician, Mr. Whitfield gives his support to the prohibition party.  He was a delegate of the general conference held in New York in 1888, and is a delegate elect to the ecumenical conference of Methodists to be held in Washington, in October , 1891.