Ruth (Joslin) Hamel ~ wife of Ray E. Hamel of Sioux City, Iowa
IOWA
ITS HISTORY AND TRADITION
VOLUME III
1804-1926
H. J. JOSLIN
The farmer is the basic producer. He labors with hand and brain in an
unending conflict with nature, confronting her inexorable laws, and through his
mastery wins what he possesses. Patience and industry are his high virtues and
upon them are founded civilized life. In this useful class of citizens belongs Harrison J. Joslin, who had devoted his life to agricultural pursuits and is one of Holstein's self-made men. He was born June 21, 1856, near
Anamosa,Iowa, and is the eldest of a family of three sons. The others are Hiram, a resident of Lamar, Colorado; and Jacob, who is living in Jones county, Iowa. Their parents were Harrison and Ann (Mann) Joslin, the former a native of
Ohio and the latter of Indiana. They came to Iowa in 1837 and were among the earliest settlers of Jones county, experiencing all of the dangers and hardships of frontier life.
H. J. Joslin received a common school education and aided his father in the
operation of the homestead, gaining valuable experience along agricultural
lines. When but fifteen years of age he began his independent career as a
farmer and in 1873 bought five acres of land in Jones county, afterward becoming the owner of a tract of seventy acres. Subsequently he sold the property and went to Minnesota, spending four years in that state. In 1887 he returned to Iowa, locating in Ida county, and in 1898 invested in land in Logan township. He has installed many modern conveniences on his place to lessen the labor and expedite the work, and his well improved farm of three hundred and twenty acres reflects the progressive spirit and careful supervision of its owner.
On January 11, 1881, Mr. Joslin was married to Miss Lenora Rice, a native of
Dubuque, Iowa, born August 31, 1856, and a daughter of Joseph and Anna
(Stetchler) Rice, the former of whom was born in Iowa and the latter in
Pennsylvania. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Rice were twelve children: William,
deceased; Leonard, deceased; Laura, who is the wife of Phillip Mann, of Holstein; Lenora; Leonard, deceased; Oscar, who makes his home near Holstein; Alice, deceased, who was the widow of Benjamin Mentz, of Holstein; Daniel, a resident of the same place; Annette, who has passed away; Joseph, of Ida Grove; Ida, also deceased; and Harry. To Mr. and Mrs. Joslin were born ten children: Allan, a resident of Holstein; Rufus, of Mapleton, Iowa; Chauncey, who lives in Holstein; Isabel, the wife of Harry Kurtz, of Cushing, Iowa; Ruth, now Mrs. Ray E. Hamel, of Sioux City; DeWitt, deceased; Lenora, who married Roy Nippert and resides at Galva, Iowa; Ora, the wife of A. Budd Watt, of Holstein; Harry, who also lives in Holstein, and Hazel, at home.
Mr. Joslin is affiliated with the Baptist church and his wife is a Methodist
in religious faith. He is identified with the Masonic fraternity and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. He has advanced through the medium of his own efforts and his labors have been crowned with success,
while at the same time he has gained the respect, confidence and good will of his fellowmen, for high standards of conduct have guided him in every relation of life.
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