KNADLER, J. W.

KNADLER, BOLSINGER, MINTON, WARD

Posted By: Gordon Felland (email)
Date: 11/30/2006 at 15:08:13

J. W. Knadler, now serving as deputy clerk of the district court, has been a resident of Garner since 1884. He is a native of Hancock county, born September 20, 1859, and is a representative of an old and honored pioneer family of this section of the state, being a son of Joseph and Margaret (Bolsinger) Knadler, natives of Germany. On crossing the Atlantic to the United States in 1855 they located in New York, where they spent three years, and then came to Hancock county, Iowa, where the father passed away six months later. In 1864 the mother married Jacob Ward, a farmer of this county, and they continued to reside here until their deaths.

In the county of his nativity J. W. Knadler grew to manhood, in the meantime attending the public schools in the acquirement of an education. In 1874 he began learning the printer's trade in the office of the Cerro Gordo Republican at Mason City and remained with that paper for two years. During the following eight years he was with the Mason City Express and in 1884 came to Garner and entered the employ of the Hancock Signal, which paper was established in 1870 by George R. Lanning. In 1886 Mr. Knadler purchased an interest in that journal, becoming a partner of H. H. Bush, and he continued to conduct the paper for eighteen years, selling out in 1904. He continued to work at the printer's trade until 1910, when elected clerk of the district court and entered upon the duties of that office. So acceptably did he fill the position that he was re-elected in 1912 and since his retirement from that office has served as deputy.

Mr. Knadler married Miss Lillian Minton, of Racine county, Wisconsin, who died in 1905. He is a member of the Methodist church and is also identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In politics he is a republican and for several terms he served as city clerk of Garner. He is today one of the representative citizens of his native county and a man highly honored and esteemed wherever known.

Source: History of Winnebago and Hancock Counties, Iowa, 1917, Vol. II, Page 139.