Mrs. George Harpel, (Almeda Brenton Harpel), State Consulting Registrar of Iowa, D. A. R., was born in Johnson county, Indiana, and came to Iowa in Infancy with her parents, James Baird Brenton and Elizabeth Glenn Brenton.  Her early education was received in the public schools of Dallas county which was later supplemented by a normal school training.  She taught successfully for a number of years and was deputy superintendent of schools in both Dallas and Polk counties.  At an early age she was married to George Harpel, who died in 1908.  Since her husband’s death she has been a very successful business woman.  She was a charter member of Daniel Boone chapter at Boone, being admitted on the service of three Revolutionary ancestors:  Maj. James Brenton, Archibald Glenn and Jacob Rhodes.  Since 1911 she has been consulting registrar of Iowa Daughters of the American Revolution.  She has been a very successful officer and has an unusual knowledge of revolutionary records and of lineage books.  The Iowa Historical library is said to contain the third largest lineage records in the United States .  Mrs. Harpel’s residence is in Des Moines where she is a member of the Woman’s Club and an active worker in the City Federation.  She is vice president of the Chautauqua union and a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, and of the Rebecca order.  Her line of ancestry in America is:  Daughter of James Baird Brenton and Elizabeth Glenn; granddaughter of Rev. Henry Brenton and Esther Baird, Archibald Glenn and Lydia Rhodes.  Great grand daughter of Maj. James Brenton and Mary Woodfield; Archibald Glenn and Sarah Furgison; Jacob Rhodes and Elizabeth Fenlow.

Page 148.

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The Blue Book of Iowa Women;
A History of Contemporary Women
Edited and Compiled by Winona Evans Reeves
Press of the Missouri Printing and Publishing Company, Mexico , Mo. , 1914