This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/zk.2ADI/2126.1 Message Board Post: 1915 PAST AND PRESENT OF SHELBY COUNTY IOWA by EDWARD S. WHITE, B. A., LL. B. B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana pages 801-803 CALVIN B. SPICKLER. It is undoubtedly true that there are many men in this country who are as able to hold high official positions or occupy places of trust as those who have filled these positions. Undoubtedly there are hundreds of men who would make efficient governors and state officials, or town officials and no one questions but that there are plenty of men who might have been more efficient presidents than the men who defeated them. No one would say that Daniel Webster would not have made a more efficient President than Martin Van Buren. Whenever the occasion arises there are always men to meet it; Grant would never have been heard of if the Civil war had not brought him into prominence. He would have died as he was living at the time the war broke out, a poor laboring man. A man who arises above his fellows does so because he has found out how to rise above his surroundings, together with the fact that a simple opportunity presents itself. Many men work for years before they ca! n attain in any way their life's ambition and many of our successful farmers of today worked from twelve to twenty-five and even more years before they have finally acquired a farm of their own. Among the farmers of Shelby county who have worked hard for all they possess today, there is no one more worthy of mention for the honorable life he has led than Calvin B. Spickler, a prosperous farmer of Jefferson township in this county. Calvin B. Spickler was born in Oakland, Cole county, Illinois, on March 2, 1854, and is the son of Nicholas and Mary (Stephen) Spickler, his father being a native of Maryland. The mother died when Calvin B. Spickler was an infant and consequently her family history has been lost to him. Mr. Spickler married again and by the two marriages was the father of fourteen children, five by the first marriage and nine by the second marriage. The five children by the first marriage are John H., Mrs. Clara Donelson (de-ceased), Mrs. Elmira Snider (deceased), Calvin B. and Mrs.. Mary E. Snyder. Calvin B. Spickler was only about two years of age when his father moved from Illinois to Iowa. He was given a common school education and assisted his father on the home farm until he was twenty-one years old. He then worked by the month for four years, after which he married and commenced farming for himself on rented land. The first year he rented seventy acres, and the second year eighty acres. The third year of his married life he came to Shelby county, where he purchased eighty acres in Jefferson township, on which he lived for the next two years. He then made several changes in the township and in 1895 moved to Arkansas, but stayed only about ten weeks. Life in Arkansas was not what it had been pictured to him and he was glad to get back to Shelby county. He at once purchased one hundred and sixty acres in section 21 of Jefferson township, where he is now living. He carries on general farming and stock raising, making a specialty of Poland-China hogs. Within the last few years he has become interested in the raising of much cows for dairy purposes and now keeps from twelve to fifteen milch cows on hand all the time. He has found the dairy business a profitable venture and has had good success since branching out into this line. Mr. Spickler was married on December 10, 1878, to Elizabeth Traverse, who was born on February 10, 1857, in Maryland, near Hagerstown. She is the daughter of George and Catherine (Cline) Traverse. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania and her mother of Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. Traverse are the parents of eleven children, Mrs. Mary Brown, Mrs. Emaline Ambrose, Mrs. Amy Everly, Mrs. Jane Pope, William and Frank and five who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Spickler have three children: Bessie M., the wife of L. E. Wycoff and the mother of six children, four of whom are living, Gladys, Gordon, Norine and Virginia; Marcia and Charles H., who are both under the parental roof. Mr. Spickler has been a stanch Democrat the most of his life, although he has never hesitated to deviate from the path of party regularity whenever he felt that the best interests of his community were being better served. He prefers to be classed as an independent voter rather than as a partisan. He has never held office and has never been an aspirant for one, preferring to devote his time to his home interests and farm. Religiously, Mrs. Spickler is a member of the United Brethren church, while Mr. Spickler has never formally identified himself with this denomination, yet he takes an interest in church work and contributes to its support. In 1910 Mr. Spickler moved to Irwin for a year, after which he moved back to a farm three-quarters of a mile east of where he is now living. He has been living upon his old farm continuously since 1912. Mr. Spickler can now see the results of his hard labor for many years. His early dreams have been in a measure realized. He! had no desire to become a wealthy man merely but did wish to secure such a competence as would insure him and his family comfort in their declining years. This he has attained and he also has the satisfaction that while attaining it he has never fallen below the true dignity of manhood. His life has been free from those faults which might bring down the censure of his neighbors upon him. He has never neglected an opportunity to assist in the improvement of his community, socially, morally or intellectually, and for this reason he has always had the good will and esteem of his friends and acquaintances.