JOHN A. WOLF, one of the enterprising and representative citizens of Washington Township, came to this county in the spring of 1881, where he has since resided. He came from Mills County, Iowa, where he had lived several years. He was born in Perry County, Ohio, May 19, 1850, a son of Philip Wolf, a native of Pennsylvania; the Wolfs were of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry. The mother of our subject was Mary (Lewis) Wolf, who was born in Perry County, Ohio, and her family was from an old American family of New England.

Philip Wolf came to this county in 1887, where he resided until his death in June 1889 at the age of sixty-three years. He was a farmer by occupation, and politically a Democrat. In religion he was connected with the Lutheran Church for several years. The mother died in Lucas County, Iowa, near Chariton in 1865. The parents reared five children.

John A. was about two years of age when his parents moved to Van Buren County, Iowa, where they were early settlers. He was reared in southern and western Iowa, and at the age of seventeen years he obtained employed with a well-known stockman, J.M. Strand. He was in his employ near Dallas, Marion County, Iowa, one year, and then came with him to Malvern, Mills County in 1869 and was in his employ in that county eight or nine years. He then rented land for two or three years, and in 1881 bought eighty acres of his present farm paying $10 per acre. Later he bought forty acres more, and one year later added forty acres still more, and he now owns 160 acres, all under a good state of cultivation. Besides his general farming, he is now feeding twenty-one head of cattle and 115 head of swine.

Mr. Wolf was married at Red Oak, Iowa, November 30, 1876, to Miss Henrietta Miller, daughter of John and Ann (Strand) Miller. The mother is a sister of J.M. Strand, a prominent stockman of Mills County, Iowa. Mrs. Wolf was reared mostly in Henderson County, Illinois, and was educated in Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Wolf have three sons: Ira Lewis, Philip Miller and Eugene Earl. Politically Mr. Wolf is a Democrat, but has never aspired to public office. He is a member of the Evangelical Church, a class leader in the same, has served as superintendent of the Sabbath school and is at the present a teacher. Mrs. Wolf is also a worthy member in the same. Mr. Wolf is yet in the prime of life, frank and cordial in his manner, and is honorable in all his business dealings. He is numbered politically, socially and financially among the representative citizens of his neighborhood.