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History of Adair
County, Iowa, 1915.

Biographical.  Volume 2.

  
 

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Charles Varley, Jr.

Charles Varley, Jr., one of the well known, successful and representative agriculturists of Adair county, within the borders of which he has spent practically his entire life, now owns three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land in Jefferson township.  His birth occurred in Leeds, England, on the 11th of October, 1868, his parents being Charles and Anna (Thorpe) Varley, natives of Yorkshire, England.  In 1861 the father, leaving his family in England, took a trip to South America and toured that country.  Thence he came north and spent about five years in mining ventures in California, Oregon and British Columbia.  After returning to England he remained there for about three years and in 1869 emigrated with his family to the United States, making his way into the interior of the country and stopping at Des Moines, Iowa, which was then but a village.  There he left his wife and children and came on west to Adair county, at that time purchasing eighty acres of the present home farm in Jefferson township.  After building a home on his newly acquired property he brought his family from Des Moines and the remainder of his life was here spent.  As time passed and his financial resources increased, owing to his well directed industry and careful management of his agricultural interests, he augmented his landed holding by additional purchase until they embraced about two hundred and ninety acres in Jefferson township.  He passed away in April, 1914, in the eighty-fourth year of his age, and his demise was the occasion of deep and widespread regret throughout the community which had been his home for a period covering forty-five years.  His widow, who still lives on the old home farm, has attained the age of seventy-nine years and enjoys and extensive and favorable acquaintance here.

Charles Varley, Jr., was an infant of nine months when brought to this country, and in Adair county he was reared to manhood.  In the acquirement of an education he attended the district schools and Indiana College and also pursued a musical in the Dexter Normal School.  He remained under the parental roof until twenty-eight years of age, when he was married and established a home of his own, locating on his present place in Jefferson township.  Here he had purchased eighty acres in association with his father and he has since extended the boundaries of the farm by additional purchase from time to time until it now comprises three hundred and twenty acres.  He not only feeds all his grain but also buys more, raising and feeding Polled Angus cattle and Poland China hogs.  His undertakings in this connection have been attended with most gratifying success and he has long been numbered among the substantial and representative citizens of his community.

In 1897 Mr. Varley was united in marriage to Miss Belle Peters, her father being James Peters, one of the prominent early settlers of Jefferson township.  To them have been born five children, four of whom survive, namely:  Everett, Mary, Preston and Isabelle.

The parents belong to the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Varley is one of the trustees.  He gives his political allegiance to the republican party and is now serving as a member of the board of township trustees and also on the school board, proving a most  capable and trustworthy public official.  Many of his warmest friends are those who have known him from his boyhood to the present time --- a fact which indicates that his life has been well spent and that his strongest qualities are those which win respect and confidence.

 

 

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