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History of Adair
County, Iowa, 1915.

Biographical.  Volume 2.

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John M. Butler.

A farm of two hundred acres on section 5, Eureka township, pays tribute to John M. Butler for the care and labor which he bestows upon it.  He has been a resident of Iowa from the age of ten years, his birth, however, having occurred in Pennsylvania on the 9th of February, 1857.  His parents, William and Jane A. (Allott) Butler, were natives of England and on coming to America in 1848 the father settled in Pennsylvania.  He was a coal miner and also engaged in mining iron ore.  He worked in the mines of the Keystone state until 1867, when he arrived in Iowa, taking up his abode in Jasper county, where he purchased a tract of land and began farming --- an occupation in which he had previously had no experience.  He continued to cultivate his land until 1882, when he sold out and came to Adair county, becoming owner of farm property in Eureka township.  His remaining days were given to its further development and cultivation and to his place he added many modern improvements, making it very attractive in appearance.  He died in March, 1896, while his wife survived until September, 1900.  They were the parents of six children, of whom four are deceased:  Robert A., William L., Alta M. and Joseph W.  The living are:  Sarah, now the wife of William Rater, residing in Summit township;  and John M.

The last named spent the first ten years of his life in his native state and then accompanied his parents to Iowa.  The education which he had begun in the schools of Pennsylvania was continued in the public schools of Jasper county, spending the winter in that way, while the summer seasons were devoted to farm work.  He has earned his own living since a youth in his teens.  In 1878, when twenty-one years of age, he removed to Phillips county, Kansas, where he secured a claim which he held for three and a half years.  Abandoning this, he came back to Iowa, where he farmed for one year and then removed to Adair county with his parents, after which he engaged in farming with his father until the home place was paid for.  At that time John M. Butler rented land which he continued to cultivate for several years.  He next purchased forty acres of land on section 5, Eureka township, and has since bought two additional eighty acre tracts on the same section, so that he now has a farm of two hundred acres there.  This he has since cultivated and improved, with the exception of six years spent in the hardware business at Adair.  He works hard, nor is he afraid of that close attention to detail so necessary as a factor in success.  He also owns eight acres of the old homestead on section 4.

In November, 1894, Mr. Butler was united in marriage to Miss Clara E. Gaines, a daughter of Darius and Vashti (Cherrington) Gaines, who were natives of Ohio but became residents of Adair county, casting in their lot with its citizens in the spring of 1886.  Mr. Gaines was a farmer and devoted his remaining days to the cultivation of land in this county.  He died in April, 1908, but his widow survives.

To Mr. and Mrs. Butler have been born four children:  Edith, William, Irene and Robert.  The religious faith of the family is that of the Methodist church, and in political belief Mr. Butler is a republican.  Fraternally he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and high and honorable principles govern him in all of his relations with his fellowmen.  In business affairs he has never been known to take advantage of the necessities of others, but has ever been found thoroughly reliable in all of his undertakings.  He leads a busy life in the care and development of his place.  Early spring finds him at work in the fields, and he is busily engaged until crops are harvested in the late autumn, his work bringing to him a success which is the reward of earnest, persistent effort intelligently directed.

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