Thomas McKee x Sylvia Van Landschoot of Douglas Township, Iowa

Thomas a practical and progressif farmer of Douglas Township living on section 16, and is now conducting a succesfull business which indicates his spirit of determination, energy and enterprise. He owns 240 acres of rich and productif land and in addition to its cultivation he operates over 320 acres within 3 miles of Creston. Living in Union County since 1880, he is widely known here and it is with pleasure that we present to our readers the record of his live.

 

Mr McKee was born in Cambria County, Pennsylvania; march 14 1852 and was a young man of eighteen years when in 1870 he made his way to the Middle West, settling first in Brooklyn, Missouri, there he was engaged in railroading on the line of the Chicago Burlington,& Qunincy Railroad being first employed as a fire man on an engine running from Brookfield to Kansas city. Seven years were thus passed and in 1877 he removed to St Joseph, Mo and became an engineer. Subsequentely he took a run from Atchison to Hopkins, continuing in that position from 1877 to 1887, while later he was upon a run between Atchison and Creston and afterward between Kansas City and Creston. He continued with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad company as a trusted employe for 18 years and for 14 years as an engineer. He was carefull putting forth every effort possible to avoid accident or delay and his faithfull service whon him the entire trust of the corporation which he served. On leaving the employ Mr McKee went to Springfield, Missouri where he entered the employ of the Frisco taiway Company as engineer upon a run between Springfield and Thayer where he continued for six years. He afterward located in St Louis, Missouri and was with the fire department of that city for a few years. During all his railroad experience he never had one serious wreck and that was on the Fresco road. For some time he was an engineer on a passenger train between Atchison and Hopkins later from Kansas City to Hopkins and was well known along the line of the road.Mr MCKee settled pernamently in Union County in 1896.

 

He was married in Creston on the 12th of June 1884, to Miss Sylvia Van Landschoot, who came to Iowa with her parents in her girlhood days . In 1896 Mr and Mrs McKee located on the farm which Mrs McKee inherited from her parent's estate (William Van Landschoot and Sophie Buse)(in section 16 - see map). Since that time Mr McKee has greatly improved the place and has brought the fields under a high state of cultivation. He build a good house and outbuildings and has the farm well fenced, while evertything about the place is indicative of his carefull supervision and progressive efforts. He annually gathered good crops and he also profits by his stockraising interests, feeding and fattening stock for the marcket. He owns a well improved farm of 160 acres in Lauwrence County, Missouri and from that property derives a good rental

source: Biographical scetches of Union County,Iowa