About a quarter of a century has elapsed since Ira W. Goodell first
engaged in railroading, and since 1882 he has been closely associated with
the local railroad interests of Peru. He is of English descent, his paternal
grandfather, John Goodell, being a farmer of Oneida county, New York,
subsequent to his arrival in this country, in 1835. He died there in 1883,
at the extreme age of ninety-two years; and his wife also attained about the
same age. They had three sons and six daughters. The maternal grandfather of
our subject, Walter Olmstead, was a native of the Empire state, owned a
paper-mill at Walesville for a number of years, and passed his entire life
in that section of the United States, his death occurring when he was
four-score years old.
William Goodell, the father of our subject,
was born in Lancastershire, England, and came to the United States when a
child of seven or eight years. He lived in Oneida county, New York, until
1862, when he removed to Hillsdale county, Michigan. About 1870 he settled
near Fremont, Steuben county, Indiana, where he lived until his death, in
July, 1888, when he was sixty-three years of age. His chief occupation was
agriculture, though in connection with this he was engaged in teaming for a
few years. He was not a member of the church, but led an upright, moral
life, and was a thorough, practical believer in the Bible and the truths of
Christianity.
For a wife William Goodell chose Miss Fidelia
Olmstead, whose birthplace was Walesville, New York. She was one of three
children, and, as the only daughter of a well-to-do mill-owner, she received
good advantages. To William and Fidelia Goodell four sons and a daughter
were born: two sons are deceased; Ella is the wife of Elroy J. Carpenter, of
Angola, Indiana; Ray is a citizen of LaSalle, Illinois, and Ira W. completes
the list. The mother, who is a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal
church, has made her home in LaSalle for the past nine years. While yet a
very young girl she was honored by being made postmistress at Walesville,
New York, which position she retained for several years.
Ira W.
Goodell was born in Walesville, New York, October 13, 1858, and accompanied
the family in its various removals, working for his father on the farm until
he was sixteen years of age. He managed to gain a fair education in the
district and public schools of Michigan and Indiana, and in 1874 obtained
employment in the freight office of the Fort Wayne & Jackson Railway Company
at Fremont, remaining there for three years. Then, going to Pleasant Lake,
he worked for the same company, and in 1882 came to Peru. Here he found
employment in. the service of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad
Company, being in charge of their local coal shutes for about three years.
Then, going to LaSalle, he served for the same company as car clerk,
following which he was their cashier for two years. Since 1889 he has been
located in Peru as chief clerk in the freight department of the same
corporation. He is considered one of the most efficient and faithful of its
employees, for he carefully consults the best interests of the company in
all that he does.
Socially Mr. Goodell belones to the Modern Woodmen
of America and to the Mystic Workers of the World. In his political belief
he is a stanch Republican, as was his father before him. In 1889 Mr. Goodell
built a comfortable modern house at No. 625 Creve Coeur street, LaSalle, and
makes his home there, although much of his time is necessarily spent in
Peru. In both places he is very well known and stands high in the esteem of
their citizens, being popular among his associates in railroad circles at
the same time. June 16, 1886, a marriage ceremony was performed by which
Miss Harriet Turner became the wife of our subject, and two children bless
their union, namely: Cecil and Hazel. Mrs. Goodell's father, Henry Turner,
was born in Germany, but her mother, Mrs. Isabel (Chapin) Turner, is a
native of Illinois.
Extracted 22 Dec 2017 by Norma Hass from Biographical and Genealogical Record of LaSalle County, Illinois, published in 1900, volume 2, pages 544-546.
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