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biography from Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
JOHN H. SHEAR, proprietor of Sheak's Elevator, located on the Iowa Central Railway, near the depot, Oskaloosa, came to this city in 1873, and since that time has been constantly engaged in his present business. His elevator proper has a capacity of 20,000 bushels, and Mr. Sheak has additional storage room for from 100,000 to 150,000 bushels of grain. John H. Sheak was born in Dutchess County, N. Y., Dec. 19, 1837, and is a son of Emery and Sarah (Pettit) Shear. His parents were natives of New York, and John H. was reared to manhood in that State. On attaining the age of maturity he engaged in the grain trade in New York City, Philadelphia, and also Blairsville, Pa., and was thus occupied for about six years, when he came, in 1873, to this county, and located as stated. Mr. Sheak was married in Blairsville, Pa., Sept. 10, 1867, to Miss Lizzie, daughter of Luther Martin. She was born in Blairsville, Pa., and bore our subject one child, David W., who is deceased. In politics Mr. Sheak is a Republican. He is one of those business gentlemen so essential to the prosperity of a community or city that it is almost impossible to dispense with their presence and expect the city to develop and prosper.
Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy