Andrew J. Ronk

ANDREW J. RONK, farmer and stock-raiser, section 11, Madison Township, was born in Greenbrier County, Virginia, August 24, 1842. His father, George W. Ronk, was a native of the same State, born in Roanoke County, but is now deceased. He being a farmer, our subject was reared to agricultural pursuits, receiving such education as the rude log-cabin subscription schools of his neighborhood afforded.  In 1861 he went to Canton, Fulton County, Illinois, where he remained about eight years, working at coopering, wagon-making and carpentering. He was a member of the State militia during the John Brown raid in 1861, and was sent into the Confederate army, but after serving four months he deserted, and joined the Union troops in Illinois, enlisting in the Sixty-seventh Infantry, Company F, and was appointed Orderly Sergeant.  March 10, 1864, he was married to Rachel Briley, and to them have been born eight children – George W., Edith M., Daisy G., John A., Cecil H., Ora B., Olive U. and Amy P.  Mr. Ronk came to Clarke County, Iowa, in the fall of 1870, and has since made his home on section 11, Madison Township, where he has 183 acres of fine land. In politics he is a Democrat, taking an active interest in that political party, and June 30, 1886, he attended the State Nominating Convention held at Des Moines. Mr. Ronk never seeks official honors, but has served his township several terms as trustee, with credit to himself and his constituents. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity

SOURCE: Biographical and Historical Record of Clarke County, Iowa, Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, Illinois, 1886 p. 294