One of the most hospitable, and one of the most pleasant homes in the truest sense of the word, is the Casselman home in Lyon township, which has been acquired by the personal exertions and efforts of George C. Casselman, and is presided over by his accomplished wife who is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S.O. Everley (see sketch).

Mr. Casselman is a native of Jones county, Iowa, born on a farm in 1870. In 1878 he came with his parents, Levi and Mary (Parker) Casselman, to the state of Kansas. His father was born in eastern Canada but a few years later came with his parents to the state of New York and settled near Tuscarora. After reaching manhood he made several changes, and finally drifted into Iowa, where he enlisted in Company C, First Iowa Cavalry, serving in the same regiment until July, 1865. They were with the troops of General Sheridan and General Custer through their career in Texas. After the war he returned to Iowa where he remained until coming to Kansas in 1878.

Mr. Casselman's paternal grandfather was a soldier of the Canadian rebellion of 1837, serving in the Canadian British ranks. He emigrated to Wisconsin in an early day and died there at the age of ninety-five years. The Casselmans, four generations removed, came from Germany and are a long-lived people, several of them having almost reached the century mark. Mr. Casselman's mother, Mary (Parker) Casselman, was of Scotch origin, born in the city of Montreal, Canada. Her parents emigrated from Scotland to Canada and thence to Wisconsin. She was twice married. Her first husband was John W. Cook, who was killed near Atlanta while serving under the United States flag. He was a sergeant and with a force of men was throwing up in embankment, when he was hit by a spent ball and died of the wound in 1864. By this marriage there were four children, three of whom are living, viz: Maggie, wife of William Sanford of Amber, Iowa; Rosa, wife of Marion Bellows, a farmer near Oldham, Iowa, and Sewell, a resident of Newton, Kansas.

When Mr. Casselman's father came to Kansas he bought three hundred and twenty acres of unimproved land of C.C. King. He built a house, dug a well, fenced the land and otherwise improved the place. In the winter of 1895 his residence burned and soon afterwards he sold two hundred and twenty acres of the farm to his son, George C., the subject of this sketch, who at once began the erection of a commodious, two-story, nine-room modern, stone residence, which stands on an eminence of ground overlooking the country for many miles. It is one of the most substantial buildings in that vicinity. While this was in course of construction Mr. Casselman with his bride lived in a dugout.

Mr. Casselman was married October 7, 1894, to Miss Zora Everley. They are the happy parents of two little sons, Floyd W., born in February, 1896, and Melvin H., born in July, 1898. Mr. Casselman is one of three sons; Alexander, a farmer with residence near Medford, Oklahoma, and John W., a telegraph operator of Sioux City, Nebaska.[sic] Mr. Casselman has just received a thoroughbred Shorthorn bull, and is building up a herd of Shorthorn and Hereford cattle. Stock raising and wheat growing are his principal industries.

Mr. Casselman is a staunch Republican. The Casselmans are members and ardent workers of the Bethel church society; he has been superintendent of the Sunday school for two years and is secretary of the board of trustees. He is a member of the Woodman order of Glasco lodge. Mr. Casselman is a leader in all public enterprises of his neighborhood and is recognized as a man of integrity.