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A. A. Berry
Founder of Berry Seed Company
1860 - 1939
Clarinda mourns the loss of one of its pioneer industrial and civic
leaders -- A. A. Berry passed away at his home at noon Wednesday after a
short illness. Funeral services for the 79-year-old founder of the Berry
Seed Company were held at the United Presbyterian Church Friday afternoon
at 2:30 p.m., to be in charge of Rev. Henry Orr Lietman.
The pioneer seedman and poultryman of this section of the state, a
resident of page county most of his life, was ill but a short time,
although he had been in failing health for several years and under the
doctor's care for many months. He was able to go for a car ride on Monday
but Tuesday took a turn for the worse and after only an afternoon
Wednesday.
Surviving are his widow, two sons, George, whose home is at Quincy,
Illinois, Ernest, of Newton, Kansas, two daughters, Mrs. Anna Humbert and
Mrs. Ralph Duff, both of Clarinda, a brother, John, of Omaha and a sister,
Mrs. John Duncan of College Springs.
Mr. Berry was born July 6, 1860 at Urbana, Ohio, and at the age of seven
came to St. Joseph, Mo, by train and then by freighter to College Springs
where the family started farming. He attended Amity college at College
Springs and continued to farm between College Springs and Shambaugh where
he first started the seed business that was later to grow into one of
southwestern Iowa's leading industries.
During his early twenties he was agricultural editor of the old Clarinda
Herald, then owned by C.A. Lisle. He was also associated editor of the
Prairie Farmer and contributing editor of the Wallace Farmer. During his
early manhood he traveled extensively on agricultural tours, writing for
many publications. Seed business on the farm grew to such proportions that
it was necessary to move and the Van Arsdol place was purchased in 1899
and the seed business started here, known as the A. A. Berry Seed Co. In
1905 it was incorporated in the Berry Seed Co. and until 1924 he was
president of the concern that was to gain the reputation as the largest
mail order seed house in the world selling direct to farmers.
He retired from active work in the company in 1921 but the company
maintained the name of the Berry Seed Co. by which it is still known. At
the start of the present century the Berry Poultry farm was started and
today it is one of the pioneers in the field and is probably one of the
best known in the country. In 1929, because of ill health, he was forced
to retire from active work in branching out of the poultry farms, leaving
the work to his two sons who continue to operate large hatcheries in
Kansas, Oklahoma and Illinois. During 1910-11 he colonized 23,000 acres of
Florida land establishing the town of Roseland. Until this year he has
attended every national convention of poultrymen and seedmen, attending
the World Poultry Congress in London, England, in 1930 when he traveled
Europe and visited the home of his parents in Scotland. He was unable to
attend the meetings this year.
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