Born in Colony Township, Delaware Co., la., on March 8, 1845, and died September 23, 1918 in Guthrie, Oklahoma. He lived in Colony, Delaware, Iowa for six years. His father (Rev. Frank Merten) became itinerant preacher for the M. E. Church in 1851. They spent the time until 1862 in Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. He attended school at Baldwin University, Berea, Ohio. In 1863 and 1864, he moved to Missouri and in the Spring of 1864, he engaged in the nursery business. Mr. Merten enlisted in the Fall of 1864, in Co. B, 43d Mo. V. I., and mustered out in August, 1865, and closed out his nursery and came to Iowa in 1866. He taught school two years, then purchased a farm in 1867. He was married on November 18, 1868, at The Grove, Ill, to Miss Kate Seeley, from Brookfield, Wisconsin. They had two children-Eddie F., born Oct., 1870; Clara Alice, born Jan. 4, 1874; his wife died Oct. 1, 1876 at Earlville, Iowa. He married his second wife Ellen "Nell" Jane Ketchum and had three children. He was elected to the office of County Superintendent of Schools in the fall of 1871, and held it four years. He served as a representative in the 18th and 19th (1880-1884) Iowa General Assembly. He moved to Guthrie, Logan County, Oklahoma. He was a member of the 1890 Oklahoma Territorial House of Representatives. He was known as an able and brilliant man, who was the recognized leader of the Guthrie forces and was, without question, the best parliamentarian in either branch of the legislature. In politics a Republican and religion is a Methodist.
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