Past &  Present of Bureau County



Asa W. Kasbeer



Asa W. Kasbeer, owning and operating one hundred and forty-six acres of valuable land in Ohio township, Bureau county, and also the owner ofa fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Allen county, Kansas, is a native son of the county in which he makes his home, his birth having occurred December 28, 1852. He is a son of J. S. and Hannah (Ross) Kasbeer, the former born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, December 28, 1818, and the latter in 1836, and both still survive. In their family were twelve children, of whom eight are livnig, while four have passed away.



Asa W. Kasbeer, the fifth member of his father's family, was educated in the public schools of Bureau county, and after putting asie his textbooks, started out upon his own responsibility. He has been very successful in all his undertakings and is now the owner of one hundred and forty-six acres of land situated in Ohio Township. Part of this property was inherited by him, but he has added all of the improvements and accessroeis, thus enhancing its value until it is today worth from one hundred and fifty to two hundred dollars per acre, while it was worth but fifty dollars per acre when it came into his possession. On this tract are found modern and substantial buildings and all the conveniences of a mdel farm. He has also set out many shade trees, which add to the attractive appearance of the place and show the owner to be progressive in theconduct of his business interests. He has all the latest improved fram machinery to facilitate his work and exercises excellent ability in all that he undertakes.  Beside this tract of land he is the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of valuable farming land in Allen county, Kansas, which he has improved until it has doubled in value since it came into his posession.



Mr. Kasbeer was united in marriage to Miss Alice M. Staples, who was born in London. England, on the 14th of April, 1860, a daughter of John and Annie (Leech) Staples, both natives of that country. Mrs. Kasbeer accompanied her parents on their emigration from England to America in May, 1869. They first settled at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where they remained for only about a month, and then made their way to Bureau county, llinois, where the daughter was reared and educated, completing her high school education in Princeton, and after reaching womanhood gave her hand in marriage to the subject of this review, the wedding ceremony being performed on the 8th of March, 1882. The father is still living, but the mother passed away on the 23d of November, 1894. In their family were five sons and six daughters, of whom two are deceased, Mrs. Kasbeer being the fourth in order of birth.



Unto our subject and his wife have been born five children, as follows:  Walter R., born March 15, 1883; Louie B., July 13, 1884; Arthur R., March 5, 1887, and James A. bortnOctober 20, 1892. Politically Mr. Kasbeer is a republican and he and his famiy are members of teh Methodist Protestant church. He has served as school director and is interested in the educational advancement of his township and county. He is an enterprising agriculturist, following modern metodis in all his work, and through his industry has accomplished excellent results to that he is now the owner ofextensive landed interests both in Illinois and Kansas, being classed among the substantial and well-to-do agriculturists of Bureau county. He possesses many excellent traits of character which have secured to him many business and socia friends and he and his estimabe wife are numbered among the mosthighly respected people of their community,and are now enabled to enjoy the luxuries of life.