"Boss" Entler Scrapbook Collection

John S. "Boss" Entler was a Bonaparte, Van Buren Co. IA tinsmith, operating the "Boss Tin Shop" for many years. Born in Harrisburg township Jan. 17, 1852, he died in 1917. "Boss" Entler had many interests, among them bicycling, boxing and baseball. Scrapbooks devoted to his many hobbies and interests totaled 28 volumes which he meticulously constructed over a period dating from the early 1890's to around 1913. 

The "jewels" of this collection from a genealogical standpoint are concentrated in 6 volumes containing nearly 2,000 Van Buren County obituaries, marriage announcements and birth announcements, most of which were concerning residents, or former residents of Bonaparte and Van Buren County. They are housed in the Special Collections department at the Iowa Historical Library, Iowa City. Due to their poor condition, access is restricted. 

The Bonaparte newspaper office was destroyed by fire in 1910. Thus, the contents of these scrapbooks may be the only record of  the vast majority of these articles. The scrapbooks have not been microfilmed and are in such fragile condition that they cannot be photocopied. Over a period of time I was able to video tape record each and every page of the scrapbooks containing genealogical records and a Surname Index linked to actual transcriptions has been completed. See below.

- -  Rich Lowe, Van Buren Co. IAGenWeb

Begin Surname Search Here