Sheriffs of Clarke County

The office of sheriff is the only elected law enforcement officer in the state. This insured the sheriff did the work of the people and not the bidding of a king. Clarke County has held elections since its founding. In August 1851, eighty people resided in the county. Thirty seven were eligible to vote. There were just enough residents to divide the offices amongst themselves.

The first sheriff, lvison Ellis, was born in Kentucky in 1814. In 1837, he married Agnes Arnold in Indiana. Together, with their five young children, they made the trek to Iowa. As a young family, they settled in the southern part of the county, in Green Bay Township section 21. Along with other pioneer settlers, the EIiis’s gained forty acres of land issued by President Franklin Pierce on June 3, 1856. Early days of the county were witnessed to an untouched prairie with a bountiful source of opportunity. There were no railroads, post offices or lumber mills. The ground had yet to see a plow, wildlife of turkey and prairie chickens were plentiful.

Ten short years, after the first official election, the area saw many changes. Clarke County’s population was exploding. Pioneers flocked by the masses to the county that was so rich with promising farm land. By 1860, Clarke County had gained an estimated five thousand new residents. With all the changes quickly taking place, the position of sheriff was and still remains important.

Clarke County has seen 32 sheriffs. In the early years, the term of sheriff was only two years. It wasn’t until Sheriff John Stearns was elected sheriff, in 1964, the terms switched to four years. Each sheriff has seen their share of encounters. They have served their community with compassion and honor. There are many stories of how the sheriff interacts with the people they were elected to serve. Not every candidate was a law enforcement officer. The majority of the sheriffs elected were regular people. Most had other jobs including the duties required by the county position. And the majority, after serving their terms, stayed in the community. One out of every three of Clarke County’s sheriffs are veterans. And twenty four of the thirty two are laid to rest in the county they so humbly served.

A list of Clarke County sheriffs are as follows.

lvison Ellis 1851-1853, John Butcher 1853-1855, William Watt 1855-1857, James Hall 1857-1861, *David Bonar 1861-1864, *George Christy 1864-1866, *Ebenezer Ledgerwood 1866-1869, Orin Rarick 1869-1871, *Joseph Ballou 1871-1881, *Avery Scott 1881-1883, *Egbert Rankin 1883-1885, *James Bonar 1885, *William Williams 1885-1892, *Monroe Campbell 1892-1894, *Newton Jolley 1894-1898, *Casper Lukenbill 1898-1902, Creed Scott 1902-1907, Joseph Keeran 1907-1911, *Richard Eggleston 1911-1915, *William Tillotson 1915-1919, *Ed West 1919-1923, *George LeHuquet 1923-1927, *John Lewis 1927-1930, *Andrew Stansell 1930-1934, *Floyd McQuern 1934-1940, Harold Burgus 1940-1946, *Norlan Miller 1946-1952, *Kenneth Likes 1952-1964, *John Stearns 1964-1992, Mark Addison 1992-2006, Bill Kerns 2006-2016, Rob Kovacevich 2016-present.

*indicates the sheriffs that are laid to rest in Maple Hill Cemetery, Osceola la