From History of Johnson County, Iowa

CHARLES FERNSTROM, farmer and stock raiser, post-office Lone Tree; was born in Sweden, City of Skara, August 22, 1833, where he spent his early life and attended the university of his native city; also engaged in clerking in a book store for some time. He came to America alone in 1850, and lived in Minnesota three years; then went to California, where he followed mining and farming eleven years. He then returned to Johnson county, Iowa, and bought the farm he now lives on in 1865.  He owns 310 acres of well improved land, and has a fine residence, good barn, etc., and pays special attention to raising stock. He was married January 4, 1870, to Miss Mabel Evans, a native of Madison County, New York, coming to this county in 1866. They have four children: Alice R., Charles J., Helen M. and George A. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Oxford, also of M. E. Church.

JOSEPH FIALA, grain buyer, post-office Solon ; was born in Bohemia, January 19, 1833, and spent his early life in his native country until 1852, when he came to America with his father, and lived in Cleveland, Ohio, two years, then came to Solon and bought government land. He has since lived here, and in 1876, he commenced buying grain at the station and also buys some stock. He owns 160 acres of land in Cedar township, which is well improved. He was married in November, 1856, to Catherine Kolda, also a native of Bohemia. They have six children:  Joseph, Annie, John, Josephine, Wesley and Stephen. He is a member
of the Catholic Church, and one of the original members of the church three miles northeast of town.

SILAS M. FINCH, attorney at law, Iowa City; was born August 22, 1840, in McHenry County, Illinois. He was married June 17, 1868, to Miss Maria W. Stark, of Woodstock, Illinois.  She died of consumption in December, 10 1881. Mr. Finch was a faithful soldier during the late war; enlisted in the Eighth Illinois Cavalry in 1861. He served under McClellan, Burnsides, Meade and Hooker, in all the important battles fought by them; was with Butler up the James river in 1864, and was discharged as a lieutenant in Texas, in 1866. He settled in Iowa City in 1869, and was admitted to the bar in Iowa City in 1870, and has practiced here ever since; is a republican in politics, and has always taken quite an active part in the actions of his party.