in - law , ▁Francis ▁Gar ner ▁M off ett . ▁The ▁two ▁also ▁purchased ▁the ▁county ' s ▁only ▁newspaper , ▁the ▁Grund y ▁County ▁Atlas , ▁running ▁it ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁six ▁years , ▁M off ett ▁serving ▁as ▁local ▁editor ▁and ▁Re a ▁as ▁political ▁editor . ▁The ▁Atlas , ▁later ▁succeeded ▁by ▁the ▁Republican , ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁newspaper ▁serving ▁Grund y ▁County . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 6 , ▁they ▁sold ▁the ▁paper ▁to ▁Re a ' s ▁fellow ▁Mount ▁Car roll ▁Sem inary ▁al umn us ▁Charles ▁Ke iter . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁Re a ▁was ▁elected ▁the ▁Grund y ▁County ▁super int endent ▁of ▁schools ▁and ▁served ▁for ▁two ▁years . ▁Later , ▁he ▁also ▁served ▁for ▁some ▁time ▁on ▁the ▁Grund y ▁Center ▁school ▁board , ▁including ▁a ▁st int ▁as ▁its ▁president . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁Re a ▁married ▁Ann ▁Raymond . ▁They ▁had ▁two ▁children , ▁George ▁and ▁Ralph . ▁ ▁A ▁lif el ong ▁Republican , ▁Re a ▁was ▁presented ▁as ▁the ▁preferred ▁choice ▁of ▁the ▁Grund y ▁County ▁Republican ▁Party ▁for ▁sen ate ▁at ▁every ▁election ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 9 ▁to ▁ 1 8 9 3 . ▁Re a ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁an ▁alternate ▁delegate ▁to ▁the ▁Republican ▁National ▁Convention ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 9 3 , ▁Re a ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁sen ate ▁of ▁Iowa ▁as ▁a