USA > Iowa > Clayton County > History of Clayton County, Iowa : from the earliest historical times down to the present : including a genealogical and biographical record of many representative families, prepared from data obtained from original sources of information, Volume I > Part 80
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own a valuable landed estate of thirteen hundred acres, of a con- siderable portion of which he has now disposed, though he continues to maintain his residence on his original homestead place and continues a prominent and honored exponent of agricultural in- dustry in the county that has been the stage of his worthy and successful endeavors as one of the world's productive workers. His devoted wife, who proved a faithful helpmeet, is now deceased, she having been a devout communicant of the Lutheran church, as is also Mr. Klinkenberg, and of their nine children, six are living. Henry Klinkenberg is indebted to the public schools of his native county for his early educational discipline and he continued to be associated with his father in the work and management of the latter's large landed estate until his marriage, after which he rented one of his father's farms. This property he later purchased and it constitutes his present fine homestead of two hundred and forty acres, maintained under effective cultivation and given over to diversified agriculture and the raising of excellent grades of live stock. The permanent improvements on the place are of sub- stantial and modern order and Mr. Klinkenberg is the owner also of twenty-three acres of timber land in Reed township. His polit- ical support is given to the Democratic party and both he and his wife are communicants of the Lutheran church at Farmersburg. In June, 1901, was recorded the marriage of Mr. Klinkenberg to Miss Bertha Kurth, who was born in the state of South Dakota, and who is a daughter of William and Lena (Schroder) Kurth. The parents were born in Germany and came to the United States in 1882, in which year they established their home in South Dakota. They later came to Clayton county, Iowa, where they still reside. Of their seven children all are living except one. Mr. and Mrs. Klinkenberg have two children-Fritz William, who was born February 26, 1902, and Alvin G., who was born June 15, 1911.
Herman Klinkenberg is essentially one of the representative factors in connection with the promotion of the agricultural and live-stock interests of his native county and in addition to his own- crship of a most fertile and productive landed estate of four hun- dred acres in Wagner township he owns also a well improved tract of two hundred and seventy-five acres near New Hampton, Chickasaw county. He is a scion of one of the well known and influential pioneer families of Clayton county, and concerning his father more specific mention will be found on other pages of this work. Mr. Klinkenberg was born at Farmersburg, this county, on the 25th of December, 1864, and is a son of Charles and Dora (Maulks) Klinkenberg, both of whom were born in Germany. Charles Klinkenberg was reared to manhood in his fatherland, where he received good educational advantages in his youth, and as a young man of twenty-five years he manifested the courage of his conviction by immigrating to America, with assurance that in the United States he would find better opportunities for the achieving of independence and advancement through individual effort. He became one of the early settlers of Clayton county, where he labored with characteristic energy and zeal in the reclaiming of a farm from
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ship, where also resides Louisa, the wife of Charles Schmidt; Will- iam lives in the village of Farmersburg; Annie is the wife of August Kahle, and they maintain their home in Minnesota; Bertha is the wife of Mine Dickinson, of Emmettsburg, Iowa; and Martha is the wife of Charles Faber, of Ionia, Chickasaw county. Mr. and Mrs. Klinkenberg became the parents of four children: Lucy is the wife of Arthur Schmidt, of Wagner township; Bertha and Frederick died in childhood ; and Mathilda Marguerite remains at the parental home.
Henry J. Klotzbach takes justifiable satisfaction in claiming Clayton county as the place of his nativity and in being a represen- tative of one of the sterling pioneer families of the county, the name of which he bears, having been identified with the history of this favored section of the State for more than sixty years and having been worthily connected with the record of both civic and industrial development and progress. He resides upon the well improved old homestead farm, in Giard township, and is the owner of this farm of forty acres. He was born October 16, 1865. As a progressive and wideawake farmer he gives his attention to diversified agriculture and stock-growing, and he is one of the substantial and valued ex- ponents of these important lines of industrial enterprise in his native county. Mr. Klotzbach is a son of Nicholas and Elizabeth (Heis- ner) Klotzbach, both of whom were born in Germany and both of whom were representatives of that admirable German element of citizenship that has played so important a part in the development of the resources of Clayton county. Nicholas Klotzbach immi- grated from his Fatherland to the United States in 1844, and he became a farmer in Lorain county, Ohio, where he continued his activities until 1855, when he came to Iowa and numbered himself among the pioneer settlers of Clayton county. On the farm now owned and occupied by his son Henry J., of this review, he indus- triously applied his energies, and he reclaimed his land from the virgin wilds, made substantial improvements of a permanent order and eventually accumulated an estate of about eighty acres. He continued his identification with farm industry in Giard township until the close of his long, worthy and useful life, and passed to eternal rest on the 23rd of October, 1905, his devoted wife soon following him, as her death occurred December 28, 1907. Both were devoted members of the Reformed Church and he was a staunch Democrat in his political proclivities, with a deep appreci- ation of the institutions and advantages of the land of his adoption. He was influential in community affairs and served for a number of years in the office of township trustee. At the old homestead remain the two eldest children, Misses Martha and Elizabeth, who are held in affectionate esteem by all who know them; Louisa is the wife of Charles L. Luckerman, of McGregor, this county ; Lena is the wife of Frank C. Butts, of Farmersburg township; Edward remains with his sisters on a portion of the old homestead farm; Henry J., immediate subject of this sketch, was the next in order of birth ; William is a prosperous farmer in Mendon township; George died in the year 1909; and Julia is the wife of Louis H. Haefner,
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attention for many years, though he retired from active labors sev- eral years prior to his demise. Mr. Klotzbach coveted success, but scorned to attain it save by worthy means, so that the prosperity that crowned his efforts was a merited and consistent result. He was always ready to do his part in the furtherance of measures and enterprises tending to conserve the civic and material welfare of the community, was a staunch Republican in politics and was a zeal- ous member of the German Methodist Episcopal church, as is also his venerable widow, who still remains on the old homestead farm, the same being endeared to her by the hallowed memories and asso- ciation of many years. Mr. Klotzbach manifested his abiding Christian faith in good works and kindly deeds, and he served for a number of years as a trustee of the church with which he and his wife were actively affiliated. On the 18th of July, 1871, was solem- nized the marriage of Mr. Klotzbach to Miss Catherine Hahn, who was born in Lorain county, Ohio, on the 19th of February, 1853, and whose parents came to Iowa in the following year, to become sterling pioneer settlers in Giard township, Clayton county, where her father purchased land and reclaimed a good farm. Mrs. Klotz- bach is a daughter of John Peter Hahn and Elizabeth (Lattaman) Hahn, both of whom continued their residence in Clayton county until the close of their long and useful lives, and both of whom were devoted members of the German Methodist church. Mr. and Mrs. Klotzbach became the parents of eleven children, concerning whom brief record is given in conclusion of this memoir: Theodore is a prosperous farmer in Monona township; Levi is a resident of Klemma, Iowa; Frederick and Catherine died in childhood; Rose remains with her widowed mother on the old homestead ; Clara is the wife of Elmer Weithorn, of Watson, this state; Huldah is the wife of Otto Erbe, and they reside in the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Frank is identified with business interests in the village of Monona ; and Roy, Willard and Harry remain on the old homestead, in the work and management of which they are associated, as rep- resentative young farmers of their native county, where they are effectively upholding the honors of the name which they bear. It is interesting to record that Mrs. Klotzbach has seven grandchil- dren, as representatives of the third generation of the family in Iowa. Theodore Klotzbach has three children-Gerald, Angeline and Irene; Levi Klotzbach has three children-Ila, Allen and Lloyd ; and Clara, wife of Elmer Weithorn, has one son-Raymond.
Myron E. Knight is one of the venerable but still vigorous and active pioneer citizens of Clayton county, which has represented his home from boyhood, and he resides on his finely improved home- stead farm, with the distinction of having maintained longer con- tinuous residence on a single farm than any other man in Lodo- millo township. Mr. Knight is, in both the paternal and maternal lines, a scion of fine old colonial stock in New England, and he takes a due measure of pride in reverting to the historic old Bay state as the place of his nativity. He was thirteen years of age at the time of the family immigration to Iowa and has continuously maintained his home in Clayton county during the long intervening years,
HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY
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though it was his to go forth and render most gallant service as a valiant soldier of the Union in the Civil war. Mr. Knight was born at Norwich, Hampshire county, Massachusetts, on the 19th of Feb- ruary, 1842, and is a son of Samuel H. and Betsey (Stevens) Knight, both likewise natives of Massachusetts, where the former was born November 28, 1803, and the latter on the 22d of January, 1812. Samuel H. Knight came with his family to Clayton county in the year 1855 and became one of the pioneer farmers and influential and honored citizens of Lodomillo township as now constituted. Here he reclaimed his farm to cultivation and here he and his devoted wife continued their ideal companionship until the close of their lives, Mrs. Knight having been summoned to eternal rest on the 5th of December, 1873, and her bereaved husband having passed away on the 31st of the same month. They became the parents of ten children, one of whom died in infancy, and of the others four sons and two daughters are now living. Mary Alice, who was born July 25, 1852, passed away in the home of her brother, Myron E., of this sketch, on the 3d of June, 1863, and in the same home, on the 23d of September next occurred the death of an older brother, Samuel Judson, who was born June 22, 1838. Three of the sons were soldiers in the Civil war, and John S. was but seventeen years old when he took part in the battle of Pea Ridge and was severely wounded. As previously stated, Myron E. Knight was a lad of thirteen years at the time of the family immigration to Clayton county, and the home was established on an unimproved tract of land in Section 30, Lodomillo township, where he has resided during all the long intervening years. His early education was gained in his native state and the pioneer schools of Clayton county, and he contributed his full quota to the reclamation and development of the home farm. He is now the owner of a specially well improved and valuable landed estate of 215 acres, all being situated in Lodo- millo township except fifteen acres, which are in Cass township. Mr. Knight now gives special attention to the dairy department of his farm enterprise, and finds distinctive satisfaction in giving his personal supervision in a general way to the splendid farm property that has been accumulated and largely reclaimed and improved by him, the family home being a commodious and attractive brick residence that has long been known as a center of cordial hospi- tality. On the 11th of August, 1862, at the age of twenty years, Mr. Knight tendered his service in defense of the cause of the Union and it was given him to live up to the full tension of the Civil war and to prove a loyal and gallant soldier of the Union. On the date noted above he enlisted as a private in Company B, Twenty- first Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and with this gallant command he continued in active service until the close of the war. He was mustered out with his regiment on the 15th of July, 1865, at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he received his honorable discharge at Clin- ton, Iowa, on the 24th of the same month. On the 11th of January, 1863, Mr. Knight participated in the battle at Hartsville, Missouri, and in May of the same year he took part in the engagements at Port Gibson and Campion's Hill, Mississippi, as well as the charge
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:at Black River Bridge, that state, on the 17th of that month. In this charge, Colonel Samuel Merrill, commander of the regiment, was wounded, and it will be recalled that this honored commander later served two terms as governor of the state of Iowa. Mr. Knight took part also in the siege of Vicksburg and his regiment was specially prominent in the charge on the fortifications of that city on May 22, 1863. In the spring of 1865 he participated in the subjugation of Spanish Fort and Fort Blakely. He still retains in his possession, as an interesting souvenir, a small memorandum book which he carried in his pocket during his entire period of service in the war between the north and the south. He vitalizes the more grateful memories and associations of his military career by maintaining affiliation with the Grand Army of the Republic. Mr. Knight has been a leader in popular sentiment and action in his home community, and he served for a full quarter of a century as township treasurer. For twelve consecutive years he was trustee of Lodomillo township, and he has also served with equal and char- acteristic efficiency as a member of the school board of his district. His political allegiance has always been given to the Republican party and he has for many years been an active member of the Baptist church, of which his wife likewise was a devout adherent, their gracious companionship having been severed by her death, which occurred October 23, 1908. On the 1st of January, 1871, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Knight to Miss Bessie J. Gil- bert, who was born in Chenango county, New York, on the 22d of March, 1842, a daughter of Lyman and Sallie (Holcomb) Gilbert, She was a woman of gentle personality and her death was deeply mourned by those who had come within the compass of her kindly influence. Of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Knight the eldest is Alice M., who is the wife of Charles H. Smith, of Lodomillo town- ship; John S. is a prosperous exponent of agricultural industry in the same township; William M. remains at the old home and proves his father's valued aid in the management of the farm; Kate M. is the wife of Ernest Schroeder, of Dundee, Delaware county ; Charles W. died on the 26th of June, 1882; and Earl M. still remains on the home farm, the fine rural place receiving its mail service on route No. 1 from Strawberry Point.
Herman L. Knuth .- About two miles distant from the village of Luana, in Monona township, is located the well improved farm of Mr. Knuth, and the thrift and prosperity there in evidence fully indicate his energy and progressiveness as one of the substantial representatives of agricultural and live-stock industry in the county that has been his place of residence since he was a lad of fourteen years and in which his independence and prosperity have been gained through his own well ordered efforts. Herman L. Knuth was born in Prussia, on the 22d of April, 1863, and is a son of Charles and Augusta (Hayden) Knuth, who immigrated to Amer- ica in 1872, when the subject of this sketch was nine years old. The family home was established in the city of Chicago, and as this was in the year immediately following that of the great Chicago fire, Charles Knuth found ready demand for his effective services as a
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in which it is published, his work being based on alert and vigorous mentality that makes him an effective editor and on a technical knowledge of the printing business in its various departments. His field of enterprise is extended by his publishing also of a weekly paper at Rudd, Floyd county, where he maintained his residence prior to coming to Clayton county, and where he served as secre- tary of the Commercial Club. Mr. Konzen was born in Lawler, Chickasaw county, this state, on the 21st of October, 1895, and is a son of John G. and May (Connors) Konzen, both of whom were likewise born in Iowa, where the respective families settled in the pioneer days. The father gave the major part of his active life to mercantile business, and was one of the highly esteemed citizens of Lawler county at the time of his death, which occurred May 3, 1914. He is survived by his wife and three children. Karl J. Konzen is indebted to the public schools for his early educational discipline and has had the liberal supplemental training ever in- volved in association with the "art preservative of all arts." His alliance with the printing and newspaper business had its inception when he was a lad of sixteen years, and from that time to the pres- ent he has not wavered in his allegiance thereto, the while he has delved deeply into the mysteries of the art and business and has proved himself not lacking in self-reliance and resourcefulness as a representative of journalism. As previously intimated, he estab- lished his residence at Volga in the year 1915, and here he has, through his personality and progressiveness, gained leadership in community sentiment and action and also a secure place in popular confidence and good will. He is a vigorous and effective advocate of the principles of the Democratic party and as there is no measure of inconsistency in a young bachelor proving an able newspaper man Mr. Konzen can legitimately claim both of these distinctions.
John Krambier, Sr., is one of those sterling citizens who, after years of close and effective association with the great basic industry of agriculture, find that there has come the well earned prosperity which permits them to lay aside the arduous labors and responsi- bilities that long fell to their lot and to pass the gracious twilight of their worthy lives in retirement, with the repose, peace and pros- perity that properly crown such careers of useful endeavor. Mr. Krambier was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, on the 8th of De- cember, 1844, and has been a resident of Clayton county since he was a lad of fourteen years. He is a son of John and Elizabeth (Schultz) Krambier, who were born and reared in Mecklenburg, where the former learned in his youth the sturdy trade of black- smith. In 1859 the family immigrated to the United States and became members of the very appreciable German pioneer colony that was established in and about Guttenberg, Clayton county, in which village John Krambier (I) engaged in the work of his trade. Later he removed to St. Olaf, this county, where he established a shop and built up a substantial and prosperous business as a black- smith, besides which he made judicious investment in land and developed a productive farm, both he and his wife having been honored pioneer citizens of the county at the time of their death
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Dakota; Augusta is the wife of August Duering, of Luana; John, Jr., is a prosperous farmer in Monona township, Robert in South Dakota and Louis in Monona township; Emma is the wife of Will- iam Rasmussen, of Britt, Hancock county; Minnie remains at the parental home; Ida is the wife of William Landt, of Luana; Ben- jamin resides at Luana, George at Britt, Hancock county, and Bertha remains with her parents.
John Kramer has precedence as one of the enterprising and representative merchants and prominent and influential citizens of his native place, the thriving and attractive little city of McGregor, where he is engaged in the clothing and men's furnishing business, with a well stocked and handsomely appointed store in which centers a substantial and appreciative supporting patronage. The major part of his life has been passed in Clayton county, but for four years he maintained his residence in Mckenzie county, North Dakota, where he still owns the well improved farm which he re- claimed from the virgin prairie. Mr. Kramer was born at McGregor on the 26th of August, 1873, and is a son of Jacob and Katherine (Kahl) Kramer, both natives of Germany and both honored pio- neers of Clayton county. Jacob Kramer was reared and educated in his native land and as a young man, in 1853, he immigrated to the United States, confident of his ability here to find better oppor: tunities for the gaining of success and definite prosperity through personal effort. He remained for a time in Albany in the State of New York. In 1856 he came to Iowa and established his residence at McGregor, where he engaged in the work of his trade, that of carpenter, and where he became a successful contractor and builder in the pioneer days. He was influential in public affairs in the com- munity, served for a time as village marshal, besides which his strong hold upon popular confidence and esteem was shown in his being called upon to serve as a member of the municipal council and also as a member of the board of education of McGregor. He became a naturalized citizen after establishing his home in this county, and it is worthy of note that in obtaining his naturalization papers he walked from McGregor to Garnavillo to apply for and perfect the same. In 1856 was solemnized the marriage of Jacob and Katherine (Kahl) Kramer. Both he and his wife were promi- nently concerned in the founding of the German Presbyterian Church of McGregor, and the first meeting of its incipient congre- gation was held in their home. Honored for his sterling character and worthy achievement, this sturdy pioneer citizen was summoned to eternal rest on the 30th of January, 1912, and his venerable widow still remains at the old home in McGregor, secure in the affectionate regard of all who know her. Of the children the eldest is Jacob, who still resides at McGregor; Minnie is the wife of William O. Warley, and they maintain their home in the State of North Dakota ; William F. resides at McGregor ; Charles F., Louis M. and Frederick likewise reside in this city ; Kate died in 1914; and John, of this review, is the youngest of the number. John Kramer is indebted to the public schools of McGregor for his early educa- tional discipline, and at the age of fifteen years he assumed a posi-
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upon the community that has long been his home the strength and steadfastness of his sterling character and he commands in- violable place in popular confidence and esteem, so that in all respects he is specially worthy of recognition in this history of Clayton county and its people. Mr. Krasinsky was born in Ger- many, on the 24th of July, 1850, and is a son of John and Dorothy (Brunern) Krasinsky, both of whom there passed their entire lives; they became the parents of three children, of whom two are living. He whose name introduces this article was reared and educated in his Fatherland, and in 1868 he followed the course of his youthful ambition by severing the home ties and setting forth to seek his fortunes in the United States. Soon after his arrival in America he came to Iowa and found employment at farm work in Clayton county, this occupation having been followed by him for the first three years, at the expiration of which he assumed a position as clerk in a mercantile establishment at Garnavillo. Several years later he engaged independently in the general merchandise busi- ness at McGregor, but after conducting the enterprise about two years he disposed of his stock of goods and removed to the city of Dubuque, where he was employed as clerk in a mercantile establishment for a period of six years, this being the only interval of his not maintaining his home in Clayton county during the entire time that he has been in America. Upon returning to this county from Dubuque he again established his residence at Garnavillo, and soon afterward, in 1884, he was appointed postmaster, under the Cleveland administration. He continued the efficient incum- bent of this office for a period of one term, and in the meanwhile he again engaged in the general merchandise business, with which he has continued to be successfully identified during the long inter- vening years. He has built up a large and substantial business and the high reputation he has won for himself and his establish- ment constitutes a most valuable business asset, besides being a matter of just pride and satisfaction to him. Mr. Krasinsky has been prominent and influential in the Clayton county councils of the Democratic party and in addition to his service as postmaster he held for thirteen years the office of township clerk and was for several years a member of the board of education of Garnavillo. In addition to his substantial and modern store building and an attractive residence property Mr. Krasinsky is the owner of two village lots that have not been improved with buildings. He is affiliated with the blue-lodge, chapter and council bodies of the York Rite of the Masonic fraternity and both he and his wife are communicants and liberal supporters of the Lutheran church in their home village. In the year 1872 Mr. Krasinsky wedded Miss Elizabeth Walleser, who was born in Pennsylvania but who has passed the greater part of her life in Clayton county, where her parents established their home when she was a child. Mrs. Kras- insky is a daughter of Matthew and Rosina (Ruester) Walleser, both natives of the Kingdom of Baden, Germany, whence they came to America when young folks, their first place of residence having been in Pennsylvania, whence they came to Clayton county,
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