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 82
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as one of the oldest merchants of the place in point of consecutive operations. Mr. Kuenzel has shown the deepest loyalty to his home village and county and has been an influential figure in community affairs, with impregnable vantage-ground in popular confidence and good will. He was for six years a member of the village council, and the high estimate placed upon him in this connection was shown when he was elected to the office of mayor, of which he continued the incumbent two years and in which he gave a most progressive and satisfactory administration. He was for a long period given preferment as a member of the board of education, of which he served twelve years as president, and for nine years he held the office of postmaster of Garnavillo. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party, he is affiliated with the local Turnverein, and both he and his wife are communicants of the Lutheran church. On the 9th of July, 1884, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Kuenzel to Miss Nellie Walleser, who likewise was born and reared at Garnavillo, a representative of another of the honored pioneer families of the county. She is a daughter of Matthew and Rosina (Riester) Walleser, both natives of Germany and both now de- ceased. Of their children she was the seventh in order of birth, and concerning the others the following brief record is consistently entered: Henry is deceased; Frances (Francis?) is a resident of Nashua, Chickasaw county; Emil maintains his home at Garna- villo; Elizabeth is the wife of Theodore J. Krasinsky, of this place; Rosina is the wife of William Schumacher, of Garnavillo, where also resides Joseph, the next in order of birth; and Anna is the wife of Henry Kuenzel, their home being in the city of Dubuque. Mr. and Mrs. Keunzel of this review have one son, Webber B., who is now serving as postmaster of Garnavillo and who is one of the repre- sentative young men of Clayton county.
George Kuhlman .- One of the most gratifying conditions that have been noted in connection with the preparation of this history is that there are to be found in Clayton county very many native sons of the county who have had the good judgment here to con- tinue their close allegiance to the basic industries of agriculture and stock-growing and to prove definitely alert, vigorous and success- ful exponents of these important lines of enterprise. Such an one is Mr. Kuhlman, who owns, resides upon and effectively directs the operations of the fine homestead farm which has been his place of residence from the time of his birth. He was born August 31, 1875, in Garnavillo township, and a portion of his homestead farm lies within the corporate boundaries of the thriving village of Garna- villo. He is a son of Frederick W. and Mary (Dahl) Kuhlman, both of whom were born and reared in Germany, whence they im- migrated to America in 1848. They located in the state of Ohio, where they remained until 1852, when they came to Iowa and estab- lished themselves as pioneer settlers in Garnavillo township, Clay- ton county. The journey from Ohio to their destination was made with an ox team and a covered wagon, and the original home of the family was a log cabin of the true pioneer type. Frederick W. Kuhlman gained substantial success through his farm operations
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and both he and his wife were honored pioneer citizens of this county at the time of their death, when well advanced in years. Both were earnest communicants of the Lutheran church, in the faith of which they reared their five children, all of whom are living. George Kuhlman continued his studies in the public schools of his native county until he had made good use of the advantages afforded in the high school at Garnavillo, and he remained with his parents until their death, proving his father's valued coadjutor in the work and management of the old homestead farm, which he eventually inherited and which is one of the valuable landed estates of the county, with the best of improvements of a permanent order and with an area of two hundred and seventy acres, in Sections 8 and 17, Garnavillo township. The farm is given over to diversified agriculture and the raising of approved grades of live stock, and in connection with these lines of industry the subject of this sketch had well upheld the high prestige of the family name. He is a stalwart in the local ranks of the Republican party and has served as township trustee and as a member of the school board. He is one of the stockholders of the Farmers' Co-operative Creamery Company of Garnavillo, and was its president for a period of five years, besides which he is a director of the Farmers' State Bank of Garnavillo, of which he was one of the organizers. Mr. Kuhlman is still to be acclaimed as one of the eligible bachelors of his native county, even as he here has a circle of friends that is limited only by that of his acquaintances.
Henry H. Kuhlman is a native son of Clayton county and a scion of an honored pioneer family that was here founded more than sixty years ago. Here he has found ample scope and oppor- tunity for large and worthy achievement along normal lines of in- dustrial and business enterprise, and he is now serving as the effi- cient and popular cashier of the Farmers' State Bank of Garnavillo, of which he was one of the organizers and in which he is a substan- tial stockholder. Further evidence of the confidence and esteem reposed in him in the community is that afforded by his being called upon to serve as mayor of the thriving village of Garnavillo, in which important municipal office the year 1916 finds him giving a most progressive and effective administration. Mr. Kuhlman was born in Garnavillo township, this county. on the 25th of May, 1865, and is one of a family of five children, all of whom are living. He is a son of Frederick W. and Mary (Dahl) Kuhlman, both of whom were born in Germany, where they were reared and edu- cated and whence they came to the United States in 1848. They maintained their residence in the state of Ohio until 1852, when they came to Iowa in 1852 and became pioneer settlers in Garna- villo township, Clayton county. The entire journey from Ohio to Clayton county was made in a covered wagon drawn by oxen, and the original home was a primitive log cabin, which the family occu- pied several years. The father gained substantial success through his operations as a farmer and both he and his wife continued to reside on their old homestead until their death, when well advanced in years. Henry H. Kuhlman was reared under the conditions and
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- influences of the pioneer farm and continued his studies in the public schools until he had completed the curriculum of the high school. He remained at the parental home until he had attained to the age of thirty-one years, when he married Miss Hannah Aul- wes, who was born and reared in this county and who is a daugh- ter of John and Minnie (Straus) Aulwes, still venerable and hon- ored pioneer citizens of the county, their home being now in the village of Guttenberg. The father was born in Germany and the mother in Clayton county, where her parents were very early set- tlers. After his marriage Mr. Kuhlman lived on a rented farm until he purchased a place of thirty acres adjacent to the village of Garnavillo, where he continued his successful activities as an agri- culturist for a period of ten years. He served as secretary of the Farmers' Creamery Company for six years, and for three years was secretary of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company. He then sold his farm and assumed the position of assistant cashier of the Garnavillo Savings Bank, which he served in this capacity for a period of seven years. He then became one of the organizers and incorporators of the Farmers' State Bank of Garnavillo, and he has been its able and valued cashier from the inception of its business to the present time. Mr. Kuhlman is distinctly one of the vigorous and progressive citizens and representative business men of his native county, is a Republican in politics and is serving in 1916 as mayor of Garnavillo, as previously stated, he having been incum- bent of this office for several consecutive years. He has served also as township trustee, as justice of the peace and as secretary of the board of education, of which last mentioned post he was the incum- bent for several years. He is affiliated with Garnavillo Lodge, No. 90, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, in which he has passed vari- ous official chairs, and both he and his wife are zealous communi- cants and supporters of St. Paul's Lutheran church in their home village, their circle of friends being coincident with that of their acquaintances. They have no children.
Arthur R. Kunzmann conducts a prosperous enterprise as the owner of a well equipped automobile garage in the village of Volga, where he makes a specialty of handling the Buick, Oakland and Ford automobiles, for which he is local representative, and in addi- tion to controlling this prosperous business he is the owner of a well improved and valuable farm, in Sperry township. He is an alert and popular young business man and is well entitled to con- sideration in this history. Mr. Kunzmann was born in Fayette county, this state, on the 29th of April, 1881, and is a son of George and Louise (Frey) Kunzmann, both of whom were born in Baden, Germany. The father came to America about the year 1851 ; after residing for a brief period in the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he made his way to Wisconsin, where he purchased a tract of land and became a pioneer farmer. On the land which he thus owned is situated at the present time one of the prosperous villages of the Badger state. After remaining in Wisconsin for a number of years George Kunzmann came to Iowa and purchased a farm in Fayette county, where he won large and worthy success through
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Iowa, they established their home on the farm now owned by their son George F. Here the father continued his productive activities as one of the honored and successful farmers of the county until his death, which occurred in 1898. His widow, now venerable in years, still resides in the county that has long been her home and in which she has the high regard of all who know her; she is a devoted communicant of the Lutheran church, as was also her hus- band. George F. Kurdelmeier has always maintained his home on the fine farm which he now owns and has had the good judgment never to sever his allegiance to the basic industries of agriculture and stock-growing, through the medium of which he is proving him- self one of the substantial citizens of his native county. His mar- riage was solemnized in the year 1900, and shortly afterward he purchased the old homestead farm of two hundred acres, to which he later added by the purchase of an adjoining tract of forty acres, in the same township, so that his landed estate now comprises two hundred and forty acres of as fine land as is to be found in this section of the state. For his independent career he was fortified not only by long and practical experience but also by the discipline which he received in his boyhood and youth while attending the public schools of his home township. His political support is given to the Republican party ; he is always ready to give co-operation in the furtherance of those objects that tend to advance the general welfare of the community and he has served as school director of his district for the past twenty years. Both he and his wife are communicants of the Lutheran church. The attractive home is known for its cordial hospitality and receives mail service on rural route No. 1 from the village of St. Olaf. In 1900 Mr. Kurdelmeier wedded Miss Caroline Ihde, who likewise was born and reared in Read township and who is a daughter of John and Anna (Thoma) Ihde, both natives of Iowa and now honored residents of Garna- villo township, this county, only one of their nine children being deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Kurdelmeier have five children, whose names and respective dates of birth are here noted: Charlotte, April 4, 1901 ; William J., June 21, 1902 ; Arno G., October 13, 1903; Cora M. S., June 16, 1905; and Roslyn A. M., November 2, 1912.
Charles H. Lange is one of the prominent and successful ex- ponents of agricultural and live-stock industry in his native town- ship and county, and his finely improved landed estate of two hun- dred acres includes the old homestead place on which he was born, in Section 15. Cox Creek township. Charles Henry Lange was here born on the 16th of April, 1872, and he is a son of Henry and Louisa (Zahrndt) Lange, both natives of Germany. Henry Lange was a child of three years at the time of his parents' immigration to America and the family home was first established in Indiana, whence removal was later made to Ohio, where he was reared to manhood and gained a good common-school education. At the age of twenty years Henry Lange became a pioneer settler in Clayton county, Iowa, and through his energy and well ordered endeavors he reclaimed and improved one of the valuable farm properties of Cox Creek township. He was one of the well known and highly
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and Guernsey cattle. He takes much satisfaction in being the owner of the fine old homestead farm of his parents, both of whom are now deceased and the memories of both of whom are held in high honor in the county that long represented their home and was the stage of their earnest and fruitful endeavors. Fred W. Lange was born in Giard township, this county, on the 21st of September, 1868, and is a son of Adam and Anne (Froelich) Lange, both of whom were born in Hessen, Germany, and the latter of whom was a child at the time of her parents' immigration to America, the family having settled in Clayton county, Iowa, in the early pioneer days and its name being perpetuated in that of the village of Froe- lich. Adam Lange was reared and educated in his native land and as a young man he came to the United States and established his home in Giard township, Clayton county, lowa. Here he was employed at farm work for several years, his services in this capacity having been given on the farm of Mr. Schneider and Henry Froelich, both influential pioneer farmers of the county. He finally purchased the farm of one hundred acres on which his son Fred W., of this review, now lives, and with augmented pros- perity he added fifty acres to his landed estate, which he developed into one of the fine farms of the county. Here he passed the residue of his life, secure in the high regard of all who knew him and attended by the gracious prosperity that resulted from his own honest and effective efforts. His death occurred about the year 1911 and his wife preceded him to eternal rest, both having been devoted members of the Evangelical Church, in which he served most effectively as Sunday-school superintendent. He did well his part in connection with civic and industrial activities in Clayton county and while he had no ambition for political preferment he gave staunch support to the cause of the Republican party. Of the children the firstborn was John, who is deceased; August is a resident of Portland, Oregon; Henry maintains his residence at Rockford, Illinois ; Carl is deceased; Fred W., of this sketch, was the fifth child; Julius resides at Rolfe, Pocahontas county, Iowa; Elizabeth is deceased ; and Amelia is the wife of Harry B. North- cut, of Sterling, Colorado. Fred W. Lange received not only the advantages of the public schools of Giard township but also those of the Palmer Business College, in the city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Thereafter he was employed for some time as a clerk in the mer- cantile establishment of Adam Schneider, at Monona, and finally he engaged in the general merchandise business in the village of Froelich, where he continued his operations until 1900, when he sold his stock and business and purchased the old home farm of his father. He has made various improvements on this fine domain of one hundred and fifty acres and thrift and prosperity are shown forth in such a way as to offer palpable evidence of his progressive- ness and good management. Though he gives due attention to diversified agriculture, he is making a specialty of the raising of the best type of Jersey and Guernsey cattle and has recognized precedence in this line of enterprise in his native county. Mr. Lange is vitally interested in all things tending to advance the
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civic and material welfare of the community, is a Republican in his political allegiance, and both he and his wife hold membership in the German Methodist Episcopal church, their attractive home being a center of generous hospitality. In the year 1900 was sol- emnized the marriage of Mr. Lange to Miss Lena Albert, who was born and reared in Giard township, and who is a daughter of William Albert, a representative farmer of that part of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Lange have three children-Carl L., Kenneth, and Wesley.
Albert R. Larson is another of the vigorous and progressive citizens who are upholding the high prestige of Clayton county as a center of prosperous enterprise along the lines of agricultural and live-stock industry, and his well improved farm, comprising one hundred and forty acres, is eligibly situated in Section 10, Highland township, in which township he has maintained his home from the time of his birth, the date of his nativity having been March 3, 1870. He is a son of R. C., and Rachel Larson, both natives of Norway and both young at the time when their parents came to America and established their residence in Clayton county, in the pioneer period of the history of this section of the Hawkeye state. R. C. Larson was a lad of nine years at the time of the family immigration to America and during the long intervening years he has been a resident of Clayton county, where he has achieved success through his connection with agricultural industry and where he and his wife still reside on their old homestead farm, in Highland township, his political support being given to the Repub- lican party and the abiding religious faith of the family being that of the Norwegian Lutheran church. The eldest of the children of this honored pioneer couple is Mary, who is the wife of E. E. Gunderson, of Highland township; Christ is now a resident of North Dakota; the subject of this sketch is the third child; Julia remains at the parental home; Sophia is the wife of B. O. Paulson, of Blooming Prairie, Minnesota ; and Henry is a resident of Edger- ton, Wisconsin. Albert R. Larson continued his effective asso- ciation with the activities of the home farm until he had gained the dignity of his legal majority, and in the meanwhile he had profited fully by the advantages afforded in the public schools. At the age of twenty-one years he rented the home farm, and after having there continued his successful operations in an independent way for a period of five years he purchased his present farm, which he has made one of the really model places of his native township and which is the stage of his energetic and successful activities as an agriculturist and stock-grower. He is a Republican in poli- tics and both he and his wife hold membership in the Norwegian Lutheran church. Their pleasant home is a few miles distant from Elkader, the county seat, and from that place it receives service on rural mail route No. 3. On the 18th of june, 1896, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Larson to Miss Mary Larson, who was born and reared in this county, and who is a daughter of Peter and Carrie (Benson) Larson. Mr. and Mrs. Larson became the parents of eight children, of whom the last two, died in fancy. The
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surviving children, all of whom still remain at the parental home are: Isabel, Philemon, Nella, Glenn, Paul and Laurence.
Chris P. Larson has found in his native township ample op- portunity for carrying forward of successful activities as an up-to- date agriculturist and stock-grower, and it is specially pleasing to record that his well improved farm of one hundred and twenty acres, in Section 2, Highland township, is the place of his nativity, his birth having here occurred on the 25th of September, 1876. He is a son of Peter and Carrie (Benson) Larson, sterling citizens of whom adequate mention is made on other pages, in the sketch dedicated to Edward P. Larson, an elder brother of him whose name initiates this article. Chris P. Larson felt the urge of intel- lectual ambition to such a degree as to cause him in his youth to profit duly by the advantages afforded in the public schools of his native county, and he has from his boyhood been closely associated with the work and management of the fine old homestead farm which he now owns, this property, comprising one hundred and twenty acres, having been purchased by him in 1911, and his mail service being received through the medium of rural route No. 3 from Elkader, the county seat. His political support is given to the cause of the Republican party, his religious faith is that of the Norwegian Lutheran church, and he is to be designated as one of the popular bachelors and public-spirited citizens of his native county, where his circle of friends is limited only by that of his acquaintances.
Edward P. Larson is a representative of one of the honored and influential pioneer families of Clayton county and his parents were numbered among the sterling Scandinavian citizens who set- tled in this section of the state in the early days and gave splendid impetus to civic and industrial development and progress, besides which his father manifested high loyalty to the land of his adoption by serving as a Union soldier in the Civil war. He whose name introduces this review is one of the specially progressive and popu- lar exponents of agricultural and live-stock industry in his native county and is the owner of a fine landed estate in Highland town- ship, the village of Elgin being his postoffice address. He was born in the township that is now his home, and the date of his nativity was October 27, 1871. He is a son of Peter and Carrie (Benson) Larson, both of whom were born in Norway. Peter Larson was reared and educated in his native land and was a young man when he immigrated to the United States. He was but seven- teen years of age when, on the 3rd of December, 1863, he enlisted as a private in Company H, Seventy-fourth Illinois Volunteer In- fantry, and went forth to aid in the defense of the nation's integ- rity, his company having been commanded by Captain T. Hulburt. He served during the remainder of the war and received his honor- able discharge on the 29th of May, 1865, at Springfield, Illinois. Within a short time after the close of his service as a valiant soldier of the Union he returned to Clayton county, Iowa, where he had lived for a time prior to entering the ranks of the Union army, and from the modest little farm of eighty acres which he here
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purchased as a youthful veteran he eventually developed a valuable and well improved landed estate of two hundred and eleven acres, in Section 3, Highland township. Here he continued his activities as a successful farmer and loyal and honored citizen until ten months prior to his death, when he removed to the village of Gunder, where he passed to the life eternal on the 1st of August, 1910, his cherished and devoted wife having died in November, 1894, and both having been earnest communicants of the Nor- wegian Lutheran church. They became the parents of six chil- dren, of whom the eldest is Lars, another of the representative farmers of Highland township; the subject of this review was the second child ; Henry is a prosperous agriculturist in Wagner town- ship; Maggie is the wife of Albert R. Larson of Highland town- ship; Christ is one of the substantial farmers of Highland town- ship; and Belle is deceased. Edward P. Larson in his boyhood and youth broadened his mental ken by availing himself consistently of the advantages of the public schools of his native county and simul- taneously he fortified himself in practical knowledge by lending his quota of assistance in the work of his father's farm. He re- mained at the parental home until he had attained to his legal ma- jority, and he then began an apprenticeship to the blacksmith's trade, in which he became a competent artisan. For some time he was engaged in the operation of a drilling machine and a threshing outfit, and in 1900 he resumed his active and independent associa- tion with agricultural pursuits. It was at this time that he pur- chased in his native township a farm of one hundred and forty- seven acres, and to this excellent property he has since added until he now has a fine farm of two hundred and thirty-nine and one-half acres, in Section 3, Highland township. The permanent improve- ments are of the most approved modern type and include an attractive brick house of two stories and the best of barns and other farm buildings. Mr. Larson is not only one of the energetic, sagacious and progressive representatives of agricultural and live- stock industry in his native county but is also liberal and public- spirited as a citizen. He is serving in 1916 as township trustee, a preferment that indicates the high estimate placed upon him in his native community, and his political allegiance is given to the Re- publican party. Both he and his wife are zealous communicants of the Norwegian Lutheran church at Highland. In May, 1899, Mr. Larson wedded Mrs. Julia (Thompson) Knutson, widow of Thomas Knutson, the one child of her first marriage being Lena B. Knutson. Mr. and Mrs. Larson have five children, and their names and respective dates of birth are here indicated: Peter, July 15, 1900; Cora, August 10, 1902; Orvald, September 15, 1905; Mabel, October 15, 1908; and Elmer G., April 30, 1912.
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