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 83
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Charles J. Lembke has special reason to take satisfaction in the precedence that is his as one of the representative agriculturists and stock-raisers of his native county, for he is the owner of the well improved farm, in Monona township, which figures as the old home- stead of his parents and as the place of his nativity. He was here ushered into the world on the 18th of October, 1874, and is the
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second in order of birth of the three children of Henry and Minnie (Rice) Lembke, both natives of Germany and both well known and honored citizens of Clayton county, their home being now in the village of Monona, where, after having won independence and prosperity through well ordered endeavor, the father is now living virtually retired. At the parental home remains Henry, Jr., the eldest of the three children, and the youngest is Emma, who is the wife of Charles Klingermann, of Monona. Henry Lembke, Sr., was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, on the 3rd of February, 1840, and was reared and. educated in that section of the Fatherland, where he remained until about the year 1868, when, as an ambitious young man dependent upon his own resources, he came to the United States and established his home in Clayton county, Iowa. After devoting about two years to service for others, as a farm workman in Farmersburg township, he purchased land in Monona township and initiated what proved a specially successful career as an independent agriculturist. He continued his active associa- tion with the management of his farm until he was nearly seventy years of age, and since 1907 he has lived in well earned retirement in the village of Monona, where he owns an attractive residence property and where he and his wife are surrounded by friends who are tried and true. Mr. Lembke has given his support to the Demo- cratic party from the time he became a naturalized citizen of his adopted land and both he and his wife are zealous communicants of the German Lutheran church at Monona. Charles J. Lembke is indebted to the public schools of Monona township for his early educational discipline and he continued to be associated with his father in the work of the home farm until he finally rented the same and assumed entire supervision of its operations. In 1907 he purchased this fine old homestead, which comprises one hundred and twenty acres, and here he stands forth as an exemplar of sci- entific and progressive enterprise in connection with the fundamen- tal industries of agriculture and stock-raising. He gives special attention to the raising of high-grade cattle and the Chester White type of swine. Though loyal to all civic duties and responsibil- ities, Mr. Lembke has manifested no ambition for public office and his political activities have been represented in his loyal sup- port of the cause of the Democratic party. He is affiliated with political activities have been represented in his loyal support with the Brotherhood of American Yeomen and both he and his wife are communicants of the Lutheran church at Monona. On the 1st of June, 1903, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Lembke to Miss Minnie Schroeder, who was born at Guttenberg, this county, on the 11th of June, 1874, and who is a daughter of John and Mary (Tuecke) Schroeder, who now reside in the village of Monona. Mr. Schroeder, who is now retired from active life, was born in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, and he came with his parents from the old Buckeye state to gain incidental prestige as a pioneer of Clay- ton county, Iowa, the family home having been established in the Guttenberg community. He became one of the prosperous farmers of Monona township and since his retirement he has maintained his
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survive the honored father. Albert Lenth found the period of his childhood and youth compassed by the conditions and influence of the home farm and early began to contribute his quota to its work, the while he made good use of the advantages afforded in the public schools. He continued to be associated in the manage- ment of his father's farm until he had attained to the age of twenty years, when he purchased his present farm, in Section 19, Farmers- burg township, where he has since continued his well-ordered oper- ations as an agriculturist and stock-grower, of which important lines of industrial enterprise he is one of the representative expo- nents in his native county. He is a stockholder of the Farmers' Bank at St. Olaf, is a Democrat in his political allegiance and served four years as school director of his district, this being the only public office for which he has consented to become a candidate. With the effective co-operation of his wife, who has proved a true helpmeet, he has achieved success and independence, and to the gaining of this end they have put forth their best efforts with thorough harmony of motive and action. Both are communicants of the Lutheran church at Farmersburg and in their native county their circle of friends is limited only by that of their acquaintances. In the year 1896 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Lenth to Miss Louise Gottschalk, who was born and reared in Reed town- ship, this county, her parents being sterling pioneer citizens of that township, where they still reside on their old homestead farm. Mrs. Lenth is a daughter of William and Wilhelmina (Crepeline) Gottschalk, both of whom were born and reared in Germany, their home having been established in Clayton county within a short time after their immigration to the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Lenth have ten children, namely : Wesley, Harold, Mabel, Milton, Leona, Roy, Lucy, Aaron, Alva, and Rosina.
George Lenth, a successful and prominent business man of El- kader, Iowa, was born March 17, 1875. He is of German parentage, his father, Joachim, having been born in Mecklenburg, Germany, and the mother was a native of the historic Rhine region. Joachim Lenth was a prosperous farmer of Clayton county, who died July 3, 1913, but his wife still lives and conducts the home farm. To their union were born eight children: Bertha, who is the wife of W. M. Grube, of South Dakota; Emma, married to J. K. Rupp, and living in Monona, Iowa; William C., of Evanston, Illinois ; Charles, died in India as missionary ; Henry F., who is a farmer at Riceville, Iowa; George, with whom this sketch is concerned; Louis C., who is a feed merchant in Elkader; and Ella, who is the wife of Charles Harbrichter, of Monona, Iowa. George Lenth remained on the home farm until he was twenty-one years of age, then started out to make his own way in the world by first working on neighboring farms for a period of three years, after which he gave up agricultural pursuits and started upon his busy and varied career as a business man by entering the employ of a livery firm for one year, then buying a half interest in the firm. Continuing in this occupation a term of three years, having enlarged it by the purchase of a dray and bus line and by the addition of a coal and
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of the seven children of Christian and Minnie (Lehmenn) Rohde, who came to the United States in 1874 and established their home in Clayton county, where they passed the remainder of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Lenth became the parents of seven children, all of whom are living except one: Alfred F. and Arnold are successful farmers of the younger generation in their native county ; Elmer J. is associated with his father in the operations of the home farm; Hilma and Olga E. likewise remain at the parental home; Leona E. died at the age of about seventeen years; and Clara M. is a student in the college of Waverly, Bremer county, at the time of this writing, in 1916.
John P. Lenth is another popular representative of that fine German element of citizenship that has been prominently and worthily concerned with the civic and industrial development and upbuilding of Clayton county, where he is a scion of the second generation of an honored pioneer family that was here founded fully seventy years ago. He is now one of the representative farmers of Farmersburg township' and is a native son of Clayton county who is specially entitled to recognition in this history. Mr. Lenth was born in Garnavillo township, this county, on the 11th of November, 1860, and his parents, John and Annie Lenth, were both born and reared in Germany, though their marriage was solemnized after they had become residents of the United States. John Lenth was born and reared in Mechlenburg, Germany, whence he immigated to America about the year 1845. Soon after his arrival in the land of his adoption he came to Clayton county and established his residence in Garnavillo township. For several years he was employed as a farm hand and finally he purchased a farm near St. Olaf, in Farmersburg township, where he achieved substantial success through his earnest and energetic operations as an agriculturist and where both he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives, secure in the esteem of all who knew them and both were devout communicants of the Lutheran church. Of the five surviving children the subject of this review is the eldest ; Joseph W., Frank and August are prosperous farmers of Monona township, and Herman has similar precedence in Farmersburg township. John P. Lenth was reared on his father's farm and gained his early education in the schools of Farmersburg township. His independent career was initiated by his Ending employment at farm work, and his ambition led him to make good use of his opportunities and the rewards of his labors. In 1886, as a young man of twenty-five years, he purchased one hundred and seventy-one acres of land in Farmersburg township, and to the same he later added an adjoining tract of eighty acres, so that he now has a valuable landed domain of two hundred and fifty-one acres. Within the thirty years of his independent operations as an agriculturist and stock-grower Mr. Lenth has been indefatigable in his industry, circumspect and progressive in his policies, and has gained prestige as one of the prosperous and enterprising farmers and public-spirited citizens of his native county. He is a stock- holder and director of the Luana Savings Bank, is a staunch sup-
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is conducted under the name of Crown Brand Creamery. During the course of a year they handle two hundred and thirty-seven thousand six hundred and fifty-eight pounds of cream, fifty-five thousand nine hundred and sixty pounds of poultry, and forty-three thousand seven hundred and forty-seven dozen eggs. He also conducts a large ice cream business, shipping over five thousand gallons a year, and his reputation as an ice cream manufacturer is such that he has received a splendid offer from one of Iowa's col- leges as instructor, which offer, on account of his large business affairs, he was forced to decline. Mr. Leonard is an open-minded man in his political convictions and therefore belongs to the Inde- pendent party. He was married February 6, 1901, to Anna Walker, a daughter of Henry Walker and Mary Ellen (Kiefer) Walker, both of whom are old and highly respected residents of Mederville and who have both been connected with the early history of Clay- ton county. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard are the proud parents of two children, Florence, 13 years, and Clarence, 7 years of age.
Laurence L. Linder is effectively proving his progressiveness and facility as one of the representative business men of the younger generation in the vital little city of Volga, where he was for a time associated with Edward Gleason in the ownership and conduct of a well-equipped hardware store. He was born in Volga town- ship, this county, on the 26th of August, 1891, and is a son of George Theodore and Amelia Matilda (Younkman) Linder, the former of whom was born and reared in this county, a representa- tive of a sterling pioneer family, and the latter of whom was born in the state of Pennsylvania. Of their three children the first, Ada, died in infancy ; Lawrence L., of this review, was the second; and the youngest is Dola, who remains with his parents on the home- stead farm. Laurence L. Linder continued his studies in the pub- lic schools until he had completed the curriculum of the Volga high school, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1908. Thereafter he continued his association with the work and management of his father's farm until 1913, when he purchased an interest in the Shales hardware establishment at Volga. Subse- quently Shales sold to Gleason and on April 26, 1916, the latter sold out his interest to Mr. Linder and he has since continued a vigorous and popular factor in the direction of the substantial and prosperous enterprise. His political proclivities are indicated by his alignment with the Democratic party. His wife is a member of the Catholic church at Volga. On the 20th of September, 1914, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Linder to Miss May Cecelia Quinn, and they have a fine little son, Laurence Leroy, who was born May 4, 1915.
George F. Lindroth .- That community, no matter how incon- spicuous, that can not claim provisions in the line of garage and general automobile facilities may consistently be said to fall below the standard set for the present day, and it is thus pleasing to note that in the village of Luana, Clayton county, the best of service is given in the well equipped garage conducted by Mr. Lindroth, who is one of the popular and energetic business men of the
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younger generation in his native county. He was born in Reed township, this county, on the 7th of April, 1877, and is a son of Fred and Mary (Bueder) Lindroth, both of whom were born and reared in Germany, where their marriage was solemnized and where the father served a thorough apprenticeship to the trade of stone-cutter, in which he became a skilled artisan. About the year 1868 Fred Lindroth and his wife immigrated to America and established their home in the city of Buffalo, New York, where he engaged in the work of his trade. In 1872 this sterling citizen established his residence in Read township, Clayton county, where he was engaged in the work of his trade for a time. He finally purchased a farm near Elkader, the county seat, and there he con- tinued his successful activities as an agriculturist and stock-grower until his death, his wife also having remained on the old homestead until her death and both having been devout communicants of the German Lutheran Church, while the political allegiance of Mr. Lindroth was given to the Democratic party. He and his wife were earnest, industrious and worthy citizens who made their lives count for good in every relation and who held the unqualified esteem of all who knew them. Their eldest child, Charles, is now a resident of Hartford, South Dakota; Elizabeth is deceased ; Fred likewise is a resident of Hartford, South Dakota; William main- tains his home at Guttenberg, Clayton county ; Frank is a resident of Luana, this county; George F., of this review, was the sixth child; and Lena is the wife of Henry Holtz, of Guttenberg, this county. To the public schools of his native county George F. Lindroth is indebted for his early educational training, and after leaving the home farm he was employed at farm work for others until, at the age of twenty-one years, he purchased a farm of his own, in Monona township. He proved an ambitious and enterpris- ing agriculturist and stock-grower and was not denied a due meas- ure of success in connection with his energetic and well ordered operations as a farmer. He remained on his farm until 1913, when he established his home in the village of Luana, where he has since been successfully engaged in the conducting of a garage and general automobile business, in which his valued coadjutor and partner is Fred C. Schultz, of whom individual mention is made on other pages of this work. The firm have the local agency for the well known Studebaker and Chevrolet automobiles, have a well equipped repair shop, and own the substantial garage building which they erected for the purpose and which is thirty by sixty feet in dimensions, the establishment giving employment to three assistants. Mr. Lindroth is president of the Luana Town Hall Company, served one term as president and general manager of the Farmers Telephone Company, and during an incumbency of four years he was a loyal and progressive member of the village council of Luana, besides which he held for two terms the position of constable. His political convictions are indicated by the stal- wart support which he gives to the Democratic party, and both he and his wife hold to the religious faith in which they were reared- that of the German Lutheran Church. On the 20th of September,
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1898, was recorded the marriage of Mr. Lindroth to Miss Louisa Heins, who was born in Read township, this county, on the 28th of December, 1874, and whose educational advantages were those afforded in the public schools of Luana. She is a daughter of Henry and Fredericka (Kuss) Heins, who were born in Germany. Mr. Heins came to Clayton county in 1861 and found employment in and about Garnavillo. In 1867 he went to California, but five years later he returned to Clayton county, where for many years he was one of the active and successful exponents of agricultural in- dustry in Read township. Since leaving his farm he has lived retired in the village of Luana, his devoted wife having passed away on the 18th of March, 1916. Mr. and Mrs. Lindroth became the parents of three children, of whom the first two, Rosina and Rodena, are deceased. The only son, Arnold, is still attending school.
David P. Lowe .- Though he claims the Badger state as the place of his nativity, David P. Lowe has been a resident of Clayton county since he was a child of three years and during the long intervening period of nearly three score years and ten he has re- sided continuously on the old homestead farm, in Section 4, Sperry township, where his honored parents established themselves upon coming from Wisconsin to this county in the year 1847. The father was numbered among the very early settlers of Sperry township, where he reclaimed a farm from what was virtually a wilderness and where it was within his privilege and ambition to contribute generously and effectively to the social and material development and upbuilding of the county. He whose name initiates this re- view has long been one of the representative agriculturists of the township in which he was reared from childhood and in which he has been active and influential in community affairs continuously save for the period of his absence from home when serving as a soldier of the Union in the Civil war. Righteousness and resolute purpose have characterized his entire career. and now that the shadows of his earnest life begin to lengthen from the golden west he rests secure in the high regard of all who know him and com- passed by the conditions that make for peace, prosperity and gra- cious contentment. Mr. Lowe was born in Rock county, Wiscon- sin, on the 10th of March, 1844, and is now the only living member of a family of nine children born to James M. and Betsy Elizabeth (Bates) Lowe, both of whom were born and reared in Pennsylvania, where they maintained their home until their removal to Rock county, Wisconsin. In the latter state they remained until 1847, when they came to Clayton county and established their home on a pioneer farm of one hundred and sixty acres of government land, the same being an integral part of the finely improved landed es- tate now owned by their only surviving child. the subject of this review. The father remained on this home place until his death, which was one of tragic order, as he was killed by injuries received when the team which he was driving ran away. He was about 75 years of age at the time of his death, which occurred December 3, 1878, his loved and devoted wife having been summoned to eter-
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nal rest on the 14th of August of the preceding year. They were kindly, earnest and sincere folk who placed true valuations on men and conditions and whose lives were replete in good works and gracious deeds. They were devout members of the Methodist Episcopal church and assisted in the organization of the first church in Sperry township, the father having likewise been the earnest founder of the first Sunday school in that township. Both he and his wife did all in their power to foster the causes of religion and education and to further high civic ideals in general. Mary, the eldest of their children, was born in 1830 and died young. All of the other children are now deceased with the exception of the subject of this review, who was the next to the youngest, and the names and respective dates of birth of the others are here consist- ently recorded : Sarah, July 24, 1832; John W., April 30, 1834; Emily, June 24, 1836; Elizabeth, January 30, 1838; James, Sep- tember 16, 1841; Eliza Ann, January 16, 1843; Marilla, September 18, 1846. David P. Lowe was reared to manhood under the sturdy and benignant influences of the pioneer farm, to the work of which he early began to contribute his effective aid. He thus followed the even tenor of his way until his patriotism prompted him to tender his services in defense of the Union when the nation was plunged in the vortex of civil war. On the 11th of May, 1864, when twenty years of age, he enlisted as a private in Company A, Forty-seventh Iowa Volunteer Infantry. J. L. McCormick having been captain of the company. The regiment saw service princi- pally in the states of Arkansas and Tennessee and Mr. Lowe was not called upon to participate in any of the greater battles marking the closing period of the great fratracidal conflict. He received his honorable discharge at Davenport, this state, on the 28th of Septem- ber, 1864, and then resumed his association with the work and man- agement of his father's farm. He has never abated his interest in his old comrades and indicates this by his active affiliation with the Grand Army of the Republic. His landed estate now comprises two hundred acres and constitutes one of the splendidly improved and valuable farms of Sperry township, one hundred and sixty acres of the tract being the old home place of Mr. Lowe's parents. Ap- preciative of the policies and cause for which the Republican party virtually stood sponsor during the climacteric period of the Civil war, Mr. Lowe became affiliated therewith in his young manhood
and has never since wavered in his allegiance. He has not sought public office of any kind but has served most effectively as town- ship trustee, a position to which he was called by the importunities and votes of his fellow citizens. He holds membership in the Brotherhood of American Yeomen and he and his wife are zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Volga, which vil- lage represents their postoffice address. On the 12th of December, 1866, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Lowe to Miss Elizabeth Ann Dempster, who was born in Wayne county, Michigan, and who is a daughter of John and Margaret (Templeton) Dempster and who came to Iowa about 1852, establishing their home on a pioneer farm in Fayette county, where they passed the remainder
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of their lives and where their daughter, Elizabeth Ann, wife of the subject of this review, was reared and educated. The parents were natives of Scotland. the father having been eighty-six years of age at the time of his death, and the mother having passed away December 31, 1907, at the age of 97 years. They became the par- ents of thirteen children, of whom the eldest is Margaret, who is the widow of Oscar Finch and who resides at Augusta, Wisconsin ; William and Thomas are deceased, as are also the next two chil- dren, James and Anable: John is a resident of South Dakota ; Mary is the widow of George A. Smith and resides in Missouri; Mrs. Lowe, wife of the subject of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; Jane resides at Volga, this county, and is the wife of James Bissell : Lavinia. David, Susanna and Luana are deceased, the last two mentioned having been twins. To Mr. and Mrs. Lowe have been born five children, concerning whom brief record is here given: Margaret, who was born July 24, 1867, is the wife of Albert Boleyn, of whom individual mention is made on other pages of this volume; Susanna, who was born December 7, 1869. died on the 17th of the following February : Daniel E., who was born Sep- tember 24, 1871, remains at the parental home; Harry S. was born January 18, 1877, and died on the 4th of January of the following year, and Clarence E., who was born February 22, 1884, passed away on the 24th of July, 1886.
Henry Luehsen has been a resident of Clayton county since his early childhood, is a representative of one of the honored pio- neer families of the county and has achieved definite prominence and influence as one of the leading business men and progressive citizens of the thriving village of Garnavillo, where he has been established in the furniture and undertaking business for more than thirty years and where he has served seventeen years as post- master, an office of which he is the present efficient and valued incumbent. Mr. Luehsen was born in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 14th of June, 1861, and is a son of Henry and Margareta (Luers) Luehsen, both natives of Germany, where the former was born on the 11th of December, 1823, and the latter on the 5th of October, 1818. In his native land Henry Luehsen, Sr., learned the tailor's trade, to which he there devoted his attention until 1850, when he immigrated with his wife to the United States and estab- lished his residence in the city of Cincinnati. He continued his residence in Ohio until 1864, when removal was made to Clayton county, Iowa, where he became one of the early settlers in the vil- lage of Garnavillo and where he successfully continued in the mer- chant tailoring business for many years, his death having here occurred in 1903, shortly prior to his eightieth birthday anniver- sary, and the wife of his young manhood having here been sum- moned to eternal rest on the 8th of April, 1876, both having been devout communicants of the Lutheran church and his political alle- giance having been given to the Republican party. Of the three children the first-born was Herman, who died in childhood, prior to the family immigration to America; Dora was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and she was a resident of National, Clayton
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