USA > Iowa > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume II > Part 33
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There were six children in the family of Harrison and Sarah Smith, namely : Orton, of Pisgah, Iowa; Carrie, now the wife of George H. Peyton, of Pisgah; Edna, now Mrs. O. L. Peyton, of Pisgah; John, deceased; Edith, who married Eugene Peyton, of Creighton, Nebraska; and George B., the subject of this review.
Vol. II-17
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George B. Smith was reared on the paternal farm in Harrison county and attended the district schools, later becoming a student in the high school at Little Sioux. He continued his studies at the Woodbine Normal School, from which he was graduated in 1907. He taught for one year in that institution, but being attracted to mercantile life he came to Denison in 1908 and purchased the bookstore of U. G. Johnson, which he has since conducted under his own name. Under his management it has become one of the leading establishments of the city, the patronage from month to month showing a steady increase and attracting the best class of trade in the city.
On the 17th of January, 1909, Mr. Smith was united in marriage to Miss Edna Cater, a native of Carson, lowa, and a daughter of Edward and Mary (Belknap) Cater, both of whom were born in Illinois. The mother died in Pottawattamie county, Iowa, and the father is now living on a farm near Wood- bine. Three children in their family grew to maturity, namely : Roy, Claude and Edna. Mr. and Mrs. Smithi have one daughter, Wilhelmina M., who was born January 25, 19II.
The success of Mr. Smith is mainly due to his energy and good judgment, which are indispensable elements in accomplishing any important undertaking. Being a man of pleasing address, he readily makes friends and the attractive appearance of his store indicates that he has excellent taste and understands the art of displaying goods to the best advantage. He and his wife are well known in social circles and in religious belief are identified with the Methodist church. Politically Mr. Smith gives his earnest support to the republican party.
HERMAN BAAK.
Although born in a great city, Herman Baak has spent nearly all his life amid the inviting scenes of Crawford county and he has no cause to regret that his lot was cast in a farming community. He is a representative agriculturist of Soldier township and the owner of one of the most attractive farms in his part of the county. A native of Chicago, he was born February 29, 1872, his parents being August and Sophia (Koch) Baak. They were born in Germany and came to America in 1868, passing the first six years in Chicago. In 1874 they arrived in Crawford county, Iowa, and Mr. Baak purchased one hundred and sixty acres, which he cultivated for six years. He then sold his farm and once more took up his residence at Chicago, where Mrs. Baak died in 1881. There were six children in their family, one of whom died in infancy. The others were: August, who died when a child; Herman, of this review; Emma, now the wife of Gustave Kroll, of Monona county, Iowa; Louis, who died at the age of four years; and Otto, who now lives in Chicago. The father re- turned to Crawford county with his children after the death of his wife and resumed farming, prosecuting his work with such energy that he became the owner of two hundred and forty acres of good land on section 33, Soldier town- ship. He was again married, in 1886, to Miss Sophia Wickman and continued upon his farm until his death, which occurred in June, 1907. By his second
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marriage four children were born, three of whom grew to maturity, namely : William, Richard and Ernest, all living in Crawford county. The mother of these children makes her home in Ida county, being now the wife of Fred Meyer. 1-
Herman Baak was educated in the public schools and applied himself to agriculture and stock-raising, continuing with his father until twenty-four years of age. He then rented land for four years, at the end of which time he pur- chased a farm comprising two hundred and forty acres on sections 32 and 33, Soldier township. It is provided with modern improvements and the fields yield abundant annual harvests. Mr. Baak has been an extensive stock-raiser and fed all of his grain to his stock, thus realizing the highest return for his labor. He left the farm in the spring of 1911, however, and is now conducting a garage and auto business at Ricketts.
In 1896 Mr. Baak was married to Miss Minnie Schelm, who was born in Crawford county, August 23, 1874, a daughter of Carl and Minnie (Sutroh) Schelm. Her parents were born in Germany and came to America, settling in Scott county, Iowa. Afterward they removed to Crawford county, where the father is engaged in farming. The mother died in 1886, and two years later Mr. Schelm was married to Miss Freda Fermeling, a native of Germany. By his first marriage four children were born: Minnie, now Mrs. Herman Baak; Doretta, who is the wife of Fred Hemmyers, of Nebraska; and William and Albert, also of Nebraska. By his second union two children were born: Gus- tave, who died at the age of ten months ; and George, who is now living with his mother in Denison. Mr. Schelm died in 1897. Two children came to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Baak: Martha S., who was born August 28, 1898, and is now attending school; and Edna F., born November 26, 1899.
In politics Mr. Baak votes in support of honest government administered ac- cording to business principles. He has not been an aspirant for public office but served very acceptably as a member of the school board. He and his wife are sincere adherents of the Lutheran church and firm believers in its teachings. As a farmer he has been highly successful and in the discharge of his duties as a citizen and head of a family he is governed by motives of integrity and honor which constitute the foundation of good citizenship.
GEORGE NAEVE.
Some men are endowed with a capacity that overcomes every obstacle. They are the leaders in a community and whether in business or professional life easily occupy the first rank. To this class belongs George Naeve, vice president of the Crawford County State Bank, and one of the largest landowners of the county. He is a native of the village of Gross-Wittensee, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, born October 1I, 1857, and is the only son of Jurgen and Catherina (Fleck) Naeve. The father was an industrious farmer of good reputation, he and his wife being members of the Lutheran church. The grandfather Fleck
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on the maternal side married Marie Stroch and they lived to be quite advanced in years, rearing a large family.
George Naeve received his preliminary education in the schools of his native land and as soon as he was old enough began working in a nursery near the city of Kiel, where he continued for two or three years. He then went to Ham- burg and on arriving at the age of nineteen decided that he would seek his for- tune in the new world. Accordingly, in 1876, he bade farewell to his relatives and friends and crossed the ocean to America, going to Jackson and Clinton counties, Iowa, where he was employed at farm work. In the winter of 1878 he removed to Kiron, Crawford county, and continued at farm labor in the summer, while attending school during the winter months. In the meantime he had gained a good knowledge of the English language and of the habits and customs of the people of his adopted country. In the spring of 1879 he came to Denison and entered a hardware store as a clerk, in which capacity he continued for four years, when he became connected with the McHenry Bank, being identi- fied with that institution for five years. After resigning from his position in the bank he entered the real-estate, loan and abstract business, which he con- ducted with very marked success, becoming widely known on account of his large operations in real estate and investments. On January 1, 1907, he became vice president and a very large stockholder of the Crawford County State Bank, a position which he still occupies. He is very largely interested in real estate and did own several thousand acres of land in Crawford county and still has about eight thousand acres in partnership with Carl Gronau in North and South Dakota, these gentlemen also owning several town sites. His home in Denison is one of the most beautiful private residences of the city. He is vice president of the German Bank of Schleswig and the Farmers State Bank of Charter Oak and also a stockholder in the Kintyre State Bank of Kintyre, North Dakota, the Denison Improvement Company, the Denison Hospital Company and the Oak- land Cemetery Association, being president of the Denison Improvement Com- pany and a trustee of the Oakland Cemetery Association.
In December, 1885, Mr. Naeve was united in marriage to Miss Anna Knaul, a native of Berlin, Germany. She came to America with her parents at the age of four years, making her home in Clinton, Iowa, where her father was the owner of a drug store. He was three times married. His first wife died in Germany. The second passed away in Clinton, Iowa, and was the mother of Mrs. Naeve, while the third wife survived her husband, who died in middle life. There was one child by the first union, Rudolph Knaul; three daughters by the second, Gertrude, Anna and Lena; and two children by the third, Otto and Bertha. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Naeve has been brightened by the birth of four children: Marie, who is a graduate of the Denison high school and Lake Forest (Illinois) University and is now living at home; Louis, who died at the age of ten months; Erma, also a graduate of the Denison high school and now attending Lake Forest University; and Margaret, who died at the age of two months.
Mr. Naeve started as a young man in a strange country upon his own re- sources. Difficulties served only to spur him to renewed effort, strengthening his will and developing an indomitable spirit of self-reliance that are his promi-
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nent characteristics. Today his name represents the highest business foresight and integrity, and he ranks as one of the most energetic and capable business men of Crawford county. His religious faith is indicated by membership in the Lutheran church, while his wife is a member of the Presbyterian church. He is a trustee and stockholder of Denison College and is well known as a stanch friend of education.
HENRY C. KOLLS.
Although Henry C. Kolls is one of the younger representatives of farming and stock-raising interests in Crawford county, he is yet one of the well-to-do and prominent citizens of this section of the state, for he has an extensive acreage, his possessions comprising two hundred and eighty acres in East Boyer township and four hundred and six acres in Paradise and Denison townships. He took up his abode on the latter place in the spring of 1911 and is now bend- ing his energies to the further development and improvement of this valuable property.
He is a native of Iowa, his birth having occurred in Clinton, February II, 1873, his parents being Rudolph and Elna Eliza (Neilson) Kolls. The father, a native of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, emigrated to the United States in 1872 and first located in Clinton, where he spent the succeeding years up to 1879. He then came to Crawford county, locating on a farm in Goodrich town- ship, where he lived until a short time prior to his death, when he removed to Denison, and there passed away on the 29th of November, 1908. He was promi- nent in the community in which he lived and for a number of years served as trustee of Goodrich township. His wife, who was born in Sweden, went to Germany when but six or seven years of age and was there reared and married. She died in Crawford county in 1895. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Kolls were born nine children: Louisa, the wife of R. H. Brown, a resident of Denison ; Carl, deceased; Maggie, who has also passed away; Anna, the wife of Julius Jensen, a resident of South Dakota; Henry C., of this review; Carl, the second of the name, now a resident of Hanover township, Crawford county ; Adolph, who lives in Paradise township; Rudolph, a resident of South Dakota; and one who died in infancy.
Henry C. Kolls, the second son and fifth in order of birth, pursued his studies in the district schools of Goodrich township. He was early trained in the work of the home farm and during the period of his boyhood and youth assisted his father, with whom he remained until he had attained his majority. He then began farming on his own account, renting land of his father, and eventually he purchased a farm from him, operating the same for nine years. On the expiration of that period he removed to Denison, where he spent two years, after which he lived one year on a farm two and a half miles south of the city. In 1908 he took up his abode on a farm which he now rents, compris- ing two hundred and eighty acres of land in East Boyer township, and in the spring of 1911 removed to his farm of four hundred and six acres, located
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partly in Paradise and partly in Denison township. He is giving his undivided attention to the further development and improvement of the latter place and it is one of the valuable tracts of that section of the county. He carries on general farming to some extent, but the major part of his time is given to the raising and feeding of live stock. In the year 1910 he fed six carloads of cattle and two carloads of hogs and this branch of his business is proving to him a gratifying source of revenue.
Mr. Kolls chose as a companion for the journey of life, Miss Christina Amelia Christensen, their marriage being celebrated in 1894. She is a daughter of M. and Mrs. M. F. Christensen, well known residents of Denison. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Kolls have been born four children : Ella Louisa, Fred Carl, Henry Adolph and Leona Amelia.
Mr. Kolls gives stanch support to the republican party, always casting his ballot in support of the candidates on that ticket, yet he is not an office seeker. His religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Lutheran church. Per- haps the highest tribute that can be paid Mr. Kolls is that he has been successful in all of his undertakings and that he has so discharged his duties as a citizen and as a business man as to merit the confidence of those who know him best.
HENRY HOLLMANN.
Thirty-seven years ago Henry Hollmann located in Crawford county and during the time that has since elapsed has developed his farm into one of the most productive properties in Morgan township. He deserves great credit for the work he has done, especially when it is considered that he began without capital and is therefore a self-made man. He was born in Germany, September 7, 1849, a son of T. H. and Anna ( Blackwell) Hollmann, both of whom were natives of Germany and continued there during their entire lives. The mother died February 2, 1872, and the father passed away on the 19th of the follow- ing March. In their family were eight children, three of whom died in infancy, the others being: Henry, of this review; Heinrich, of Shiner, Texas; George and Diedrich, both of whom died in Germany; and Elizabeth, who died at the age of fifty-nine years.
Henry Hollmann acquired his early education in the public schools of his native land and in 1865, being then sixteen years of age, he came to America, first making his way to Monroe county, Michigan. Later he was a sailor on the Great Lakes for five years, in the course of which time he acquired consid- erable experience that has been of practical value to him in later years. Finally, having decided to settle down, he arrived in lowa in 1870 and spent four years working on a farm, becoming intimately acquainted with the details of agricul- ture and stock-raising. On the 18th of May, 1874, he came to Crawford county and bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 14, Morgan town- ship. The land when he acquired it was raw prairie, but he has greatly im- proved his place by the erection of substantial buildings and the excellent ap-
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pearance of the farm is convincing evidence of the interest he takes in his work and the financial success he has achieved.
In 1884 Mr. Hollmann was united in marriage to Miss Annie Schafer, who was born in Germany, July 14, 1861, and came to America the year of her mar- riage. She is one of a family of five children, three of whom are still living in Germany. A brother, Diedrich, came to America and died in California. Five children have come to brighten the home of Mr. and Mrs. Hollmann: George D., who was born April 12, 1888, and received his education in the public schools and the Denison Normal School; Katie, born December 29, 1890, who was edu- cated in the common schools; John M., who was born June 16, 1894, and also educated in the common schools; and Harry and Adolph, both of whom died in infancy.
Mr. Hollmann and his wife are sincere members of the German Lutheran church and have reared their children in the same belief in which they them- selves were reared. A's a public-spirited man he is interested in the affairs of the community and is a willing assistant in every movement that aims to pro- mote the general welfare. He is well known in Morgan and adjoining town- ships and can claim an extensive circle of friends whom he has attracted by his sterling character.
C. H. WIESE.
One of the many sons of Germany who have come to America with very limited capital but an inexhaustible supply of energy and determination and by means of well directed effort has won where a man with less strength of purpose would have been defeated, is C. H. Wiese. He is a native of Schleswig-Hol- stein and the youngest son of John Henry and Margaret Katrina (Ghoul) Wiese, his birth occurring on the 22d of March, 1862. His parents, who were also from the province of Schleswig-Holstein, emigrated to the United States and located at West Side, Iowa, where the father passed away in 1904. The mother was also a resident of Crawford county at the time of her death, which occurred in 1885. Only three of the five children born to them survive, those besides our subject being: Ida, who is married and living in the fatherland ; and John, a resident of Omaha, Nebraska.
C. H. Wiese acquired the greater portion of his education in Germany, only attending school one winter after his arrival in the United States. As soon as he was old enough to begin work he obtained employment as a section hand, following that occupation at Aspinwall four years. At the end of that period he worked in a lumberyard for five years and then began farming in Iowa town- ship. After living there three years he removed to a farm in Hayes township, which he cultivated four years, and then returned to West Side, where he spent two years. In the meantime he had become very enthusiastic about Nebraska, and migrating to that state, he bought a half section of land in Dixon county, upon which he resided for three years. Returning to Crawford county at the expiration of that period, he located on sections 21 and 22, Washington town-
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ship, where he now owns two hundred and forty acres of excellent farming land. He has made many improvements upon his homestead during the period of his residence here, so that it is now one of the most valuable farms in the township. He engages in general farming and stock-raising and is meeting with marked success in both ventures.
On the 22d of March, 1885, Mr. Wiese was united in marriage to Miss Katrina Schmahl, who was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, February 14, 1865, a daughter of Kai and Katrina (Mueller) Schmahl. Her father is now deceased, but her mother is still living in Germany. Mrs. Wiese has one sister in America, Sophia, the wife of Otto Passick, residing in Carroll county, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Wiese have become the parents of eight children, who are as follows: Minnie, the wife of Detlef Peterson, Washington township; and Emil, Bridget, Emma, Ida, Florence, Etta and Elsie, all of whom are at home.
The family affiliate with the Lutheran church. The democratic party is always given the political support of Mr. Wiese, and although he does not actively participate in local governmental affairs he meets the requirements of good citizenship by casting his ballot on election day. He is in every sense of the word a self-made man, as the success he has achieved in life is due solely and directly to his own effort, and as such he justly deserves the respect ac- corded him in the community where he resides.
W. F. BOECK.
A highly improved and cultivated farm of one hundred and sixty acres is a credit to the well directed energies of W. F. Boeck, who was born in Daven- port, Iowa, on the 10th of September, 1867. He is a son of Henry and Eliza- beth (Peterson) Boeck, both natives of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, from which country they emigrated to the United States, locating in Davenport in 1858. The father, who was a carpenter, followed his trade until the breaking out of the Civil war and, enlisting in the Second lowa Cavalry, he went to the front serving for four and a half years. During that time he saw much active service, participating in some of the most notable battles of the war. Returning to Iowa after receiving his discharge, he invested the money he had earned at his trade in land in Crawford county. Ultimately he acquired eleven hundred and seventeen acres, all of which he brought to a high state of cultivation and still retains in his possession. Mr. Boeck retired several years ago and is now living in Davenport, spending his winters in Florida. He was married twice. and his first wife, who passed away in 1873, was the mother of our subject and two daughters: Elizabeth, the wife of Fred Brandenberg, of East Boyer town- ship, and Laura, the widow of Otto Teegan, of Davenport, Iowa. For his sec- ond wife Mr. Boeck chose Miss Catherina Kahler, and they are the parents of five children, four sons' and one daughter: Herman, who is a resident of East Boyer township; George, of Nishnabotny township; Ferdinand, of Davenport. Iowa; August, also of Davenport; and Louisa, the wife of August Schnoor, of Nishnabotny township.
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W. F. Boeck was reared at home, acquiring his education in the common schools of Davenport, which he continued to attend until he had attained his sixteenth year. In 1884 he came to his father's farm to assist in breaking the prairie and has been here ever since. He has always been engaged in agricul- tural pursuits. He owns a section of land in Logan county, Kansas. His place is thoroughly modern in all of its appointments, and he is the only farmer in this section of the state who has an electric lighting plant, his residence and all outbuildings being wired. Although Mr. Boeck has engaged in general farming and stock-raising for over twenty years, he has made a business of threshing during the season, which has proven to be most lucrative.
In 1893 Mr. Boeck was united in marriage to Miss Anna Gosch, who is also of German parentage, and they have become the parents of the following chil- dren : Viola Augusta, Henry Theodore, Harry William, Howard Herman, Ve- ronica Bertha and Hugo Fred, all of whom are at home.
The family attend the Lutheran church, of which the parents are members, while fraternally Mr. Boeck is affiliated with the Masonic order, being identified with Manilla Lodge, of which he is a senior steward, and Mrs. Boeck is a member of the Eastern Star. Politically he is identified with the republican party. He always takes an active and helpful interest in all local affairs and is now serving as assessor in Nishnabotny township, and he also served for several years on the school board. He is one of the enterprising citizens of the com- munity, whose efforts have been rewarded with good financial returns because of his carefully considered and capably executed plans.
JOHN L. AINSWORTH.
Among the honored citizens of Denison is John L. Ainsworth, who as a school teacher has attained an enviable record in Crawford county, having de- voted his best talents and energies to that vocation for thirty years past. He was born in Lomira, Dodge county, Wisconsin, August 5, 1861, a son of Michael and Mary (Rice) Ainsworth, the former a native of New York state and the latter of Alsace-Loraine, France. The father was a farmer by occupation. Coming to Crawford county, Iowa, in the fall of 1868, he located five miles north of Denison in Goodrich township, where he purchased a farm of one hundred and forty acres, upon which he lived for thirty-three years. He passed away in 1901, having then reached the age of eighty-four years. His beloved wife died at the age of seventy-seven years in 1905. They were both stanch believers in the authority and inspiration of the Bible and active members of the Methodist church, performing their part nobly in the upbuilding of the county. Joseph Ainsworth, the paternal grandfather of our subject, who was also a native of New York state, was a farmer by occupation and served in the American army in the war of 1812. He died in Wisconsin, being then well advanced in years. The maternal grandfather, Joseph Rice, was a native of Alsace, France. Seek- ing more favorable conditions than he found in his own country, he came to America and lived for many years in Dodge county, Wisconsin. He spent the
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