USA > Iowa > Sac County > History of Sac County, Iowa > Part 88
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In October, 1897, Mr. Dinges was married to Mary Langin. a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the daughter of John and Mary (Breen) Langin, who
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are now residing in South Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Dinges are the parents of eleven children: Joseph, born August 13, 1898; Helen, born December 14, 1899: Leo, born May 20, 1901; William, born October II, 1902: Clement, born February 13, 1904; Mary, born December 20, 1905: Alice, born August 17, 1907, and died December 15, 1909; Florence, born October 13, 1909; Esther, born March 3, 1911 ; Rita, born October 7, 1912.
Politically, Mr. Dinges is an adherent of the Democratic party and lends his support to the candidates of that party. Ile and his family are loyal members of the St. Martin's Catholic church at Odebolt, while he is a mein- ber of the Knights of Columbus at Carroll. Mr: Dinges is one of the most progressive farmers of his township, as is evidenced by the success which has attended his efforts since beginning to farm in this township. His corn crop in 1913 was ninety acres and averaged fifty-five bushels to the acre, and this inchided a considerable acreage of popcorn. His career as a farmer in his community has been inspirational because of the progressive methods which he uses and the study of his career by the young men of his county, and shows what can be accomplished by scientific farming in this part of the state.
VALENTINE HENRICHI.
The gentleman whose life history forms the theme of this narrative is one of the many German settlers who have made Sac county, Iowa, the pros- perous community which it is today. Landing in this country at the age of nineteen, when his capital consisted solely of his strong hands and a willing heart, he has attained to a position of influence in this county, which has been accomplished solely through his own efforts. The study of the career of such a life should be an inspiration to those of the coming generation who little realize the privations and discouragements which often faced our fore- fathers in settling up a new country.
Valentine Henrich, retired farmer of Odebolt. Iowa, was born June 12, 1850, in Hesse-Nassau, Germany. His parents, Philip and Elizabeth Hen- rich, belonged to the High German class of their native land and lived all of their days in the land of their birth.
Valentine Henrich came to America with a group of friends in 1869, landing in New York City in March of that year. He immediately went to Chicago, where he worked for a year and a half at his trade of carpentering. He then located in Lee county, Illinois, and worked as a farm laborer until
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1875. He then married and began to rent land in Lee county, Illinois, with the intention of later on going farther west and purchasing a farm of his own. Accordingly, in 1882, he came with his family to Sac county, lowa, and for the first two years rented land in Richland township. Feeling that it would be to his interest to own a farm of his own, he purchased one hundred and sixty acres in section 8, in Richland township, for twenty-five dollars an acre. He went into debt for the total amount, built a small house and started in to pay for his land. It was not an easy task, for he had the grasshoppers. storms, drought and many other discouragements to meet, but he stuck to his farmi with characteristic German determination and within fifteen years had it all paid for. One thing which made it difficult to pay off the debt any sooner was the fact that he had to pay the high rate of eighteen per cent. interest on his borrowed money. As soon as he had his farm paid for, he bought another quarter section in Boyer Valley township for fifty dollars an acre, but later traded this farm for one hundred and twenty acres near Ode- bolt, and he is now the owner of two hundred and eighty acres of well im- proved land in Richland township, and realizes a very profitable return from his land holdings. He also owns one hundred and sixty acres of land in South Dakota. He moved to Odebolt in March, 1907. where he owns a modern home with all of the conveniences of life.
Mr. Henrich was married November 25. 1875, in Sublet, Lee county, Illinois, to Caroline Dinges, who was born March 30, 1855, in that county. To this marriage there have been born seven children, all of whom are living : Mrs. Christina Roeder, of Ida county, Iowa, who has seven children, Caro- line, Albert, Francis, Esther, Leonard, Raymond and Marguerite : Mrs. Mary Zeigmann, who lives in Levey township, this county, who has seven children. Albert, Leo, Gertrude, Joseph, Bernard, Margaret and Lawrence: Peter, of South Dakota, who is married and has eight children, Frances, Romaine, Dorothy, Helen, Marguerite. Carroll, Floyd and Leo: John, of Richland township, this county, is married and has three children, Gertrude, Leona and Howard; John, who died in infancy; Mrs. Josephine Mandernach, of Rich- land township, has two daughters, Hazel and Lorene; Joseph, a farmer of Richland township, who has three children, Leonard, Florence and Ellis: Gertrude, the youngest child of Mr. and Mrs. Henrich, is still with her par- ents in Odebolt.
It is interesting to note that two brothers of Mr. Henrich who came to this country have likewise prospered. Balthazer is a prosperous farmer of Minnesota, while Martin is equally flourishing in LeMars, Iowa. They came
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to this county in 1881 and are highly respected citizens of the communities in which they are living.
Mr. Henrich gives his vote to the Democratic party and subscribes to the principles as set forth by the leaders of that organization. He and all the members of his family are adherents of the Catholic church and render to it their earnest and loyal support. They are members of the St. Martin's parish and take an active interest in all the affairs of their church. In 1910 Mr. and Mrs. Henrich made a trip to Europe, visiting in England, France, Switzer- land and Germany. They called on their old friends and relatives and had the pleasure of seeing the famous "Passion Play" at Oberammergau, in Austria.
JUERGEN P. GOSCH.
The farming profession has been revolutionized within the last fifty years, and the farmer of today in Iowa has so modernized the former methods of agriculture that he has very few of the disadvantages of a past decade to contend with in tilling the soil. The pioneers themselves now living in Sac county have come up through this great transformation in agricultural meth- ods and have prospered accordingly. Scores of inventions have been put on the market which enable the farmer to lead a life of ease as compared with the hardships of an earlier day. The farmer is certainly the most independent man of the country and all other professions must bow to him. Iowa is known throughout the length and breadth of this country as one of the leading agricultural states of the Union and Sac county is one of its best subdivisions. Among the many excellent farmers of this progressive and wealthy county who is of German birth none occupies a more prominent place than Juergen P. Gosch, who arose from a poor immigrant to become one of the wealthy and influential figures in the county.
Juergen P. Gosch has resided on his large farm of five hundred and twenty-three acres in Levey township since the year 1880 and has developed it from prairie land to one of the best equipped and most productive in the county. He was born March 2, 1848. in Schleswig, Germany, and is the son of Peter and Mary Gosch. When he was twenty-four years of age he came to America and in the spring of 1872 located in Jackson county, Iowa, where he worked at farm labor for a period of five years and saved his money. While a resident of Jackson county he married and then decided that it was time to become a land owner and tiller of his own land. First. he rented a
RESIDENCE OF JUERGEN P. GOSCH
F
JUERGEN P. GOSCH AND FAMILY
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farm for two years, then came to Sac county and invested his savings in one hundred and twenty acres of land in Levey township, which formed the nucleus of his present large acreage. This first tract of land cost him twenty dollars an acre and was purchased on a time contract, as was the custom in that early day. Very few settlers came to Sac county with much money, and Mr. Gosch was as poor as his neighbors at that time. A few years later he bought one hundred and eighty-eight acres at a cost price of twenty-eight dollars an acre. In 1889 he again invested in a tract of two hundred and twenty-three acres at a cost of thirty-nine dollars an acre. The Northwestern railroad cuts diagonally through Mr. Gosch's section, hence the odd acreage. Mr. Gosch has from time to time invested in lands in Dakota, Kansas and Iowa, and has usually sold out at a profit. At the present time he is the owner of an entire section of land in Kansas and owns a half section of fine farm lands in Dakota. On his Sac county farm are three sets of farm build- ings, all in excellent condition. His home farm is a very fine one and the resi- dence is exceptionally good, as will be seen by the view herein presented. Nearly all the buildings have been built or remodeled by Mr. Gosch and are kept in very good condition. He also owns a nice residence in Wall Lake, where it is his intention to retire very soon and take life easy, as he can well afford to do. Of late years he has entrusted the work of the farms to his children.
For a number of years Mr. Gosch has been a breeder of Percheron horses and has a band of forty head of fine thoroughbred stock on his farm. He has always paid considerable attention to the raising of live stock for the market and is a live-stock farmer. Among his forty head of fine horses are about twenty-five head of registered Percherons, which are worth fancy prices in the market.
In the year 1877 this successful farmer was married to Mrs. Mary Mohr Sonderman, a widow who had two children by a former marriage, Ella, de- ceased, and Mrs. Minnie Putbres, of Sac county. There have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gosch the following children: Fred and Henry, who are tilling the home farm; Mrs. Anna Wunscher, of Delaware township; Mrs. Margarita Patee, of Eden township: Carl and August, at home; Mrs. Katie Plautz, of Clinton township; Alvena and Detlef, at home with their parents.
The mother of these children was born in 1853 on the ocean aboard a sailing vessel enroute to America from Germany. She was the daughter of Fred and Elzaba Mohr, who first settled near Davenport, down the river in the timber belt of Jackson county. This was in the year 1853, when settlers were few and far apart in that section of Iowa. and the Mohrs endured many
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hardships. They, the parents of Mrs. Gosch, were among the very earliest pioneer settlers of Jackson county and lived and died in the county, well re- spected by all who knew them.
Mr. Gosch himself has not succeeded to his present position of affluence without hardships of a serious character at times, and his success has been due to hard work and thrift, combined with keen financial ability and rare business acumen. One of the most serious disasters with which he had to contend was in 1889, when his barns and outbuildings were destroyed by fire. At that time he had the largest barn in Sac county, and his loss was considerable. Five horses, five thousand bushels of corn, ninety tons of hay, and buggies and harness were lost in the holocaust.
Mr. Gosch is allied with the Democratic party and has served his town- ship as trustee and president of the school board. Like many other successful men of affairs, he finds time and has the inclination to take an active part in local politics, and his influence has generally been on the side of right and progress. Having a large family of children himself, he has ever been in favor of a good school system, and located on the corner of his farm is one of Sac county's modern district school buildings. He and his family are mem- bers of the German Lutheran church and Mr. Gosch is a liberal contributor to the support of this denomination, which at present is erecting a fine modern church edifice in the town of Wall Lake. His long residence in Sac county, his marked success as a citizen and agriculturist and stockman makes him eminently entitled to representation in this valuable work.
CLAIRE A. DREWRY.
Iowa is one of the newer states of the Union and Sac county is one of the youngest counties of the state. While the father of Claire A. Drewry, whose history is presented in this connection, was one of the first pioneer settlers to brave the prairie fires of Douglas township, this county, it is probable that Claire A. Drewry is the first and oldest farmer now living who was born within the precincts of this township, consequently the Drewry family have been witnesses of the remarkable growth which this county has experienced in the fifty-odd years which have elapsed since its organization.
Claire A. Drewry, son of W. P. and Sarah Jane ( Roundsville) Drewry, was born in a log cabin built by his father in Douglas township, Sac county,
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Iowa, on March 10, 1869. W. P. Drewry was born in September, 1839, and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Drewry. W. P. Drewry was reared in Sheboygan county, Wisconsin, where his parents moved in 1844, and came to Sac county, Iowa, in 1866, and homesteaded on the quarter section farm now owned by his son, C. A. On this homestead he constructed a rude log cabin on April 12, 1866, although he had previously lived in a tent. He has the honor of being the first settler on the prairie in Douglas township, as the other settlers stayed by the timber along the river, but he broke the way by boldly pushing out into the open, prairie and digging out his homestead. Other settlers, seeing the success of his efforts, rapidly began entering the land around him, with the result that his example was soon followed by a sufficient number of settlers to occupy all the land in the township. W. P. Drewry taught school in connection with his farm duties in the winters for about twenty years after locating in Sac county and had the distinction at one time or another of assisting nearly all of the earlier generation of children to at least a part of their education. He also served as county superintendent of schools one term and was representative from this county in the twenty-fourth General Assembly in 1892. W. P. Drewry and wife were the parents of four sons and one daughter: Mrs. Mary E. Drewry. of Sac City, Iowa; Willis B., of Windom, Minnesota; Edward O., of Montana; C. A., of whom this chronicle speaks, and Ray F., of Bison, South Dakota.
Claire A. Drewry has lived his whole life on one farm. His father owned seven hundred and twenty acres of land in one tract at one time prior to his death, in 1904, and gave to each of his sons a quarter section, Claire A. receiving the farm on which the house had been built. He has improved his home, built a large barn, sixty by sixty-four, with concrete floors, and other- wise improved the farm with fencing and ditching until it is one of the most productive in the township. He raises a large number of cattle, hogs and sheep in addition to his grain crops, and has been remarkably successful in all of his enterprises.
Mr. Drewry was married in October, 1902, to Lavanda L. Abbott, of Rushville, Nebraska, and to this marriage have been born two children, Sarah J. and Mamie. Politically, Mr. Drewry is a Republican, but has never held any public offices. The family are members of the Christian church and give it their earnest support. Fraternally, Mr. Drewry is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of Sac City. By a straightforward and com- mendable course, Mr. Drewry has made his way to a respectable position in the agricultural world and has won the hearty admiration of the people of his
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township as a progressive man of affairs. He is a man of pleasing person- ality and has a host of friends and acquaintances throughout the township and community in which he has spent his entire life.
BENJAMIN M. BUEHLER.
One of the youngest of the substantial farmers of Richland township, Sac county, Iowa, is Benjamin M. Buehler, one of the three sons of Jacob Buehler, deceased, who are living in this same township. Mr. Buehler is a bright, active young farmer who is interested in life from every standpoint. He is full of energy and enthusiasm and that love for humanity which char- acterizes the typical American citizen.
Benjamin M. Buehler, the son of Jacob and Eliza Buehler, was horn October 25, 1885, in the house where he is now living. Since the history of the Buehler family is related in the sketch of Jacob Buehler, deceased, the reader is referred to that article for further particulars on this interesting family.
Benjamin M. Buehler received his education in the schools of Richland township, in what is known as the Willow Tree school house. After leaving school he worked on the home farm with his father until his marriage, which occurred on February 14, 1907, at which time he was married to Lillie Schaefer, the daughter of Christopher Schaefer and wife, residents of Schal- ler. The Schaefers were early settlers in Sac county, and the reader is re- ferred to the history of Christopher Schaefer, elsewhere in this volume, for additional information on the family. Mr. and Mrs. Buehler are the parents of three children: Ruth, born December 12, 1907; Robert, born April 7, 1909, and Ben, born March 14, 1912.
Mr. Buehler now owns eighty acres of land of his own and, in addition to this, farms eighty acres more, which he rents. In addition to his farming operations he also manages a threshing machine outfit during the summer season and finds this a profitable investment. He is a breeder of Polled Durham cattle and takes a great deal of justifiable pride in his high grade of live stock, which he finds a very valuable adjunct to his agricultural interests. Mr. Buehler came into possession of the home place in 1907, and since that time has improved the place in many ways. He has two excellent barns and a large corn crib, and all of his buildings are thoroughly up-to-date and con- venient for the housing of his stock, being roofed with sheet steel.
SAC COUNTY, IOWA.
Mr. Buehler has allied himself with the new Progressive party and takes an intelligent interest in all of the political issues of the day. He is a stanch and active member of the German Methodist Episcopal church of Richland township and gives to it his earnest support, both in time and substance. This church is probably the oldest church of the township and has been a power for good since the time of its organization. While Mr. Buehler is a busy man with his various interests, he has found time to develop himself into an amateur photographer of real ability. He follows this vocation for the benefit and pleasure of himself and friends, and is possessed of unusual artistic ability.
CHARLES M. COLLENBAUGH.
The office of biography is not to give voice to a man's modest opinion of himself and his accomplishments, but rather to leave upon the record the verdict establishing his character by the consensus of opinion on the part of his neighbors and friends. In touching upon the life history of the subject of this sketch the writer aims to avoid fulsome encomium and extravagant praise ; yet he desires to hold up for consideration those facts which have shown the distinction of a true, useful and honorable life-a life characterized by per- severance, energy, broad charity and well-defined purpose.
Charles M. Collenbaugh, a prosperous farmer of Cook township. Sac county, Iowa, was born in the good old Hoosier state of Indiana in March, 1871. His parents were Christopher and Rosanna (Maxwell) Collenbaugli, who were natives of Ohio and later became early settlers in Owen county, In- diana. In 1877 the Collenbaugh family moved to Clinton county, Iowa, and six years later they settled in Sac county, where they purchased a farm in Cook township. Mr. and Mrs. Collenbaugh lived on this farm until 1903. when they moved to Odebolt, where Christopher Collenbaugh died in August. 1905, and his widow still resides in Odebolt. They were the parents of five children: Mrs. Marie Flathers, of Odebolt: John, of Sioux county, Jowa ; Mrs. Alice Davenport, a resident of Odebolt; Frank, a farmer of Cedar township, this county, and Charles M., whose history forms the theme of this narrative.
Charles M. Collenbaugh was educated in the district schools of Cook township, and has lived on his present farm since March, 1883. Upon the death of his father, in 1905, he bought the interests of the other heirs in the old homestead farm, and has added land from time to time to this tract until
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he now has an estate of one hundred and forty acres. In the spring of 1912 he erected a fine, modern home with eleven rooms and has his home fitted out with all the modern conveniences. He has a large number of trees on the farm, which, together with splendid fencing and good outbuildings, gives the farm a very attractive appearance. He raises a considerable amount of live stock and markets annually about one hundred head of hogs and thirty- five head of cattle.
Mr. Collenbaugh was married in March, 1903, to Mary. the daughter of William Rhule, of this county, and to this marriage have been born three children, Manie, Laura and Inez, who are all in school. Politically, Mr. Collenbaugh lends his influence and vote to the Republican party, but has never been an aspirant for any public office. He and his family are members of the Congregational church. Mr. Collenbaugh takes an interest in the public questions of the day and is well informed on all current issues which are to- day before the American people. He is not afraid to express his opinion on any subject, and yet he is considerate of the views of his fellow citizens. His life has been lived in strict conformity with high ideals of citizenship. and for this reason he is justly regarded as one of the representative citizens of this county and is eminently entitled to mention in this volume.
ISAAC N. MEAD.
The biographer is especially gratified when he finds before him the task of preparing even a brief sketch of the life of a man who by his own unaided efforts has raised himself from humble circumstances to a pleasing competence and high regard in the esteem of his fellowmen. Success in this life almost always comes to the deserving. It has been repeatedly proven that one gets out of this life what he sincerely puts into it, plus a reasonable interest on his investinent, and to the young man who starts out in life with a firm determina- tion to win a place for himself, and regulates all his affairs of life by the cor- rect principles of living, success is sure to come. This is success of the highest type, which cannot be truly appreciated by many so-called successful men who at the very outset of life found themselves surrounded by many ad- vantages procured for them by a kind and indulgent parent. Men of this latter class can not appreciate the effort put forth by the man who starts in life unaided and by sheer force of will forges ahead and at length, through many disappointments possibly, arrives at a place of honor among his fellow citi-
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zens. The subject of this sketch is a creditable representative of the class last named, a class which has furnished much of the bone and sinew of the country and added to the stability of our government.
Isaac N. Mead, farmer of Cook township, Sac county, Iowa, was born on February 7, 1852, in the state of New York, the son of Almond and Elizabeth (Ricks) Mead, the former of whom was born in Pennsylvania and the latter in England. In1 1856 Almond Mead decided to become one of the pioneers of the great and growing West, and brought his family to the state of Wisconsin, settling in Grant county. Here he engaged in farm work and was making fair progress in business matters when the Civil War broke out, and, being a man of strong patriotic principles, he enlisted as a private in the Thirty-third Regiment Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and died while in the service, never having been able to return to his home. This left his young widow with the problem of raising her three children without a father's help. The oldest child was Isaac N., of whom this narrative speaks, who at the tender age of eleven began working out in an effort to assist his mother in supporting the others. He succeeded well in his earnest efforts and with his assistance the mother was able to keep the little family together. One child, Janie, died at the age of nine years, and the third child of the family is Andrew, who is engaged in farming in Ida county, this state. Mr. Mead's mother continued to make her home in Wisconsin and died there in March, 1910.
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