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LOUIS C. GARDEMANN, a farmer on section 8, Fremont township, Benton county, Iowa, was born in the township in which he now lives, March 4, 1861, a son of German parents. His father, Frederick F. Gardemann, was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, March 9, 1819, and spent the first fifteen years of his life there. He came to the United States about 1834 and located at Davenport, Iowa, where on February 7, 1860, he married Christine Schnekloth, and from whence in March of the same year he came to Fremont township, Benton county, where he died October 29, 1864. His widow subsequently became the wife of Jacob Fix, who was born in Germany, October 18, 1830, and died in Newhall, Iowa, November 5, 1901, they having moved to Newhall in 1897. She is still living in Newhall. She was born in Holstein, Germany, November 30, 1839. By her first husband she had three children, Louis C., William and August, and by her second husband she had eight, of whom five are living, namely: John, of Fremont township, Benton county, Iowa; Philip, of Shellsburg, Iowa; Oliver, of Garretson, South Dakota; Bertha, wife of Jacob Krumm, of Newhall; and Elizabeth, at home.
Louis C. was reared on a farm in his native township, attending public school in winter and assisting with the farm work in summer; and one winter he was a student at Tilford Academy, Vinton. Thus he passed his time up to the age of eighteen, when he began to work at the carpenter's trade, a trade he followed for three years. Soon after he reached his majority he married and settled down to farming on the place he now owns, and which for three years he rented of his father-in-law. Then he moved to Newhall, where he and his brother William established a general merchandise store, which they conducted eight years. At the end of that time Louis C. sold out and returned to the farm, which he rented another year. In July, 1901, he bought the farm, one hundred and fifty acres, and has since devoted his energies to its cultivation and improvement, building barns, out buildings, etc. He has since purchased ten acres more, making in all one hundred and sixty acres.
On November 28, 1883, Mr. Gardemann married Miss Marie Doebel, who was born on the farm on which they now live, May 4, 1864, daughter of Christian and Marie (Busacker) Doebel, both natives of Germany. Her father, born May 5, 1821, died July 18, 1881; her mother, born in Mecklenburg, February 2, 1837, died February 8, 1901. They were the parents of nine children, of whom six are living, as follows: Marie; Annie, wife of C. H. Schlotterback, of Fremont township; Elizabeth, wife of Andy Lloyd, of Hooper, Nebraska; Charles, of Dubuque, Iowa; George, of Norway, Iowa; and Frank, of California. Mr. Doebel came to this country in 1852, landing at New Orleans, where he stopped for a short time, and from whence he came north to Iowa, first to Davenport and afterward to Dubuque. At the former named place he spent one winter chopping cord word and splitting rails. The next four months he worked on the Illinois Central Railroad. After this he returned to Louisiana, and in the swamps of that state floated timber, this work netting him four hundred dollars in gold, with which he made his start in life. In 1854, returning to Iowa, he entered three hundred and twenty acres of land in section 8, Fremont township, Benton county, acquired title to this tract in due time, and in 1857 established his home on it. Here he lived an active, useful life and died at the age of sixty-two years. His first home he built of split rails, set up and down, and covered it with a straw roof. During the early days here he held several local offices, for three years being postmaster at Summer and having the post office in his house.
Mr. and Mrs. Gardemann have nine children, namely: Fred W., John C., Frances A., Charles A., Harry L., George F., Irvin A., Louise H., and Marie C., all at the parental home except the two eldest, Fred W. and John C., who are residents of South Dakota.
Mr. Gardemann has filled the office of school director in his township, and has always evidenced a commendable interest in the general welfare of the community. Politically he is a Democrat and religiously he and his family attend the German Lutheran church at Atkins.
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