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CHRISTIAN SELK is one of the prominent land owners and farmers of Monroe township, where he has a valuable estate of two hundred and forty acres in sections 23, 25 and 26. He was born in Germany January 27, 1853, and in 1872 came with the family to this country, residing for a few months in Wisconsin, and the mother died there. A year afterward the father returned to Germany, and he died in that country eight years later. Mr. Selk has three brothers, all living in Benton county. He began life for himself in this country without capital, and while in Wisconsin he worked for others for about a year, coming then to Davenport. After three years there he came to Keystone in Benton county, and after working for others some years he bought eighty acres of land in Homer township, which he improved and which he yet owns. From there he came to his present home farm in 1901, purchasing the land from James Harwood. He has greatly improved his place, and he operates it with the help of his two sons.
Mr. Selk married in Benton county about twenty-nine years ago Miss Catherine Fick, who was born in Holstein, Germany, and she was about seven years old when she came to America with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Haas Fick, who located in Eldorado township, Benton county, and spent the remainder of their lives there. The six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Selk are: John, who married Miss Lizzie Hausman, and resides on the Homer township farm, their three children being Harry, Roberta and Raymond; and Etta, Ella, Martha, Fritz and Rudolph, all at home with their parents. Mr. Selk in politics affiliates with the Democratic party. He is one of the representative citizens of Monroe township.
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