WILLIAM UNTIEDT

UNTIEDT, SERK

Posted By: Norma Nielson (email)
Date: 5/15/2004 at 22:06:52

"William Untiedt, who makes his home on section 12, Jackson township, owns and cultivates one hundred and ninety-two and one-half acres of land comprising one of the valuable and well improved farms of the county. His birth occurred in Davenport, Iowa, on the 9th of June, 1866, his father being Hans Untiedt, who emigrated to the United States in 1865. Locating in Davenport, Iowa, the latter secured employment as a day laborer and there spent the remainder of his life, passing away in 1902. The mother of our subject died during his childhood.

William Untiedt acquired but a limited education in the public schools of Davenport, as he became a wage earner at the early age of niine years, working on the farm hoeing potatoes and doing such other labor as he was able. He continued to work as a farm hand until the age of twenty-two years and in 1888 went to Redwillow county, Nebraska, where he rented land and kept bachelor’s hall for five years, attempting to make a success of farming. During the entire period, however, he harvested but one crop and at length decided to come back to Iowa. On returning to Davenport he rented ten acres of land which he planted to potatoes, farming the place for two years and in the meantime working for another farmer with whom he boarded. Carefully saving the money which he made, he was enabled to purchase his present property in the winter of 1894, but did not take up his abode thereon until the spring of 1896. The place comprises one hundred and ninety-two and one-half acres of valuable and productive land on section 12, Jackson township, and in its operation Mr. Untiedt has won a most gratifying and well merited measure of prosperity. He is a stockholder in the Fontanelle Lumber Company.

In the spring of 1896 Mr. Untiedt was united in marriage to Miss Maggie Serk, of Walcott, Scott county, Iowa. He is a republican in his political views and has served for one term as township trustee, while for the past five years he has been a member of the school board, ever discharging his public duties in a most prompt and capable manner. Fraternally he is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, belonging to Fontanelle Lodge, No. 250, while religious faith is indicated by his membership in the Lutheran church, with which his wife is also affiliated. They are people of the highest respectability, whose good qualities of heart ad mind have won for them the confidence and friendly regard of all who know them."

Source: The "History of Adair County Iowa and its People," Volume II. (Chicago, The Pioneer Publishing Company) 1915.