F E Wentz

WENTZ

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 3/20/2009 at 00:44:55

F E Wentz is the proprietor of the Edgewood stock farm on Sec 20, Yell township. The great state of Iowa owes its wealth to its farming and stock raising interests. It is these lines of business activity that have formed the foundation for the present prosperity of the state. Mr Wentz is a capable, energetic and reliable business man and is well known in connection with his chosen line of work. For eleven years he has resided n Boone county and throughout his life has made his home in Iowa, which is his native state. His birth occurred in Iowa City, June 4, 1859, his parents being Daniel and Catherine (Haverstroh) Wentz, both of whom were natives of Germany the father came to America in 1854, settling in Iowa City. There he engaged in repairing shoes and in dealing in shoes for short time but later he purchased a farm near Oxford, Iowa where he made his home until he came to Boone county in 1891. He sold the property which he had previously acquired and in this county spent his remaining days. Passing away in 1892. His wife died the same year.
F E Wentz was the only child. He was educated in the common schools and in the commercial college at Iowa City. He then entered upon an independent business career and was first engaged in teaching school in Nebraska. He also taught music and other branches for five years. During that time he made his home upon the farm and on the expiration of that period turned his entire attention to agricultural pursuits which he continuously followed until 1887 when he removed to Hitchcock county, Nebraska. There he again engaged farming making his home inn that place for four years, on the expiration of which period he traded his land there for the Edgewood stock farm. This is now a valuable property. He owns land on Sec 20 and 21, Yell township. The farm is well improved being under a high state of cultivation and equipped with a splendid set of farm implements. He makes a specialty of raising fine stock, poultry and swine and has splendid specimens of all these upon his place. The farm is well adapted for the uses for which it is kept, there being good barns and all the necessary outbuildings for the care of his stock and poultry.
As a companion and helpmate for life’s journey Mr Wentz chose Miss Anna Linkhart of Oxford, a daughter of Joel Linkhart, who was engaged in cattle dealing but died in Oxford in 1901. Seven children have been born unto our subject and his wife, namely, Leo, Effie, Ross, Beula, Joyce, Mark and Frank E. He votes with the Republican party takes an active interest in temperance work and keeps well informed on the issues and questions of the day. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Congregational church of Ogden and are well known in the town as well as throughout the surrounding country. In connection with his other business affairs Mr Wentz is also interested in the Farmers’ Telephone Company. He is now to a large degree putting aside the active work of the farm and giving to it only hi supervision while the manual labor is largely performed by others. Such a rest is well deserved for his life has been one of untiring diligence. He has known the value of industry and enterprise and it is along those lines that he has achieved gratifying success. With the expiration of the four years passed in Nebraska he has always lived in Iowa and it is his native state, one of the best if not the best in the great Union.

1902 Boone County History Book