Zell, William

ROWE, KIRCHMANN, TIETJE, SEEHASE, NUSS

Posted By: BCGS
Date: 12/5/2009 at 10:50:37

William Zell, a retired farmer living in Sumner, was born in Pomerania, Germany, January 19, 1852, and is a son of Gotfried and Dorothea Sophia (Rowe) Zell. The family came to the United States in 1872 and located on a farm in Lake county, Illinois, where they remained until 1885. In that year they moved to Bremer county and both passed away in this locality.

William Zell accompanied his parents to America when he was twenty years of age and he followed agricultural pursuits in Lake county, Illinois, until 1884. He moved to Bremer county in that year and purchased eighty acres of wild prairie land in Sumner township. After improving this he bought eighty acres adjoining and for a number of years carried forward the work of improving and developing this property, gaining a place among substantial and representative farmers of the township. In 1911 he sold his land to his son and retired from active life.

Mr. Zell married, in Bremer county, Miss Luzetta Kirchmann, a native of Germany and a sister of August Kirchmann, of whom a record appears elsewhere in this work. Mrs. Zell died April 7, 1913. She and her husband became the parents of nine children: Ida, who married Henry Tietje, of Sumner township; Mina, who died in infancy; Sophia, the wife of William Seehase, of Dayton township; W.F., on the old homestead; Luzetta, who married William Nuss, of Dayton township; Martha, who passed away in June, 1912; Fred; Henry; and Herman.

Mr. Zell is a member of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church in Sumner and gives his political allegiance to the republican party. He served as school director and has always been interested in public affairs, acting for four years as secretary of the local creamery. During his business career he made many substantial contributions to the general growth and development of this part of the county and his retirement is well deserved, rewarding many years of faithful and well directed labor.

History of Bremer County, Iowa Vol. II 1914