Buchholz, Fred

GERLOFF, TESLOFF, HILDEBRANDT, WYNHOFF, RIMRODT, LINN

Posted By: BCGS
Date: 12/31/2009 at 14:06:06

Fred Buchholz is a retired farmer living in Sumner. The rest which is his is well merited, for a life of intense and well directed activity brought to him the prosperity which is now his. A native of Germany, he was born February 8, 1848, a son of Fred and Freda (Gerloff) Buchholz, both of whom spent their entire lives in Germany. Fred Buchholz, of this review, acquired a good education in his native country and spent the period of his minority there. In 1871 he married Miss Mina Tesloff, who was born in Germany, May 23, 1848.

On the 1st of May, 1872, the young couple started for the United States, sailing from Hamburg on the steamship, Simbria. They landed in New York on the 17th of the same month and thence proceeded by rail to Chicago and over the Illinois Central to Waverly, Iowa, reaching their destination on the 23d of May. Mr. Buchholz had a letter from Mr. Hildebrandt, an early settler of LeRoy township, telling him what to do when he reached Waverly. He followed directions and hunted up the man to whom he had been referred by Mr. Hildebrandt. The roads were extremely muddy, but a team was engaged and with his wife and a neighbor girl and their few possessions in boxes they started for LeRoy township. The team furnished was a most skinny and decrepit one and before reaching Mr. Hildebrandt's home the horses were no longer able to pull the load, so that people and baggage were dumped out upon the open prairie. Mr. Buchholz, his wife and the little girl made their way to the cabin of a settler, who directed them to the Hildebrandt farm. Mr. Buchholz had but five dollars left when he arrived in LeRoy township. Grading was being done on what is now the Great Western branch from Waverly to Sumner and Mr. Buchholz secured work, being given charge of one of the scrapers. When he had earned eighty-four dollars he was given an order for that amount by the contracting firm but when he presented it at the bank in Waverly he found it to be worthless. Imagine his disappointment after his hard labor, when his family were so in need.

He next worked at cutting wood but when he asked his second employer for money none was to be had and he was forced to take wheat in pay. Credit had been extended to him by H.J. Wynhoff, the pioneer merchant of Tripoli, for groceries to the amount of sixty dollars. At length the family were out of flour and as they could not get to mill they ground wheat in a coffee mill from which they made cakes on which they lived for three weeks. They occupied a little shanty made of upright boards, neither the side walls nor the ceiling being plastered. The sand and snow would blow through the cracks on one side and out of the other. At night they could look through the holes in the roof and see the stars and moon shining. In that little primitive home some of their children were born.

Mr. Buchholz used every opportunity to earn and save money and after some years he purchased ten acres of land covered with stumps and brush. Going to Waverly, he purchased lumber on credit and started to return home, but when he reached the Wapsie the river was out of its banks and looked like a lake. There was much floating ice, for it was February. He attempted to cross and the water was waist deep. The wagon was stuck and Mr. Buchholz carried his lumber ashore, spending hours in the cold water. The effect on his health was very disastrous. He has never since been free from a cough and he was left in a condition that renders him very susceptible to colds. With the lumber which he had secured he built a house and as he was able added to his land from time to time until he owned one hundred and sixty acres. Upon the farm he made fine improvements and carefully tilled his fields, so that he annually gathered good crops. There were many hardships and difficulties to be borne in the early days but in time the tide turned and he began to realize that he was on the way to prosperity. Four years ago he retired, sold ihis farm and now lives in Sumner, owning a comfortable home on West Main street. Mrs. Buchholz is a most excellent housekeeper, everything being extremely neat in their home.

She has a spinning wheel and reel made by her father in Germany. It was placed on exhibition in the Sumner high school and was a novel sight to boys and girls of the present day. Mrs. Buhholz still uses the spinning wheel, makes yarn and knits woolen socks for her sons. Upon her beds are found the finest woolen comforters, the work of her hands. She is a typical house mother, carefully watching every detail of the housework and making everything attractive to the members of the family. She delights in recalling incidents of pioneer days and her reminiscences are most interesting.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Buchholz have been born four children. Charles has twice gone to Kansas to reside but was burned out there. He married a Kansas girl and now follows farming in Dayton township, Bremer county. Carrie is the wife of John Rimrodt of Sumner. Minnie is the wife of Frank Linn, a farmer living near Waverly; and Fred is a resident farmer of LeRoy township.

The parents are members of the Evangelical Association and Mr. Buchholz is a democrat in politics. He has held many local offices; in fact has been almost continously in some public position. For twelve years he was road supervisor; for six years was trustee; for eight years was township assessor and for four years was trustee, resigning the position on coming to Sumner.

Mr. Buchholz had never studied English when he came to the new world but he learned to read and write the language. He has mastered many important lessons in the school of experience and he has been a hard-working, energetic man - one whose labors have been crowned with well merited success, his life history proving what can be accomplished when energy and determination lead the way.

History of Bremer County, Iowa Vol. II 1914