Henry Bartel, 1899 Biography

BARTEL, ZIEGENFUS

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 3/1/2006 at 00:12:34

I translated the following biography from Der Carroll Demokrat, a German-language newspaper published in Carroll, Iowa, between about 1874 and 1920. It was originally published in a special 25th Anniversary Edition of the paper on Friday, 20 September 1899. Information in brackets and notes at the end are my own explanations. It reads as follows:

Henry Bartel

This man was born on 1 November 1846 in Kirchberg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, where he also received his schooling. Afterwards, he worked in farming, and he came to America in 1872. He settled first in Chicago, and then went to Wisconsin, where he worked on the railroad 40 miles from La Crosse. He also worked for farmers near La Crosse. From there, he moved to Dubuque, Iowa. He then worked for three years in Wisconsin, where he was employed cutting trees. In 1875, he came to Carroll County, where he worked as a farmhand until 1884, when he married Miss Wilhelmina Ziegenfus and went into farming for himself. In 1889, he moved to his own 120-acre farm in Kniest Township, which he operated successfully. Henry is a progressive farmer, and he has good equipment and a fine livestock herd on his property. This happy marriage has produced six children, five of whom are still living: Henry, Lene, Johny [sic], Annie, and Peter.