Jakob Berger, 1899 Biography

BERGER, JUELICH, KOELKER, ORTNER, NURRE, VAN ERDEWICK, THELEN

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 3/4/2006 at 18:59:12

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:

Jakob Berger

This man, whose interesting life story follows, has been connected with the history of Carroll County for 30 years now, and he stands in high regard among all the citizens of this county. Mr. Jakob Berger was born on 20 August 1831 in Herxheim, Rhineland Palitinate, Bavaria. After he finished school, he devoted himself mainly to agriculture. But an enterprising spirit dwelt within him, and during his free time in the winter he found employment with a transport wagon, whereby he traveled to Baden and France. For a long time already, he had made the decision to try his luck in the new country on the other side of the ocean, and he carried out this decision in 1853. Arriving here in this country, he went first to Pennsylvania, where he worked for a time. Then he moved to Stevenson County, Illinois, and in 1856 we find him on the way to Waterloo, Iowa, where the industrious and enterprising man acquired 100 acres of land. Mr. Berger had already reached his adult years, and since he had known a respectable young lady for some time, he came to a decision. Miss Elisabeth Blim was the chosen young lady, and the marriage took place on 22 May 1862. The young couple worked on the farm another four years, and then Mr. Berger established a general merchandise store in Waterloo. He sold the business in Waterloo in 1870, and then made his way to Carroll County, where he bought a fine piece of land of 200 acres. For nine years we see the hard-working man operating his expansive farm, but then he got the longing to return to his dear Waterloo. So he rented out his farm, which he had equipped with fine buildings, and moved with his wife and children back to Waterloo, where he again opened a similar business. But it turned out that the farm in Kniest Township required his own attention, and there was a good opportunity to sell, so he sold his business and moved with his family to the farm in Kniest Township. Eleven years later, in January 1896, he and his wife retired and moved to the town of Carroll, where he bought a beautiful home right in the vicinity of Saints Peter and Paul Church. This happy marriage produced 12 children, three of whom died at a tender age. The names of the children still living are: Martin, married to Miss Maria Juelich; Theresia, married to Mr. Louis Koelker; Katharina, married to Mr. Peter Ortner; Frank, married to Miss Maria Nurre; Maria, married to School Superintendent Mr. Frank van Erdewick; Elisabeth, married to Mr. Peter Thelen; Jakob; Anna; and Agnes.