Theodore Kruse

FRICKE, LEITZ

Posted By: Dick Onken (email)
Date: 12/14/2006 at 13:04:48

Taken from the Lidderdale Centennial Book:
Minnie Fricke was born in 1863 in Lancaster, Ohio, and moved with her family to Illinois in 1865. In 1880, she traveled by covered wagon to Carroll, Iowa, where she married Theodore Kruse.
They bought a 160 acre farm located four miles east and one mile north of Carroll, from Samuel Leitz for $800. Leitz was an Army Sargent who received the farm as a service bonus. The farm is still in the Kruse family. Their house was small, but they added as their family grew. Theodore and Minnie shared the farm work. Theodore plowed with a team of horses; Minnie plowed with a team of oxen, both pulling wooden plows. When they needed anything, Minnie drove to Carroll with a team and wagon and a couple bushels of corn to trade for the things they needed. She did most of their trading with Amderson's Store for shoes, harness, canvas, oil and hardware and with Beiter's Market for the remaining things. At that time the main street of Carroll was Fourth Street which paralleled the railroad tracks. They had seven children: Theodore Jr., Charles, Henry, Frank, Marie, Emma and Edward. Theodore died in 1017. Minnie and Ed remained on the farm for one more year. Ed was drafted into WWI. Minnie moved to Carroll and Frank and wife, Winnie, farmed the farm from 1919 to 1929. She was known for making many quilts and sewing projects.
Minnie lived in her home at 1120 N. Main St. in Carroll until she was 100 years old. She then went to live with son, Frand and Winnie in Lake City. After breaking her hip in December, she died in February 1965 at the age of 101.