Nickolaus Goetzinger, 1899 Biography

GOETZINGER, FRIEDMANN

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 5/8/2004 at 18:14:35

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. I have not changed the place or name spellings, but I have added some notes at the end. It reads as follows:

Nickolaus Goetzinger

Mr. Goetzinger is a jovial Luxemburger—as the German language so aptly says, a “cheerful head,” with whom it is quite pleasant to associate. He was born on 15 January 1851 in Greiweldingen, Remig Canton, to honest and Christian parents who provided their lively little Nickolaus with a good upbringing. He attended the local schools until he was 16 years old and received First Holy Communion in the local parish church, but his dear father passed away during his school years. Since his mother’s parents lived in America, she made a decision to emigrate to America with her children, which she carried out in 1867, and upon arriving in America, she settled in Luxemburg, Iowa. At that time, young Nickolaus took up agriculture and worked with his brothers on their mother’s farm, who had rented a parcel of land from a relative. The family later moved to Carroll County, and Nickolaus remained with his mother until 1879, when he rented a farm in Roselle Township. The following year, on 10 February 1880, he married Miss Elisabeth Friedmann, a well brought up and very Christian young lady, and the religious ceremony took place in the Catholic Church in Luxemburg, Iowa. He worked on the farm in Roselle Township for another two years, and then he bought a 120-acre farm in the same township. He sold this farm in 1896 and acquired a farm in Eden Township, very close to the friendly little German town of Templeton. The stately residence is located just on the outskirts of town, and by virtue of the farm’s beautiful location, its fine buildings and excellent land, it is very valuable. Mr. Goetzinger, with his wife and children, enjoy the finest reputation among both English-speaking as well as German-speaking Americans, and they are respected and highly regarded everywhere. This happy marriage has produced 10 children, whose names are: Johann, Maria, Joseph, Mathias, Wilhelm, Margaretha, Anton, Peter, Franz and Elisabeth.

NOTES: The article spells the last name in the German fashion: Götzinger. The two dots above the “o” is called an Umlaut, and can be spelled in English by adding an “e” after the “o.” The towns of Greiweldingen and Remig are located in southeastern Luxemburg, along the border with Germany. The spelling may vary depending on the language. The phrase “cheerful head” is a literal translation of the German phrase “gemütliches Haupt,” which does not have an exact English translation.