Bernhard Püttmann, 1899 Biography

PUETTMAN, TIMP, BENGFORT, STEVENS, MOSSAMNN, HANNASCH COMES

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 10/26/2004 at 19:06:45

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. Information in brackets and notes at the end are my own explanations. It reads as follows:

Bernh. Püttmann

This gentleman also, who appears [below] in a photo with his revered wife, has now lived since 1874 in Roselle Township, and deserves much credit in connection with the settling of Roselle. Mr. Püttmann was born in Dorsten, District of Münster, Westphalia, on 9 January 1828. He received a good education, and in April 1845, his parents immigrated to America. They settled in Burlington Township, Racine County, Wisconsin, where their son Bernhard later purchased 40 acres of land. On 27 April 1852, he married Miss Sybilla Timp, and on 15 May 1856, the young couple left Wisconsin and moved to Winneshiek County, Iowa, where Mr. Püttmann acquired a farm of 120 acres. After 19 years, he moved with his wife and children to Roselle Township, Carroll County, where he purchased a 200 acre farm. After he later sold 120 acres, and then again purchased an additional 40 acres, he moved with his wife in 1898 to the town of Roselle, in order to go into a well-deserved retirement there and to enjoy the fruits of his hard and prosperous labor. Mr. Püttmann and his wife are highly respected in the entire county. For 16 years, he has been secretary of the school board, and has also held many other township offices. This happy marriage has produced 12 children, namely: Mrs. Maria Bengfort; Mrs. Angela Bengfort; Bernhard, who died on 6 April 1885; Mrs. Franziska Stevens; Wilhelm; Mrs. Helena Mossmann; Joseph; Mrs. Elisabeth Hannasch; Mrs. Anna Renze; Mrs. Karolina Hannasch; Heinrich; and Mrs. Johanna Comes. Mr. B. Püttmann and his wife are grandparents of 57 grandchildren, of which nine children have died, and they have six great-grandchildren.

NOTES: The Roselle cemetery records state Sibilla Puttmann, 1833-1911, and Bernhard Puttman, 1828-1920. The newspaper biography spells the last name in the German fashion with two dots (an Umlaut) above the u, which is usually translated into English by adding an e. So the name today could be Puettmann or Puttmann.