Hermann Grundmeier, Sr., 1899 Biography

GRUNDMEIER, OBEREGGE

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 10/28/2006 at 16:52:52

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:

Herm. Grundmeier Sr.

This old gentleman is a worthy German-American, who today is still proud of the land where his cradle stood. He was born on 27 April 1832 in Flotho, Westphalia. After successfully completing school, he learned the trade of building carpenter with his father, after which he visited several of Germany’s larger cities, such as Bielefeld, Münster, Hamm, Dortmund, Hagen, etc. He crossed the ocean in March 1855, in order to seek his fortune in America. He settled first in Clayton County, Iowa, where he again worked at his trade for three years. He then turned to farming, and on 16 June 1856 he took a bride in the person of Miss Auguste Oberegge. He lived with his wife in Clayton County for 21 years, and then he moved to Kansas. After he had lived there for two and a half years, he moved to Washington Township, Carroll County, Iowa, where he purchased 240 acres of land. He later increased his real estate in Carroll County to such an extent that he now calls 840 acres of the finest land his own. The fruits of this happy marriage were 14 children, five of whom are deceased. The names of those children still living are: Adolph, Hugo, Hermann, Louis, Emil, Ewald, Louise, Anna, and Bertha.