WIESE, J. E. - 1914

WIESE, UTHOFF, KOCK, SENTER

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 7/6/2009 at 04:41:38

HISTORY OF
Cherokee County
IOWA
VOLUME II
ILLUSTRATED
CHICAGO
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY
1914
by Thomas McCulla

J. E. WIESE.

J. E. Wiese, a well known business man of Meriden, dealing in lumber, hardware and automobiles, was born in Holstein, Germany, March 3, 1869. He is a son of J. and A. (Uthoff) Wiese, also natives of Germany, where the father engaged in merchandising until his death in 1891. The mother afterward came to America and made her home with her children until she passed away, her death occurring December 22, 1910.

J. E. Wiese, spent his childhood in Holstein and completed an education begun in Germany in a business college at Omaha, Nebraska. He came to America in 1885 and after working for some time in Mapleton, Iowa, moved to Omaha. After completing his studies there he bought a farm in Monona county, this state, and improved this for seven years. At the end of that time he established himself in the grain business at Mapleton and two years later entered the employ of the Bowman Lumber Company, operating yards in their interests at Dalton and Turin, Iowa. In 1896 he came to Meriden and purchased the interests of the Bruce Edgerton Lumber Company, their stock including a fine line of hardware. Mr. Wiese has since added an automobile business and handles the Ford and Cutting cars. He has made this one of the important departments of the business, which is well managed and profitable in every particular.

In March, 1890, Mr. Wiese married Miss Freda Kock, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William (Senter) Kock, natives of Germany. They came to America in 1872 and located near Buffalo, New York, whence they moved to Monona county, Iowa. There the father purchased land and operated it until 1906, when he retired from active life, moving to Bloomfield, Nebraska, where he has since resided. He was a soldier in the regular German army in his youth and fought in the FrancoPrussian war. Mr. and Mrs. Wiese became the parents of five children: Walter, who is handling his fathers automobile business; Jesse; Tina; Opal; and William; who died in April, 1911.

Fraternally Mr. Wiese is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America and he gives his political allegiance to the Democratic party. He has taken a prominent part in public affairs, serving as mayor of Meriden for four years and as a member of the town council. In all official and business relations he is known to be honorable and straightforward and his many sterling traits of character have gained him a place among the representative men of the county.