Kaiser, Christian 1840-1935

KAISER, WITTER, VOSS, RODENBERG, SCHEFT, STILLIAN, MCCULLEY, HEIDEN

Posted By: Sharyl Ferrall, IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 9/16/2015 at 22:03:16

Death last Friday took one of the very few remaining Civil War veterans of this county, when Christian Kaiser answered the last call at his home in Cox Creek township.

Services were held last Monday afternoon at the home at 1:30 and in the Evangelical church here at two o'clock, interment being made in the East Side cemetery, the Rev. P. Kitterer officiating. Members of the local post of the American Legion laid the body away with military honors.

In the church the Rev. Mr. Kitterer read the following obituary:

The deceased, Christian Kaiser, was born on January 3, 1840, in the town of Banzkow, Mecklenburg Schwerin, Germany, and died March 15, 1935 at his country home in Cox Creek township. The deceased reached the age of 95 years, two months and 12 days.

With the passing of Mr. Kaiser, not only the immediate family, but the entire community is losing one of the few survivors of that hardy race of pioneers who opened up and settled this country west of the Mississippi. With his passing, only one more veteran of the Civil War remains in our community.

Mr. Kaiser came to the United States with his parents and one sister in 1853. They landed at New Orleans after a stormy voyage, which lasted eight weeks and two days. He was then 13 years old. The family came up the Mississippi to Guttenberg, then went inland and settled on government land near Elkport.

In September, 1861, responding to the call of President Lincoln, Mr. Kaiser enlisted at McGregor in Co. E of the 9th Iowa Infantry. From McGregor he went to Dubuque, where the regiment was being assembled, and then to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, for training, shortly thereafter entering active service.

He was severely wounded at the battle of Pea Ridge and spent some time in a hospital at St. Louis. In 1863 he received an honorable discharge from the service.

Returning to Clayton county, he was employed for a time on the farm of Judge Oliver Crary, northeast of Clayton Center. But his spirit of the pioneers and the lure of the west called him. April, 1864, found him at Omaha, where he joined a wagon train crossing the plains. After two months they reached Virginia City, Nev. "The best mines I ever struck were there," he said. He spent between two and three years at Virginia City, where he worked on the famous Comstock of the Golden Currier Mining company. From there he went to San Fransisco, where he took a steamer for New York, via the Isthmus of Panama. The isthmus was crossed by rail at that time, and then another steamer for the balance of the trip, which required 21 days.

After a few days in New York he started for Clayton county by rail, coming to Chicago and then to Prairie du Chien, and again went to work for Judge Crary. In 1869 he made a second trip to the west over the Union Pacific, the first railroad to link the East and the West. His destination was Eureka, Nev., where he was interested in silver mining.

Returning to Iowa in 1871, he was married to Mary Witter. His wife died in 1912. Likewise his sisters, Mrs. Mary Voss, Mrs. Anna Rodenberg, Mrs. Sophie Scheft, and a brother, John, have all preceded him in death. To the above union four children were born, a son, Louis, and a daughter, Lizzie, living at home; two daughters, now Mrs. Earl Stillian and Mrs. Harry McCulley, both of Ft. Dodge.

Mr. Kaiser enjoyed the best of health for a man of his age up until a short time ago. His friends often marveled at the strength and endurance he displayed for a man of his age. He formed many friendships in this community, and his friends looked forward to regular visits that he made to Elkader, often walking from his home and back for a friendly and interesting chat with him.

He leaves to mourn his departure, besides the above named children, two grandchildren, Mrs. M.L. Wright of Ft. Dodge, and Lester Heiden, of Cherokee, Iowa; three great-grandchildren, and a host of friends.

~Clayton County Register, Thursday morning, March 21, 1935