Roden, Ernest August

RODEN, BOEDKER, OTTO, BOEDCKER, MUNSELL, JORGENSEN, RAND, MINSTER, SCHOENTHALER, HOHN, CHRISTENSON, CHRISTENSEN, COOPER, ADRAIN, RUTENBECK

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 2/14/2003 at 19:43:43

Source: "The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated" published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.

ERNEST AUGUST RODEN.

The well-known farmer who resided on section 4, Berlin township, whose name introduces this review, was of foreign birth. He was born in the kingdom of Hanover, Germany, June 6, 1824, and is a son of August L. and Fredericka (Boedker) Roden, who were farming people and spent their entire lives in that country. Our subject acquired his early education in the public schools of his native land, and later attended a university. During his boyhood he assisted his father in the work of the home farm, and subsequently was in the employ of a neighboring farmer for three years.

In 1847 Mr. Roden came to the United States, landing in New York after a voyage of sixty-six days. After spending a short time in that city and not being able to find employment, he went to Northampton, Massachusetts, where he worked in a woolen factory for a year, and the following year was spent at Warehouse Point, Connecticut. He then came to Iowa in 1849, and lived for eleven years in Davenport and Scott county, working in a brick-yard two years and following farming the remainder of the time. Coming to Clinton county in 1860, he first rented a small farm in Brookfield township, and later purchased his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres on section 4, Berlin township, which was entirely unimproved when it came into his possession. He built a large and substantial residence, hauling all the lumber from Davenport by team, which was quite an undertaking at that time, as there were no bridges. He placed acre after acre of his land under the plow until it is now a highly cultivated tract and well improved. Mr. Roden is engaged in stock raising as well as farm-ing, and is meeting with well-deserved success.

At Northampton, Massachusetts, June 19, 1847, Mr. Roden married Miss Caroline Frederica Otto, who was also born in Germany and at an early age came with her parents to the new world. By this union were born ten children, as follows: (1) August, a farmer of Kansas, married Fredericka Boedcker, and to them were born eight children: Lewis; Walter; Alma, who married Frank Munsell, of Kansas, and has one son, Reuben; Lula; Rose; John; and two who died in infancy. (2) Bertha is the wife of Soren Jorgensen, a farmer of Berlin township, this county, and they have five children: (a) Albert married a Miss Rand and lives near Welton, Iowa; (b) Lawrence is the second in order of birth; (c) Caroline is the wife of Claus Minster, a farmer of Spring Rock township, this county, and they have four children, Edna, Bertha, Alta and Elmer; (d) Amanda is the wife of Edward Schoenthaler and they have one child, Lula; and (3) Laura completes the family. The mother of these children died in 1887, and Mr. Jorgensen subsequently married her sister Otillie. (3) Herminie is the wife of Claus Ketelsen, a farmer of Brookfield township, and they have ten children: Ernest, Caroline, Annie, Albertine, Tilla, Martha, Minnie, Freda, Amanda and Hilda. Of this family Caroline is now the wife of Henry Hohn, a farmer of Berlin township, and they have one child living, Lillian. (4) Emma is the wife of Jens Christenson, a farmer of Sharon township, this county. (5) Caroline is the wife of Hans Peter Christensen, a farmer of Brookfield township, and they have eight children, Nora, Edward, Lewis, Esther, Martha, Charles, Alma and Urban. Nora is the wife of Henry Cooper, a farmer of Welton township. (6) Otillie is the second wife of Soren Jorgensen, as previously stated. (7) Albertina is the wife of Julius Adrain, a farmer of Brookfield township, and they have five children, Lena, Tilla, August, Otto and Ralph. (8) Lewis, a farmer of York county, Nebraska, married Theckla Rutenbeck, and they have two children, Lulu and Myrtle. (9) Sophia died at the age of two weeks. (10) Otto, who now operates the home farm, married Matilda Adrain, and they had four children: Mabel, Ogla, deceased; Elsie; and Howard, all born on the old homestead in Berlin township. As will be seen, our subject has eight children living, thirty-eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Mr. Roden uses his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the Democratic party. He capably filled the offices of township trustee and justice of the peace, and also held other positions of honor and trust. He was a public-spirited man and one who advocated all that tended to advance or improve the community in which he resided. Religiously he was a member of the Lutheran church, which his family also attend. Mr. Roden died July 15, 1901, and was buried at Lost Nation.