Nick, Gottlieb

NICK, HAAS, SIMPSON, WHITE

Posted By: Volunteer Subscribers
Date: 4/15/2003 at 18:53:38

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

GOTTLIEB NICK.

Germany, like many other parts of Europe, has furnished many of the most prosperous and industrious citizens of Clinton county, to which class belongs the subject of this sketch, who owns and occupies a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres on section 29, Berlin township. He was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, in 1838, and is a son of Charles Christian and Margaret (Nick) Nick, who spent their entire lives in that country, where both died at an advanced age. The father was a successful farmer. In the family were six children. Two of our subject’s brothers came to the new world, William in 1867 and Jacob in 1869.

Gottlieb Nick grew to manhood in his native land, being twenty-seven years of age when he came to the United States with his wife. On landing in New York he proceeded at once to Illinois and located near Toledo, Whiteside county, where he engaged in farming for seven years. At the end of that time he came to Iowa and spent three years in Cedar county, where he operated a rented farm three years. Since then he has been a resident of Clinton county, and after farming on several places he purchased his present farm about 1881. He first bought eighty acres, to which he has added from time to time until he now has two hundred and forty acres of as fine farming land as is to be found in Berlin township. This he has placed under a high state of cultivation, and he is successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising.

In 1864 Mr. Nick was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Haas, in County Oberdorf, Germany. Unto them were born nine children, of whom six are still living, namely: George, born at sea, now follows the blacksmith’s trade; Kate, born in Whiteside county, Illinois, is the wife of Andrew Simpson, who owns and operates and excellent farm of two hundred and forty acres on section 29, Berlin township, just across the road from our subject’s place; they have four children,--Annie, George, William and Charles; Caroline, born in Whiteside county, Illinois, is the wife of Daniel White, who is engaged in farming on one hundred and sixty acres of land in Sharon township; Gottlieb, born in Whiteside county, Illinois, is now living in the west; Amelia, born in the same county, is at home with her parents; and William, born in Clinton county, Iowa, is assisting in the operation of the farm. The children deceased are Christina, who died when two weeks old; and Clara and Charles, who were both nine months old at the time of their deaths.

In his political views Mr. Nick is a Democrat, but he has never sought office, though he served as school director two years, and has always taken an active interest in all enterprises for the public good. He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church of North America, and has been an elder of the church at Bliedorn for the past four years. He is one of the leading and representative citizens of his community, and is respected and honored by a large circle of acquaintances.