Henry C. Griebel

GRIEBEL, SCHMIDT, FREGA, SCHWIEN

Posted By: Barbara Gehlsen Nugent (email)
Date: 7/24/2011 at 19:50:04

Wolfe's History of Clinton County, Iowa, pages 792 and 793
Biographical Sketch Henry C. Griebel

It has been many years since the family of Henry C. Griebel, an agriculturist, now living on one of the best farms in Orange township, Clinton county, crossed the vast ocean from Germany, his native country, and sought the shores of the New World.
They had heard of the opportunities opening up in the newer western states and, desiring to benefit themselves and their descendants, determined to seek new fields and surround themselves with new and better conditions. They possessed all the thrift usually ascribed to the Germanic race, and ere many harvest moons had waxed and waned they found themselves in good financial condition, --in fact, prosperous land owners, and agriculturists.

Mr. Griebel was born in Germany on July 19, 1864, grew to boyhood there and spent one and one-half years in school there. It was in 1870 that he accompanied his parents to America and located in Clinton county, Iowa, where he continued his education in the public schools. He is the son of Fritz Griebel, who was born in Germany in 1840, the son of Henry and Lottie Griebel, both natives of the fatherland, also. They grew to maturity in their native land, were educated and married there, and he brought his family to America in 1870, locating in Clinton county, where his death occurred in 1884, his widow surviving until 1903. Five children were born to them, of whom three are still living. He was a farmer, and he and his family were members of the Lutheran church. Fritz Griebel was educated in Germany and he accompanied the family to America in 1870, and has devoted his life to farming. He became the owner of a valuable farm, consisting of four hundred and fifty acres of land, having begun with eighty acres. In 1898 he came to Grand Mound and has since lived retired. In politics he is a Democrat and he and his family are members of the Lutheran church. He was married in 1868 to Henrietta Schmidt and they became the parents of six children: Henry C., the immediate subject of this sketch; William, Gustave, Herman, Adolph, and Mary. The mother of these children died in 1904, and in 1908 he married Mrs. Anna Frega, a native of Germany.

Henry C. Griebel learned the carpenter's trade in his youth and followed that trade until he married, and he has since devoted his time to farming. He has met with a large measure of success, having been a hard worker and a good manager, and he is now the owner of one of the best and richest farms of the township, consisting of three hundred and twenty acres. He has kept his place well improved and has modern farming machinery and good outbuildings for his grain and stock, and a very substantial and comfortable dwelling. He has always kept some good grades of live stock of various kinds and it is a pleasure to look over his well-kept place.

In politics, Mr. Griebel is a Republican and he has long taken much interest in local affairs, having been school director for about twelve years. He is a director in the German Mutual Fire Insurance Company, a stockholder in the Farmers' Savings Bank at Calamus, and is one of the substantial and prosperous men of the township, richly deserving the large success that has attended his efforts, owing to the fact that he has worked long and hard along legitimate lines and that he started with practically nothing when he began life for himself.

Mr. Griebel was married on March 6, 1885, to Lena Schwien, who was born in Clinton county, Iowa, and who is the daughter of Henry and Anna Schwien, who came to Scott county, Iowa, in 1856 and located in Clinton county in 1870. Both are now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Griebel five children have been born, namely: Alma, Hugo, Rudolph, Freddie and Anna. Mr. Griebel knows how to enjoy the comforts of life. He not only owns good horse and buggies, but also, being up to date, owns a fine automobile.