Ingwersen, Martin B.

INGWERSEN, OTTSENSCHWARTZ, WENZEL, TIETHMIER, HYDEN, POHLMANN

Posted By: Volunteer Subscribers
Date: 2/17/2003 at 20:09:49

PORTRAIT & BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM OF CLINTON COUNTY, IOWA 1886 (CHAPMAN BROS.)
Containing full page portraits & biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county. (Also available on FHL film 1036331 Item 9)
(P. 526-527) MARTIN B. INGWERSEN, a retired farmer of Lyons, is the subject of this personal narration. He is a native of Herzogthum, Sleswick, Germany, born Feb. 2, 1832, and is the son of Boyd and Margaret (Ottsen) Ingwersen, natives of Germany. They died in the fatherland in 1832 and 1866 respectively; he was engaged at the carpenter’s trade.
The subject was only a child when his father died, and he lived with this mother through all the changes incident to childhood and youth until he attained the age of twenty-one. He had received a common-school education and worked out, but as the laws of Germany required his services in the army he determined to ship for America that he might avoid the hardships incident to army life. He landed in New York City in 1855, and paused to consider to what point of the country he would go. He first went to Sandusky, Ohio, where he worked on a farm for eleven months, receiving but $10 per month. Subsequent to this he came to Iowa and settled in Clinton County, engaging in different kinds of work. After adding slightly to his funds he bought a yoke of oxen and went onto a farm in Center Township. This comprised about eighty acres and he worked it for one year, then rented another 100 acres and continued about the same length of time to cultivate and improve it. His next move was to buy a farm of 105 acres in Deep Creek Township, and moved onto the same in 1862. There he built a small house and barn and continued improving, and in 1868, he built a house valued at $1,200, and in 1869, a barn worth $800. To these he has added all necessary outbuildings, making the whole but little short of $3,000. In 1880 he came to Lyons and bought the property where he now lives. This is situated on Fifth street, between Eighth and Ninth avenues and is valued at $1,587. In 1883 he also added to his property one block between Ninth and Tenth streets, and in 1886 bought a house and lot on Fifth street between Fourth and Fifth avenues.
He was married in 1863, on the 28th of February, in Deep Creek Township, to Johanna S. Schwartz, born Nov. 2, 1840. She is a native of Prussia, and a daughter of Frederick M. (Wenzel) Schwartz, natives of Germany. They came to America in 1856, and settled in Clinton County, renting farms until 1859, purchasing eighty acres of improved and cultivated land in that year. On that he continued until 1864, when he added 160 acres of prairie land. In 1886 he retired from business and came to Lyons, where he purchased a house and lot on Sixth street, and there lives at the present time.
Mr. and Mrs. I. have a family of ten children, five of whom survive as follows: Johanna; Charles M., married Catherine Tiethmier; William J., married Wilhelmina Hyden; Wilhelmina, now Mrs. Pohlmann.
Mr. Ingwersen is in politics an Independent, and has held the office of Supervisor of the roads for some length of time. Mrs. Ingwersen, after coming to America, worked for five years in families with a view to helping the parents who were struggling with the difficulties incident to coming into a new country. Four of them were spent in the home of W. D. Follett. Mr. and Mrs. Ingwersen are devoted members of the Lutheran Church whose religious doctrines they worship under, and in whose religious faith they find that sweet content that all find who are in deed and in truth disciples of Christ Jesus.