Kruse, Claus
KRUSE, SHOMBARGER, HAGGE, PETERSEN, NEAVE, PETERSON, MARTINSEN, PLOOG
Posted By: Volunteer Subscribers & Dee (email)
Date: 2/18/2003 at 09:13:10
1911 Biographical Index to Wolfe's History of Clinton County Iowa, by P. B. Wolfe.
CLAUS KRUSE
Among the many thrifty and enterprising citizens of Clinton county who have come to us from the great German empire, benefitting alike themselves and us, is Claus Kruse, extensive farmer and stock raiser in the vicinity of Goose Lake, a man who is in every way deserving of the large success he can claim.
Mr. Kruse was born near Kiel, province of Holstein, Germany, August 20, 1835, and was reared on a farm and educated in his native country. He is the son of Paul and Margaret (Shombarger) Kruse, both of the same province in Germany. The father was a farmer and speculator, a very progressive man, and came to America in 1853. Emigrating to Iowa, he first located at Davenport, where he remained two years and found employment in a brick yard and in burning lime. At the expiration of the period indicated, he came to Clinton county, bought a small tract of land and improved and cultivated it, later adding to it until had one hundred and sixty acres. He carried on general farming, raised and fed stock in a small way and was successful. He gave all his attention to his farm and its products. He was a Democrat, but never aspired to office, and was a consistent member of the Lutheran church. He became well known and was highly respected, his integrity and honor being above reproach. He died in his eightieth year; his wife preceded him in death at the age of seventy years. Ten children blessed his marriage: Claus, of this review, being the sixth child. Four are yet living, viz: Joseph, a farmer in this township; Peter runs a lumber yard at Goose Lake; Margaret, wife of Peter Hagge, of Goose Lake; Clause, of this review.
The subject remained at home and assisted his father until he married, in 1862, then settled on his eighty-acre tract of land, erected a small house and began work. He had sold his inheritance from his father, forty acres of land, to his brother and bought the eighty-acre tract. He has been increasing his lands ever since and he yet holds the original eighty-acre tract, and now owns over sixteen hundred acres of the finest land in Deep Creek township, most of which is well improved farms, which he rents. His son manages the home farm. He has done general farming, and raised and fed stock which he markets, and his sons are carrying forward the work he inaugurated. He is very successful. He also invested in bank stock in the Goose Lake Bank, and has some vacant lots in Goose Lake. He has made good investments in all his operations and is among the more prominent and financially strong citizens of Deep Creek township. He has retired from active operations and turned over to his sons the management of his extensive farms. He and his wife are in the full enjoyment of a well spent life. He is widely known and has the confidence and respect of all that know him. He was brought up in the Lutheran church, from which faith he has never departed.
Mr. Kruse married Catherina Petersen, who was born in the province of Schleswig, Germany, in April, 1841, a daughter of Hans and Catherina (Neave) Petersen, both of Germany. The father was a farmer, and in 1857, shortly before the death of the mother, which occurred in Germany, the wife of the subject, one brother and one sister, came to America, and in 1867 the father came to this country and joined his children, all settling in Clinton county, Iowa. The father found a good home with his daughter, Mrs. Kruse, where he died in March, 1884. He was a good farmer in the old country and was proud of the choice of his children who came to America. Four children were in his family, the wife of the subject being the third in order of birth. Mrs. Kruse died on April 6, 1911, and was buried in Ingwersen cemetery.
There have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kruse ten children*, namely: Henry, now helping to run the home farm, a good financier, and stockholder and president of the Goose Lake Bank; Adolph is also on the home place; Emma, Mrs. Peter Peterson; Lena, wife of Paul Martinsen, a farmer; Edward and Johannis, neither married and both farmers, live together; Francis, wife of John Ploog, a farmer; Alfareida is at home, single.
Claus Kruse has proven himself to be a good financier and a very successful man, entirely self-made, making his start from the forty acres of land from his father, and he helped his father in getting the land. He is unpretentious, never making any great fuss about what he is doing, but quietly looking out for his own interests and picking up bargains in good lands, working hard and making but few mistakes, using good judgment in all transactions, and by hard work and honest dealing he has created a large estate.Dear Nettie Mae: Recently figured out by putting together bits and pieces from generous relatives that Anna Stoltenberg buried in Ingwersen is the oldest person buried in that cemetery and that she was Anna Giese b. 1779 and d. 1866 and that she was brought over to Iowa by her children - Paul Kruse b. 1802 and Margaretha Shombarger b. 1812. Paul and Margaretha had:
Hans, Jochin, Anna, Catherine, Peter, Margaretha, Abel, Heinrich, Claus,
Frederick and Avice Pauline.
Sincerely, Dee email: marik@sainet.net and
*Actually Claus and Catherina had eleven children. Adela Kruse died when about 16 yrs. old. According to Adeline, her mom (Emma) said her sister Adela was sickly and easily tired all her life. (Note from Dee marik@sainet.net )
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