SIEFKEN, John 1860-1948

SIEFKEN, SNITTJER, LAWYER

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 4/11/2015 at 20:03:59

John Siefken Dies At Hospital

John Siefken, who came to Grundy county with his parents and other members of the family in a covered wagon, died last Saturday at Deaconess hospital, Marshalltown, where he had been a patient for six years and four months. While he was living in Holland he suffered a stroke, which completely disabled him, and shortly after that he was taken to the hospital at Marshalltown where he remained continually. He was 88 years old this month.

Funeral services were held at the home of his son August in Colfax township early Wednesday afternoon and later at the Colfax Presbyterian church with Rev. George Swalve officiating. Burial was in the family lot in the cemetery adjoining the church.

Was a Native of Germany
Mr. Siefken was born in Germany in June 1860. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. August Siefken. When the son John was 5 years old the family came to America and located on a farm near Freeport, Ill., where they remained 4 years. In 1869--that was 79 years ago--the family came by wagon train from Illinois to Grundy county. They located on a farm in Colfax township where the family grew up and where all of them remained during their lifetime. The parents, brothers and sisters and the wife are buried in the Colfax church cemetery. There were five sons and two daughters in the August Siefken family. Now only one of them, a daughter and the youngest in the family, remains. She is Mrs. Joe Snittjer of Wellsburg.

John Siefken and Miss Dena Snittjer were married in 1887. The entire married life of this couple was on a Colfax township farm. There are five children from this marriage who are still living. They are, August, Simon from Reinbeck, Albert, Marshalltown, and Mrs. Evert Temple, Grundy Center. There are 12 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Mrs. Siefken died in 1912.

Mr. Siefken was married a second time to Lula Lawyer in 1918. She died in 1929.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 17 June 1948, pg 11