Zeihan, Peter

ZEIHAN, YOUNG, MOOSE, FEUERSTEIN

Posted By: Janelle Martin (email)
Date: 4/8/2011 at 20:53:12

History of Hamilton County, Iowa, Vol.II, 1912, J.W. Lee, pp. 225-227.

Peter Zeihan, who is devoting his time and attention to general agricultural pursuits and the raising of stock in Independence township, is one of Hamilton county's highly promising and enterprising young farmers. He is a native of this county, his birth having here occurred on the 15th of September, 1881, and a son of John and Catherine (Young) Zeihan, natives of Germany. The parents emigrated to the United States in their early life and were married in Wisconsin, where they resided until 1875. In the latter year they came to Iowa and settled in Webster City, which was their place of residence for about two years, Mr. Zeihan being employed in one of the construction crews of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. They were thrifty and enterprising and from his meager earnings managed to save enough money to purchase twenty acres of land in the vicinity of Webster City. He subsequently disposed of this and invested the proceeds in eighty acres of partly improved land in Hamilton township. The cultivation of this proved so remunerative under his capable management that he was later able to extend the boundaries of his farm until he held the title to three hundred and twenty acres. He passed away in 1894, at the age of fifty-five years, but was survived by the mother, who continued to live on the homestead for fifteen years and during that period increased her holdings by the purchase of a quarter section of land in Hamilton township. She left the farm in 1909 and went to Eagle Grove to reside, but two years later she returned to Webster City, where she died in 1911, at the age of fifty-nine.

Peter Zeihan, who was a youth of thirteen years when his father died, was the fourth in order of birth in a family of seven. He was educated in the common schools and remained at home assisting his mother with the cultivation of the farm, until he was married at the age of twenty-nine years, when he began farming for himself. He is a man of energetic methods and practical ideas and has met with more than average success in his undertakings. His home farm contains one hundred and sixty acres located on section 15, Independence township, all of which is fenced hog tight and has been extensively improved. It is all tiled and one hundred and forty acres have been brought to a high state of productivity. In addition to his homestead he owns one hundred and twenty acres in Boone township, making his holdings aggregate two hundred and eighty acres, all of which he is cultivating, his principal crops being corn, oats and hay. In connection with general farming Mr. Zeihan also engages in stock-raising, which is netting him gratifying returns. Mr. Zeihan is residing on his farm in Boone township one mile east of Webster City.

On the 28th of September, 1910, Mr. Zeihan was married to Miss Addie Moose, a daughter of Joseph and Emma (Feuerstein) Moose, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Ohio. They were married in Illinois and continued to reside in that state until the spring of 1908, when they came to Iowa, locating in Fremont township, this county, where they still reside, the father having attained the age of fifty-three and the mother fifty-two years. Mrs. Zeihan is the fourth in order of birth in a family of five, and is a native of Illinois, her birth there occurring on May 22, 1889.

In politics Mr. Zeihan gives his support to the democratic party and is now serving as a member of the school board. His fraternal relations are confined to his membership in the Knights of Columbus, and both he and his wife are communicants of the Roman Catholic church of Webster City. He is highly respected in Independence township, where he has proven to be not only diligent and enterprising but efficient and capable, and is meeting with well deserved success in his undertakings.