AHRENS, Henry Jochim (1829-1910)

AHRENS, DAHL, KNOLL, MESSERSCHMIDT, PFALTZGRAFF, WALDECK, SAWYER, MITCHELL

Posted By: Deidre Badker (email)
Date: 2/12/2012 at 11:49:07

Henry Jochim Ahrens was born either 1828 or September 1829 at Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany to Jochim (Jacob) H Ahrens and Maria. Henry emigrated to Iowa. He married Louisa Dahl at Davenport, IA.

The couple had 5 children:
Theodore Henry (born September 1856 Butler, IA, married Rebecca Matilda Knoll 1880 at IA, 10 children, died February 20, 1932 Luverne, Kossuth, IA);

James Benjamin(born January 1859 Butler, IA, married Alvena Messerschmidt 1889, 3 children, died 1930 IA);

William Walter (born January 16, 1861 Butler, IA, married Charlotte A Pfaltzgraff 1893 Butler, IA, died March 1944 Cedar Falls, IA);

George J. (born August 1859 Pittsford, Butler, IA, died 1954 IA) and

Louisa (she was adopted)(Louisa born abt October 1871 IA, married Frederick Pfaltzgraff 1893, 3 children, died June 13, 1900 Dumont, IA).

Family found in the 1860, 1880, 1885 censuses at Boylans Grove, Pittsford, Butler, IA:
1860: Henry Ahrens 30, Louisa Ahrens 31, Theadore Ahrens 3, James Ahrens 1, Maria Ahrens 63. Farmer from Mecklenburg, Germany.

1880: Henry Ahrens 51, Lorga Ahrens 53, T.H. Ahrens 23, James Ahrens 21, William Ahrens 19, George Ahrens 10, Loeza Ahrens 8, Eugene Gillet 14, Cora Gillet 7, Mary Ahrens 83, Henry Ahrens 73.

1885: Henry Ahrens 56, Louisa Ahrens 54, James Ahrens 26, William Ahrens 24, George Ahrens 15, Louisa Ahrens 13, Cora Jrillet 12, Mary Ahrens 86, Henry Ahrens 77.

After Louisa's death, Henry married Berta (Beate) Fritsch Waldeck abt. 1893 at IA. Henry and Berta had 2 daughters:
Beate Henrietta (born October 10, 1894 Hayfield, Hancock, IA, married a Sawyer and later a Mitchell, died May 1983 Boone, IA) and

Elizabeth (born July 1897 Hancock, IA).

Family found in the 1895, 1900, 1905 censuses at Madison, Hancock, IA:
1895: Henry J Ahrens age 61.

1900: Henery Ahrens[Henery Aholus]; Home in 1900: Madison, Hancock, Iowa; Age 55; Birth Date: Sep 1834; Birthplace: Germany; Race: White; Gender: Male. Immigration Year 1855. Head-of-house; Father's Birthplace: Germany; Mother's Birthplace: Germany; Spouse's Name: Beote Ahrens; Marriage year: 1893; Marital Status: Married; Years married: 7. Henery Ahrens 55, Beote Ahrens 49, Beata Ahrens 5, Elizabeth Ahrens 2, Clyde Nelson Unkn, Augest Hook 39 (Clyde and August were boarders). Running a retail dry goods and grocery store.

1905: Henry, wife Beate and 2 daughters: Beate and Elizabeth.

Found in the 1910 census at Madison, Hancock, IA: Henry Ahrens 87[81], Berth Ahrens 53, Beata Ahrens 15, Elizabeth Ahrens 13.

Biography: From Butler County Gen Web site: "The History of Butler and Bremer Counties, Iowa", Union Publishing Co., Springfield, IL, 1883 Pages 677-678:
Henry J Ahrens resides on section 30 of Pittsford Township, Butler County, Iowa. His father, Jacob Ahrens, bought the claim of this farm in 1855 where he settled. Henry came in 1856 and has lived on this farm since that time. His father died here in 1859; Jacob (Jochim H) was born in Germany in 1800 and came to the United States with his family in 1853.

They emigrated to and lived at Davenport, Iowa, this State, two years before he came here to Butler Co. His wife Louisa still lives with her son. The parents of Henry had five children, two of whom are living - Henry J, subject of this story, and Elizabeth Louise, his sister, wife of George Miller, of Cedar Falls.

Mr. Henry J Ahrens was born in Germany in 1830; he was married at Davenport, to Louise Dahl, born in Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Ahrens have four sons - Theodore, James, William, and George and an adopted daughter, Louise. Mr. Ahrens has 400 acres of land, on which he has made all the improvements. He and his wife belong to the German Evangelical Church.

Henry Jochim Ahrens died on September 5, 1910 at Hayfield, Hancock, IA. and was buried at the Harlan Cemetery, Pittsford, Dumont, IA.

News article found in the Greene Recorder September 7, 1910:
"The Ahrens boys received news Sunday forenoon that their father, Henry Ahrens, of Hayfield, had died at his home after several weeks of illness caused by stomach cancer. Henry Ahrens was 83 years old and leaves a second wife and two daughters by her and 4 sons living at his place in Butler County, IA. He formerly lived here himself and reared his family here. He came in the summer of 1854 and had been gone about 16 years. The body will be brought down Tuesday evening and the funeral will be here Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m.

(Note: Censuses transcribed as found, obvious spelling errors not corrected.)