WENZEL, George

WENZEL

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 5/31/2021 at 11:59:14

George Wenzel
born July 26, 1853

George Wenzel, one of the well-known, enterprising and solid farmers of Battle township, Ida County, Iowa, residing on a farm of 160 acres in section 35, has been a resident of this township since 1881.
Mr. Wenzel was born near Dundee, Kane County, Illinois, July 26, 1853, son of William and Henrietta (Ranck) Wenzel. His parents were born in Germany, his father in Hesse, and his mother in Hanover, and they were reared and educated in their native country. Soon after they emigrated to America and located in Illinois. In 1857 they moved to Jackson County, Iowa, and on a farm in that county George was reared, remaining there until 1881, when he came to Ida county. Here he owns a fine well-improved farm. His comfortable cottage home is 16 x 24 feet, a story and a half, with a one-story L, 14 x 28 feet, and his barn, stable, sheds, feed lots, etc., are all nicely arranged and well kept. He is engaged in general farming and stock-raising and makes a specialty of operating threshers, both steam and horse power. He is one of the most popular and best-known men engaged in threshing in Ida County, he having been in the business ten years. He has a twelve horse-power engine, a 54-inch separator and a 36-inch cylinder, and with this one machine, in the season of 1892, he earned over $1,500.
Mr. Wenzel was married at the age of twenty, in Jackson County, Iowa, to Maggie Bolte, who was born in Germany and reared in Jackson County. They have four children: Albert, Henry, Louisa and George. Politically, he affiliates with the Republican Party.
Source: Biographical History of Crawford, Ida, and Sac Counties, Iowa, 1893, p.557