Henry Krabbenhoft

KRABBENHOFT, GREVE, BRUGMANN, MILLER, KRUMWIEDA

Posted By: Barbara Gehlsen Nugent (email)
Date: 8/24/2011 at 15:38:52

History of Jackson County, Iowa, Volume 2, by James Whitcomb Ellis, 1910. Biographical Sketches

HENRY KRABBENHOFT.

Henry Krabbenhoft, who is carrying on agricultural pursuits with great success on sections 5 and 6, Iowa township, is one of those energetic and enterprising sons of the fatherland who have done so much toward promoting the development of the state of Iowa. He was born in the province of Schleswig, January 23, 1841, his parents being Christopher and Hedwig (Greve) Krabbenhoft, who were also natives of Germany and never came to America.

Reared in the country of his birth, Henry Krabbenhoft attended the public schools in the acquirement of an education that would fit him for the practical and responsible duties of life, and at the age of twenty-seven decided to try the opportunities said to be found in the new world for a young man with the determination and perseverance to seek them. Accordingly in 1868, he sailed for the United States and came to Jackson county, Iowa, soon after landing upon our shores. For four years he worked by the day in this county, and then, as the result of his diligence and economy he was able to buy forty acres of land on sections 5 and 6, Iowa township. He made his home thereon for the next fifteen years, during which time he managed his business so well that he was able to purchase seventy-five additional acres on the same sections. Subsequently he bought one hundred and sixty acres on section 6, on which he took up his residence and his since made his home. He has devoted all his attention to farming, and his close application to business, his energy, perseverance and his ability to manage his affairs capably have been potent elements in winning for him the gratifying success which is now his, and of which there is visible evidence in the fact that he now owns two hundred and thirty-five acres of fine arable land.

On the 16th of April, 1865, Mr. Krabbenhoft was united in marriage to Miss Wilhelmina Brugmann, a native of Schleswig, Germany, and a daughter of Fritz Brugmann, who came to Jackson county, Iowa, after Mr. and Mrs. Krabbenhoft located here. He lived in this section of the state until his death, which occurred June 8, 1894. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Krabbenhoft were born sixteen children, seven of whom are living, as follows: Henry B., who is engaged in farming near his father; Hermann, of Washington township; Lena, the wife of J. Miller, of Iowa township; Fritz, who is on the farm adjoining his father; Louis, a resident of Clinton county, Iowa; and Bertha and Ernest, who are at home. A grandchild, Alvin Krumwieda also lives with Mr. Krabbenhoft.

The parents are members of the Lutheran church, in which faith the children were reared, while since he has become a citizen of the United States Mr. Krabbenhoft has given unfaltering support to the republican party. He has not aspired to official preferment, feeling that his business cares demand all of his time. He was not disappointed in the hope that brought him to America, for having found the opportunities he sought, through industry and perseverance he has gained a large measure of success, which places him among the enterprising and representative citizens of Iowa township.