Burkey, Peter

BURKEY, ALLEMAN, ENGSTROM, DEPPE, SCHRADER, KRAMPE, KIESAU

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 8/27/2009 at 12:09:31

Burkey, Peter

Examples that impress force of character on all who study them are worthy of record. By a few general observations may be conveyed some idea of the characteristics and worthy career of Peter Burkey, for years a well known hardware merchant at Baxter, Jasper County, who is now living in honorable retirement in his pleasant home there, having, through his industry and perseverance, accumulated a competency. He has pursued the even tenor of his way in a quiet and unostentatious manner, which never courts publicity, attending strictly to his own affairs, doing the right, as he understands it and keeping his conscience void of offense toward God and man. It is not a matter of wonderment that the elements of a solid and practical nature, which unite in his composition, should win him a conspicuous place in business circles of his community when we learn that he comes of a sterling Swiss ancestry, a family that believed not only in keeping busy along legitimate lines of endeavor, but also in living up to the high standard of citizenship in every respect.

Mr. Peter Burkey was born in Sauk County, Wisconsin, October 12, 1857. He is the son of Chris and Margaret (Alleman) Burkey, both natives of Switzerland where they spent their earlier years, finally emigrating to Wisconsin, thence moving to Iowa, after a residence of several years in the former state, and the father's death occurred in Polk County, Iowa, in 1887, and there the mother is still living, being now advanced in years. They were the parents of twelve children, four of whom are still living. Peter, of this sketch, being the eldest; George lives in Sheldahl, Iowa; Herman is engaged in the hardware business at Sheldahl and he also owns the home place near that town; Mrs. Mary Engstrom lives in Sheldahl. These children were reared in Polk County and received their educational training there. The other eight died in infancy and childhood.

Peter Burkey was reared on the home farm and there he worked in the fields when quite young, being the oldest of the family and finding plenty to do in a new country. He was married on November 1, 1880, to Etta Deppe, who was born in Newton, Jasper County, Iowa, September 17, 1857, the daughter of Adolph and Minnie (Schrader) Deppe, both natives of Germany where they grew up and from there emigrated to Iowa in an early day, and established a good home in Jasper County, and here the death of the father occurred in 1884; his widow is still living at Baxter. The father helped lay the foundation of the old courthouse at Newton. There were six children in the Deppe family, all living at this writing, namely: Etta, wife of Mr. Burkey, of this sketch, is the eldest; Mrs. Mary Krampe lives in Baxter; William lives in Malaka Township; Edward also lives in Malaka Township; Benjamin, whose sketch appears in this work; Mrs. Emma Kiesau, lives at Frankville. These children were born and reared in Jasper County, their parents being among the pioneer settlers here.

After his marriage Mr. Burkey moved to Sheldahl, thence to Malaka Township, in 1889. He came to Baxter, where he has since resided. For two years he worked at the carpenter's trade, then entered the hardware and furniture business which he continued successfully, enjoying a large trade with the surrounding country, until March 11, 1911, when he retired from the active affairs of business, having by his diligence and fair dealing accumulated a competency. He owns two hundred acres of choice, well-improved land in Independence Township, and has a large, modernly furnished home in Baxter.

Politically, Mr. Burkey is a Republican, and he has been a member of the town council, and he and his wife belong to the German Reformed Church in Independence Township. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 1172.