Schultz, William Carl Henry

SCHULTZ, ROHRDANZ, SEVERT, PRICE, BIRKENHOLTZ, BROOKNEW, CASTORF

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 10/20/2009 at 10:46:47

Schultz, William Carl Henry

One of the best known and most painstaking of our younger generation of Elk Creek Township farmers and one of the worthy representatives of one of the leading German families of Jasper County is William Carl Henry Schultz, a man who could hardly help succeeding at whatever he turned his attention to in view of his thrifty ancestral blood and his excellent early training.

Mr. Schultz was born in the township where he still resides on January 4, 1875. He is the son of Lewis F. and Christie L. (Rohrdanz) Schultz, he, a native of Germany. Their parents came to this country in an early day, and although they found a strange language, strange customs and conditions in general, yet they were tactful and hard-working and in due time had established a good home and had an excellent farm under cultivation, at the same time winning the friendship and good will of all with whom they came into contact. The father was born in Pommerania, kingdom of Prussia, later a part of Germany, on April 2, 1849, and he was the son of Christopher C. and Caroline (Severt) Schultz, both natives of the same place. After long planning, the Schultz family set sail for the shores of the New World in October 1854, when the subject of this review was six years old. After the usual prolix voyage of those early sailing vessel days, they landed at New York and they proceeded at once to Bruce County, Illinois, where two other members of the family had previously settled and there they engaged in farming and carpentering, building many barns for the early settlers. Remaining there until 1858, they came to Poweshiek County, Iowa, and here worked for some of the large landholders of the County for two years. In 1860 Chris C. Schultz started in life for himself, buying one hundred and twenty acres there. His wife had died in the spring of 1855 and thus the subject's father was reared by his grandmother. It was in the fall of 1873 that he came to Jasper County and began farming. With some assistance from his father and father-in-law he purchased one hundred and ten acres, which he still owns, and, having met with a large measure of success, he has added to his original holdings until he is now the owner of a large amount of the County's richest land, in fact, Lewis F. Schultz has long been regarded as one of our largest land owners and most enterprising agriculturists, his holdings now aggregating six hundred and eighty-seven acres besides other property. He has devoted his life to husbandry, having the inherent love of his race for the soil and growing things, and he has also devoted much attention to the raising of livestock, in connection with his extensive farming.

Christie L. Rohrdanz, mother of the subject of this sketch, was the daughter of John J. and Marie (Price) Rohrdanz, both natives of Germany, who immigrated to America in 1853, locating at Niagara Falls, New York, and there the father was employed in the construction of the first great Suspension bridge ever built across the great gorge near the falls. Then Mrs. Schultz was born on November 26, 1854, she being one of three children, all of whom are living, the other two being Marie, born April 9, 1857, is the wife of Carl Birkenholtz, a Jasper County farmer; and Freda, born in Jasper County, Iowa, February 13, 1858, is still living in this county. Mrs. Schultz's parents came to this county in 1855, after the completion of the big Niagara Bridge. They reached here without much of this world goods, their sole capital being two and one-half dollars. The country was new and they were compelled to undergo the hardships and privations incident to the times, but being people of courage and thrift they did not permit anything to discourage them and each year found them further advanced than the preceding until they finally had a pleasant home and a good farm of three hundred acres. The father of Mrs. Schultz served in the Prussian Army, as did the father of Lewis F. Schultz. During the rebellion of the provinces of Holstein and Schleswig, Mr. Rohrdanz was awarded a medal by the German government for signal bravery. Lewis F. Schultz was one of a family of three sons and one daughter, two of whom are living: Augusta Brooknew, wife of George Brooknew, a farmer, was born in 1851 and died in 1895 while residing in Poweshiek County, Iowa; Carl A., born in 1853, lives on a farm near Grinnell, this state, and Henry H., born in 1854, died in Poweshiek County in 1883.

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis F. Schultz were married on January 1, 1874, and to this union six children have been born, namely: Joseph Christopher died in infancy; William C. H., the immediate subject of this sketch; Walter Albert Lewis, born March 8, 1876, died November 9, 1905, leaving a widow and one child, a daughter, who died the following year; Lewis Martin, born June 24, 1878, is a farmer and resides in this County; Henry Fred Lewis, born April 12, 1882, is also a Jasper County farmer; John C., born May 9, 1885, resides in this county and is engaged in farming.

Lewis F. Schultz is a public-spirited man and has held a number of local offices, covering many years, such as Township clerk, trustee, assessor and justice of the peace, also supervisor of roads. He retired from active life in the spring of 1910, moving at that time to his commodious residence in Reasoner. He is prominent in the Knights of Pythias Lodge and he and his wife belong to the German Lutheran Church. They are both held in high esteem by all who know them for their many commendable personal traits.

William C. H. Schultz, of this review, grew up on the home farm and assisted with the general work about the place during his boyhood days. During the winter months he attended the McKinney district school. When only seven years of age he was found following a plow, driving a team. He assisted his parents on the homestead during his early youth and when twenty-one years old he farmed for his father on the halves for a year, then bought one hundred and thirty-three acres in 1907 and has improved the place in an up-to-date manner, keeping it well tilled and under a high state of cultivation and he is making a success as a general farmer and stock raiser.

Mr. Schultz is a Democrat in his political relations, but he has not sought to be a public leader. Religiously, he belongs to the German Lutheran Church.

Mr. Schultz was married on December 22, 1905, to Minnie Castorf, who was born near Sully. Jasper County, Iowa, in 1887. She is the daughter of William Castorf, an early settler of this County and a highly respected citizens. Here Mrs. Schultz grew to womanhood and received her education in the common schools.
To the subject and wife have been born two children, namely: Lawrence Kenneth, born August 10, 1907, and Raymond Elmo, born January 25, 1911. The subject is a tall, strong young man, a hard worker and a genial fellow to meet, having an easy manner and a straightforwardness that impresses the stranger. Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa B. F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912 Page 724.