WINKEL, JOHN A.

WINKEL, RIDHOFF, ROAN, VORWERK, SIDMYER

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 7/3/2003 at 19:07:37

Biography reproduced from page 235 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

A representative citizen of Bancroft is John A. Winkel, who first located in Kossuth county forty-five years ago, and during a large portion of the intervening period has been actively and successfully identified with various business enterprises in this vicinity. A capable man of enterprising and systematic methods he prospered in his undertakings and in addition to his other interests has extensive realty holdings in Bancroft and the surrounding country.

Mr. Winkel was born in Luxemburg, Germany, his natal day being October 11, 1839. When a child of eight years he emigrated to the United States with his father, Mathias Winkel, who located in Washington county, Wisconsin. In March, 1857, John A. Winkel left the parental home and started out to make his own way in the world. He first went to Rockford, Illinois, and took passage in July, 1857, down the Mississippi river to New Orleans. During the succeeding four years he remained on the Atlantic seaboard and the gulf, going to St. Louis in the latter part of June, 1861. From there he returned to Rockford, Illinois, and in the fall of 1866 he came to Iowa. For three years thereafter he bought and sold furs, his headquarters first being at Fort Dodge, Webster county, whence he later removed to Algona. He was married in 1869 and settled in Algona, where he subsequently engaged in the general mercantile and meat business, his store being located on Call street. Later he withdrew from this and coming to Bancroft went into the grain, flour and coal business, also buying and selling cattle. This proved to be a very lucrative undertaking, but he subsequently sold his interest to the Farmers Elevator Company and organized the firm of J. A. Winkel & Company, lumber merchants. The company was comprised of himself and family and they did business in Heddinger, North Dakota, and Timber Lake, Fire Steel and Isabelle, South Dakota, having lumberyards at these places. Having attained the age of seventy-three years, Mr. Winkel no longer actively participates in business affairs but is living retired in Bancroft, where he owns a very pleasant residence located just within the corporate limits of the town. He is one of the stockholders of the Farmers Elevator Company and together with his family owns about five hundred acres of excellent farming land in Kossuth county, which he rents on shares. He has held the title to this property since about 1882 or 1883.

Mr. Winkel was married in this county in 1869 to Miss Elizabeth Ridhoff, a daughter of Michael and Amelia (Roan) Ridhoff. Her father was born in Hanover, Germany, but her mother was a native of Scotland. Mrs. Winkel was born in Dubuque, Iowa, removing from there to Kossuth county with her parents, who located on a farm four miles north of Algona. The parents were members of the Presbyterian church, and his political support Mr. Ridhoff always accorded the republican party after the war. Two of his sons, John and Henry, went to the front in defense of the Union and died in the army. The former died at Benton Barracks, St. Louis, where he is buried, while the latter was killed at Vicksburg and was there laid to rest. Both were most estimable young men and the members of the Grand Army at Bancroft have honored the memory of John Ridhoff by naming their post after him.

Mr. and Mrs. Winkel are the parents of six children, but four of whom are now living, the eldest having died in infancy, while the second in order of birth, Katie, died at the age of two years. Those surviving are as follows: Mattie, who is living at home with her parents; Katherine, the wife of Dr. A. H. Vorwerk, of Burlington, Iowa; Josephine, who married B. H. Sidmyer, of Timber Lake, South Dakota; and John, a resident of Heddinger, North Dakota.

Mr. Winkel is a member of the Masonic fraternity and both he and his wife belong to the Order of the Eastern Star. In politics he is independent, giving his support to such men and measures as he deems best qualified to serve the highest interests of the majority, and while residing in Algona he served for several terms on the town council. Mr. Winkel always directed his forces with intelligence and foresight and utilized his energies to the best possible advantage and to this fact must be attributed the success that attended his efforts.