RAHM, JOSEPH

RAHM, ANDOFER, STAHL, IMMERFALL, MULERT

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 9/26/2003 at 16:51:43

Biography reproduced from page 353 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

Joseph Rahm is one of the well known citizens of St. Benedict, Kossuth county, and for many years was successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits. He has been a resident of St. Benedict since 1901 and is at present the vice president of the Peoples Savings Bank of that place. He was born in Bavaria, Germany, March 2, 1853, and received his elementary education in the schools of that country. He emigrated with his parents to America in the early ‘60s and in 1875 he settled in Kossuth county on section 18, Prairie township. The land upon which he established his home was wild prairie. His first improvements consisted in the building of a small barn and a shanty, in which he lived for the first few years of his residence in Iowa. He later planted groves and built a large barn and a beautiful residence. He continued to reside upon that place and was engaged in general farming until 1901, at which time he removed to St. Benedict, where he has since continued to live. He was one of the first directors of Peoples Savings Bank of St. Benedict and is now its vice president as before stated.

Mr. Rahm was united in marriage in January, 1875, to Miss Frances Andofer, a daughter of Franz and Ann (Stahl) Andofer, both of whom were natives of Germany but came to the United States. To Mr. and Mrs. Rahm four children have been born: Joseph, who is engaged in farming in Prairie township, this county; Frances, the wife of Philip Immerfall, a farmer of Prairie township; Edward, whose occupation is that of a baker; and Laura, the wife of Fred Mulert, of St. Benedict.

Mr. Rahm is affiliated with the democratic party and served as school director, trustee and treasurer of the district in which he lived. He is a member of the Catholic church of St. Benedict, is a man of unquestioned integrity and for many years has been one of the influential citizens of Kossuth county.