MIEHE, FRED

MIEHE, KENICER, LEMBKA, MYERS, SCHMIDT, GOODRICH, ODEKIRK, HINES

Posted By: Jean (email)
Date: 12/26/2003 at 13:27:42

Biography reproduced from page 570 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

Fred Miehe, who is one of the best known auctioneers in this section of the state, has been a resident of Kossuth county for fourteen years and of Swea City for twelve. He is a native of Iowa, having been born on a farm in Dubuque county on August 8, 1868, and is a son of Frederick and Sophia (Kenicer) Miehe, both natives of Hanover, Germany. The father emigrated to the United States in 1857, at the age of ten years, with his parents, who located on a farm eight miles west of Dubuque. There he was raised to manhood, educated in the district schools and trained to agricultural pursuits. When he was old enough to begin farming for himself he purchased a small place in Dubuque county, which he operated until 1877. He then disposed of it and removed to Fayette county, where he bought a thousand acres of excellent land for ten dollars per acre. He energetically applied himself to the improvement and cultivation of this during the remainder of his active life. Both parents are now deceased, the mother having passed away in 1882, and the father in January, 1911. Mr. and Mrs. Miehe were the parents of fourteen children, as follows: Henry, deceased; Charles, a retired farmer of Fayette county, Iowa; Hannah, the wife of Henry Lembka, a farmer in the vicinity of Maynard, Fayette county; William, also a farmer in the region of Maynard; Julia, who married John Myers, a merchant of Maynard; Fred, our subject; August, a farmer of Maynard; Minnie, who died at the age of three years; Theodore, who is farming near Maynard; Emma, the wife of Otto Schmidt, a farmer of Maynard; Albert, also a farmer near Maynard; John, who is operating the old homestead near Maynard; Henrietta, the wife of Vern Goodrich, a traveling salesman of Austin, Minnesota; and Caroline, the wife of Byron Odekirk, a drayman of Maynard.

Fred Miehe was reared on a farm and educated in the district schools of Dubuque and Fayette counties. He early began to assist with the lighter duties about the home and at the age of eight years was driving a team. He remained at home with his father until he had attained his majority when he started out to make his own way in the world. On the 14th of January, 1891, he began his independent agricultural career. He first owned a farm in Fayette county, where he resided until 1898. On the 13th of September, of that year, he came to Kossuth county and purchased a farm north of Swea City, which he cultivated for two years. At the expiration of that period he disposed of his property and coming to Swea City offered his services as an auctioneer. Although he was entirely inexperienced and had not had any training, Mr. Miehe has made a success of this and is now conducting sales throughout this section of Iowa and the adjoining territory in Minnesota. He also handled large contracts for ditching in this county and during the summer months superintended and directed the work of his crew wherever their services were needed. He has, however, given up this kind of work at the present. In 1911, Mr. Miehe accepted a position in the meat market of John W. Berggren, and such times as he is not engaged in auctioneering he spends in the meat market. He is a very active, industrious man, and never likes to be idle, always finding it possible to expend his energies to good advantage.

On the 14th of January, 1891, Mr. Miehe was united in marriage to Miss Martha J. Myers, of Dubuque county, Iowa, and a daughter of W. H. and Mattie (Hines) Myers, the father a native of Germany and the mother of England. Mr. Myers took passage for America when a boy with his parents, who were coming to Dubuque. The father died at sea and the mother with her children completed her journey and settled on a farm in Dubuque county. There Mr. Myers was reared and educated and upon attaining his maturity he engaged in farming and teaming. He always resided in Dubuque county and dropped dead on the railroad section at Peosta, Iowa, about fourteen miles west of Dubuque in September, 1894, when Mrs. Miehe was a child of about two years. Her mother has also passed away. There is also a son – George Myers, who is a farmer near Maynard, this state. Mr. and Mrs. Miehe have three children. Althea Hazel, who was nineteen years of age on October 4, 1911, graduated from the Swea City high school in 1910, and subsequently pursued a course in the college at Austin, Minnesota, preparatory to teaching. She is now teaching two miles south of Swea City and resides at home. Elsie Emma, who was seventeen years of age on the 20th of October, 1911, has graduated from high school and is now preparing to teach. Harry Delbert, who celebrated the fourteenth anniversary of his birth on March 12, 1912, is a student in the ninth grade of the public school.

The family all hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Miehe is serving on the board of stewards. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and Mrs. Miehe is a member of the Royal Neighbors. In politics he is republican, and for ten years he served as constable in Harrison township and as town marshal for seven. Mr. Miehe has always worked diligently and persistently, and such success as has rewarded his efforts is highly merited and well deserved. He is a genial man, and his hearty cordiality and affable nature have played no small part in advancing his success and establishing his popularity.