BELL, CHARLES

BELL, BAAS, AHNEMAN, GROTENDEICK

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 5/24/2004 at 16:52:01

Biography reproduced from page 595 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

Charles Bell, a representative agriculturist of Whittemore township, was born at sea on the 17th of November, 1866, his parents being Chris and Mary (Baas) Bell, natives of Germany. The father brought his family to America in November, 1866, locating at Buffalo, New York, where he engaged as forest laborer for one year. At the close of this year’s work he moved to Elmhurst, Illinois, there remaining until 1882, when he came to Kossuth county, Iowa, and purchased a farm in Whittemore township, on which he lived until 1902. In that year he put aside the active work of the fields and took up his abode in Whittemore, where he spent his remaining days in well earned ease, passing away on the 17th of October, 1906. His widow, now sixty-seven years of age, makes her home with her daughter at Whittemore, Iowa.

Charles Bell was reared and educated at Elmhurst, Illinois, and in 1882 came to Kossuth county with his parents, remaining at home until twenty-one years of age. Having attained his majority, he began the operation of the farm which is now in his possession and which he cultivated as a renter until 1894, in which year he purchased the property. This farm contains one hundred and sixty acres of choice land and by careful attention to its cultivation Mr. Bell has taken large profits therefrom, with which he has continued to improve his property, which has developed under his able management into a model farm. The lands are well and substantially fenced and adorned with beautiful and useful buildings, necessary for farm and living purposes.

On the 2d of November, 1888, Mr. Bell married Miss Sophia Ahneman, a daughter of Henry and Wilhelmina (Grotendeick) Ahneman, both of whom were natives of Germany. The father was a cooper by trade and worked at this occupation in Germany until 1891, at which time he emigrated to America and made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Bell, until his death on the 2d of June, 1895. He had for a number of years survived his wife, whose demise occurred in Germany, in 1877. To Mr. and Mrs. Bell have been born four children, as follows: Edward, who is employed as bookkeeper in a bank at Lonerock, this county; Elmer and Adelia, both at home; and Wilfred, who died on the 20th of February, 1901, when but six weeks old.

Politically Mr. Bell is a democrat. At the present time he is in the midst of his second term in the office of township assessor. He has also been township trustee for a period of ten years and has served as treasurer of his school district for a similar length of time. He and his family are members of the German Lutheran church. Mr. Bell is one of the prosperous and representative farmers of the township in which he resides, and his long years of toil and valuable service, rendered in the welfare of his community justly entitle him to be classed as a highly desirable citizen.