MEINZER, JOHN W.

MEINZER, LAMPARTER, LOVSTAD

Posted By: Jean Kramer (email)
Date: 12/30/2003 at 09:25:20

Biography reproduced from page 642 of Volume II of the History of Kossuth County written by Benjamin F. Reed and published in 1913:

The farm belonging to John W. Meinzer is located two and one-quarter miles from the village of Burt on section 18, Portland township, and forms a valuable addition to the agricultural resources of this section of the state. Mr. Meinzer is one of the well-known residents of Kossuth county and is active in general farming, stock-raising and dairying. His holdings comprise two hundred and forty acres of well improved land and his intelligent cultivation of his property ranks him among the valuable citizens of his district. He is a native of Wisconsin and was born in Racine, June 17, 1858. His father, George Meinzer, was a native of Germany and was reared and educated in the fatherland. He was married in that country and remained there until after the birth of five of his children. He later crossed the Atlantic and settled immediately in Iowa, locating first in Black Hawk county and later removing to Tama county, where he resided until his death. His wife survived him, and in 1882 removed with her family to Kossuth county. She died August 1, 1893.

John W. Meinzer was reared in Iowa and received his education in the public schools of Black Hawk and Tama counties. His early activities were identified with railroading and he was a fireman on the Illinois Central for three years. He had three brothers who were locomotive engineers and all met their death in railroad accidents. This fact influenced Mr. Meinzer to retire from his first line of occupation, and in 1882 he came to Kossuth county, where he purchased land and began the agricultural career which has extended over thirty years. His original holdings comprised forty acres which are a portion of the farm he now owns. He broke the land, fenced his fields and made needed improvements from time to time. He constantly added to his property and owned at one period three hundred and twenty acres. He subsequently sold a portion of his holdings and his farm now aggregates two hundred and forty acres. He has operated a steam threshing machine during the season for twenty-five years. He has planted a portion of his land in timber and orchard trees and specializes in raising high-grade cattle and Duroc Jersey hogs. He has built a comfortable home and erected a new barn and many outbuildings. His improvements are thoroughly modern and up-to-date and his property constitutes one of the model farms in the section. Mr. Meinzer is a stockholder in the Burt Creamery Association and for some years kept a large herd of cows upon his property in order to supply this organization with dairy products. He is also interested extensively in the Farmers Elevator Company of Burt, and was one of the promoters and organizers of this enterprise.

On December 12, 1882, Mr. Meinzer was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Lamparter, who was born in Amsterdam, New York, and who came west to Iowa with her parents when she was seven years of age. Her father settled on a farm in Clayton county and cultivated the soil until his death. His wife survives him and is in the eighty-second year of her age. To Mr. and Mrs. Meinzer have been born eight children: George Le Roy; J.; Etta, the wife of Carl Lovstad, of Iowa; Clara, who is a stenographer in Algona; and Maybelle, Esther Eva, Ruth and Myron. Mr. and Mrs. Meinzer hold membership in the Burt Methodist Episcopal church and are actively interested in religious work. Politically Mr. Meinzer is a republican but has never sought nor held public office. He has achieved success by reason of his progressive ideas, his incessant industry and his personal experience.