Grafing, Henry

GRAFING, WUBBENHORST

Posted By: Roseanna Zehner
Date: 7/21/2006 at 21:54:10

GRAFING, HENRY

Henry Grafing, who is noted above as deceased, was born in the Kingdom of Oldenburg, Germany in 1839, and attained his majority in his German home. As a man he became a sailor, and penetrated at different times into the remotest regions of the world, South America, Africa and Asia.

In 1870 he was married to Miss Mattie Wubbenhorst, who was also born and reared in Germany. To their union were born four children: John, who is married, and engaged in farming; Claus, who has charge of the work on the home farm; Bertha and Freda. All but the youngest of these four children were born in Germany.

The family of Mr. Grafing came to America in 1882, and made a home in Scott County, Iowa, where he found employment for a time as a farm laborer, being engaged in this manner for some two years. For the ensuing four years he lived on a rented farm, and in 1888 came to Lyon County, where he rented a farm for six years in Cleveland Township. Here he met and overcame many difficulties, succeeding in getting his affairs into such a shape that in 1893 he was able to buy the farm in section 6, Garfield Township, where his family is to be found. Here their home was made in 1894, and the first building on the place was a granary in which they lived for four years.

In 1898 was built a good house, whose dimensions were 16 by 28 and 16 by 24. There was also built a barn 34 by 60, a granary 16 by 14, with an addition 12 by 24 feet, a chicken house, a hog house, and corncribs. There are two acres of forest trees with many side features and unusual improvements.

Mr. Grafing died in 1896, passing his last hours on the farm which he had made a home for his people, and rejoicing in the good fortune that had come to them, under their own roof and on their own land. He was held in much respect by his neighbors and in many respects more than an ordinary citizen was.

As noted above, Claus Grafing has charge of the home farm, which comprises three hundred and fifty-three acres, and is engaged in both stock and grain farming. The Rock River intersects this place, and makes it an admirable stock ranch. It is well handled, its young manager proving himself a thoroughly alert and vigorous farmer and a businessman of much sagacity as well.

Source: Compendium of History Reminiscence and Biography of Lyon County, Iowa. Published under the Auspices of the Pioneer Association of Lyon County. Geo. Monlun, Pres.; Hon. E. C. Roach Sec’y; and Col. F. M. Thompson, Historian. Geo. A. Ogle & CO., Published, Engravers and Book Manufacturers. Chicago, 1904-1905

Transcribed by Roseanna Zehner, Darlene Jacoby and Diane Johnson