Penning, John J.

PENNING, JOHNSON

Posted By: Roseanna Zehner
Date: 7/25/2006 at 11:15:14

PENNING, JOHN J.

John J. Penning is well entitled to have his name written among the better and more prominent class of agriculturists, whose industry, good business sense, and general knowledge of their vocation have combined to put them at the front. His pleasant farm graces Garfield township, and he is widely known as one of the enterprising men of the vicinity. His home has been in Lyon county for many years although his residence in Garfield township has been quite limited.

John J. Penning was born in the kingdom of Hanover, Germany, in 1849. His father, John E. Penning, removed with his family to this country in 1851 and settled on a farm in Madison county, Illinois, near Alton. There John J. was reared to manhood and afforded such schooling as the times admitted. He was trained a farmer, and developed ability for hard work which has since stood him well in hand. When he was twenty-one he struck out into the great world for himself and began a successful career as a farmer on his own land. After seven years he moved to Christian county, Illinois, where he continued farming until 1891, making a very decided success of his various enterprises at that time.

Mr. Penning was married in 1885 to Miss Kate Johnson, also of German birth and rearing. Her parents were farmer people in Christian county, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Penning are the happy parents of a family of three children: Louis, Noah and Onme.

In 1891 Mr. Penning came to Lyon county, Iowa, and bought a farm in section 22, Doon township, after having been settled for some two years in the village of Doon, where he had conducted a hardware store for about a year. Disposing of the store property at the end of that time he bought his present farm in sections 30 and 31 in Garfield township. This farm had but few and small improvements but since it has been in the hands of Mr. Penning he has added greatly to its equipment. He has put in a complete set of farm buildings, a house 16 by 30, a barn 30 by 42, a chicken house, a hog house, and other sheds and structures as the place requires. His farm comprises one hundred and forty-four acres, and is divided b the Rock river, so that it presents admirable features for stock farming, which are being rapidly utilized, although grain farming has been very successful under Mr. Penning's careful management.

It is said that Mr. Penning built the first good house in the village of Doon, which was then a very small hamlet. He has from the first taken a leading part in local affairs, and is now serving as trustee from the township of Garfield.

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