August F. Burger

BURGER, FOSHIER, MUELLER, SCHOTT, ZWEIGLE

Posted By: Judy Wight Branson (email)
Date: 8/13/2004 at 14:24:46

August F. Burger, a retired farmer of Winterset, is one of the many valued citizens of Madison county who were born in Germany. His birth occurred in Wittenberg on the 3d of August, 1843, and his parents were Gottlob Abraham and Franciska (Zweigle) Burger. The father was a paving contractor and in 1848 brought his family to America, landing in New York and locating first upon a farm near Cleveland, Ohio. After remaining there for a year removal was made to Cleveland, where the father entered the bakery and hotel business. A few years later he was called to his final rest at the age of thirty-five years, and his widow subsequently remarried, becoming the wife of Gottlob Abraham Burger, a cousin of her first husband. Upon removing to Iowa the family located successively at Keokuk, at Montrose and in Madison county. They arrived here in 1859 and settled permanently upon a farm in Jefferson township. The children of the first marriage were Franciska, Louise, August F., Frederick W. and Charles G. and those born of the mother's second marriage were William H. and Pauline. The mother died February 14, 1901, on the home farm, at eighty-four years of age.

August F. Burger attended school in Keokuk, Iowa, but after acquiring a common-school education put aside his text-books and upon the arrival of the family in this county worked upon the home farm. In 1861, when but eighteen years of age, he gave indisputable proof of his loyalty to his adopted country by enlisting for service in the Civil war as a member of Company B, Fifteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted on the 29th of September, 1861, and was mustered in on the 6th of December of that year at Keokuk. He was first under fire at Pittsburg Landing and participated in a number of battles, being wounded on the 3d of October, 1862, at Corinth. In May, 1863, the company reenlisted as veterans and Mr. Burger continued at the front until the close of the war, being mustered out on the 4th of July and finally discharged August 3, 1865, at Davenport, Iowa, having served for almost four years.

In December of that year Mr. Burger formed a partnership with his brother Frederick and V. B. Wiggans and they purchased and operated the Weller mill, located on Middle river. Subsequently Mr. Burger of this review bought his brother's interest and eighteen months later sold out to Mr. Wiggans. He then applied himself to the occupation of farming and after a year, or in 1869, purchased forty acres of land in Jefferson township. As the years passed he added to his holdings until he became the owner of two hundred and sixty acres of fine land, which he operated until 1894 with gratifying success. In that year he removed to Des Moines but his wife died shortly afterward and he returned to Madison county, for two years residing with his parents. In January, 1897, he again took up his residence in Des Moines and remained there for eighteen months, after which he returned to his farm and gave his time and attention to its operation until 1912. As he had acquired more than sufficient to supply his needs for the remainder of his life he retired from active work and has since resided in Winterset.

On the 7th of April, 1867, Mr. Burger married Miss Ellen Foshier, who passed away on the 10th of August, 1894. On the 3ist of December, 1896, he married Miss Laura May Mueller, a daughter of George and Catherine (Schott) Mueller, who were natives of Germany. She is a sister of Herman Mueller, the historian of this work. Mr. and Mrs. Burger have three children: August F., George Mueller and Louis Herman, all small and at home.

Mr. Burger has consistently voted the republican ticket, believing that the welfare of the country can best be served by the adoption of its principles. He has held the office of road supervisor and proved scrupulous in the performance of his duties. In his early manhood he was a member of the United Brethren church but he and his wife are now identified with the United Presbyterian church. For many years he has been a member of Pitzer Post, No. 55, G. A. R., of Winterset, and is most loyal to the purposes of that organization and finds much pleasure in association with his comrades, who in the time of their country's need placed patriotism above all other considerations.

Taken from the book, “The History of Madison County, Iowa, 1915”