KETELSEN, August Jurgen 1872-1960

ARP, KETELSEN, POULSEN, BRUSH, PETERMAN

Posted By: Deidre Badker (email)
Date: 4/21/2014 at 17:24:04

August Jurgen Ketelsen was born March 15, 1872 near Kurburg, Schleiswig-Holstein, Germany to Peter Jurgen Johann Ketelsen (b abt 1842 Germany) and Maria Catherina Poulsen (born/died in Germany), the youngest of their four children.

August's older siblings (all born near Kurburg) were:
Jurgen Nicolaus Peter Ketelsen (b September 17, 1866, d 1915 Hollingstedt, Schleiswig-Holstein, Germany);
Johannes (b abt 1868, d 1956 Germany);
Heinrich Gustav (b abt 1870, d 1911 Germany).

August's mother was married twice, her second husband was Jurgen Hinrich Ketelsen (a cousin of her first husband's).
Maria and Jurgen Hinrich had 5 children (all born at Kurburg):
Emma Margaretha Anna Ketelsen (b June 15, 1879, d August 11, 1968 Germany);
Margarethe Catharina (b 1881, d unknown date Germany);
Hermann Johann (b September 26, 1883, d May 1, 1963 Germany);
Claus (b abt 1885, d Abt 1918); and
Peter (b abt 1887, d unknown date, Hamburg, Germany).

August was baptized on April 11, 1872 at Kurburg, Schleiswig-Holstein, Germany and confirmed at same on April 9, 1887.

August Jurgen Ketelsen left Germany for America February 25, 1894, when he was 22 years old on the ship Scandia. Family said he traveled with William Arp, both working on a cattle boat to cross the ocean but could not find William Arp on the same boat.

Found on the Ship's List - Volume: 373-7 I, VIII A 1 Band 087 A Page: 98 Microfilm Roll Number: K_1750 Source Citation: Staatsarchive Hamburg.
August Ketelsen; Departure: February 25, 1894; Birth year: 1872; Age 22; Gender: männlich (Male); Residence: Kurburg, Schleswig (Schleswig-Holstein); Occupation: Landmann.
Ship Name: Scandia; Captain: Kopff; Shipping line: Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien-Gesellschaft; Ship Type: Dampfschiff; Accommodation: Zwischendeck; Ship Flag: Deutschland; Port of Departure: Hamburg; Port of Arrival: New York

August told his family that he had been rejected from the compulsory German Army because he had two stiff fingers on his right hand (which would inhibit him from pulling a trigger). In general, many young German men left for America because they were required to join the army and did not want to.

Believe August left New York and traveled by train to Davenport, Iowa, then on to Dysart, Iowa. He then settled near Clutier in Tama County, Iowa and found work as a hired man on a cattle farm. Many of the early settlers in Tama County were from Germany.

August met and proposed to Anna Marie Arp. They were married March 10, 1898 at Clutier, Tama, Iowa by the Justice of the Peace, Vincent Kosnar.
The ceremony was 1 mile east and 1 mile north of Clutier, Iowa. (Probably the Edward Arp place, in Oneida township, Tama County). Mr. and Mrs. Fred Witt were their attendants at the wedding. The couple rode in a lumber wagon as the roads were very muddy. According to Herman Arp (Anna's brother), after the ceremony, the couple and their guests had a jolly time dancing.

Their five children were:
Henry Jurgen (b January 7, 1899 near Dysart, Tama, Iowa, d February 11, 1981 Riceville, Mitchell, Iowa);

Wilma Bertha (b February 23, 1900 Clutier, Tama, Iowa, d April 28, 2001 Osage, Mitchell, Iowa);

Maria Anna (b September 6, 1902 Clutier, Tama, Iowa, d October 24, 1983 Beaver Dam, Dodge, Wisconsin);

Elmer August (b November 5, 1909 near Clutier, Iowa, d September 25, 1989 Osage, Mitchell, Iowa) and

Lorraine Dorothy (b August 14, 1917 Osage, Mitchell, Iowa, d May 31, 2005 Grants Pass, Josephine, Oregon).

Anna and August established a home near Clutier, where August was employed as a stock buyer. Later, tired of day labor, they rented a farm from a Mr. Glofield.

Found in the 1900 census living at Perry, Tama, Iowa: August Kettelson 28, Annie Kettelson 24, Henry Kettelson 1, Wilmoth Kettelson 3/12.

Two more children were born while living on this farm.

August was naturalized as a United States citizen October 9, 1905 at the Toledo Courthouse, Tama County, Iowa. The witnesses were Hans Peters and John Lorenzen, both of Tama, Iowa.

Found in the 1910 census living at Oneida, Tama, Iowa: August Ketelesen 38, Annie Ketelesen 34, Henry Ketelesen 11, Wilma Ketelesen 10, Mary Ketelesen 7, Elmer Ketelesen 6/12.

In the spring of 1911, they sold the farm. They packed up and loaded all of their belongings onto a train headed north. They had bought a farm from a Mr. Jackson in Burr Oak Township, Mitchell County, Iowa, a half mile east of Anna's brother, Julius Arp's, farm. This became known as the Ketelsen place. Lorraine was born here. They raised chickens, pigs, cattle, horses, sheep, and crops. Anna had many flower gardens and a tiny cement pond behind the house. She had a large garden and put up foods for the winter. They butchered meat and had their own milk, eggs and butter. Anna was a very hard worker, not afraid to tackle any job, large or small. August and Anna farmed here until their son Elmer got married.

Found in the 1915 -1930 censuses living at Burr Oak, Mitchell, Iowa:
1915: August J Ketelsen 42.

1920: August J Ketelsen 47, Annie Ketelsen 44, Henry Ketelsen 20, Wilma Ketelsen 19, Mary Ketelsen 17, Elmer Ketelsen 10, Lorraine Ketelsen 2 ys 9 mos.

1925: August Ketelson 52, Annie Ketelson 49, Hanry Ketelson 26, Alma Ketelson 15, Lorraine Ketelson 7, Ellen Ketelson 20, Fern Ketelson 17.

1930: August Kettetson 58, Anna Kettetson 55, Lorraine Kettetson 12, Elmer Kettetson 21, Gladys Kettetson 22.

The Ketelsen's bought a house at 6th and Walnut, Osage, Iowa, and moved into town in the fall of 1931. Their large house sat on a corner near the Osage schools. An arson fire in August's garage late one night destroyed a Chevy car he owned.

Found in the 1940 census at Osage, Mitchell, Iowa: August J Kittelsen 68, Anna Marie Kittelsen 64. Says August finished 8th grade.

August & Annie were married 62 years. They had a huge 50th anniversary celebration with nearly 120 guests at their reception. Herman Arp had wrote Anna a letter before this celebration that said, "Now you be sure and feed the cats real well, so we can have real nice weather for the celebration."

August celebrated his 80th birthday with a dinner and about 30 guests. August was 88 years, 1 month, and 29 days when he died.

Anna died of a heart attack, one year after August's death. Anna was 85 years, 8 months, and 21 days. They are buried at the Ketelsen plot in the Osage, Iowa cemetery.

Wilma Snyder, August and Anna's daughter, remembered her father telling that he had a sister who was an opera singer in Germany. Wilma also remembered what good dancers her parents were, fondly remembering that her Dad would place her up on his shoulders as he and Anna danced.

Obituary from Mason City Globe-Gazette - Monday, May 16, 1960:
OSAGE, IOWA - Funeral rites will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church for August Ketelson, 88. He died late Saturday at the Mitchell County Memorial Hospital. Burial will be in the Osage Cemetery.
Born in Germany, March 15, 1872, he came to Tama County as a young man. He was married to Anna Arp of Tama County, March 10, 1898. They retired to Osage in 1930.
Surviving are his wife; two sons, Henry and Elmer, both of Osage; three daughters, Mrs. Wilma Snyder, Osage; Mrs. (Mary) Peterman, Juneau, Wisconsin; and Mrs. Avery (Lorraine) Brush, Couer d'Alene, Idaho; 20 grandchildren, and 35 great-grandchildren.

Find A Grave Memorial #58569195.

Commentary from my grandfather, Elmer Ketelsen, about the Ketelsen surname: "The family came from Kurburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. This area was alternately ruled by Germany or Denmark. Since August was born when the Germans ruled, he felt his nationality was German. This was also the language his family used. The country was very poor at the time of his youth and fiercely overpopulated. There was a huge amount of emigration to the United States with high hopes of freedom, riches, and land ownership."

Note: Censuses transcribed as found without fixing spelling errors.

There are photos of August Ketelsen & his family elsewhere on this Gen Web site.