Koch, H. H.

KOCH, ROSENBRADK

Posted By: Linda Ziemann (email)
Date: 4/17/2005 at 14:01:18

IOWA
ITS HISTORY AND TRADITION
VOLUME III
1804-1926

H. H. KOCH

In the newspaper field of the United States, Iowa journalism has long
enjoyed a high degree of prestige, a number of its great city papers ranking with
the best in the country, while her country papers have, in literary style and
typography, held their own in quality with any in the country. Among the
strong and influential papers of Monona county, none takes precedence over the
Mapleton Press, edited and published by Herman H. Knoch, who has by voice and
pen stood as a stanch exponent of all that is best in community life. Mr.
Knoch is a native son of Iowa, having been born at Remsen on the 5th of January,
1895, his parents being Henry C. and Minnie (Rosenbradk) Koch, both of whom
were natives of Germany. They went to Remsen in 1888 and the father has
since been engaged in farming there. He is well known and influential in his
community, having held several township offices and served as a member of the
school board. He and his wife are the parents of two children, the younger
Arthur F., being engaged in the practice of dentistry in Remsen.

The elder, Herman H. Koch, attended the public schools of Remsen and then
had one year's work in the school of journalism of Marquette University,
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He began his career as a reporter on the Sioux City Journal
in 1914, remaining there one year, and then spent a year on the Des Moines
News and a similar time with the Sioux City Tribune. Going to Des Moines, he
acted as assistant to Senator C. F. Lyttle in legislative work during 1917,
after which he returned to Sioux City. On June 18, 1917, he enlisted for
service in the World war, becoming a member of Field Hospital Corps One Hundred
Thirty-three, with which he was stationed successively at Camp Eaton in Sioux
City, Camp Cody in New Mexico, and Camp Dix in New Jersey. On October 3,
1918, he was sent overseas, arriving in France two weeks before the signing of
the Armistice. Shortly afterwards he was returned home and was honorably
discharged on January 31, 1919, at Camp Grant, Illinois. On resuming civil life,
Mr. Koch again became associated with the Sioux City Tribune, and upon the
death of John C. Kelly, in 1920, was made city editor, which position he held
three years. He then came to Mapleton and bought the Press, which he is still
publishing, and which he has developed into one of the best country papers
in northwestern Iowa. Mr. Koch possesses a pleasing and interesting literary
style, the human interest element characterizing his stories when possible,
and he has so managed the Press as to make of it a valuable property.
On March 20, 1923, in Sioux City, Mr. Koch was married to Miss Mabel R.
Eichhorn, daughter of John and Catherine Eichhorn, who long were residents of
Remsen but the father is now deceased. Mrs. Koch is a member of the Order of
the Eastern Star, the American Red Cross Society, the Woman's Club and the
Women's Auxiliary to the American Legion. Mr. and Mrs. Koch are the parents of a
daughter, Gloria Jean.

Politically Mr. Koch is an independent republican, while, fraternally, he is
a member of Quarry Lodge, A. F. & A. M., at Mapleton; Sioux City Consistory,
No. 5, A. A. S. R.; the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and the Order of
the Eastern Star. He was one of the founders of Monahan Post, No. 64,
American Legion, at Sioux City, of which he was the first adjutant and the first
full-year commander, and is still a member of the executive committee. While
commander of that post he organized the Monahan Post Band, which has won three
championship contests among American Legion bands in the United States.
Since coming to Mapleton, Mr. Koch has organized a band here which is rapidly
coming to the front. He is a member of the Mapleton Country Club, the Iowa
State Editorial Association and the National Editorial Association, as well as
the Community Club of Mapleton, of which he was president in 1924. His
religious faith is that of the Lutheran church. Personally, Mr. Koch is a man of
forceful individuality and splendid public spirit, kindly and cordial in all
his social relations, and he has gained a high place in teh esteem of his
fellowmen.