Frederick Detlef Steen

STEEN, MCCUNE, LEFFLER, SCOTT, HULS

Posted By: Lynn McCleary (email)
Date: 9/30/2014 at 07:42:28

Name of paper not noted. Frederickk's date of death was March 10, 1932.

Frederick D. Steen, 75, G.O.P. Leader, Insurance Official, Farmer, IS Dead.- Frederick Detlef Steen, 75 former state representative and prominent Republican leader died at 11:15 o’clock this morning at his home, 2229 Jersey Ridge road after an illness of a few months.

Mr. Steen, who had lived in eastern Iowa 60 years, was widely known throughout the state as an officer in several insurance companies, a director of the Corn Belt Meat Producers Association, president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association and a member of the extension staff at Iowa State college.

He was born in Holstein, now Kiel, Germany, June 17, 1856, the son of the late Mark and Dorothea Steen, whose ancestors had lived in Holstein for more than 300 years. He was educated there and worked as a boy in his father’s brickyard.

Mr. Steen migrated to America alone when he was 16 years old, arriving in Davenport, Dec. 31, 1872. For three years he worked as a farm hand near LeClaire, in Scot county, and later attended Simpson College, at Indianola for two years. Following his college education he taught school in Adair county for three years. He started operating his own farm in Guthrie county, near Menlo, in 1881, having an 80 acre tract.

Miss Mary P. McCune of Menlo became his bride April 21, 1881 and together they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in Davenport last April. They resided near Menlo for 18 years and then Mr. Seen purchased a 240-acre farm near West Liberty, Muscatine county, in 1899. The couple farmed this place, widely known as Elmenhurst, for 20 years retiring in 1919 and coming to live in Davenport.

Due to a life-long activity in public affairs, Mr. Seen became widely known throughout the state. He served in the Iowa legislature in 1892-1894 and was a delegate to more than 20 county and state Republican conventions, as well as to the Roosevelt Progressive Republican national convention in 1912.

Mr. Steen had served as township assessor, school director, and an officer in many associations. He was first president of the Muscatine county farm bureau; legislative agent of the Iowa state Grange, and active in all farm improvement programs.

Governor Clarke of Iowa appointed him in 1914 as a member of the commission to attend the Panama-Pacific exposition in San Francisco and there he developed the famous “Horn of Plenty”, made of corn, which was chief feature of the Iowa exhibit. He had enjoyed a personal acquaintance with every governor for the last 50 years.

He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church for more than 50 years and had been a disciple of good citizenship. He also was Sunday school superintendent for many years.

His life in Scott county found him most interested in 4-H club work and was active in its leadership.

Surviving besides the widow are five sons, George Steen of West Liberty; Blaine Steen of Melford, Sask.; Charles Steen of Des Moines; Herman Steen of Chicago, and Leslie Steen of West Liberty; three daughters Mrs. A. R. Leffler of Vinton; Mrs. H. E. Scott of Maquoketa, and Mrs. F. A. Huls of St. Cloud, Minn., and 28 grandchildren.

The body was taken to the Alan Clapp funeral home and funeral services will be held in St. John’s Methodist church at 1 p.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Oakridge cemetery, West Liberty. The family has requested that flowers be omitted.