John & Nancy Donnenwerth Family

DONNENWERTH, MAC DONALD, SITTLER

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 3/6/2007 at 20:55:59

John & Nancy Donnenwerth Family

John Donnenwerth and Nancy Mac Donald were married at Williamsburg, Ontario, Canada. John’s ancestors came to Canada from Muehlhausen, Alsace Lorraine, then a French province. Nancy Mac Donald’s ancestors were from Scotland. She was a school teacher.

John, Nancy and son Harvey came to Iowa in March of 1890, by rail to Sheldon. They were met by a Mennonite family of Business Corner—who brought them and their belongings to the farm they had purchased located one mile north and ½ mile east of Business Corner.

The Donnenwerth's lived the first summer with a Mennonite family while their house was being built. The house, remodeled, and the barn still remains and is owned by grandson Lyle Donnenwerth and farmed by great grandson, Michael Donnenwerth.

The farm has been in possession of Donnenwerth's from 1890, except for a ten year period in the 1920’s, when it was sold to Edwin Groff.

John Donnenwerth died in 1905, at age 57. Nancy and her family continued to operate the farm until 1910. 1910 to 1918, the farm was operated by Harvey Donnenwerth. Nancy and three of the family, Priscilla, Clarence and Vernon moved to Business Corner and later to Hartley. Nancy passed away in her Hartley home May 4, 1939.

Family: Harvey (1886), Priscilla (Sittler) (1891), Clarence (1896), Vernon (1898).