Falke, Henry 1870-1953

FALKE, STEFFEN, ARF, BRAUER

Posted By: Linda Mohning, volunteer (email)
Date: 5/27/2012 at 05:32:38

Henry Falke, a well-known and successful implement and automobile dealer of Remsen, this county, and owner of the Falke Opera House in that city, was born in Hanover, Germany, on April 20, 1870, the son of William and Doretha Falke, also natives of Germany, who were married there and continued to live in the land of their nativity until 1881, when they decided to come to America, where they might obtain a home for themselves and their family. On landing in the United States they located in Christian county, Illinois, and there resided until 1884, William Falke renting land and engaging in farming three years, at the end of which time he came to Iowa and located in Henry township, this county, where he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land, to which he later added until he became the owner of eight hundred acres, which he developed and improved and there engaged in general farming and stock raising until he retired from the activities of farm life and moved to Remsen. To him and his wife two children were born, Henry and Mrs. Augusta Steffen, to the latter of whom two children were born, Dora and Mrs. McKinley, the latter of whom is living in Vermilion county, South Dakota. Mrs. Steffen died in 1892. Mr. and Mrs. Falke ever have taken an active interest in the social and the religious life of the community and are held in the highest regard and esteem by all. Mr. Falke has taken much interest in the civic affairs of the township, and is recognized as one of the prominent and successful men of the community.
Henry Falke was about eleven years of age when he came to this country with his parents and his schooling was received in the schools of his native land, as well as in the schools of Illinois and in Henry township, this county. He grew to manhood on the home farm, as a lad assisting his father with the work on the farm, and th ere he remained until 1894. After his marriage he began farming for himself on one of his father’s farms and there remained until 1904, when he moved to Remsen. In 1905 he bought the implement stock of T. P. Scott at Remsen and engaged in business with Mr. Whitmer, under the firm name Falke & Whitmer, which firm continued business until Mr. Whitmer sold his interest to MR. Dietering, after which the business was conducted under the firm name of Falke & Dietering. Later Mr. Dietering sold to T. P. Scott and the firm became Falke & Scott; still later becoming Falke & Homan, and was thus continued until 1914, when Mr. Falke became the sole owner and has since conducted the business lone. In 1915 Mr. Falke erected the Falke block, one of the largest business blocks in the city of Remsen, the building being sixty by one hundred and twenty feet, two stories and full basement. In connection with this, Mr. Falke has a warehouse fifty by one hundred feet and another seventy-four by fifty feet, and conducts his implement and automobile business in connection with an up-to-date garage. He has the agencies for the Overland the Buick automobiles and is doing an immense business. He handles one of the largest line of farm machinery in Plymouth county and his trade extends to the counties of Sioux and Cherokee. Mr. Falke is a progressive business man and has won the confidence of the entire community because of his business-like methods.
In 1895 Henry Falke was united in marriage to Martha Arf, the daughter of Hans and Hulda (Brauer) Arf, well–known residents of the county, and to this union four children have been born, Viola, Vilma, Verna and Wilhelm. Mr. and Mrs. Falke are active members of the German Lutheran church at Remsen and are prominent in the social and the religious life of the community. They take much interest in church work and Mr. Falke is a trustee of the local society. Mr. Falke has always taken an active interest in all affairs that have to do with the betterment of the town and the community, and is now a member of the city council, secretary-treasurer of the Remsen Tank Line Company and is a stockholder and a director of the Farmers’ Savings Bank. He is a Republican, has long been identified with the civic life of the township and the county and has had much to do with its progress and development.

Source: The History of Plymouth County, Vol. II, edited by W. S. Freeman, 1917.