Gengler, Nicholas

GENGLER, ZETTINGER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Plym. CC (email)
Date: 2/21/2005 at 17:36:16

Nicholas Gengler

Nicholas Gengler, one of Plymouth County's best-known and most substantial farmers, owner of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Marion township, where he and his family are very pleasantly and very comfortably situated, is a native of Luxemburg, but has been a resident of this country since he was seventeen years of age and of this county since he was twenty-one. He was born in the grand duchy of Luxemburg on March 6, 1856, son of Michael and Katherine (Zettinger) Gengler, both natives of that same district and the former of whom was engaged in the milling business there until 1873, when he came to this country with this family and settled in Will county, Illinois, where he and his sons worked the coal mines until 1877, when they came to Iowa and located on a farm in Marion township, this county, where they established their home and where Michael Gengler and his wife spent their last days, the latter dying in 1888, at the age of sixty years, and the former, in 1895, at the age of seventy-four. They were members of the Catholic church, connected with St. Mary's parish at Remsen, and their children were reared in the faith of that church. There were five of these children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fourth in order of birth, the others being as follow; Theodore, a well-known farmer of Marion township, this county; John, a farmer, of Fredonia township; John P., of Marion township, and Susan, who died in 1873, the year in which the family came to America.

Reared in his native Luxemburg until he was seventeen years of age, Nicholas Gengler received excellent schooling in both German and French and upon coming to this country perfected himself in English in the schools here. He was twenty-one years of age when the family moved from Illinois to Plymouth county and shortly after his arrival here he began farming on his own account. Following his marriage in 1889 he and his wife established their home on a farm in section I of Union township, this county, Mr. Gengler there having bought a place of three hundred and twenty acres, at that time wild prairie land, and proceeded to develop and improve the same. Upon taking possession of that place Mr. Gengler put up a small house, one story in height, sixteen by twenty-six, and farm buildings suitable to his needs at that time, but as he developed his farm made other improvements until he had brought the place up to a high standard of development. There the Genglers made their home until 1903, when they moved to a farm of one hundred and twenty acres which Mr. Gengler had bought in section 29 of Marion township, and on this latter place they ever since have resided, now having one of the best-kept farms in that part of the county. Since taking possession of his Marion township farm, Mr. Gengler has added to the same by the purchase of an adjoining "forty," has remodeled the house at an expense of about three thousand dollars, put up new farm buildings at an additional expense of about six thousand dollars, has planted shade trees and an orchard and has otherwise improved the place in excellent shape. In addition to his general farming he has given considerable attention to the raising of high-grade live stock and has done very well. Mr. Gengler is a Democrat and gives a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs. For some years he served a member of the school board in his district and in other ways has given of his time to the public service.

It was in 1889 that Nicholas Gengler was united in marriage to Mary Salentiny, who was born at St. Paul, Minnesota, daughter of Nicholas and Mary (Gengler) Salentiny, natives of Luxemburg, who came to the United States in 1865 and after a some-time residence in St. Paul moved to a farm nine miles south of that city, where they lived until 1874, when they came to Iowa and settled on a quarter-section farm that Mr. Salentiny bought in Marion township, this county, and where he and his wife spent the rest of their lives. Mr. Salentiny was a substantial pioneer farmer and increased his holdings in Marion township until he became the owner of two hundred and eighty acres. His death occurred in 1904, he then being sixty-eight years of age, and his widow survived until 1911, she also being sixty-eight years of age at the time of her death. They were members of the Catholic church and their children were reared in that faith. There were twelve of these children, nine of whom are still living and of whom Mrs. Gengler is the eldest, the others being as follow: Susie, who married Bernard Rody and died in 1896, leaving three children, James, Nellie and Mary; John, a resident of Le Mars, this county: Michael, also a resident of Le Mars; Mrs. Kate Luken, of Marshall, Minnesota; Lizzie, who is living at Sibley, this state; Maggie, who is living at Spokane, Washington; Nicholas, who married Lizzie Roerig and has one son, Joseph; Peter, of Le Mars, and Josephine, who is living in South Dakota. To Mr. and Mrs. Gengler five children have been born Mary, Annie, John, Michael and Lena, all of whom are living save the first-born. These children received their schooling in the local district school and in parish school. The Genglers are members of St. Catharine's Catholic church at Oyens and take a proper interest in parish affairs, as well as in the general social activities of the community in which they live. Mr. Gengler is a member of the Mutual Protective Society of the church.

BOOK SOURCE:
History of Plymouth County, Iowa
Indianapolis, Ind.: B. F. Bowen, 1917