Gengler, Theodore

GENGLER, WEILER

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Plym. CC (email)
Date: 2/21/2005 at 17:37:43

Theodore Gengler

Theodore Gengler, one of Plymouth county's best-known and most substantial pioneer farmers, the owner of a fine farm of four hundred and eighty acres in Marion township, where he makes his home, former township clerk and former assessor, is a native of Europe, but has been a resident of this country since the days of his young manhood. He was born in the grand duchy of Luxemburg on September 6, 1850, son of Michael and Kate Gengler, both of whom were born in that same grand duchy, who came with their family to the United States in 1873 and located at Bridewood, in Will county, Illinois, where for four years Michael Gengler and his sons worked in the coal mines there. In his native country Michael Gengler had been a miller. After four years of labor in the mines in Illinois he decided to become a farmer and in 1877 followed his son, Theodore, who had settled in Plymouth county the year before, to this county and bought a quarter of a section of land in Marion township, paying for the same six dollars and fifty cents an acre, and there established his home, he and his wife spending the remainder of their lives there. They were the parents of five children, four of whom are now living, those besides the subject of this sketch, the eldest, being John, of Fredonia township, this county; Nicholas, of Marion township, and John P., who lives with his brother Theodore.

Theodore Gengler was reared as a mill boy in his native land, working with his father in the mill there until he was well grown, when he went to France and in that country worked as a farmer and as a miller until he came to this country with his family in 1873, the family, as noted above, settling at Bridewood, Illinois. There Theodore Gengler worked in the coal mines until 1876, when he came to Iowa and bought a quarter of a section of land in Marion township for the whole family. The family worked together for a number of years. They bought more land but when the mother died the father gave farming and they divided the land. Theodore became owner of the old place of one hundred and sixty acres and a year later be bought forty acres more, making his farm then two hundred acres, and since then he has added to his possessions until now he is the owner of a fine farm of four hundred and eighty acres and has long been regarded as one of the most substantial farmers in that part of the county. Mr. Gengler suffered the privations common to the pioneer life of this section of the state in the days of the grasshopper visitations, but stuck to his place and eventually did very well. In addition to his general farming he gives considerable attention to the raising of live stock and feeds most of his grain on the place; in addition to the cattle he raises, keeping about one hundred and fifty head of hogs. His horses are of the Belgian breed.

In 1879, about three years after coming to this county, Theodore Gengler was united in marriage to Anna Weiler and to this union three children have been born, namely; Michael, who married Margreth Getzinger and has two children, Mary and Michael; Lena, who married John Nillis and has one child, a son Theodore, and Mary, who is living at Rochester, Minnesota. The Genglers are members of the Catholic church at Remsen and take a warm interest in parish affairs. Mr. Gengler is a member of the Luxemburger Bunderbund of America and of the Mutual Protective Society of his church and gives his earnest attention to the affairs of both organizations. He is a Democrat and has served his community in the capacity of township clerk, as assessor, as school director and as supervisor of roads in his district, ever taking a good citizen's interest in local civic affairs, a ready promoter of all movements designed to advance the general welfare of the community in which he lives.

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