Mathwig, Julius

MATHWIG, WETROSKY

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Plym. CC (email)
Date: 3/19/2005 at 11:57:16

Julius Mathwig

Agriculture has been the true source of man's dominion on earth ever since the primal existence of labor and has been the principal industry that has controlled for the most part all the fields of action to which his intelligence and energy have been devoted. In all civilized communities no calling is so certain of yielding a sure return as that of tilling the soil. There are times when the husbandman is sorely taxed in coaxing from Mother Earth all that he desires or even expects, yet she is kind and seldom fails the one who shows diligence in his task and proper management. Among the successful agriculturists who have assisted in the making Plymouth county, Iowa, one of the noted farming districts of the great middle West, was Julius Mathwig, now deceased. He was born in Germany, where agriculture is a science, in 1850, and came to the United States at the age of six years, with his parents, Gotleib and Minnie Mathwig, who located in Lincoln township, where they were among the early settlers. They established themselves on a farm, and there the son Julius grew to maturity. He assisted his father with the many farm duties and worked as a farm hand for others in the neighborhood.

In 1881 Julius Mathwig was united in marriage to Mary Wetrosky, the daughter of John and Anna Wetrosky, who were natives of Bohemia. In that country the parents received their educational training and there they were married and established their home.The father was a man whose asthetic side of life was highly developed, and he was a well known musician and a leader of many highly developed bands. He was a successful mason, at which he worked in his native land. In 1874 he and his family came to the United States, locating in Lincoln township, Plymouth county. He purchased a farm, but for a number of years he devoted much of his time to his trade. The farm was later developed and improved with a splendid frame house and good barn. This place he made his home until the time of his death, February 15, 1912. The widow is still living on the old home place. They were the parents of the following children; Mary, the widow of Julius Mathwig and a native of Bohemia; Anna, the wife of J. J. Aalfs; Josie, the wife of Gustaf Long; Joseph, who married Mary Munsch, and John, who married Ida Dahlmann. Some years before his marriage, Julius Mathwig purchased a farm of eighty acres in Lincoln township, and there he and his wife began their early married life and there they resided for eight years. The farm was then sold and they went to South Dakota, where Mr. Mathwig pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres of wild prairie land. After a residence of nine years the family left their home in South Dakota and moved to Nebraska, where they lived on a rented tract for two years, when they returned to Plymouth county. A farm of three hundred and twenty acres was purchased in section 19, Liberty township. The farm had been partially developed and there were an old house and barn on the place. The German instinct of Mr. Mathwig did not long allow him to leave the farm in an inferior condition. Fences were built and repaired, groves planted, and in 1911 the magnificent concrete block barn was erected, while two years later the splendid modern house was built, this also being of concrete blocks and a fine structure. The farm, with the splendid buildings and beautiful surroundings, presents a most pleasing sight and is indicative of the thrift, economy and good management of the builders of so fine an estate. It was here that Mr. Mathwig engaged in general farming and stock raising until the time of his death, on December 1, 1915.

Julius and Mary Mathwig were the happy parents of six children as follow: Tillie, Otto, George, John, Frank and Anna. Tillie is the wife of Thomas Waddle, one of the successful and prominent young farmers of Liberty township. Mr. and Mrs. Waddle are the parents of one child, Raymond Lowell; John was drowned in 1908 in Broken Kettle creek; the other children of the family are at home and under the wise supervision of the mother.

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