Wiese, Hans

WIESE

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/6/2010 at 21:49:21

Hans Wiese, who for more than a quarter of a century was numbered among the enterprising and representative agriculturists and stock-raisers of Shelby county, Iowa, is now living retired in a pleasant home in Avoca, in the enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. He is one of the sturdy sons that Germany has furnished to this country, his birth having occurred in Holstein on the 11th of May, 1839. His parents were Hans and Bertha Wiese, who were also natives of the fatherland and passed away in that country. Of their family of four children, two survive, the sister of our subject being still a resident of Germany.

Hans Wiese acquired his education in the schools of his native country and maintained his residence there until the year 1868, when, thinking to find better business opportunities and advantages in the new world, he set sail for America. On arriving in this country he located first in Davenport, Iowa, and for six years was there employed at the carpenter's trade. On the expiration of that period he removed to Shelby county, this state, purchasing one hundred and sixty acres of raw prairie land, which he immediately began to improve in a most practical and progressive manner. He broke the sod, tilled the fields, erected all necessary buildings and in fact made it a model farm in every particular. As time passed and his financial resources increased he added one hundred and sixty acres more, thus becoming the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of highly developed and arable land. In addition to his general agricultural pursuits he also carried on stock-raising, both branches of his business proving profitable and bringing to him the competence which in 1903 enabled him to retire from the active work of the fields. He purchased a fine residence in Avoca and has here since enjoyed the life of ease made possible by his well directed energy and enterprise in former years.

Mr. Wiese was united in marriage January 11, 1874, in Davenport, Iowa, to Miss Bertha Lamp, a native of Germany. Her parents were also born in that country but in 1887 crossed the Atlantic to America and both the father and mother are now deceased. Mrs. Wiese was one of a family of five children, and by her marriage has become the mother of two daughters: Minnie, the wife of John Eggert, of Atlantic, Iowa; and Anna, who is clerking in a store at Minden, Iowa.
In his political views Mr. Wiese is a democrat, while fraternally he is connected with the Odd Fellows lodge, No. 401, at Shelby, Iowa, in which he has filled all the chairs, The family are members of the German Lutheran church and are highly esteemed in the community. Germany has furnished to the United States many bright, enterprising young men who have left the fatherland to enter the business circles of this country with its more progressive methods, livelier competition and advancement more quickly secured. The hope that led Mr. Wiese to leave his native land and seek a home in America has been more than realized. He found the opportunities he sought, which, by the way, are always open to the ambitious, energetic man, and making the best of these he steadily worked his way upward to the goal of prosperity.