Ranschau Brothers: Henry, John, & Chris Farms

RANSCHAU, STEINBROCK

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 12/11/2021 at 19:30:53

Ranschau Brothers: Henry, John & Chris Farms

This story was taken from the ‘Rock Valley Records & Recollections’ book written about 1976 in honor of the two hundredth birthday of our nation. It was a revision of the history written by Lottie Thomas in 1955.It was taken from pages 54 and 55. It was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society and some research notes were added.

In the early 1900’s three Ranschau brothers, Henry, John Sr., and Chris, from Munsterdat, Itzehoe-Holstein, Germany came to America to better themselves. As John Sr. said, “In Germany once a worker man, always a worker man.” They came by boat to New York and then by train to this area. John Tank, who knew the Ranschau boys when he also lived in Germany, sent each of the brothers the necessary finances to come, which they later repaid. Tank also made provision for their employment after they arrived.

HENRY RANSCHAU
Henry was the first brother to venture to America, coming in 1900 or 1901, and he began his life here by working for John Tank. In 1909 he married Anne Gelderman, who also had come from Germany in 1907. Two or three years later, they bought 160 acres for $110 per acre, Garfield Township Section ¼ Section 11, and later bought 80 more acres. They became the parents of twelve children, who were all born on the farm. Two of the children, Ted and Rich, are farming in the community. When Ted and one of his sisters, both older members of the family, started to school neither could speak English and taught it to other family members. Rich, one of the younger family members, took over the operation of the family farm upon the retirement of his parents. Rich and his wife, Jane (Lawrence), have three sons, Leslie, Douglas, and Lyle. Leslie who is married to Mary Kersbergen, is living on the farm also and is helping with the farming, making three generations of Ranschaus farming this land for over sixty years. Mrs. Henry Ranschau resides in Rock Valley.

JOHN RANSCHAU, SR.
John Ranschau, the second brother to leave his homeland, arrived in America in 1906, accompanied by his wife, and their three young children. After three long weeks on the ocean, the arrival in a very large English speaking city, and a four-day train ride to a God-forsaken town (Mrs. John Ranschau’s first impression of Rock Valley) all with three young children was too much for Mrs. Ranschau to bear. Her spirit broke and her one desire was to catch the next train going east to start a journey back to her home country. It took some encouragement before Mrs. Ranschau stepped off the train into a strange land to start a new life.

John Tank had arranged for them to live on one of his farms, and John’s brother, Henry, helped him farm the first two years. A few years later, in 1914, John was able to purchase a farm, Plato Township corner Section 7, where the Ranschaus made their home until 1944, when they moved to Rock Valley.

After settling in the Rock Valley farming community, the Ranschaus had seven more children. Three of their children, Henry J., Herman, and John Jr., became farmers in this area.

Their son, Henry J., bought land one mile west of the family farm, and at the present time has four sons, Billie, Dale, Rodney, and Larry, and one daughter, Mrs. Walter Moore, all farming in this vicinity.

The sons, Herman and John Jr., stayed on the home place, and purchased it in 1967, and are still living there. Herman and his wife had three daughters, but none are living in this area.

CHRIS RANSCHAU
Chris Ranschau, a half brother of Henry and John, joined his brothers in Rock Valley a few years after John’s arrival. He worked for his brother, Henry, for a time, and then in 1914 or 1915 he bought the “Old Bellesfield Farm,” Sioux Township, Northwest Section 35. He gave up his bachelorhood in 1919, and later became the father of three sons and one daughter. The daughter, Mrs. Merland, now owns the home farm. Mr. and Mrs. Ranschau retired to Rock Valley and have since both passed away. None of their family lives in the community.

Above is the story from the Rock Valley book.

RESEARCH NOTE: added by Wilma J. Vande Berg
In family reports on ancestry.com (by other family members) the parents of the three brothers were Heinrich Henry Ranschau born 1855 Plon, Schleswig Holstein, Germandy and Wilhelmina Steinbrock born 1857 died Rock Valley Iowa.

OBITUARY OF HENRY RANSCHAU (1877-1951)
Henry Joachin ? Ranschau was born on June 20, 1877, in Dageling, Schleswig Holstein, Germany. He came to the United States and the Rock Valley area in 1902. He worked on the John Tank farm until 1909, in which he was he was united in marriage to Anna Gelderman. To this union 12 children were born. Mr. Ranschau farmed in Garfield and Plato townships from 1909 to 1947. He retired in that year and moved his family to Rock Valley. He was a member of the Peace Lutheran church.
Survivors include his widow, 12 children, four brothers, a half brother, 15 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Two brothers, John and Chris reside in Rock Valley. Two still live in Germany. A half brother Henry Steinbrock, lives in Doon: All 12 children survive. They are as follows: Anna (Mrs. Lee Hass) of Hawarden; Theodore, Henry, Richard, Marvin, Rose, Elaine and Martha (Mrs. Albert Baatz), Rock Valley; Frank and Elsie (Mrs. Glen Thielvoldt) ,of Alvord, Carl of Doon and Lillian (Mrs. John Rielly) of Ames.
Source: 2/15/1951

OBITUARY OF ANNE GELDERMANN RANSCHAU
Mrs. Henry Ranschau, 86, of Rock Valley, died Tuesday at a Rock Valley nursing home of a long illness.
Services were held at 1:30 P.M., Friday in Our Saviour Lutheran Church with the Rev. James Frank officiating. Burial was in the Peace Lutheran Cemetery, Sioux Center, under direction of the Porter Funeral Home, Rock Valley.
Mrs. Ranschau, the former Anna Geldermann, was born in Germany July 23, 1891. She came to the United States when young, and was married Oct. 20, 1908, at Rock Valley. The couple farmed in the Rock Valley area until 1947 when they moved to town. Mr. Ranschau died Feb. 12, 1951.
Survivors include five sons, Theodore of Sioux Center, Frank of Sherman, S.D., Caro of Doon, Richard of Rock Valley and Marvin of Alvord; six daughters, Mrs. Lee (Ann) Haas of Hawarden, Mrs. Albert (Martha) Baatz of Inwood, Mrs. Glen (Elsi) Thielvoldt of Arvord, Mrs. John (Lillian) Rielly of Houston, Texas, Mrs. Rodney (Rose) Grossenburg of Winner, S.D., and Mrs. James (Elaine) Luse of Sioux Falls, 49 grandchildren; 48 great grandchildren; and six great great grandchildren.
Source: Sioux Center News, February 15, 1978

OBITUARY OF JOHN RANSCHAU, SR. (1872-1954)
Funeral services were held Sat. for John Ranschau Sr. of Rock Valley at Peace Lutheran Church here.
Pallbearers were Karl, Henry J. John Jr.,and Herman Ranschau, Kenneth Pulschar, and Marvin Smith Jr. Interment will be in Peace Lutheran Cemetery and arrangements are by Vander Ploeg Funeral Home.
John Ranschau was born 1872 in Schelswig-Holstein, Germany. He married Johanna Lahn and came to America in 1906. The couple settled near Rock Valley until 1946 when they moved into Rock Valley.
Mr. Ranschau was preceded in death by four children, two in infancy and one son William in 1939 and Minnie in 1951.
He leaves to mourn his wife and eight children, Elsie (Mrs. Marvin Smith) and Karl of Milwaukee Wis.; Henry, Herman and John Jr.,of Rock Valley and Meta (Mrs. Joe Baatz) of Rock Rapids; Alma (Mrs. Allan Perry) of Greenville, S.C.; and Emma, (Mrs. Willie Baatz) of Inwood, IA. 28 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. Four brothers, Chris of Rock Valley; William and Herman in Germany, and Henry Steenbruch of Doon.
Source: Rock Valley Bee 11/25/1954

OBITUARY OF JOHANNA LAHN RANSCHAU (MRS. JOHN)
Source: Rock Valley Bee (5-25-1967)
Born: September 2, 1875
Died: 1967
Mrs. John Ranschau, 91, died Wednesday at Valley Manor after a brief illness. Funeral services were held at 2 P.M. Saturday at Peace Lutheran Church, with the Reverend Alfred Kaupins officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. A prayer service was conducted at 8 P.M. Friday at the Porter Funeral Home.
The former Johanna Lahn was born September 2, 1875 in Germany. She came to the United States and to Rock Valley in 1905. She married John Ranschau and they lived on a farm until 1946 when they moved into Rock Valley. Mr. Ranschau died in 1954 at Rock Valley.
Survivors include four sons: Karl of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Henry J., Herman and John, all of Rock Valley; four daughters: Mrs. Marvin Smith and Mrs. Allan Perry, both of Milwaukee, Mrs. Meta Baatz, Rock Rapids, and Mrs. Willie Baatz, Inwood; a sister, Mrs. Anna Ranschau, Rock Valley; 29 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband and four children.
Pallbearers for the funeral were Roger Baatz, Edwin Baatz, Rodney Ranschau, Christie Ranschau, Kenneth Pulscher and Marvin Smith. Music furnished by Mrs. Eugene Reid and Mrs. George Rehder. Mrs. Marvin Mouw at the organ.

OBITUARY OF CHRIS RANSCHAU (1887-1967)
Source: Rock Valley Bee (1-4-1968)
Born: July 31, 1887
Died: December 30, 1967
Funeral rites were held today (Thursday) for Chris Ranschau, 80, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church here. Ranschau’s body was discovered Monday morning at his home. It was believed that he had died some time Saturday.
Mr. Ranschau was born in Germany on July 31, 1887, and came to the United States in 1909. He farmed in the Rock Valley area until 1951, when he moved into town.He married to Wanda Wenk in February 1923. She passed away September 2, 1964.
SURVIVORS: One daughter, Lenny (Mrs. Julius Nerland) of Pierpont, South Dakota; three sons, Walter of Inwood, Iowa, Herbert of Humboldt, South Dakota, and Cuno of North Hollywood, California; 18 grandchildren also survive.
A prayer service for Mr. Ranschau was held at the Church basement at 1:15 Thursday, with services in the Sanctuary at 2:00. The body lay in state from 10:00 A.M. until the time of the service.

OBITUARY OF MRS. CHRIS RANSCHAU (Wanda Wenk)
Funeral services for Mrs. Chris Ranschau, 72, who died Tuesday morning at 12:30 will be held in Our Savior's Lutheran church, Rock. Valley, at 2:00 p.m. Saturday. The Rev. Alfred Kaupins will officiate.
Mrs. Ranschau was ill for several months before her death.
Survivors include her husband: three sons Walter, Inwood; Herbert, Humboldt, S D ; and Cuno, North Hollywood,. Calif:; and one daughter Mrs. Lenny Nerland, Viborg, S. D.; and 17 grandchildren.
Mrs. Ranschau was born at Neuenkirchen, Province Holslein, Germany, Sept. 3, 1892. Mrs. Ranschau came to the United States in 1922 to Andover, S. D., and was married to Mr. Ranschau Feb. 20, 1923, at Peace Lutheran church, Plato township. The couple farmed in the Rock Valley area for many years and moved to Rock Valley in 1951. Mrs Ranschau was an active member of womens organizations in both Peace Lutheran and Our Savior's Lutheran churches. The Ranschaus were one of seven families that started the Our Savior's Lutheran church, in Rock Valley.
Source: Rock Valley Bee 9/3/1964

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