Bertram, Charles 1870-1930 & Louisa Kluter Family

BERTRAM, KLUTER, FLEITHMANN, TWILLMAN

Posted By: Wilma J. VandeBerg -volunteer (email)
Date: 5/16/2022 at 06:18:01

Bertram, Charles 1870-1930 and Louisa Kluter 1870-1965 Family

[This BIO was taken from the booklet ‘History of Ireton 1882-1961’ published for the Ireton Jubilee. It was transcribed for this BIO by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. Some research notes and obituaries were added.]

A VISIT WITH “GRANDMA” BERTRAM

Louisa Kluter was born at Guttenberg, Iowa on July 28, 1870. She was the second child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kluter, who with their two children, Charles and Louisa, came to Sioux County in 1871. They built a sod house on the east side of Sec. 6 in Reading Township. A little later they replaced it with a log house, hauling the logs from the Rock River.

As the family grew they built a larger home changing the location to the south side of the quarter section where the again-remodeled house and farmstead still stands, for many years being the home of the younger son, Fred. It is now occupied by Fred’s son, Arthur, and his family.

Louisa’s name appears on the attendance roll of the Tarbox school two miles west. But when the settlers in Sections 7 and 8 of Reading Township decided they needed a school nearer, Mr. Kluter, Mr. Elder, Mr. Shimer and the Fosburgs contributed time and money and built a school on the corner of Mr. Kluter’s land in Section 6.

Louisa got her religious training in Grant Township, Plymouth County, going there for two years and staying in the minister’s home. She said it was 12 miles from home, and she often didn’t get home for two or three weeks if the weather was bad.

On being asked if she saw Indians and if they had any trouble with them, she told us that the only thing they ever asked for was feed for their ponies. One time the three children, Chas., Louisa and Will, were at home alone and a band of Indians stopped. Will was terribly frightened, but she took some sacks, filled them with oats and gave them to the visitors who went on their way.

She told of her father going to the Rock River to get young trees to set out their grove. She remembers how they did their own butchering and caring for the meat; and of how they made their own soap. She told of burning corn for fuel one winter as coal had to be hauled from LeMars.

She also told of her father coming home one night from LeMars after a particularly hard trip, and finding he would have to go at once to get Mrs. Hodam. She lived on the place south of what was to be Ireton. After she arrived there and got things organized, a new member of the Kluter family had arrived. No doctors were where they could be called and Mrs. Hodam was wonderful help. She remembers the small pox epidemic because it hit pretty close. The Mrs. Kellogg who died, just north of their first home, the sod house, lived where Lloyd Eilts now lives. She also tells of the railroad being built while the grading was being done between Ireton and Hawarden, the workmen occupied tents on the hill where the Ireton school now stands. She carried butter and eggs to them which they had bought from her mother.

The day the first train was go through, they eagerly watched for the first sight of smoke in the east. When they finally saw it, little brother Fred couldn’t see it so Louisa held him high in her arms to see the first train go through Ireton.

She also told us of the marriage of a young minister who served the St. Paul’s congregation when they were still using the first church building. The bride-to-be was to come to Ireton for the ceremony, accompanied by her mother. Since the church building was far too small for a proper wedding for the minister, Mr. and Mrs. Kluter offered the use of their home. It was accepted and Mrs. Kluter and the mother got busy preparing food, especially baking the wedding cake.

Louisa grew to womanhood and married Charles Bertram, moving to the southwest quarter of the same section on which her father had made his home. The Bertram’s obtained this from Mr. Darling, who was moving to California. Here they built a comfortable home. Their oldest son was in World War I and gave up his life for his country. His was the first death of our Ireton service men and the American Legion Post is named in honor of him. Two other children are Lorenz and Irene (Mrs. Henry Eilts).

After the children had grown and wanted to establish homes of their own, Mr. and Mrs. Bertram built a cottage on the farm and moved into it, leaving the larger home for Lorenz. Here, Mr. Bertram died in August of 1933.

Mrs. Bertram continues to make the cottage her home except for the last two winters she has gone into town to be company for her daughter, whose husband had died, but when spring comes, she wants to go back to her flowers and garden. She is a joy to visit with and delights in showing her rugs, crocheted and braided, that she spends hours in doing. She reads and watches television and, like all of us, has her favorite programs. She wishes she could have remembered to tell us more. She will soon be 91 years old.

RESEARCH NOTES - added by Wilma J. Vande Berg
Parents of Charles Bertram (taken from a family report on Ancestry.com prepared by other than submitter) Friedrich Bertram 1841-1888 and Bertha Fleithmann 1846-1933.
Parents of Louisa Kluter - See obit of Henry Kluter 1838-1919 and Matilda Twillman Mrs. Henry Kluter 1843-1924

OBITUARY OF Bertram, Louisa Mary (Mrs. Charles) 1870-1965
Funeral Service for Mrs. Louisa Mary Bertram,94,of Ireton who died Monday at the Hawarden hospital will be held at 1:30 this afternoon(Thursday)at the Ireton Barnard Funeral home and at 2 o'clock at St. Paul's Lutheran church in Ireton. Rev. O.F. Pittack will officiate with interment to be made at Pleasant Hill cemetery under the direction of the Barnard Funeral home.
Mrs Louisa nee (Kluter) Bertram was born July 28, 1870 in Clinton county, Iowa. At the age of two she came with her parents to Sioux county where she had since been a resident. In 1894 she married Charles Bertram who preceded her in 1933. She was a member of the St. Paul's Lutheran church in Ireton.
Bertram American Legion Post in Ireton is named after her son, Edward, who was the first Ireton soldier to die in World War I.Survivors include a son Lawrence of Ireton; a daughter Mrs. Irene Eilts of Ireton; 12 grandchildren and 31 great Grandchildren
Source: Hawarden Independent (1-28-1965)

OBITUARY OF Bertram, Charles 1870-1933
Charles Bertram Laid to Rest
Charles Bertram, the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Bertram, was born Jan. 26, 1870, at Muehleim, Germany, and soon after received into membership with the Christian church by the sacrament of holy Baptism. In 1881 his parents came to Sioux county, Iowa, where a new home was established. About seven years later the father died, leaving the widow with five children. The mother and children experienced the hardships of pioneer farm life for many years. With undaunted courage and persistent diligence they continued and eventually gained material success. When the children were grown up they began to establish their own homes.
The departed, likewise, on gaining maturity set out to seek his own fortune, establishing a home north of Ireton with Miss Louisa Kluter, whom he married on May 29, 1895, and together they have resided in their first home these 38 years in happiness. Three children were given them. The oldest, Edward, preceded the father in death on Sept. 28, 1918, while in the military service during the World War.
In general Mr. Bertram enjoyed good health. Taken ill only two weeks ago he desired to rest for a few days, believing that in a short time he would be able to be around again. However, the weakness of his heart increased, complications set in, and on last Wednesday afternoon he departed this life very peacefully, though rather unexpectedly, in the presence of his immediate family. He attained an age of 63 years, 6 months and 12 days. Mr. Bertram was counted among the highly esteemed and best loved men in this community.
His early religious training was imparted to him by Pastor Buenger of Grant township and during his entire life he not only attended to his church duties but endeavored to live his Christian convictions in every day life. His kindness, honesty and integrity are well known. In his demise not only his family but the entire community and St. Paul's congregation has lost a great power for good.
He is sincerely mourned by his widow, Mrs. Louisa Bertram; his children, Mrs. Irene Eilts and Mr. Lorenz Bertram; eight grandchildren; three brothers, Fred Bertram of Ireton, Ernest Bertram of Hartley and Win. Bertram of LeMars, and two sisters, Mrs. H. Witt of Hawarden and Mrs. Bert Fritz of Ireton, and a host of other relatives and friends.
The funeral was held from the home at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon and at 2:30 from St. Paul's Lutheran church of which he had been a member for many years. The church could not hold all the friends who came to pay a last tribute to the memory of the departed. The floral offerings were many and beautiful. The service in charge of the pastor, Rev. F. W. Bruch, was one of hope and consolation. Burial was made in the Lutheran cemetery on the lot which has been the resting place of his son Edward.

Source:Hawarden Independent (8-10-1933)