Braaks, Henry 1881-1962 & Anna Amen Family

BRAAKS, AMEN, AMMEN, ALBERTS

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg - volunteer (email)
Date: 9/9/2022 at 14:31:18

Braaks, Henry 1881-1962 and Anna Amen Family

Henry Braaks, and wife Anna Amen. Their story was transcribed for this BIOS by Beth De Leeuw of the Greater Sioux County Genealogical Society. Some research notes were added.

Also, see the story of the parents of Henry Braaks, Habbe Wiards Braaks 1845-1923 and wife: Hindriekje Alberts 1855-1945

Henry Braaks began worked in the blacksmith shop at age 15. He married Anna Ammen in 1910. After his father’s death in 1923, he took over the business with his brother, Carl. They ran the shop for 8 years. At that time Carl decided to sell out and take up farming.

In November, 1945, the shop burned again. Carl (Hans) and Louis, Henry’s sons, went into business with their father after graduating from Ireton High School. They continued in the business until 1977, when they sold it to Gerritt Lammers.

Henry Braaks passed away Aug. 1962 at the age of 81. His wife Anna passed away Dec. 1979 at the age of 90. They were the parents of five children:

1. Kathryn (Mrs. Herman Degen) now lives in Hawarden.
2. Carl “Hans” and wife Lela live in Ireton and have 2 sons; Carl and wife in Fort Worth, Tx. and Donald and family in Broken Arrow, Ok.—Both boys are with the American Airlines.
3. Louis and wife Flora live in Hawarden.
4. Ruth passed away in San Bernardino, Ca. Sept. 5, 1946.
6. Erma (Mrs. Frank Flippin) resides in Upland, Ca. They have 2 children.

The Braaks Blacksmiths were in business in Ireton a total of 92 years.

There were 3 generations of Braaks—totaling 127 years serving the Ireton Fire Dept. Part of this time Henry was Fire Chief.

OBITUARY OF HENRY BRAAKS
Funeral services for Henry Braaks,81, who died at rhe Hawarden hospital August 28, were held at 1:30 Saturday afternoon at the Satterlee Funeral home and at 2 o'clock at St. Paul's Lutheran church at Ireton. Rev. Paul Friedrich officiating. Burial was in Pleasant Hill cemetery.
Mr Braaks was born December 15, 1881, at Peusem, Ostfrieslland, Germany and came to Ireton with his family when he was five years old. He had been an Ireton resident since. He was a blacksmith, His father, two uncles, a grandfather and a great grandfather were blacksmith in Germany.
On August 25, 1910, he married Miss Anna Amen at Wilcox, Neb. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1960.
Mr. Braaks served several years on the church board and on the public school board. He was chief of the volunteer fire department 50 years and was president of the Northwest Iowa Blacksmith association.

Survivors include the widow, two sons, Carl and Louis of Ireton, two daughters Mrs. Kathryn Degen of Del Rio, Texas., and Mrs.Erma Flippin of San Bernardino, Calif., four grandchildren, Dean and Donald Braaks of Ireton and Julie Kay and Dale Flippen of San Bernardino; three sisters Mrs. Agatha Siebels and Mrs. B.A. Muilenburg, both of Ireton and Mrs. Etta Johnson of Hawarden. A daughter Ruth died several years ago.
Source:Hawarden Independent(9-6-1962)

OBITUARY OF ANNA BRAAKS
Source:Hawarden Independent(12-13-1979)
Mrs.Henry Braaks,90, died Saturday, December 8, at a hospital in Hawarden.
Services were at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in St. Paul Lutheran Church in Ireton. The Rev. Paul Sieveking officiated. Burial was in Pleasant Hill Cemetery. There was a prayer service at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Dow Funeral Home.

Mrs. Braaks, the former Anna Amen, was born Nov. 5, 1889 in Lincoln, Neb. She was married Aug. 25, 1910 in Wilcox, Neb. Mr. Braaks died in August of 1962. She attended St. Paul Lutheran Church, and was an honorary member of its Ladies Aid Society.

Survivors include two sons, Carl and Lewis, both of Ireton; two daughters, Mrs.Herman (Kathryn) Degen of Garden City, GA., and Mrs.Frank (Erma) Flippin of Upland, Calif.; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren; and one sister Mrs. George (Minnie) Kister of Des Moines.