Angeline (Axen) PROBST

PROBST, AXEN, PETERS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 5/9/2007 at 23:22:28

Angeline Axen Probst
February 27, 1846, Denmark - September 14, 1932, Galt, Wright, Iowa

Jonas Joachim Axen was born 1812 in Norstrand Denmark. In 1845, at the age of 33, he married Anna Paulina Peters, daughter of Peter and Anna (Forsters) Peters. Together Jonas and Anna had two children, Engel, which was later Americanized to Angeline, and Peter. Both Angeline and Peter were born at Wyk, Isle of Fohr Denmark, which is in the North Sea. Angeline in 1846 and Peter in 1851. At the age of 26 Angeline came to the United States. She apparently went to work for a German doctor and his family who advanced her money for her passage, which she later repaid by working in their home. On the voyage to America, Angeline became quite ill on the ship and asked a kind looking sailor, Charles Probst, for a drink of water. They began to talk and got acquainted. Charles was smitten with Angeline and offered to help her by giving her some money. She of course wouldn't take it so Charles went to his bunk and threw the money on his bed. The money was stolen and Charles had to make another voyage to save enough money to get to Iowa, where he knew Angeline would be.

Carl (Charles) Probst was born October 29, 1845 on an island called Rugen, Scheswig-Holsten Germany. His parents died when he was six years old, leaving him an orphan. An aunt took him into her home where it is presumed he was reared. His only known sibling was a brother named Fred. As a youngster Charles had the job of herding geese. In 1861, at the age of sixteen, Charles took a job on a ship and went to sea. He was a sailor for 15 years, working on both sailing ships and steam ships, and visited ports all over the world. After meeting Angeline he made his way to New York and then on to Clinton Iowa, where two years later he and Angeline were married. Strangely enough, a few years after they were married, Charles and Angeline had made a purchase, which was wrapped in newspaper. On this newspaper was an account of a Fred Probst being lost at sea.

Charles and Angeline were the parents of six children, John 1875, Helena (who went by her middle name Louise) 1877, Emma 1878, Clara 1882, Anna 1886, and Charles Jr. 1889. They also raised to adulthood their granddaughter Genevieve, whose mother had died when she was a baby. Angeline learned English from the doctor's wife that she worked for. She struggled with certain sounds; such as the "th" sound and the "ir" sound, so when she said "Shirley", she pronounced it, "Surley." This was just one of her many enduring traits. She and her husband both loved to read, and they learned to write in English so that they could correspond with their girls who were away from home. Angeline was also a skilled tailor, having learned this trade from her father. She made coats for the whole family and mittens for the children's Christmas gifts. The Probsts were small in stature, standing only about 5' tall, but they were very big when it came to patriotism. They were naturalized citizens of the United States but also believed in the "old" European ways that the man is "boss". Angeline was said to have been quite amused when women were given the right to vote. Charles worked in a sash and door factory in Clinton when he first arrived in Iowa, and later moved the family to a farm near Calamus Iowa. Here he learned the ins and outs of farming. In 1905, Charles and Angeline moved to Grand Meadow, Mower Co. Minnesota where they bought a farm. Charles had a one horse wagon which he used to "drive' out to other farms and help with the work. He was skilled at splicing rope to haul hay to the lofts and was said to have been so good at this that no one could see where the rope had been spliced. After farming for seven years in Grand Meadow, they relocated to Dexter MN. where they had one cow and raised a garden. In 1920, Charles and Angeline decided to move back to Iowa to enjoy their retirement. This time they settled in Galt, Wright County. Angeline had been a member of the Lutheran faith during her early years but had joined the Church of Christ and was a charter member of the Bethel Church of Christ in Galt. Angeline developed heart trouble in later life and died September 14, 1932, age 86 years, 6 months and 17 days. Her obituary states that 15 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren survived her. With his health declining, and with Angeline gone, Charles decided to go back to Dexter to live with his daughter Clara Cox. It is here that he died eight years later on July 10, 1940, age 94 years, 8 months and 10 days. He was buried at Galt Cemetery beside his beloved wife Angeline.

References/Credits:
Kathy Pike kjp2u@hotmail.com
Edith Pike
Chuck Probst, fellow researcher and Charles Probst descendant

Photograph:
Source:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GScid=94837&GRid=11140677