Charles BIELEFELD

BIELEFELD, THOMPSON, GROETA, SCHLUTER, MASTERSON, WOOTEN, JOST, SMITH, LAMFERS, NAGEL

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 8/12/2015 at 15:57:05

June 9, 1863 --- January 10, 1952

Chas. Bielefeld, Woodsman And Nature Lover, Dies

WAS WELL VERSED IN WOODCRAFT AND KNEW ANIMALS

Mr. Bielefeld Loved To Be Out Of Doors At His Timbered Farm

Charles Bielefeld, 88, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Atlanta Thompson in Klemme where he had spent the past 3 years of his life. Mr. Bielefeld was well known as an authority on outdoor life and he knew the habits of wild animals, birds and fish. The greater part of his life was spent close to nature in hunting and fishing and trapping fur bearing animals. He was considered an expert trapper. For many years Mr. Bielefeld resided on his 65 acre farm southeast of Klemme. The farm was practically all timber and the Iowa River ran through a part of his land. It was an ideal home for a nature lover as he was close to the animals of the timber, wild game and birds, and he was happy in his work in the timber and in fall and winter trapping.

Services were held Sunday from the Klemme Evangelical and Reformed Church with Rev. Jaberg delivering the funeral sermon. Mr. Bielefeld was carried to his final resting place in the Ell Township Cemetery by his grandsons: Charles Bielefeld, William Bielefeld, Warren Smith, Merlin Smith, Seabo Lamfers and Verle Wooten.

The obituary appears elsewhere in this issue.

CHARLES BIELEFELD, 88, a long time resident of these parts, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Atlanta Thompson in Klemme, Thursday morning, January 10th, 1952. He was born June 9th, 1863, in Bielefeld Province, Germany, the 4th of a family of nine children born to his parents, Karl and Minnie Groeta Bielefeld. Of this family of four sisters and five brothers, only one survives, namely: Henry Bielefeld, age 92 of Sheffield, Iowa. At the age of two, Charles Bielefeld moved with his parents to America. They settled on a farm near Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, where he completed his common school education, and attended the German Lutheran Church with his parents, and grew to manhood.

On March 22nd, 1888, at the age of 25, Charles Bielefeld and Mary Schluter were married at Cottage Grove, Wisconsin. They commenced housekeeping on a farm near Sheffield, Ia. Later they lived on different farms near Thornton, and near Meservey, but finally they purchased a 65 acre tract of timber land on the Iowa River in Avery Township. Here they stayed until retirement. They were the parents of four children.

After acquiring this tract of timber land, with the river running through it, Mr. Bielefeld devoted his entire time to hunting and fishing. He enjoyed this work very much more than farming. In the fall of the year, Mr. Bielefeld and his wife would travel to various swamp lands and along the rivers with their cook shack trailer, taking pelts from mink, muskrat, etc. Literally thousands of pelts were gathered each season. At his home place he kept wild animals as pets, such as foxes, raccoons, wild ducks, etc. The writer remembers seeing a flock of 40 wild geese with wings clipped, which he had raised from eggs.

The last three years of his life were spent at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Atlanta Thompson of Klemme, who with the aid of a grand daughter, Diana Masterson, cared for his needs and nursed him. He reached the age of 88 years and 7 months and leaves of his immediate family:

His children: Mrs. Fleeda Wooten, Des Moines, lowa; Mrs. Helen Jost, Klemme, Iowa; Mrs. Atlanta Thompson, Klemme, Iowa; Adrian Bielefeld, Dougherty, Iowa. Ten Grand Children; 8 Great Grand Children, and 2 Great, Great Grand Children; One Brother: Henry Belefeld, Sheffield, Iowa.

Klemme Times - Klemme, Iowa
January 16, 1952