William Ahntholz¹

William Ahntholz is a successful agriculturalist, who owns a well improved farm of one hundred and sixty acres, situated in Coon township, Buena Vista county. He was born near Ninborg, Germany, April 12, 1876, a son of Charles and Sophia (Limply) Ahntholz, who likewise was born near Ninborg and came to America in 1890. The father died in Buena Vista county at the age of sixty- seven years, but the mother still survives at that age and is making her home with her son Fred. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ahntholz are: Margaret, the wife of Henry Steinbock, who resides in Oklahoma; Fred, a farmer of Coon township; Dick, who follows blacksmithing; William, of this review; and Henry, who also follows farming.

William Ahntholz spent his early boyhood and youth in his native land and attended school there to the age of fourteen years. At that time he emigrated with his brother Fred to America and locating in Buena Vista county, was here employed at farm labor for ten years. During this time he carefully saved his earnings, which he invested in one hundred and twenty acres of land. He then established a home of his own by his marriage to Miss Anna Nitzke, who was born in Buena Vista county, a daughter of C. H. Nitzke, and a sister of Edward J. Louis and Samuel L. Nitzke, all of whom are mentioned elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Ahntholz eventually sold his original farm and invested in his present place of one hundred and sixty acres, situated in Coon township. He has improved the farm with good buildings, has placed the land under a high state of cultivation and altogether made it a valuable property.

Mr. Ahntholz gives his political support to the republican party, while his religious faith is indicated by his membership in the German Methodist church. He belongs to that class of representative young men who are rapidly forging to the front, and at the same time he is regarded as a citizen of worth in the community in which he lives.

¹Wegerslev, C. H. and Thomas Walpole.  Past and Present of Buena Vista County, Iowa.  Chicago:  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1909, p. 409-10.