Carroll County IAGenWeb

HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY IOWA

A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement

VOLUME II ILLUSTRATED

CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1912

Transcribed by Sharon Elijah June 26, 2020

A native of Boston, Massachusetts and a worthy representative of good Teutonic stock, Joseph Mathias Drees was born October 8, 1847. He has been a resident of Carroll county, Iowa, during a large part of his life and since 1880 has successfully engaged in the practice of law at Carroll, being known as one of the leaders of the bar in this county. He is a son of John A. Drees, who was born in Hanover, Germany, and as a young man learned the coppersmith’s trade, also becoming a draftsman. At the age of twenty-one he was induced to emigrate to America by a large Boston firm, who engaged him as an expert workman, and he remained with this firm for twelve years. While in Boston he was married to Miss Clara Feka, who was born in Munster, Germany, and crossed the ocean to America about the same time as Mr. Drees but did not make his acquaintance until later in Boston. About 1855 Mr. Drees, Sr., arrived with his family at Dubuque, Iowa, and later entered the copper, sheet iron and brass finishing business as senior member of the firm of Drees, Honnack & Essman. He was very successful in his business and was an unusually fine workman in copper and brass, being also a designer of marked ability. He gained an enviable reputation as a manufacturer of soda fountains, etc. He died in 1867, at the age of sixty-eight years, but was survived for many years by his wife, who passed away in 1908, after reaching the advanced age of ninety-three. She retained her mental faculties almost unimpaired up to the time of her death. She was a woman of many excellent qualities and was a steadfast member of the Catholic church. Mr. Drees was an adherent of the democratic party and was also connected with the Catholic church. He was a man of strong convictions and of large charities, being a liberal giver to worthy causes. After his death, his two eldest sons, Andrew and Bernard, took charge of the business, which they conducted for a number of years. Andrew died in 1908, at the age of sixty-seven, but Bernard is still living and makes his home at Carroll.

Mr. Drees of this review received his preliminary education at the parochial schools of Boston and Dubuque, later becoming a student of the high school, from which he was graduated. He engaged as clerk for several years in a mercantile establishment at Dubuque and then went east, where he was connected in a similar capacity with stores at Portland and at Boston. In 1867 he enlisted in the regular army and served for the full period of five years in various parts of the country, advancing to the position of sergeant. After receiving his honorable discharge he came to Carroll county, Iowa, in 1872 and took charge of a general store which was owned by his mother at Mount Carmel. He continued there until 1878 and then, having decided to devote his attention to law, he came to Carroll and entered the office of Hon. O. H. Manning, one of the leading practitioners of this section. After two years of close application to the study of law he was admitted to the bar of Iowa upon examination in 1880 and has since engaged in practice at Carroll. In addition to his legal duties he pays considerable attention to the insurance and real-estate business, which yields a handsome annual revenue.

In 1875, at Mount Carmel, Carroll county, Mr. Drees was married to Miss Johanna Adelia Kniest, a daughter of Lambert and Maria A. Kniest, the former of whom was born in Holland and the latter in Germany. The father came to Carroll county from Dubuque and was practically the pioneer in opening this county to Catholic immigration. He was quite successful as a merchant and land dealer. Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Drees. Those now called to mind are: Clara, who is at home; Theodore J., who was graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan and is now practicing at Carroll; Lambert J., who is engaged as a dentist at Carroll; John A., identified with his father in the real-estate business; Frank W., now in Montana, having recently taken up a land claim there; Agnes; and Andrew, who is also living upon a land claim in Montana. The mother of these children died in 1885, having arrived at the age of forty-five years. She was a woman of many sterling qualities that greatly endeared her to all who came within the circle of her acquaintance. Mr. Drees is a valued member of St. Joseph’s Catholic church and fraternally identified with the Knights of Columbus. He votes in support of the democratic party, of which he is a stanch adherent. For about fifteen years past he has served as justice of the peace, discharging the duties of the office in such a way as to meet the approval of the best citizens of all parties. A man of large experience, of thoroughly tested ability and of acknowledged high character, he is a credit to his family and his state and there can be no doubt as to his continued success in his chosen vocation.