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 September 20, 2020

Throughout a busy life Frank J. Rettenmaier, of Carroll, has shown an enterprise and progressiveness that are accepted the world over as prophetic of success and the results in his case have been highly gratifying. He is today one of the best known men of the city and his efforts have been rewarded with a handsome competency. He was born in Blackhawk county, Iowa, May 19, 1873, a son of Joseph and Mary (Berger) Rettenmaier, the former of whom was a native of Wurtemberg and the latter of Bavaria, Germany. Mr. Rettenmaier, Sr., came to America at the age of seventeen years and made his home for a while in Pennsylvania. About seven years later he became one of the pioneers of Blackhawk county, Iowa. In the fall of I874 he moved to Carroll county and settled in Kniest township, near Mount Carmel, upon two hundred and forty acres of land. He later purchased one hundred and twenty acres, making a farm of three hundred and sixty acres which he devolved until it became one of the valuable properties in that part of the county. He died in 1889 at the age of fifty-seven years, but Mrs. Rettenmaier is still living and has arrived at the venerable age of seventy-seven. She is a member of the Catholic church as was also her husband, who served as county supervisor for six years and was a member of the board when the new courthouse was built at Carroll, being one of the well known and substantial citizens of the county There were ten children in the family of Mr. and Mrs. Rettenmaier, eight of whom grew to maturity, namely: Lena, the wife of Joseph Reinhart, of Wagner, South Dakota; Charles, who lives near Mount Carmel, in Carroll county; Elizabeth, the wife of John Giesing, of Carroll; David H. and Catharine, both of Carroll; Mary, who married Ed Thurlimann and is now deceased; Frank J., the subject of this review; and Joseph F., also of Carroll.

Frank J. Rettenmaier was reared on his father’s farm and secured a preliminary education in the district schools. He came to Carroll in the fall of 1893 and attended the local college, taking a business course from which he was graduated in June, 1894. He then became a student in the teacher’s course which he completed in 1895. In February of the following year he entered the State Agricultural College at Ames, Iowa, becoming a student of the scientific course from which he was graduated with the degree of B.S. in 1899. He then entered Highland Park College at Des Moines and pursued a course in pharmacy, receiving his diploma and registration in the spring of 1900. Having now thoroughly prepared himself, he associated with his brother, Joseph F. Rettenmaier, also a registered pharmacist, and bought out J. W. Hatton and they have since continued in the drug business together. They maintain a large and well selected stock of drugs, medicines, books, wall paper, paints, oils, and druggists’ sundries and receive a liberal share of patronage.

David Rettenmaier, the second son of Joseph and Mary Rettenmaier, was reared on the home farm and attended the district schools. He continued at home until 1890 when he moved to Carroll and entered the employ of Woodward Brothers, implement dealers, with whom he continued for thirteen years. He was then connected for a little over a year with F. G. Peterson. He is now engaged in general mercantile business in Carroll.

On the 18th day of November, 1890, Mr. Rettenmaier was united in marriage to Miss Mary Maus, a daughter of Henry and Magdalene Maus, and seven children have blessed this union, Anna, Eva, Clara, Hildegrard, Leo, Hillarius and Irma. Mrs. Rettenmaier was born in Jasper township. Her parents were natives of Germany and are now deceased. There were three daughters in the family: Lizzie, who married John Pietig and is deceased; Katie, the wife of Charles Rettenmaier; and Mary, now Mrs. David Rettenmaier. Mr. and Mrs. Rettenmaier are both members of the Catholic church. Politically he gives his support to the democratic party and is one of its active adherents, being at present a member of the council from the third ward. He has served very acceptably in this position the past six years.

On the 12th day of September, 1900, Frank J. Rettenmaier, the subject of this review, was married to Miss Anna C. Arts, a daughter of William and Christine (Manemann) Arts. They have four children, Wilbur F., Paul Esley, Louis A. and Gerald J. Mr. Rettenmaier has from the time of casting his first ballot been a supporter of the democratic party. He served as school director in Carroll nine years and was president of the board three terms. From the time of his boyhood he has shown unusual business capacity and for two years after the death of his father managed two large farms belonging to the family. He earned the money by teaching to pay his expenses through college and has never permitted himself to yield to obstacles. He has always been a busy man and is justly recognized as one of the most valued citizens of Carroll.

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