With not an asset in this world but a strong, rugged body and perfect health, and owing for his passage across the ocean, Ferdinand Goettsch landed in Scott county, Iowa, twenty-nine years ago. He has paid back that passage money, has made himself a good home in the new world and is in a fair way of becoming one of the wealthy men of Cedar county. His success is due to his faith in his own ability and decided earnestness of purpose coupled with sterling honesty. He ranks among the representative citizens of the county and is worthy of a place in history.
Mr. Goettsch was born in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, July 9, 1864, a son of Claus and Margaret (Luett) Goettsch, both of whom are natives of Germany and are still living. He attended the local schools of that country until he was sixteen years of age and then worked upon the home place. When he had attained the age of seventeen years he decided to make his way to America and begin life in the new country where the opportunities for advancement were greater than in his own. He had no money with which to pay his passage, so borrowed it from a friend and started on the long journey to the United States. He came at once to Iowa and for seven years worked as a farm hand in Scott county. His first duty was to pay for his passage and this he did with the first money he here earned. At the end of seven years he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Plymouth county, Iowa, and lived there until 1902, when he came to Cedar county and purchased the Francis Walker farm of two hundred and forty acres. This place was one of the early settled farms of the county and Mr. Goettsch has brought it to a high state of perfection. He has built a new hog house, remodeled the residence, built many outbuildings for storage of grain and implements and tiled the land thoroughly where necessary, and as a result has one of the finest farms in the township.
In Plymouth county Mr. Goettsch was married in 1889 to Miss Mary Benedix, a daughter of F. and Christina Benedix, natives of Germany, now residents of Woodbury county, Iowa. Mrs. Goettsch was born in Moline, Illinois, where her parents lived for some time when they first came to the United States. There were born to Mr. and Mrs. Goettsch five children, namely: Christina, Lorenz, Ida and Ferdinand, all living at home; and Leonard, who died in infancy.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Goettsch were reared in the Lutheran faith, although they are not now connected with the church. Mr. Goettsch is a democrat and at the present time is serving his second term as township trustee and his third term as school treasurer. General farming has made him one of the substantial men of the township. His unbounded faith in his own resources and ability and in the future of agriculture may be illustrated in no better manner than to state that, when first he took charge of the one hundred and sixty acres of land in Plymouth county he had but five hundred dollars capital. But he has made good as farmer and citizen and is respected by all who know him.
