Joseph Desotel
Joseph Desotel is consistently
to be accorded recognition as one of the progressive
representatives of agricultural and live-stock industry
in Clayton county, and his operations are carried forward
on his well-improved farm in his native township of
Millville, where his father established a home nearly
seventy years ago, so that the family name has been
identified with the civic and industrial history of the
county since the early pioneer days. Joseph Desotel, Jr.,
the immediate subject of this review, was born in
Millville township on the 6th of April, 1874, and is a
son of Joseph and, Mary (DeBruiette) Desotel, both
representatives of sterling old French families that were
founded in the Dominion of Canada generations ago. The
parents were born and reared in Montreal, Canada, and the
father came to Clayton county, Iowa, about 1840. He
purchased land in what is now Millville township, became
one of the earliest settlers of that part of the county
and there reclaimed and developed a productive farm.
About two years prior to his death he removed to the
village of Guttenberg, where he passed the remainder of
his life in well-earned retirement and where he died in
the year 1906, his wife passing away soon after and both
having been earnest communicants of the Catholic church.
Mr.
Desotel was a staunch supporter of the cause of the
Democratic party and served for some time as township
trustee. Of the children the eldest is Lena, who is the
wife of William Kiefer, their home being in the city of
Chicago; Lucy is the wife of George Blodgett; Amelia is
the wife of Jacob Franks, of Colesburg, Iowa; Louise is
deceased; Louis is a resident of Guttenberg, this county;
Maxim is deceased, the subject of this sketch having been
the next in order of birth and the eighth child,
Josephine, being deceased; August resides at Colesburg,
William at Turkey River, John at Muscatine, George at
Guttenberg, and Mary in the city of Dubuque; Elizabeth is
the wife of Charles LaPage; Emma is also married; Nellie
is the wife of Daniel McMullen, of Dubuque; and Edward
resides at Guttenberg. Joseph Desotel, Jr., gained his
early education in the schools at Turkey River and
continued his association with the work of the home farm
until he had attained to the age of twenty-two years,
when he rented a farm and initiated his independent
career as an agriculturist and stock-grower. Finally he
purchased his present excellent farm, which comprises
eighty acres and which is eligibly situated in Millville
township, on rural mail route No.2 from the village of
Guttenberg. With marked energy and progressiveness he is
giving special attention to stockfarming, and is a
successful breeder and grower of Durham and Galloway
cattle and Poland-China swine. He is a Republican in
politics and both he and his wife are members of the
Lutheran church. On the 16th of February, 1897, was
solemnized the marriage of Mr. Desotel to Miss Emma Timm,
who was born in Millville township, on the 3d of October,
1874, and who is a daughter of Christ and Mary
(Kieckbush) Timm, who were born in Germany and who became
pioneer settlers in Clayton county. The father died on
his homestead farm in Millville township and his widow
now resides at Guttenberg. He was a Republican in his
political adherency and was a lifelong communicant of the
Lutheran church, as has been also his venerable widow.
Mr. and Mrs. Desotel have five children: Charles, Emil,
Otto, Hilda and Marie.
source: History of Clayton
County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical Times Down to
the Present; by Realto E. Price, Vol. II; pg. 87-88
-submitted by S. Ferrall
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