Henry Pust has been a resident of the village of
Littleport for more than forty-eight years, and as a
contractor and builder and a dealer in lumber, he has
contributed much to the physical development of this
part of the county. After a long and signally
successful business career, he is now living
virtually retired, though he continues to give his
personal supervision to his property interests in
this county and elsewhere.
Mr. Pust was born in Germany on the 16th of March,
1844, and though he has passed the psalmist's span of
three score years and ten he is still vigorous in
mind and physical powers and shows the consistent
results of right thinking and right living. He is a
son of August Christof and Elizabeth (Bronahl) Pust
who came to America in 1871, and took possession of
the comfortable house which their son, Henry, had
erected for them at Littleport where he had
established his residence two years previously. Here
they passed the remainder of their lives, devout
members of the Lutheran church, and both attained to
venerable age. Of their children, Katherine, the
eldest, remains in Germany, and the subject of this
review is the youngest. The other three children,
Elizabeth, Dorothea and Maria, are deceased.
Henry Pust gained his early education in the
excellent schools of his native land and there also
he learned the trade of carpenter, He was twenty five
years of age when he came to the United States and
established his home in Clayton county, where he for
many years carried on successful operations as a
contractor and builder. In 1889 he established at
Littleport a well-equipped lumber yard, and to the
management of this prosperous business he continued
to devote his attention until he retired when he sold
the same and consistently retired from the activities
that had long been his portion and that had gained to
him substantial prosperity. He is the owner of a
considerable amount of valuable real estate at
Littleport, including his own residence, which is one
of the fine homes of this part of the county. He owns
property in the village of Guttenberg also, and in
Stanley county, South Dakota he has a well-improved
farm of one hundred and sixty acres, this being land
which he obtained from the government and upon which
he resided ten months of each year until he had
perfected his title to the property.
His political support is given to the Democratic
party and he has been called upon to serve in various
public offices of local order. He was constable for
fourteen years, township trustee four years, and a
member of the village council of Littleport for four
years. He is a charter member of Littleport Camp No.
1723, Modern Woodmen of America, and was one of the
founders of the Lutheran church at Littleport, of
which he and his wife became earnest communicants and
of which he is now serving as secretary of the board
of trustees.
In the year 1871 was solemnized the marriage of
Mr. Pust to Miss Sophia Pike, who was born in the
city of Baltimore, Md. Their devoted companionship
continued for more than forty-four years and the
tender and gracious ties were severed only when the
loved wife and mother was summoned to the life
eternal, her death having occurred October 30, 1915,
and her memory being revered by all who came within
the compass of her gentle influence.
Emil W., eldest of their children, is engaged in
the lumber and merchandise business at Alberta,
Canada, and is postmaster of his town; Christian C.
is one of the leading business men of Littleport,
where he is engaged in the hardware, implement,
furniture and lumber business; Lizzie is the wife of
Albert G. Grenwalt, M.D., who is engaged in the
practice of his profession at Runnells, Polk county,
Iowa; and Louisa is the wife of J. Liddy, of
Littleport.
