IAGenWeb Project - Clayton co.

Henry Pust

 

Henry Pust and wife

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.

~source: History of Clayton County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical Times Down to the Present; by Realto E. Price, Vol. II; pg. 336-337

~OCR scanned by S. Ferrall

 

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