Claus Minster
Claus Minster, who owns a valuable farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Charter Oak township, is a native of Iowa, born in Clinton county, January 8, 1871.
He is a son of Claus H. and Annie (Petersen) Minster, both of whom were born in Gennany. They arrived in America in 1866 and came to De Witt, Clinton county, Iowa, where Mr. Minster engaged in fanning. In 1892 he was attracted to Crawford county and bought one hundred and twenty acres, which he cultivated until his retirement, when he sold it to one of his sons. He is now living with one of his children in this county. His wife died April 28, 1905. There were seven children in their family, namely: John, who died when young; Peter, also deceased; Thomas, of Ricketts; Christian, deceased; Claus, of this review; Kate, also deceased; and Theodore, of Crawford county.
Claus Minster received his education in the district schools and continued at home until twenty-one years of age, when he began working on a fann for two hundred dollars per year. At the end of two years he rented land, which he cultivated successfully for nine years, and then bought two hundred acres in Charter Oak township. He sold his farm after having it in his possession for one year and rented land for a year in Soldier township and for two years in Morgan township. He then bought three hundred and twenty acres in Jackson township and eighty acres in Stockholm township, but a year later disposed of three hundred and twenty acres and bought one hundred and sixty acres in Stockholm township, then owning two hundred and forty acres.
Fourteen months after disposing of his former farm he sold all of his land and took charge of a pool hall at Ricketts. However, he soon became dissatisfied with that business and closed out, purchasing one hundred and twenty acres of land in Hand county, South Dakota, which he has since sold. In 1910 he bought the farm on section 35, Charter Oak township, of which he is now the owner, and he is developing it into a valuable property.
On the 22d of November, 1893, Mr. Minster was married to Miss Caroline Jorgensen, who was born in Clinton county, Iowa, a daughter of Soren and Bertha Roden Jorgensen. The father was born in Denmark and the mother in Scott county, Iowa. They were married in this state. The mother died March 15, 1887, but Mr. Jorgensen is now living in Clinton county, Iowa. They had seven children: Caroline, now Mrs. Claus Minster, Amanda, Albert, and Laura and Lawrence, twins, all of whom are living in Clinton county and Harvey and Otto, who died in infancy.
Five children came to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Minster, namely : Edna T., who was born October 5, 1894; Bertha V., born January 12, 1897; Alta A., born January 24, 1899; Elmer H., born January 25, 1901 ; and Laura A., born April 3, 1903.
Mr. Minster, his wife and family are members of the German Lutheran church. He is a man of large experience in business and is especially successful in handling lands. Having been identified with agricultural pursuits from his earliest recollections he is well acquainted with farming and stock-raising. In all his dealings he is known as entirely reliable, and he has a wide acquaintance in Crawford county, having begun in business as a young man in this county. Enter data here
Source: History of Crawford County, Iowa. Vol. II. Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1911.