Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1891
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 521
FREDERICK W. HAUFF, JR.

Frederick W. HAUFF, Jr., a farmer living on section 27, Magnolia Township, came to Harrison County in March 1857, and stayed a short time on the farm of his uncle, Henry HANNAMAN, and then went to Council Bluffs, where he worked at brick masonry and plastering. The following autumn he worked in a saw-mill on Horseshoe Lake, in Harrison County, remaining there two months, and in November went to New Orleans, intending to go to Germany after his parents and sister, but took sick in that city, and sent power of attorney to his father to sell the property that his mother had left him, and came to Harrison County, Iowa. As soon as he was well, our subject took the first job that presented itself, that of fireman on a steamboat running on the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio Rivers. He plied the Missouri as far north as Sioux City, the Mississippi as far as St. Paul, and the Ohio to Pittsburgh. He followed this occupation for four years, and then came to Harrison County, in the fall of 1861, settling in BIGLER'' Grove, Magnolia Township, where he rented a farm four years, and then bought the farm he now lives on, moving to the same in the autumn of 1865. In the spring of 1865 he bought one hundred and twenty acres of wild land, and in February, 1866, he built a log house upon this land and moved into it during the month of March, and is still living in the same house. It has under gone alterations, including weather-boarding and two additions. The roof has been replaced three times on the log house, but the floor is yet in good shape, being of oak, which was sawed by CHATBURN & MAHONEY when they first started their saw-mill. His barn was built in 1873, and was 24 x 42 feet; in 1888 he built another barn, 40 x 42 feet. He has added to his land until he has two hundred and sixty-one acres, over one-half of which is now under the plow, and the balance in pasture and meadowland.

Our subject is a native of the German Empire, and was born in Geinsheim, Hessen Darmstadt, Germany, may 22, 1836, where he remained with his parents until July, 1852, when he sailed for America with his grandmother, Elizabeth HAUFF. They were thirty days on the ocean, and after landing, came to Lancaster County, Pa., he being only sixteen years of age at the time. His father did not want him to come to this country, as he was an only son, so Frederick borrowed money with which to pay his passage, which he paid out of his first year's wages, working in Pennsylvania at $5 per month. He remained in the Keystone State one year and then went to Indianapolis, where he worked in an insane asylum at $20 per month until the spring of 1857, when he came to Harrison County, Iowa.

Among the important events of this man's life was his marriage, which occurred October 10, 1861, at Quincy, Ill., he marrying Miss Christina Breitwieser. They are the parents of nine children: John C., Frederick W., Conrad C., Katie E., Daniel H., Albert W., a daughter stillborn, Anna M., and a son stillborn.

The family met with a sad bereavement in the death of their son Frederick, who was born in Harrison County, December 17, 1865. When about eighteen years of age something like a cancer appeared on his shin-bone, and the same year it was found necessary to amputate his limb above the knee, which operation was performed in Omaha. Soon after coming home he began to complain of his head, when it was found hat a lump was growing thereon. He was taken to many of the eminent physicians of this country, but nothing could be done for him, and October 7, 1884, he died, his last words being, "I am not afraid to die, for I know the Lord is with me." He was a member of the Evangelical Church at Magnolia.

Mrs. HAUFF was born at Quincy, Ill., September 25, 1847, where she remained with her parents until the date of her marriage.

Casper HAUFF, father of our subject, was born May 28, 1808, in Geinsheim, Hessen Darmstadt, Germany, where he was married to Mary HANNAMANN, August 13, 1835. She died there March 28, 1841. They were the parents of Frederick W. and his twin brother, stillborn.

Mr. HAUFF married again in Germany, in October, 1842, Elizabeth STEFFAN, by whom two children were born. They came to America in the fall of 1858, landing at New Orleans, where Frederick W. was at the time his parents left Germany, but he had gone to St. Louis, so his father took the boat "Old Penn," which blew up at Memphis, causing the loss of sixty-five lives, but in some way none of the HAUFF family were injured. He came on to St. Louis and searched for Frederick two weeks, without success, although he and his family boarded on the same street that Frederick did. While there his daughter took sick, and while on the boat for Council Bluffs, the poor girl died. They took her off the boat but the family could not stop to see her buried. When the boat on the Lower Mississippi was burned, they lost all of their effects, except their money. Upon coming to Harrison County, he bought five acres of land of his brother, Frederick W., Sr., where he lived from 1859 to 1865, when he moved to twenty acres of land given him by Frederick W., Jr., where the family lived until 1874, when Mrs. HUFF died, after which Mr. HAUFF went to live with Frederick W., and died there May 28, 1884, on his seventy-sixth birthday.

The grandmother, with whom Frederick came over, Elizabeth HAUFF, was born in Germany in 1790, and died at Henry HANNEMANN'S, in November, 1857, and was the first German ever buried in Magnolia Cemetery, there being but few of any nationality buried there at that time.

The grandfather, Daniel HAUFF, was born in Germany in 1779, and 1807 married Elizabeth RINNER, by whom three sons and five daughters were born, Casper being the eldest child. The grandfather died in the land of his nativity, at the home of his son, Casper, April 7, 1853.

Frederick W. HAUFF, our subject, has been a Republican ever since the close of the Rebellion. He is a member of Blue Lodge No. 126, A. F. & A. M., at Magnolia, as well as of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, No. 177, at Magnolia. Mr. HAUFF is a member of the Evangelical Church.

Mr. HAUFF IS THE FIRST German that ever read the Declaration of Independence at Magnolia. This was purely a German celebration, and the Declaration was translated into German by him. He has served in the capacity of the Justice of the Peace for two terms. At one trial all parties were German and he had to translate the proceedings, and write them in English on the court docket. He was also the first German Assessor, elected in the fall of 1890. For twenty-two years he was Sub-director of the School Board, and for thirteen years and six months Treasurer of the same Board. He was also Road Commissioner for nine years in succession, and was the first German ever elected to an office in Magnolia Township, which usually gives about thirty-five Democratic majority. He has never been a candidate for an office in which he was not successful.

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