Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 846
GEORGE G. RADTKE

The descendants of German parentage who have made Harrison county, Iowa, their home have been universally successful in agricultural pursuits. A farmer of German parentage now living in Magnolia township is George G. RADTKE, who started in when sixteen years of age to make his way in the world, and by good management and hard work has accumulated a good farm of two hundred and twenty acres. He is a man of pleasing personality and is held in high esteem by those who know him.

George G. RADTKE, the son of William and Matilda (SMITH) RADTKE, was born April 23, 1874, in Harrison county, Iowa. His father was born in Purman, Germany, in 1846, and left there with his parents when he was about fourteen years of age and came to this country and located in Wisconsin. A short time afterwards his parents removed to Minnesota, where his father enlisted for service in the Union army in 1861 in Company A, Fourth Regiment Minnesota Volunteer Infantry. He was mustered in at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, and sent with his regiment to the south. He was wounded in Tennessee by spies; he was also injured by a limb of a tree striking him on the head. He remained in the hospital about two months, and while there became acquainted with the girl who later became his wife. After his marriage, William RADTKE located in Sibley county, Minnesota, where he engaged in farming until 1873. In that year he came to Harrison county, Iowa, and bought the farm where his son, Albert, is now living. He made extensive improvements upon the farm and owned two hundred and forty acres in Magnolia township at the time of his death, in 1903. He was a member of the German Evangelical church. His wife was born in Germany, December 5, 1848, and left there with her parents when she was a year old. She died November 15, 1907. William RADTKE and wife were the parents of eighteen children: Herman, deceased; Albert, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume; Henry, a farmer of Allen township; Mrs. Matilda CHATBURN, whose husband's history appears elsewhere in this work; Carl, deceased; Mrs. Josephine OVIATT, living in Canada; George G., a farmer of Magnolia township; Edward, deceased; William, of South Dakota; Alma, deceased; Fred, a farmer of Jackson township; four who died in infancy; Mrs. Hattie ORR, a resident of Missouri Valley; Arthur and Benjamin. The last two named sons are farming in Allen township.

George RADTKE was the first child born to his parents after they arrived in Harrison county. He attended the district schools and later the high school at Magnolia. When he was sixteen years of age he started to work on the farms in his vicinity and six years later rented a farm for himself. Two years following this time he bought one hundred and fourteen acres one mile east of the town of Magnolia and five years later sold this property and bought his present farm of one hundred and forty acres, eighteen acres of which is within the corporate limits of Magnolia. Within a short time he has added to his land holdings until he now owns two hundred and twenty acres and has thirty acres of his farm in natural timber. He has one of the finest country homes in the county, a beautiful modern house of two stories. He has placed at least seven thousand dollars' worth of improvements upon his farm and is now deriving a handsome income year after year. In 1911-12 he made an exhibit of his corn at Logan and Woodbine, and won the second prize in both places. He feeds from forty to sixty head of cattle each year on his farm.

Mr. RADTKE was married on December 16, 1896, to Mary MICHAEL, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 16, 1869, the youngest daughter of Charles MICHAEL and Fredericka (PLOTH). To this union have been born two children, Hilda, born October 4, 1897, and Frederick, born March 24, 1899.

Mr. RADTKE and his family are regular attendants of the German Lutheran church. The Republican party receives his hearty support and he is now serving as school treasurer of Magnolia township. Mr. RADTKE is well deserving of the success which has come to him, since it is the direct result of his own initiative. He is well known in the township where he has spent practically all his life, and is rightly classed among its most progressive citizens.

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