Harrison County Iowa Genealogy

HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA, 1915
BIOGRAPHIES
Page 506
ADOLPH SIEBELS

It is a pleasure to investigate the career of a successful, self-made man. Peculiar honor attaches to that individual who beginning the great struggle of life alone and unaided, gradually overcomes unfavorable conditions, removes one by one the obstacles from the pathway of success and by the master strokes of his own force and vitality succeeds in forging his way to the front and winning for himself a competency and a position of influence and esteem among his fellowmen. Such is the record of the popular citizen of Woodbine, Harrison county, Iowa, to a brief synopsis of whose life and accomplishments the following lines are devoted.

Adolph SIEBELS, president and general manager of the SIEBELS Department Store Company, incorporated, is a native of this state, born in Davenport on May 11, 1877, son of Henry and Katherine (CORNELIUS) SIEBELS. Henry SIEBELS was a native of Germany, coming from Schleswig-Holstein, while Katherine CORNELIUS, also of German birth, was born on the Island of Fehmern, lying off the coast of Schleswig-Holstein. The former came to this country when quite a young man and came at once to this state, locating at Davenport. To this same city also came the latter with her parents and there the young people met, drawn together by kindred ties. For a number of years the elder SIEBELS was a maker of wagons, but about the time of the close of the Civil War he discontinued this work and became a tiller of the soil, having secured farming lands in Pottawattamie county, this state. John SIEBELS is still living, making his home at Minden, this state, his wife having died March 11, 1914.

Adolph SIEBELS was the youngest of a family of five children, the others being Henry, August, Frank and William, and when a youth he attended the common schools of the town of Minden, later entering the mercantile field at the same place. For five years he was an employee, laboring faithfully and securing valuable information in the line he had decided to make his life vocation. He went into business for himself at the early age of twenty-one years, remaining in his original location for a number of years, and in 1904 he moved to Woodbine, which has since been the seat of his activities. On November 19 of that year he opened up a general merchandise store, with himself as sole proprietor, and thus continued the business until 1908, at which time he admitted his brother August to partnership and the firm then became known as SIEBELS Brothers. Under this style the firm was known for about three years, the brothers continuing in partnership for but two years, however, Adolph having repurchased his brother's interest, managing the business alone for two years. Under his capable management the business continued to grow steadily and on January 1, 1911, the SIEBELS Department Store Company, Incorporated, was organized with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars. The immediate subject of this sketch, as is fitting, fills the office of president and general manager of the concern; W. D. Howarth is secretary and treasurer and the board of directors is composed of Messrs. SIEBELS and Howarth, together with G. C. Duvall and S. Wood. The company deals in all kinds of general merchandise with six distinct departments, namely: groceries, dry goods, shoes, men's clothing, women's ready-to-wear garments and millinery. Mr. SIEBELS has long since demonstrated his excellent business ability and is today numbered among the leading business men of this part of the state. He has attained his present gratifying degree of success alone and unaided and is in the full sense of the word a self-made man. Since coming to Woodbine many years ago, he has been one its most enterprising citizens, always ready to give support to any movement having as its object the ultimate good of the community along social, moral, education and material lines.

Mr. SIEBELS is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and contributes liberally of his means to forwarding the work of that organization. He holds fraternal affiliation in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen of America and Woodmen of the World through the local lodges at Woodbine and he is also affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at Council Bluffs. He is a stanch supporter of the Republican party, but in view of engrossing business cares, has never found time to take an active interest in political affairs.

On July 16, 1903, Mr. SIEBELS was united in marriage with Mabel BELKENAP, daughter of J. B. and Flora (TAYLOR) BELKENAP of Council Bluffs. Their union has been blessed with three children, Jerome Adolph, Harrold Henry and Ethel Alma. Mr. SIEBELS is a man of genial nature, unassuming in his relations with others and because of his genuine worth and high qualities of character he is deserving of the high regard in which he his held by all who know him.

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