FRED MEYERHOLZ
View Portrait of Fred Meyerholz
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         The birthplace of Fred Meyerholz was the farm upon which he is now residing in Jefferson township, and his natal day the 11th of October, 1867. He is the son of the late Henry and Elizabeth (Burchold) Meyerholz, both natives of Germany. The father who was born in Oldenburg in 1829, embarked on a German vessel as cabin boy at the age of fifteen years, under Captain Kern. They sailed to Greenland and other northern countries, six months and twenty-three days elapsing before they returned to the home port. Later he joined the crew of an English merchantman which plied between the English ports and those of Germany, France and the United States, continuing to follow the sea for four years. His last voyage was made on the ship Edmond on which he came to the United States by way of Cuba, landing at New Orleans in 1849. There he boarded a river boat and went to Cincinnati, thence to the city of Madison, Indiana, where he apprenticed himself to the trades of carriage and wagon making. At the expiration of a year and a half the factory in which he was engaged removed to Burlington, Iowa, and he went with the company, continuing in their service for another two years. He subsequently withdrew from their employment and went to the territory of Nebraska, where he lived among the Indians for two years. At the end of that period he returned to Iowa and, locating in Wapello, Louisa county, secured employment at his trade with a Mr. Allison. He continued with him for eighteen months and then returned to Madison, accepting a position as a mechanic in the car shops there. It was there he met and subsequently was married in September, 1853, to Miss Eliza Burchold, a native of Hanover, Germany. Shortly after their marriage Mr. Meyerholz returned to Burlington, Iowa, with his bride, and two years later . . .

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. . . settled in Louisa county, where he rented land, which he cultivated until 1863. He then purchased forty acres, which formed the nucleus of his homestead farm in Jefferson township. He was successful in his agricultural pursuits and was able to add to his realty holdings at different times until he had acquired, at the time of his demise, seven hundred and ninety-six acres of land. His death occurred on the 24th of July, 1906, and his wife passed away February 13, 1878. Unto them had been born eight children, the order of their birth being as follows: William, who is a farmer in Jefferson township; Emma, the wife of J. W. Lindley, of Muscatine county; Mary, who is living on the old homestead; Elizabeth, who has been teaching for twenty years, owns seventy-six and a half in Wapello township, Fred, our subject; Minnie, the wife of Charles Shipman, of Chicago; and Charles, who is professor of history in the Woman’s College at Cedar Falls, Iowa.

          Reared on the old homestead Fred Meyerholz obtained his early education in the district schools, following which he pursued a high-school course. After the completion of his education he assisted with the cultivation of the farm until he was twenty-one when he rented the property which he later purchased. He now owns three hundred and twenty-three and a half acres of land on sections 1 and 7, Jefferson township. It is one of the finely improved, highly cultivated and attractive farming properties of the district, as well as one of the most valuable. Mr. Meyerholz is a man of progressive ideas, ever ready to adopt such modern scientific theories as he finds available in the cultivation of his fields or the raising of stock. He has been most successful in his farming as well as his stock-raising, of which he makes a specialty, and is recognized as one of the substantial agriculturists of the county.

          Mr. Meyerholz has never married nor have his sisters, Miss Elizabeth and Miss Mary Meyerholz, so they all live together on the old home farm. Miss Elizabeth, a teacher, also residing on the old homestead; Frank, who is living acres of land on section 2, Jefferson township, and Miss Mary owns fifty-six and a half on section 1 of the same township.

          Fraternally Mr. Meyerholz is a member of the Odd Fellows, being affiliated with Wapello Lodge, No. 19, in which he has filled all of the chairs. His political support he gives to the candidates of the republican party and has served in the capacity of school director. Being both resourceful and capable, by the application of modern business methods in the direction of his affairs, Mr. Meyerholz is meeting with increasing success from year to year.