HENRY A. WEHMEYER.

View Family Portrait of
Mr. & Mrs. H. A. Wehmeyer and Son

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         Henry A. Wehmeyer, of Louisa county, comes of worthy German ancestry and during a life of more than fifty years has applied to good advantage those traits of industry and perseverance which are prominent characteristics of the Teutonic race. He was born in Warren county, Missouri, February 2, 1854, a son of August and Wilhelmina (Butlermiller) Wehmeyer, both of whom were born in Germany. The father learned the wagon-maker’s trade in his native land and, believing that conditions were more favorable in the new world than he found in Germany, he emigrated to this country about 1850 and arrived at Wapello, Iowa, with his family in 1856. He worked at his trade in Wapello for two years and then purchased forty acres of land, which he cultivated diligently for twelve years. At the end of that time he disposed of his place and purchased eighty acres, which he also sold after a period of three years. He then rented land for three years and, having acquired sufficient capital, began purchasing land. He managed his business so successfully that he became the owner of nine hundred acres of good land in Louisa county and was engaged extensively in farming for about twenty years but spent the latter part of his life in retirement at Columbus Junction, where he died at the age of eighty-three. The mother survives and makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Albert Hank, in this county.

         In their family were thirteen children: Henry A., the subject of this review; Fred, deceased; Mary, the deceased wife of Joseph Story, of Louisa county; Lizzie, who became the wife of J. H. Webber, also of Louisa county; John, a resident of this county; Amelia, who married Gus Wynmeyer, of Butte, Nebraska; Emma, the wife of Henry Otto, of Louisa county; Kate, who became the wife of William Brown, also of this county; Tillie, deceased; Clara, the wife of Albert Hank, of Louisa county; Christina, who married Emanuel Schmeiser; Daniel, who resides in Louisa county, and Lena, the wife of Peter Bretz, of Columbus Junction.

         Mr. Wehmeyer of this review was reared under the parental roof and acquired his preliminary education in the district schools. He has been connected with farming ever since his earliest recollection and at the time of the settlement of his father’s estate, received two hundred and twenty acres, upon which he makes his home. He is very diligent in anything he undertakes and ranks among . . .

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. . . the prosperous and successful men of the county. He understands all departments of farming and also is an extensive stock-raiser.

         On the 24th of December, 1892, Mr. Wehmeyer was married to Miss Mary Gauss, a daughter of Christian and Christina (Lautenschlauger) Gauss. She is one of a family of five children, namely: Mary, now Mrs. Henry A. Wehmeyer; Anna, the wife of E. F. Stevens, of North Dakota; George, of Linton, North Dakota; and Emma Christina and Caroline Margaretta, both of whom died in infancy. One son, Fred W., came to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Wehmeyer. He is now a promising young man of eighteen years and is assisting his father upon the home farm.

         Mr. Wehmeyer is a consistent member of the Methodist church and in politics has adhered to the democratic party ever since he reached his majority. He is not a man to shirk responsibility and has served very acceptably to the people of the township as road supervisor and as township trustee. He possesses good business judgment, as is shown by his success in his vocation, and he now has a competency which guarantees a handsome yearly income. He represents the best class of American citizenship and his friends are justly proud of his standing as a man of responsibility and honor.