For
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume II, Biographical, 1911, page 584
HENRY P. BRODERS. Another of the extensive landowners and successful farmers of Fulton township, Muscatine county, is Henry P. Broders, who was born on the farm where he now resides on the 5th of October, 1872. His parents, Peter F. and Sophia (Hansen) Broders, were both natives of Germany but emigrated to America before their marriage. The father first settled in Davenport, Iowa, in 1863, and soon after the young people were married and bought eighty acres of prairie land in Fulton township, Muscatine county, upon which they immediately located. Upon them devolved all of the privations and hardships suffered by pioneers the world over, but they were young and strong and never for one moment did their courage fail or their absolute confidence in the ultimate victory waver; their failures but serving to give them courage their successes hope. Hard work, application and rigid economy enabled them to add to their holdings from time to time so that at the time of their retirement in March, 1898, they owned one section of highly improved and cultivated land, every acre of which had been bought at the cost of much labor and self-denial. They are now living in Durant enjoying the fruit of their many years of toil, the father at the age of seventy years and the mother at sixty-five. Mr. and Mrs. Broders were the parents of eleven children, nine of whom still survive. They are as follows: Augusta M.; Amelia C., Ernest F.; Henry P.; Emma T.; Agnes S.; Laura M.; George H.; Emil H.; who died at the age of twenty-one years; Harry T.; and Rose, who died in infancy.Henry P. Broders spent his boyhood and youth under the parental roof, occupying his days in the way common to most boys reared on a farm. His education was obtained in the district schools of Muscatine county and when he had attained the age when it seemed best for him to lay aside his text-books and give more attention to the work of the farm he assisted his father. At the age of twenty-two years, he left the parental roof to begin a home of his own, having been married, and for six years he farmed as a renter, always looking ahead to the time when he would be able to become a property owner, but the price of Iowa farm land had multiplied many times since his father first became a resident of the state, and it was not until 1900 that he felt justified in such an undertaking and at that time he bought eighty acres which he cultivated until 1909, when he bought the old homestead with its two hundred and twenty acres of well tilled fields. He is now the owner of two hundred and ninety acres of as finely improved and valuable land as can be found in Fulton township. In addition to this he has sixteen hundred acres of land in Jeff Davis county, Texas. Mr. Broders has not confined his efforts entirely to tilling the soil as he has speculated quite extensively in stock while carrying on his agricultural pursuits.
On the 21st of February, 1894, Mr. Broder was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Paulsen, who was born in Scott county, Iowa, on the 6th of July, 1875. Mrs. Broders is a daughter of Peter and Dora (Ott) Paulsen, who were natives of Germany but were married in the United States. They always followed farming until the time of their retirement in 1901, when they removed to Durant and there the father passed away on the 1st of December, 1907. The mother died on the 21st of November, 1910. Mr. and Mrs. Paulsen had the following children: Henry, William, Peter, John, Minnie and Paulina, all of whom are living. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Broders have been born three children: Olga M., born on the 19th of December, 1897; Elfrie L., born January 23, 1899; and Ralph P., born January 10, 1895.
Ever since he attained his majority Mr. Broders has been identified with the democratic party. He takes an active part in all of the local political issues and served for ten years as a member of the school board and two years as township trustee. Both Mr. and Mrs. Broders have many friends in the community where they reside, who hold them in high regard.
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