Pike Township Family Stories
THE FREDERICK KIRCHNER HISTORY
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, pages 295-296
By Wilma MillsThree young men came to the United States from Germany in 1852. They were born in Saxon Weimar, Germany, in the early 1830s, sons of Christian Kirchner and Dorothy Gepford Kirchner. Both parents lived and died in Germany.
Frederick Kirchner, my grandfather, and Bernard Kirchner (Floyd Kirchner’s grandfather) and the third brother spent two years in New York before coming west. They lived in and around Rock Island, Illinois, for a short time, and in 1855 Frederick and Bernard came to Muscatine county. The third brother went on farther west.
The two brothers each purchased 160 acres of land in Pike and Wapsie townships. Bernard left the farm after 18 years and bought and operated a general store in the town of Nichols, which later was owned and managed by his son, Henry Kirchner.
My grandfather, Frederick Kirchner, was born 25 December 1829 in Saxon Weimer, Germany, and died in July 1895 on a farm in Wapsie township. My grandmother, Barbara Schaeffer, was born 26 September 1834 and died in August 1894 on the farm where LaMoyne Kirchner now lives. Frederick and Barbara had four children: Charles Kirchner, who died quite young; Anna Kirchner, Barney Kirchner and Fred Kirchner.
My father, Fred Kirchner, was very interested in raising pure bred silverlaced Wyandott chickens, and he traveled to many poultry shows in Burlington, Muscatine and other towns nearby. He won many blue ribbons.
He met my mother in Muscatine. She was Augusta Katherine Sophia Kirchner, and she lived northeast of Muscatine. Her grandparents were Simon Krell and Barbara Katherina Ehrhardt Krell from Gompertshausen, Germany. They came to the United States by boat in 1854, and he was naturalized 30 August 1859. They had five children.
My grandmother, Johanna Charlotte Krell, met and married August C. Kirchner in 1873. My grandmother was eight years old when they came to this country. They brought some of their furniture with them: a spinning wheel, truck, an old red painted chest with iron handles, an old high cupboard with two doors and two small drawers, plus a drop leaf table. I have had all of them in my home most of the time. Several of my aunts gave me some of the pieces after I was married.
The August Kirchners had four daughters: Augusta Kirchner, my mother; Lizzie Kirchner Taylor; Emma Kirchner Chatfield, and Lena Kirchner Taylor.
My mother, Augusta Katherina Sophia Kirchner was married to Fred Kirchner (no relation) on 31 January 1895.
My father, Fred Kirchner, had a new house built (where LaMoyne now lives [1984]) in 1910, and my father and mother and family moved into the new house in 1912 from the old house just a bit east of the new home. It was later moved down to the other place, about 1/8 of a mile. That was in Pike township. It was rented until my brother, Ernest Kirchner, was married, then he and Lorraine moved there in 1922 when my mother, my sister and I moved to Nichols to the home where I still live.
My father was confined to bed and wheel chair for at least two years because of a broken hip. He only lived in the new house for a year; he died in 1913.
Ernest Kirchner lived on the lower place until he and Lorraine Kirchner moved to Nichols; they Virgil Kirchner, his son and wife, Dorotha Kirchner, moved there and raised their family of four girls and one boy.
My father died in 1913. They had five children: George Kirchner, Charles Kirchner, Ernest Kirchner, Leona Kirchner and Wilma Kirchner.
George A. Kirchner was born 6 February 1896 and died 15 September 1958. He married Marie Brown 8 February 1922, and they had three sons, LaMoyne Kirchner, Ralph Kirchner and Lloyd Kirchner.
Charles A. Kirchner was born 27 September 1897 and died 7 December 1918 during the flu epidemic.
Ernest A. Kirchner was born 14 August 1899. He married Lorraine Smith 13 January 1922. Ernest died 1 June 1976. They had two daughters, Jayne Kirchner and Lucille Kirchner, and two sons, Virgil Kirchner and Bruce Kirchner.
Leona C Kirchner Doerring was born 27 October 1904 and died 4 April 1958. She had one daughter, Joanne Doerring Kuebler.
Wilma C. Kirchner Mills was born 1 February 1909 and married Frank E. Mills 6 February 1928, who died 7 March 1956. They had two sons, Keith F. Mills and Victor F. Mills.
Keith F. Mills was born 19 May 1930. After graduating from high school, he went to Cornell college in Mt. Vernon, Iowa, for his premedical education. He received his medical degree from The University of Iowa, and he served his internship at Broadlawns Polk County Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. After serving two years in the U. S. Army, he entered medical practice in Lone Tree. He married Velma R. Marine of Nichols. They have three children: Pamela Mills, Kevin Mills and Lauri Mills.
Pamela Mills married Duane Krueger of Lone Tree, and they have a son, Nathan Krueger, and twin boys, Daniel Krueger and Joseph Krueger.
Kevin Mills married Cindy Burr of Lone Tree.
Lauri Mills married Max Duvall of Ames, Iowa.
Victor F. Mills graduated from high school and attended Iowa Wesleyan college in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, for two years. Then he joined the U. S. Air Force Cadets. Later he joined his father at Mills Motor Company in Nichols. He married Barbara Jo Hanft of Nichols, and they had three children: Phillip Mills, Dawn Mills and Gordon Mills.
Phillip E. Mills married Melodi Smith of Nichols. They have two children: Carrie Mills and Mark Mills.
Dawn Mills died when she was seven months old.
Gordon Mills married LeAnn Johnson of West Liberty. They have one child, Lindsay Mills.
Return to Family Stories Index Return to Muscatine Co. IAGenWeb, Index Page
Page created December 15, 2010 by Lynn McCleary