Old Settlers' Stories

by John & Angela Giesel

John V. and Angela Giesel and two children immigrated from Germany to Ocheyedan, Iowa, in 1902. (In the 1920 census John and Angela, Herman and Angeline are listed as being born in Austria, according to the 1930 census their birthplace was Czechoslovakia)

In order to be allowed in the United States at that time you had to have a definite place to go and work waiting for you when you arrived.

The Giesels were sponsored by Louis Haiker, who farmed near Ocheyedan.  An oral contract was made for the Giesels to live in a three room home at the rear of the main dwelling at the Haiker farm for a wage of $100.00 a year for five years.

The two children, Herman and Angeline, attended a German school near the farm.  The American language was never spoken at the farm, only German.

The Giesels had little opportunity to meet American people as the farming operation was done mostly by hand labor and required long hours, seven days a week.  John and Angela worked in the fields, even though Ocheyedan was only a few miles away, John only got to town a couple times a year with Mr. Haiker.  They went with a team and wagon to get supplies, so it was a very hard five years to endure.

A son, Louis, was born and the five year contract was fulfilled.  A neighbor encouraged John and the family to move to Ocheyedan, where he worked at any job he could get.

Soon he began tiling work, putting in sewer and water lines to homes and business places in Ocheyedan.  Ditches had to be dug by hand sometimes as much as ten feet deep.  Most of the older homes here were done by John and are still serviceable.  He unloaded coal for two lumber yards and one elevator.  He had no problem keeping busy for his reputation, for strength and dependability kept him in demand.

John and Angela with their seven children lived in the same home one block southwest of the school which at that time consisted of 1/4 block.  They had a barn with two cows, pigs and chickens.  Angela had a large garden.

John, Sr. and Angela both lived to be 92 years of age and are at rest in the Ocheyedan cemetery.

The Giesel children: 

1. Herman (April 3, 1903 - December 1978) farmed and operated a recreation parlor in Brandt, South Dakota, until he retired in St. Paul, Minnesota.  He is deceased.
2. Angeline (about 1904) married a railroad employee.  She is a widow at Durant, Iowa.
3. Louis H. (August 20, 1907 - February 14, 1994) was a boilermaker in Seattle, Washington, where he is retired.
4. John P. Jr. (November 29, 1909 - January 5, 1991) was the first child of Giesel's to have the opportunity to go to high school.  After his return from service in World War II he attended Nebraska Technical College and became an Industrial Electrician and Electric Motor Specialist.  He is now retired and lives in Clear Lake, South Dakota, and Edinburgh, Texas.
5. Joe graduated from Ocheyedan High School and joined the US Marine Corps, where he stayed for 21 years and two wars.  He retired as major and lives in Oregon.
6. Darlene L. (September 2 1921 - May 26 1996) attended college at Cedar Falls, and taught in rural schools around Ocheyedan, during World War 11, while her husband was in service.
7. Phyllis M. ( 1922 at the same time was employed as a clerk.  She and Darlene had married the First brothers.  They stayed with their parents in Ocheyedan until the war ended, then moved to Durant, Iowa, where Henry and Hans owned a car dealership.  Both husbands are deceased and Darlene and Phyllis make their home at Durant, Iowa.

From the immigration of John and Angela Giesel from Europe in 1902, the offspring has reached over one hundred.  They are scattered over several states in the US, and branched out to various occupations.

-Transcribed by Roseanna Zehner

-Additional information from research by Susan Coleman is underlined in text

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