Gottlieb J. Mueller
Mr. & Mrs. Gottlieb J. Mueller Gottlieb J. Mueller, a resident farmer of Lincoln township, his home being on section 32, has resided in Worth county since the spring of 1896. Much of his life, however, has been passed in Iowa, his birth having occurred near Guttenberg, Clayton county, on the 18th of October, 1865. His father, F. D. Mueller, was born in Hanover, Germany, where he remained until 1864, when he crossed the Atlantic to the new world, landing at New York, from which point he made his way westward to Galena, Illinois. He afterward proceeded up the Mississippi river to Glenhaven, Wisconsin, and thence made his way by flatboat to Guttenberg, Iowa. He started out to provide for his own support by working as a farm hand but later rented land for three years. He did his plowing with ox teams and met all of the hardships and privations of pioneer life. He carefully saved his earnings until he had a sufficient sum to enable him to purchase property, at which time he invested in land three miles southwest of Garnavillo, Iowa, acquiring a tract of one hundred and sixty acres, a part of which he cleared. He then continued the work of further developing and improving his land to the time of his death and for more than forty-four years occupied that farm, becoming one of the best known and most valued citizens of his community. He died in 1909, at the age of seventy-eight years, while his wife passed away in 1911, when eighty years of age. She bore the maiden name of Louise Borcherding and, like her husband, was a member of the German Lutheran church. In politics he was a democrat and held a number of local offices.
Gottlieb J. Mueller spent his boyhood days in Iowa and pursued his education in the district school near the old home farm. Through vacation periods he worked in the fields and when his school days were over he concentrated his efforts and attention upon farm work and was thus engaged until 1893 upon the old homestead. In that year he removed to Johnson county, Nebraska, and later spent some time in Sheridan county, Nebraska, but in 1895 returned to Clayton county. It was in the spring of 1896 that he came to Worth county and purchased his present farm, comprising one hundred and sixty acres of rich productive land situated on section 32, Lincoln township. In the intervening period he has erected many .new buildings upon his place and has greatly improved his farm, making it a very rich and productive tract of land. He also owns another farm in Lincoln township of one hundred and sixty acres, which he has improved and tiled, greatly enhancing its worth. He is now operating both farms and is leading a most busy and useful life, his energy, enterprise and intelligently directed thrift bringing to him a very substantial measure of success. He is the treasurer of the Farmers Elevator Company of Manly, is a stockholder in the Farmers Bank of Manly and also a stockholder in the Farmers Creamery Company of Manly.
Gottlieb Mueller's Family On the 2d of December, 1897, Mr. Mueller was united in marriage to Miss Bertha Stoecker, a daughter of George and Catherine (Mettler) Stoecker. Mrs. Mueller was born in Garnavillo, Iowa. Her grandparents came to this country from Switzerland and established their home in Ontario, Canada, where her grandfather engaged in the practice of medicine. At one time her father was a resident of Illinois and from there came to Iowa, locating at Cottage Grove. He died in this state in 1910 at the age of seventy-four years, and his wife passed away in 1911 at the age of sixty-five. To Mr. and Mrs. Mueller have been born three children: Mark, Harold and Albert.
In his political views Mr. Mueller has always been a democrat since age conferred upon him the right of franchise and he has given earnest support to the party principles. He has served as township trustee and also as a school director and is much interested in the welfare and progress of the community in which he makes his home. His has been a busy and useful life. Throughout the greater part of the time he has been closely associated with farming interests in northern Iowa and his wisely directed activities have constituted a valuable contribution to the development of the farming interests of this part of the state. He is now successfully cultivating one hundred and sixty acres of rich land and the well tilled fields annually yield golden harvests as a reward for the care and labor which he bestows upon them. He has another tract of the same size which is operated by a tenant.
SOURCE: HISTORY OF MITCHELL AND WORTH COUNTIES, IOWA, 1918, VOL. II; Pages 626 - 629
Transcribed by Gordon Felland, Augsut 18, 2006