The Kemp family has long been regarded as leaders in the affairs of Hardin county, and it is one of the old names in the annals of American citizenship, its representatives having been more or less conspicuous in various walks of life wherever they have dispersed for some four hundred years. We first hear of four members of this family settling in Massachusetts, one, William Kemp, arriving there in the ship �James� on April 5, 1635, settling at Duxbury; he was a juryman and adopted freeman on March 5, 1638 or 1639. He got a land grant on January 7, 1638 or 1639. Robert Kemp settled in Dedham , Massachusetts , and was adopted to the church on April 24, 1639. Edward Kemp also emigrated to that state and settled in Dedham and was probably a brother of Robert; he was admitted a freeman on March 13, 1638 or 1639; he removed to Wareham , that state, in 1651, thence to Chelmsford , the same state, in 1655; his family consisted of two children, Esther and Samuel. Samuel Kemp married Sarah Foster, a daughter of Sergt. Thomas Foster, of Braintree , Massachusetts , May 23, 1662 , and their children were Samuel, Abigail, Zerubbabel, Jonathan, Mahitable and Bithes. Zerubbabel, son of Samuel Kemp, settled in Groton , Massachusetts , about 1666; he and his wife Mary became the parents of seven children: Zebenezer, Zerubbabel, John, Mary, Doralba, Hezekiah and Sarah. John Kemp, son of Zerubbabel, was born in Groton , Massachusetts , January 18, 1707 , and lived there until his death; his family consisted of the following children: John, Lawrence, Oliver, Jabez, Stephen, Henry, Amora and Sarah. Capt. Lawrence Kemp was born September 24, 1733, and died in Groton, Massachusetts, October 2, 1805; he was a soldier in the French and Indian war in Captain Cleve's company, of Deerfield, Massachusetts; he was captain of the Thirteenth Company, of Colonel David Field's regiment, was commissioned May 3, 1776, and fought in the Revolution at Ticonderoga in 1777 and was captain in Col. David Willis's regiment; he removed from Groton to Deerfield; in 1767 he moved to Shelburne; on July 4, 1756, he married Dorothy Steffin and their children were Oliver, Solomon, John, Hannah, Dorotha, Able, Lawrence and Mahitable. Lawrence Kemp, the son of Capt. Lawrence Kemp and grandfather of Sumner Kemp, of this review, was born at Shelburne , Massachusetts , March 3, 1776 , and died August 3, 1821 ; he married, on October 9, 1799 , Mahitable Ellis, of Buckland , Massachusetts . Sumner Kemp was born on September 12, 1800, and he died at sea; Lawrence, born September 21, 1802; Abner, born February 12, 1804; John, born February 6, 1806, and died at Heath; Lucinda, born January 25, 1808, married, October 18, 1827, Orin Dole; Benjamin E., born December 9, 1810, married Sarah Eddy, November 12, 1834; Joseph, born August 30, 1813, lived at Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was in the employ of the United States government; Noah, born February 16, 1817, died while single.

Lawrence Kemp, father of the subject, married Mary Stewart, daughter of Enos and Lucretia (Clark) Stewart; her death occurred on December 13, 1885 . To this union the following children were born: Mary Ann, born January 4, 1831 , married Ashael G. Mathews; they live at Brookline, Massachusetts, and are the parents of three children, Ella, Anna (deceased) and Florence; Sumner, of this review, was born in Shelburne, Massachusetts, February 6, 1833; Horace, a farmer, was born August 17, 1835, lived at Colerain, Massachusetts, and died in February, 1910; Lucretia, born March 24, 1838, died December 7, 1891; Charles S., born August 4, 1840, died November 12, 1862; Ann Jennette, born February 10, 1845, died July 31, 1845; Elsie Cordelia, born July 20, 1847, died September 14, 1865.

The father of these children received only a common school education. He followed the sea on a whaling vessel for four years and later he owned a farm near Shelburne , Massachusetts , which he operated successfully. He was a Democrat and a man of positive ideas and sterling honesty.

Sumner Kemp, of this review, was educated in the home schools, and he remained under his parental roof-tree until the spring of 1854, when he went to Naperville, Illinois; then he met Henry Alden, of Conway, Massachusetts, and he and the subject fitted out a covered wagon, purchased a yoke of oxen and started west for the purpose of locating a site for a saw mill. They crossed the Mississippi river on a ferryboat to Dubuque , Iowa , and went on to Independence , Iowa , thence to Jonesville and Waverly, crossed the Cedar river and on to Worth county, this state. For several days at a time they did not see a white man or a cabin, the major part of the state then being very sparsely settled and the home of various tribes of Indians. From Worth county they traveled toward Sioux City ; finding the streams dangerously swollen, they followed the river to the site of the present city of Beloit , Iowa , where they turned and came back east and on July 1, 1854 , located where the town of Alden , Hardin county, is now built. Here they erected a log shanty and bought a mill site and began getting timber ready for the building of the mill, which they finished in May, 1855. Being sick with ague, the subject made a trip to Des Moines . He first entered eighty acres of land and operated the mill about a year, then sold his interest, and from then on devoted his attention to farming, clearing land and similar work. He built a comfortable home in section 18, just in the west edge of Alden, for which he sawed out all the timber. Selling this home in 1908, he built another. He built the home where he now lives about 1891 and made all the improvements on the place and has devoted all his time to farming and stock raising, being successful in each above the average man, and has long been regarded as one of the leading citizens of this part of the county and is one of the honored pioneers of the same, having played well his part in its development all along. He has served as trustee, also as councilman of Alden. He votes independently for the man whom he regards as best qualified for the office sought.

Mr. Kemp is one of the honored veterans of the Civil war, who went to forth to defend his nation's integrity by enlisting on September 27, 1861 , in Company A, Twelfth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. This company was sent to Dubuque , this state, and drilled, thence to the barracks at St. Louis, Missouri, then to Smithland, Kentucky, later by boat to Paducah, Kentucky, to Fort Henry, that state, later to Fort Donelson, Tennessee, which they captured then ascended the Tennessee river and was in the battle of Shiloh, the subject being an orderly for General Tuttle. He was later given duty on a hospital boat and went to Cincinnati , Ohio , in charge of a number of sick and wounded. After returning he took another load to Keokuk , Iowa , on the boat �City of Memphis .� Mr. Kemp was in the office of provost marshal of Cairo , Illinois , about a year, as clerk, then joined his regiment at Vicksburg . He was then sent with the Thirty-fifth Regiment on the Red River expedition, under Gen. A. J. Smith and joined General Banks at Alexandra, and was in the rear of Banks up Sabine Pass when Banks was attacked and they all retreated, but fought a hard battle with the Confederates at Pleasant Hill , both sides losing many men. They later retreated to the Mississippi river . They had fought for eighteen days and nights. They finally reached Vicksburg , then took a boat to Memphis , and went to the mouth of White river , where they had a hard skirmish. Being ill with malaria fever, Mr. Kemp was confined in a hospital at Memphis three months and when able he worked about that city for a while. He was honorably discharged on November 23, 1864 . According to his comrades he had made an excellent soldier. He was never wounded but had a number of �close calls.� Mr. Kemp is a member of Fairbanks Post No. 436, Grand Army of the Republic, at Alden , Iowa , of which he was commander in 1910.

Mr. Kemp was first married on December 25, 1855, to Hannah Button, of New York state, and to this union five children were born, namely: Eva is the wife of Charles Rummel, of Alden, Iowa; Cora, who married Frank Joslyn, is deceased; Jessie died in infancy; Mary is the widow of William Patterson and lives at Iowa Falls; Charles died when sixteen years of age.

Mr. Kemp was married in 1904 to Eva D. Howe, of Ashland , New Hampshire , and to this union two children were born, John Sumner and Ruth.

Mr. Kemp is a well preserved man for his years, has a host of friends wherever he is known and is a man of integrity and generosity.

The subject of this sketch is one of the few remaining links that connect the present with the strenuous times of the pioneer days. Coming to Hardin county more than sixty-five years ago, he has seen the country develop from its primitive state into one of the finest and most prosperous sections of the commonwealth and with courageous heart and strong hand contributed his share towards bringing about conditions that now obtain.

Reason Kennedy was born in Scioto county, Ohio , March 20, 1831 . He grew to maturity in his native state, and in early life became familiar with the duties of the farm. In the spring of 1855 he started west and in due time arrived, via the Mississippi river, at Muscatine, Iowa, thence proceeded to Hardin county, which he reached on May 6 th of that year. Milton Kennedy, an older brother, who came two years before, had entered two hundred and twenty-five acres of timber land on the south fork of the Iowa river , seventeen miles west of Eldora and five miles southwest of Iowa Falls , and in June, 1855, Reason entered the north half Of A near-by section. His parents and another brother and three sisters arrived in 1855, and also settled in the same locality, the father buying land about one mile north, though adjoining the subject's claim. The elder Kennedy developed and improved quite a large farm, but after the death of his wife, in 1863, he removed to St. Clair county, Missouri , where his death subsequently occurred at the age of eighty-eight years, eight months and eight days.

No sooner had Reason Kennedy taken possession of his land than he proceeded with the work of transforming it into a farm and establishing a home. During the first few years he experienced many vicissitudes and not a few hardhips, as he had no team and was obliged to rely upon wages earned by laboring for others for the support of himself and wife. He was employed several months by a Mr. Snyder, who lived four miles away and this distance he walked every morning and evening, receiving for his labor from one dollar and a half per day to two dollars. His first dwelling was a simple log cabin covered with clapboards and heated by a large fireplace made of blue clay, the chimney composed of sticks held in place by blue clay and mortar. The house, though primitive and somewhat rude in construction and furnishings, was comfortable, and within its humble walls the subject and his wife spent some of their happiest hours. Hiring a neighbor to break several acres of land the first year, Mr. Kennedy planted two acres in potatoes and the balance in corn, both crops of which he cultivated with a hoe and the yield far surpassed his expectations. In harvest time he cradled wheat for his neighbors, securing his pay in grain, and by working at anything he could turn his hand he managed to get along until his land was broken and the first full crop raised. During those early times game was very plentiful, and wild meat afforded an agreeable addition to the bill of fare. Mr. Kennedy killed a number of deer and other animals, while elk were frequently seen near his home, but they were timid and difficult to approach. The winter months during the first five years were very severe, the snow at one time averaging four feet on level ground, and in the hollows it was often twenty or more feet in depth.

With following in detail the varied experiences of Mr. Kennedy in his efforts to found a home and develop a farm, suffice it to say that in due time better conditions prevailed and his labors were crowned with abundant success. He replaced his old buildings with new and more commodious and comfortable structures, stocked his farm with cattle and hogs, for which there was always a good demand, and by judicious management he was enabled to add to his real estate until he now owns five hundred acres of as dine and productive land as the county of Hardin can boast. For many years he has ranked among the leading farmers and stock raisers of the county, and in the management of his various interests he exercises such excellent judgment and tact as to earn for himself the reputation of an able and far-seeing business man. After acquiring a competency, he discontinued active labor and for several years past has rented such of his lands as are not devoted to pasturage, retaining his live stock interests, which are large and the source of a handsome income.

Mr. Kennedy is independent in politics, nevertheless he keeps in touch with the leading questions of the day and abreast of the times on all matters of public interest. He stands high in the esteem of his fellow men and as a neighbor and citizen enjoys the confidence of the community in which he resides. Mr. Kennedy was married March 8, 1855 , to Elizabeth Hoyt, who was born in Glasgow , Scotland , April 4, 1830 . Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy have four children, namely: Martha, wife of John McConwalogue, of St. Paul, Minnesota; Nathaniel, a farm of Hardin county; Celia, who married Fred Perkins, and who with his daughter, aged three years, was drowned August 1907, in the Des Moines river, in Cottonwood county, Minnesota; Nathaniel R. is engaged in farming near Iowa Falls; Gratha Belle is the widow of S. A. Hoyt, and lives in St. Paul, Minnesota; X. J. lives in Iowa Falls.

William Klaffke, pp. 483-484

It is a fact patent to all that the United States can boast of no better or law-abiding class of citizens than the great number of Germans who have found homes within her borders.  Though holding dear and sacred the beloved fatherland, they are none the less devoted to the fair country of their adoption, and should necessity require it would be willing to go forth to battle for the maintenance of its institutions.   Among this large and highly respected class is the subject of this sketch, who for a number of years has been ranked as one of the up-to-date farmers of Buckeye township, Hardin county.

William Klaffke was born in Suco, Germany, November 23, 1857.   He is the son of Carl and Johanna (Ratke) Klaffke, both natives of the above named place.  The father was a laborer in Germany and he emigrated to America in 1884, locating at Eldora, Iowa, where he remained four years, then lived in Radcliffe, Iowa, one year.  He then moved to Sherman township, Hardin county, where he made his home three years, later moving to Buckeye township.  Being a hard worker, he secured a very good home and valuable property in the new world.  His death occurred on July 27, 1896; his wife, who is now eighty years old, makes her home with her son, William, of this review.  He was a member of the Evangelical church, to which his family also belongs.   Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Carl Klaffke, named as follows:   William, of this review; Caroline married Albert Foreman, of Buckeye township; Whilhemina, Johanna and Bertha are deceased; Charlie is farming in Buckeye township.

William Klaffke was educated in Germany and was reared to manhood there.  He emigrated to America in 1883 and lived at Eldora, Iowa, four years.   On February 24, 1888, he was married to Adeline Radke, of Quesdow, Germany.   She was the daughter of Ernest and Caroline (Wettenburg) Radke, both natives of the above named place.  The father's death occurred in Germany, after which his widow and three children came to America in 1884 and located in Eldora, Iowa, and her death occurred at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Joachim Topp, in Sherman township, this county; her children are:  Johanna, wife of Mr. Topp; Adeline, wife of Mr. Klaffke, of this review; Ernest, who is farming in Alden township.

Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Klaffke, all still living at home, namely:  Anna B. M., Emma A. P. and Herman Carl.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Klaffke located in Sherman township, Hardin county, where they lived four years.  In 1891 they bought their home place of one hundred and sixty acres in section 16, Buckeye township, formerly known as the John Ellis place.  Most of the improvements have been made by the subject, there having been only a small shanty and stable on it when Mr. Klaffke took possession.   He has built a fine large home and good outbuildings, and his fields show careful tillage and scientific management.  He built his residence in 1901 and his barn in 1903.  He raises mixed stock, making a specialty of Duroc-Jersey Red hogs.  He is an independent voter and has never been an office holder or seeker.  He is also the owner of a valuable farm of one hundred and sixty acres in section 3, Ellis township, a part of the L. T. Beard place.  He is deserving of much credit for what he has accomplished, having started in life a poor boy, worked most diligently for what he has and dealt honestly with his fellow men.

Henry Klemme, pp. 1004-1005

One of the energetic and thrifty German farmers of Grant township is Henry Klemme, who, by indomitable energy and perseverance, has acquired a large measure of success than the average man who has had to "paddle his own canoe" all through life.  He has gotten possession of a productive and very desirable farm which receives his careful attention and yields him a good living from year to year.

Mr. Klemme was born in Lippe-Detmold, Germany, November 4, 1863, and he is the son of Conrad and Frederica (Doke) Klemme.  The subject spent his boyhood in the fatherland and attended school there, coming to America when eighteen years of age, locating at Newton, Jasper county, Iowa, and until he could get a start worked out on a farm.  Four years later he rented a farm near Radcliffe, for a year, then rented August Boeke's place near Hubbard for three years.  He then bought eighty acres in Sherman township, and the following year he bought eighty acres more on which was located Honey creek pond.  The supposed prior owner had no title to the land, it still being in the name of the government, so the subject got clear title from the government.   He lived in Sherman township three years, then moved to the farm of Christ Drawe, east of Hubbard, and he lived there six years, renting out his farm in Sherman township.   He then sold his farm in Sherman township and bought three hundred and twenty acres in Grant township and has lived on this farm ever since, two years later buying eighty acres east of it, then in 1909 he bought the Turner farm of one hundred and sixty acres, and is now the owner of five hundred and sixty acres of fine land, all in Grant township.   He keeps it well improved and it is very desirable land in every respect.  He has a splendid home and good outbuildings and he always keeps an excellent grade of stock.

Mr. Klemme was married in 1887 to Anna Drawe, daughter of Christ and Louisa (Wiechman) Drawe, both natives of Lippe-Detmold, Germany, from which country they emigrated to America and settled near Hubbard, Iowa, and they now live in the town of Hubbard, being very comfortably fixed.  They have been very successful since coming to America, first settling in Wisconsin in pioneer times, and they came to Grant township, this county, before the town of Hubbard was thought of.

Mr. and Mrs. Klemme have eight children, namely:  Louisa, Conrad, Dora, Emma, Mary, Walter, Ella and Leonard, all at home with their parents.

Mr. Klemme and family are worthy members of the Zion Evangelical church and they are all well thought of by their neighbors.  In politics, Mr. Klemme votes for the man he thinks best qualifies for the place.

J. B. Knowles, pp. 555-556

The career of J. B. Knowles, formerly one of the leading agriculturists of Hardin county, now living retired in the village of Hubbard, has been a truly successful and honorable one, meriting the high esteem in which he is universally held.

Mr. Knowles was born November 22, 1846, at Rockwell, Canada, the son of John and Mary (Benedict) Knowles, the father a native of England and the mother of New York.  A complete sketch of John Knowles and wife is to be found elsewhere in this work.  Suffice it to say here that he went to Canada when a young man with his parents, William and Catherine (Clay) Knowles.  The father of the subject spent his early life in Canada and married there, coming to Lee county, Iowa, about 1848, remaining there until 1861, in the spring of which year he came to Hardin county, Iowa, and secured one hundred and sixty acres of land in Providence and Pleasant townships where the village of Quebec stood.  It was wild land, but he improved it and made a good farm and home and lived there until his death, his wife dying in 1908.  He was a shoemaker by trade.  He was a Republican and a member of the Friends church, and was well known and popular in this community.  There were nine children in his family, six of whom are living, this county (see his sketch); J. B., of this review; William lives in North Dakota; John P. lives in Tipton township, this county; Diantha married George Fowler, of Pleasant township, Hardin county (see their sketch); Ida married S. Mills, of Ellis township, this county.

J. B. Knowles received only a limited schooling, being compelled to work as a farm hand when a boy, and he started in life for himself at the age of twenty-seven years.  He spent his early life at home.  On August 1, 1875, he was married to Alma McIntire, of Hardin county, the daughter of Alpheus and Cordelia McIntire, natives of New York state and early settlers of Pleasant township, this county, where they secured a good farm.  After his first marriage the subject farmed in Tipton township, Hardin county, a year.  His first wife died and he was married on November 12, 1904, to Mrs. Eliza McIntire, widow of Frank McIntire, who died in 1896.  He was born in Linn county, Iowa, and he was a switchman on the Chicago & Northwestern railroad.   Two children were born to Frank McIntire and wife:  Sanford, who married Alberta Willis, is a switchman on the Chicago & Northwestern railroad and lives at Hawarden, South Dakota; Bernham, who married Victoria Nelson, is a switchman on the Chicago & Northwestern railroad, and lives at Hubbard, Iowa.  The subject had no children by either wife.  His second wife was a daughter of Frand Rundell, of Wisconsin, deceased.

J. B. Knowles located in Tipton township about 1873, as before indicated, and he made his home a miles and a half north of Hubbard on a well kept and fertile eighty-acre farm, for a period of twenty-three years.  On March 28, 1906, he moved to Hubbard, Iowa, where he has since resided, having here a very pleasant home.   He is a member of the Friends church, while his wife belongs to the Baptist church.

Eugene O. Koeneman, M. D., pp. 442-443

Hardin county has been fortunate in the high grade of her professional men.  Especially is this true of the medical fraternity, and of this class the name of Dr. Eugene O. Koeneman, of Eldora, is deserving of special mention, he being one of these strong, self-reliant and determined characters who are occasionally met with and who are of such a distinct type as to seem to be born leaders of their fellow men.  Not that Doctor Koeneman courts that distinction, for he is entirely unassuming, but his record proves that he is the possessor of such traits and attributes as to insure success in any walk of life and the medical profession has been fortunate in securing him.

Dr. Koeneman was born in St. Louis, Missouri, August 13. 1870, and he is the son of W. E. and Helen (Guenther) Koeneman.  When he was about ten years of age the family moved to State Center, Marshall county, Iowa, where they lived four years, then moved to Odebolt, Sac county, and in 1889 came on to Hubbard, Hardin county.   After receiving a good education in the public schools, the subject began life for himself by clerking in a drug store at Odebolt from 1885 to 1889.  Coming with the family to Hubbard, he worked there six months.  Then opened and managed a drug store at Whitten for G. W. Reynolds, of Conrad, having charge of that store from 189 to 1892, when he purchased it himself.  In 1895 he turned the store over to his father and entered Drake University at Des Moines, from which he was graduated in pharmacy.  He then went to the University of Illinois, where he took a medical course and was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine in 1899.  He was registered as a pharmacist in 1889 and was the youngest registered pharmacist in the state at that time, being only eighteen years of age.  In 1897 he took the degree of Graduate Pharmacist at Drake University.  On June 15, 1899, he located at Eldora, this county, where he has engaged in the practice of his profession ever since, being successful from the first and building up a very lucrative and satisfactory practice with the town and county.  He has been very successful as a general practitioner and has kept up with the trend of medical science in all branches.

The Doctor is a member of the Hardin County Medical Society, also the State Medical Association and the National Medical Association.  Fraternally, he belongs to the Masonic order.  He is a Knight Templar and belongs to the Ancient Arabic Order of nobles of the Mystic Shrine.  He is one of the prominent members of this time-honored order in this section of the state, and would judge from his daily life that he tries to live up to its high precepts.

Doctor Koeneman was married in 1891 to Effie Miller, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Miller, of Whitten, Iowa, a complete sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work.  Mrs. Koeneman passed away on August 17, 1892, leaving one daughter, Vera.  The Doctor was again married in 1898 to Bessie K. Kentner, of Whitten.   She is the daughter of C. H. Kentner and wife, a highly respected family of this county.  To the Doctor's second marriage two daughters and one son have been born, Margaret, Janette and John.

John Krabbenhoft, pp. 1044-1045

Whatever of success has attended the efforts of John Krabbenhoft has been entirely owing to his own endeavors, his energy, industry and natural ability. From small beginnings he has gradually attained a prominence in Hardin county which entitles him to be regarded as one of its leading citizens. He came to us from foreign shores and, with characteristic German thrift and energy, has succeeded admirably well, benefiting alike himself and the community in which he has cast his lot, for he has not only worked hard to develop his farm, but has supported all worthy movements looking to the general good and has led a quiet, sober and honest life, maintaining the good name of the family has always borne.

Mr. Krabbenhoft, one of Concord township's thrifty agriculturists, was born in Germany, May 23, 1851, and he is the son of Chris and --- (Krusse) Krabbenhoft. His ancestors were farmers, and these parents spent their early lives in the old country, where they were married and where their children were born. They emigrated to America in 1882. Of the four sons in the family, the oldest, Peter, remained in Germany, while Claus, Deitliff and John came to this country with the parents. The subject had grown up and attended school in the fatherland. He stopped at Valparaiso, Indiana, on the way westward, and there his brother Claus died. Deitliff, mentioned above, now lives in Washington county, Nebraska. John remained in Valparaiso two years, then came to Davenport, Iowa, where he lived a year, then moved to Tama county, Iowa, where he spent three years. He came to Hardin county twenty-four years ago and bought his present farm of one hundred and twenty-six acres. He soon had it under good improvement and a high state of cultivation. Later he added forty acres adjoining and now has one of the choice and valuable farms of this part of the county, and there is no more neatly kept place in Concord township. He has a good home and good outbuildings, and he always keeps a good grade of live stock.

Mr. Krabbenhoft was married twenty-three years ago to Anna Fink, daughter of James Fink, a highly respected citizen of Tama county. This union has resulted in the birth of one daughter, Beta, who is now twenty years of age, and is still a member of the family circle; she is a young lady of many pleasing attributes and a favorite with the younger social set of the community.

Mr. Krabbenhoft is a member and liberal supporter of the Lutheran church.

Carl Krueger, pp. 487-488

Photo submitted by Victoria Whitney Landau

Of the large number of enterprising citizens which the far-away province of Pommern, Germany, has sent to Hardin county, Iowa, none of the younger generation have proven themselves to be men of greater aptitude in modern agricultural work than Carl Krueger, of Grant township, his birth having occurred in Pomerania, Germany, on June 18, 1871, and he is the son of Albert and Caroline (Bahr) Krueger.   He grew up in his native land and there attended school, being twenty-three years old when, in 1895, he left his hearth and emigrated to America, having worked at various occupations.  The following year his parents came.  The subject came direct to Hubbard, Hardin county, Iowa, and in order to get a start worked out three years, then rented land in Grant township for two years, them moved into Tipton township, where he continued farming, also farmed a year in Pleasant township.  About 1903 he bought one hundred and sixty acres of good land in Grant township, where he now lives and which he has brought up to a high state of cultivation and improvement and on which he has made a very comfortable living.  He raises a diversity of crops, live stock and orchard and garden products, dealing in staple crops principally for a livelihood.

On May 27, 1904, Mr. Krueger was united in marriage with Carrie Reifschneider, daughter of Peter Reifschneider and wife.  She was born at Laurel, Marshall county, Iowa.  Her parents were from Hessen-Darmstadt, Germany, and they settled in Marshall county about 1880 and are still living there.  Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Krueger, Alice, Emma, Elmer and Mary.  He and his family are members of the German Evangelical church at Hubbard.

Mr. Krueger's mother is making her home with him, the father having died in 1997.  Two brothers of the subject are living, Fred, of Rosten, Canada, and Albert, of Grant township, this county.  Mr. Krueger is a progressive, honest and reliable gentleman who has won his way in life unaided.

Henry A. Kuhfus, pp. 604-605

No man who has lived in Hardin county in recent years has left a more indelible imprint of his sterling personality upon the minds of the people here than the late Henry A. Kuhfus, for he was a man who sought to do his full duty in all the relations of life, and unselfishly performed his part as a high minded citizen in all the relations of life.

Mr. Kuhfus was born November 17, 1849, in Kurberg, Lippe-Detmold, Germany, and he is the son of Fred Kuhfus and wife, of the same place.  They spent their lives in Germany on a farm.  They were members of the Reformed church, and they were the parents of the following children:  Fredi is deceased; William was a teacher and died in Germany; Wilheimena is the widow of Herman Boeke, of Hubbard, Iowa; Carl is a shoemaker in Germany; Ernest is in a soldiers' home in Germany; Henry A., of this review.

Henry A. Kuhfus was educated in his native land, and on December 16, 1869, he enlisted in the German army as a recruit and shortly afterward that nation was embroiled in war with France, in which he took part, being one of the youngest in the army.  He served throughout that conflict, being a member of the Second Battalion, Fifth Infantry, Seventh Army Corps, under General Zastro.  He was stationed at the garrison of Pruess Menden, Westphalia.  He was in the regiment that besieged Metz for six months.  He took part in many battles, among which was the great battle of Gravelotte and the Castle of Columbia, near Metz.  There were only three hundred of his comrades returned from these battles, of a total of one thousand who went out in the regiment.  This regiment was only in the siege of Metz forty days.  During the six weeks that the barracks and fortifications were building, Mr. Kuhfus slept in the open air and this exposure undermined his health and he was confined in the hospital for seventeen weeks.  Later he assisted in buying supplies for the army, he keeping the books and assisting in looking after the supplies.  After he was discharged from the army he returned home and remained there until 1875, when he emigrated to America.   He worked on a farm in Grundy county, Iowa, two years, attending school in winter.   He then bought a farm in Sherman township, Hardin county.

Mr. Kuhfus was married on November 3, 1878, to Alvina Granzow, of Pommern, Germany, the daughter of Henry and Frederika (Silelof) Granzow, both natives of the above named place.  They came to America in 1869 and purchased a farm four miles west of Eldora and there the father lived until his death, October 19, 1901, his wife having died in 1890.  There were nine children in their family, namely:  Fred, a retired farmer in Hubbard, Iowa; Wilheimena, wife of Peter Jones, of Hubbard, Iowa; Alvina, widow of the subject; Augusta, wife of John Topp, of Buckeye, Iowa; Mary, wife of August Boeke, of Hubbard, Iowa; Bertha, wife of Carl Zeloff, of Ellis township, this county; Charlie, who married Emma Cadolff, is deceased; John owns the old home place, and he married Matilda Kadolff; Annie is the wife of Charles Hanke, of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kuhfus, namely:   Minnie is the wife of Fred Kuhlman, of Tipton township, this county, and they have two children, John and Leona; Annie is the wife of William Ziesmann, of Pleasant township, this county, and they have four children, Vadna, Hazel, Helen and Lois; William married Marie Kuhlmann, a farmer in McHenry county, North Dakota; Mary married WIlliam Eller, and lives in Sherman township, Hardin county; Fred, who is on the old homestead, married May Eller, and they have one son, Carroll; Lydia is the wife of Elmer Wygle, of Sherman township, this county; Elsie and Clara are at home.

After their marriage Mr. Kuhfus and wife moved to Sherman township, this county, where he had purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of wild land, he being the first to settle in this vicinity, and although he met with many discouragements he pushed forward and developed a fine farm and a good home, and here he spent the rest of his life, dying on April 2, 1896.  His widow and family remained on the place until January, 1910, when Mrs. Kuhfus and her two daughters moved to Hubbard, where they have since resided.  Mr. Kuhfus was a Republican, but not active in party affairs.   He was a member of the Evangelical Association, to which his family also belong.

Fred W. Kuhlman, pp. 791-792

This is an age in which the farmer stands pre-eminently above any other class as a producer of wealth. He simply takes advantage of the winds, the warm air, the bright sunshine and the refreshing rains and, applying his own hands and skill to nature's gifts, he creates grain, hay, live stock, etc., all of which are absolute necessaries to the inhabitants of the world. Nature does much for the husbandman, so much, indeed, that it is often a question whether he fully appreciates what is thus done for him. Of course he must make proper use of his brain and his muscle, must not quail at obstacles and sit down and repine if things go wrong; on the contrary he must ever be up and doing, with a heart for any fate. Such a man is Fred W. Kuhlman, of Tipton township, one of the leading farmers in this locality and a man who has refused to permit obstacles to down him.

Mr. Kuhlman was born on May 20, 1877, in Tipton township, Hardin county, Iowa, and he is the son of William Kuhlman and wife, an excellent old family of this county, a complete sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work.

Fred W. Kuhlman grew to maturity on the home farm which he worked during the summer months, attending the district schools in the winter time, remaining under his parental roof-tree until he reached maturity. On February 20, 1900, he was united in marriage with Minnie Kuhfus, daughter of Henry and Alvina Kuhfus; a sketch of this highly respected family appears in this work.

Mr. Kuhlman continued farming on the home place after his marriage, and soon had a good start. About 1903 he became the owner of the place where he now lives. It consists of two hundred and forty acres and on it stands an attractive and neatly kept home and an excellent group of outbuildings, everything denoting good management. He also owns eighty acres north of Hubbard and other land farther north in Tipton township, making a total of four hundred and forty acres, all valuable, highly productive, well improved and well kept.

Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Kuhlman, namely: John, born September 9, 1901, and Leona, born March 18, 1906.

Mr. and Mrs. Kuhlman both belong to the German Evangelical church at Hubbard. They stand high in all circles in the township and have a wide circle of friends wherever they are known.

Wilhelm Kuhlmann, pp. 613-615

The gentleman whose name heads this paragraph is widely known in Hardin county and is one of the honored citizens of the town of Hubbard , where he is living in honorable retirement after a strenuous life of activity in connection with agricultural pursuits. His well directed efforts in the practical affairs of life, his capable management of his business interests and his sound judgment have brought to him prosperity, and his life demonstrates what may be accomplished by any man of energy and ambition who is not afraid to work and has the perseverance to continue his labors in the face of any disaster or discouragement that may arise. In all the relations of life Mr. Kuhlman has commanded the confidence and respect of those with whom he has been brought into contact and a biographical history of this locality would not be complete without a record of his career.

Wilhelm Kuhlmann, like many of the leading citizens of Hardin county, was born in Germany , having first opened his eyes to the light of day in Snaubeck, on February 5, 1843 . He is the son of Fred and Mollie (Noltonsmeier) Kuhlmann, natives of Lour , Germany , where they always lived on a farm. They were members of the Evangelical church and there were eight children in their family, namely: Fred, who lives on the old home place in Germany; Wilhelm, of this review; Mollie and August both live in Germany; Carl is farming in the vicinity of Hubbard, Iowa; Henry is farming in Grant township, this county; Amelia is deceased; Augusta lives in Germany.

Wilhelm Kuhlmann was educated both in German and in English. He remained at home until 1868, when he came to America, first locating in Cook county, Illinois, thirty-two miles from Chicago, at Barringston, living on a farm there until 1868, when he came to Hardin county, Iowa, having had an uncle in Tipton township. In the spring of 1870 he bought eighty-seven acres of land in Tipton township. It had been partly improved, including a small house. He set to work with a will and in due course of time had improved the place, established a comfortable home, and as he prospered added to his original purchase until he is now the owner of three hundred acres of as valuable and productive land as the county can boast. He carried on general farming and stock raising in a most successful manner, lived well and laid by an ample competency for his family and his old age, bringing his place up to a high state of cultivation and improvement, and there he remained until the spring of 1900, when he retired from active work and moved to Hubbard, where he has a beautiful, modern and elegantly furnished home. He is deserving of a great deal of credit for what he has accomplished, having started out with nothing, not so very many years ago and having accepted assistance from no one but his faithful wife, who was known in her maidenhood as Christina Weichmann, and whom he married in Cook county, Illinois, on October 28, 1869. She was born in Lippe-Detmold , Germany , the daughter of Henry and Maria (Wenicka) Weichmann, both natives of that place. This family emigrated to America in 1870 and settled in Boscobell , Wisconsin , where they procured land, but later they came to Tipton township, Hardin county, Iowa , and the father's death occurred in 1894, his widow surviving until 1900. They were members of the Evangelical church, and eight children were born to them, namely: Henry is farming in Grant township, this county; Christina, wife of Mr. Kuhlmann, of this review; Louisa is the wife of Christ Draw, of Hubbard, Iowa; Mary married Fred Bickman and both are now deceased; Lottie is the wife of Herman Bornemeier, of Grant township, this county; Minnie is deceased; Fred lives at Lake Park, Iowa; Annie is the wife of Henry Kuhlmann and they live in Hardin county.

Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wilhelm Kuhlmann, namely: Mollie is the wife of Ernest Schlue, of Benton county, Iowa; Christina is the wife of August Hoelscher, of Hubbard, Iowa; Augusta is the wife of William Hoelscher, of Hubbard, Iowa; Fred, who married Minnie Kuhfus, is farming in Tipton township, this county; Minnie is living at home.

Mr. Kuhlmann is a Republican and he has held a number of township offices, always to his credit and to the eminent satisfaction of all concerned. He is a worthy member of the Evangelical Association of Hubbard and he assisted in building the first church here, and he has always been a liberal contributor to the same. This is one of the prominent families of Hardin county and merits the high respect in which it is held.