(Source: “As Time Goes By”, Odebolt, Iowa 1877-1977,
printed by The Odebolt Chronicle May, 1977)
Gustav Jacob Freese, born Nov. 23, 1870, at Husum, Germany, son of Chris and Christina Freese. He came to America with his parents in 1872. In 1886 they lived in Charter Oak, Iowa, where Gus at age 16 learned the barber trade, his vocation for forty-two years. He bought his first shop in Auburn in 1891.
In 1892 Gustav married Eva Elizabeth Luft, daughter of Casper and Anna (Sittner) Luft in Clinton township and they moved to Odebolt in 1893 and lived there until they died.
Before her marriage she was the domestic help in the late John Fuchs home. There was much work with this large family and several hired hands to help with farm work. All the baking was done in the home and she also churned butter, washed, ironed, cleaned house, canned vegetables and fruits, knit and pieced quilts during the evening. She would arise at 6:00 a.m., and retire at 10:00 p.m. She received the highest wages of anyone around, two dollars and fifty cents per week.
After their marriage their children would deliver milk and cream to customers around town, the parents having bought cows to have milk for their family.
The Freese family were musically inclined and had a small orchestra. Mr. Freese owned two dulcimers. One he purchased and one he made. He would occasionally play them for public entertainment.
Children born to Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Freese: Drucilla (Mrs. Edgar Henry Reuber); Ann; Irene (Mrs. Paul Gronemeyer); Otto, married Florence Frey; Hazel (Mrs. Ray Hammond); Leslie, married Lora Mae Ritter; and Genevieve (Mrs. Harry Godberson).
(Source: “As Time Goes By”, Odebolt, Iowa 1877-1977,
printed by The Odebolt Chronicle May, 1977)
John Fuchs was born in 1858 in Germany, son of Henry and Martha Fuchs, who came to America in 1867 and settled in Lee County, Illinois. In 1879 the family moved to Dallas County, Iowa where the father died in 1905; the mother died in 1904.
In 1877 John came to Sac County. For two years he worked on farms for twenty dollars a month. In 1879 he rented land and began farming. He made his first purchase of land for seven dollars an acre in Richland township and sold same six months later for twelve dollars an acre. He then bought one hundred sixty acres in Clinton township.
Mr. Fuchs was twice married; first wife was Katherine Reinhart, who died in 1901 and was mother of Lenore (Mrs. Hein); Ozro: Lucillia (Mrs. Mehlebrech); Iva; Warren; and Vern.
In 1907 Mr. Fuchs married Lizzie Pfeiffer. They were parents of Rufus; Wayne; Martha (Mrs. Herrig-Kopp); Amber (Mrs. Melvin Snyder); Elenore (Mrs. Ivan Pruss); Florence (Mrs. Vincent Kelly); and Betty (Mrs. Lyle Wohllever).
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