(Source: “As Time Goes By”, Odebolt, Iowa 1877-1977,
printed by The Odebolt Chronicle May, 1977)
The Mandernach farm located northwest of Odebolt was purchased by John Mandernach, Sr. in 1875 for five dollars an acre from Sol Kuh. Sol Kuh had purchased the land from the State of Iowa in 1868 for two dollars and fifty cents an acre.
John Mandernach, Sr. was born in 1818 in Prussia, German Empire and died June 22, 1906 in Odebolt. He married Albertina Saak, born January 13, 1827 in Germany and died April 9, 1905 in Odebolt.
John and Albertina came to America and settled in Hanover Township, Lake County, Indiana, sometime prior to 1852.
In 1875 John Sr. came to Richland township, Sac County and purchased land, then returned to Indiana and in February 1876 John Mandernach, Jr. with his wife Mary (Wagner) and Herman Raasch with his wife Caroline (Mandernach), daughter of John Sr., came to Richland Township to farm the land. The house (not used as a home anymore), is still on the farm where they lived, being a two story house divided by a central stairway for two family use.
John and Mary's first two children Flora and George were born in this house, and for many years Flora and her husband John Kessler owned that part of the original farm which they sold to Donald Mandernach, where Dennis now lives[1977].
Mr. and Mrs. John Mandernach, Sr. were parents of John, Jr.; Caroline (Mrs. Herman Raasch); Flora (Mrs. Gottlieb Nitsche); Frederick; Henry; Louisa (Mrs. Charles Sauter); Hattie (Mrs. Simon Saunderman); and William.
Mr. and Mrs. John Mandernach, Sr. returned to Iowa in 1894 and passed their last years (on the farm where Donald now lives) in their son William's home.
William Mandernach, born March 19, 1863 at Cedar Lake, Indiana, died March 6, 1911. In 1887 he married Mary Sauter, born 1864 and died February 9, 1951 They came to Odebolt by covered wagon in 1889. At that time they had one child, Clara (Mrs. John McLean). After coming to Odebolt they had one more child, Edward. William and Mary lived in the house, which is still part of the house, where Donald and Myrtle live.
Edward Mandernach, born in 1892, married in 1915 to Minnie Johnson, daughter of Charles and Christina (Carlson) Johnson, born 1892 and died 1956.
[Information on more recent generations has been removed.]
(Click photo for enlargement)
Back Row: Earn, Flora, Bert, George, Nora
Front row: Josie, John Jr., Earl, Mable and (Mary) Mrs. John Mandernach, Jr.
(Transcribed by Kim Tholl, Dec.2002. Photos scanned by B. Horak))