The Lenth Families of Clayton County, Iowa

John P. Lenth is another popular representative of that fine German element of citizenship that has been prominently and worthily concerned with the civic and industrial development and upbuilding of Clayton county, where he is a schon of the second generation of an honored pioneer family that was here founded fully seventy years ago. He is now one of the representative farmers of Farmersburg township and is a native son of Clayton county who is specially entitled to recognition in this history. Mr. Lenth was born in Garnavillo township, this county, on the 11th of November, 1860, and his parents, John and Annie Lenth, were both born and reared in Germany, though their marriage was solemnized after they had become residents of the United States. John Lenth was born and reared in Mechlenburg, Germany, whence he immigated to America about the year 1845. Soon after his arrival in the land of his adoption he came to Clayton county and established his residence in Garnavillo township. For several years he was employed as a farm hand and finally he purchased a farm near St. Olaf, in Farmersburg township, where he achieved substantial success through his earnest and energetic operations as an agriculturist and where both he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives, secure in the esteem of all who knew them and both were devout communicants of the Lutheran church. Of the five surviving children the subject of this review is the eldest; Joseph W., Frank and August are prosperous farmers of Monona township, and Herman has similar precedence in Farmersburg township. John P. Lenth was reared on his father's farm and gained his early education in the schools of Farmersburg township. His independent career was initiated by his ending employment at farm work, and his ambition led him to make good use of his opportunities and the rewards of his labors. In 1886, as a young man of twenty-five years, he purchased one hundred and seventy-one acres of land in Farmersburg township, and to the same he later added an adjoining tract of eighty acres, so that he now has a valuable landed domain of two hundred and fifty-one acres. Within the thirty years of his independent operations as an agriculturist and stock-grower Mr. Lenth has been indefatigable in his industry, circumspect and progressive in his policies, and has gained prestige as one of the prosperous and enterprising farmers and public-spirited citizens of his native county. He is a stockholder and director of the Luana Savings Bank, is a staunch supporter of the cause of the Democratic party, has served effectively in the office of township trustee and as a member of the school board, and both he and his wife are zealous communicants of the Lutheran church at Luana, which is their postoffice address. On the lath of December, 1887, was solemnized the marriage of Mr, Lenth to Miss Dora Harnack, who was born in Garnavillo township, this county, on the 31st of October, 1862, a daughter of Joseph and Dora (Hahn) Harnack, who were born and reared in Mecklenburg, Germany, and who became residents of Clayton county, Iowa, about the year 1855. The father became one of the substantial pioneer farmers of the county and was a resident on his farm in Garnavillo township until the time of his death, his widow being now a resident of the village of Monona. Mr. and Mrs. Lenth have a fine family of eleven children: Ella is the wife of Benjamin Jarms, of Monona township, and they have two children, Edna and Myron; Hilda is the wife of Hubert Miller, of Monona township, and they have one child, Helen; Gustav is a successful farmer in Wagner township, is married and has one son, Harvey; John A. is identified with agricultural pursuits in Wagner township, and the other children remain at the parental home, namely, Wilber, Elmer, Ernest, Hubert, Louis, Esther and Nora.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

John Lenth has maintained his residence in Clayton county for nearly half a century, has been an energetic, discriminating and successful exponent of agricultural industry and still gives his personal supervision to the operations of his fine homestead farm in Farmersburg township, where his sterling integrity and his worthy achievement have marked him as fully entitled to the esteem in which he is uniformly held. Mr. Lenth was born in Mecklenberg, Germany, on the 27th of May, 1851, and is a son of Christian and Mary Lenth, who there passed their entire lives and of whose twelve children eight are still living. He whose name introduces this review was reared in his native land, where his early educational advantages were those offered in the excellent national schools, and in November, 1869, when eighteen years of age, he severed the ties that bound him to home and fatherland and set forth to seek his fortunes in the United States. Within a short time after his arrival in the land of his adoption he came to Clayton county and obtained work on a farm in Farmersburg township. Industrial and frugal, he carefully saved his earnings and pressed forward to the goal of independence and successful individual accomplishment. The years have brought to him gracious rewards, and he has long been known as one of the substantial farmers of Farmersburg township. He made improvements on the farm which he purchased in his youth and there continued operations until 1903, when he sold the old homestead to his son, Alfred F., and purchased his present fine landed estate, which comprises two hundred and forty-two and one-half acres, of which forty acres are timbered land, his place being under a high state of cultivation, being eligibly situated in Section 3, Farmersburg township, and being one of the model farms of the county, with thrift and prosperity in evidence on every hand. Mr. Lenth has shown his sense of stewardship by the hearty interest he has taken in all things pertaining to the communal welfare and while never a seeker of official preferment, he is now giving most efficient and loyal service as treasurer of his school district. Both he and his wife are earnest communicants of the Lutheran church, in the faith of which they were reared. On October 6th in the year 1882 Mr. Lenth married Miss Lena Rohde, who likewise was born in Germany, one of the seven children of Christian and Minnie (Lehmenn) Rohde, who came to the United States in 1874 and established their home in Clayton county, where they passed the remainder of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Lenth became the parents of seven children, all of whom are living except one: Alfred F. and Arnold are successful farmers of the younger generation in their native county; Elmer J. is associated with his father in the operations of the home farm; Hilma and Olga E. likewise remain at the parental home; Leona E. died at the age of about seventeen years; and Clara M. is a student in the college of Waverly, Bremer county, at the time of this writing, in 1916.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

Albert Lenth is another well known and popular representative of that sterling German contingent of citizenship which has wielded potent influence in the social and material development and upbuilding of Clayton county, and he is one of the substantial farmers of Farmersburg township, where he is the owner of a well-improved homestead place of one hundred and thirty-one acres and where, in connection with general agricultural enterprise, he has given special attention to and been successful in the raising of the fine Red Polled cattle. Mr. Lenth was born on the farm of his father in Farmersburg township, this county, and the date of his nativity was August 22, 1870. He is a son of Carl and Dorothea (Schmalfeld) Lenth, both of whom were born and reared in Germany, whence they came to America and established their home in Clayton county in the early pioneer days. Here the father long held precedence as an energetic, enterprising and successful farmer, with impregnable standing as a loyal and honored citizen, and he continued to reside on his old homestead farm until his death, which occurred in December, 1915. He was a zealous communicant of the Lutheran church, as is also his widow, who still remains on the old home place, and of their twelve children seven

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GEOEGE J. LENTH survive the honored father. Albert Lenth found the period of his childhood and youth compassed by the conditions and influence of the home farm and early began to contribute his quota to its work, the while he made good use of the advantages afforded in the public schools. He continued to be associated in the management of his father's farm until he had attained to the age of twenty years, when he purchased his present farm, in Section 19, Farmersburg township, where he has since continued his well-ordered operations as an agriculturist and stock-grower, of which important lines of industrial enterprise he is one of the representative exponents in his native county. He is a stockholder of the Farmers' Bank at St. Olaf, is a Democrat in his political allegiance and served four years as school director of his district, this being the only public office for which he has consented to become a candidate. With the effective co-operation of his wife, who has proved a true helpmeet, he has achieved success and independence, and to the gaining of this end they have put forth their best efforts with thorough harmony of motive and action. Both are communicants of the Lutheran church at Farmersburg and in their native county their circle of friends is limited only by that of their acquaintances. In the year 1896 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Lenth to Miss Louise Gottschalk, who was born and reared in Reed township, this county, her parents being sterling pioneer citizens of that township, where they still reside on their old homestead farm. Mrs. Lenth is a daughter of William and Wilhelmina (Crepeline) Gottschalk, both of whom were born and reared in Germany, their home having been established in Clayton county within a short time after their immigration to the United States. Mr. and Mrs. Lenth have ten children, namely: Wesley, Harold, Mabel, Milton, Leona, Roy, Lucy, Aaron, Alva, and Rosina.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

George Lenth, a successful and prominent business man of Elkader, Iowa, was born March 17, 1875. He is of German parentage, his father, Joachim, having been born in Mecklenburg, Germany, and the mother was a native of the historic Rhine region. Joachim Lenth was a prosperous farmer of Clayton county, who died July 3, 1913, but his wife still lives and conducts the home farm. To their union were born eight children: Bertha, who is the wife of W. M. Grube, of South Dakota; Emma, married to J. K. Rupp, and living in Monona, Iowa; William C., of Evanston, Illinois; Charles, died in India as missionary; Henry F., who is a farmer at Riceville, Iowa; George, with whom this sketch is concerned; Louis C, who is a feed merchant in Elkader; and Ella, who is the wife of Charles Harbrichter, of Monona, Iowa. George Lenth remained on the home farm until he was twenty-one years of age, then started out to make his own way in the world by first working on neighboring farms for a period of three years, after which he gave up agricultural pursuits and started upon his busy and varied career as a business man by entering the employ of a livery firm for one year, then buying a half interest in the firm. Continuing in this occupation a term of three years, having enlarged it by the purchase of a dray and bus line and by the addition of a coal and fuel business, he finally disposed of his interests in everything except the coal and ice business. In 1913 he widened his field of activities by opening a music store, the only one of its kind ii Elkader. This business has grown so rapidly and to such large proportions that in 1915 he disposed of his ice, feed and coal interests in order to devote his time entirely to his music business. To the latter he added the sale of Edison Diamond Disc phonographs, of which in less than two years he sold a car load. On November 15, 1897, he married Ella Schock, a native of Elkader, and they have one child, Lawrence, born in July 1904. Mr. Lenth's great and absorbing business affairs have precluded any active participation in political work, but he is a loyal member of the Republican party. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity and to the Order of Eastern Star, and is affiliated with the Congregational church.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.