Henry Moeller

As printed in 1910

HENRY MOELLER.

Henry Moeller is one of the most prominent and wealthy of the many successful agriculturists of Cleona township, although he has now forsaken the active work of the farm, to which he devoted himself with such energy for so many years and now makes his home in the village of Walcott. He was born in the province of Mecklenburg, Germany, September 17, 1848. His parents.

John and Caroline Moeller, were also natives of the fatherland and came to the United States in 1854. Immediately after their arrival in this country they came to Scott county, Iowa, locating in Blue Grass township, where Mrs. Moeller died. She was not able to withstand the hardships of travel in those early days when there was nothing to shorten the tiresome journey across the ocean, and the means of crossing the mountains and prairies were most primitive. Mr. Moeller himself did not live to see the great change which transformed the character of this county for he passed away seven years after his advent here. Only two sons were born to him and his wife — Henry, the subject of this review; and Charles, a resident of Shelby, Iowa.

Henry Moeller, when being deprived of his father's guidance in his youth, found employment and a home upon his uncle's farm, where he remained until he reached man's estate,,and, having married, was filled with the natural desire to make a home of his own. Accordingly he bought a large tract of land in Cleona township, to whose cultivation he devoted himself assiduously until May 22, 1906, when he felt that a large income, the generous return of his years of labor, entitled him to the respite from toil he desired and he took up his residence in Walcott. He had previously built a fine residence, whose many modern conveniences indicate the progressive spirit which was as potent a factor in his success as the industry and frugality. In addition to operating his own place, Mr. Moeller improved and cultivated a fine tract of one hundred and thirty-four acres belonging to his wife and another of sixty acres owned by his mother-in-law.

On the 6th of February, 1875, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Moeller and Miss Caroline Feuerbach, who was born in Cleona township, this county,' April 14, 1858, and is a daughter of John and Mary Elizabeth (Dietz) Feuerbach. Her father was a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, where his birth occurred May 20, 1817, and he came to the United States in 1853. He was accompanied by his sister Lizzie, who later became the wife of Jacob Adomey and was the only other member of his family to come to America. She like her husband has now passed away. Mr. Feuerbach had learned the trade of a carpenter in the land of his birth, but after coming to this country worked in the mines of Pennsylvania while that state was his home, and when he took up his residence in Scott county, Iowa, devoted himself exclusively to agricultural pursuits. He first bought forty-eight acres of land in Cleona township, to which he added extensively in the course of years until at the time of his death he owned five hundred acres. This is now in the possession of his widow and part of it is operated by his son Henry. In Pennsylvania, July 11, 1853, Mr. Feuerbach was united in marriage to Miss Mary Elizabeth Dietz, who was also born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, December 18, 1832. In 1853 she came to America with her parents, John and Marie Elizabeth (Mock) Dietz, who settled in the Keystone state and latter came to Scott county, where they passed the remainder of their lives. Caroline, who is the wife of Mr. Moeller, and Henry, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work, were the children granted to Mr. and Mrs. Feuerbach.

Mr. and Mrs. Moeller have seven children, namely: Willie, who resides upon his father's farm; Bertha, who is the wife of John Hein, of Cleona township;

Amelia, the wife of Louis Gibson, of Blue Grass township; Theresa, who married Julius Hein, a brother of John Hein, and a resident of Cleona township; Elizabeth, the wife of Adolph Rodgens, of Cleona township; Ella, who married George Reisen, of Fulton township, Muscatine county, Iowa; and Ferdinand, who lives with his brother Willie on the home farm.

Mr. Moeller is one of the most substantial representatives of the German race who have come to this country, and through the strong traits of their character have raised the standard of citizenship here, while at the same time they have contributed to the sum total of the prosperity which distinguishes this county and state.

As printed in History of Davenport and Scott County Iowa : Illustrated (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.