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History of Clayton County,
Iowa:... F Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton. Benjamin Frieden
has been a resident of Clayton county from the time of his nativity and is the
owner of one of the large and splendidly improved landed estates of the county,
the same being situated in Marion and Highland township and including the old
homestead farm on which he was born, the date of his nativity having been
January 14, 1836. He is a son of Benedict and Anna (Baumgartner) Frieden, both
of whom were born in the fine little republic of Switzerland, whose "mountains still are free and keep the bon of liberty." Benedict
Frieden was a young man at the time of his immigration to America, and after
residing for a time in Ohio he came to Iowa and numbered himself among the
enterprising farmers of Marion township, where he eventually accumulated and
brought under successful cultivation a large landed property. Here he continued
his residence, as one of the sterling and honored citizens of the county, until
his death, which occurred when he was sixty-six years of age. The wife of his
youth passed to eternal rest when their son Benjamin, of this review, was a
child of three years. They became the parents of nine children: Frederick is now
engaged in farming in the state of Missouri; John is a resident of Oklahoma;
Samuel is deceased; Frank resides in Oklahoma; Eliza is deceased, as are also
Mary Ann and Joseph; the subject of this sketch was the eighth child; and the
youngest, Annie, is the wife of Joseph Sneider, of West Bend, Palo alto county,
this state. For his second wife the father wedded Mechlin Garber, who survives
him, and they became the parents of two children - rose, who died in childhood,
and Selma, who is the wife of Tim Thomann, of Elgin, this county. Benjamin
Frieden was reared to the sturdy discipline of the home farm and is the
meanwhile he made good use of the advantages afforded in the public schools of
his native township. He continued his active association with the work of the
home farm until the death of his honored father, shortly after which he
purchased the interests of the other heirs and became the owner of the well
improved property, which comprised three hundred acres, in Marion township.
Material evidence of his success and progressiveness is given in his ownership
at the present time of a fine estate of nearly seven hundred acres, and he is
known as one of the enterprising and representative agriculturists and stock-
growers of his native county. The attractive family home, in Marion township, is
on the homestead which was Mr. Frieden's birthplace, and it is modern in its
facilities and appointments, as are also the other excellent and substantial
buildings on the large domain owned by Mr. Frieden. He is aligned as a staunch
supporter of the cause of the Democratic party, and he has served as township
trustee and as president of the school board of his district. Both he and his
wife are communicants of the Apostolic Lutheran church. April 9, 1887, recorded
the marriage of Mr. Frieden to Miss Leah Sneider, and she passed to the life
eternal on the 29th of January, 1905. Of this union were born eight children:
Celia is the wife of Daniel Butikofer, of Marion township; William is engaged in
farming in Highland township; Ida is the wife of Samuel Butikofer, of Fayette
county; Esther is the wife of Emil Moor and they reside in Iowa; Levi and Bertha
remain at the paternal home; Emil is identified with agricultural pursuits in
Highland township; and Louisa died in early childhood. For his second wife Mr.
Frieden chose Mrs. Rachel (Sneider) Sutler, a sister of his first wife. The
parents, Joseph and Mary Pfarrer Sneider, were born and reared in Switzerland
and became early settlers of Clayton county, where the father became a
prosperous farmer and where his death occurred on the 7th of May, 1914. Mrs.
Sneider survives her husband and still maintains her home in this county. At the
time of her marriage to the subject of this review, Mrs. Frieden was the widow
of Frederick Sutler, of Marion township, and of the children of her first
marriage Joseph and Frederick are deceased; Lucy is the wife of John Butikofer,
of Marion township; Daniel is a substantial farmer in that township; Marie is
the wife of Elmer Bluiner and they are now residing in the state of Illinois;
and William and Eli remain in Marion township. Of the second marriage no
children have been born. |