Marshall County >> 1912 Index

Past and Present of Marshall County, Iowa
by Judge William Battin. 2 vols. Indianapolis, Ind.: B. F. Bowen, 1912.

D

C. B. Dannen submitted by Dick Barton

There is no question but that Marshall county, as well as many another section of the United States, would not have been so highly developed and so far advanced in the scale of civilization had it not been for the large number of progressive German citizens who have come within our borders and while advancing their individual interests have benefited the country in general in such a manner as to quickly bring us to the forefront of the nations of the earth; thus for this unprecedented stride in civilization we have the great German empire to thank. Of this worthy class, the name of C. B. Dannen, of the vicinity of Melbourne, should be mentioned. He was born in Hanover, July 16, 1850, and in 1865, when fifteen years old, he came to America with his parents, the family coming westward and settling in Ogle county, Illinois, where they remained until 1877, in which year they moved to Marshall county, Iowa, where they have since remained, becoming well known and well established in the southern part of the county. The father of the subject, Benjamin Dannen, was born in Hanover, Germany, and he died at Castle Garden, New York, immediately after his arrival in this country. He married Heike Berend, also a native of Hanover, Germany, and she died in Marshall county, Iowa, in July, 1895. Their other son, George B. Dannen, was also born in Hanover, Germany, May 5, 1842. He did not come to America until the year following the arrival of the other members of the family. In the spring of 1911 he moved to near Shedd, Oregon, where he is making his home.

C. B. Dannen was married on February 28, 1873, to Lena H. VanHove, who was born in Hanover, Germany, August 11, 1850. Her parents, George H. and Catherine (VanHorn) VanHove, were born in Ost Friesland, the father in 1815 and the mother in 1818, the former dying in Marshalltown, Iowa, in 1890 and the latter in the same place on April 14, 1878. There were three daughters and two sons in their family, namely: Johanna Cilm, born in April, 1842, died in Marshall county, Illinois, in 1881; Garadina, born July 15, 1845, died in 1898; Lena H., wife of Mr. Dannen of this review; John died at the age of four years; John, the second, was born in October, 1860, is residing at Long Beach, California.

To Mr. and Mrs. Dannen ten children have been born, namely: George H., born May 18, 1874, lives in Washington township, this county; Benjamin W., born December 2, 1875, also lives in Washington township; Hattie C. Miller and Nattie Ceisness (twins), born July 2, 1877; the former resides in Logan township, the latter died February 2, 19906; Roelf, born February 2, 1879, died February 4, 1879; Rufus C., born September 18, 1881, lives in Washington township; Henry L., born September 14, 1883, lives in St. Joseph, Missouri; Ida J. Heishman, born July 31, 1886, lives in Washington township; Cassius C., born May 8, 1888, is living at home; Leona M., born September 17, 1890, also lives at home.  The two oldest children were born in Ogle county, Illinois, the others in Marshall county, Iowa.

This family came to Washington township with very little funds and they started life here on a small scale, but they went to work with a will and would not be downed by obstacles and discouragements, consequently they had a good farm developed and a good home established in due course of time, and today they own one of the model and valuable farms of the county, consisting of four hundred acres, all well improved and under a high state of cultivation, and through their own efforts have secured a competency. Besides carrying on general farming they have one of the best stables of Percheron horses to be found in the state. The famous "Ernest," No. 50901 (64967), is at the head of the stud. Their fine stock have taken a number of diplomas at the county fairs and premiums at the Iowa state fairs. On September 7, 1911, Mr. Dannen returned from a trip to France, bringing with him sixteen fine thoroughbred Percheron horses, which he has added to his stud. Beside the vast acreage in Washington township, they own a beautiful modern home and one acre of valuable ground on South Twelfth avenue, Marshalltown.

Politically, Mr. Dannen is a Democrat and he has been a member of the school board. This family attends the Congregational church at VanCleve. This family stands high in the social life of Marshall county.  

George B. Dannen submitted by Dick Barton

For nearly four decades the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch occupied a prominent and influential position among the agriculturists of Marshall county, Iowa. His business affairs were conducted with a soundness of judgment and a degree of activity that at all times commanded success, so that in his later years he was enabled to retire from active business pursuits. It is a matter of sincere regret that Mr. Dannen has decided to remove to a distant location, and the best wishes of his former acquaintances go with him to his new home in the far west.

George B. Dannen was born in Hanover, Germany, May 5, 1842. In 1866 he came to the United States, his parents and brother having preceded him the year before, he having been detained in the old country to complete his term of service in the German army. Benjamin Dannen, his father, was born in Hanover, and died in Castle Garden, New York, immediately upon his arrival in the New World. His mother, Hattie (Brunz) Dannen, was born in Hanover, and died in Iowa in July, 1895. One brother, C. B. Dannen, born July 16, 1850, resides in Washington township, Marshall county, Iowa.

On March 29, 1870, George B. Dannen was united in marriage with Henrietta Smidt, who was also a native of Germany, having been born in Hanover, September 19, 1845. Her father, Jacob Smidt, was born in Hanover in 1791, and died at Forreston, Illinois, in 1881. Her mother, Fannie (DeGrave) Smidt, was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1805, and died in 1875, at the age of seventy years. Mrs. Dannen had five sisters and two brothers, namely: Hattie M. Ulvers, deceased; Etta Wegens, deceased; Gertie Miller, deceased; Catherine Kilker, deceased; Clara Eikamp, deceased; George Smidt, residing in Sheldon, O'Brien county, Iowa; and Jackson Smidt, residing near Marshalltown.

Mr. and Mrs. Dannen moved to Logan township thirty-seven years ago and have been continuous residents of the township since. A few years ago they left the farm and have been residing in a modern home in Melbourne.  In 1910 they disposed of all their holdings in Marshall county, Iowa, and removed to Shedd, Oregon, where the family now owns a vast acreage.

To Mr. and Mrs. Dannen were born ten children, namely: Benjamin, born January 31, 1871, now residing in Lennox, South Dakota; Jacob, born August 23, 1872, now of Searsboro, Iowa; Cassius, born June 1, 1874, died August 18, 1875; Fannie, born October 12, 1876, died August 12, 1877; Jackson, born January 28, 1879, now of Shedd, Linn county, Oregon; Ralph, born October 17, 1880, also residing in Shedd, Oregon; Frances Minnie, born February 7, 1882, also of Shedd, Oregon; Hattie, born July 4, 1844; George Henry, born October 14, 1887; Clara Etta Catherine, born April 19, 1891,the last three named still living under the parental roof. The three oldest children were born in Illinois, the others in Logan township, this county. This family was one of the early settlers of Marshall county, and also one of the heaviest landholders in the county. On March 1, 1911, they departed for their hew home in Shedd, Oregon.

Ralph Dannen, son of George B. Dannen, was born in Logan township, Marshall county, Iowa, on October 17, 1880. He grew to maturity here and has always been identified with the best interests of the community in which he lived. He has been a successful farmer, and is one of those broad-minded, liberal young men who have seen Marshall county develop and is progressive in all his ideas. On February 24, 1909, he was married to Dorothy Elizabeth Clara Meier, who was born in Jefferson township, Marshall county, Iowa, on August 15, 1885. Her father, Adolph Meier, was born in Germany in 1835,and died in Marshall county, Iowa, in 1905. Her mother, Henrietta (Uerzkfitz) Meier, was born in Germany in 1844, and resides in Logan township, this county. In the Meier family there were four daughters and one son, namely: The eldest daughter died in infancy; Fred B., born January 30, 1873, now living in Jefferson township; Carolina Ramer, born March 5, 1877, also of Logan township; twin daughters, Mary Elizabeth, of Logan township, and Mrs. Ralph Dannen, born August 15, 1885.

To Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Dannen has been born one son, George Adolph Frederick, November 16, 1909. In politics Mr. Dannen is a Republican, although not an office seeker or offensive partisan. In religion, he and his wife are faithful and consistent members of the Evangelical church. In their removal to their western home the community loses an excellent family and enterprising citizen.

William D. Drew

A man who boldly faces the responsibilities of life and by determined and untiring energy carves out for himself an honorable success exerts a powerful influence upon the lives of all with whom he comes into contact.  Such men constitite the foundation of our republican institutions and are the pride of our civilization.

Such a man is William D. Drew, a twentieth-century agriculturist and stock man who has been pleased to spend his life in Liberty township, Marshall county.   However, he was born in Hardin county, Iowa, November 23, 1865.  He is the son of Michael and Margaret (Dugan) Drew, both natives of Ireland, where they spent their childhood, emigrating to America in an early day, the mother about 1848 and the father a short time prior to that time, he locating in Hardin county, Iowa, and the mother stopping in New York.  Thus the name Drew has been familiar in
Hardin county since the pioneer days as well as in Marshall county.  The father farmed in the former until 1865, when he moved to Marshall county, locating on a farm where his son, William D., of this review, now lives.  Here he owned eighty acres which he worked until his death, in 1888.  His family consisted of three children.   He was a member of the Catholic church and a Democrat in politics.

William D. Drew grew up on the home farm and assisted his father with the work on the place when he was a boy, attending the public schools during the winter months in Liberty township.  He took up farming for a livelihood and has always followed this vocation, owning now one of the choice farms of his township, consisting of two hundred acres which he has brought up to a high state of improvement and cultivation and on which stand a good dwelling and substantial outbuildings.  In connection with general farming he has raised various kinds of live stock, feeding, as a rule, large numbers from year to year.  The improvements on his place are of the best.

Mr. Drew was united in marriage in 1894 with Mary E. Flanagan, who was born in New York in 1887.  This union has resulted in the birth of the following children: John, Willie, Bessie, Raymond, Arthur, Marie and Earl.

Mr. Drew was reared in the Catholic faith, from which he has not departed, being a worthy member of the local church.  Politically he is a Democrat in national politics, but is inclined to vote independently in local affairs.  He has served very acceptably in a number of local offices, having been school treasurer since 1888 and township clerk for seven years and township trustee for four years, and in 1910 he was elected township assessor.  He has long been looked upon as a leader in township affairs