History of Plymouth County, Iowa
Indianapolis, Ind.: B. F. Bowen, 1917
A
Fred Ahrendt
The Germans as a race are noted for their industry and
frugality, and it is a well-known fact that wherever these people have settled in the
United States there has sprung up a prosperous and successful community. Among the
number of those who were born in the fatherland and came to Plymouth county, is Fred
Ahrendt, who was born in Mecklenburg Schweiren, on March 31, 1859, and is the son of Fred
and Sophia Ahrendt. The parents were also natives of that country and were there
educated in the public schools, and there the father died. They were the parents of
the following children: Masie, Fred, Recka and Carl. The father was a
substantial farmer and the owner of forty acres of land. Mr. and Mrs. Ahrendt were
active members of the German Lutheran church and were well and favorably known in the
community in which they lived. Masie is the wife of August Muecke and Recka married
Herman Muecke.
Fred Ahrendt, the subject of this sketch, received his
education in the public schools of his native land. After completing his education,
he came to the United States with his mother, following the death of her husband. On
their arrival in Le Mars, Plymouth county, Fred Ahrendt engaged as a farm hand at fifteen
dollars per month and thus worked the first year. After being employed on the farm
for four years, he purchased eighty acres in Grant township, for which he paid eight
dollars per acre. He improved the place and broke the tough prairie sod and engaged
in general farming for four years, when he sold the place and purchased two hundred acres
of land in the township where he now lives. This place he has also improved, having
spent several thousand dollars in good buildings and today has one of the ideal farm homes
in the county. He engaged in general farming and stock raising in which he has been
successful and is now the owner of four hundred and twenty acres of the best land, all of
which is under cultivation and well improved. He keeps a fine lot of
high-grade stock and is recognized as one of the well-to-do farmers and stockmen of the
community. He still lives on the place, but in 1903 he retired from the active
operation of the farm and lets others do the greater part of the work.
In 1893 Fred Ahrendt was united in marriage to Gesche
Cramer, the daughter of B. Cramer and wife, and to this union the following children have
been born: Amanda, Emil, Fred, Henry, Masie, Ricka, Carl and Bernhardt, all of whom
are at home with the parents. Mr. and Mrs. Ahrendt are prominent members of the
German Lutheran church: for a number of years Mr. Ahrendt has served as a trustee of the
school district."
H. C. Anderson, a native of Denmark, and now a successful farmer of Fredonia
township, Plymouth county, is the son of Christ Anderson and wife, both of whom
were natives of Denmark and there lived their lives. The father was a farmer
until the time of his death some years ago. Of the eleven children in the
family, H. C. and his brother, J. C., are the only ones that left their native
land and came to America. H. C. Anderson received his education in the public
schools and grew to manhood in the land of his nativity, where he resided until
1894, when he decided to come to the United States. On his arrival in this
country, he came direct to Iowa and located in Plymouth county, working in
Remsen township, as a farm hand for two years. He then rented a farm for seven
years and engaged in general farming for himself. At the end of that time, he
purchased the old Varnem homestead, of eighty acres, to which he later added
eighty acres.
In 1898 H. C. Anderson, was united in marriage to Lena Miller, the daughter
of Nels and Christina (Nelson) Miller. Mr. and Mrs. Miller were natives of
Denmark. They later came to the United States and located near Madison,
Wisconsin, where Mr. Miller engaged in farming for several years. They then came
to Plymouth county, having made the trip from Wisconsin, with a team of oxen and
a wagon, there being no railroads in this section of the country at that time.
On his arrival in the county, Mr. Miller purchased a homestead right to eighty
acres of land, seven miles east of Le Mars, having given a heifer for the land.
He later pre-emted another eighty acres of land, which he developed and
improved, and here he engaged in general farming and stock raising until the
time of his death in 1912; Mrs. Miller died in 1908. They were the parents of
the following children: Marie, Christina, Nels, Lena, Anna, Mary and Carrie.
Nels lives at Le Mars; Lena is the wife of the subject of this sketch; Anna is
single and a missionary in India, and Mary and Carrie are now deceased. Mr. and
Mrs. Miller were prominent in the social and the religious life of the community
and were highly respected people.
H. C. Anderson and wife are the parents of two children, Eva and Irene. Mr.
and Mrs. Anderson are active members of the Danish Lutheran church of Fredonia
township, and are prominent in all church work. Mr. Anderson has been secretary
of the local society, since it was first organized. For the past three years he
has been president of the school board, and has always been interested in the
success of the schools. Mr. Anderson is one of the active members of the
Fredonia Grange and takes much interest in the work of that organization. He is
independent in politics, but has always taken a keen interest in local affairs
and has had much to do with the civic life of the township and the county, where
he is regarded as one of the substantial citizens.
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