Henry K. Oppermann Henry K. Oppermann, one of the representative farmers of Cass township, has been a resident of Clayton county since his boyhood days and is a member of a family that here settled nearly half a century ago. He was born near Darlington, Wisconsin, on the 23d of September, 1859, and is a son of Christian and Minnie (Props) Oppermann, who immigrated from Germany and became pioneer settlers in Wisconsin, where they remained until 1867, when they came to Clayton county, Iowa, and established their home on a pioneer farm in Cass township, where they passed the remainder of their earnest and worthy lives. They became the parents of eight children, of whom five are living, and they were zealous communicants of the Lutheran church, in the faith of whom they carefully reared their children. He to whom this sketch is dedicated was a lad of about eight years at the time of the family removal from Wisconsin to Clayton county, and here he was reared to manhood on the old home farm; the while he profited by the advantages afforded in the common schools of the locality. He remained at the parental home until he had arrived at his legal majority and then began his independent career as a farmer on rented land. He continued his operations under these conditions about eight years and then purchased the fine homestead farm upon which he now resides, the same comprising one hundred and forty acres of fertile land, in Sections 4 and 9, Cass township. Much of the land was reclaimed personally by the present owner and the substantial and attractive farm buildings were erected by him, all things about the attractive rural domain giving evidence of thrift and prosperity. After living on the farm about nine years Mr. Oppermann and his wife removed to the village of Strawberry Point, where he engaged in teaming and where he remained about fourteen years. He then returned to his farm, to the active management of which he has sonce continued to give his attention. His political allegiance is given to the Democratic party and he and his wife are members of the Lutheran church at Strawberry Point, from which village they have service on rural mail route No. 3. In 1883 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Opperman to Miss Mary Griesinger, who was born in Germany, and who came to America when a girl. Mr. and Mrs. Oppermann became the parents of five children: Anna, Katie, Irwin, Gottlieb and Edgar, and all are deceased except Edgar, who remains at the parental home and is his father's valued associate in the work and management of the farm. source: History of Clayton County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical Times Down to the Present; by Realto E. Price, Vol. II; pg 311-312 |