The Harris Centennial
Harris --The past 100 Years
"D" Biographies
Dass, Davis, DeLint, Donnenwerth &
Dopp
Dass, Ernest and Family
Ernest was born at
Hinter, Pommer, Germany. Caroline Ernestine Wilhelmina
Lange was born at Suckon, Germany. Ernest spent the first
25 years of his life in Germany, while Caroline (nickname
in America-Lena) came to Eldora, Iowa, at the age of ten.
At the age of 20 she married Ernest and spent the next
nine years of wedded life at Hubbard, Iowa. In 1902, they
moved to May City, and later made their home on the farm
near Harris. In 1928, Ernest and Caroline retired and
moved to Harris. Ernest was in failing health a number of
years and died in 1929, at age 63. Caroline died in 1944,
at the age of 71.
Ernest and Caroline Dass were the parents of twelve
children: Anna, Mrs. Herman Claus; Mrs. George Sixta (at
Lake Park Care Center); Ella, Mrs. Bill Willits; Hanna,
died as a young girl; Bertha, Mrs. Jim Heppler; Minnie,
Mrs. Roy Stroud; Marie, Mrs. Saenke Petersen; Elsie, Mrs.
Duane Wells; Herman; Frank, living in Fulda; and Art.
Martha and Frank are still living.
Davis, Daniel and Margaret
Daniel Davis and
Margaret Lindley were married February 16, 1924. They
farmed six years near Paris, Illinois. They came to
Harris in 1930, and farmed south of Harris. Daniel passed
away May 9, 1940.
Margaret now lives in Harris. She is 96 years old, is in
good health and still takes care of her own home.
Margaret has been a member of the Harris United Methodist
Church for 58 years.
They were blessed with eight children.
William graduated from Harris Consolidated School and
lives south of Harris.
Burton Dale joined the navy when he was seventeen.
Doris (Rubsam) graduated from Harris High School, went to
college at Storm Lake, and graduated from Morningside.
She has been a teacher and is still teaching at Brewster,
Minnesota.
James joined the air force when he was seventeen. He was
a farmer and then operated a radio and TV shop until his
retirement. He lives in Mason City.
Dorothy died September 7, 1948.
Daniel Jr. joined the air force and finished his high
school while in the service. He had a radio and TV shop
and lives at Garner, Iowa.
Mary (Michalica) graduated from Harris Consolidated
School. She married Gary Arp who is a Lutheran Pastor at
Waverly, Iowa.
Davis, Clarence and family
Clarence
Davis married Opal (Cunningham) on March 31, 1917. They
moved from southern Illinois to the Harris vicinity in
1931. In 1933, they moved to a farm east of Harris.
Later, in 1950, they moved to the farm one mile south of
Harris.
Clarence and Opal were actively engaged in farming until
their retirement in 1962. They did, however, remain on
the farm until their deaths. Clarence passed away in
1978, and Opal in 1986.
Clarence and Opal had five children.
Glen and his wife, Donna, now make their home in
Fairfield, Washington. They work in a camping resort in
Winthrop, Washington.
Chet is a minister in Toledo, Iowa, where he and his
wife, Helen, reside.
Donna now lives in Gowrie, Iowa; however, since her
husband Darrell’s retirement from the teaching
profession in 1988, they have also established a
residence in Florida.
June, along with her husband, Dalbert, are employed as
teachers at the Prairie Community School District of
Gowrie, Iowa.
Bob is a minister in Shenandoah, Iowa, where he and his
wife, Kathy, now reside.
Delint, Henry and Helen Family
Henry
and Helen DeLint and daughters, June and Beverly, moved
to the Harris area in the spring of 1932, after
purchasing a quarter section farm northwest of Harris.
This farm had several previous owners, originally having
been purchased from the United States Government in 1884.
Henry DeLint was born and raised in Orange City, Iowa.
Helen Aiken DeLint was born in Primghar, Iowa, and grew
up in that area.
They were married November 5, 1921, in Sioux City, and
made their first home in Sanborn, where Henry operated a
drayline service. They began farming near Primghar and
later farmed near Hartley. Two daughters were born during
those years, June in 1923, and Beverly in 1929.
Their last move was to the Harris farm, where they lived
until Henry’s death in 1969. Henry loved farming—it
was his work and his recreation. Following his death,
Helen purchased a home in Harris, and lived their until
1984, when she moved into the Lake Park Care Center.
Helen passed away in August, 1984,
Their children are: June, Mrs. Richard Mickelson, who
resides in Bellflower, California, and has two children,
Henry Prosser, Buena Park, California; and Helen Prosser
Heyl, Bellflower, California.
Beverly married Russel Stahly, and they now live in Lake
Park, Iowa. They have three children: Sheri, Mrs. Paul
Donnenworth, Spirit Lake, Iowa; Michael, Lake Park, Iowa;
Susan, Mrs. Christopher McRae, Bozeman, Montana.
Beverly and Russell now own and operate the DeLint farm.
Donnenwerth, John and Nancy Family
John
Donnenwerth and Nancy Mac Donald were married at
Williamsburg, Ontario, Canada. John’s ancestors came
to Canada from Muehlhausen, Alsac Lorraine, then a French
province. Nancy Mac Donald’s ancestors were from
Scotland. She was a school teacher.
John, Nancy and son Harvey came to Iowa in March of 1890,
by rail to Sheldon. They were met by a Mennonite family
of Business Corner—who brought them and their
belongings to the farm they had purchased located one
mile north and ½ mile east of Business Corner.
The Donnenwerths lived the first summer with a Mennonite
family while their house was being built. The house,
remodeled, and the barn still remains and is owned by
grandson Lyle Donnenwerth and farmed by great grandson,
Michael Donnenwerth.
The farm has been in possession of Donnenwerths from
1890, except for a ten year period in the 1920’s,
when it was sold to Edwin Groff.
John Donnenwerth died in 1905, at age 57. Nancy and her
family continued to operate the farm until 1910. 1910 to
1918, the farm was operated by Harvey Donnenwerth. Nancy
and three of the family, Priscilla, Clarence and Vernon
moved to Business Corner and later to Hartley. Nancy
passed away in her Hartley home May 4, 1939.
Family: Harvey (1886), Priscilla (Sittler) (1891),
Clarence (1896), Vernon (1898).
Donnenwerth, Harvey and Family
Harvey
Donnenwerth and Kathryn (Katie) Schafer were married in
the home of the bride’s parents. Mr. and Mrs. Daniel
Schafer of May City, February 2, 1910. They were born in
Canada, and came to the area in 1890, with their parents.
Harvey and Katie lived on his mother’s (Mrs. John
Donnenwerth) farm one mile north and ½ east of Business
Corner and farmed there until they purchased and moved to
a farm in Allison Township two miles east and one and ½
miles north of Business Corner. They built a new home in
1918, and lived there until they retired in 1957, and
moved to May City.
They were always active in community and church
activities. They enjoyed sports, fishing, hunting,
bowling and ball games.
In 1939, they became members of St. John’s Lutheran
Church in May City.
They celebrated their 60th anniversary in February of
1970.
Harvey passed away February 6, 1971, and Katie passed
away December 6, 1984. They were the last of the Schafer
and Donnenwerths who came to the May City area in 1890.
Children: Vera (Mrs. Irvin Bergman), Harris; Lyle
Donnenwerth, May City; and Wilbur Donnenwerth, Lake Park.
Dopp, Lewis Family
 Lewis Walter Dopp as a young man |
 Cornelia Helm Dopp, age 71 |
Lewis Walter Dopp was born October 6, 1866, in
Janesville, Wisconsin. Cornelia (Cora) Elizabeth Helm was
born March 10, 1870, at Humbolt, Iowa.
Lewis W. Dopp and Cornelia Helm were married November 10,
1887 at Ashton, Iowa. Twelve children were born to them.
They lived south of Harris for many years.
In 1910, Lewis was a candidate for state representative
on the democratic ticket. He was taken ill about a week
before election and died a victim of typhoid fever—December
10, 1910, at age 44.
Cornelia was left a widow at 40 and raised her family—all
12 of them—at her farm home. She moved from Harris
to Superior, Iowa from where she continued farming until
1927. After 1930, she made her home with her different
children. She passed away February 11, 1960, at the Ver
Doorn Rest Home in Ashton.
The children of Lewis and Cora Dopp were: Edna, George,
Sue (Susie), Frank, Claude, Goldie, William, Lewis,
Theodore, Leon, Dorothy, Lloyd. Five of the children
lived in the Harris area after marrying Harris area
residents.
All of the Dopps are deceased except Lewis who lives at
Petersburg, Minnesota, and Claude who lives in Zimmerman,
Minnesota.