Grant and Vivian belong to the Decorah Lutheran Church.

Barth, John and Margaretha (Matter)

(Carol Shipe Volstad)

Margaretha Matter Barth

John Barth was born 3 Jul 1833 near Strasberg, Alsace. France. Ingenheim, Quatzenheim, Reitwiller, Duntzinheim and Kolbsheim have all been suggested as home to the Barths, but since there are many John Barths it makes it very confusing to be sure who John's parents were. Alsace-Lorraine belonged to France before 1681; then it was broken up into small pieces and given to Germany, retroceded to France in 1919 and annexed by Germany in 1940 and recovered by France in 1945 and has stayed with France since that date. It is questionable what relation Valenine Barth, Sr. born in 1817 or Andrew Barth born in 1845 are to John since all settled very early in Winneshiek Co. near Locust, IA. John arrived in Iowa in the year 1855 after stopping in Stratford, Ontario, Canada for a time. On Jan 31, 1860 John married Margaretha Matter who was originally from Ingenheim, France.

John and Margaretha had 12 children: John, born Aug 1861, never married and died 8 Oct 1887 of typhoid fever; George, born 21 Jan 1864, married Maria Ruffridge (b. 1868-d. ?)8 Mar 1885 (date of death unknown); Caroline Amelia, born in 1867, married Henry Knoke (b. 1869-d. 1943) and died in 1943; William, born 17 Apr 1869, married Hattie Van Pelt (b. 1873-d. 1959) 10 Apr 1898, and died 11 Sep 1931; Frank, born 7 Jun 1872 to

Mary ? (b. 1876-d. 1947), and died 28 Jun 1952; Henry, born 14 Jan 1876, married Maggie Young (b. 1875-d. 1957) and died 31 Aug 1955; Charles, born 25 Nov 1874, married Florence Mae Perry (b. 1878-d. 1917) (date of death not known); Maria Margeretha, born 6 Jun 1878, married Jacob Young (b. 1862-d. 1935) 17 Dec 1902 at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Locust, and died 23 Jul 1956; Alvin, born 5 Feb 1881, married Tilla Severson (b. 1880-d. 1957) and died 11 Nov, 1950; Michael, born 23 Apr 1883, married Clara Barth (dtr. of Valentine Barth) (b. 1885-d, 1989) and died 1 Apr 1952; Julia, born 15 Apr 1887 and died 21 Feb 1897 of diptheria; and an infant son died in childbirth.

When the Locust German Lutheran congregation was organized in 1861 John Barth was one of the first to sign as a member and remained a staunch and steadfast member to the last. He had been a resident of Winneshiek Co. on a farm near Locust since 1855 until his death 25 Sep 1904 of food poisoning.

The following obituary was published about his death:

JOHN BARTH SUCCUMBS OF PTOMAINE POISONING

The news of the sudden death of Mr. John Barth, one of the oldest and best known residents of the vicinity of Locust, spread rapidly over the county Monday morning. John Barth whose home is about 2 miles south of Locust, died at 1 o’clock Monday morning from ptomaine poisoning. Saturday Mr. & Mrs. Barth were in Decorah doing some shopping and visiting friends, and taking dinner at the Sampson-Restaurant, where it is supposed they contacted ptomaine poisoning from meat they ate which resulted in Mr. Barth’s illness before he reached home. At first it was thought to be an attack of cholera morbus, but he gradually grew worse. He suffered severely all night and Sunday Dr. Daubney was called but found that the poison had a deep hold upon his system and could not be counteracted and he died as stated above. During Saturday night Mrs. Barth also became intensely ill and her condition was serious for a time but she recovered. Mr. Barth was a native of Alsace, Germany and came to America when about 21 years of age. He was 72 years on the 3rd of July last and settled in Winneshiek Co. about 1855. He is survived by his wife, 2 daughters and 7 sons. Two sons, George and Charles, live at Greene, IA and Preston, MN. The other children live near their parental home. The funeral was held yesterday morning at the Lutheran Church at Locust and the remains were interred in the Locust Cemetery. Mr. Barth was a man of wide acquaintance and had the respect of a large circle of friends.

Barth, Margaretha (Matter)

(Carol Volstad)

Margaretha Matter was born 26 Jan 1842 in Ingenheim, Alsace, France. With her parents she came to America in 1853 and resided in Strasberg, Canada for 2 years when the family again moved and came to Iowa locating in Pleasant Twp. near Locust. Margaretha’s parents’ names are unkown but it is known that her mother remarried in Alsace to John Kern. The Kerns later had one more son,