dropped on his hand and injured a finger. The old barn burned down.

Ed married Anna Lubke on 27 Apr 1914. In order to court his wife Ed had to walk three miles to the Lubke farm as he did not have a car as yet. Sometimes he would hire a horse and buggy and take Anna for a ride. They had 2 children: Milton of Waterloo and Kav Donlon of Decorah. There was a pony and cart on the farm and Ed loved to hitch up the pony and take his kids for a ride.

Ed died 14 May 1977, on Milton and Amber’s anniversary, at the Aase Haugen Nursing Home (Retirement Center) at the age of 85.1 might mention that Ed was Milton’s best man when Milton and Amber got married.

Anna Lubke Herwig was a good mother and homemaker. She could sew, knit, crochet and do needlework, always giving the articles away. She used to make things to hang in the archway of the house out of rolled magazine paper and chestnuts which she varnished and then put them on a string. Anna was an exceptional cook and baker. She spent a lot of time helping her sister, Othelia on the Lubke farm. Anna died 3 Jan 1973.

Herwig, Henry Heinrich and Anna (Duemmer)

(Milton Herwig)

Henry and Anna Herwig

Back: Mabel and Ed Herwig. Front: Ruth. Missing: Ray.

Henry Herwig was born in Gensungen, Germany near Kassel in the State of Hessen. The Gensungen Evangelical Church Record shows that he was born in House #66 in Sep 1864 and was baptized Johann Heinrich (Henry) Herwig on 26 Sep 1864. It is interesting to note that his father’s name was also Heinrich (Henry) and his Godfather’s name was the same. His Godfather could possibly have been his grandfather since both his father and Godfather were listed as being carpenters, the same occupation chosen by Henry in America.

A devoutly religious young man, Henry found it difficult to accept the aggressive policies of the German government at the time. Even though he had two brothers who were officers in the German Army, he held very definite pacifist views. As a result, he decided to emigrate to America at a very young age so that he would not be forced into conscription by the German Army.

He first settled in the Ridgeway, IA area where he worked on various farms until his marriage on 15 Feb 1890 to Anna Duemmer of Decorah, IA. For a short time they farmed near Ridgeway until Henry decided to follow the Herwig family tradition and become a carpenter. He consequently made many of his own tools and began by building pigeon coops and pens for pigeon farmers in the area. Eventually Henry helped construct a number of houses and barns in Decorah and the surrounding areas, including the construction of the early Preus Gymnasium. For a number of years he also worked for the A.R. Coffeen Construction Company.

Henry and Anna had 4 children: Edward B.: Mabel (Stoskopf (Mrs. Louis): Raymond and Ruth (Bradley). Ed, Ray and Ruth all remained in the Decorah area but Mabel and her husband left and moved to Kansas.

The family home was located on Heivly Street in Decorah (behind the present Weis Shell Station). It was here that Henry planted a special variety of apple tree. He was very proud of this tree and gave many of the apples away, but according to his grandson, Milton Herwig of Waterloo, he could bake a “mean" apple pie himself.

Anna lived in the family home until her death in 1937. After her death Henry continued to reside there until he died at the age of 85 in 1949. They are both buried in the German Methodist Church Cemetery northeast of Decorah on the Canoe Ridge Road.

It is interesting that Henry never owned a car. He was a very active man and walked wherever he went so he saw no need to own an automobile.

Hexom, David and Augusta (Sivisind)

(Eunice C. Stoen)

Our family history book has had three publications that goes back to 1707 to1981 and the last one in hard cover. My great-grandmother Elina Ruen and descendants came from Hadeland, Norway. She was born on 1 Feb 1831 on the Ruen Gaard, or farm. The family later came to America in 1850 after they heard of the wonderful opportunities offered in the New World. Her mother died of cholera while crossing the ocean.

Peder Hanson Eggebraaten Ruen was born 3 Feb 1788 in Hadeland. He was the son of Mr. & Mrs. Hans Eggebraaten. Peder fought in the war with Sweden in 1814. His first wife died in 1821 at the birth of twin sons (our family has an unusual number of twins on all four sides) and he then married Anne Kjos Elvestuen. Besides farming, he was a shoe maker, and with 7 children, longed for the opportunities in America. In 1850 with others from the area, and in his 62nd year, Peder made preparations to leave. Theirs was the largest group to leave and the whole community came to see them off. On the way Mrs. Ruen died of cholera and was buried at sea. They sailed for 7 weeks to Quebec and then down to Wisconsin. The Ruens moved to Iowa in 1851 and moved into a log house just before Christmas, one of the first with a wooden floor. Peder died 15 Oct 1879 at 91 years of age. All of our ancestors lived until an old age.