Fred Chris Wunnenberg
1862 - 1941 (79 years)-
Name Fred Chris Wunnenberg [1] Born 17 Feb 1862 Benton Township, Des Moines County, Iowa [2, 3, 4, 5, 6] Gender Male Census 1900 Benton Township, Des Moines County, Iowa Census 1910 Benton Township, Des Moines County, Iowa Census 1920 Benton Township, Des Moines County, Iowa Census 1930 Benton Township, Des Moines County, Iowa Census 1940 Benton Township, Des Moines County, Iowa Died 25 Feb 1941 Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa [2, 4, 5, 6] Buried 28 Feb 1941 Latty Church Cemetery, Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa [2, 4, 5] Person ID I6 Wunnenberg Last Modified 21 Mar 2023
Father Heinrich August Joachim Wunnenberg, b. 15 Feb 1821, Calvorde, Germany , d. 04 Apr 1900, Des Moines County, Iowa (Age 79 years) Mother Emelie Rehfeldt, b. 05 Dec 1833, Lenzarsigle, Germany , d. 16 Apr 1888, Des Moines County, Iowa (Age 54 years) Married 04 Apr 1853 Germany [2, 7] Family ID F1 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family Anna Mary Riemann, b. 22 Jun 1867, Des Moines County, Iowa , d. 27 Nov 1958, Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa (Age 91 years) Married 30 Mar 1891 Des Moines County, Iowa Children 1. Vernon William Wunnenberg, b. 02 Jul 1894, Sperry, Des Moines County, Iowa , d. 12 Mar 1977, Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa (Age 82 years) 2. Herbert Otto Wunnenberg, b. 16 Sep 1895, Sperry, Des Moines County, Iowa , d. 07 Oct 1918, France (Age 23 years) 3. Alice Dorthea Wunnenberg, b. 04 Oct 1896, Sperry, Des Moines County, Iowa , d. 19 Nov 1992, Mediapolis, Des Moines County, Iowa (Age 96 years) 4. Minnie Clara Wunnenberg, b. 14 Oct 1898, Sperry, Des Moines County, Iowa , d. 30 Oct 1972, Beloit, Rock County, Wisconsin (Age 74 years) 5. Ralph Herbert Wunnenberg, b. 6 Feb 1901, Sperry, Des Moines County, Iowa , d. 05 Feb 1993, Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa (Age 91 years) 6. Pearl Emma Wunnenberg, b. 06 Aug 1902, Sperry, Des Moines County, Iowa , d. 24 Feb 1955, Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa (Age 52 years) 7. May Anna Wunnenberg, b. 05 Feb 1905, Sperry, Des Moines County, Iowa , d. 22 Jul 1973, Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa (Age 68 years) 8. Roy Fred Wunnenberg, b. 11 Nov 1907, Des Moines County, Iowa , d. 08 Nov 1909, Benton Township, Des Moines County, Iowa (Age 1 years) 9. Alfred Frederick Wunnenberg, b. 10 Mar 1911, Sperry, Des Moines County, Iowa , d. 19 Mar 1999, Burlington, Des Moines County, Iowa (Age 88 years) Last Modified 18 Mar 2018 Family ID F7 Group Sheet | Family Chart
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Event Map = Link to Google Earth Pin Legend : Address : Location : City/Town : County/Shire : State/Province : Country : Not Set
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Documents Benton Township 1930
Plat book of Des Moines County, Iowa, 1930 Benton Township
F. C. Wunnenberg farm
Township 71N. Range 2W. Section 18.Obituary of Fred Chris Wunnenberg
Headstones Fred C. Wunnenberg Wunnenberg Latty headstone Wunnenberg headstones
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Notes - F.C. Wunnenberg of Sperry died in city today
(From Yesterday’s Final Edition)
Fred C. Wunnenberg, Sperry, Ia., retired farmer, died at Burlington hospital at 2 o’clock this afternoon following an illness of five years. He was admitted to the hospital only a few minutes before he died.
He was a life resident of Des Moines county. He was born in this county 79 years ago, Feb. 17, 1962. He was a member of Zion Evangelical church of Latty.
Surviving are his widow; three sons, Ralph of Sperry, Alfred of Burlington and Vernon of Florida; four daughters, Mrs. Roy Anderson and Mrs. Clarence Thomes, Sperry, Mrs. Elmer Ruschill, Burlington, and Mrs. Chester McKeown of Mediapolis; one brother, Otto, of Sperry; two sisters, Mrs. Louis Malchow of Kingston and Mrs. Herbert Edmonds, Sperry; and seven grandchildren. Two sons preceded him in death.
The body is at Progh’s chapel. Rites will be set later.
[6, 8] - 1900 US census, enumerated 8 June 1900
Benton Township, Des Moines County, Iowa
Fred C. Wunnenberg, age 37, farmer
Anna M., age 30
Vernon W., age 4
Herbert O, age 3
Alice D., age 2
Minnie C., age 2 months
Otto Wunnenberg, age 16, nephew
Fred’s brother, Henry Wunnenberg’s household is near by.
[9] - 1910 US census, enumerated 26 April 1910
Benton Township, Des Moines County, Iowa
Fred C. Wunnenberg, age 48, farmer
owns farm
Anna M., age 42
Vernon W., age 15
Herbert O, age 14
Alice D., age 13
Minnie C., age 11
Ralph H, age 9
Pearl E, age 7
May A, age 5
Fred’s brother, Otto Wunnenberg’s household is near by.
[9] - 1920 US census, enumerated 12 January 1920
Benton Township, Des Moines County, Iowa
Fred C. Wunnenberg, age 58, farmer
owns farm
Anna M., age 53
Vernon W., age 25
Minnie C., age 21
Ralph H, age 18
Pearl E, age 17
May A, age 14
Alfred, age 8
Dorthy Riemann, age 77, mother-in-law
Fred’s brother, Henry Wunnenberg’s household is near by.
[9] - 1930 US census, enumerated 7 April 1930
Benton Township, Des Moines County, Iowa
Fred C. Wunnenberg, age 68, retired farmer
owns farm, no radio
Anna, age 63
Ralph, age 29
Alfred, age 19
Dorthy Riemann, age 87, mother-in-law
[9] - 1940 US census, enumerated 5 April 1940
Benton Township, Des Moines County, Iowa
Fred C. Wunnenberg, age 78, retired farmer
owns farm
Anna, age 17
Their son, Ralph Wunnenberg’s household is next door
[9]
- F.C. Wunnenberg of Sperry died in city today
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Sources - [S35] https://archive.org/details/biographicalrevi02hoba, (Chicago, Hobart Publishing Co., 1905), Pages 806-807.
Fred C. Wunnenberg
One of the most progressive farmers and influential citizens of Benton township is Fred C. Wunnenberg, who is a representative of a well-known pioneer family. Mr. Wunnenberg himself is a native of the township, but he is one of the many citizens of Des Moines county whose native thrift and sterling integrity bear indisputable testimony to the fact that they are of German descent, his father and mother both having come from that country. Mr. Wunnenberg is the son of Henry and Amelia (Raefeld) Wunnenberg.
The father, Henry Wunnenberg, was born in Berlin, and followed the occupation of a miller in the Fatherland. He and his wife came to America in 1852, and located in Benton township, where he made his home till the time of his death. Immediately upon his arrival in Benton township he bought a forty-acres farm located in the eastern part of the township. He was so successful, from a financial standpoint, in his cultivation of this place, that after a number of years he was able to sell this farm and buy another one consisting of one hundred and thirty-five acres, situated across the road west from the one on which our subject lives. Here he made his home, and carried on a stock-raising business in addition to his work of general farming. The farm was brought to a high state of cultivation and underwent many improvements under the ownership of Mr. Wunnenberg. Here he died at the ripe age of seventy-nine years, and was interred in the cemetery south of the village of Latty. He was always very much interested in the political questions of the day, and rendered valuable aid to the Democratic party, which seemed to him to best represent his ideas of what a popular government should be. He was also an active and efficient worker in the Evangelical church, of which he was a faithful member.
Mrs. Henry Wunnenberg, whose maiden name was Amelia Raefeld, died about four years before her husband, at the age of fifty-six years, and is buried at the same place as her husband. She was the mother of eleven children, of whom two died in infancy. Of the five boys and four girls remaining, one, Herman, is a teamster in Burlington. The rest have preferred the free life of farmers.
Fred C. Wunnenberg, the subject of this review, was born on the old homestead in Benton township, Feb. 17, 1862. He was given a common-school education, beyond which very few young people went at that time, and remained at home until he reached the age of thirty years, sometimes working out of neighboring places besides helping to carry on the work of the home place.
On March 30, 1893, he was married to Miss Anna Rieman, daughter of Fred Rieman, of this township. Her father, who is now deceased, came of a family whose names have been well know in the community for many years, as they were among the earliest settlers of this part of Iowa.
After his marriage, Mr. Wunnenberg was so prospered that in four or five years he was able to buy his present farm of one hundred and twenty acres, in Section 18, and has since resided there. This farm consists of rich, fertile land, and is in a good state of cultivation, thoroughly developed, and well adapted to general farming as Mr. Wunnenberg carries it on. Mr. Wunnenberg has been blessed with seven children, who are: Vernon William, born July 2, 1894; Herbert Otto, born Sept 16, 1895; Alice Adora, born Oct. 4, 1896; Minnie, Born Oct. 14, 1898; Ralph H., born Feb 6, 1901; Pearl Emma, born Aug.6, 1902; and a daughter [May], born Feb. 5, 1905.
Mr. Wunnenberg has taken much interest in political affairs since he was a young man, and has done much work in behalf of his friends. He has attended the county conventions as a delegate, representing his neighbors in the Democratic party. In religious matters he is connected with the Evangelical church, and well maintains his father’s faith. He is devoted to the cause of right and justice in all its aspects, and has always been a believer in the duty of the citizen to assist with whatever ability he may possess in the solution of questions affecting the public welfare. Accordingly he has at time acted as supervisor of highways for the township, and has also shown that he has the cause of public education at heart, by acting as school director for a number of years. He has a large circle of friends who respect him for his energy, loyalty, and uprightness, and admire him for his stanch character. - [S1] Genealogical Records of Celia Crawford.
- [S14] 1900 US census.
- [S3] Tombstone, Latty Church Cemetery.
- [S5] Death certificate.
- [S7] Obituary.
- [S2] History of Des Moines County, Iowa, (Western Historical Company, Chicago, Ill., 1879).
- [S24] newspaper clipping.
- [S31] census.
- [S35] https://archive.org/details/biographicalrevi02hoba, (Chicago, Hobart Publishing Co., 1905), Pages 806-807.