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Biographies of Chickasaw County, Iowa In 1910 Frank Tjaden settled upon the farm on section 31, Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, on which he now resides, although he has since extended its boundaries until the place now comprises twohundred and forty acres of good land, which he is carefully and successfully cultivating. Mr. Tjaden is a native son of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Woodford county, May 3, 1875, his parentsbeing Menka and Anna (De Fries) Tjaden, who were married in Woodford county, where they became acquainted. The mother died in Floyd county, Iowa, but the father is still living and now resides in Oklahoma with his second wife. Frank Tjaden was educated in the district schools of his native county and throughout the period of his minority remained upon the home farm, assisting in its further cultivation and development. When he had reached man's estate he made his way westward to Washington and afterward became a resident of Pocahontas county, Iowa, where he lived until his removal to Calhoun county. While there he met and married Miss Tena Coleman, whom he wedded on the 5th day of November, 1900. She is a daughter of Bernard and Anna Coleman, both now deceased. The mother died in Nebraska a number of years ago, while the father passed away in Calhoun county, Iowa, September 19, 1911. Following his marriage, Mr. Tjaden rented one hundred and sixty acres of land in Pocahontas county and conducted that farm for ten years. He then removed to Deerfield township, Chickasaw county, and in 1910 took up his abode upon his present farm, having the previous year purchased one hundred and sixty acres of this tract of land. He has since added to his holdings until within the boundaries of his farm are now comprised two hundred and forty acres. He has made this and excellent place by reason of the care and labor which he has bestowed upon it and from his fields he now annually gathers abundant harvests. He Is also a stockholder in the Farmers Elevator of Colwell. As the years have passed Mr. and Mrs Tjaden have become the parents of seven children: Anna, Ludwig, Bernard, Meta, Jacob, Ernest and Leonard, all yet at home. Mr. Tjaden and his family are members of the German Lutheran church of Alta Vista and his political allegiance is given to the republican party, which he supports at the polls, but otherwise he is not active in politics. His farm claims his entire attention and he works diligently in the further development and improvement of the property, which he has converted Into one of the excellent farms of Deerfield township. Otto Masemann, who is engaged in general farming on section 22, Washington township, Chickasaw county, and also in the breeding of Scotch Durham cattle, was born in Germany, September 17, 1865, his parents being John H. and Anna Masemann. They never came to the United States, the father passing away in Germany a number of years ago and the mother still making her home there. Otto Masemann came to the United States in 1883, when a young man of eighteen years, after having acquired a common school education in his native country. He did not tarry on the Atlantic coast but made his way to the Mississippi valley and took up his abode at Bellevue, Iowa, where he soon secured work as a farm hand. He was thus employed for seven years and afterward he engaged in farm work in Washington township, Chickasaw county, for a year. He was ambitious to own property and carry on farming independently, however, and in 1892 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of the farm upon which he now resides. Since then he has further extended its boundaries by investment in an additional tract of eighty acres, so that he now has two hundred and forty acres of good land. He is regarded as one of the successful farmers of the county, following improved modern methods in the development of his fields. He breeds and raises Scotch Durham cattle and his stock raising as well as his general farming interests have brought to him success. He has made all of the improvements upon his property and it presents a most attractive appearance, constituting one of the pleasing features in the landscape. At the age of twenty-seven years, on the 17th of March, 1892, Mr. Masemann was married to Miss Elvina Joachim, a daughter of Charles and Mary (Schultz) Joachim, both of whom were natives of Germany and have now passed away. The father departed this life in Washington township, Chickasaw county, while the mother died in La Grange, Illinois, her remains being brought back to Alta Vista for interment. Mr. and Mrs. Masemann have two living children, Fred and Alvina. The son served with the famous Thirty-third or Prairie Division during the European war, being a member of Company C of the One Hundred and Thirtieth Infantry. He was in France for a year and was on some of the most notable battle fronts. Mr. Masemann and his family are members of the German Lutheran church of Alta Vista, and in politics he is a republican. He has served as school director in Washington township for several years and is a stanch advocate of progressive methods of education. In fact he stands for all that tends to promote improvement and upbuilding along any line vital to the welfare of the community. In his business affairs he has prospered and has never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the new world, for he has here found the opportunities which he sought and in their utilization has gained a place among the substantial farmers and representative business men of northern Iowa. A. J. Venz, a farmer residing on section 17, Deerfleld township, Chickasaw county, was born in Germany, July 14, 1862, his parents being William and Hannah (Kneppe) Venz, who came to the United States in the spring of 1873 and first settled in Ripon, Fond du lac county, Wisconsin. After ten years they removed to Chickasaw county, Iowa, taking up their abode in Deerfleld township on a tract of land of forty acres. A year later, however, Mr. Venz went with his family to Floyd county, Iowa, where he resided to the time of his death, which occurred January 2, 1919.A. J. Venz was about eleven years of age when he crossed the Atlantic and had attained his majority at the time of the removal of his parents to Iowa. For three years after coming to Chickasaw county he worked for wages as a farm hand and then began renting land which he cultivated for seven years. The profits from his crops were carefully put away until the sum was sufficient to enable him in 1893 to purchase eighty acres of land on section 16, Deerfleld township. For twelve years he resided upon and further improved the farm and on the expiration of that period he traded the property toward the purchase of his present home place, comprising one hundred and sixty acres. Today he has a modern farm, improved with good buildings that afford ample shelter for grain and stock. He devotes his attention to general agricultural pursuits, producing the crops best adapted to soil and climatic conditions here, and the results of his labors have been very gratifying. In November, 1888, Mr. Venz was married to Miss Emma Krumrey, of Chickasaw township, a daughter of Henry Krumrey, who came to Chickasaw county from Germany about 1866. He is now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Venz are the parents of three children: Etta, now the wife of E. W. Manning, a farmer of Deerfield township; George, who married Lulu Rose, a daughter of W. W. Rose, and is now engaged in farming in Chickasaw township; and Wilbur, at home. Since becoming a naturalized American citizen A. J. Venz has given his political support to the republican party but has never sought nor desired office. His attention has been fully claimed by his business affairs and it has been through his own labor that he has gained his present day success. He started out in life empty-handed and has worked his way upward. He has never been afraid of hard labor, and his dilligence and industry have placed him among the substantial farmers of this section. Source: History of Chickasaw and Howard Counties, Iowa (S. J. Clarke Publishing Co, 1919)
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