CHRISTIAN SELK is one of the prominent land owners and farmers of Monroe township,
where he has a valuable estate of two hundred and forty acres in
sections 23, 25 and 26. He was born in Germany January 27, 1853, and in
1872 came with the family to this country, residing for a few months in
Wisconsin, and the mother died there. A year afterward the father
returned to Germany, and he died in that country eight years later. Mr.
Selk has three brothers, all living in Benton county. He began life for
himself in this country without capital, and while in Wisconsin he
worked for others for about a year, coming then to Davenport. After
three years there he came to Keystone in Benton county, and after
working for others some years he bought eighty acres of land in Homer
township, which he improved and which he yet owns. From there he came
to his present home farm in 1901, purchasing the land from James
Harwood. He has greatly improved his place, and he operates it with the
help of his two sons.
Mr. Selk married in Benton county about twenty-nine years ago Miss
Catherine Fick, who was born in Holstein, Germany, and she was about
seven years old when she came to America with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Haas Fick, who located in Eldorado township, Benton county, and spent
the remainder of their lives there. The six children born to Mr. and
Mrs. Selk are: John, who married Miss Lizzie Hausman, and resides on
the Homer township farm, their three children being Harry, Roberta and
Raymond; and Etta, Ella, Martha, Fritz and Rudolph, all at home with
their parents. Mr. Selk in politics affiliates with the Democratic
party. He is one of the representative citizens of Monroe township.