Deters, William F.

DETERS, BUCHHOLTZ, BUNGE

Posted By: S. Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 1/18/2024 at 12:33:10

William F. Deters, proprietor of Portland Prairie Stock Farm, lying partly in Wilmington and partly in Winnebago township, was born in Allamakee county, Iowa, just south of Eitzen village, on Aug. 2, 1875, son of Henry and Mary (Buchholtz) Deters.

He obtained a fairly good education after leaving the district school, attending Breckenridge Academy at Decorah, Iowa, for two winters, and afterwards pursuing a business course for two terms at Waukon, Iowa, where he completed his studies in 1894.

From the spring of that year until the fall of 1897 he worked on the home farm, which he subsequently operated in partnership with his brother, Louis H., until the spring of 1903. He then bought fifty acres in section 13, Wilmington township and eighty-two acres in Winnebago township, the two tracts constituting the old Busitzky farm, of which 110 acres were then under the plow.

In 1904 he bought an adjoining tract of forty acres in section 19, Winnebago township, and in 1908 another forty-acre tract adjoining on section 13, Wilmington township. Of his farm of 212 acres in one body, he has 150 now under the plow. The soil is of excellent quality, and there is a good set of farm buildings, provided with modern equipment. In 1915

Mr. Deters built a two-story, twelve-room house of tapestry brick, which he fitted up with hot and cold water, baths, and a hot water heating system, furnishing heat not only to the house but also to other buildings on the farm. The house is lighted throughout by the "Blaugas" system, but is wired for electric light. The situation is picturesque and commands a fine view of the surrounding country.

Mr. Deters follows diversified farming according to scientific methods, making stock breeding his specialty. Since 1904 he has been engaged in raising registered Shorthorn cattle, and he also breeds Poland-China hogs, having full-blooded sires for each herd. One of the leading stock farmers in the southern part of the county, he is president of the Houston county Agricultural Society, and is a shareholder in the Wilmington Creamery Co., the Eitzen Creamery Co., the Peoples Co-operative Stock & Grain Co. of Caledonia, and in the Eitzen State Bank of Eitzen, Minn., of which he is president. Enterprising and prosperous, he is one of the leading citizens of his township and is well and favorably known throughout the county.

Mr. Deters was married Nov. 18, 1903, to Anna M. Bunge, who was born Dec. 13, 1874, daughter of Christian and Dora Bunge, of Eitzen, Minn. He and his wife have four children: Martin B., born Feb. 15, 1906; John L., Nov. 20, 1909; Ruth L., May 10, 1912, and Martha M., Oct. 31, 1916.

The family are members of the Eitzen congregation of the German Evangelical Lutheran church.

~~The History of Houston County, Minnesota, 1919, pgs 600-601 (transcribed by S. Ferrall from the book digitalized by Google)