BAUER, Valentine

BAUER, MATIAS, SHADDUCK, WHITNEY, HILL

Posted By: Annette Lucas (email)
Date: 5/23/2021 at 09:08:13

SOURCE: Biographical History of Shelby and Audubon Counties, Iowa; W. S. Dunbar & Co., Publishers, 1889

VALENTINE BAUER, of Viola Township, was born on a farm in Germany, February 14, 1840, and is a son of Michael and Mary (Matias) Bauer, who died in their native country. Valentine started to school at the age of six years, and continued to attend until he was fourteen years old. He then went to work on his father's farm, and remained there until he was twenty-two years old. Wishing to see the new world and try what fortune it might yield to him, he sailed from the harbor at Bremen for the United States, the voyage lasting eight weeks. He arrived in the city of New York and remained there two months, visiting two sisters who were living in that city. On leaving New York he went to Madison County, Illinois and went to work on a farm for 60 cents per day; at the end of two years he came to Lyons, Clinton County, Iowa, and worked on a farm by the month until 1871, when he rented a farm and worked it six years on his own account. In the spring of 1879 he removed to Audubon County, having bought eighty acres of land there the previous fall at the rate of $9 per acre. He built a house and set out a grove, and a year later he purchased an additional eighty acres; he sowed most of it in wheat, upon which he realized very handsomely. He has since bought eighty acres more, making 240 acres, most of which is under cultivation and well fenced. He devotes some attention to live-stock, breeding common stock. Mr. Bauer was married in October, 1873, to Elizabeth, the oldest daughter of Levi and Anna (Whitney) Shadduck, natives of Pennsylvania and New York respectively. She was born and reared in Clinton County, Iowa, her parents having come to the Territory of Iowa in 1839. Mr. and Mrs. Bauer are the parents of two children — Frank and Mary. By a former marriage to John Hill, Mrs. Bauer had five children — Addie, Arthur, George, Gertrude and Grant. Mr. Bauer has served as township trustee and as assessor, also as a school director. He is a member of Charity Lodge, No. 197, A. F. & A. M., at Coon Rapids. Mr. and Mrs. Bauer are members of the church at Viola Centre; Mrs. Bauer teaches in the Sabbath-school, and Mr. Bauer is treasurer of the same.