George M. Jacobs George M. Jacobs has achieved special success and priority as a raiser of high-grade poultry, and his finely equipped little poultry farm is eligibly situated in immediate proximity to the village of Guttenberg. He was born in this village on the 20th of March, 1873, and is a son of G. Henry Jacobs and Elizabeth (Nolte) Jacobs, the former of whom was born in Mecklenburg-Schweren, Germany, on the 29th of November, 1838, and the latter of whom was born at Bisslagen, Germany, on the 19th of September, 1842. G. Henry Jacobs acquired his early education in the schools of his native land and was a lad of sixteen years when he accompanied his parents on their immigration to America, his father, John Jacobs, becoming a pioneer settler on Cedar creek, Clayton county. G. Henry Jacobs became a man of broad intellectual ken and mature judgment, and he long held a position of prominence and influence in the county that continued to be his home until his death. In the earlier part of his independent career he followed farming for a time, and he then became associated with Clement Schwaller in the general merchandise business at Guttenberg. With this line of enterprise he continued his identification several years, and in the meanwhile he Served as postmaster of the village. For about six years thereafter he conducted the Washington Hotel at Guttenberg, and he then engaged in the practice of law, having given careful study to the science of jurisprudence and thus having gained admission to the bar he continued in the practice of his profession at Guttenberg about twenty-one years, and during much of the time he held the office of notary public. He held inviolable place in popular confidence and esteem, served several years as mayor of Guttenberg, and was an effective advocate of the principles and policies of the Democratic party. His death occurred September 17, 1888, and his widow survived him by nearly a quarter of a century, she having been called to eternal rest on the 21st of May, 1911. Of their children the eldest is Walter G., who resides at Aberdeen, South Dakota; Hugo C. is a resident of Luxemburg, Iowa; the subject of this review was the next in order of birth; Clementine is the wife of Warner Eggerth, of Spokane, Washington, in which city also resides William H., the next in order of birth; Matilda is the wife of William Stretch and they reside in the city of Chicago; and Addie remains at the old home in Guttenberg. George M. Jacobs is indebted to
the public schools of Guttenberg for his early
educational discipline, and as a youth he found
employment in a cigar factory in his native village. He
became an expert cigarmaker and after being employed at
his trade in Guttenberg for ten years he was similarly
engaged at Charter Oak, this state, for one year. He then
returned to Guttenberg, where for the ensuing sixteen
years he was engaged in the retail liquor trade, and upon
his retirement from this business he established his
present prosperous enterprise, in the raising of and
dealing in fine poultry. He has served as a member of the
city council of Guttenberg. and is known as a stalwart in
the local camp of the Democratic party. On the 19th of
February, 1901, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Jacobs
to Miss Elizabeth Kickbusch; daughter of Charles and
Frederica Kickbusch, of Millville township. Of the
children born to Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs, Freda and Vivian,
the third and sixth in respective order of birth, are
deceased, and all of the others remain at the parental
home, namely: Walter W., Emma, Irene, Hilda, Helen and
George. source: History of Clayton
County, Iowa; From The Earliest Historical Times Down to
the Present; by Realto E. Price, Vol. II; pg 193-194 |