Northeastern Iowa

Boedings'

 

Conrad Boeding's family - 1892

back row, l-r - Anton Wurzer, Anna (Boeding) Wurzer, Edward Boeding, Elizabeth (Lohman) Boeding, John Schmitt, Betha (Boeding) Schmitt

front row, l-r - Betha Boeding, Rev. F.X. Boeding, Conrad Boeding, Rev. Arnold Boeding, Herman Boeding, Mary Elizabeth Boeding

 

By: Stephen J. Boeding, great great great grandson of Franz X. Boeding(1796 - 1878)

 

Father Francis Xavier Boeding (1853 - 1928), grandson of Franz Xavier Boeding (1796 - 1878), was ordained as a Catholic priest in Montreal on December 2, 1877. His first assignment as a priest was in the small town of Guttenberg, Iowa, a short distance north of Dubuque in Clayton County. In September of 1882, he was transferred to St. Luke's Catholic Church in St. Lucas, Fayette County, where he served as pastor for the next 46 years until his death on October 9, 1928. Father F. X. was probably the first, and perhaps the most influential, Boeding to call Northeastern Iowa home. Father F.X. was always recruiting German Catholics for his parish and, being established in the Dubuque diocese and the St. Lucas area, helped attract the other Boeding family members to the area.

Edward Otto Boeding (1861 - 1910) arrived in the United States in 1878 along with his older sister, Anna (1857 - 1928). Initially they both stayed in West Point, Iowa, where the Southeastern Iowa Boedings', their grandfather Franz Xavier Boeding and his family had settled in 1854-55. Edward moved on from there, working in California, Oregon and eventually landing in St. Louis where he worked in a brewery. He became a naturalized citizen there in 1884, being sponsored by his cousin Christian Hilke. From there, he returned to Germany to assist the remainder of his family in emigrating to the United States.

A visa was issued to Conrad Boeding on March 15, 1885. Conrad Boeding (1824 - 1893), his daughters Betha (1865 - 1936), Lizzie (1870 - 1956) and Mary (1973 - 1962), sons Edward, Arnold Aloyisius (1868 - 1944) and Herman (1872 - 1944) along with several traveling companions arrived first in West Point, then all of these Boedings moved on to St. Lucas.

Arnold became a priest in the Dubuque diocese, serving in and around Dubuque. Edward rented a farm 4 miles east of Waucoma that year, eventually purchasing 211 acres three miles from there. He married Elizabeth Mary Lohman in West Point, Fayette County, Iowa on November 17, 1886. Edward sold the farm in 1907, his wife and family of ten children moving to Kansas later that year. Lizzie was housekeeper for Edward prior to his marriage and then kept house for her priest brothers. Herman worked as a hired hand for Edward and eventually became a farmer, marrying Caroline Kuennen in 1894. Anna married Anton Wurzer sometime before 1888, they purchased the farm from her brother Edward in 1907. Betha married John Schmitt in 1892. Mary married Henry Kuennen on June 11, 1895, fifteen children blessed this marriage, although five did not live to adulthood. Those still living that had posed for the picture above that was taken in 1892, with the exception of Elizabeth (Lohman) Boeding, gathered again in Dubuque in April of 1917 for Father Arnold's Silver Jubilee and posed for the picture below.

April, 1917

back row, l-r - Henry Kuennen, Anton Wurzer, Rev. Arnold Boeding, Rev. F.X. Boeding, Herman Boeding, John Schmitt.

front row, l-r - Mary (Boeding) Kuennen, Annie (Boeding) Wurzer, Lizzie Boeding, Sr. Mary Cyril, O.S.F. (Mary Clara Boeding), Caroline (Kuennen) Boeding, Betha (Boeding) Schmitt.

Inserts - Arnold Boeding, Arnold Wurzer.

From the "Kuennen Heritage and Recipes" cookbook, 1997:

In 1907, Ed Boeding, a brother of Anna Boeding Wurzer, moved to Kansas and his land was sold to Anton Wurzer. This land was farmed by Anton Wurzer and his son Konrad until 1913.

In 1913, Konrad Wurzer married Barbara Kuennen and they moved to this farm. To this union seven daughters and five sons were born. In 1938, their first child was married. This was also Konrad and Barbara's 25th Wedding Anniversary. There was a "floor" put into a machine shed for the wedding reception and so it was also used for the Silver Anniversary dance. For their 40th Anniversary in 1953, a family gathering was held.

When Barbara passed away in 1960, they had 51 grandchildren. One grandchild was born on the day of her death. When Konrad passed away in 1970, there were 76 grandchildren. Now 84 years after the blessing of this union, Konrad and Barbara now have 77 grandchildren, 159 great grandchildren and 8 great, great grandchildren. Through the grace of this great sacrament of marriage in 1913, many Catholic homes were established in which sacrifice, prayer and teaching became a part of daily living. Children born to this union: Anton, Edwin, Ann, Carl, Theonilla, Francis, Alvin, Erma, Rosaria, Alvina, Alma and Doris.

Last updated: December 30, 2003

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