Southeastern Iowa Boedings'

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

• Franz Xavier Boeding (1796 - 1878) came to the United States in 1854 or 1855, with some members of his family, settling in the town of West Point, Lee County, Iowa. It is not certain how many of his children, and perhaps some of his grandchildren, may have accompanied him but it is known that his eldest son Conrad (1824 - 1893) and his family were not among them. Conrad came to the United States in 1885 and settled in the St. Lucas, Fayette County area of Northeastern Iowa. Franz' only daughter Elizabeth (1839 - 1916) emigrated with her father, marrying Joseph Schulte in 1861 and lived in West Point until her death in 1916. Sons Johann Heinrich (1828 - 1902) and Herman (1842 - 1922) were probably with their father, Johann being buried in the West Point cemetery and Herman moving on to Glad Valley, South Dakota. Sons Heinrich (1832 - 1909) and Eberhard (1842 - 1923) also stayed in the West Point area.

There is some speculation that Franz may have been married more than once. His son Conrad's birth certificate shows Anna Maria Lodenkamper as Conrad's mother. Buried next to Franz in the Calvary Cemetery in West Point is his wife Elisabeth (1805 - 1869). There are gaps between the births' of Franz' children that might lead one to believe that Elisabeth is a second wife but it could also be true that Anna Maria may have changed her name.

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More information is becoming available about the first Boedings to move to Iowa. There are tombstones in the Calvary cemetery in West Point, Lee County for Bödings that pre-date Franz Xavier Boeding arrival there in the 1850's but these certainly are not descendants of Franz.

Census, church and obituary records from the 1850's through the 1930's indicate that there was another Boeding family in Lee County not directly descendant from Franz Xavier Boeding (1796-1878). Frank Boeding, born September 21, 1849 in Germany was married to Elizabeth Hesse (5/18/1854-3/21/1929) in 1875, the family having 9 children.

Schulte

West Point, Iowa, November 13, 1911

Fifty years ago Tuesday, November 14, 1861, in the old St. Mary's church in West Point, Mr. Joseph Schulte and Miss Elizabeth Boeding were united in marriage. Rev. Father Reffe, pastor of St. Mary's at the time, officiated. Fifty golden years in the lives of these estimable people have drawn to a close.

Mr. Schulte was born in Beckum, Germany on the second day of January, 1825, and is in his eighty-sixth year. He served in the German military at the age of twenty-one in Luxemburg. He came to America in 1856. While still in Germany, he served an apprenticeship in a tannery and worked at his trade in Detroit and St. Louis for several years and came to West Point in 1859, which has since been his home. Immediately after his arrival here, he with others established a tannery at this place and conducted the same for over thirty years. He also conducted a wholesale leather and harness store with the late H. Weber as a partner for a number of years. He was interested in the old mill which was destroyed by fire a number of years ago. Besides these, Mr. Schulte gave considerable of his time and financial aid to other West Point enterprises.

Mrs. Schulte was born January 20, 1839, at Neuenkirchen, Rittberg, Germany, and is seventy-two years of age. She came to America and West Point in 1859, and has always been a resident of this place. She is well known and universally esteemed by all who knew her for her kindness of heart. She never turned the needy ones away from her door. While she was of great assistance to her husband, her first consideration was her home and her children which she loved above all others.

Mr. and Mrs. Schulte began housekeeping fifty years ago in the same house they now occupy and have lived there continuously.

Mr. and Mrs. Schulte were blessed with eight children. Five of them preceded their parents to the Great beyond. The living are: Mrs. Elizabeth Geers and Miss Mary Schulte of West Point and Mrs. H.J. Mertens of Pilot Grove. They also have ten grandchildren: Mrs. W.J. Kiener and Miss Theresa Geers of Fort Madison, Mrs. Ed Weishaar, H.B. Geers and Miss Apolon Geers of West Point, Alger, Rosann, Matilda, Joseph and Elizabeth Mertens of Pilot Grove. Also four great grandchildren: Jerome and Elizabeth Kiener of Fort Madison, Margaret Weishaar and John Geers of West Point.

Those attending from a distance were: W.J. Kiener and family of Fort Madison, H.J. Mertens and family of Houghton, Mrs. Margaret Kerkman of St. Louis, Mo., Rev. F.X. Boeding of St. Lucas, Rev. Arnold Boeding of Dubuque, Herman Boeding of St. Lucas, Miss Elizabeth Boeding of Dubuque, Miss Theresa Geers of Fort Madison, Mrs. Elizabeth Boeding of Seneca, Kansas.

 Last updated: August 11, 1998